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The faculty at American Youth Dance Theater is composed of a caring staff of professional dancers with extensive teaching experience. Our combined performing credits include engagements with regionally and internationally acclaimed dance companies as well as Broadway musicals, film and television. As teachers, our common goal is to create a positive classroom environment, helping students realize their potential in an encouraging and creative manner. Our small class sizes enable teachers to give each child the personal attention needed to better guide them in realizing individual goals.
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Natalia Alonzo-Brillante
- Founder and Director of American Youth Dance Theater; instructor in Ballet 1B, Ballet 2, and Ballet 3, Certified in the ABT® National Training Curriculum for Ballet Levels Primary-Five

Natalia Alonzo-Brillante, a native New Yorker, began her journey with dance at the age of three. Her background includes extensive
training in classical ballet, modern dance and Flamenco. Her ballet teachers include David Howard, Marina Stavitskya, Michael Vernon,
Anna Lederfeind and Nancy Bielski. She studied contemporary dance at the Martha Graham School and has spent over 15 years of her
career learning and performing the technique and repertoire of Isadora Duncan. Natalia trained in
flamenco and classical Spanish dance with José Molina, Mariano Parra and Liliana Morales.
After graduating high school Natalia continued her professional training at the Martha Graham School of
Contemporary Dance. She also completed a BA in foreign languages at Hunter College. Upon
completion of her dance studies, she was invited to partake in the historic reconstruction of Martha
Graham’s 1934 ballet “Panorama” in which she performed with the Graham Company for two
consecutive seasons at New York’s City Center as well as the Spoleto Festivals in the United States and
Europe.
Natalia danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet at Lincoln Center for 5 years in productions of La
Traviata, Turandot, Tannhauser, I Vespri Siciliano and Carmen. Her professional career also includes
performances with numerous dance companies including Dances by Isadora, Catherine Gallant Dance,
The American Bolero Dance Company, Danzas Espanolas, the Off-Broadway production “Flamenco
Extravaganza” and Ballet Fiesta Mexicana, among many others. She also performs locally with her own flamenco dance company Gitana.
Natalia began teaching in 1994 at Ballet Academy East and Discovery Programs in NYC. In 1996, at the age of 25, she accomplished her
childhood dream of opening her own dance studio, American Youth Dance Theater. Since then the school has undergone three
expansions and continues to grow. Over the years, Natalia’s greatest joy as a teacher has been seeing children of all ages, backgrounds
and levels of ability discover the joy of self expression through dance and music. It has been a special and joyful experience for her to
witness students growing from the toddler programs all the way through the highest level classes, and seeing how involvement in the arts
helps children develop into disciplined and dedicated young adults with a strong sense of respect for self and others.
Along with directing American Youth Dance Theater, Natalia has also guest taught and conducted multicultural dance performances and
lecture demonstrations in public and private schools throughout New York City since 1999, through programs including Young Audiences
and Arts Connection.
Natalia’s favorite movie is the Japanese version of “Shall We Dance?” because it is about ordinary people discovering the joy of movement.
She believes that if we all spent a little more time dancing, the world would be a happier place!
Natalia is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of
the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
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Deborah Langenfeld Anthony
- Instructor in Mommy-n-Me, Tiny Tots; Pre-Ballet 1 and 3, Ballet 1A; Intermediate Broadway and Teen
Broadway; Tap 2. Certified in the ABT® National Training Curriculum for Ballet Levels Primary-Three

Deborah moved to New York City from Buffalo, New York to pursue a career in musical theatre and dance. After
completing her education at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy she received her B.F.A. in Musical
Theatre at New School University.
Deborah has taught dance for the past eight years throughout Buffalo, Albany, and New York City. When not
teaching, she has been a guest artist with the Anahid Sofian Dance Company and has choreographed numerous
musical productions. Some of her favorites include Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof, and 42nd Street.
Deborah is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in
Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
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Rio Smith
- Instructor in Ballet 3 and 4, Intermediate Ballet, Advanced Ballet, Pre-Pointe, Intermediate Technique, Variations,
Open Level Ballet 2 and 3; Tap/Jazz Intro. Certified in the ABT® National Training Curriculum for Ballet Levels Primary-Five

A Chicago native, Rio trained with Larry Long of the Ruth Page Dance Foundation on scholarship, while also dancing for the school’s resi-
dent company, Civic Ballet of Chicago. Rio continued her training in ballet and expanded into contemporary work at Point Park University
on presidential and dance scholarships. She performed with the Pittsburgh Playhouse Dance Company under Susan Stowe, and also
danced for The Pillow Project, a dance, media, and film collaboration in Pittsburgh. As an advocate for human rights, Rio founded and led
the International Justice Mission - Point Park University Chapter, raising awareness and funds to help victims of slavery around the
world. To express this passion for equality, she was also privileged to premiere her work “Wavering Grace” at the
Pittsburgh Playhouse.
Rio's dance credits include Against the Grain Dance Project and This Way Up TV in Chicago, and teaching credits
number among the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Point Park University Community Classes, and The Mono-
monee Club. Along with working with AYDT and CDAB, Rio dances and manages for Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance
Theater. Rio graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Dance and minor in Business Management, and also is an
ABT® Certified Teacher in Primary through Level Three. She is thrilled to spread her knowledge and passion for
dance at AYDT!
Rio is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the
ABT® National Training Curriculum.
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Jennifer Stetzler
- Director of Tap Program; Instructor in Broadway Bound, Intermediate Tap and Advanced Tap

Jennifer is a native of the Midwest (Overland Park, KS) and moved to New York City to pursue musical
theater. The past six years she has performed in various productions, including the national tour of
"Peter Pan."
Jennifer has been teaching for the past nine years, both in local dance studios and performing arts
camps. She received her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre with a Dance Emphasis at the University of
Northern Colorado. While attending college she was a member on the UNC Dance Tour Troupe and
founded the UNC Tap Troupe, Tone Def, that performed at area schools and concerts. Jennifer is also
an accomplished singer and choreographer, having recreated the production of "A Chorus Line" and
assisted on many other projects.
Locally, Jennifer has taught in the schools with Wingspan Arts, Inc. She is excited to bring her own unique blend of creativity, technique,
and musicality to the AYDT family!
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Nancilyn Ferguson
- Instructor in Pre-Ballet 1 and 2; Hip Hop Intro, Hip Hop 2 and 3; Tap/Jazz Intro, Tap 1A and 1B, Teen Tap;
Broadway
Born in Santiago, Chile, Nancilyn was raised in Sea Girt, New Jersey. In 2002, she graduated from Point
Park University, a renowned performing arts college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After just three and a half
years of study, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance, with a concentration in jazz. While
attending college, Nanci performed professionally for The Pittsburgh Playhouse and the Pittsburgh Musical
Theater in productions of “Fandango,” “Boogie Wonderland,” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat.” During her summers, she performed professionally as a dancer in “Odyssey” at Six Flags.
Nancilyn’s teaching experience includes most recently, Kinderdance, New York City, where she specialized
in ballet, tap, and gymnastics for ages two to five; Ms. Elaine’s Dance Studio, Pittsburgh, specializing in hip
hop; and Standing Ovation Dance Studio, Brick, NJ for ages three to 16, teaching competitive levels in all
genres of dance specializing in hip hop and tap.
Nanci has had a true love of dance since the age of three and she has always had the devotion and
dedication required to share that love of the art with her students.
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Aurelia Michael
- Instructor in Hip Hop 3 and 4
Aurelia was born and raised in the northern section of the Bronx, New York – the birthplace of hip hop. At the age five she began to take ballet and tap lessons at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, but by the age of 14 she realized that hip hop dance was her calling.
A recent graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Aurelia double-majored in Modern Dance and Business, and is the founder of the University's Dynamic Dance Team, a nationally recognized hip hop dance troupe on campus. She was a four-year member of Culture Shock Dance Troupe DC, performing throughout the metro area as well as San Diego, Idaho, and Canada.
Aurelia has trained at several studios including Broadway Dance Center, City Dance Center, Dance Place, DC Dance Collective, Joy of Motion, Millennium Dance Complex, The Edge, and Debbie Reynolds. She is currently working on a second project with members of the world renowned company Cirque du Soleil, and works as a certified NCSF Personal Trainer as well.
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Sophie Alpern
- Instructor in Pre-Ballet 2 and 3; Ballet 4; Intermediate Ballet; Pre-Pointe; Intermediate
Pointe; Advanced Technique; Open Level Ballet 1
Sophie Alpern, a native New Yorker, has been dancing for 17 years. She has trained at the School of American
Ballet, Steps on Broadway, North Carolina School of the Arts, Houston Ballet Academy, and the Royal Ballet
School. While at SAB, she performed with New York City Ballet in The Nutcracker, A Midsummer’s Night Dream,
Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, and Circus Polka.
Sophie is a graduate of The Brearley School in New York City, and holds a B.A. from Vassar College with honors
in Sociology. She danced leading roles with the nationally known Vassar Repertory Dance Theater for four
years, culminating in the principal role in George Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie under the direction of renowned
ballerina Merrill Ashley at the historic Bardavon theater. While at Vassar, she also taught open ballet classes for
college students and faculty. She has worked in the Education Department at American Ballet Theater, and has brought the dance experi-
ence to underprivileged children through Ballet Tech and Ballet Ambassadors.
Sophie has successfully combined her dance career with continued academic pursuits. She is the author of a groundbreaking sociological
study entitled The Perception and Role of Dance and Classical Ballet in the Liberal Arts Academy. She has also written and published an
article in Dance Spirit Magazine entitled “Best of Both Worlds: Balancing Dance and Academics.” Sophie assisted in the compilation of the
College Guide in Dance Magazine for students seeking to pursue dance in an academic setting. At Vassar, she took courses in Dance in
Higher Education and Dance Writing and Criticism. In her own dance research, she has interviewed such ballet stars as Julie Kent, Jenifer
Ringer and John Meehan.
Sophie is currently studying dance criticism at Columbia University, and dancing with Columbia Ballet Collaborative. She most recently
performed in a work choreographed by a well-known New York City Ballet dancer. She continues to take a daily professional ballet class
with her mother Nancy Bielski, an internationally-known master teacher for American Ballet Theater, Steps on Broadway, and Staatsballett
Berlin. Sophie has been accepted into the Dance in Higher Education and the Professions: ABT Ballet Pedagogy program at NYU, and
plans to attend next year while concurrently teaching at AYDT.
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Megan Wright
- Instructor in Pre-Ballet 2; Hip Hop Intro, Hip Hop 1
Megan Wright was born and raised in Canton, Ohio where she first began dancing at age 8. Beginning with
only ballet and jazz she progressed quickly and added lyrical, pointe and tap to her repertoire at Avondale Dance Centre. It was at this studio that she was part of a competitive team, contributing in solos, small and large group dances. Megan also began teaching dance as an assistant in pre-ballet, jazz and tap classes as a teenager.
After graduating high school, Megan attended Ohio University where she majored in art education and minored in dance. This new step exposed her to the various other styles of dance including modern and African dance. She also began choreographing and performing, not only in class, but also in various student-run dance shows. As a freshman, Megan made Ohio University's dance team where she eventually became captain her junior and senior years. As captain, she helped choreograph hip-hop dances for 15 members as
well as run practices and workshops throughout the year. The dance team performed for all home football
and basketball games and was actively involved with the university's athletic department.
Megan graduated with a BFA in art education in 2006 and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina where she taught art at an elementary school
and took ballet classes at a local dance studio. In 2008, she moved to New York where she has continued to take dance classes at various
studios around the city. This fall she is excited to begin teaching dance again as part of the AYDT family while also joining a local school
where she will be teaching 4 year olds.
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Melissa Bobick
- Instructor in Mommy-n-Me; Advanced Ballet; Intermediate Pointe. Certified in the ABT® National Training
Curriculum for Ballet Levels Primary-Three
Melissa Bobick grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and was primarily trained by James and Regina Eaton.
She received additional training with such well-known teachers as Eleanor D'Antuono, Paul Sutherland,
John Meehan and Cynthia Gregory. She graduated with a degree in ballet and nutrition from Indiana
University in Bloomington where she studied under Violette Verdy.
From 2001 through 2007, Melissa danced with Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho where she was featured in such
roles as Arabian in The Nutcracker, Diamonds in Sleeping Beauty, the Autumn Fairy in Cinderella and
numerous contemporary works choreographed by Toni Pimble. While there, she was awarded two grants
from the Idaho Commission on the Arts and subsequently was commissioned to choreograph three new
works for the company. After being hired as a dancer for the National Choreographer’s Initiative in Irvine,
CA, Melissa was one of four dancers engaged by New York City Opera for their new production of
Cendrillon, directed and choreographed by Renaud Doucet. She was also commissioned to set a new work
on the ballet majors of Belhaven College in January of 2009.
Melissa recently received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Choreography from Purchase College, Conservatory of Dance in New York.
While there, she was selected as a graduate teaching and research assistant to Ms. Bettijane Sills; a former New York City Ballet soloist.
Melissa was also a ballet faculty member at Ballet Hispanico. She is an ABT® certified teacher, having completed Primary through Level 3
of the ABT® National Teacher Training Curriculum.
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Catherine Baggs
- Instructor in Tap/Jazz Intro and Tap 1A
Catherine is a dancer/singer/choreographer and is a native New Yorker. She graduated from American University
with a dual degree in Music Theatre and Mathematics in 2006. She has performed with Disney Cruise Lines, The
Smithsonian Institute, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and various regional/community
theatres throughout the East Coast.
Catherine has had the opportunity to choreograph multiple shows, her favorite being the Washington, D.C.
premiere of Wish Eye Knew. She has taught and Company Managed for US Performing Arts Camps, and has
taught at various private studios throughout NY, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. She is currently a pursuing her
MA in Dance Education for Higher Education and the Professions at NYU.
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Alison Rosenstein
- Instructor in Pre-Ballet 1, Hip Hop 1 and 2
Originally hailing from New Jersey, Ali was raised for the latter part of her life in Oldsmar, FL. She began her
dance training at the age of 9, and has since become well versed in various idioms, including jazz, tap, hip
hop, ballet, musical theater and contemporary. Her training has led her to work with many inspiring choreographers
and teachers, and she has had the opportunity to train at some remarkable venues including the
NYSO Tap Kids Summer Intensive, the prestigious Broadway Theater Project and, most recently, as a summer
intern at Broadway Dance Center, where she studied intensively with members of the esteemed faculty.
Ali has established herself as an inspiring teacher and upcoming choreographer in both Florida and Oklahoma,
having taught and choreographed works for Suncoast Academy of Dance, CenterStage Dance Academy,
and the Community Dance Center of Oklahoma City University. She recently received her B.S. in
American Dance Pedagogy from Oklahoma City University, where she performed as a member of the American
Spirit Dance Co., as well as in various stage productions throughout her time there. Some of her credits
include dancing on Good Day Tampa Bay, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and a Step Up 3D promotional video. Ali has recently moved
to New York City to pursue a career in theater, and continues to explore her passion for performing and the joy of dance education, striving
to bring a unique and fun philosophy into her classroom.
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Pat Peters
- Studio Administrator
Pat's administrative, management and marketing skills have been honed over a 30-year career in the public and private sectors. She
began her professional life in the administration of Governor Hugh Carey, eventually rising to manager of his New York City office.
Subsequent positions included Assistant Public Information Officer for the New York State Insurance Fund; Senior Director of
Communications in the Office of Communications and Marketing, and Senior Speechwriter for the President of the New York City Health
and Hospitals Corporation; and Director of Branch Services and Communications for the English-Speaking Union of the United States,
where she also served briefly as Director of Development.
A New York City native, Pat holds a B.A. in French from Mercy College and an M.A. from Fordham University. In her spare time, Pat
returns to her first love, writing, and is currently at work on a murder mystery that takes place –where else?—at a dance school. |
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Monique Massiah
- Class and Performance Coordinator
Monique Massiah graduated magna cum laude in 2008 from Arizona State University with a B.F.A in dance and minor in business. While
in school Monique received numerous academic and dance scholarships.
Monique was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and started her dance training at the age of four. She went on to study at the renowned
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 10 years. Monique was awarded a fellowship at the Alvin Ailey School and became a teacher
assistant. In addition to her training at Alvin Ailey, she trained at LaGuardia High School for Music, Art & Performing Arts.
Her professional accomplishments include: a 1998 performance at the Goodwill Games, Opening and Closing Ceremony; in 2000 she
performed Cry at the Kennedy Center Awards for honoree Judith Jamison; performed Memoria at City Center in 2003; in 2004 was a
National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Winner for modern dance; in 2005 was a member of Dance Arizona Repertory Theater; in
2008, performed and choreographed Ophelia at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
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