Meet The Staff
Nick Alvino
Musical Theater
Nick Alvino loves to perform. Nick most recently was seen on Broadway in The Music Man, directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle.
His credits also include The Light in the Piazza directed by Chay Yew and choreographed by Parker Esse. He also performed in Montclair State University’s productions of Urinetown and Guys and Dolls.
Nick’s earliest training was at The Growing Studio, Dancer Palooza and Alexa’s Dance Academy. Currently based in New York City, Nick has danced in Broadway Bares and continues to dance, choreograph and teach.
Kensie Keele
Contemp Fusion/Hip Hop
Kensie Keele was raised in Clayton, North Carolina and started dancing at the young age of four. She trained and competed at Prestige Dance Institute for 8 years and started teaching and choreographing at 16 years old all around North Carolina and surrounding states. After high school, Kensie went to the Inaugural year of Teddy Forance’s CLI Conservatory, where she trained under names such as Robert Green, Tyce D’orio, Mike Keefe, Al Blackstone, Brian Nicholson, JA Collective and more. At CLI, she was able to be a part of music videos such as “Dance. Dance? Dance!” Directed and choreographed by The Seaweed Sisters and “I’m So Blessed Your Mine” choreographed by Monika Felice Smith. She also danced, sang and acted in Al Blackstone’s and Billy Griffin’s original musical “A Good Day.”
Jenna Kulacz
Contemporary
Jenna Kulacz, a multi-disciplinary artist originally from Westchester, New York, graduated summa cum laude from Elon University with a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography. She is currently a company member with EMERGE125 under the direction of Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Jenna has also performed with Pilobolus, Gaspard&Dancers, and Christal Brown’s INSPIRIT as a soloist in Arts Across America: A Live Virtual Performance at the John F. Kennedy Center. She has worked with a variety of New York project-based companies in performances including the Harlem Dance Festival, AThomasProject at Bryant Park Summer Performing Arts Series, and with Kristin Sudeikis Dance at Rockefeller Center. She was a featured cameo dancer in Public Works’ The Tempest at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. She is honored to inspire and share her love for dance with the students she teaches at Westchester Dance Academy and Ferrari Dance Center and as an assistant at New York City Dance Alliance.
Jamie Salmon
Ballet
Jamie Salmon received her professional ballet training as a youth with Dana Kennedy, Melissa Hayden and Paul Meija. She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts for Jr. high and high school. Further training was received at the School of American Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet school, where she became a member of the Joffrey Concert Group performing lead roles in classics and new works.Jamie has also worked with Kirk Peterson and Louis Falco as well as dancing in commercials, tv, film and print work. Jamie began her teaching career at the Joffrey Ballet school as ballet mistress for the Concert Group and teaching at the Joffrey school. She is well known on the Dance Convention circuit teaching for Danny Hoctor’s Dance Caravan, Professional Dance Teacher’s Association Dance Masters and as a judge for the Stars of Tomorrow Dance Competition. Jamie has been training dancers of all ages for over 20 years. Her students can be seen on Broadway, television, in classical and contemporary companies as well as attending the finest ballet schools and college dance programs in America.
Amy Semtak
Acro/Technique
Amy Semtak studied dance since the age of 4 years old. When growing up Amy dreamed of nothing but owning her own studio. Amy received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in dance from Montclair State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. There, she studied many famous choreographers, such as Alwin Nikolais, Jose Limon, Bill T. Jones, etc., as well as performed in the American College Dance Festival (ACDF). Amy has been teaching dance since the age of 16. She is well known throughout the dance world not only for her dancing abilities, but as well as her teaching and choreography skills. She has been continuously recognized for her outstanding choreography. Amy has had students that have performed at such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, not to mention, the halftime show of the Orange Bowl. They have also received invites to perform at both the summer and winter Olympics. Amy's students were 1 of 5 schools selected in the Northeast Region to compete in the first ever World Dance Championship Series (WDCS) hosted by the Federation of Dance Competitions (FDC). Amy has had students on to Broadway, TV, as well as highly renowned dance teams across the US.