Amanda Wasserman (Director)
Carrie Wasserman (Director)
Carrie graduated from the New School in 2008 with a BA in writing (with honors). Her college education has enabled her to expand her creativity by using both her mind and outside influences in all of her creative outlets; dancing especially. Carrie has been dancing since she was two. She has been trained and conditioned in all types of dance, but for the last 15 years of her life, tap has been her main focus. Her passion for tap was first discovered with the guidance of her mentor, Jeff Edmond, at the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, where she was selected to perform with Savion Glover, at age 8. Since then, Carrie has been enhancing her tap education with professional influences throughout Long Island and Manhattan. She has worked one on one with Mike Minery and continues studying with tap masters such as Gil Stroming, Mike Schulster, and Anthony LoCascio. She has performed in the off-Broadway productions, “Slide” and “Break the Floor” as well as performing on Carnival Cruise ships. Carrie has won countless awards for her performances in both regional and national dance competitions. Although always a star on the stage: teaching and choreographing is where she shines the most. Since 2003 Carrie has been sharing her knowledge and talent to her students of all ages. Her style of teaching reflects her style of tap, which is exciting and unconventional. She fuses classic American tap dancing with contemporary music and dance styles and then tops it off with her own unique twist. She likes to refer to it as the “ConTAPorary Method.” Her choreography has been tearing up the Long Island competition scene; where her creations have won numerous high score awards and are always well-recognized. Her goal is to continue sharing her love for tap to her students, but most importantly, educating them in a fun, creative, and loving atmosphere. This dance studio has always been her dream, and now that it has come true, she wants to inspire her students today so they can be successful tomorrow.
Monica Wasserman
Monica began dancing at the age of two
and a half, and began dancing at the competitive level the following
year. She has had extensive training from a wide range of instructors in
areas of ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, and contemporary. During
the years of competitions, Monica has received many first place and
specialty awards. She has also participated in charity performances such
as Dancer's Responding To Aids, and at a variety of different nursing
homes. Since eighth grade, Monica has student taught children ages two
through ten. After graduating High School, Monica continued her
education at the University of Connecticut, and has received her MBA. By audition process, she
was selectively chosen to be a part of the UConn Dance Company, a club
encouraging student choreography. After a year of membership in the
club, she was chosen to choreograph her own pieces for the upcoming
semesters. Monica has won many prestigious choreography awards and her routines have received many high score and special awards. She is so excited to continue to enrich young lives through the art of
dance and choreograph more great works for dance competitions at Modern
Rhythms Dance Academy.
Daytona Frey
Daytona has been dancing for the last 20 years and teaching for the last
7. While a student, she attended the Long Island High School for the
Arts, formerly BOCES Cultural Arts Center, where she performed with the
dance company at many charitable functions and performances around Long
Island. To further her dance education, Daytona majored in dance at the
University of Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Dance Arts
degree and a minor in Movement Science. As a senior in the dance
program, Daytona choreographed her "senior thesis" which was in the
running to be showcased at the American College Dance Festival. Also,
she was given the opportunity to perform in pieces choreographed by
Robin WIlson, Gay Delange, and San Francisco based choreographer, Leyya
Tawil. She also studied with past and present core company members of
Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, David Parsons and the Joffrey Ballet. While
studying modern and ballet by day, Daytona was studying hip
hop by night with the international hip hop dance troupe Dance2XS. This
group gave her the opportunity to perform in numerous states as well as
dance alongside members of the renowned group the Jabbawockeez. Upon
graduation, Daytona enrolled into the New York College of Health
Professions. In August 2010 Daytona graduated with an Associates of
Occupational Studies in Massage Therapy and is now a nationally Licensed
Massage Therapist. Her knowledge of massage therapy has enabled her to
become more aware of the body as a whole; which enhances her dance
teaching abilities. She heals people with her hands; and hands her
students her passion for teaching. Dance is something Daytona is very
passionate about and cannot wait to be a part of the Modern Rhythms
Dance Academy family. She teaches all styles including; contemporary,
Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Modern, Ballet and Tap from age two through
adult.
Amanda Cioffi
Sarah Roberts
Sarah Danelle Roberts, born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, began
her dance training at the Sharon Davis School of Dance. Roberts
performed with The Tallahassee Ballet from age nine until she graduated
from Leon High School in 2012. Roberts currently lives in NYC and is a
graduate from The Alvin Ailey Dance School's certificate program. She
has performed numerous works by choreographers Matthew Rushing, Ray
Mercer, Amy Hall, and Pedro Ruiz. Roberts was a featured dancer in Deep
Love Opera, a Broadway show in the 2015 New York Musical Festival.
Eoghan Dillon
Eoghan Dillon was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. At the age of four, he moved to Canada, where he began dancing at the age of 12. In 2012, Mr. Dillon received a full scholarship to study at the Ailey School in New York City, where he studied under many prestigious professionals. He has since performed and toured with many professional companies, including Manuel Vignoulle Dance and The Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. Eoghan is now a full-time company member with the internationally renowned touring company Parsons Dance.
Amanda Cecala
Christopher Baptista
Chris Baptista was born in Toronto, Ontario and studied all styles of dance at competitive studios around the area. In 2010 Chris went to Dresden, Germany to compete with the Canadian National Tap Formation and compete for the Adult Formation and also for Adult Male Solo. As a teenager he attended Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, where he danced in numerous productions and danced roles such as Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” and the Nutcracker Prince in “The Nutcracker” and from there he decided to continue his dance training at Vlads Dance Company, where he danced with Bridge to Artists. He was accepted into the Ailey School in New York City and has completed his first year in the scholarship program with honours. At the Ailey School he has performed in the “Global Harmony” series of yearly shows, the Certificate Graduation Show and has performed for faculty hip-hop teacher Jonathan Lee. Chris is currently on Faculty for Fresh Dance Intensive and will be touring for the summer throughout Canada to teach and assist.
