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Directors & Staff
Amanda Wasserman (Director)
Amanda has dedicated her life to the art of dance. She began her journey at a young age studying ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and tap. Her stage experience began as an award winning dancer in countless competitions throughout the region. She has graced the stage in various charitable performances including the national organization DRA (Dancers Responding to AIDS). She continued to grow professionally with her training as a student at the Long Island High School of the Arts in Syosset, while studying at many studios on Long Island and NYC. Amanda went on to earn her B.A. as a dance major at Hofstra University. During this time, she was honored to have won roles in performances choreographed by the renowned artists Amy Marshall, Rachel List, Olivia Rosencranz, Anita Feldman, Maxine Steinman & Judith Moss. Amanda was awarded a coveted internship at the famous Broadway Dance Center, where she enjoyed the tutelage of the best teachers and choreographers in the business. Her professional credits include being part of the Push Factor Dance Company and performed for Judith Moss bringing her to theatres all over the country. She has spent the last 15 years perfecting her own teaching style, which is a combination of fun, positive reinforcement and confidence building for ages 2 thru adult. Her choreography has been recognized at competitions across Long Island winning various high score and special awards. Amanda also designed and implemented her own dance program for preschoolers ages 2 ½ - 5 focusing on creative movement and basic aspects of coordination, flexibility, agility, and rhythm. She also has worked with students in the public school setting and in March 2011, choreographed a full length musical theatre performance of “Guys & Dolls” at Half Hollow Hills East High School. Amanda’s most recent accomplishment has been receiving her Masters in Health Education and is now certified for grades K-12. During Modern Rhythms first competition season (2011-2012) she has received numerous high score and choreography awards for the dances she choreographed. As co-founder and director of Modern Rhythms Dance Academy, she will use her wealth of experience to enrich the lives of all the young talent waiting to be nurtured.
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 continues her
education at the University of Connecticut. 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 during the 2011-2012 competition season. 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
Vincent Marra
Vincent
L. Marra received his first training in Ballet and Modern dance at the
Nassau BOCES Long Island High School of the Arts in Syosset, New York.
Continuing his studies, he attended the Purchase College Conservatory of
Dance and received his BFA in May 2011. He has since danced with the
Eglevsky Ballet, the John Byrne Dance Company/David LaChapelle Dance
Project, Neville Dance Theatre, the Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn and various dance projects in Manhattan.
In his classes, Vincent expresses an enthusiasm for movement that introduces the fundamentals of ballet technique in an efficient, fun and useful manner.
In his classes, Vincent expresses an enthusiasm for movement that introduces the fundamentals of ballet technique in an efficient, fun and useful manner.
Kathy Fleurissant
Alexandra Pernice
Alex Pernice is a Point Park Alum with a BA in dance and Musical Theatre minor. Originally a Florida native, she performed with Orlando City Ballet where she danced leading roles by the age of fourteen. She attended ballet intensives with American Ballet Theater and Orlando Ballet. She has worked with artists such as Broadway's Tome' Cousin and Rachelle Rak, Michael Lichtefeld, Jack Allison, Doug Bentz, PBT's Jaibin Pan, Luba Gulyavea, Jason Winters, Jeff Saver, Mary Rawson, SYTYCD's Neil Haskell and many more. Regional Broadway credits include: West Side Story (Graziella) and The Music Man. Other career highlights include Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as well as performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She has recently been seen as one of Paramount Pictures' promotional Captain America girls. She joined DeMa Dance Company in 2012. Ms. Pernice is a proud member of Actors Equity Association (AEA).
Amanda Cecala
