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Staff Bios
Founder of ., received a Bachelor of Arts in women’s health care from Brown University. After attempting to engage her students with the contemporary jazz that she grew up on, she set out all over NYC to learn the hip hop the girls desired. She performed with a hip hop troupe in 1998 and 1999. She has taught workshops for other organizations including Free Arts for Abused Children, the Harlem Girls Collaborative and Sponsors for Educational Opportunities. She’s even taught dance in an orphanage in Costa Rica. For the creation of Abby received the Montblanc International Arts Award, the Ford Blue Oval Commitment to Kids Award, the Eckerd Salute to Women Award, the RCN Cool Classics Award, Glamour Best of You Award, The New York Winter Theater and Arts Festival Award, and the Harlequin More Than Words Award. Abby continues to learn how to be a better ED through short courses and consultations.
Program Director received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Michigan. After completing two years as a Special Education teacher in South Phoenix as a Teach For America corps member, she went on to earn a Master of Science in Social Work degree from Columbia University. Later, she earned a certificate in Not-For-Profit Management from the Baruch College/PASE Emerging Leaders program. Meredith has provided social work services to youth between the ages of 4-18 both in the school setting and in after school programs. She has also aided in the development of youth programs and their evaluation at Harlem RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities). At since 2002, Meredith is responsible for outreach to children and families, operating programs, producing all aspects of performances, recruiting, training, supporting, and evaluating volunteer dance teachers and the program as a whole, and further assessing the needs of the Groove With Me community. Meredith is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Partnership for After School Education, and the Columbia University School of Social Work Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Volunteer Dance Teacher Bios
teaches a jazz/funk combination class for Lower East Side teens. She brings unique experiences including being a member of the Israeli Air Force, world travel as a flight attendant, and working with people who were paralyzed at Beit Halohem in Tel Aviv, Israel. She has a BA in Psychology and Theater Communications. When she’s not volunteering with , Galit teaches 7 th & 8 th grade classes for the Conservative School in Connecticut. She also has American Council of Exercise Certification.
has been dancing her whole life. She grew up in New York doing modern, ballet, tap, and jazz. In the past 6 years, she has added belly-dance, West African dance, samba, and hip-hop to her repertoire. She is currently a grad student at Teachers College, Columbia University studying performing arts and social justice education. She is particularly excited to join to share her love for dance and her commitment to youth empowerment.
took her first ballet class at age 5, which was the beginning of her lifelong love of dance. She attended numerous summer intensives with nationally recognized companies throughout her ballet training. She came to New York in 2004, as part of the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University Bachelor in Fine Arts program. She has since decided to major in English and French, but often takes dance classes at Steps. She was thrilled to discover in the summer of 2007 and to have the opportunity to share her love of dance with the girls in her ballet classes!
is from Brooklyn, NY and has been dancing since the age of 4. Throughout her childhood, mostly all of her afternoons were spent studying tap, lyrical, ballet, jazz and hip hop at various dance studios in Brooklyn.
She joined the family in 2008, assisting Margot in her tap class. She is excited to share her passion for dance with her students and hopes it will be as inspiring to the girls as it is for her. Jamie has a BA in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts- Amherst and works as a brand strategist in Manhattan.
grew up in Philadelphia, PA, where she studied classical ballet from age four through high school. She graduated Wake Forest University in 2001 with a B.A. in English Literature, and earned a J.D. from Temple University Law School in 2006. Since then, Lisa has been living in Brooklyn, NY and is an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County. Lisa enjoys taking ballet class several times per week at Joffrey Ballet School, and is so excited to share her love of dance with the wonderful students at .
Mezzo Soprano began studying ballet before her third birthday. Awards include numerous Gold, Sliver and Bronze medals in regional, national, and international Ballet competitions with Dance Educators of America and other organizations. Currently, she sings as a Principal Artist with the Metropolitan Opera, among other major opera houses.
has been dancing for over 18 years and hasn’t stopped yet! She has a great love for dance and is happy to have the opportunity to share that love with the young people she teaches. Currently, Takiya is also teaching dance at a summer camp in Brooklyn. She has been teaching as a volunteer at since the winter of 2002. Takiya could never have imagined the joy and pleasure that has come with teaching dance.
has had a love and passion for dance since she was a child but it wasn't until college when she started to perform. For two years, she danced with her school's dance squad, "Flava," and was vice president of the group her senior year. She also taught hip hop for four years to boys & girls, ages 5-12, and danced with a hip hop/jazz group, "True Image," for about a year after graduating. Since then, she has taken classes at Broadway Dance Center. In January, 2005 she began teaching at .
is trained in African, Hip Hop and Belly dance. A Philadelphia native, she received a BS in Agriculture from Florida A&M University, where she co-founded Kuumba Dance Ensemble. While maintaining an active role in the arts, she performed in off Broadway productions, film and dance showcases throughout the Tri-State area. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., she is currently the African American Representative for USDA in New Jersey. She has been volunteering with 's Lower East Side Teens since 2007.
taught Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Tumbling for over 17 years before deciding to specialize in Tap. She has taught in various studios in New Jersey and most recently at Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan. Marguerite has appeared in many off Broadway productions as well as T.V., movies, commercials and industrials. Marguerite has been teaching Tap at for over 10 years. Currently she not only teaches 3 classes each week, but she is the Chairwoman of Board of Directors, too!
started tapping at the age of 8 and quickly fell for the rhythms and the concept of making music with her feet. As a child, she took Tap with Karen Katrinic and Chris Lee at the Steps Children's Dance program and at Belvoir Terrace. Motivated to pass on her love for dance to others, she started to volunteer, teaching tap at three and a half years ago.Margot works full time at Sesame Workshop on content for productions that air in Japan and Brazil.
is proud to have been born and raised in New York City! She went to high school in Manhattan and graduated New York University in May 2002 with a BS in Applied Psychology. She currently runs an afterschool program on the Lower East Side for elementary school students. Kay began her dance training at age 3. Since then she has danced with the Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Steps, Broadway Dance Center, and various performance groups, teams, and clubs. Kay has been choreographing and teaching dance classes for the last eleven years for both summer camps and NYC public schools. Kay began teaching the teen troupe at in 2000.
realized her passion for the arts at a very young age. Growing up in a Caribbean household, she was always surrounded by music and dance and hopes to use this as a tool to help inspire children to follow their dreams and believe in themselves. Fabiola's background encompasses various dance forms such as Haitian Zouk and Compa, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Stepping. She also uses her knowledge as a fitness/health and wellness professional to create a fun filled class for all.
is a New York City based dancer and choreographer. Zuta's passion for dance is infectious and she creates unique choreography that fuses hip-hop, African, Latin, rock, and commercial dance. Zuta believes dance is for everyone and challenges dancers in a positive way and encourages self-expression. Zuta can be found teaching at some of the hottest fitness clubs in New York and choreographing for dance companies and special events.
graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in theater and telecommunications. She has taught hip-hip and jazz to young people in California and New York. Her company, Broadway Bound, offers after school performing arts classes at various schools throughout New York City. Erin began volunteering as a jazz instructor at in the summer of 2004.
grew up outside of Boston, where she began studying ballet at the age of 5. She continued dancing throughout high school and spent a summer at Alvin Ailey where she was introduced to West African, modern, and jazz dance. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Art History, and currently works in merchandising at Ann Taylor. She began helping Charlotte with her ballet class in the fall of 2005 and is truly excited to be a part of .
began studying ballet at age 3 in England, where she was born and lived until the age of 8. After moving to the States, she continued studying ballet and modern dance at a studio outside Boston and throughout her years at William Smith College where she earned a degree in Clinical Psychology and Art History. She currently lives in NYC and is the Director of Design and Merchandising for the Nautica Home Collection. Charlotte has been teaching ballet at since 2000.
was born and raised in North Carolina. Early on she studied ballet, tap, jazz and character dance at Trotter Recreation Center, Greensboro City Arts and Blanche Ravenel's School for Performing Arts. Blanche inspired her love of dance which has followed her throughout life. During college, as a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Emily danced in both a ballet and a modern dance company, as well as researched the tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After graduation she studied modern dance in Prague, Czech Republic at the Duncan Centre Conservatory.
, a native of New Jersey, has been dancing since she was 2 years old. After 4 years of classical ballet training, she grew passionate for jazz and tap and auditioned for her hometown studio’s all-star performance troupe—and made it! She then competed for 12 years in all types of dance with both her studio and her high school dance team and continued to dance and choreograph through college at University of Michigan. Since then, Jamie has been looking for the perfect place to combine her passion for performance and her love for working with children. In early 2008, she discovered Groove with Me and is thrilled to be able to work with such talented, passionate and fabulous dancers! For her “day-job,” Jamie works as a recruiter and career counselor for a major media company in Manhattan.
has been dancing since the age of three. She has been fortunate enough to study ballet, tap, jazz, modern and hip hop. It gives her great joy to be able to pass on what she has learned to the girls of . Martina believes that dance builds confidence and encourages individuality while also promoting teamwork and effective communication skills.
combines her lifelong love of dance with her classroom teaching experience to bring creative movement experiences to children. After teaching in the classroom in both Houston and New York City, she became a certified Nia (neuromuscular integrative action) instructor and designs dance-movement classes for both adults and children. Her goal is to tap each learner's potential, letting them find unique ways of expressing themselves through movement. Sarah also serves as a writer and senior editor of instructional materials for Scholastic.
has been dancing for as long as she can remember, studying various styles, but her favorite is hip hop. While a student at Tufts University outside of Boston, MA, Amanda directed an on-campus dance organization for three years, which allowed her to choreograph and teach as well as perform. She moved to New York City in 2003 and has taken classes at various dance studios across the city, regularly attending classes at Steps. Amanda is thrilled to have joined the teachers at .
has been dancing for over 20 years. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Biological Sciences and Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology both from Drexel University where she also gained further training in classical Indian dance, jazz, ballet, modern dance, hip-hop and breaking, pop, and choreography and composition. She participated with Versatile, a West Indian dance team, and the Blue Diamond Dragon step team, both based in Philadelphia. She began working with Abby’s Saturday hip hop class in early 2007 and is excited to bring her style and enthusiasm to the family. Shilpa is also dance and step coach for Gladiator Cheerleaders in Harlem.
, a Malibu, California native is a musical theatre actress who has performed with the Radio City Rockettes and toured with the Broadway show "42nd Street". A graduate of Pepperdine University, Hilary also dedicates her time to Christ Church for Brooklyn and Project Dance, a Christian dance organization. She feels incredibly blessed to be a part of the family and to share her talents and time so that the girls of Harlem may find the same joy, confidence, and teamwork through dance that she did while growing up.
was born and raised in Landau, Germany and moved to New York City in 2003 to pursue her dancing career. In 2006 she attained her 0-1 Extraordinary Artist Visa. Svea was trained in jazz and contemporary dance but found her love and passion within hip hop, breakdance, the funkstylez and house dance. She has taught and performed throughout Germany, the US and India, and has worked with artist such as Lil John, Nitty, Lumidee and Speedy and has danced for MTV’s TRL and BET’s 106th & Park. Currently she is dancing with Decadance and Dance 2xs and is teaching and choreographing in NYC. Svea is thankful for being healthy and being able to live her dream. Thanks to my family for their continuous support and love!
often jokes that she probably danced her way out of her mother's womb, but truthfully, Dana can't remember a time when dance was not a part of her life. She has formal training in an array of dance forms. From Ballet to Tap to Hip Hop to Middle Eastern to African to Salsa, the rhythms of the world constantly inspire her. In her classes she likes to blend various dances together simply to create something unique. Dance is definitely Dana's passion, and she sees the therapeutic value that it can have on people. Dana enjoys being able to share that with her students. She has been a volunteer here since 2000 and is so glad to be part of the family.
grew up in Tbilisi, Georgia. She began studying ballet at the age of 6 and performed in various school plays. Throughout college she was an active member of the school's dance team, performing, choreographing and designing costumes for a range of productions. Ia graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Economics. She joined Groove With Me in May 2006. She has been moved by sincerity and presence of the children. Assisting Ashley with her ballet class, Ia hopes to pass on her love of dance and creative expression to the girls.
a native of South Carolina, moved to New York City at the age of 15 to study dance. A year later, Mikhail Baryshnikov invited her to join American Ballet Theatre. She danced there for 17 years reaching Principal ranks and performing all of the classics as well as many modern works. During this time, the role of Judy in the Broadway show, “Movin' Out” was created for Ashley. She was nominated for a Tony award in this role and continued to dance it every night of its run. Ms. Tuttle joined Groove With Me in 2005 and she has found it to be an unbelievably rewarding experience and hopes to continue learning from all of the children.
has been dancing since the age of seven, and has studied jazz, tap, lyrical, modern, and hip hop. Most recently she has been learning the art of Middle Eastern dance and has performed in various locations around New York City, including the Lafayette Grill. Diana holds a Master's Degree in School Counseling and works as a college advisor in the Bronx.
is a California native and has been dancing since the age of six. She has classical training in tap, jazz, ballet, and modern from Castro Valley Performing Arts in California. Jennifer moved to Los Angeles in 1998, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and also began her training as a hip-hop dancer. She directed a hip-hop performance troupe at UCLA and later became Artistic Director for an international based hip-hop company called Culture Shock Los Angeles. In 2003, Jennifer moved to New York City to get her master’s degree from Columbia University and also became a performance troupe member for Culture Shock New York. Later she started the affiliated Future Shock dance troupe and connected with because the organizations shared the same mission of using performing arts as a way to foster positive development for our future leaders. |
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