Ms. Marissa has served thousands of families in Westchester County for 20 years.  She attended Manhattanville College where she received a performing arts scholarship and earned a degree in Psychology and Dance.  After graduating college, Marissa taught for over 30 dance schools in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York before opening her own at the young age of 23. Her choreography has earned her prestigious awards from NRG Dance Project, American Dance Awards, Revolution Talent Competition, and Nexstar Dance Competition. Her students at BGDC have gone on to dance in college programs and professionally across the country.  Marissa’s leadership and savvy business mindset have led BGDC to win the Best of Westchester: Best Dance Studio, Best Party Place, and Best Business 
Person awards.  BGDC was most recently awarded Best Dance Studio in 2024.

Miss Laurel is the Operations Manager & has been with BGDC since 2014.  She has a Bachelor's degree in Dance from Manhattanville College & Master's degree in Arts Administration from Baruch College.  Miss Laurel oversees day-to-day business operations, manages scheduling, and continually pursues professional development to implement new systems that enhance the business.  She is one of the first friendly faces you will see when you come in & makes everybody feel like family.  When she's not in the office, you can find her teaching our Beautiful Beginnings Program, Core Program, and Intensive Program.

Certifications: CPR, AED, First Aid

Miss Stephanie is the Staff Manager and has been with BGDC since 2014.  She has a Bachelor's degree in Dance with a minor in Business Management & a Master's degree in Early Childhood Development.  As Staff Manager, she onboards new hires, leads training instructors in curriculum development, is a liaison between parents and instructors, & spearheads our annual recital.  She is also an instructor for our Spin & Sparkle Program, Beautiful Beginnings Program, Core Program, and Intensive Program.

Miss Bailey is the Intensive Program Director and has been with BGDC since 2017.  She oversees all aspects of the Intensive Program such as scheduling & registering for competitions, ordering costumes, scheduling dancer rehearsals, monitering student progress & more!  Miss Bailey danced competitively growing up and was also a high level gymnast.  She shares a lot of expertise on technique and is able to help students build the confidence and work ethic they need to succeed in class and on the stage.  Miss Bailey also leads our Acrobatic program, building the curriculum and training other instructors.

Certifications: Acrobatic Arts

Miss Christina is the Merchandise & Social Media Manager and has been with BGDC since 2017.  She holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance with a specialization in Dance Therapy.  She creates content for our social media platforms, handles the sizing/ordering/packaging of recital costumes, and manages our in-studio boutique.  She also teaches our Spin & Sparkle program, Beautiful Beginnings program, Core program, & Intensive Program.

Miss Sofia is our Marketing Manager and this is her 5th season at BGDC.  Sofia is from Westchester, NY, where she has been dancing since the age of 3.  Sofia is an alumna of BGDC. During her time at BGDC, she was on the Senior Dance Team. She graduated from Sacred Heart University majoring in Digital Marketing, Advertising and PR. We are so happy to have her on board full-time now.

Miss Luiza is a veteran instructor & will be a new addition to the BGDC leadership team!  Luiza is also an instructor for our Early Childhood and Core Programs.  She has an M.F.A in Performance and Choreography from SUNY The College at Brockport, NY, and graduated from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS (Brazil) with a degree in Dance Education. She is also part of kamrDANCE company. She is thrilled to be back and is ready to share her passion for dance with all of you!

Mr. Andrew is a veteran instructor of our Intensive Program and now we are happy to have him on board helping Miss Bailey as Assistant Intensive Director.  He is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, with a BFA in dance, a concentration in choreography, and a minor in Business Administration.  He has been dancing since the age of 3, training in various forms including ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, tap, modern, and dance composition. Andrew has toured nationally with a dance convention, NRG Dance Project, where he was given the opportunity to assist top choreographers from So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Best Dance Crew, Disney’s Shake It Up, Step Up 2, and Britney Spears. Andrew works as a guest teacher and choreographer for over twenty dance studios across the United States, has taught master classes for college dance programs, and has worked for several dance competitions both as a judge and regional director.

Miss Lexie is a veteran instructor at BGDC! She is a Hip Hop instructor for our Core & Intensive Programs.  Alexa "Lexie" Sahagian is originally from Long Island, NY, where she grew up training in various styles of dance. After competing for many years, Lexie moved on to teaching. She has taught at multiple studios as well as coached many high school and college dance teams. After graduating, she was accepted onto AbstraKT Beings: The Company directed by Theresa Stone (who has also been a guest choreographer at BGDC for many years). She completed the Professional Semester at Broadway Dance Center, where she worked with and assisted many well known choreographers.  Lexie has credits working with America's Got Talent, Good Morning America, & to name a few.

Miss Rachele is a veteran instructor at BGDC! She is a Core & Intensive Program instructor.  Rachele received her foundational training at Boston Ballet School. She graduated Cum Laude from Fordham University with a BFA in Dance from The Ailey School and is working to complete her Master of Education in Childhood/Special Education Degree at Fordham University. She is currently a dancer with New Chamber Ballet. Rachele has trained internationally in ballet, contemporary ballet, modern, and improvisation techniques and currently teaches dance at multiple studios throughout NYC.

This is Miss Marissa's 2nd year at BGDC! She will be teaching for our Spin & Sparkle, Early Childhood, and Core Programs.  Marissa grew up in Westchester, NY where she started dancing at the age of 5. She found her love for Hip-Hop and Jazz when she attended New Rochelle High School as part of the PAVE program. She was also the captain of the school’s dance team. Marissa graduated from The University of Albany in 2017 with a Masters in Education. Since then, she has taught dance to children ages 4-14 in the Westchester area, as well as in middle school and high school settings.

This is Miss Sarah's 2nd year at BGDC! She will be teaching for our Spin & Sparkle and Early Childhood Program.  Sarah is proudly from Westchester! She holds a BFA in Musical Theater & a minor in Dance from Pace University. She has performed throughout the country, on the high seas, and across the world in numerous touring and regional productions. Some of her favorite professional credits include Bring It On: The Musical, Legally Blonde, Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, and Company. In addition to performing, Sarah has expanded her role as a choreographer, stager, and educator. She is very excited to be back with her BG Fam after welcoming her first child in February 2023!

This is Miss Angie's 2nd year with BGDC! She will be teaching our Intensive Program.  Angie Santamorena trained at Seven Star School of Performing Arts in Brewster for 15 years and has competed at the regional, national, and international levels. Although she has trained in all styles of dance, she has always had a special love for tap. She has won several regional titles throughout her competitive career. She is currently a member of the USA Tap Team and has represented the USA, winning gold and bronze medals in 2017 and 2019, and looks forward to competing again this Fall. She teaches at several studios throughout the tri-state area and enjoys encouraging her students to push themselves. When not teaching, Angie is pursuing a degree at Western Connecticut State University. She looks forward to sharing her love of tap with others!

This is Miss Vanya's second year with BGDC!  She is a professional gymnast and dancer. Vanya received her early professional training in Bulgaria, where she was part of the acrobatic gymnastics national team. She graduated from National Sports Academy “Vasil Levski.” In her youth, Vanya won the title of National and World Champion of Acrobatic Gymnastics.  After this, she was a professional dance performer. Vanya participated in live performances and concerts, television productions, music videos, and toured with visiting and local bands. Vanya is a certified USA Gymnastics coach. She has more than 15 years of experience as a professional coach and mentor. Vanya has developed her own program and methodology for working with dancers and athletes.

This is Miss Alex's second year with BGDC! Alex Mitchell is a colorful creative based in New York City. Alex knew early on that she had a passion for movement, performing, and connecting with others through dance. After receiving her BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University, she went on to complete Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester program. There she concentrated in Contemporary/Jazz and Street Styles and trained with NYC’s top choreographers. Alex has worked with Cosmopolitan Magazine, Macy’s, MTV, and is a company member of SHINSA The Collective directed by Bo Park and Theresa Stone’s AbstraKT Beings. She is also on faculty at Broadway Dance Center.

This is Miss Jamie's second year at BGDC! She will be working with our Core & Intensive Programs.  Jamie is a freelance artist, performer, choreographer, and dance instructor based in NYC. Originally from Long Island, NY, Jamie received her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Adelphi University with a major in Dance and minor in Psychology, and studied abroad at the London Contemporary Dance School in the UK. She has set works at Adelphi University, for music videos, and on various dance studios.  She is still actively performing & enjoys working with other creatives.

This is Mr. Ryan's second year at BGDC! He will be teaching our Intensive Program. Ryan resides in New York City and has been active in the dance industry for 15 years. His talent has taken him around the world performing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and in Orlando theme parks including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. His musical theatre background has allowed him to travel throughout the U.S. to perform in productions such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast, and On the Town to name a few.  Ryan continues his training in NYC and is an active member of the Actors Equity Association.

This is Miss Kelsey's second year at BGDC!  Kelsey is a dancer, teacher, and researcher based in NYC. She began training as a competitive dancer in a wide variety of dance styles at Heather Wayne’s Performing Arts in Georgia. Kelsey graduated summa cum laude with her BFA in dance and her BS in neuroscience from Ohio State University. She also completed her masters in motor learning and control at Columbia University. Kelsey continues to perform professionally in contemporary dance companies, music videos, television, and opera. She also specializes in teaching dance to students with developmental disabilities and recently had a research paper on the topic accepted for publication!

Maile is new to the BGDC Dream Team this year!  She is an enthusiastic, nurturing, and inspiring dance teacher dedicated to developing the whole dancer—body, mind, and heart. Specializing in jazz, lyrical, acro, and flexibility training, Maile has guided her dancers to succeed both recreationally and competitively.  She holds a USA Gymnastics certification.  Beyond dance, Maile has a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Mercy College and has taught pre-k and kindergarten for the past five years. She also currently works as a curriculum coach for preschool teachers in Westchester.

This is Nina's first year with BGDC!  She began her dance training in NYC, attending Ballet Hispanico and Joffrey Ballet School Trainee Program on scholarship. She graduated Joffrey with a BFA in Dance Performance. After graduating Joffrey, Nina has professionally danced for Rennie Harris, H.T. Chen & Dancers, Michael Mao Dance Company, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, IKADA, LaneCo Arts, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, as well as performed classical roles set by members of The Royal Ballet. She currently teaches with international company FINIDance and performs as a principal with the company in addition to her teaching in NYC.

This is Hannah's first year with BGDC! You can catch her teaching on Saturdays.  She will also be helping on Sundays in the office.

This is Jon's first year with BGDC!  He will be teaching most of our Intensive Program Ballet classes & Pointe.  Jon received his dance training from Ballet Masters Pytor and Henry Danton.  He graduated top of his class at the John Cranko School at the Stuggart Ballet.  He also receied diplomas from the Kirov and Bolshoi Theater school systems.  He has had the pleaseure of dancing internationally with Stuggart Ballet and Dusseldorf Ballet.  Jon has danced in the states as a principle for Oregon Ballet Theatre and BalletMet Columbus.  In conjuction with acting and singing, he has had principle roles in three national broadway tours: West Side Story, Dirty Dancing, and Twyla Tharp's Come Fly Away.  He was also the lead for the off-broadway show Standard Time.

This is Cait's first year with BGDC & she will be helping us on Sundays in the office.  You can also find here subbing for our dream team throughout the year!

This is Miss Skylar's second year at BGDC! She will be running Intensive rehearsals this year.