Meet our faculty

Faculty bios

Ashley Rodgerson

Acro · Gymnastics

A competitive gymnast from age nine, Ashley teaches acro and gymnastics with a patient, encouraging style. She attended Coastal Carolina and Southern Connecticut State University, and is known for connecting effortlessly with young students and building confidence through strength and precision.

Bailey Harding

Jazz

Bailey has been gracing the stage with the Radio City Rockettes since 2012, as both a Rockette and Swing in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and The New York Spectacular. She has appeared at The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Tony Awards, The Tonight Show and The Rockefeller Tree Lighting, dancing alongside stars such as Mariah Carey, Katy Perry and Michael Bublé. Recently, Bailey starred in Hallmark Channel’s “A Holiday Spectacular” and debuted in the feature film “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”

Certified in Progressing Ballet Technique, she applies her expertise in fitness and physiology to instill safe dance practices in her students. Through the Rockettes’ Dancer Development Department, Bailey teaches in the Rockettes Conservatory, leads audition prep workshops and precision jazz master classes, and inspires the next generation to pursue their dreams.

Caroline Sheehan

Contemporary · Ballet · Jazz

Caroline is a dancer, choreographer and dance educator based in NYC. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University at Buffalo, where she was a member of Zodiaque Dance Company. She has performed at Dixon Place, the Kennedy Center, and as a soloist with Balasole Dance Company at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and is a convention teacher and adjudicator for Dance Masters of America.

Charlotte Stenz

Jazz · Hip Hop · Contemporary

Charlotte began dancing at three and competed with her studio in Newtown, CT, before captaining her high school dance team to multiple state championships. She earned degrees in dance and communication studies from The University of Alabama, where she also danced on the Alabama Dance Team. She went on to dance professionally with Celebrity Cruise Line and loves teaching her students new skills and, most importantly, confidence.

Danielle Ahern

Ballet · Tap · Jazz · Contemporary · Hip Hop

Danielle is a performer, teacher and choreographer from Stratford, CT. She began her training right here at CDC, studying ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern and street styles. She holds a BS in Exercise Science from Sacred Heart University, where she was part of SHU’s Dance Company, Professional Track and Company Choreography Fellowship. She then completed Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester, working with renowned artists, and has performed in the NYC Choreographer’s Carnival and the Young Choreographer’s Festival.

Deanna Kraszewski

Ballet · Pointe

Haley Schneider

Tumbling

New to the CDC faculty this season, Haley brings a background in gymnastics and cheerleading to our youngest movers. She teaches our morning Tumble Bugs, Tumble Tots and Tumble Stars classes, and as a CDC studio mom herself, she knows just how to make a little one’s first class feel fun and safe.

Jacinthe Bernard

Ballet · Tap · Jazz · Hip Hop

Jack Murphy

Ballet · Contemporary

Originally from Novi, Michigan, Jack trained with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and earned his BFA from The Juilliard School, performing works by Martha Graham, Ohad Naharin and Andrea Miller. He has since performed for Matthew Westerby, Catherine Tharin and Jacqulyn Buglisi, and his choreography has been featured in the Detroit Dance Festival, the SoloDuo Festival and the Emerging Artists Festival.

Jaspar Law

Hip Hop · Choreography

A CDC alum of twelve years from Stratford, Jaspar trained closely with artists including Neil Schwartz, Ian Eastwood, Jeka Jane and Mollee Gray. He is the founder of STU (Story-Tellers Unlocked) and director of the 2021 dance film Glass Houses, and his choreography has been featured at CDC, Sacred Heart University and The Lab Creative Space.

Jeka Jane

Hip Hop

Jeka started dancing at age five and studied contemporary and ballet at San Francisco’s School of the Arts. In Los Angeles he joined Movement Lifestyle and taught at Millennium Dance Complex. He has danced for Ariana Grande at the Billboard Music Awards, Coachella and the VMAs, was a principal dancer in her “No Tears Left To Cry” video, and has appeared on “Transparent,” “Euphoria” and Netflix’s “The Prom.” He teaches all ages and levels and welcomes every dancer with open arms.

Kelly Kaleta

Tap

Kelly has taught tap up and down the East Coast and Canada for nearly 20 years. A founding member of “Off Beat” and founder of “CounterpoinT,” her choreography appears in the award-winning film Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, directed by Damien Chazelle. She is faculty and a judge for Dance Masters of America and American Dance Awards, and has taught at Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center and Peridance.

KellyAnn Lennon

Tap · Jazz · Contemporary

KellyAnn is a bi-coastal dancer, teacher and choreographer and a graduate of Pace University’s Commercial Dance BFA program. She was selected by The Television Academy to work alongside Emmy-winning choreographers on “So You Think You Can Dance,” and her credits include “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards. She has worked with Paula Abdul, JoJo Siwa and Sir Elton John, and judges and teaches for KAR/Rainbow.

Kendra Alexander

Jazz · Hip Hop · Musical Theatre

Kendra earned a scholarship to EDGE Performing Arts Center at age ten and was named Elite Protégé at The PULSE on Tour. She trained with Brian Friedman, Tyce Diorio and Gregg Russell, and is a University of Alabama dance graduate now based in NYC, training at Broadway Dance Center and Peridance.

Lauren Maiolo

Ballet · Tap · Hip Hop

Lauren Villamana

Ballet · Tap

Lauren grew up dancing competitively in Connecticut and graduated cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College in 2020 with a BA in Dance and Communications, performing in numerous productions and studying and performing abroad in Italy. She then moved to Chicago, where she trained and performed with Visceral Dance Center, and her performance work extends into film with independent artists and dance companies.

Lauren has choreographed for Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), competitions and showcases throughout New England, and has taught in the United States and abroad, including at Accademia dell’Arte in Italy. She also brings her photography and production background to the dance community as a photographer and master class assistant, and is dancing her first season with Garet&Co.

Lilly Courbron

Ballet · Tap · Jazz

Born and raised in Stratford, Lilly began dancing at three right here at CDC, and by age 11 was assisting choreographers Mollee Gray and Jeka Jane at summer intensives across the country. After graduating from CDC in 2024, she trained at the CLI Conservatory under Teddy Forance, Martha Nichols and Robert Green. Now based in New York City and Los Angeles, she shares her passion and industry experience with the next generation of dancers.

Maria Cherniske

Hip Hop · Acro

Maria has taught dancers of all ages for more than twenty years and is a competitive gymnastics coach. She is guest faculty at Broadway Dance Center and a course conductor and adjudicator for Acrobatic Arts. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, danced on national television with Icona Pop and live with Jordan Fisher, and assisted on Rob Thomas’s “I Trust You” music video. Maria holds a B.A. in Psychology and a Master’s in Reading Education from Sacred Heart University.

Mollee Gray

Jazz · Conditioning

Mollee is one of Los Angeles’ most sought-after dancers. Her credits include “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 6, High School Musical 1, 2 and 3, “Glee,” and “The Voice,” and she has danced with Taylor Swift, Snoop Dogg and J. Lo. Kids around the world know her as “Giggles” in Disney’s Teen Beach Movie. Through it all, she loves giving back to the dance community through teaching and choreography.

Nia Bernard

Hip Hop · Ballet · Tap · Contemporary

Noel Bernard

Ballet · Tap · Contemporary

A CDC alum and Fordham University graduate, Noel was a scholarship recipient at the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensives and the Joffrey Ballet Summer Program. Noel has performed at the NYC celebration honoring Remy Charlip and at the Stratford Shakespeare Theater.

Sara Renstrom

Ballet · Tap · Jazz

Sidney Choothesa

Hip Hop · Contemporary · Ballet

A CDC alum from Bridgeport, Sidney continued in Sacred Heart University’s Dance Company Professional Track, working with Mike Esperanza, BARE Dance Company, Jesse Obremski and Matthew Westerby. Sidney won two scholarships at World Dance Movement in Italy and is a company member with the Matthew Westerby Company.

Stefania Braganca

Adult Ballet