Meet Our Staff

Mr. Danny is a studio owner and competition director based in New York City. Holding numerous award-winning choreography pieces, Danny brings current industry standards and experience into the studio.

Performance credits include Disney World, and many worldwide performances. 

Kristen grew up dancing in CT and has also trained in NY and Miami. She was a professional dancer with the WNBA Connecticut Sun and NLL Black Wolves. Kristen has been working with dancers for over 10 years now and is the Founder and Director of Rise Dance & Training. She is also going into her second season as the UConn Dance Team Coach.

Brandon D. Gregoire has been teaching dance technique, as well as choreographing youth and community musical theater for the past 20 years. As a concert dance performer, he’s had the privilege of dancing in works by national and international choreographers such as Pam Tanawitz, Larry Keigwin, Gary Galbraith, and Yvonne Rainer, just to name a few. He has also danced for River Valley Dance Project and Grant Jacoby & Dancers (MA). Regional professional credits include Ivoryton Playhouse, Hackmatack Playhouse (ME), and La Comedia Dinner Theatre (OH). Community theater credits include Lakewood Theater (ME), Castle Craig Players, Connecticut Theater Company, Square Foot Theater Company, Chestnut Street Playhouse, Artful Living Productions, Waterford Week, and Pfizer Players. Brandon holds a Master of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts from Wichita State University. Brandon is currently a Performance Dance Educator with Astra Studio of Dance and Performing Arts in Old Saybrook, where he teaches technique and choreographs for competitions. He will also be going back to school this fall to earn a Master of Science in Elementary Education with initial certification.

Sydney grew up training in various styles of dance and is a graduate of American Dance Experience. She is currently a junior at SCSU majoring in Special Education and is a member of their UDA dance team. Growing up, Sydney was also a member of the Hamden High School Dance Team, placing 5th in the nation and becoming and All American Athlete in 2021. She has also competed for the SDA attending the World Dance Championships in 2022. 

Brianna received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Dance from Manhattanville College in 2017. She has studied with choreographers such as Shawn Garnier, Peter Pucci, Marta Renzi, Shawn Bible, and Lawrence Goldhuber. Brianna was a featured dancer in a choreography documentary presented at The Jacob Burns Film Center in titled “Swag
and Bach”.

During her time at Manhattanville she choreographed two contemporary pieces for the Spring Dance Concerts in 2015 and 2016. This past spring she presented her senior thesis, “Setting Fire” the piece was an experimental contemporary piece that incorporated digital media. She has trained with dancers from the hit show “So You Think You Can Dance” through conventions such as Tremaine, Excel in Motion and Kids Artistic Revue.

Through the years she has studied jazz, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, ballet, African jazz, and lyrical. Brianna has taught a variety of styles including tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop and lyrical for a range of ages, since 2015. Through her years of teaching, she has presented original choreography at Dancefest Stamford, DRA’s Stars of Tomorrow, and Broadway Dance Centers AIM Invitational and Directs the Elite Company at a dance studio located in Rye Brook,NY.

She has completed Broadway Dance Centers Teacher training and continues to expand her teaching knowledge.

Registered Dietician

Miss Rachel is a registered dietician at Columbia University and a former collegiate gymnast for Southern CT State University. Working with student athletes, Rachel feels that food should always be priority in both dancers and gymnasts alike. By fueling our bodies, we are able to stay active and healthy as performers.