Meet Our Staff

Director & Instructor: Miss Theresa Shine

Broadway Dance Center Pro Sem. Alumni Summer 2021

Certified Acro-Dance Adjudicator: Founding Member ADTA

Certified to teach: Kids Yoga (ages 2-12)

Certified to teach: Acrobatic Arts- Module 1

Certified to teach: Kinderdance, KinderGym, and KinderCombo

DEA Member: Performing Arts

USA Gymnastics Recreational Coach

CDC Heads Up Concussion Certified

Miss Theresa has been passionate about dancing and acrobatics since a young age. She graduated from Southern CT State University, obtaining Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and French. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Psychology: Expressive Arts Therapy at California Coast University. In addition, she holds two regional senior dance titles and is the 2023 WIDC Pro-Am/Adult National Dance Battle Champion. She also is the 10th place recipient of DEA's "National Teen Miss Dance of Las Vegas" in 2010. Theresa holds a certificate of dance training from American Dance Experience in Hamden, CT and is a 2021 graduate of NYC's Broadway Dance Center's Pro-Sem in Musical Theatre & Jazz. She has studied the styles of Acrobatics, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theatre and Tap.

Theresa is an active member of the New York City and Connecticut dance communities taking part in cabaret performances, music video projects and numerous auditions, including a brief appearance on the popular TV show, So You Think You Can Dance in season 11. She has choreographed the musicals for East Shoreline Catholic Academy in Branford, CT and has also choreographed various dance routines for elementary students at Ross Woodward Magnet School in New Haven, CT. Growing up, Miss Theresa also competed in gymnastics, including Yale University's Club Gymnastics Team qualifying for NAIGC Nationals Floor Exercise finals in 2019. She currently competes as an Xcel Diamond gymnast for the NAIGC Alumni.

Performance Credits: The Shirts, The West End Lounge NYC, We the Heroes Ball, Broadway Dance Center Student Showcase, LipGloss Crisis Productions, The State House Cabaret, Deucebug Productions & Fullblast Booking, PRIDE New Haven, The Stonewall Inn NYC, Troupe 429

Choreography Credits: East Shoreline Catholic Academy 2022 & 2023, Ross Woodward Classical Studies Magnet School 2018.

Competition Coach and Dance Instructor: Miss Kate Shine

DEA Member: Performing Arts

Miss Kate has been both dancing and teaching dance for over 25 years. She started out at Myra's School of Dance in Hamden, CT. Upon graduating dance school, she went on to perform with The Judith Nilsson Ballet Company in Hamden, CT. Miss Kate had the honor of receiving an outstanding tap dance award, as well as placing in various competitions for Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America.

Throughout her teaching experience, Kate has always emphasized Ballet technique. She has a strong background in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz dancing. Her past classes have focused on pre-teen and teen dancers both competitive and non-competitive. She also was the head of the arts department at First Congregational Church in West Haven, CT teaching Liturgical Dance.

Miss Kate holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Financial Accounting from The University of New Haven, in West Haven, CT. She also holds nine years experience in International Marketing

Dance Instructor: Miss Jamie Grenet

DEA Member: Performing Arts

CT Certified Elementary School Teacher

Miss Jamie has been dancing for over 15 years and is a graduate of American Dance Experience. She is also a graduate of Central CT State University, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education. Jamie is a former member of the Central CT State University & Hamden High Dance Teams. She has competed in UDA sanctioned competitions and camps as well as in The World Dance Championships with SDA growing up. Her favorite styles of dance are Tap and Jazz.

Tumbling & Dance Instructor: Miss Sarah Caron

USA Gymnastics Recreational Coach

Miss Sarah has over 20 years of gymnastics and acrobatics experience. She has worked for All Stars Gymnastics Academy in Windsor, CT for 12 years from 2005-2016. More specifically, she worked with the pre-school program, intermediate recreational gymnastics program (levels 1-3) and tumbling and trampoline. In addition, she helped teach and spot back handspring clinics. She also assisted in choreography for the end of the year show every year which included all levels from pre-school to team.

Miss Sarah has also coached the competitive hip-hop team at All Stars along with a few seasons of dance team both at St. Bernard’s Elementary School and Enfield High School. In addition, Miss Sarah owns three strength and conditioning gyms in Southern California.

Substitute & Guest Instructors

Danny Vazquez: Hip-Hop & Guest Instructor

Kristen Cullen: Substitute & Guest Instructor

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 Cullen: Substitute & Guest Instructor

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.

Sydney Grenet: Substitute Instructor

Kristen Cullen: Substitute & Guest Instructor

Brianna Rusch: Substitute & Guest Instructor

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 Rusch: Substitute & Guest Instructor

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.

Rachel de la Torre, RD: Guest Instructor

Brianna Rusch: Substitute & Guest Instructor

Rachel de la Torre, RD: Guest Instructor

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.