Taylor Adams

Ballet / Lyrical / Jazz

Miss Taylor Adams graduated from Penn State University in 2013 with a B.A. in History. While at Penn State, she was a member of the PSU Altoona Dance Team, as well as Penn State Dance Alliance and Volé, the Penn State Ballet Club at University Park. She also took a variety of ballet/pointe classes during her academics at PSU. Prior to college, she spent 15 years at a local studio in Bucks County studying many styles of dance including ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, and hip hop prior. She was also a member of her studio’s competition team for 10 years, traveling to local regional and national competitions. Currently, she works for Temple University supporting the James Beasley School of Law. She is looking forward to continuing her dance education and sharing her love for dance with the staff, students, and parents at DTDA!

Donna Marie Ahearn

Acro / Conditioning / Hip Hop / Jazz / Lyrical / Musical Theater 

Donna began dancing at the age of 3 in North Jersey . Her training includes Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary , Lyrical , Tap , Musical Theater and Acro.

At the age of 7 Donna began dancing for a competition team where she began to expand her dance training and found a passion for the Arts. She has competed and won multiple regional and national competition titles and scholarships with her team and as a soloist. 

Donna Graduated from Morris County College with a degree in Early Childhood Education. After High School she continued working with children as a preschool teacher while she focused on her dance training in New York City taking classes at Broadway Dance Center and Steps On Broadway while she began auditioning & performing professionally for the NJ Nets ,and Pucci Productions where she was a motivational dancer for corporate events and parties. 

Donna continued to enrich her dance career through choreographing, teaching and performing in New Jersey and New York & Philadelphia . 

After moving to South Jersey Donna worked for Dance Arts Cherry Hill where she managed the competition team ages 5-18 in Jazz, tap, hip hop and lyrical for 20 years. 

She has received numerous awards and recognition for choreography ,technique and outstanding performances Her choreography for group routines have been nominated for The Industry Dance Awards for Hip Hop and Musical Theatre, Contemporary and Jazz. Many of her soloists have received top honors including top overalls, scholarships, regional and national title winners.

Her choreography has also been performed at the Lincoln Center In New York City and was chosen to audition for the Paula Abdul dance show “Live To Dance” in 2011.

Novae Barnes

Hip Hop

Novae Barnes started dancing at the age of 8 in New Jersey. She moved to Philadelphia to further pursue her passion for dance by joining the I Am Phresh Dance Academy. It was there that she truly fell in love with dance and began her path as a battle dancer. She is currently training for some of the biggest competitions including the Red Bull All-Style Dance Competition. She plans to bring her visions and make her mark in the world of battle dance. Novae is excited to bring her artistry and passion to the dancers of DTDA!

Kaylee Chesla 

Jumps, Leaps & Turns / Pom

Kaylee Chesla is a jazz/hiphop dancer from Warminster, Pennsylvania who has been training in various styles for 16 years. Beginning her dance journey at Kelly Richard’s School of Dance where she served as captain for 2 years, she has competed in many different competitions over the east coast. She has attended many clinics and conventions across the country where she learned from world renowned dancers and choreographers. Kaylee founded the Archbishop Wood Dance Team her senior year of high school where she led as captain and choreographer. She became the assistant coach after she graduated which includes choreographing halftime performances. Known for her powerful tricks and movements, Kaylee has earned many special awards and recognition. She continues to share her passion through performing, teaching, choreographing, and coaching and has been asked to teach at many studios across the tri-state area. Kaylee has joined both Empire and Contempire companies this year and was privileged to compete at World of Dance in New York. Kaylee has been offered great opportunities and is excited about what the future holds for her.

Courtney Conigatti

Studio Manager

Ballet / Combo / Conditioning / Jazz / Lyrical

Courtney Conigatti began her dance training at the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City. As a dance major, she studied various styles at The Ailey School under the direction of Hassan Blandford. After high school, she continued her education at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she earned her BFA in Dance.

While at the university, Courtney performed works by several esteemed choreographers, including Ronen (Roni) Koresh, Wayne St. David, Douglas Becker, and Sidra Bell. In 2014, she had the opportunity to participate in the “DanceAbility” teacher certification course in Vienna, Austria—an inclusive dance program for able-bodied and disabled individuals under the direction of Alito Alessi.

Upon graduating, Courtney performed in Opera Philadelphia’s production of Turandot, choreographed by Renaud Doucet. She is comprehensively certified in Pilates by Ellie Herman and is currently on faculty at The School of Philadelphia Ballet, where she teaches dance and conditioning.

In addition to teaching dance and Pilates, Courtney continues to train extensively and works as a freelance dancer. She is passionate about sharing her love for dance and is proud to be part of the Dance Time family.

Becky Cucuzza

Acro / Conditioning

Brenna Harris

Ballet / Combo 

Miss Brenna started dancing at the age of 4 in her hometown of Hamburg, PA. Her mom said that she loved Ballet right from the start but not Tap because "the shoes were too loud." Her hometown studio's tradition was to perform The Nutcracker every other year. She’s been many different characters including Coffee from Spain, Tea from China, and a baby coffee from Arabia. Two of her proudest roles were Lead Angel and Clara (often called Marie). In college, Miss Brenna was apart of Knight Club at Arcadia University. She auditioned and performed at the Wells Fargo Center for the Philadelphia Wings. While at Arcadia, she was also able to take a Modern Class and a Yoga Class! Currently, her full-time job is working in the LIfe Enrichment Department at a retirement community. In 2018, Miss Brenna received the Distinguished Service Award for "Service from the Heart". This is her proudest "non-dance" achievement because it meant that all of the residents at her job appreciated her work. Since joining DTDA, she has grown to love and appreciate tap. She took the Adult Ballet, Hip-Hop, and Tap classes. Allison gave her the chance to teach with her and then offered her a teacher spot! Miss Brenna is super grateful for the opportunities that Dance Time Dance Academy has given her!

Donna Heffner

Tap

Miss Donna H has been tap dancing her whole life, performing and learning with some of the most influential tap dancers of our time.  She is Artistic Director of Buck and Wing Tap Company, an adult tap performance company out of Bucks County Pa.  She is also a company member of Uniting Colleges Through Tap- a Philadelphia based tap company.  They have performed in Philadelphia, NYC and DC. She has performed in the DC Tap fest, Big Apple Tap Fest in NYC, solo and group showcases, and many tap shows in Philadelphia.  Miss Donna has learned from Jason Samuels Smith, Derrick Grant, Karen Calloway Williams, and Heather Cornell to name just a few. She has also trained at University of the Arts Philadelphia and Broadway Dance Center NYC. Donna has completed multiple tap teacher training courses, and a week-long  intensive with Heather Cornell which focused on improvisation and music theory.  She loves to pass on her knowledge to her students and be a part of keeping this great American art form alive. Outside of teaching, Miss Donna is one of the few toetap dancers performing today, dancing en pointe in pointe shoes with custom made taps in the toes. She has performed with Lady Greys Lovelies, a vintage dance company from Upstate Pa. She is also a championship level Irish Dancer with the Crossroads Irish Dancers of Bucks County.

Steph Herbert

Combo / Hip Hop / Jazz

Miss Stephanie Herbert has been a member of Dance Time Dance Academy from the beginning, dancing in the adult tap and hip-hop classes. She began teaching at Dance Time Dance Academy in the 2018 season. Miss Stephanie is a graduate of Misericordia University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Speech Language Pathology. She was a member of the Misericordia University Dance Team, performing during basketball and football games. Before college, she took many styles of dance including: jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern, character and hip-hop. She has been dancing since the age of 3 and has been dancing competitively since the age of 9, even throughout her college years.

Olivia Wood Ishiguro

Ballet / Combo / Contemporary 

Olivia started dancing at the age of 3 at Position One School of Dance in her hometown of Portsmouth, RI. In high school, she joined the Newport Academy of Ballet, home of Newport Contemporary Ballet, with whom she performed in the Nutcracker at Rosecliff Mansion. In 2017, she graduated summa cum laude from Muhlenberg College with her BA in Dance and Spanish. At Muhlenberg she performed works by Jeffrey Peterson, Teresa VanDenend Sorge, Megan Flynn, and Paul Taylor Dance Company’s Orion Duckstein. After graduation, Olivia moved to Philadelphia, where she performed with esteemed companies and choreographers such as Anne-Marie Mulgrew, Grounded Aerial, Matter Movement Group, Asya Zlatina, and Anito Gavino. In 2022, Olivia joined Yu.S.Artistry as company dancer and associate director, where she performed works by Artistic Director, Yuki Ishiguro, and guest choreographer, Yoshito Sakuraba. In 2024 she joined NYC-based contemporary company, Disagreeable Creatures, under the direction of Danita Shaheen. Additionally, Olivia appeared as a guest artist with Aru dell’Arte in Washington D.C., performed as a featured guest artist with Alden Moves Dance Theater (Brooklyn, NYC), and was one of Ballare Carmel’s inaugural Dance Fellows, where she was delighted to work with Alex Ketley, Nicole Hennington, and Lillian Barbeito. Olivia speaks fluent Spanish, holds a Level 1 Bungee Dance Certification from Grounded Aerial, and was a teaching artist for Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers’ CHI Dance Program. In 2023 she began teaching contemporary/modern, conditioning, and ballet at the School of Philadelphia Ballet.

Irina Louzganova

Ballet / Pointe

Irina graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow in 1987.  She danced as a soloist and principal for the Russian State Ballet for six years, performing with that company in Russia, Europe, and the United States.

In 1992, Irina moved to the United States and settled in Southern New Jersey.  She has been teaching here ever since, bringing her love and knowledge of classical ballet to hundreds of students in the area. 

Marianne Sifer

Acro / Jazz / Tap

Marianne started teaching at the very young age of 13 at a family run studio, The New Dance Studio, started by her brother, professional dancer Gary Flannery. Trained mostly by her brother, Marianne had the pleasure to also study under the likes of Bob Audy, Charles White, Alan Onickel, the one and only Fred Benjamin, Lynn Simonson, Lucas Hoving, Jose LImon, Ginger Garton, the one and only Jean Williams, and Gloria Govern. Mairianne taught at the New Dance Studio for 24 years, Bucks County Community College for 8 years, as well as choreographed their musicals, and various other studios in and out of Bucks County. Marianne has also choreographed many musicals for local High School productions. Marianne is proud to have had many students who have gone on to dance for Division One college Dance Teams, and students who have gone on professionally as Rockettes, Dancers on Cruise Ships, and many who dance, or have danced, at Disney World. Marianne is happy to still be teaching, these days she specializes in Tap, Jazz, and Acrobatics. Marianne is very excited to be teaching at Dance Time Dance Academy!

Jake Simon

Hip Hop

Jake Simon, professionally known as “Jakes fresh” is a dynamic choreographer, performer, and educator recognized for his contributions to the East Coast hip-hop dance scene. With a performance résumé that includes sharing the stage with legendary acts like Wu-Tang Clan, Ludacris, RedMan, Justina Valentine, as well as appearances at major events such as Musikfest, Jake brings authentic energy and style to every performance.

Jake has choreographed for numerous dance crews across the East Coast, known for his ability to blend traditional hip-hop foundations with innovative movement. Under his mentorship, his students have consistently earned top honors, including multiple 1st place overalls and highest scoring act of the day awards at competitive dance events.

Kate Sloan

Ballet / Pointe / Jazz / Lyrical

Miss Kate Sloan has loved being a part of the Dance Time family since the beginning! She has been dancing for over twenty years and teaching dance full time for the past five years. Miss Kate is a graduate of DeSales University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. During this time, she studied various forms and styles of dance including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary and musical theatre. She studied under professional performers and choreographers through DeSales, as well as connected with many guest artists from around the country. In 2015, Miss Kate had the opportunity to take part and perform in a reconstruction of Doris Humphrey’s famous work Partita V. She also performed as part of New Street Dance group in their 2013 and 2015 repertory, and was a member of the DeSales University Touring Company. This company traveled to local schools to perform and share their love of dance in an educational setting. Beginning in 2013, Miss Kate took part in the organization and development of Dancer for a Day, a program that allows young dancers to experience what dance is like in a pre-professional and collegiate setting. Recently, she has set work on dancers involved in DeSales University’s Summer Dance Intensive, as well as performed in Convergence: Community Harmony Through Dance. She currently teaches dance full time in the Montgomery and Bucks County areas, and sets work on dancers for the Momentum Dance Company.

Bella Dain

Guest Choreographer

Bella started dancing at the age of 2, studying at Dain Dance Academy and Ovations Dance Studio for 15 years. After high school graduation, she attended the CLI Conservatory in Southampton, Massachusetts under the guidance of Teddy Forance, and other instructors such as Martha Nichols, Riley Watts, and many other accomplished individuals. During this program, Bella had the opportunity to participate in short films, “Is That All There Is?” choreographed by Andrew Mulet and “ADHD” choreographed by Chris Scott, and live performances choreographed by Teddy Forance, Kenichi Kasamatsu, Hamly Tavarez, Alex Komulainen, Elizabeth Burke, and Martha Nichols. In addition to her studio training, Bella has had the opportunity to assist on convention circuits such as Titans of Dance and Revel Dance Convention as well as perform in Disney Springs and local parades. From these experiences and inspiration from her mom, who was her first ever dance teacher, Bella fell in love with choreographing and teaching dancers of all ages. Bella uses her versatile training to teach all styles of dance to all ages. Watching her students grow and develop a passion for dance is one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher, and Bella hopes to continue to help young dancers find their love for dance just like her teachers did for her as she grew up!

Jamie Dain

Guest Choreographer

Jamie Lee Dain is the Owner and Artistic Director of Dain Dance Academy. She is a native of Delaware County and a graduate of St. Joseph’s University with a Master’s Degree in Education as a Learning Specialist with a certification in Special Education and Reading. Jamie is certified by test to teach all phases of dance. She caught the dance bug at the tender age of four and hasn’t stopped dancing since. She received the majority of her training under the tutelage of Dolores McHenry at McHenry Dance Centre where she taught for 22 years before buying the studio in 2015. Her dance and teaching experience span a wide spectrum, including: ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and acrobatics. Jamie has served in the faculty of several dance studios throughout PA and NJ, served as the director of the Villanova University Dance Company for 13 years and has been a guest teacher at several conventions and universities throughout PA, DE, MD, NJ and NY. Jamie is a long standing member of both Dance Masters of America. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Chapter #25 Pennsylvania Association of Dance Teachers as President and Chairperson for their annual Performing Arts Scholarship Competition which raises money to further the dance education of both students and teachers. Jamie is a Nationally Certified Examiner for DMA and has happily served on the National Board of Directors as PADT’s Delegate. She has choreographed many award winning pieces for several national championship studios and college dance teams and has earned numerous awards for outstanding choreography. Several of her students have gone to study dance in college, serve as nationally ranked title holders, work for recording labels, have been spotted on VH1, the “Ellen” show and gone on to tour with world renowned pop stars. However, she is most proud of the four little dancers she has at home…her daughters Isabella, Thalia, Sabrina and Nadia. 

Imani Griffith

Guest Choreographer

Imani Griffith is a native of Queens, NY. She attended the University of the Arts, where she earned her B.F.A in Dance in 2018. During her studies at The University of the Arts, she was introduced to authentic Hip Hop/Street Dance by her professor Dinita "Queen Dinita" Clark. In 2016, UArts created a 1st of its kind, Hip Hop Pair (Concentration) where she spent her Junior and Senior year furthering her interest and knowledge in Hip Hop/Street Dance & Culture via the "Clark Method" taught by Kyle "Just Sole" and Dinita Clark. After graduating from UArts, she became a principal dancer for Just Sole! Street Dance Theater Company. She has performed with JS! SDTC all over the City of Philadelphia at events including Pennsylvania Ballet's "Shut Up and Dance," Koresh's "Come Together Festival," and at The International Association Of Blacks in Dance Festival. In New York City, the Mecca of Hip Hop, Imani continued her work in the field of Hip Hop/Street Dance by entering and placing in the most prominent competitions in the U.S., such as the "Ladies of Hip Hop Festival" and "Step Ya Game" to name a few. In November 2019, Imani won her first House Dance battle at "Second Sundae," a Philadelphia staple, that every major Street Dance competitor in the city has won including her professors. In April 2022, Imani was invited to compete in "Red Bull Dance Your Style," an invite-only battle, to compete against some of the best dancers in the U.S., for their Washington, D.C. Qualifier. Imani recently earned her M.F.A in dance at the University of the Arts, and is currently an Adjunct Professor at West Chester University and Temple University. In addition to teaching, competing, and performing, Imani is the Social Media Manager for "Funky Sole Fundamentals," a collegiate sub at Drexel University, Temple University, and the University of the Arts, teaching the "Clark Method." She has also been a Rehearsal Director and Assistant to the Choreographer for several works set by Kyle and Dinita Clark at The University of the Arts and Drexel University. 

Geo Hubela

Guest Choreographer

Geo Hubela—George "Geo" Hubela is one of the most popular and sought after dancer/choreographers in the music industry thanks to his extreme talent and versatility. He is currently choreographing for (European Pop Star) Billy Crawford. He has worked with French Pop sensation "Lorie," and was choreographer and artistic director for her 2004 Weekend tour, which spanned across cities in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Tahiti, and Quebec. This is the second world tour he has choreographed for Lorie. He has appeared as a recurring choreographer on the hit MTV show BeComing, including the episodes BeComing JLo, BeComing Dream, and BeComing 'NSYNC. Before he stepped into choreography, he assisted Darrin Henson with the Spice Girls, industrial shows for Tommy Hilfiger and American Express and also danced in Darrin's Dance Grooves. He now has his very own instructional video, GEO's Dance Party!, and you can find commercials for this hot Hip-Hop instructional video on Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.

As a performer, GEO has danced with some of the biggest stars in the music industry such as Will Smith, Michael Jackson, PINK, Britney Spears, 'NSYNC, Jessica Simpson, Macy Gray, Selena, Smashmouth, Deborah Cox, and even danced on two world promotional tours with Jennifer Lopez. One of the biggest highlights of his career was performing for the troops at the MTV USO concert in Germany while touring with JLo. He also performed with Jennifer Love Hewitt at the 2003 Pro Bowl halftime show in Hawaii.

GEO's TV credits include; That 70's Show, Chicago Hope, The Young and the Restless, Fame LA, The Nikki Cox Show, The Miss America Pageant, The Goodwill Games, The NAACP Image Awards, and the 69th Annual Academy Awards. He also choreographed his first national TV commercial for Jet Blue Airlines. Film credits include; The Wedding Singer, and Boys and Girls.  

Isla Niezgoda

Guest Choreographer

Isla Niezgoda is a seasoned tap dance artist and educator with a strong foundation in rhythm tap. Her early training in Minneapolis led to her involvement with Keane Sense of Rhythm Youth Tap Ensemble and the establishment of their Professional Company. She has been fortunate to learn from and be inspired by numerous tap masters, including Dianne Walker, Sam Weber, Sarah Reich, Derick Grant and many others. With over a decade of teaching experience in various settings, from dance studios across the country to teaching at the collegiate level, Isla is committed to fostering the next generation of tap dancers. Her commitment extends to the community through her role as co-founder of Fourth Dimension Tap Company, a non-profit dedicated to expanding the art form. Isla joined The Lady Hoofers as a First Company dancer in 2025.

Allyson Peter

Guest Choreographer 

Allyson is a NYC based performer originally from Horsham, PA.  She began training in dance at 3 years old and has never looked back. In 2020, she received her B.A. from Marymount Manhattan College, where she graduated summa cum laude. She regularly trains at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway, where she has assisted Elyn Collier, Chip Abbott, Kirsty Fuller, and Al Blackstone.

Allyson is a devout member of the NYC dance and theatre communities and loves collaborating with other artists on independent projects. Recent regional performance credits include A Christmas Story (Onstage Swing) at Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Footloose (Dance Captain/Featured Ensemble) and A Chorus Line (Maggie Winslow) at North Coast Theatre Festival.

When not performing, Allyson finds fulfillment in sharing her knowledge and passion for dance with the next generation of dancers— choreographing and teaching at dance studios throughout the tristate area. At DTDA, you can find her teaching Broadway Camp, masterclasses throughout the year, backstage at Recital, and as a guest choreographer.