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It's all about good people. Our staff is professional, energetic, and vastly experienced. Our students are challenged, well supervised, and expertly trained.
 Marlayne Schaeffer - Director
As the director of the Dance Center for over 30 years, Marlayne's passion for dance was ignited at the age of five when she stepped into the dance studios of Radio City Rockette Irma Brown for ballet and tap classes. Marylane has studied with some of the dance world's most noted professionals including ballet training with Madame Darvish and Finis Jung, jazz with Frank Hatchett, and tap with Judy Bassing. She studied Horton Modern extensively at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and collaborated with famed choreographers Andre Tyson and Ray Tadio. Later Marlayne traveled the Northeast performing with the Kinetikos Dance Company which was awarded several Connecticut Commission of the Arts grants.
She has a BA in Education, has studied at the Institute of Creative Movement in NYC, done graduate work at Wesleyan University, and has taught workshops with Fairfield University and its annual Teachers' Revival Program. After teaching third grade in the Westport School system for five years, Marlayne returned to her first love of dance and began developing the Dance Center's programming and curriculum. Her credits also include being a certified pilates, spinning and group exercise instructor as well as a certified personal trainer.
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Faculty Bios
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 Belly Dancing Bio coming soon.
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 Hip-Hop Marvin began his dance training in New Haven at Dee Dee's Dance Center. Very early on he exhibited exceptional talent and was asked to teach teen boy's hip-hop classes. Soon his choreography was sought after for competitions and area events. Marvin and Donald Morris Jr. formed the performing group The Missing Element, giving inner city children an opportunity to develop and share their love of dance. Marvin has worked for the city of New Haven, lending his choreographic talents to the New Haven Arts and Ideas Festival.
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 Hip-Hop Tatiana joined the WDC faculty in Sept-09 bringing her unique style of hip-hop and sparkling personality to the joy of her students. She has taught & choreographed extensively in SW CT including Notre Dame and Kolbe Cathedral High Schools and the Norwalk and Westport YMCAs. As well as winning awards with her energetic choreography at college dance competitions representing Quinnipiac University.
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 Jazz, Contemporary Latisha lives in New Haven and has been dancing since she was 5 yrs old. After studying locally, Nikki traveled to NYC to study at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre where she continued to study Ballet, Horton Modern, Jazz Dunham Modern and West African Dance. Currently, Nikki teaches dance at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School in New Haven as well as teaching jazz and lyrical at Dee Dee's Dance Center. Nikki loves teaching dance and her classes are challenging and inspiring.
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 Hip Hop, Lyrical, Jazz Maressa is a professional hip-hop dancer who has studied with many famed choreographers, including Jermaine Browne, Rhapsody James, Bev Brown and Frank Hatchett. A graduate and Dance Team Captain of Fairfield University, Maressa has performed at the national Hip-Hop championships in NYC and on MTV’s TRL. She currently studies at Broadway Dance Center, and also teaches Spanish at Greens Farms Elementary School in Westport.
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 Ballet and Modern Stephanie Leichtnam O'Connor trained in New Jersey under Ellen Juric of the Joffrey Ballet and Patricia Morton of the Martha Graham School. She received a BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase. She danced for several Modern and Ballet companies in New York City including Michael Mao Dance Theatre and Lydia Johnson Dance among others. She began teaching dance full time 8 years ago and currently teaches Ballet and Modern at WDC as well as dance studios in Rocky Hill and Norwalk CT.
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 Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theater, Preschool Diana has been dancing all her life and never wants to stop. Dancing since the age of 4, Diana has studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Lyrical, Musical Theater, Irish, and Swing Dance. Diana then went on to receive a BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University C.W. Post Campus. She has worked with Merle Hollaman and Rafael Bumualia of the Limon Dance Company, Arthor Aviles of the Bill T. Jones Company, and Orion Duckstein of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. One of Diana’s works, “Notice Me” was selected to be performed at the 2006 American College Dance Festival. Diana continues to study at Broadway Dance Center and is thrilled to continue to be part of Westport Dance Center.
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 Hip Hop, Jazz, Preschool Ashley started dancing at the age of 11 at Stratford Academy of Dance in Stratford, CT, studying ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and musical theater. Ashley was on the drill team at Notre Dame Catholic High School in 2002 and 2004. Since graduating high school, Ashley has studied at Broadway Dance Center in NYC. She attended Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT with a major in dance. Ashley taught ballet, jazz, and hip hop at St. Augustine Elementary School in Bridgeport from 2006 – 2010. Ashley currently teaches hip hop, jazz, and pre-school/kindergarten classes at Westport Dance Center.
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 Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Musical Theater, Preschool Born in Burlington, VT, Geri began dancing at age 3 and trained with Joyce Hurley at the Champlain Academy of Ballet. At age 10, Geri was accepted into the prestigious summer dance program at the University of Vermont where she trained for several years with Nolan Dingman, Ballet Master of North Carolina School of the Arts and a protégé of George Balanchine. Geri was a member of the Joffrey II ballet program in New York City. She has studied with several renowned ballet and tap teachers including Finis Jhung, David Howard, Melissa Hayden, Germaine Salsberg, Charles Kelley, and Germaine Goodson. Geri was owner and artistic director of the Missisquoi Valley Dance Academy. She is a former member of both Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America.
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 Jazz, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Preschool Erica grew up dancing in Southern California, training in the Cecchetti method of ballet. She attended the Orange County High School of Performing Arts, with an emphasis in the Commercial Dance Department. Erica also trained at studios in Los Angeles, Washington, DC and New York. Erica began teaching dance in 2005 and loves working with young students. She has taught ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theater, and theater arts. Erica was a teacher/choreographer at the Westchester Lutheran Middle School in Los Angeles, CA, where she created a summer performing arts workshop and a school-year performing arts curriculum. She spent a year in Seoul, South Korea teaching English and theater-related classes to elementary school students. Erica graduated from The Catholic University of America with a BA in drama.
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 Mom and Me, Pilates, Zumba, Nutrition Lisa Zadravec, a native of Long Island, brings years of teaching experience from both the dance studio and the school classroom. Dance, both performing and teaching, has always been a significant aspect of her life. Prior to teaching at WDC, Lisa was an active member, coach, choreographer, and judge for all-star cheerleading and collegiate dance teams. Lisa has been a health educator in The Westport Public School System for close to ten years, but her work day usually ends in the dance studio. She is certified to teach Zumba Fitness classes and is currently working towards an instructor’s certificate in Pilates mat. Since becoming a new mom and taking time off from school, Lisa's interest in teaching young children's dance classes has grown. WDC will be offering Mommy and Me classes with Lisa in fall 2010. Lisa is also the owner of NuMomtrition, specializing in nutrition counseling for women in all stages of motherhood. Lisa combines her interests in wellness to enhance the overall development of dancers.
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