MISS MELANIE'S DANCE ZONE - Key Persons
Dancing since the age of four, Miss Dina has been teaching dance for 33 years….. Throughout the years Miss Dina has also competed and placed in many competitions and had the opportunity to take classes with well known choreographers such as Scott Benson, Darryl Retter, Al Gilbert, Henry Le Tang and Frank Hatchett to name a few. Owning her own studio for 20 of those years, teaching all forms of dance , she has also had the pleasure of teaching Tap and Little Movers classes and choreographing musicals such as Beauty and the Beast and Seussical Jr. for the Children's theatre for the WTCAE as well as perform in musicals at the Warner Theatre and the Thomaston Opera House. Miss Dina also for the last eight years has taught Country line and Tap dance to the seniors at the Torrington Senior Center. Miss Dina has also partnered up with the Dare program in 2012 and choreographed the biker /ash mob for Torrington Thunder which was performed at the Torrington Main Street Market Place. During the day Miss Dina also teaches Phlebotomy and CNA classes in Torrington at the Academy of Medical Training. Miss Dina enjoys teaching dance to her students and believes that dance helps their self-improvement, self-esteem, self-confidence, and develops self-image while providing discipline and is very excited to share her love of dance with your children.
Melanie began dancing at the age of 4. She started competing at the age of 10 in numerous local and national dance competitions throughout the New England area. She enjoyed dancing and competing so much that as she grew older she decided to become a teachers helper. That is when she knew she wanted to teach. She taught and took classes at a local studio for many years. In 1990 she choreographed the dance segments for the play "The Wizard Of OZ" at St. Francis of Assisi School. She also taught Tap, Acrobatics, and Jazz at an after school program called AHA at the North Canaan Elementary School. Melanie has performed in the St. Jude's telethon, she choreographed a dance routine for the Wamogo Cheerleaders and taught an 8 week course in tumbling/acrobatics to the Gilbert Cheerleaders. In 2006 Melanie taught and choreographed a Hip-Hop routine for the Oliver Wolcott High School Cheerleaders which placed 2nd in their competition.
Melanie is a member of AAHPERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance). She is CPR and First Aid certified. She attends many classes to further her knowledge in dance so she will be able to teach her students the latest dance styles. She has taken classes at CT Dance (formerly Hartford Ballet). Her studies included Flamenco, Indian, Tap, Jazz, Technique, Modern, Hip-Hop, Pilates, Swing, Caporeria, Spanish, and Character. She also took some classes in Nutrition, Tension Release, Injury Prevention, Make-Up and Modeling.
Miss Mikalah has been an active part of Miss Melanie's Dance Zone as a student, helper, and most recently as an assistant teacher since its beginning. She started taking ballet and tap classes at a local Torrington studio with Miss Melanie at three years old, and began to add more classes such as lyrical, modern, hip hop, jazz, pointe, and kick line after Miss Melanie's Dance Zone's opening. During her time here she participated in numerous dance competitions, and enhanced her training through workshops with dancers such as Slam, Jason Samuels, Savion Glover, Musa Cooper, Alex Wong, Twitch, and various other dancers from So You Think You Can Dance. After 15 years of dance, Miss Mikki graduated high school, and has continued with her schooling while staying a part of MMDZ. For two years she trained as an assistant teacher, this year choreographing dances that participated in competitions, and hopes to continue as a choreographer into MMDZ's future. Miss Mikki has also taught ballet, tap, and hip hop classes for Mrs. Bonasera at the Connecticut Dance Theater, as well as ballet intensive classes at Reach For The Stars this past year.