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HDTC is owned and operated by
Jody Hirsch and Diane Rizzo.
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HDTC is very proud to introduce you to our talented and loving teachers. Many of our teachers have taught in our community for years and are looking forward to sharing their love of dance and tumble with your children for years to come.
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Jody Hirsch
A native of Westchester County, Jody grew up in Scarsdale, NY. After Graduating College in Southern Vermont, she moved to Miami, FL to pursue a career in the cosmetic industry, always taking dance classes wherever she was. In the past 20 years she has had many teaching, learning and coaching experiences. Jody coached the Hendrick Hudson High School Cheerleaders for 8 years and traveled to competitions at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg VA, Dallas TX, and Myrtle Beach SC. She formed the Town of Cortlandt Cheerleading Camp and served as its director for several years. She also taught at Gymnastics City for 7 years. Jody spent 2 summers at Camp Nabby teaching tumbling to girls and boys of all ages. She was an instructor at Dance Magic for 10 years teaching tumble, tap, and jazz. While working at Dance Magic, she was the director of the Dance Camp for 5 years and coached the Mini-Stars Jazz and Tap Teams. Jody has attended teaching workshops in NYC and CT. and enjoys observing and taking class at the Broadway Dance Center.
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Diane Rizzo
Diane is co-owner of HDTC. She is a graduate of SUNY Oswego, with a Major in Marketing and a Minor in Psychology. Diane worked as a Sales Assistant for Kidder Peabody , she was in the Management Training Program at Bloomingdales, and was Assistant Manager of Repair and Customer Relations Department at Tiffany & Co. All the skills derived from her work experience have been contributory to the operation of HDTC.
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Colleen Rosenblum
Colleen will continue teaching her unique style of tumble utilizing all new equipment and our spacious tumble room. She is very excited to work with and teach your children the joys of tumble as they grow and advance towards their next "trick". Colleen is a native of the “tri-village” area. She is a graduate of the HHHS class of ’79, where she competed on the gymnastics team for 4 years. She graduated from Mohawk Valley Community College where she earned a degree in Business Administration, and then spent the next 10 years at IBM Corporation. She currently operates a business out of her home, Transcripts Etc. (medical transcription, and computer graphic design). In 1997, Colleen joined Dance Magic Inc., with the responsibility of overseeing and growing their “Tumble Program”, which was a unique addition to this studio. She continued teaching there for the next 10 years managing to develop and add the Circus Arts and Aerial Fabric programs. She also coached the competitive tumble teams, which brought home many awards, but more importantly, brought a ray of sunshine to many nursing home residents throughout the county. At HDTC's new "Tumble Loft" Colleen will be teaching classes in tumbling at all levels including a new program called "Tumble for Cheerleaders" .
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Mary Regueiro
Originally from Poughkeepsie, NY and a graduate of SUNY Purchase Mary has a BFA in Dance and a minor in Psychology. While at college Mary had the opportunity to work with and perform works by Paul Taylor, Mark Morris and Jose Limon. She was selected to the Craft of Choreography Conference in Ithaca, NY. for two consecutive years. Mary toured the Northeast with the Mid Hudson Ballet Company and was a member of a Performing Group that performed at the Tennessee World’s Fair, The EGG in Albany, NY and Lincoln Center NYC. She has also performed with the Off Center Dance Company of Westchester. Mary has been teaching dance since the age of fourteen, most recently she has taught Tap, Jazz, Ballet and Modern at Dance Magic of Peekskill, NY. Works she has choreographed for competition received Gold-High Gold and her choreography was cited by the judges as unique and innovative. Mary looks forward to bringing her skills to Hudson Dance and Tumble Center.
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Caitlin Brady
Caitlin has been teaching Hip Hop, Jazz, and Tap at HDTC since January 2010. Cait has choreographed pieces for competition, recitals, and community performances. Caitlin was a Dance Major at Hofstra University. She studied Ballet and Modern focusing on Graham Floor Technique, and studied with Lance Westergard, Robin Becker, and Amy Marshall. Caitlin was a student choreographer and performer for both Danceworks and MoVom at Hofstra. Caitlin continues to take class weekly at The Broadway Dance Center, Steps, and other Studios in NYC. She has the vision to fuse different genres of dance to create choreography that inspires her dancers and awes the audience. She brings an electric energy to each class that is joyous to all.
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Joelle Hirsch
Joelle is a graduate of Nazareth college with a degree in Economics and Management. She was the captain of the Nazareth Varsity Dance Team for 3 years and choreographed their entertaining Hip Hop routines. Classically trained in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Modern and Hip Hop, Joelle has continued her dance education specializing in Hip Hop and guest-teaching classes HDTC. During the past 10 years, Joelle has taught many classes and workshops for the Town of Cortlandt and Dance Magic as well as coaching the HDTC hip hop team in 2009-10. In addition to performing and competing with The Nazareth College Dance Team, Joelle has been a featured dancer in many local performances and studied with Broadway Dance Center, Steps and other studios and various Hip Hop workshops in New York City. Joelle describes her true passion to be the process of creating movement to music and sharing it with her students. She currently lives in New York City and works in the technology industry at NetApp.
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Melissa Barthelmes
Melissa Barthelmes grew up in Peekskill, NY, where she began her ballet studies at the age of seven with The Dance Connection in Buchannan, NY. Melissa continued her studies at the New Paltz School of Dance, while she was an undergraduate at SUNY New Paltz, majoring in Secondary English Education. Melissa began dancing with Westchester Ballet Company in Ossining, NY in 1995 through 2000. During this time, she also received her Master’s in Humanistic Education at SUNY New Paltz. Her most cherished roles include the Chocolate from Spain in The Nutcracker and the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, as well as dancing in Les Sylphides and the premiere of The Glenn Miller Swing Nutcracker, to name a few. Her love for dance and instruction brought her to Dance Magic, Inc. in 2001, and now feels privileged to work with Hudson Dance and Tumble. Melissa currently teaches English in the Hendrick Hudson School District.
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Katie Stavitz
Katie has been working at HDTC for 4 years. Katie is currently a graduate student at the Steinhardt School at NYU. Katie is studying Communication Science and Disorders. She graduated from Emerson College in Boston majoring in Communication Science and Disorders and a minor in Dance. Katie has been instrumental in helping to develop and execute HDTC’s Adaptive Tumble Class for students with special needs. Previous to her dance training at Emerson College,Katie studied ballet, Jazz, and Tap for 16 years at Dance Magic in Cortlandt Manor, NY. She has performed, taken dance classes and workshops here in Westchester, NYC, Epcot, and in the Bahamas! Katie’s love of dance, movement, and children provide a special experience for all who take her class.
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Lena DeLeo
Lena has been working at HDTC for 2 years. She is the Art Instructor at Camp and has been a backstage coordinator at recitals. Lena is currently a graduate student at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. She will be receiving her Masters Degree in Art Therapy. Throughout College Lena interned at the Newberger Museum of Art as the student coordinator of a gallery guides program that she developed and taught along with her supervisor. Lena has worked at Anthropologie at The Westchester as a Visual Display Artist. In her spare time, Lena works on her own art and practices yoga. She also plays accordion, sings, and writes music. Lena’s gentle manner and calm demeanor allows all students to create, and appreciate art in all forms.
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Melissa Curry-Johannsen
“Missy” started her athletic career at a very young age. In High School, Missy played Field Hockey, Softball, and was a Cheerleader. She was the captain of both the varsity field hockey and softball teams. Her cheerleading team competed at the national level. Missy graduated from Endicott College in 2001, she played both field hockey and softball in College. She coached varsity field hockey and softball teams at Hendrick Hudson High School for 3 years after graduating College. Missy’s natural athletic ability, coaching experience and wonderful disposition translates perfectly into assisting with classes.
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Susan Trager
With over 30 years of domestic and international dance experience, Susan has settled down in Cortlandt Manor where she continues to share her passion for the art. Susan’s diverse background includes training in jazz, modern, tap and Broadway dance theatre. She has choreographed, performed and taught in over six European countries and the U.S. Susan has earned a Bachelors degree in dance from SUNY Brockport, and holds a license in Massage Therapy from the Swedish Institute. Susan also has many years experience in teaching Body Movement classes and personal training. Susan’s enthusiastic teaching style, knowledge of body mechanics, and artistry enriches any students’ dance experience. Susan looks forward to joining the HDTC instructor team in the fall of 2008.
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Ilona Nadzan
A resident of Cortlandt Manor, Ilona performed professionally with her family folk dancing group for over 30 years. In addition to traveling throughout the US with this group, they also performed in Germany, Mexico and aboard several Caribbean cruises. Later she continued to perform with local dance groups and competed nationally. she currently attends Tap at Hudson Dance and Tumble Center. She discovered the joy of working with young children as the arts and crafts instructor for ‘Mommy & Me’ classes for the Hendrick Hudson school district several years ago. She has been assisting in Dance & Tumble classes at the studio and is looking forward to joining the HDTC staff.
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Suzi Myers Tipa
A native New Yorker, Suzi began her dance career with the Windemere Ballet Theatre in Queens. Her passion for dance lead her to study many international folk dance styles with experts from around the world. Styles include Irish Step, Scottish Highland, Hawaiian hula, Russian, Ukrainian, Mexican, African, Italian, Appalachian clogging, Swing, Latin dance styles, Chinese, and Eastern European. As a member of AllNations Dance Company, she traveled to such exotic locations as Central and South America, Eastern Europe, China, and Brooklyn sharing a message of global understanding through the arts.
An actor as well, Suzi studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and improvisation at Chicago City Limits in New York City. Suzi has performed lead roles at the Emelin Theatre, Queens Theatre in the Park, and at the New York City International Fringe Festival. Her performance as Helena in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Lynch Theatre in Manhattan earned her a nomination for the Irene Ryan Scholarship at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. She has produced and performed sketch comedy at the Trilogy Theatre in Manhattan, and her credits also include film and television work. She is proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild.She has written, produced and performed sketch comedy, and currently dances with Pat Cannon's Foot and Fiddle Dance Company. She is also a passionate Zumba instructor, teaching the Latin dance-based fitness class at locations throughout Westchester.
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Nicole Credendino
Nicole joined the Staff at HDTC in the Spring of 2011. She is a graduate of U. of Delaware with a degree in Cognitive Science and Disabilities. She is currently a graduate student at SUNY New Paltz working towards her Masters degree in Communication Disorders. Nicole has been instrumental in developing and executing HDTC’s Adaptive Tumble Class for students with special needs. She also is an instructor at HDTC’s Summer Camp. Nicole’s love of learning and teaching is contagious and inspiring to her students.
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Troy Lepore
Troy is a NYS certified teacher who helps instruct in the Adaptive Tumble Class. He graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2009. He is currently a graduate student at Pace University and will graduate in December 2011 with his Masters degree in Childhood Education. Troy was an assistant coach for the Pace U. Men’s lacrosse Team for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He coaches The Wave, a youth lacrosse team based in Cortlandt Manor, and also coaches the Hendrick Hudson Lacrosse Team in the off-season. Troy brings his love of sports and great sense of humor to the Adaptive Tumble Class.
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Claire Tandy
Claire has been managing HDTC’s front desk for 3 years. She is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia. Claire grew up in Rochester, NY, she has lived in Westchester for 25 years. Claire makes everyone feel at home when they enter the Studio with her friendly personality and big smile.
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