Our Faculty | Brava Dance Center | Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Acting

About Brava Dance Center

Brava Dance Center in Rye and Port Chester, New York prides itself on offering a leveled and progressive program focusing on technique and versatility in training of young dancers.
We offer dance classes in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Tap, Hip Hop, Acro, Conditioning and Progressing Ballet Technique for children ages 1.5 to 18 years, for beginners to pre-professional competitive dancers.

Brava Dance Center is among the top competitive dance studios in the tri-state area!

Now in its 15th season, Brava Dance Center offers dance classes for beginners to pre-professional competitive dancers. Originally established in September 2009 in the upper carriage house studio at the Wainwright House in Rye, NY, Brava is now at it’s current locations on Purchase Street in Rye and Pearl Street in Port Chester. Brava has 4 large dance studios and an esteemed faculty of instructors who teach across our Studio Program, Intensive Track and Company.

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JENNY HOGAN Owner/Director

Faculty

Kelin KELIN BARR | Company Director

Kelin Barr is originally from New York, where she began dancing at the age of three. She continued her education and training at the University at Buffalo, receiving a BFA in dance performance. Upon graduating, Kelin’s professional career allowed her to travel the world while performing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. She has performed in many production shows across the country and in Canada with Spirit Productions including “Dancing Queen”, “Spirit of Christmas”, and “Le Grande Cirque”. She has also appeared on PBS as a member of Zodiaque Dance Company and has done industrial work for ToysRUs.

While in NYC, Kelin has performed at several different venues including the Salvatore Capezio Theater, Symphony Space and The Choreographer's Ball at the Highline ballroom. Most recently, she has performed in NYC with SynthesisDANCE Company, under the direction of Tracie Stanfield. Kelin is also represented by the prestigious NYC/LA talent agency MSA.

In addition to her performance credits, Kelin continues to choreograph and teach for several competitive dance studios in the NY/NJ area, as well as being on the judging panel for various dance competitions. She has taught at national conventions for Groove Dance Competition and National Dance Showcase. Kelin is excited to share her passion for dance with all of her students at Brava. In addition to being our Company Director, Kelin teaches Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Lyrical and Contemporary.

MICHAEL CRAWFORD
INSTRUCTOR| Ballet, Pointe

Michael Crawford is from Takoma Park, Maryland. He began dancing with prestigious schools, including the Maryland Youth Ballet and Kirov Academy, with summer intensives at The Rock School and San Francisco Ballet on full scholarships. In his senior year, he was accepted into the Kennedy Center’s Master Class Series, where he trained and performed with top international companies. Mr. Crawford then moved on to the Washington Ballet where, in their top training program, he performed with the company under the direction of Septime Webre. Upon graduation, he went on to study and perform in the Professional Division of The Pacific Northwest Ballet under the direction of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. ANer Pacific Northwest Ballet, he danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jose Mateo Ballet, Ballet Memphis, American Repertory Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, and Oakland Ballet. At these companies, he performed several ballets as a principal artist. He has been privileged to work alongside top productions, such as “Guys and Dolls," "West Side Story," "Show Boat," and other musical performances at The Kennedy Center, as well as touring many other international stages. He has also worked guestings with The Washington National Opera, Adam Miller Dance Project, Kinetic Dance Works, Brooklyn Ballet, and Ballet Neo. While signed with New York Model Management, Mr. Crawford had the honor to internationally campaign. He has walked in several seasons of NYC Fashion Week. He also appeared in the feature film "Step Up" and can be seen on television in ABC’s production of “Forever.” Michael is also an award-winning teacher and choreographer. He has been teaching and choreographing nationally and internationally for years. He has coached many prize-winning students for competitions, such as Youth America Grand Prix. Some of his students have gone on to Prestigious college programs, top dance companies, and are leading broadway performers. Michael is on faculty at SAB, Broadway Dance Center, STEPS on Broadway, AMDA College, and PACE University.

SAVANNAH JOY COBB
INSTRUCTOR I Lyrical and Contemporary

Savannah Joy Cobb is a graduate of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. In 2016 her short dance film, Àme was an official selection of the Philadelphia Screendance Festival. Savannah has now represented the National Tours Number for Gypsy of the Year at the New Amsterdam Theatre and performed in The Hudson Valley Dance Festival for DRA. She has worked with Disney Cruise Line on various Refresh Workshops, was casted in “POWER: A Concept Dance Video,” and has performed in ‘Broadway Bares’ at Hammerstein Ballroom. Savannah has had the pleasure to dance for ‘Good Morning America’ and most recently for the 40th Anniversary of Phish at Madison Square Garden. She has recently worked for Paramount Plus as Associate Choreographer on the latest season of ‘Evil’. Currently, she is Assistant to the Director of Broadway Bares for 2024. Savannah is also on Faculty at Steps on Broadway and Ballet Academy East in New York City. Savannah recently completed her training in ‘The Raising the Barre for Mental Health’ Dance Teacher workshop series and is happy to travel the country doing various workshops.

DEIRDRE DILLON
INSTRUCTORI Tap, Jazz

Deirdre Dillon studied ballet, tap and jazz from 1989-2003 at the Marya Kennett Dance Centre in Goshen, NY. Each year she was a cast member of the annual performance of The Nutcracker Ballet and participated in and performed in several local musical theatre productions, including Bye, Bye Birdie and West Side Story. Deirdre also trained under the direction of Sam Wright, the voice of Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid and the original Mufasa from the Broadway production of The Lion King. Deirdre further developed her training by taking classes at Broadway Dance Centre in New York City. She attended Manhattanville College, where she majored in Dance and Theatre, with a concentration in Dance Therapy. Deirdre holds a Master of Professional Studies degree in Childhood and Special Education and currently teaches at an elementary school in Westchester County.

KELLY KLINE
INSTRUCTOR | Preschool, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Acro

Kelly, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a New York City based dancer, teacher and choreographer. Her training began at Just Off Broadway Dance Studio where she was a member of their national award winning competition team. She holds a BFA in Dance from Shenandoah University, where she was awarded the Terpsichore Award and the Elizabeth Weil Bergmann Choreography Award for her excellence in both performance and choreography. Kelly has performed works by artists including Mike Esperanza, Tiffanie Carson, Christopher K. Morgan and Stephanie Martinez, to name a few. She is an Acrobatic Arts certified Acro instructor and a Balanced Body certified Pilates instructor. She has been teaching and choreographing for dance studios all over the country for over a decade and is so excited to share her passion and creativity with the dancers and artists at Brava!

MALAK LUNSFORD
INSTRUCTOR | Hip Hop

Raised in Queens NY, dancer, actor and movement director Malak Lunsford started at the tender age of 8 years old. It wasn’t until his first standing ovation in his 6th grade talent show that sparked a passion for the stage. His mother, Denilia, took him to various auditions that involved acting and dancing. After a few years of competitions and auditions, at age 15 he took it upon himself to hit the biggest stage of is life.

In 2009, Malak went on to win first place at amateur night at the Apollo Theater 3x. This lead him to being chosen as lead choreographer for his high school in 9th grade. The remainder of his time in high school he began teaching and choreographing for other studios in the area as well as performances.

Training in Jazz and hip hop as well as acting classes Malak learned how important it was to tell stories, ignite feelings and to explore the unknown on stage and on camera. He believes art imitates life and everyone has a story to tell, how you express it is your gift to the world.

Victoria started dancing at the age of 4, under the instruction of Emmy nominated choreographer Anthony Morigerato in her upstate New York studio. She joined the competition team at the age of 8 and proceeded to win numerous national awards. While a student there, she began to choreograph, specializing in tap and contemporary. She then went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts from Manhattanville College as a Dance Major with a Minor in Sports Studies in 2019. During her four years at Manhattanville, Victoria worked with numerous choreographers including: Shawn Bible, Ara Fitzgerald, Heather Cornell, Mike Esperanza, and Leah Ives. Outside of her academic dance career, she was also the captain of the dance team, Minds in Motion, her junior and senior year. Post graduation she has been teaching at studios in the Hudson Valley region, while also continuing her training at studios such as Broadway Dance Center, and fulfilling her role as an ambassador for Luminous Tour. Victoria hopes to perform for as long as she can, while continuing her passion for teaching dance to students of all ages!

Amelia is a Broadway actress, choreographer and ballet/theatre instructor based in New York City. She left home at the age of fifteen to pursue a career in professional ballet at the University of The North Carolina School of the Arts. Her passions then shifted and she went on to pursue acting. She holds a B.A. in Performance from Fordham University and an M.F.A. in Acting from the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University. Amelia's first audition and professional acting job was in the Broadway

Sophia Pielet is a movement artist, lover of the sun, collaborator, and arts educator based in New York City. Growing up in El Paso, Texas, she trained at the El Paso Ballet Theatre and performed in numerous ballets including Don Quixote, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Peter Pan to name a few. She graduated from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a major in Contemporary dance and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship in May 2023. She studied under Jared Redick, Susan Jaffe, Dana Fox, Ilya Kozadayev, Abigail Yager, Akua Parker, Ming Lung-Yang, Baba Wesley Williams, Brenda Daniels, Endalyn Outlaw, and Kira Blazek-Ziaii. After graduating, Sophia was awarded a fellowship at Lincoln Center Education, where she has continued to work as an Education Coordinator post-fellowship. She also teaches in public schools and Manhattan Youth Ballet. She is a freelance artist who performs with the Next Stage Project and has performed in both stage and film productions. Alongside performance, she has directed and danced in films of her own and co- choreographed a duet that premiered at Lincoln Center in January 2024. She loves rock climbing, the outdoors, and her neighborhood bodega kitty Loli. An artist on and off camera, she spends a lot of time improvising, writing, and listening to podcasts. Sophia is excited to teach her love of ballet at Brava Dance!

A proud alumna of the University of Alabama’s Department of Theatre and Dance, Melaina honed her craft through rigorous training and broad performance opportunities.

Her performance credits span some of the most esteemed regional theaters in the country, including the Guthrie Theater, Fulton Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, and Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, where she has brought a variety of beloved roles to life. In addition to her regional theater work, Melaina has appeared as Belle in the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, which aired nationally on ABC and Disney+, sharing the magic of Disney with audiences around the world.

As an educator, Melaina is committed to inspiring confidence, creativity, and technical excellence in her students. She strives to create a supportive and challenging environment to help students thrive on stage and beyond.

MAGGIE SAVOIE

INSTRUCTOR | Jazz, Lyrical

Maggie Savoie is a proud graduate of Otterbein University where she earned her BA in theatre (directing and choreography) and a dance minor. Originally from Ohio, Maggie trained with BalletMet, The Cincinnati Ballet and the Minnesota Ballet and currently resides in NYC where she works as a choreographer and teaching artist focusing on ballet, musical theatre and contemporary dance. She has performed with BalletMet, Megan Doyle Dance and Mitra Dance among others. Favorite credits include working as a choreography assistant to Tony nominated choreographer Randy Skinner on Lady, Be Good starring Tommy Tune and Patti Murin (NY City Center Encores!) choreographing Spring Awakening & Lizzie The Addams Family (Priscilla Beach Theatre), Youth America Grand Prix contemporary solos and dancing in An Evening with Maury Yeston (92Y). She currently serves as the Director of Dance and resident choreographer for Stagedoor Manor in Upstate NY.

EMILY SLATER
INSTRUCTOR I Jazz, Lyrical, Conditioning

Emily Slater is a dedicated and versatile dance teacher and performer from Westchester, New York. Growing up in the competitive dance scene, Emily Slater excelled regionally and nationally, building a solid foundation in technique across various styles. With a passion for the performing arts, she attended Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, earning a BFA in Dance Performance, while also minoring in Education and Business. At SMU, she fine-tuned her skills in ballet, jazz, and modern dance, gaining invaluable exposure to the world of contemporary movement.

After graduating in May 2022, Emily moved to New York City, where she has continued to teach at competitive studios and earn certifications in various fitness modalities, including Pure Barre. Additionally, she spent a year as part of Core Dance Contemporary before transitioning to a freelance dancer, performing with multiple entertainment agencies including Purdie Entertainment. She brings a deep knowledge of dance technique, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for teaching, empowering her students to reach their full potential.

KELLY VOELPEL
INSTRUCTOR I Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Progressing Ballet Technique

Kelly Voelpel began her early training at the School of Performing Arts/Fineline Theatre Arts in New Milford, Connecticut under the direction of Arlene Begelman and later Elizabeth Parkinson, Scott Wise, and Mary Ann Lamb. She spent summers dancing at North Carolina School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Peridance, and The Ballet Theatre of Maryland. Following her a year studying ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she attended the Lines Ballet Training Program in San Francisco. In 2013 she joined The Ballet Theatre of Maryland. Currently, Kelly works as a freelance dancer, performs with Mooney Cooley Dance, and teaches in New York and Connecticut.