Sheena DiMatteo - Sunday, October 16th:

Sheena grew up near Pittsburgh, PA as an award-winning dancer. Upon graduating from Point Park University with a B.A. in Dance, she danced aboard Holland America Line with Stiletto Entertainment, and performed West Side Story, The Producers, On the Town, 42nd St!, and Contact through professional theatre.

She has choreographed numerous musicals, and teaches Jazz, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre at several studios in the New York City area and beyond. She also serves as a professional dance critic for idanz.com and adores leading the fun and fabulous ZUMBA!

1) ZUMBA Class for Teenagers and Adults @9:30am - 10:30am: $15, sign up before 10/2 for only $13!
2) Hip Hop ages 12-Adult @10:30am - 11:30am: $25, sign up before 10/2 for only $20!
3) Contemporary ages 12-Adult, 11:30am-1pm: $30, sign up before 10/2 for only $25!

Derrick Yanford - Sunday, November 20th:

Derrick began his formal training in a local studio of his hometown Southwick, Massachusetts where he studied ballet, jazz, tap, and acrobatics with his teacher Brenda Barna. After furthering his dance education at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Derrick began his professional career and has had the pleasure of performing with Ballet Hispanico of New York, Battleworks Dance Company, The Joffrey Concert Dancers, Northern Connecticut Ballet, Koresh Dance Company, and A.S.H. Contemporary.

Additional performance credits include the First National Tour of "Footloose" and "A Few Good Men DANCIN'...", the European Tours of "Evita" and "West Side Story". Walt Disney World's "Kids of the Kingdom" and Radio City Music Hall's "Christmas Spectacular", as well as the World Premiere of the Opera "Le Cid" starring Placido Domingo.

Derrick has also gained recognition as a choreographer and has had his work commissioned by ABC Television for the "Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade", the 2000 Republican Convention, "Sunoco's Welcome America's 4th of July Parade", the "Barrymore Awards", "76er's Dance Team" and the "Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Millennium Kick-Off" to name a few.

While currently residing in New York City, Derrick serves as the Artistic Director of the newly formed company Bridge Dance Concepts, on faculty at Connecticut College, freelances as a choreographer, master class teacher and adjudicator for major dance organizations throughout the United States and Canada.

1) Contemporary/Jazz/Fusion ages 12 and under @10am-11:30am: $30, sign up before 11/6 for only $25!
2) Contemporary/Jazz/Fusion ages 13-Adult @11:30am - 1pm: $30, sign up before 11/6 for only $25!

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Having been influenced by many different styles and genres, the best way to describe his class is in one word...FUSION.

Having been given a strong classical foundation, the warm up consists of exercises designed to increase heart rate, warm and lengthen muscles, activate balance and core strength while focusing on placement, flexibility and turnout resulting in a deep grounded relationship with the floor and negative space.

Progressions across the floor will challenge your center of gravity demanding you to "get on your leg" while incorporating basic and intricate rhythms geared to prepare the body for the physical challenge that lies ahead.

After having focused on proper technique, the center combination is where you'll be asked to draw upon the artist within as the body and soul execute a blend of shapes, gestures, lines, and steps in a uniquely musical fashion. The movement is heavily jazz influenced yet technically demanding with modern and contemporary overtones. Bring your imagination for it will be your biggest tool in overcoming this fusion of styles.

Karla Garcia - Sunday, February 12th:

You may recognize Karla from Season 5 of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance or Season 2 of America's Best Dance Crew. From learning traditional Philippine folk dances, Karla went on to dance for the National Tour of Wicked, the Broadway show Hot Feet, and the VH1 Divas Live show behind Jordin Sparks. She is currently on tour with the National cast of The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy.

She has a BFA in dance and a minor in Journalism from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She is also a member of the Boogie Bots crew (ABDC, Season 2). She has been featured in works by Mia Michaels, Dwight Rhoden, Stacey Tookey, Kyle Abraham, Bridgette Moore, Ray Leeper, Marguerite Derricks, and Nappytabs. Other performance credits include Debbie Allen's Brother's of the Knight, Ray Leeper's Common Grounds, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Now residing in Brooklyn, New York, she teaches and choreographs at select studios all over the east coast and continues to perform. Karla constantly strives for creative growth, as she aims to combine influences from her technical background with different textures of contemporary, jazz, and hip hop. She believes that dance is an evolving art, with room for new ideas, bold innovation and a myriad of cultural influences.

1) Contemporary ages 12 and under @10am-11:30am: $30, sign up before 1/29/12 for only $25!
2) Contemporary ages 13-Adult @11:30am - 1pm: $30, sign up before 1/29/12 for only $25!