Registration:518-357-3668
B and C 1613 Union St.
Miss Karyl: Ballet, Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Acro/Tumble
Miss Karyl has been involved with dance since she was 3 years old. She is very diverse in different styles of dance such as tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, ballroom and many others. She is a graduate of Dean College in Franklin, MA where she received a Bachelors Degree of the Arts with an emphasis in dance. She has taught dance at a variety of different studios such as, Cantarella’s
School of Dance in Pittsfield, MA and Albany Berkshire Ballet in Albany NY. She also teaches gymnastics at Dynasty Athletics in East Greenbush NY. When Karyl is not teaching dance or gymnastics she is drag racing. She’s been drag racing since she was 8 but has been around the sport her whole life. She travels all over the east coast to get the chance to win. She loves the adrenaline! She loves dance and loves to help each student reach their goals and see them grow to their potential.
Miss Lexi
Miss Lexi is performer, teacher, and award-winning choreographer. She graduated from The College at Brockport, State University of New York with her BFA in Dance and BS in Kinesiology in 2016 and has been working professionally in the field ever since. She has performed extensively as a company member with New York City based companies 7 Midnights Physical Research and Well Being Dance Company, along with many other free-lance projects throughout the United States. In addition to performing, Lexi choreographs for competitive dance studios, producing cutting-edge routines with thoughtful storylines, seamless transitions, and creative movement material. When she’s not choreographing, she is teaching technique classes to hone each individual dancer’s skills, building a strong foundation, unlocking artistic expression, and training well-rounded dancers. Lexi is very well-rounded as a dance-educator herself; she has experience with each age and level in a large variety of dance styles, using her versatility to build unique dances and help the students she teaches as much as possible.
Miss Alicia : Preschool Combo classes
Miss Alicia started dancing when she was 4 year old. She trained in many styles including tap, jazz, & ballet. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education, as well as a Master’s degree in Literacy from The College Of Saint Rose. She is a Special Education Preschool Teacher outside of Dance Me. During her college years she danced on the dance team at Saint Rose! She is so excited to not only share her passion for teaching little ones in school, but now in dance as well!
BRIANNA RYAN
OWNER AND
LEAD TEACHER AT DANCE ME
Miss Bri
Missbri.danceme@gmail.com
Miss Bri is a native of the area, and started her dance training at the age of 2. She started with Broadway Dance Company, and then continued her dance education throughout high school at Eleanor’s School of Dance. She is trained in all styles including tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and contemporary, modern, hip hop and acro. Her dance education did not end after high school, as she went on to receive her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Dance from Ithaca College. During her time at Ithaca, she was a member of Unbound Dance Company and On The Floor Dance Company, and choreographed many pieces for both. She is also the former president of the Ithaca College Dance Team. She also holds a MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from UAlbany. Miss Bri is one of Dance Me's original teachers, and began teaching at Dance Me in 2015. She took on the role as Competition Director in 2017, and continues to run the competition team at Dance Me, having choreographed many award-winning numbers over the years! Miss Bri regularly attends dance conventions and workshops to continue to foster her dance education and promote growth in her students! Miss Bri formally took over as Owner of Dance Me in July 2020 and is so excited to be living out her life long dream of owning her own dance studio!
Read more about the Dance Me Team below! Welcome to Dance Me!
Miss Beth: Ballet
Ms. Beth has been dancing since the age of 4, primarily focused on ballet and modern dance. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition Science from Russell Sage College and is a Registered Dietitian. While at Russell Sage she also minored in Dance, enriching her dance knowledge with dance history and choreography classes. She went on to receive a Master’s in Public Health from the University at Albany. In 2013, Ms. Beth began teaching ballet as part of the core classes required for competition dancers. She has taught ages 5 to 18 at varying levels of ability. She began teaching at Dance Me in 2019 as a substitute teacher and is excited to continue teaching and growing at Dance Me!
Miss Brenda:
Schenectady, NY is Brenda’s hometown. Brenda has been dancing since the age of two. Growing up Brenda participated in national dance competitions, and also participated on both high school, and college dance teams. Brenda has been teaching dance for over 15 years. Brenda obtained a dual bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications from the University at Albany. Brenda also took Master classes in law at Columbia University. During college Brenda taught tap dancing to Alzheimer patients. Brenda has a passion for creating accessible choreography, and creating inclusion within her dance classes. Brenda currently holds her Zumba certification, and is also certified in Yoga, and Chair Dance Yoga.
Meet the Dance Me Staff
Miss Katie: Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical
Miss Katie started dance at 3 years old and continued all the way through graduation. She joined Dance Me the first year they opened and was a part of the competition team for 6 years. She is a title holder and has won many awards in her competition years. She has also choreographed many award winning routines. She has trained in all styles including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary and lyrical. However, hip hop, jazz and lyrical are her favorites! This is her fourth year teaching at Dance Me and she can't wait to continue creating and sharing her love of dance with upcoming dancers!
Miss Kristin: Irish
Kristin began Irish dancing at the age of 5 with Donny Golden at the Donny Golden School of Irish Dance in Mineola, NY. She began her competitive career at the age of 6 and went onto compete at the regional, national, and world levels in solo and team competitions. Throughout her solo competitive career, Kristin went on to win the Mid-Atlantic Regional Oireachtas and place within the top 50 at the World Irish Dancing Championships. Kristin has also performed with bands such as The Chieftains and Cherish the Ladies, and in venues such as Carnegie Hall. After retiring from competition, Kristin went onto become a certified Irish dance teacher, TCRG, through An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha.
Kristin holds a Bachelor's degree in Childhood and Special Education from SUNY Geneseo, as well as a Master's degree in Literacy from the University at Albany. Throughout the year, she works in Cohoes City School District as a fourth grade teacher.
Miss Emily: Acro/Tumble, Preschool/Kindy classes
Miss Emily has been dancing since she was 2 years old and has studied many styles including tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary and acro. She is attending Russel Sage college to study Early Childhood Education and looks forward to becoming a teacher so she can continue her passion for teaching children. Before becoming a teacher, she has assisted in dance classes and helped out at summer dance camps! Emily is a very successful member of the Dance Me Competition Team, having received many awards for her performances. Miss Emily is super excited to begin her second year of teaching and is looking forward to a great year ahead!
Dance Me Mission Statement:
To provide an atmosphere of love, community, passion, dedication, hard-work, respect, positive experiences, and outstanding dance technique. Miss Brianna and her Teachers pledge to be devoted to mentoring each student inside and outside of the studio.
The Founding of Dance Me
At the age of 2, Kathy Holtz began her dance training in her hometown of Auburn, NY. She studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and pointe under the instruction of Blair Pausley, Bettina Pausley, and Laura Pratt. She also was a successful competitive gymnast for 13 years. She continued her education at SUNY Geneseo where she studied psychology and sociology, and her post-graduate work earned her a Masters Degree in School Counseling from Sage Graduate School. Kathy became a Certified School Counselor in 2007. She has provided counseling services to youth in the foster care system, and served as Director of a dance program in Las Vegas, where her career in the professional dance world began. After relocating back to New York, Kathy continued her career as a dance educator.
After several years of dreaming, Kathy's vision for a dance studio of her own came to life as Dance Me was founded in 2015. Dance Me is not just a dance studio. The classes at Dance Me are positive, wholesome and fun, designed to build confidence in each student. The Dance Me Team has a passion for both dance education and positive character development. They embrace the role they serve as role models and mentors to all students, hoping to instill the same passion in them; as well as helping to shape them into successful, contributing members of our community. As of July 2020, Dance Me has shifted its management and ownership over to Brianna Ryan, as Miss Kathy has relocated to Florida and is spending more time with her family. Miss Bri continues the vision of Dance Me and the values remain. Read more about the transition by CLICKING HERE!