Faculty

Marlyn Abramson, Executive Director

Miss Jen began her dance journey at the age of three in her mother’s dance studio. She loved dance instantly and began to take multiple classes at a young age and student teach the younger students.
She received BFA in dance and child development from Ohio State University. Jen studied with many choreographers throughput the years, Twayla Tharp,Roni Koresh and Broadway Dance Center. She is the director of the lansdale and Springhouse studios, also directing many company projects. Including Disney, sixers and many more. Jen is very involved with the community and helping with many philanthropic causes. Jen is celebrating her 23rd season of dance education.

Jennifer Abramson Green, BFA Ohio State

Studio Director; Spring House, Lansdale, Montgomery Township Community & Recreation Center, and Beth Or Congregation

Miss Erin is the studio director of the Jamison and Harleysville studios. Erin studied dance at Montclair State University in New Jersey, and dance education at Kutztown university where she minored in Theatre Arts. She started dance at the age of five at the Lansdale studio, she is one of the original company members of the Marlyn Abramson School of Dance. Erin is also a founding member of The Lansdale Catholic Dance Company. Erin choreographs and trains our students for our Nutcracker Performance. In addition to her classical training she has been the choreographer for the musical theatre department at Souderton Area High School for many years. Erin is the dance director at Camp Nochamixon since 2003, and has choreographed for Laymen Playmen.

Erin Griffith, Kutztown University

Studio Director; Jamison, Harleysville, and Indian Valley YMCA

Miss Alexis is assistant to director at our Harleysville Studio. She started dancing at the age of four with the New Dance Workshop in Lansdale, where she studied ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern and hiphop. She performed in Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and many of our company performances as a student. Alexis produces and choreographs our ballet productions in the Harleysville studio where she has continued to improve the ballet technique. Alexis graduated from Kutztown University where she became certified in dance education. Her time in college she performed and choreographed for the Lenhart Dance Company and was a member of Kutztown University Dance Team that performed at all home football and basketball games. Alexis studied under Amy Garcia, Joyce Campbell and Karen Fuhrman who created the Ground Aerial Dance Company in Philadelphia. After graduation she came back to her NDW family and started teaching. She is going into her 7th season of teaching with us and has worked on many productions such as our Disney and 76ers performances. Miss Alexis takes pride in sharing her talent with her students, there is always something new to learn.

Alexis Keenan, Kutztown University

Miss Kelly is Assistant to Erin Griffith, Studio Director at the Jamison Studio. She grew up with the New Dance Workshop family, quickly realizing that she found a place she belonged since her dance career start at the age of three. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of West Chester University with a B.S.Ed. in English Education and Literature and a minor in Dance. While in college Kelly spent all four years as a dancer and choreographer for the University Dance Company and University Theater Company. Her love of dance knew no bounds as she strived to perfect her technique under the guidance of Elizabeth Staruch, Gretchen Studlien-Webb, Jerzy Golek, and Maria Urrutia, while taking multiple master classes with professional hip hop, jazz, and lyrical dancers from around the world. After graduation, she came back to New Dance Workshop to pass on her knowledge of dance to the wonderful students willing to learn. She is currently going into her seventh year as a New Dance Workshop instructor.

Kelly Peterson, West Chester University

Miss Katie began her dance career at New Dance Workshop at age three. Katie is entering her tenth season teaching and choreographing ballets including the Nutcracker with Donetsk Ballet Company from Ukraine.Katie studied under the direction of Shelley Morinsky who became her ballet mentor.Katie studied at DeSales University and participated in many dance projects with their dance team.Katie helped choreograph our Disney production in 2016, she currently produces the ballet and tap productions at our Springhouse studio.

Katie Ramsey, DeSales University

Miss Rachael began her dance journey at the age of six. She continued to dance in a both competitive and non competitive circuits in various styles through her high school years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from Dean College in Franklin, Mass. Her work was featured in a professionally adjudicated Dean College Choreographer,s Showcase as well as the Dean College 50th Anniversary Company Performance. She also studied intensively through dance education courses in Pedagogy 1 and 2, Creative Movement, Kinesiology, and Dance History. After graduation, Miss Rachael quickly joined the staff of the Massachusetts-based competition Step Up 2 Dance. Miss Rachael has been teaching at New Dance Workshop for five years instructing students from 3years thru adult in ballet, tap, jazz, modern and creative movement.

Rachel Isajewicz, Dean College

Miss Jess started as a student at New Dance Workshop at age five, learning different techniques from Fosse,Morris and Grahm. Jess Attended Temple University where she received a BFA in dance, with a concentration in modern, ballet , African and a minor in psychology.While at Temple she had the opportunity to study with various teachers from around the globe, including projects in music videos with Dope Crisis ,Dacav and Jodi. In 2010 Jess performed on live television for P.Diddy’s album release on BET’s 106 & Park.

Jess Galinsky, Temple University

Miss Cara is the ballet director at the Jamison studio. Cara has danced as a free lance professional dancer since she was eighteen years old. She had extensive ballet training under the direction of George Thompson, and has trained with Pennsylvania Ballet soloists Tara Keating and Meredith Rainey. Cara has done choreography for the Fringe Festival Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cara has choreographed various performances for the New Horizons Dance Alliance in East Greenville and Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Among her works Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and The Dream just to name a few. Cara also does the choreography for the Montgomery Theatre in Souderton Pennsylvania which her family owns.Cara has a bachelor degree in dance in dance from Drexel University, and a masters degree in dance/movement therapy also from Drexel.

Cara Slemmer, Drexel University

Miss Tiara has a BFA in dance from Temple University and a BA in psychology also from Temple, she also earned an MS degree in Dance/Movement Therapy from Pratt Institute in New York. Tiara worked as a dance/ movement therapist at Montefiore Medical Center Bronx,N.Y., where she provided therapy to groups of adults in the psychiatric facility. Tiara ran creative expressions groups, Open Art and Stress Reduction therapy. Tiara is a dance movement therapist for groups of children with special needs, she is a member of the American Dance Therapy Association. Miss Tiara has adapted tap productions from various shows in our recitals among the most famous is from LaLa Land.

Tiara Canizares, Temple University

Miss Shelley has been teaching ballet for 49 years. She opened her studio in West Point in 1982, and is still teaching today. Shelley studied with Nancy Johnson with the San Francisco ballet and with Jilliana of the San Diego ballet. She performed with the San Diego ballet touring Arizona and Nevada. She studied jazz with Phil Black, Luigi and Tommy Rola. She did a five month tour of the east coast in summer stock performing in Bravo, she also studied with Tom Stevens of West Story on Broadway. Shelley has mentored many of our teachers and choreographed spectacular ballet productions. We think of her as our national treasure.

Shelley Morinsky

Mary Kate has a Bachelor’s and Masters degree from LaSalle University’s Communication Sciences and Disorders programs. Mary Kate started Irish Dance at age five and fell in love with it and never stopped. Throughout the years she has served as an Irish Dance teacher for children of all ages, she has also taught and developed new choreography in traditional Irish Ceilis. In addition she has competed at the local, regional and national levels where she earned the National Champion title in 2012.Mary Kate is excited to be joining the New Dance Workshop team, and looks forward to a fun-filled year.

Mary Kate Connelly, LaSalle University

Miss Melissa graduated from The University of Massachusetts Amherst, she received a BFA; double major dance/communications. She graduated cum laude. She has trained with various master teachers and attended summer intensive at The Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Koresh School of Dance. As a part of the Five College Dance Department, Melissa had the pleasure of training and performing works by artists such as Paul Dennis , Ohad Naharin, Billbob Brown and many others.
While attending UMass she received the Chancellors Talent
Scholarship for dance and taught courses in ballet and jazz.
She also had the rewarding experience to teach grades k-12
In various schools in Massachusetts.Recently, she performed in Philadelphia with the Femme Collective, Fringe Festival, and as a feature soloist in Valley Forge’s Nutcracker.She brings a strong technical and educational influence to her classes and believes it is important for each child to find their own artistic expression through dance.

Melissa Byrd, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Miss Alysse has a BA degree in dance from Cedar Crest College. B.S. Degree in Business Administration. She has extensive training in many styles of dance including ballet,jazz,modern, lyrical,contemporary and tap. She is experienced teaching children with Down Syndrome, and many other special needs. She received many awards best creative concept for Alice , creative concept for New York , New York,creative costume for Merrimack River and VIP Choreography for We Will Not Stay Silent. Alysse looks forward to working with a team of instructors dedicated to providing fun,educational dance experiences for students.

Congregation Beth Or | Lansdale Montessori | Temple Judea

Indian Valley YMCA | Summer Camps/Special Events | Nutcracker 2019 | Harleysville Learning Center