Erica is an award winning choreographer and Director who has been with The Dance Academy for 20 years. With her love for dance and passion for teaching, she believes dance is for every body and works hard to help each child find a place to thrive in our dance family. As Director, Erica is devoted to sustaining The Dance Academy's culture of confidence-building, growth, creativity, and teamwork. ​ Erica encourages students to try all disciplines of dance and to become well-rounded dancers. She continuously explores new ways to engage her students and spends much of her free time learning about new trends in dance, teaching, and style.
Mr. Brett is a Boston-area artist, dancer, educator, and early childhood education professional with a passion for fostering creativity, confidence, and personal growth. He began his artistic training at Boston Arts Academy, where he studied classical ballet, Horton technique, modern, and contemporary dance.
As a professional performer, Brett has appeared throughout the Boston area and furthered his training in New York City under renowned choreographer Nathan Trice. His teaching experience includes prestigious institutions such as Boston Arts Academy and the Earl Mosley Summer Institute of the Arts, where he has inspired young artists through technical excellence, creativity, and mentorship.
In addition to his work in the arts, Brett works as a special education paraprofessional and is pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education at MassBay Community College. His combined experience in dance, education, and early childhood education allows him to create inclusive, engaging learning environments where students feel supported, challenged, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Yiota Kariotis (aka YoYio) was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts and has been dancing since the age of five. In 2007, thousands of dancers auditioned for the television show, “So You Think You Can Dance Greece”, and Yiota was selected as one of the top 20 to compete in the live shows. Yiota achieved the overall title of Runner up, as well as the First Place title for females. After the show, she worked with Natalie Fotopoulos in developing choreography for season two of “So You Think You Can Dance Greece”. Yiota has continued her career as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer with much success. She has choreographed tours for pop artists of Europe, danced in as well as choreographed many music videos, performed in musicals, taught workshops, and has judged various dance competitions. She is also a member of the Static Noyze Dance Company which placed first in the World of Dance New Jersey competition in 2014
Dancing for almost 30 years, Erin Stomski has intensely trained under many well known instructors and companies in all genres of dance, all over the country. Some of her professional credits include; Reebok Industry, TD Bank WOW awards, Planet Fitness commercial, UDA College dance team and “Turn It Up Dance Challenge” Nationals Dance Team choreographer, Massachusetts Railers. Erin’s performance credits include; Salt N’ Pepa, Fat Joe and Sean Kingston’s opening number concert dancer, Boston Symphony Orchestra, KISS 108, HGTV, Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, The Nutcracker presented by The Hanover Conservatory, Miss Massachusetts Pageant, and Boston Celtics games. Erin has been apart of multiple professional hip hop crews in Boston, CONcept ARTists and Static Noyze (MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew) to name a few. Her crews have been numerously crowned champions in competitions World of Dance Boston and Prelude New England. ​Outside of her dancing she loves teaching and choreographing all styles of dance as her full time job at numerous studios around New England. Erin also furthered her education of movement by becoming a certified personal trainer through the Nationals Academy of Sports Medicine. She loves helping others achieve healthy and happy lifestyles!​
Debi is an active member of Dance Teachers Club of Boston and Dance Masters of America. She is a former studio owner and teaches at many studios throughout New England. She's been on faculty at many National Conventions and Workshops, including Dance Teacher Live Conference, Dance Teacher Web Conference, Dancers Inc Nationals, and many more local organizations. She not only has judged competitions but her students continually achieve many overall and high score awards. She continues her education by attending seminars, classes and conventions in New York, Vegas and California.
You may recognize Miss Holly from Little Beats, where she works as Program Coordinator & Head of our Adaptive Dance Program. With a degree in Psychology and Master’s in Expressive Arts Therapy, she is excited to bring her expertise to our TDA Faculty! ​Miss Holly has been dancing and singing ever since she could walk and talk. She has worked in early childhood education as a certified infant, toddler, and preschool teacher and is currently building an adaptive dance program for children with diverse needs. She finds joy in using the creative arts to help children develop social/emotional skills and express themselves.​
Isil (pronounced "EE-shell") Avci recently returned from Norway where she taught at The Norwegian State Ballet School and Children's International School, Ullensaker. Miss Isil studied at Izmir State Ballet Conservatory in Turkey and earned her BFA at the Boston Conservatory. After a successful career as a professional ballet dancer, Isil became a highly sought-after dance educator. Her teaching credits include Boston Ballet, City Dance, Walnut Hill School, and The Winchester Ballet School, which she directed for 15 years.
Kayla Luoma has been dancing and performing since the age of 2 and competed since the age of 6. She trained under the direction of her grandfather, Jim Caisse, and mother, Melissa Caisse. She formerly co-directed their family owned dance studio alongside her mother that ran successfully for 56 years. Kayla has studied with Juan Sanzhez, Joe Melchiona, Paul Franklin, Sarah Jo Fazio, Raymond Lukens of ABT, Rhapsody, Geo, Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, Dave Scott, Nappy Tabs, and has assisted for dancer/ choreographer Cris Judd. Kayla has attended and premiered on the FOX Network television show “SYTYCD” Seasons 8 and 10 auditions making it to the top 50 girls both times. Kayla also trained at the Ballet Seminar at UNLV for four years. She has done guest performances and choreography for MIMO Theater group in Florida as well as many dance conventions and performances abroad such as representing the U.S. in Bermuda at the Goombay Festival, Norwegian Cruiseline, Mexico, Las Vegas, and N.Y.C. Although Kayla’s roots are in tap, jazz, and ballet, her main focus is in contemporary, hip hop, fusion, and jazz. As she is a true believer in being a well-rounded performer she keeps busy by taking classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York City and attending annual workshops and continuing to train in all genres. She is a graduate of Dean College with an AA in dance. She has assisted and worked with the Boston University dance team and is a member of the Boston Community Dance Project contemporary company based in Boston M.A. in which she opened for singer/ songwriter Erene, performed in NYC Carnival Choreographers Ball, Brickhouse’s “Openhouse” showcase in Times Square NYC, and “Built on Stilts” Agriculture Fair. 
​Kendal has been dancing since she was 2 ½ and has been apart of the TDA community since 2011, and graduated as the TDA senior intern in 2016. She has studied Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Ballet while also training in Rhythmic Gymnastics. While serving as the senior intern, she found a love for working with children within the Little Beats program at The Dance Academy.
​Dancing since the age of 3 and competing since the age of 6, Morgan has trained in a variety of styles ranging from acrobatics, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical/contemporary, winning many awards including top scoring student choreographer. Morgan was a member and team captain of the Stonehill College Dance Team, who are currently ranked nationally in the top 3 competitive college dance teams for the 2021-22 season. She recently attended the very first NBA/NFL Pro Dancer Combine in Las Vegas, learning from professional choreographers, coaches and dancers. Morgan has also performed with Sesame Street Live! as Abby Cadabby!
Sara Goodman is a dancer and dance educator based in the greater Boston area. Sara received her B.A in Dance Performance and Education at Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, PA and recently received her Master’s of Education from Lesley University’s Graduate School of Education in Arts, Community and Education with a concentration in Equity, Access and Inclusion. ​She has been a member of Kinetic Synergy Dance Company since the fall of 2020 and enjoys taking new dance classes in her free time. Sara loves working for Little Beats at the Dance Academy as the School Enrichment and Community Events Coordinator and teaching classes at TDA!
Nikki earned her Bachelors of Arts in both Dance and Business Administration from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania with concentrations in Choreography, Performance & Education, and Marketing respectfully. She grew up in central Massachusetts, where she studied dance at Elite Academy of Dance. Performing competitively in all styles. In her time at college, she choreographed numerous contemporary pieces in addition to performing in works by professional artists such as Randall Anthony Smith. She worked on other projects, such as fundraising for her jazz dance team and circus training and performances as lead of the acro-dance discipline her senior year. Since graduating, Nikki has moved back to Massachusetts and became a company member of Sasso & Company and Boston Community Dance Project. Both companies have provided her with numerous opportunities to perform in person and virtually as well as participate in multiple video projects and photoshoots in the Boston area.
Samantha Rosenberg is a Boston-based dancer, choreographer, and educator. She received a dual BA in Dance: Performance and Choreography and Educational Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2020, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Samantha has been dancing since 2006 and has experience in a variety of styles, including jazz, modern, hip hop, contemporary, ballet, tap, and musical theater. She is passionate about both dance and education, and how they intersect to provide students with the tools they need to think critically, achieve their goals, deepen their kinesthetic understanding, and form long-lasting, supportive relationships.
​Jenna has always wanted to combine her love of the arts and her passion for working with children in a way that Little Beats and TDA truly master. Her lifelong love for dance has lead her to pursue it as a major at Dean College as well as a degree in Early childhood education. Nothing gives her a greater sense of purpose than witnessing a child develop their sense of creativity and confidence through movement and music
​Alyssa is a dance educator, freelance choreographer and professional dancer from Reading MA. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor's degree in Dance Education & Management. In college she obtained a leadership role on the university’s D1A Dance Team. During her 4 years on this team she became a 2x Collegiate All-American Award winner. Post college, she became a member of the Boston Celtics Dance team & recently retired after her 3rd season. She is a working choreographer/educator for schools, studios, professional teams & colleges all around New England. Alyssa is extremely passionate about dance education advocacy and the importance of community within the dance industry. She is constantly sharing her love for dance through choreographing, educating & performing.
​Tatyana Brown is a dynamic and versatile performer/choreographer with over 12 years of competitive dance experience. Trained extensively in lyrical, tap, ballet, jazz, and hip hop, she developed a strong technical foundation and a powerful stage presence from a young age. Taty continued her training at Florida International University, where she earned a minor in Dance while pursuing her undergraduate studies. After graduating, she went on to dance professionally for the Boston Celtics, captivating audiences as a member of one of the NBA’s top entertainment teams. From the studio to center court, Taty brings precision, passion, and performance excellence to every space she steps into.
Victoria began her journey with performing at the age of six. She grew up doing competitive dance in a multitude of styles and acting classes. For the past eleven years, she has taught students of all ages in acting and dance. Victoria earned her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Long Island University in 2020 and subsequently returned home to Massachusetts to start afresh as an instructor and performer. Victoria is currently finishing a B.A. in psychology with a concentration in mental health at Southern New Hampshire University. She enjoys dancing with Onstage Dance Company and attending classes in the Boston area in her free time. She believes there is always more to learn in your craft, and you never stop growing.
Becca has been dancing in New England for over 30 years. She began her training at Tammy’s Dance Connection in Tewksbury, Massachusetts and later pursued a minor in dance at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.
After college, Becca immersed herself in the Boston dance community, performing and choreographing with companies including Danceworks Boston, Boston Community Dance Project (BCDP), and Tilted Collab. She has served as a guest teacher at numerous studios and has also organized local classes, workshops, fundraisers, and performances.
Becca is thrilled to join the TDA family, and she is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance and guiding her students towards their own unique artistry!
Cece started out her dance career primarily training in ballet, focusing on her classical technique and artistry. That is until she grew a passion for the more commercial side of dance during her years as a competition dancer. She especially fell in love with styles like jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. Her highlights of her dance career so far would be dancing in a creative film titled “Marilyn Monroe” choreographed by Sienna Lyons, and training under Teddy Forance and Martha Nichols at the CLI Conservatory. After training at CLI, Cece realized she loved sharing her love for dance with others and helping dancers reach the fullest potential of their craft. Her main focus as an instructor is to assist her students in finding their unique qualities as dancers as well as creating a healthy balance between hard work and enjoyment.
​A lifelong competitive dancer, Noel continued her dance career at the University of Tampa, where she spent four years on the dance team and served as captain during her senior year. She competed at College Nationals and performed at university athletic events throughout her collegiate career. Outside the studio, Noel works as a sports journalist, where she continues to thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure environments that demand confidence, preparation, and strong communication -- many of the same qualities she developed through dance. She is passionate about helping dancers reach their highest potential through strong technique, intentional movement, and performance quality while growing in confidence beyond the studio.
Rowan Casillas is a dancer, choreographer, and educator originally from San Antonio, Texas. She received her foundational training with the San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet. She earned her BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance with an emphasis in Composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Following graduation, she trained with Boston Dance Theater before accepting an apprenticeship with the company. Rowan also performed with Jo-Mé Dance Theatre for one season.With more than four years of experience teaching and choreographing, Rowan has worked with both recreational and pre-professional dancers across concert and competitive dance settings. She is passionate about fostering technical excellence, artistic expression, and a lifelong love of dance in her students.