Champions of Dance Education

For the last 35 years, Jodi Fera has served as Director of Moves and Motions School of Dance, which offers three locations and is home to thousands of students. Jodi has received many accolades as a choreographer and dance teacher, including top studio and choreographer of the year. Jodi is a member of Dance Educators of America, Dance Masters of America, The National Dance Educators Organization, The International Dance Entrepreneurs Association, and the affiliate program, More Than Just Great Dancing™, setting the highest standards to promote a positive atmosphere in the world of the arts. In addition to teaching dance, Jodi maintains her commitment to community service and philanthropic endeavors. She is the founder of her local chapter of the NDEO -The National Dance Honor Society, offering honor society induction to middle and high school students who meet the necessary criteria. Jodi is also the local chapter of Taking Shape Star Leadership Program, mentoring children from eight to eighteen. Jodi’s students have gone on to dance in professionally nationally and internationally. Her students have received many scholarships for specialized programs and prestigious universities. Jodi continuously attends professional development seminars and teacher training programs and provides these opportunities to her staff. Jodi and Moves and Motions staff are YPAD certified -Youth Protection Advocates in Dance. Additionally, Jodi serves as the outreach coordinator and social media director for The Long Island Dance Consortium. She is the founder and President of “Friends for Nino,” a 501 (c) (3) providing a safe and nurturing environment to special needs children and their families. Jodi is very involved in her studio communities and is the proud mother of four children.

Theresa Diaz DiLallo graduated cum laude from Queens College with a BA in Dance and an MA in Elementary Education. She has been an instructor at Moves and Motions for twenty-eight years. She teaches Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, and Creative Movement. Theresa is also a teaching artist with Circle of Dance Repertory Company, providing Arts in Education programs in public schools throughout Long Island and Queens. Theresa is the Enrollment Coordinator at Moves and Motions School of Dance and is a proud YPAD certified instructor.

Caitlin has always called Moves and Motions home. With a passion for teaching and a love for children, she has always known that passing along the art of dance is what she was meant to do. She has over 20 years of training in ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip-hop. Caitlin attended the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and The Performing Arts in New York City. While there, she studied ballet and modern technique under the instruction of Deborah Zall, Elisa King, Joey Smith, Catherine Brikke, and Cassandra Phifer. After graduating, Caitlin began working full time for Moves and Motions. Caitlin continues to study dance while continuing to grow through professional development seminars and teacher training programs.  Caitlin has attended Dance Teacher training through IDEA® with our Director Jodi Fera and has completed SalesForce Training and Manager Training with More Than Just Great Dancing!®   Caitlin has completed the training, passed the exam, and is a YPAD®, certified instructor. Caitlin@MovesandMotionsDance.com

Lindsey Fera has called Moves and Motions School of Dance home since the age of two. Lindsey trained in multiple styles of dance, earning her a spot in a prestigious performing arts high school. Under the direction of some outstanding ballet and modern professionals, Lindsey graduated from the Dance Department at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in New York City. In the Spring of 2020, one year earlier than expected, Lindsey graduated from Marymount Manhattan College receiving a BA in Dance with a concentration in teaching. In August of this year, Lindsey began Fordham University where she will earn a dual Master’s Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Lindsey loves working with dancers of all ages and all levels and is so excited for season 35!

Caitlin Maxwell is a native of Aurora, Ohio. Caitlin has BFA in Dance Performance from Marymount Manhattan College. She trained at Sharron’s School of Dance and Cleveland City Dance Academy and was Senior Miss Dance of America with Dance Educators of America. Caitlin has danced professionally with Eidolon Ballet, 277 Dance Project, and ALMA NYC. She currently teaches at Ballet Academy East (NYC), Front and Center Dance Studio (Hamilton, NJ), and happily joined the Moves and Motions teaching team in 2014.  Caitlin is multi-talented as she serves as our senior ballet teacher to our dance teams, co-team director for our acrobatic teams, and is a tap master. Caitlin is a YPAD® certified instructor, Acrobatic Arts® certified instructor,  and most recently was awarded Tap Choreographer of The Year at The United States Tournament of Dance. Caitlin is extremely passionate about dance, loves working with her students, and looks forward to a super successful season 35!

Since the age of three, Brooke has trained in dance and rapidly excelled in multiple styles. Under the watchful eyes of ballet and modern professionals, Brooke graduated from the Dance Department at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in Lincoln Center, NYC. In the Spring of 2017, Brooke earned her BFA in Dance from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in the East Village, NYC. Throughout the years, Brooke has received many awards and accolades for both her dance performance and choreography skills. She has performed in several different venues including, but not limited to, Hershey Park, Universal Studios, Walt Disney World, the streets of NYC, and Madison Square Garden. She is currently in her fourth season as a Knicks City Dancer and her first as the Knicks City Dancer Captain. Brooke hopes to have continuing performance opportunities while sharing her love and passion for the art of dance.

Elliott Bradley has his Bachelors in Performing Arts from Oklahoma City University. He also studied ballet, tap, and jazz pedagogy at OCU. He has been teaching and choreographing for 17 years for competitive studios across the country. Elliott served as head of the dance program for a high school arts academy, and is an award winning choreographer for their musicals. He has also been a guest teacher for 2 years in Europe at Cologne Dance Center and has taught masterclasses in Italy and Germany. Elliott is originally from North Carolina where he began dancing, competing, and performing in musical theatre at age 8. Other training includes scholarship programs to BroadwayDance Center, EDGE Performing Arts Center (Dance With The Force), and Steps on Broadway. Elliott performed in the ensemble and as a swing in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in NYC for four years. He has toured internationally in West Side Story, We Will Rock You, and on the inaugural Holland America’s Oosterdam. Favorite regional credits include: Kiss Me Kate, Crazy For You, Anything Goes, High School Musical, 42nd Street, and Annie Get Your Gun. Elliott’s television/commercial credits include performing with Cobra Starship for the MTV VMA’s, and the rock legends Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen.

Guest Teacher

Lexi Lombardi graduated from Ohio University in 2017 where she received her Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. After training for fifteen years at Triplett Dance Academy she is disciplined in styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip-hop, tap, pointe, African, and musical theater. She has worked with distinguished artists such as Christy McNeil Chand, Travis Gatling, Jesse Keller, Kaitlin Webster, LaCeda Nelson, Lara Branen, Doug Nielson, and original Alwin Nikolis dancer Gladys Bailin-Stern. She served as an apprentice for Interweave Dance Theater located in Boulder, Colorado. While at OU, summers were spent at Point Park University International Summer Dance Intensive as well as Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop. In 2015 Lombardi’s choreography was featured in the Ohio Dance Festival. She spent her junior and senior year as the Level II Jazz Dance Instructor and Introduction to Ballet Dance Instructor for the Division of Dance at Ohio University. At the Ashland Youth Ballet in Kentucky, she did a residency where she choreographed a modern production piece with over forty dancers. Lexi Lombardi is the recipient of the Fine Arts Talent Scholarship and the J. Langdon Taylor Endowment. Lexi, now calling New York her home is celebrating her third year at Moves and Motions and is so excited to be working with both our dance teams and our progressive dance programs. She loves her students and is super motivated for season 35!

Julie Grenier is originally from Massachusetts and has been living in NYC pursuing and teaching dance for the past several years. As a dancer, Julie has trained extensively at Broadway Dance Center as well as performed with companies in and around the city including at Symphony Space and The Brooklyn Dance Festival. In addition, Julie is an ACE Group Fitness certified instructor and also loves teaching yoga.  Julie is beginning her third year at Moves and Motions and looks forward to continuing to share her passion and love for dance for years to come.

Brittany started dancing at the age of 5, and hasn’t stopped since! She was trained in various forms of dance, with her favorite being ballet. She danced competitively for 13 years, and then went on to teach her own classes and coach a competitive middle school dance team for three years. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree with a minor in dance from Hunter College, and is on her way to receiving her Masters in Dance Education from Hunter as well. She has worked as a character at Walt Disney World, performed with the semi-professional dance team The Brooklyn Royals, and dances professionally with the dance company SambaSalsa. Dancing and teaching dance is Brittany’s greatest passion, and she is so excited to share her art with her students at Moves and Motions! Brittany is beginning her fourth year on staff at Moves and Motions School of Dance.

Allison Luca is a native of Baltimore, Maryland who has been dancing since age three. She was a competitive dancer with Spotlight Studio of Dance throughout her whole adolescence where she learned to be a proficient, well-rounded dancer training in all genres of dance. She has won numerous regional and national awards throughout her competitive years of dance as well as being the recipient of the Maryland Distinguished Scholar Award for the Arts. She went on to further her training at Point Park University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance. After college, Allison moved to NYC where she was an intern for The Pulse On Tour Convention and STEPS on Broadway. Her favorite performance opportunities include the Jazz Dance World Congress with Oasis Dance Ensemble, Capezio ACE Awards, and dancing back-up for the Backstreet Boys. Allison is also a certified teacher for The McGovern Method, a conditioning program for dancers helping to prevent injury while strengthening and toning muscles. She has experience judging and teaching for several dance competitions and conventions but is currently a Head Judge with Beyond the Stars Competition. Allison teaches master classes and sets choreography for several studios across the East Coast. She currently teaches for three studios in Long Island where her mission is to inspire dancers through movement, creating a positive environment to grow as a person and as a dancer. This is Allison’s second year with Moves and Motions and she is so excited for season 35!

Alyssa began her training at Moves and Motions School of Dance when she was three years old.  For the last fourteen years she has been a part of the studio family; and for the last ten of those years, a competitive dance team member.  In June of 2021, Alyssa graduated as a dance major from the famous LaGuardia High School of Art and Performing Arts. During her last year at Moves and Motions, Alyssa received the Presidential Scholar Award for Service. Additionally, Alyssa was named Moves and Motions Dance of The Year.  In the summer of 2021, Alyssa was crowned Miss Dance of The United States, by The United States Tournament of Dance, a title she will hold until July of 2022. As Miss dance, Alyssa will raise money for her selected charity, Darby’s Dancers, and tour the United States, attending different events produced by USTD.  This August, Alyssa began Marymount Manhattan College, where she is pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Dance Education. Alyssa is actively working to continue her dance training while auditioning as opportunities for performers begin to open up in New York. She is so excited to be on staff at Moves and Motions, her home away from home, and looks forward to making a positive impact on all of her students.

Lauren has been with Moves and Motions since the doors first opened in 1987, first as a student, later as a beloved teacher, now she has added Administrative Coordinator to her duties.  Lauren has taught ballet, tap and jazz for several years and specializes in pre-school creative movement classes. Lauren holds a degree in criminal justice, has attended Studio Owner University with our Director Jodi Fera and has completed Manager Training with More Than Just Great Dancing!® Lauren is a YPAD certified instructor and serves on the Board of Directors for The Long Island Dance Consortium. Lauren’s daughter is a second-generation dancer at Moves and Motions. Both Lauren and her daughter Madelyn are so excited to celebrate season 35!

Dani is so excited to share her love of dance with the students at Moves and Motions! Her passion for dance began at an early age. At three years old she began her training at Wanda Lenk Walters School of Ballet in Nashville, TN. She studied ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, and modern. In high school she began teacher training and assisted classes at Bellevue Dance Company. During that time she became certified in ballet and jazz through Southern Association of Dance Masters. While in high school, Dani performed in Kids Jam USA, the Country Music Awards, and cheered at a Tennessee Titans NFL game. She continued her training with a dance scholarship at the University of Memphis. She also spent two years at Columbia State Community College studying Dance Studio Management and Commercial Performance. During that time she performed, assistant stage managed, and choreographed for shows such as Pippin, Grease, and Working. She was also given the opportunity to volunteer her time and teach dance to patients and at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and perform at Artrageous which benefits Nashville CARES.

After college, Dani began working right away with VEE Corporation on a show called Dragon Tales Live. A year later, she joined the cast of Sesame Street Live performing nationally and internationally visiting all the US states and 20 countries. Some of her most cherished moments were the hospital visits where an Elmo hug could brighten a child’s day. The most rewarding experience was in 2009 when she was the Performance Director for the USO Sesame Street Experience for Military Families which to date is the longest running USO show in history. She loved being a part of something that brought happiness to military families all throughout the world.

Dani’s credits also include a Big and Rich and Gretchen Wilson music video “Fake I.D.” for the movie Footloose, producer and performer for Flash Mob America at the CMA Festival, an appearance as an extra in the TV show “Nashville” and the Rascal Flatts movie “Changed”, and character work for Opryland and DreamWorks. This is Dani’s seventh year at Moves and Motions and she is so excited to celebrate season 35!

Carisssa graduated in December 2010 with a B.F.A. degree in dance from Montclair State University. She began her training at Moves and Motions School of Dance, which prepared her to enter high school in Syosset at the Nassau Cultural Arts Center, now known as the Long Island School for the Arts. Since the age of two, Carissa has dedicated herself to studying many different styles of dance such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Modern Dance technique. Throughout the years she has trained with many distinguished dancers and choreographers who have inspired her to pass on her knowledge to others. Presently she is a senior adviser and office manager to a major costume company where she designs costumes, facilitates costume shows, assigns dance models, prepares print work, and designs fashion shows. She looks forward to continuing to share her love of dance with her students at Moves and Motions School of Dance.

Steven Paul Blandino has a BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University, with a focus in Choreography. Steven has choreographed a NY Equity Production, National Tour, and has set work at Pace University, Rutgers University, as well as various Dance Studios across the US. Steven is currently on Faculty at Groove National Dance Convention, Impact Dance Adjudicators, and has privately trained Actors for upcoming Feature Films, Productions, etc. Recent Performance Credits include West Side Story at Houston Grand Opera, West Side Story at Weston Playhouse, Newsies, Mamma Mia!, Shrek at Tuacahn Center of the Performing Arts, Johnson & Johnson, Carnegie Hall’s ‘Take the Stage’, re-staging of Bob Fosse’s ‘Crunchy Granola Suite’, and many more. Steven is also a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association. His choreography credits include “Ludo’s Broken Bride” at the New York Musical Festival (NYMF/The Duke on 42nd St), “Rebel Rebel: The Many Lives of David Bowie” (Canada, National Tour 2017), Burlesque to Broadway (Canada), Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) at Peridance 2018/15, Young Choreographer’s Festival 2015/14, Choreographer’s Canvas 2016/15, Jared Grimes’ “Run the Night”, Hero Awards: honoring Jerry Mitchell, Kat Wildish Presents, the Alvin Ailey Dance Soirée, and many more. Additionally, Steven was recently nominated for Outstanding Choreography for his work on “Elise: A Musical” (Off Broadway/Planet Connections Festival). Steven has been featured in the NY Times, Front Row Center, TheaterMania, and was featured in an issue of Dance Magazine as an Emerging Young Choreographer. Steven has received numerous awards and recognition for his choreographic works, including Young Choreographer of the Year Award at American Dance Awards, and Senior Choreographer of the Year at United States Tournament of Dance. Steven continues to teach, as well as perform/choreograph in both the Commercial and Theatrical industries.

ORIALIS ASHLEY, a Puerto Rican native, is a Los Angeles-based Dancer, Choreographer, and Instructor. She has been seen tap-dancing on Good Morning America, BET music awards, and at the London launch for Beyonce’s IVY PARK clothing line. She is currently a member of Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies and teaches full time at Murrieta Dance Project in Southern California. Orialis earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from Florida State University. There she was honored to work under master ballet and modern teachers such as Suzanne Ferrell, Ronald K Brown, and Alonzo King. Following her college graduation, Orialis joined the Denver-based Cleo Robinson Dance Ensemble in 2003. She toured nationally with the company as a featured soloist in works by Talley Beatty, Christopher Huggins, and Alvin Ailey.
After leaving the company in 2005, she expanded her dance career from concert to commercial work and moved to Los Angeles. She has been seen dancing at such venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Top Hats at the Grove, New York Fringe Festival, Glamour’s Woman of the Year Summit, Essence Festival in New Orleans, Ford’s Man of Honor in Detroit, Vail Dance Festival, Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, DC Tap Festival, Music Videos, and various Stage Shows. With over 15 years of teaching experience, her students and choreography have been seen in many TV shows including So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Moms, Little Big Shots, Abby Lee’s Ultimate Dance Competition, Ellen, and The Late Late Show with James Corden and also at Tokyo Disney. Orialis presently resides in Southern California with her husband Raymon and son Rylan, where she continues to perform and share her love of dance with her students. She is an artist in residence at Moves and Motions, one of our main staff members at our summer intensive, choreographer for our dance team and guest teaches throughout the year both in person and on Zoom.

Christina has called Moves and Motions home since its doors opened in 1987. Since then she has earned her Master’s Degree in literacy after spending time in undergraduate programs focusing on English, secondary education, and dance. She currently teaches high school and coordinates school-wide events.