Meet the Studio 22 Instructors
Miss Ali
Co-Owner/Director/Educator
Miss Ali has been teaching dance for more than 20 years. Her training includes Cecchetti Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern, Musical Theater, Acrobatics, Pilates, Flexibility, and more. Miss Ali has successfully passed her Associate Teacher’s Exam and the Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma through Cecchetti USA (CUSA). Her students have been successful in passing their Cecchetti Ballet Examinations from the beginner levels, all the way through the professional levels. Most recently, she traveled to Florence, Italy, to attend an international summer course where she studied with Raymond Lukens (creator of the ABT syllabus) and Diane Van Schoor (Royal Ballet). She is certified in Acrobatics Arts Module 1, 2, & aerials and back handsprings. She is trained in Alixa Flexibility Modules 1 & 2.
Miss Ali was a professional dancer at Six Flags New England, the Ballet Mistress and performer for Cecchetti Ballet Theater's "The Nutcracker", and a teacher and guest choreographer for a multitude of studios, preschools, middle schools, dance conventions and more, Her choreography has won numerous awards at competition and her students are constantly noticed for their dance technique and ballet training. She has also been a dance judge for Throw Down Dance Challenge and Backstage Dance Competition.
Miss Ali has traveled with dancers throughout the country and the world, showing them that dance is a universal language. She is continuing her studies pursuing a master’s degree in dance education with an added K-12 Licensure from the University of Northern Colorado. Miss Ali is also studying at Kinected in NYC pursuing Kane certification in Pilates. She is a member of Dance Educators of America, National Association of Dance and Affiliated Arts (National Vice President), Cecchetti USA, Connecticut Dance Alliance, and Shoreline Arts Alliance. Miss Ali has a bachelor’s degree in General Studies with a concentration in Accounting and a minor in Economics from Eastern CT State University. She loves teaching and looks forward to sharing her passion with others!
Miss Nicole is a Connecticut native who started taking dance classes at the age of three and began competing at the age of 7. As a child she trained in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Modern and Contemporary. She became a student teacher in high school and found she had a passion for teaching dance.
Miss Nicole attended Eastern Connecticut State University graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Performing Arts and a Minor degree in Dance. While there she was part of the ECSU Dance Repertoire, the Modern and Contemporary Company called the Dance Ensemble and the ECSU Dance Team. During her tenure on the ECSU Dance Team she had the privilege to compete in Daytona Beach Florida in the NDA Dance Championships televised dance competition. Miss Nicole was also a part of ACDFA (American College Dance Festival Association) three years in a row where she took countless classes in Modern, Contemporary, Partnering, and Lifting. During this time, her choreography talent was noticed and performed in a Gala performance at Boston College.
Miss Nicole has been teaching dance for over 15 years. Her innovative and creative choreography has won other awards as well, such as the Elite Concept award, from Elite Performance Challenge in 2016. Most notably she won the Choreographer of the Year award in 2008.
Miss Nicole loves being a mother of three and feels being a parent has helped her to be a better teacher by giving her a unique perspective on working with children. Miss Nicole creates classes that are fun, energetic and a fulfilling experience for any student who walks into her classroom. She strives to give students a place to express themselves while making friends, learning discipline, and finding their love of dance. She feels that teaching dance has been, and continues to be both a privilege and a blessing!
Miss Nicole
Co-Owner/Director/Educator
Miss Alexia
Dance Educator
Miss Alexia grew up in Tolland, Connecticut where her spark for dancing ignited from classes at a local dance school since the age of 2. When an opportunity presented itself, she continued her commitment to dance by moving to New York City to become a Jazz & Contemporary Trainee at Joffrey Ballet School while earning her High School diploma online. After high school she continued her artistic and personal growth while participating in workshops, juggling three jobs preparing her for a diverse future in the arts. She gained a passion for teaching dance when given the opportunity at a local dance studio. This ultimately led her to earn a BFA in Dance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Class of ‘21. She also assisted at The Elliot School to gain a pedagogic experience. The Dean of the Dance division named her The Dance Pedagogy Scholar of 2020-2021.
Miss Alexia has participated in multiple summer intensives including Paul Taylor, Mark Morris and Joffrey West. Miss Alexia has performed works by Mark Morris, José Limon, Catherine Coury, Bradley Shelver, Daniel Pelzig, among many other internationally recognized choreographers. She is grateful to everyone who has artistically moved her and worked with while in school. An eagerness to know more about every angle of dance led her to become DANCE NOW NYC’S first Programming Intern. She is currently teaching Jazz, Tap, Modern, Acro, Hip-Hop and technique classes at multiple studios throughout Connecticut. She is dancing professionally with Dimensional Dance through June of 2022.
Miss Alexia is thrilled to be on the teaching staff at Studio 22, She is looking forward to spending a lifetime in the dance world!
Miss Chelsea grew up in Colchester and danced at a local studio from four years old to eighteen. During this time she competed at local and national competitions, studied Cecchetti Ballet and participated in ballet exams through Cecchetti Grade 6, and was an Assistant Dance Teacher. She trained in an array of dance genres, but always had a special affinity for Tap.
Miss Chelsea graduated in 2012 from Eastern Connecticut State University with degrees in Child Psychology and Early Childhood Education. At ECSU she was a member of their Competitive Dance Team for all four years and served as Captain for two years. While on the team she competed in Daytona, Florida at the National Dance Alliance Championships. In 2017, Chelsea graduated with her Masters in Special Education from the University of Saint Joseph.
Miss Chelsea has been a Kindergarten Teacher for the past 8 years and is switching to the role of Special Education Kindergarten Teacher this year. She enjoyed teaching dance for five years right out of college and is excited to join the Studio 22 staff and teach dance once again!
Miss Chelsea
Dance Educator
Miss Deb
Dance Educator
Miss Deb (Debrianna) joins the Studio 22 staff with over 20 years of dance experience in the areas of Tap, Jazz, Ballet and Hip Hop. She has been a dance teacher for 6 years providing instruction in those areas for children ages 2 to 18. In July 2009, she expanded her knowledge and became a licensed Zumba® Fitness Instructor.
Miss Deb has studied with famous choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Wade Robinson, Chris Judd, Tyce Diorio, Laurie-Ann Gibson, the New York City Knicks dancers, the New Jersey Nets Dancers, and the Radio City Rockettes. As a competitive dancer, for 15 years, she won several overall championships and was invited to join special dance performance teams.
Miss Deb has worked as an Early Childcare Provider for the last 6 years. Her love of dance and children as has brought her to Studio 22. Her goal is to give all children the opportunity to discover what dance has to offer - the fun of the many disciplines, the excellent physical values in maintaining healthy fitness, co-ordination, balance and awareness, and the social benefits of being together! All benefits that can be an enjoyed your child’s entire life.
Miss Deb is excited to join the teaching staff at Studio 22 and share her knowledge through dance terminology, choreographed dances, and exploring movement through creative games!
Miss Katelyn grew up in Niantic, CT and spent 16 years at Dancer’s Edge studying an array of genres.
She received her undergrad in psychology and special education in 2017 and her masters in educational psychology in 2018 at Marist College. While at Marist, Katelyn spent four years as the Show Committee Manager for the Marist College Dance Ensemble - helping to manage each semester’s dance showcase featuring over 350 students. She choreographed six dances in the jazz and contemporary styles for these shows.
Katelyn has loved being a part of Studio 22 and is so proud of what her amazing students have accomplished!
Miss Katelyn
Guest Faculty/Miracle League Educator
Miss Lexi
Guest Faculty/Choreographer
Miss Lexi grew up in Milwaukee, WI where she studied hip hop, jazz, lyrical, modern, tap, and ballet. Throughout her competitive years, she earned numerous awards and scholarships performing her solos and group pieces in places including Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Disney’s Magic Kingdom, and New York City. In 2006, she was named Regional Miss Teen Onstage in the Midwest.
While Miss Lexi was earning her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology summa cum laude from Northeastern University in Boston, she was choreographing and performing for the Northeastern University Dance Company. She also danced in Boston’s contemporary company Urbanity Dance under Betsi Graves. Post-graduation during the three years she lived in China, she taught contemporary and hip hop at Ants Army Dance Studio and had the opportunity to choreograph and perform throughout Hunan province.
Since returning to the United States, Miss Lexi created her own visual arts enterprise called Love Spiral Art, became a proponent of the Ecstatic Dance movement, serves as a health and wellness coach, and continues to teach dance, choreograph, and perform. She serves as a guest teacher and choreographer throughout New England.
With DFX Entertainment, she’s enjoyed performing at venues such as Mohegan Sun Casino, and she has had the privilege of dancing with CONNetic Dance’s 10th Anniversary of The Nutcracker Suite and Spicy. Miss Lexi is also currently dancing with Joby Roger’s Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience. Whether she’s on stage or jamming in her living room, Miss Lexi believes that dance can truly bring peace within oneself and to the whole world.
Dance like nobody’s watching; dance like everybody’s watching; dance because it’s what we live to do!
Meghan Daly has been teaching and choreographing in the tri-state area for 10 years including Dance Etc. of Newtown, Connecticut Dance Conservatory of Stratford and Connecticut Ballet of Stamford. She has won several choreographic awards at regional and national competitions.
Meghan has also taught at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, and Peridance in New York City. She has taught for the Alvin Ailey Summer Camp in Bridgeport for 12 years. She has choreographed musicals for In The Spotlight for 10 years including “Meet Me In St, Louis,” “Damn Yankees,” “How to Succeed In Business,” “Anything Goes,” “Grease,”
“Bye Bye Birdie,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Sugar,” “Kiss Me Kate,” and “Music Man” “The Wiz,” “Suessical,” “Lil’ Abner,” and “The Sound of Music.” She has worked with Northern Plains Dance in Bismarck, North Dakota as well as Paula Brown’s Summer Dance Intensive at George Faison’s Firehouse in Harlem, NY. She has performed for Brice Mousset at several dance festivals and performances through New York and assisted him on several projects including an arial version of Romeo and Juliet. She was highlighted in the premier of Prestige International fashion magazine with Brice Mousset and his company in 2010. She has also performed with Connecticut Ballet in The Nutcracker and Cinderella at the Palace Theater and Bushnell Theater.
Meghan graduated with honors from Fairfield University with a B.A. in International Studies and Russian and Eastern European Studies. She received a certification from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and Progressive Ballet Technique.
Miss Meghan
Guest Faculty/Substitute