Kristie Schillaci is the founder and director of The Floor Dance Company. She began her dance training in Oneida, NY under the direction of Sandie Fukes and Wende Warne at the United Academy of the Performing Arts. She received her ballet training from Ms. Delia Foley, under the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) standards for Ballet. Ms. Schillaci graduated from SUNY Brockport in 2003 where she studied dance and theater. She began her teaching career at Nazareth Academy, where she was a Dance Educator for grades Pre-K – 12 and the Artistic Director and Choreographer for the Nazareth Academy Theater program. In 2010, she shifted her career to The Aquinas Institute of Rochester, where she currently teaches dance curriculum to students in grades 6-12, and is the Director of The Aquinas Dance Company for both Middle School and High School students.

Ms. Schillaci is proud to work alongside the owners of Adrian Jules Custom Clothing as their volunteer coordinator / choreographer for their runway shows for Fashion Week of Rochester. She prides herself on staying involved in the community by supporting and collaborating with incredible local organizations such as The Center for Youth and Endless Highway.

Rachel Gummo is a true triple-threat in the performing arts industry. Rachel has been dancing since the age of three and has had the opportunities to dance and coach professionally. She is a true Buffalo, New York, native who has trained with a variety of prestigious ballet academies and competition studios all over the country. Rachel won the Kenny Award for ‘Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role’ from Shea’s Buffalo Theater, which sent her on a journey to the Big Apple. In 2016, Rachel had the privilege to perform on Broadway with the Jimmy Awards, where she danced and sang with the cast of On Your Feet and The Lion King. Just one year later, Rachel was asked to return to NYC, by NYU’s Performing Arts Academy, to be a feature singer and dancer for a James Nederlander Tribute. She sang and danced with true professionals like Kristin Chenoweth, Gavin Creel, Billy Joel, and Tony Bennet. After her time in New York City, Rachel attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she administered and choreographed for their Division 1 Dance Team. Rachel started this dance program from scratch and fostered a variety of styles among her dancers: Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop and Pom. Through hard work and determination, Rachel and her leadership team got them affiliated with the University within five years. Rachel obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree while away at Liberty. Rachel has had the honor of bringing her talents to students as a guest choreographer for the Miss America Organization, Miss Volunteer America, national musical theater conventions and professional dance companies based in Virginia and North Carolina.

Ryo Munakata started classical ballet training at the age of five at Etoile Ballet Studio studying under Misako Kawamura, Sergiy Savoschenko and other renowned instructors. He began entering in dance competitions at the age of ten and expanded his horizons by taking modern ballet lessons with Yuko Takahashi at 13.

Since 2010, Munakata studied at American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) summer intensive program in New York City by recommendation of dance instructor, Hilary Cartwright. He trained at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT from 2014-2016 and Manhattan Youth Ballet from 2015-2016.

Munakata joined Minnesota Ballet as a company member from 2016-2018 and Ballet West as a company member from 2018-2019 where he performed Rubies and Diamonds in Balanchine’s Jewels. He returned to Minnesota Ballet for the 2019-2020 season and has joined Rochester City Ballet for the 2020-2021 season. In 2018, Munakata was a finalist in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS and a semi-finalist in the 2019 International Ballet Choreography Competition in Beijing, China.

Andrea Rockefeller grew up in Webster, NY where she trained and danced competitively. She attended The Ohio State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a Minor in dance. While in Columbus, Andrea danced with Xclaim Dance Company, participating in student outreach programs, inspiring children in diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds through dance. Andrea has Masters degrees in Psychology and Mental Health Counseling and has spent the last 8 years working with children and adults with developmental disabilities. Andrea is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of NY and a Cofounder of Peace Project Mental Health Counseling, providing therapy for children through young adults. Andrea has over 10 years of experience teaching and choreographing for dance studios and is a certified Rhythm Works dance instructor, bringing her passions together and allowing her to adequately train dancers with specialized needs.

Solange Rodrigues is a graduate of SUNY Purchase College, Class of 2020, with a BFA in dance, and a Concentration in Composition.  Born and raised in Rochester, NY, she trained at Little Red Dance Studio for 14 years, training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and musical theater.  At Purchase, she performed in several works and choreographed pieces within the Conservatory of Dance, and the Conservatory of Theater Arts, while also directing the school’s hip hop club “Sabotage”. For the past 3 years, she has taught at various schools and studios throughout the city of Rochester, while choreographing and dancing for Frazee Feet Dance under the direction of Zachary Frazee, BioDance under the direction of Missy Pfohl Smith, and was a guest artist for The Pocketfuel Groovers, directed by Nick Alselmo based in Brooklyn, NY.  For the 2022/23 academic year, she choreographed Byron-Bergen High School’s production of Hairspray, The Musical.  After completing the musical, she moved to Brooklyn, NY to dance more closely with the Pocket Fuel Groovers, as well as pursue choreography and performance.

Savannah Sexton was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. There, she grew up studying and teaching dance for the past 25 years at Just Off Broadway. She also trained with various Ballet companies and traveled to NYC, NY and Los Angeles, CA to train in Jazz, Contemporary and Hip Hop. Taught in the style of Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Acro/Tumbling, Tap, Contemporary and Hip Hop, Savannah loves to use her technical training and versatility while choreographing. She enjoys the art of storytelling through dance and music. Savannah has won many Specialty Awards, First Overalls, and National Championships with her choreography and teaching skills. She went to the University of Cincinnati for college and was a proud member of The UC Dance Team in 2010-2013. The team won Silver and Bronze medals at the National Dance Association championship in the style of Pom and Hip Hop. One of Savannah’s biggest accomplishments during that time was representing the United States of America at the ICU Worlds Championship, winning USA two Gold medals in the style of, both, Hip Hop and Pom. Since college, Savannah has continued to keep up with her dance studies through numerous studios in California, as well as teaching, choreographing and performing in Cincinnati. She has worked with many artists in the industry, including Bootsy Collins. In addition, Savannah is known for her fun and upbeat skills as a DJ. She currently works for Encore Events in Rochester, NY and enjoys sharing her passion for music, DJing several events and weddings. Savannah is new to the city of Rochester, NY and is excited to share her expertise and joy for entertainment. 

Olivia Beach is a current student at the University of Tampa, FL where she plans to graduate this December. She received her dance training in Rochester, NY at Performance Plus. She was a dancer with the Aquinas Institute Dance Company under the direction of Ms. Kristie Schillaci, where she also served as the Vice President for the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Olivia was selected to travel with Revel Dance Convention where she assisted their faculty in various regional cities in 2019-2020. At the University of Tampa, she is currently the Choreographer for the UT Hip Hip team, as well as a former captain for the Spartan Scarlets. She led both teams to Regional and National Competitions. Along side of her dance involvement, she is studying Exercise Physiology at UT. In the future, she plans to use her degree to teach Injury Prevention for dancers. With her passions for choreography and injury prevention, she hopes to open her own studio in the future. Olivia enjoys choreographing for studios in both Rochester and Tampa. She has created Title winning solos and group dances. She enjoys helping young dancers grow and pushing them to become well rounded dancers in the industry and an asset in their community. 

Olivia Burke is an award-winning professional dancer and choreographer who has trained in all genres of dance. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, she began her training at a young age under the tutelage of Megan O’Brien. This was when her love of tap dance emerged. She has traveled the country extensively, working with many amazing tap artists such as Anthony Morigerato, Aaron Parkhurst, Jason Samuel Smith, and Ayodele Casel. She has assisted Anthony Morigerato, Jason Janas, and Aaron Parkhurst at several highly distinguished dance conventions, and is a member of Jason Janas’ professional tap company Co.MITT. Last summer Olivia was hand-selected to be part of STEPS on Broadway Theatre/Jazz Summer Study working with dance masters Eliza Ohman, Lloyd Culbreath, Billy Griffin, and many more. She is also the co-creator of BRIDGE Dance Intensive and has taught and choreographed all over Central New York. Olivia is also the co-founder and artistic director of The Tap Experience at Revolve Dance Alliance in Clay, New York.

Jenna Dettore was born and raised in Rochester, NY where she trained at Performance Plus Dance since the age of two. After graduating at the age of 18, Jenna went on to dance for 4 years at the Pennsylvania State University. She was part of the 3x national champion dance team, the Penn State Lionettes, where she served as the game day caption her Junior and Senior year. Jenna choreographed routines during her time at Penn State that the team performed at basketball and football games, as well as the pom tryout routine her Senior year. She also worked at Cheer & Dance Athletics Rochester in 2021 holding technique & combo classes after graduating at Penn State and has guest taught at other Rochester studios. Jenna is trained in most styles of dance. Her favorite style is contemporary because she has the ability to tell a story through movement and choreography. With her experience from college dance, Jenna comes with a unique perspective and skill set of both studio & college dance. Aside from teaching dance, Jenna went to Penn State for early childhood & elementary education and is currently a 1st grade teacher. Something that has become increasingly important to Jenna is making sure her dancers grow in the studio, but also as people. She is eager to connect with young dancers and support them on their dance journey and beyond.

Madison Lynch is a professional dancer, award winning choreographer, actor, designer, philanthropist and a graduate of CalArts, currently located in NYC. Although her work is primarily based in New York, she is a bi-coastal artist, and continues to book commercial jobs with Movement Talent Agency in Los Angeles, California. Madison has most recently worked for commercial clients such as Calvin Klein, NIO Electric Vehicles, and Airheads Candy. She has also worked as a stunt double with her acrobatic training and as a model for photographers across the country. Her dance resume includes work by Wayne MacGregor, Merce Cunningham, Peter Chu, Nina Flagg, Spenser Theberge and is currently training with Stacey Tookey. Madison has won several national titles and has even been spotted on So You Think You Can Dance. Madison enjoys teaching and choreographing at various studios and dance conventions nationwide, and recently began judging for competitions. In her freetime, she’s working to develop a fashion brand of her own, and a short-term goal to showcase her line in New York Fashion week. She is also a philanthropist, working towards de-stigmatizing mental health and suicide prevention in association with AFSP, and Bend Not Break Foundation. Madison launched national campaigns titled #dancersforsuicidepreventioin and #artistsforsuicideprevention which can be found on various social media platforms. She strives to break the barrier between non-artist and artist, by making dance and performance translatable to all.

Jenna Snide is the Co-Founder and Business Director at the Capital District Arts Initiative in Albany, NY where she was born. She began dancing at the age of three, and grew up studying tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, and hip hop. At the young age of 14, she began exploring her passion as an educator, teaching children ages 5-17 years old with the same level of versatility she trained with. After graduating high school, it became clear to Jenna that becoming an educator in the arts was something that she was extremely passionate about. She went on to receive her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, with a marketing concentration, at The University at Albany. During her studies, Jenna continued performing with many regional and local dance groups, all while continuing to teach young aspiring artists state-wide. Jenna was a member of the semi-pro Albany Empress AFL Dance Team during her junior year and took on the position of Captain of the UAlbany Dance Team her senior year of college. Jenna continues to study dance with several master teachers as a way to continue to provide the most up-to-date and relevant information to her students. Educating young artists is something she has looked forward to doing for years. She is eager to pass on her knowledge to each student who crosses her path.

Tricia Zegarelli grew up in Central New York and is going into her 20th year teaching dance.  She began her formal dance education at The University at Buffalo and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. While attending UB she was a featured dancer in the Zodiaque Dance Company and choreographed/performed for the Young Choreographers Showcase and Dancers Workshop. She also performed for the American College Dance Festival in Buffalo and Pennsylvania. Her honors include, Phi Beta Kappa, Who’s Who Among College Students, Golden Key International Honor Society and Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society.

Tricia worked for Artpark in Lewiston, NY, appearing in the productions of Copacabana, The King & I, Oklahoma and Swing! In 2007 Tricia became a second company member of Giordano Dance Chicago, and was able to tour with the main company during their winter season. 

Tricia is currently the co-owner of Dance Works Studio in Utica, NY, which is heading into its 15th season. She has won numerous Choreography and Entertainment awards at World Class Talent, Imagine, Starpower, Dance Xplosion, Starquest, Elite Dance Challenge, Encore, Beyond the Stars, and Dancers Inc. Several of her students have also won high score awards and titles at both regional and national levels.  She has judged for Imagine Dance Challenge, Dance Xplosion and DMA.  Most recently, Tricia was named Choreographer of the Year at World Class Talent’s National competition held in Virginia Beach this summer.