Sara Jean
Owner/ Director
Sara Jean has been planning to open her own dance studio since she was a child. She started dancing at 2 and a half attending North East Dance Academy. She then joined the competitive team at Michelle Cody’s Dance Center, while also being on Smithtown West’s competition kickline and pom teams. Sara Jean attended Sacred Heart University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a minor is human resources/dance education. While attending SHU she was on the Division 1 Nationally ranked dance team for 4 years. During this time she interned at Arthur Murray.
After graduating college Sara Jean choreographed and instructed at many different studios across Long Island. At 22 years old she opened Sara Jean Dance Company.
Sara Jean believes that dance is so much more than just choreography and a stage. She has learned so much from the dance studio being her second home. This is a place where bonds are made, lifelong friends are found and hard work is rewarded. She is thankful to be living out her dream and will bring passion and dedication to this studio so that her students mature and thrive in a safe environment.
Sara Jean also spends her time judging and directing for three competition companies country wide. She is always taking every opportunity to dance such as performing in the 2024 SUPERBOWL halftime show with Usher. She wants to show her students that anything is possible if you work hard enough.
Mackenzie Levenberg
Instructor
Mackenzie has been dancing since she was 2 and competitively since 9. Upon graduating high school, she became a member of the Towson University Dance Team, 20X D1 National Champions. Following that, she became a Knicks City Dancer. During her time with the Knicks, she worked with choreographers such as Bobby Newberry, Fatima Robinson, Lacey Schwimmer, Jessica Castro, Serge Onik, Sarah Mitchell and many more. Mackenzie has also backup danced for artists such as T-Pain, Wyclef Jean, Ashanti, Mase, Bryant Meyers, and Fat Joe. She has also been seen as a dancer on MTV’s TRL. Mackenzie has also received multiple choreography awards throughout her time teaching.
Aside from dancing, she holds a bachelors degree in Health Science. Mackenzie currently works as a Senior Medical Sales Representative for CeraVe providing skincare education and samples to pediatricians across Long Island.
She is thrilled to be apart of the SJDC family!
Jillian Lofaso
Instructor
Jillian is a graduate of Smithtown West and studied Child Study at St. Joseph’s College. Jillian is a teacher by day and a dancer by night. She danced for over 10 years at Michelle Cody’s Dance Center where she met Miss Sara Jean. Jillian danced competitively as well as taught at her studio for three years after she graduated. She has a passion for dance and teaching. She made her best memories and met some of her best friends dancing. She is thankful to be a part of the SJDC where she can see the new generation of dancers get to have to same experiences.
Marisa Piptone
Instructor
Marisa Pipitone has been dancing since she was 5 years old and teaching since she was 17 years old. She graduated from Plainedge High School, being on the kickline team all 4 years. She was the teams captain her senior year. Marisa graduated from Long Island University Post with a BFA in Dance Studies. She has put her performance career to the side and has fallen in love with teaching and choreographing. Now, she teaches at a few studios, choreographs for the Plainedge kickline team, receiving an “Innovative Choreography” Award and is the Maria Regina Elementary School’s Kickline Coach. Marisa says, “seeing my students’ progress from September to June has made me realize that I have one of the most rewarding jobs”. She hopes to share her love and passion for dance with her SJDC family!
Joe Dilegge
Instructor
Joe is on the New York Knicks Dance Team along with the New York Nets Dance Team. He is a trained dance instructor and gymnastics coach. This is our second season with Joe. He is the captain of the boys break dance competition team and th lead instructor for the boys recreational break dance classes.
Arielle Park
Instructor
Arielle was born and raised on Long Island and began her dance training at local studios. She did competitive dance as well as Smithtown high school east kickline. While on kickline, her team won two National Titles. She also participated in the Rockette Summer Intensive workshops to learn from the Rockettes she’s looked up to since she was a kid. She also had the privilege of being taught by a former Rockette at Art In Motion Dance Studio.
Arielle studied Fashion Merchandising and Communications at Marist College. She was the captain of the Marist College Dance Team in 2021/2022 where she choreographed halftime routines for Football and Basketball performances. While in school she was an instructor at Just For Kicks dance studio and shared her passion for dance with her students. She hopes to encourage the Sara Jean students to embrace their artistic abilities and inspire others with their creative movement.
Meaghan Schnell
Instructor
Meaghan has been dancing since the age of 3 and is so excited to join the SJDC family. Meaghan spent 15 years as a dancer with Michelle Cody’s Dance Center in Smithtown, 9 of which were spent on the competition team. She has experience in the styles of tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and hip hop. Once graduating high school, she spent 3 years teachings kids between the ages of 2-18 at MCDC while earning her bachelors degree at Stony Brook University. Meaghan was also a member of the Kings Park Varsity Royalette kickline team in high school. Meaghan is currently an Account Manager at a tech company in Melville.
Jainee Gabrielsen
Instructor
Jainee has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She danced at Michelle Cody’s Dance Center in Smithtown during this time and started to dance competitively at age 8. While dancing Jainee was also a competitive track athlete and coached young kids for many years in the various areas of track and field.
Jainee attended Hofstra University where she received her BBA in Marketing with a minor in Information Systems and Business Analytics. She went on to receive her Masters with distinction in Marketing Research and Analytics. Jainee is going on to pursue her MBA to gain managerial skills that will only enhance her professional repertoire. While attending Hofstra University Jainee was on Club Lacrosse and the Club Dance Team.
Maria Dougherty
Instructor
Maria has been dancing for 18 years. She started at the age of 3 and fell in love with the art immediately. After dancing throughout high school she graduated and went to study at the University of New Haven in West Haven, CT. She was the lead choreographer for their 5678 dance team and also got involved in other sports like rugby. She has been studying to get her personal training certification. Maria says “I have an incredible passion for dance and physical activity. I am so excited to be a part of Sara Jean Dance Company.”
Carly Herbert
Instructor
Carly is a full time student at Stony Brook University where she is majoring in health science. She is a member of the stony brook dance team and has been dancing for 16 years and competition for 5. On top of that she was also a competitive gymnast for 15 years. Her favorite styles are contemporary and jazz but she has trained in lyrical, open, character, ballet, pom and hip hop.
Sarah Gerdvi
Instructor
Sarah is currently a full time student at Adelphi University where my major is exercise science and my minor is dance. She is a member of Adelphi’s dance team. Her passion for dance started when she was 3. She’s been a competitive dancer for 13 years and a competitive gymnast for 10 years. Sarah’s favorite style of dance is contemporary but have trained in jazz, tap, lyrical, acro, character, ballet, pointe and hip hop.
Megan Connell
Instructor
Megan Connell has been dancing since the age of four and starting dancing competitively at twelve years of age. She studied various styles of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical and hip hop. During her years of study, she received many awards and honors from various regional and national competitions. Megan earned a college degree in Graphic Design. She continued to study dance at the same time, including classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York City with master teachers/choreographers such as Mia
Michaels, Rhonda Miller, Slam, Dan Karaty, Mandy Moore, & Tre Holloway. Megan’s choreography has earned her numerous awards including outstanding technical execution, presentation, entertainment and choreography. In 2009 Megan became a licensed Zumba instructor, certified in Basic and Zumba Gold training. She also worked two summers as a dance instructor at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts, where she taught Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical and Hip Hop. Megan believes that structure and discipline builds self confidence in her students, helping them grow as dancers and individuals.
Deanna Barnes
Instructor
Deanna has been dancing for 17 years and is a Sara Jean Dance Company Alumni. She has experience dancing, competing, and teaching in styles such as jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pom, and musical theater. She graduated from Sachem North High School in 2022, competing with the Sachem North Arrowettes dance team for 3 years, with 1 year as a captain. She is a full time student starting her junior year at Stony Brook University, majoring in secondary mathematics education with a minor in communications. She is also a new member of Stony Brook’s D1 dance team.
Sara Jean Haas
Samantha Lionetti
Instructor
Sam has been dancing since the age of two and started dancing competitively at the age of eight. She danced at Michelle Ferraro’s Dance USA, where she trained in tap, jazz, contemporary, ballet, lyrical, and hip hop, and won many regional, national, and world championship titles. She was also a member of the Newfield High School Varsity Kickline team for four years. After graduating high school, she became a member of the Division I Dance Team at Stony Brook University, where she was also the President and Captain of the team her junior year. Since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in health science, she continues her studies in the medical field while also furthering her dance training with professional choreographers.
Grace Tarsa
Instructor
Grace has been dancing since she was 4 years old. She was apart of her dance studio’s competition team from ages 8-18. She has experience in all styles of dance but her favorites are HipHop and Lyrical! Grace took her passion of dance with her to college at SUNY Oneonta where she received a Minor in Dance Studies and majored in Communications with a concentration in Production. She joined the Oneonta State Kickline Team as a freshman and became Captain in her sophomore year and President during her senior year. She was also apart of the Oneonta State Terpsichorean Dance Company since her freshman year. Her sophomore is when she started choreographing Hip-Hop routines and Open style routines. She became President of the company during her senior year. When Grace isn’t dancing or teaching dance, she works for Long Island’s top radio stations, 106.1 BLI & 102.3 WBAB! She is beyond excited to be apart of the Sara Jean Dance Company family!
Jessica Cerbone
Instructor
Jessica is a Smithtown alumni. She was a member on the West Kickline team then went on to be Captain of the Marist college dance team. She does marketing and data analytics when she is not dancing!
Kayla Burke
Instructor
Miss. Kayla started dancing at the age of 2. Growing up in Queens, she was a competitive dancer at Moves and Motions school of dance where she trained in all styles of dance. Miss. Kayla attended Frank Sinatra High School of the Arts as a dance major studying pre-conservatory ballet and modern. She then went to further her academic career and is currently attending Molloy University as a nursing major. She is on the University’s dance team. This fall, Miss Kayla has been given the opportunity to dance for team USA in the contemporary sanction which will be taken place in Poland. Miss. Kayla is so excited for an amazing first season teaching at SJDC!!
Brittney Skarulis
Off Ice/ Grounded Skate Instructor
Brittney Skarulis has been an ice skater and dancer her whole life. She is currently and has been a coach at the Rinx in Smithtown.