Dale Console

Instructor

Dale has been dancing since the age of three, beginning her training at Anita’s Studio of Dance in East Northport, NY. She was a Hauppauge High School graduate and was involved in cheerleading and gymnastics throughout all four years of high school obtaining leadership roles throughout. After graduation, she went on to pursue her academic studies at LIU Post, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Childhood and Special Education. For all 4 years at LIU, she was a member of the Division I dance team, an experience that allowed her to continue pursuing her passion for dance and perform at professional venues such as halftime at the Brooklyn Nets. With her team, she proudly contributed to earning three UDA College National Championship titles, holding leadership roles in three out of her four years on the team.

She is currently furthering her education by pursuing a master’s degree in TESOL, while also teaching Accelerated Pre-K at BEST Learning Center in Smithtown. Her teaching philosophy is centered on recognizing and supporting each dancer’s individual strengths and areas for growth, while always encouraging them to challenge themselves. She strives to build an environment that is optimistic, energetic, and determined, where students feel motivated to work hard, take risks, and find joy in their progress. She cannot wait for the seasons ahead!

Jillian Lofaso

Instructor

Jillian is a graduate of Smithtown West and holds a Master’s degree in Education. By day, she is a Pre-K teacher, and by night, she is a dance teacher and lifelong dancer. This year marks Miss Jill’s 10th year teaching dance!

Miss Jill grew up dancing competitively for Michelle Cody’s Dance Center, where she had the opportunity to meet Miss Sara Jean. After graduating, she continued teaching at her home studio for three years while pursuing her education degree. Her love for both teaching and teaching dance has continued to grow throughout the years.

Some of Miss Jill’s favorite memories and closest friendships were made through dance, and she is so grateful to now be able to give the next generation of dancers those same experiences. She loves watching her students grow in confidence, discover their passion for dance, and create memories that will last a lifetime. She is so excited to have been with SJDC since season one and to watch the SJDC family grow over the years!

Marisa Piptone

Instructor

Marisa Pipitone has been dancing since the age of 5 and began teaching at 17 years old. She graduated from Long Island University Post with a BFA in Dance Studies, where she trained extensively in all dance styles and studied choreography.

She has put her performance career to the side and has fallen in love with teaching and choreographing. Today, she teaches weekly at multiple dance studios and travels throughout Long Island to teach, choreograph, and share her love and knowledge of dance with students of all ages. In addition to teaching and choreographing for studios, Marisa choreographs for multiple kickline teams and serves as the Head Kickline Coach at Maria Regina Elementary School. Her students have earned numerous high-score awards, undefeated seasons, title wins and multiple choreography awards.

Marisa strives to encourage, motivate, and inspire her students to become the best versions of themselves, both inside and outside of the studio. She believes that one of the most rewarding parts of teaching is watching her students grow throughout the season, saying, “Seeing my students’ progress from September to June has made me realize that I have one of the most rewarding jobs.

Alayna Bieler

Instructor

Alayna brings 12 years of teaching experience; 6 years of student teaching and 6 years as a lead instructor. and a strong competitive background to her work as a dance educator and choreographer. Her training began and she graduated from Inspirations Performing Arts Centre in Centereach, where she spent 10 years dancing, 7 years competing regionally and nationally and getting trained in various styles. She later joined the Suffolk County Community College dance team, marking a milestone by choreographing a timeout show routine—her first-ever self-choreographed performance. Alayna teaches dancers ages 5 through adults in Hip Hop, Jazz, Pom, Modern Contemporary, Tap, Ballet, and Lyrical, working with all skill levels from novice to advanced. Grounded in a “technique-first” philosophy, Alayna focuses on strong basics so students can execute complex movement safely. She creates a structured, supportive environment that prepares dancers for the stage while building confidence and a passion for dance.

Makailyn Macarthur

Instructor

Makailyn has been dancing since she was just two years old, starting her journey at Chorus Line Dance Studio in St. James and quickly falling in love with the stage. She grew up competing in dance and was a member of Smithtown High School East’s Kickline team. Makailyn studied Marketing and Accounting at Sacred Heart University. She was also apart of the nationally ranked Division I Dance Team, performing and competing at the NDA college nationals for four years. After graduating, Makailyn continued to share her love of dance by choreographing and teaching at different studios. She is so excited to be part of the SJDC family and can’t wait to inspire and cheer on the next generation of dancers!

Jainee Wertz

Instructor and Competition Director

Jainee has been dancing since the age of 3, beginning her training at Michelle Cody’s Dance Center in Smithtown. She started competing at age 8 and continued to grow as both a dancer and athlete, while also competing in track and field and coaching young athletes. Her passion for movement, performance, and mentorship has shaped her journey as a teacher and choreographer.

Jainee attended Hofstra University, where she earned her BBA in Marketing with a minor in Information Systems and Business Analytics. She went on to receive her Master’s degree with distinction in Marketing Research and Analytics and is currently pursuing her MBA. Combining her background in dance, athletics, coaching, and business, Jainee brings a unique perspective to her students, inspiring confidence, creativity, and a love for movement.

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 has been dancing since the age of 3 with most of her time being spent ant TJE Dance Force and has been teaching at SJDC since 2021. Growing up, she was a competitive dancer and gymnast and also played field hockey giving her a diverse background in both the performing arts and athletics. She began teaching at 16 and currently teaches solos and specials in lyrical, jazz, contemporary and musical theatre. Carly attended Stony Brook University, where she was a member of their Division I dance team for five years. She was able to proudly represent her university for all five years at UDA College Nationals. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Health Science with a concentration in Exercise Science, she is now currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Athletic Training while also working clinically for the program. For Carly, teaching is about much more than dance. She loves giving her students the freedom to be creative, helping them find confidence in their own movement, and watching them grow both as dancers and as people. Her favorite part of teaching is the relationships she has built with her students and the bonds she has formed with the other teachers at the studio.

Courtney Clancy

Instructor

coming soon

Katie Kennedy

Instructor

coming soon

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 a variety of styles, including jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pom, musical theater, and acro. She is entering her 4th year teaching at the studio, and also has experience coaching tumbling and teaching acro skills.

Deanna graduated from Sachem North High School in 2022, where she competed with the Sachem North Arrowettes dance team for three years, serving as a captain for one year. She later continued her passion for dance as a member of Stony Brook University’s Division I Dance Team for two years.

Deanna graduated from Stony Brook University in May 2026 with a degree in Communication and a minor in Mathematics. She is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at Stony Brook University, while working as an Academic Success Coach with Stony Brook’s football team and a Graduate Assistant for the Office of Orientation and Transition Programs.

Kimberly Kuethen

Instructor

Kimberly began dancing at the age of 3 at Chorus Line Dance Studio in St. James, where she trained throughout her childhood and teenage years and was elected captain of the senior tap company. Although she thought her time as a dancer would come to an end after graduating high school, she quickly discovered she wasn’t quite ready to hang up her dance shoes. While attending West Virginia University, Kimberly continued her dance education through the university’s dance program for six semesters, studying under General MacArthur Hambrick.

Kimberly graduated from West Virginia University with a B.S. in Agribusiness Management and eventually returned home to Long Island after spending nearly a decade away. It didn’t take long for her to realize she was tired of trying to keep her feet still. Returning to the studio brought Kimberly back to one of the places she has always felt most at home—sharing her love of dance with the next generation.

Never one to stop learning, Kimberly has also returned to school and is currently pursuing a degree in English with the goal of becoming a writer and English professor. Her experiences as both a lifelong dancer and student have shaped her approach to teaching, where she hopes to foster confidence, individuality, and a genuine love of dance in every student who walks into her classroom.

Grace Tarsa

Instructor

Grace has been dancing since she was 4 years old! She was a member of her studio’s competition team from ages 8–18 and has experience in many different styles, with Hip-Hop and Lyrical being two of her favorites!

Grace continued her love for dance throughout college at SUNY Oneonta, where she majored in Communications with a concentration in Production and minored in Dance Studies. She was a member of the Oneonta State Kickline Team all four years of college, serving as Captain during her sophomore year and President during her senior year. She was also a member of the Oneonta State Terpsichorean Dance Company throughout college, where she discovered her love for choreography! She later served as President of the company during her senior year.

Grace has been part of the Sara Jean Dance Company family for 3 years now and absolutely loves creating, teaching and sharing her love of dance with her students! She is so happy to continue making memories with the SJDC family!

Christina Pendersen

Instructor

coming soon

Lila Salhuana

Instructor

Lila has been dancing since the age of 2 till now at CDU dance and lives in Wantagh, New york. Shes a current high school student going in to her senior year at Wantagh High School and Long Island High School for the Arts. She trains in a variety of genres such as jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and ballet. Shes a competitive dancer that has won 18 titles over the years and competes in the advanced level division. She is a formal long island nets kid dancer from 2022-2025. Lila is also continuing her dance career at the CLI conservatory next fall! Lila has began her teaching journey the start of last year and can’t wait to continue teaching this year with Sara Jean Dance Company!

Maya McFadyen

Instructor

coming soon

McKenna Joy

Instructor

McKenna began dancing at the young age of two and started dancing competitively at the age of four. She continued to dance competitively throughout the years, dancing through her senior year of high school. She graduated from St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in 2020, where she was a member of the SJB Dance Company. During her time with the company, she had the amazing opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall, Tilles Center, and Lincoln Center.

McKenna began her teaching career at 18 years old. While beginning her career as a dance educator and choreographer, she attended Nassau Community College before graduating from Long Island University Post with a BFA in Dance Studies. Throughout this time, she continued to train in various styles, techniques, and choreography while sharing her love and passion for dance with her students. Her dedication to continuing her own training has allowed her to grow as a dancer and educator while bringing new knowledge and experiences into the studio for her students.

After graduation, McKenna has continued to prioritize her career in teaching and choreographing many high score first place award-winning numbers. She now teaches throughout Long Island, offering master classes and pop-up workshops in various styles. Through these opportunities, she is able to share her creativity, knowledge, and love and passion for dance with dancers of all ages and levels.

One of McKenna’s goals as a dance educator and choreographer is to create a safe and supportive space for dancers while guiding the next generation to push themselves in a healthy and positive way to achieve their dreams.

It is truly such a rewarding experience to see how much these dancers grow and improve, both inside and outside of the studio. Being a part of their lives and watching them develop not only as dancers but as individuals is incredibly special to McKenna. She is grateful to play a role in their journeys and careers and looks forward to continuing to inspire, support, and help the next generation of dancers grow.

Alexandra Tommasulo

Instructor

coming soon

Dante Mulraine

Instructor

coming soon