Our Faculty

The Academy has an exceptional faculty of highly qualified and experienced professionals who provide exposure to a wide range of techniques and teaching styles. Students may also have the chance to work with guest teachers, choreographers and professional dancers from around the world.

Our Directors

Nicholas Mishoe, co-director (ballet) began his ballet training with Ella Hay in Huntington, West Virginia… Mr. Mishoe then completed his education at the North Carolina School of The Arts. He went on to dance with Boston Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet. While dancing with DNB, Mr. Mishoe taught a wide range of students, from young dancers at the National Ballet Academy to pre-professionals, professionals and adults. His classes emphasize pure ballet technique, while incorporating unique musicality, quick footwork and freedom of movement. Read more…

Shayne Gottdenker Mishoe, co-director (ballet, pilates) is a proud alumni of The Academy of Dance Arts. Mrs. Mishoe began her training with Jennifer Church and Charles Nicoll and danced with The Company of Dance Arts until she was 18. She then went on to train at Boston Ballet School, performing with The Boston Ballet and various contemporary choreographers, as well as receiving teachers certificates in Pilates & GYROTONIC® Mrs. Mishoe moved to Amsterdam and was a founding member of “The Movement Network”, a contemporary ballet and modern dance company. An experienced teacher, she believes that with the combination of ballet, Pilates and GYROTONIC®, dancers can gain a much deeper understanding of their own bodies, overcome physical limitations and develop a technique based on muscular efficiency. She loves to teach and in particular to instill a love of the art of dance. Read more…

Our Founder and Artistic Advisor

Jennifer M. James Church, ballet RTRAD; AISTD,Adv., a registered teacher and member of the Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D) and holder of the Advanced Teaching Certificate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (I.S.T.D.) in Classical Ballet, National Dance, Modern and Jazz, also holding Associate Status in Greek Dance… and Cecchetti Ballet. Ms. Church owned and directed The Academy of Dance Arts for 25 years. The quality of instruction has earned The Academy a reputation of being one of the premiere schools in New Jersey. In addition, she is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Company of Dance Arts. It is with great pride and joy that Ms. Church hands her life’s work over to the care of Shayne and Nick.Read more…

Our Staff

Leora Korb Administrative Director joined the staff in 1991. She prides herself on having brought The Academy into “the computer age”. Responsible for the overall running of the business, she has seen the school grow tremendously. Being able to combine performing arts with a strong sense of what it takes to make that type of business successful is a challenging task. She worked in New York City in Press relations and has an Associate degree in Communications. She utilizes her skills in helping make The Academy of Dance Arts the success that it has become. Leora has lived all over the world and has always had a love of ballet and dance.Read more…

Lorna Burns Administrator has worked at The Academy for over 11 years and has been involved in dance all of her life. She is a certified Royal Academy of Dance teacher and trained in England with the British Ballet Organization. She also attained a teaching certificate with the International Dance Teachers Association before coming to the United States. She continues to incorporate her knowledge and love of dance, into the day-to-day operations of The Academy.Read more…

Our Teachers

Nancy Fields pilates, ballet
Nancy Fields began performing with the acclaimed Lewitzky Dance Company in 1983 and toured the world with the company for 11 years as a featured dancer. During her professional career in Los Angeles, she studied ballet with Stanley Holden and Victoria Koenig. She earned her B.F.A. from the University of Utah and her M.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Michigan. Mrs. Fields is a certified Pilates teacher and has trained dancers in Pilates conditioning and injury prevention since 1996. Read more…

Elaenee Frangos ballet, jazz, hip hop
Elaenee Frangos began dance training at the age of 5. She has studied ballet, jazz, modern and tap. She has appeared in Frank Hatchetts Showcase and at Merv Griffins Resorts Casino. As a student of the Academy of Dance Arts, she was trained in the Royal Academy of Dance. Ms. Frangos continued her training, on scholarship, at the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Performing credits include The Nutcracker, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, and Peter Rabbit & Other Tails with the Company of Dance Arts, The Nutcracker, Petrouchka, and Romeo and Juliet with the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Philadelphia Opera Companys Aida. Elaenee joined the staff in 1999. Read more…

Sori Gottdenker, RTRAD ballet, pre-pointe
Sori Gottdenker, RTRAD developed our successful pre-pointe and stretch program. She is a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance. She also acts as rehearsal assistant for the Company of Dance Arts. She creates choreography for children, and has designed many ballet costumes and sets for the stage. In addition, she is a registered nurse. Trained primarily at the Academy of Dance Arts under the direction of Jennifer M. Church and Charles Nicoll, she also studies at the Joffrey Ballet , and at the American Ballet Theatre. Sori has been on staff since 1990.Read more…

Kathryn Leibe ballet, modern
Kathryn Leibe is a native of North Carolina where she received her BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts – School of Dance. She has studied on scholarship with the Boston Ballet, The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet School, Limón Institute and Merce Cunningham. Kathryn has performed with professional companies and trained dancers throughout North Carolina, New York City and New Jersey. She joined The Academy in 2009.Read more…

Julee Merrill ballet
Julee Merrill received her B.F.A. in Dance from Boston Conservatory and her M.A. in Dance Education from Columbia University. Her post-graduate studies were done at the Dance Notation Bureau and at… the Laban Institute of Movement Studies. Teaching credits include Boston Conservatory, Garden State Ballet, and Montclair High School for the Performing Arts. Julee joined the staff in 1986.Read more…

Linda Minnella tap
Linda Minnella received her B.A. from Montclair State University and Kean College. Her performing experience includes community summer theater, The Company of Dance Arts productions and… American Repertory Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet. Linda joined the faculty in 1995. Read more…

Dan Peterson tap
Dan Peterson is a member of SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television & Radio Artists). He has performed in both regional and professional theater productions and has made several… television appearances. He won a world title as a tap soloist at the Fred Astaire International Jazz and Tap Championships held at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan, NY. He currently teaches at a number of facilities including the Academy of Dance Arts and the New York City Performing Arts Centre. Dan has served as a guest artist for the Dance and Drama programs and as Choreographer of the Spring musicals at Red Bank Regional High School Visual and Performing Arts Dept. He has also been an instructor for the Shakespeare Young Peoples Company as part of the the Count Basie Theaterʼs educational program. Read more…

Viorica Stampfel ballet
Viorica Stampfel began training at the Institute of Choreographic Arts in Bucharest, Romania at the age of 9. She studied the Vaganova Ballet Technique, Modern & Character dance… as well as Choreography and Piano. She apprenticed with the Romanian Opera Ballet Company for six years before joining their corps de ballet. After 1 year she was promoted to soloist and 3 years later to Prima Ballerina. She performed an extensive repertoire as Prima Ballerina including Kitri from Don Quixote, and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. Viorica moved to the Red Bank area in 1984 and has been teaching ever since. Read more…

Bridget Trochiano modern, ballet
Bridget Trochiano has been a featured performer and a member of The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble and The Joyce Trisler Dance Company. She has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music and toured extensively worldwide. She has done various music videos and television specials with artists Roberta Flack, Liza Minnelli and Shirley McLaine. She has taught Modern and Jazz dance at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. She rejoined the faculty at The Academy in 2005. Read more…

Guest Teachers

Christopher Bloom Christopher Bloom is from Middletown, VA where he started training at the Vostrikov’s Academy of Ballet at the age of 15. Christopher trained as a scholarship student at the Ballet and Contemporary Dance Programs in the School at Jacob’s Pillow under Anna-Marie Holmes and Milton Myers. He holds a B.F.A. from The Ailey/Fordham BFA Dance program where he had the opportunity to perform works by Sidra Bell, Francesca Harper, Camille A. Brown, Jennifer Muller, Paul Taylor and Alvin Ailey. He has performed professionally with 360⁰ Dance Company, Thang Dao Dance Company, VonUssar DanceWorks, Parsons Dance and with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Read more…

Tobin Eason Tobin Eason of Mandeville, Louisiana began his ballet training at age seven at the Apetrei Dance Center. At age 11, he transferred to the Giacobbe Academy of Dance in New Orleans, LA where he studied with Richard Rholdon and Joseph Giacobbe. While in New Orleans, Tobin performed with the New Orleans Youth Ballet and Delta Festival Ballet Company. He continued his professional training through the School of American Ballet where he received a full scholarship in 2000. While at SAB, Tobin was awarded the Nureyev Foundation Scholarship Award. In the summer of 2001, he attended ABT’s Summer Intensive Program on full scholarship. Eason joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in 2002 and became a member of the Company’s corps de ballet in April 2003. His roles with the Company include the Cockerel in La Fille mal gardée, the Spanish Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, a Groom in Petrouchka, the Neapolitan Dance in Swan Lake and roles in Baker’s Dozen, Black Tuesday, Company B and HereAfter. Read more…

Amar Ramasar Amar Ramasar was born in the Bronx, New York. He began his studies at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in 1993. In addition, he studied at the American Ballet Theatre Summer Program and The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet. In July 2000, Mr. Ramasar was invited to become an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and in July 2001 he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. In March of 2006 he was promoted to soloist and in October 2009 was promoted to Principal Dancer. Read more…

Glenn Allen Sims Glenn Allen Sims began his training here at The Academy of Dance Arts. He was a scholarship student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and The Juilliard School. He joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1997 and has achieved solist status, travelling worldwide with the company. Read more…

Michelle Symos Michelle Symos considered the Academy of Dance Arts her second home while growing up, training under the direction of Jennifer M. Church. She successfully completed Grade I through Advanced I of the Royal Academy of Dance examinations, often receiving the highest grade of Honours. Michelle attended several summer intensives sponsored by noted ballet companies, including The Washington Ballet on full scholarship. Additionally, Michelle has been part of the Company Of Dance Arts Artistic Staff, acting as Ballet Mistress for The Nutcracker, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Cinderella. Read more…

Pianists

Diane Lynch Diane Lynch received her musical education in Lima, Peru with Blanche and George Czemere; she continued her study at the Rollins Music Conservatory in Florida. Diane has been a group accompanist for the theater group Saints & Sinners and a choral director for area churches and temples. She joined the Academy staff in 2000. Read more…

Julia Muench Julia Muench studied piano at the Juilliard School and the University of Miami. She has 20+ years of experience teaching and performing including 14 years at the Monmouth Conservatory of Music where she is currently a piano faculty member. Read more…

Zenona de la Pena Zenona de la Pena has been staff accompanist since 1983. She studied piano at the Leopald-Mozart Konservatorium of Augsburg, Germany. She immigrated to America in 1952 and became staff pianist for the American Ballet Theatre School under the supervision of Lucia Chase, and also for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo based in NYC. In 1981, she became a staff pianist for the Garden State Ballet School. In 1983 she joined The Academy of Dance Arts. Mrs. de la Pena also plays for the Royal Academy of Dance major examinations. Read more…