City Stage Dance Academy Staff
Miss Nicole Fusco(Artistic Director)
Nicole Fusco started her dance training at the age of two right here at City stage Dance Academy. She has trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop and Contemporary. Throughout her childhood she attended The American Ballet Academy summer camp and as she grew older trained in Manhattan at the Broadway dance center and Steps in NYC and was accepted for the dance program at LaGuardia high school for performing arts. She has also trained with award winning choreographers such as Stacey Tookey and other SYTCD professionals at Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. As a dancer she has competed in and won numerous competitions, performed with singers in live performances as well as music videos in NYC.
Growing up Nicole Fusco loved performing on stage but always had a passion for teaching and choreographing dances for others. As a teacher/choreographer Nicole’s Fusco competition students have won numerous awards and competitions throughout the tri-state area. Her passion for teaching dance has driven her to teach dance classes at many public schools including P.S. 83, P.S. 105, Anne Hutchinson middle school and Greenvale middle school teaching grades 2 – 5 hip hop and jazz. Over the years Nicole Fusco has worked for many colleges such as Hostos Community college and Fordham University working with all ages teaching hip hop and jazz. Throughout her dance carreer Nicole Fusco has always strived to ultimately own her own dance studio and pass on her passion for dance to future generation. She has recently fulfilled this dream and taken over City stage Dance Academy, the school she originally started her training in and is now the owner/director of the studio. She hopes to keep this 50 year old business running with a fresh new vibe and bring in new styles of dance for her students.
Miss Briana Maietta (Assistant Director)
Briana has been dancing since the age of two. She was a competitive dancer for ten years, holding regional and national awards for her performances. She has been a teacher & choreographer for the past seven years. Briana has trained in NYC at Broadway Dance Center and with the Radio City Rockettes. She has been seen in plays such as “Anything Goes” and has taken acting classes with Tiffany Smith. Briana has taught dance in schools throughout New York. Her competitive students hold numerous awards and overalls in both group and solo performances. Briana is the assistant director of City Stage Dance Academy and is also a registered nurse. She is BLS/ACLS certified. Briana believes that hard work, dedication and passion can make anyones dreams come true and will continue to pass on her love for dance to all of her students.
Miss Danielle
Miss Karin
Karin, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., is a working choreographer and teacher residing in New York City. Graduating Cum Laud from Florida International University, Miami Florida, she earned a BA in Dance. Her infectious energy and her passion for dance were seasoned while she mentored under Broadway tap dancer, Jimmy Tate. Karin has been teaching for over 15 years and during this time, was honored to become the Director of the Dance Department at the nationally renowned Weiss School. She has also directed a youth tap company in South Florida where her students and choreography were recognized with numerous awards at a variety of competitions on both regional and national levels. In addition, Karin continues to teach master classes and create choreography for many students all over the country and abroad as well as teaching on the competition/convention/intensive circuit and can be found on faculty with The Quest Intensive, Legacy Dance Champions, Next Level Dance Competition, Dance Teachers United, Dance Expressions Dance Competition, True Talent Dance Competition, Throwdown Dance Challenge and Groove Competition. Karin can also be found on faculty at Peridance Capezio Center (NYC). Karin’s passion for her art and the technique that supports it, for rhythm and energy and the combination of it all, can be seen in each and every class she teaches as well as in her ambitious and expressive choreography!
Miss Katelyn Cotto
Katelyn Cotto is a 24 year old, professional dancer signed with MSA Agency in NYC. She started her dancing career at the age of 16 at the Pulse on Tour Convention. Katelyn continued to pursue dancing into college, attending Long Island University & graduating with a BFA in Dance Studies. Katelyn has trained in Ballet, Modern, Tap, African, & Hip-Hop over the past 9 years & has worked with artists such as Melii, Fetty Wap, Justina Valentine, BOA, Tory Lanez, Jhay Cortez & more. Katelyn was also in the Warner Bro’s movie “In The Heights”. She is a very determined and hard working dancer that is always energetic and ready to give her all.
Miss Melissa
Melissa Weber was born in North Haven, CT but started her serious ballet training when she moved to Boca Raton, Fl. Melissa received the majority of her early dance training with Boca Ballet Theatre under the tutelage of Jane Tyree and Dan Guin and at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts under the guidance of Jeff Satinoff. Melissa’s first professional experiences were with Louisville Ballet in Don Quixote and in Christopher Fleming’s Nutcracker in Lakeland, Fl while still in high school. After graduation she attended Wright State University and danced with Dayton Ballet II. After spending two years in Ohio, Melissa joined Nashville Ballet as a trainee. Melissa joined Charleston Ballet Theatre where she danced soloist and principal roles for eight seasons. Ms Weber has performed many works by renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Marius Petipa, Lew Christensen, Christopher Fleming, Dermot Burke, Karen Russo, Jon Rodriguez, Paul Vasterling, Choo San Goh, Dan Guin, Jonathan Tabbert and Jill Bahr. Some of her favorite roles include The Mistress in Lew Christensen’s Con Amore, Lead Gypsy girl in Don Quixote, The Matriarch in Jill Bahr’s Rite of Spring, Helena (Jill Bahr) and Hippolyta (Brett Raphael) in A Midsummer Nights Dream, Lady Capulet in Bahr’s Romeo and Juliet, Arabian in The Nutcracker, and the Lead Girl in Guin’s Ella Sang. Since moving to the Connecticut/NYC area Melissa has performed with Ballet Neo, Arch Contemporary Ballet, Benjamin Briones Ballet, CT Dance Theatre and performed with Armada Dance in New York Fashion Week’s “Style Pointe”. Currently Melissa is a soloist with Connecticut Ballet, Dance KeyWest ans Sarah Berges Dance. Melissa has been featured in Jordan Matter’s Book, Dancers After Dark, danced in Cal Kehoe’s music video “Marilyn”, an extra for OneRepublic’s video “Connection” and danced in the “Corpse de Ballet” episode of CBS’s Elementary. Melissa has taught ballet, pointe, jazz and Pilates in the Charleston, SC are and currently teaches ballet and pointe in the Tri-State area. This will be Melissa’s Fourth season teaching for City Stage Dance Academy.
Miss Kimberly
Miss Lauren
Mr. Ian
Mr. Justin
Miss Ninda
During her teen years, Ninda studied with Ballet Hispanico and Alvin Ailey. She was also a member of her high school’s elite gymnastics team.
Ninda attended Adelphi University and majored in Dance.
She has coached gymnasts at different gyms in New York. She is certified by Aerobics Federal Association, Dance Educators of America, PT, and Acrobatic Arts.
Ninda has been the gymnastics coach at City Stage Dance Academy for the last 5 years and is excited to continue developing her students’ acrobatics and tumbling skills. She thrives off her students’ determination and motivation and is ready to flip into the new season!
Mr. Garth
Garth Otis Bates has studied dance since the age of four and has been teaching Dance since 2009. Garth has studied Concert Dance at The Hartt School and Commercial Dance at Pace University in NYC. Garth has received a BFA in Dance with a minor in Pedagogy. Garth has performed professionally since 2014, here are some of his Credits: pre production for Disney’s Hercules, Frozen 2 Saks window reveal with Idina Menzel, Experience The Ride NYC as head dancer and dance captain and Featured dancer at Hershey Parks Summer Show, and is an avid company member of “American Circus Theatre.”Regionally: The Little Mermaid, Chicago and Cavalier in The Nutcracker.
He’s so excited to be teaching Ballet this upcoming year and can’t wait to pass his knowledge and love for dance onto his students.