The Studio at Guilford Center is made possible by private investments in the arts and a collaboration of dedicated people with a passion for dance, community, creativity and development through the arts. We are building a committed and talented Board of Directors for a nonprofit component of our studio and we look forward to combining our experiences to bring an impactful program to the Guilford area.
Faculty
Emily Branigan
Emily has been dancing since the age of three and has excelled in many areas of dance, though her true passions are musical theatre, jazz and tap. She was a fifteen year student of Ms. Sharon DiCrosta of The Dancer’s Studio of North Haven, Connecticut, and has also received training both in New York and Los Angeles in dance, on-camera acting and musical theatre. Emily began teaching at the age of sixteen utilizing the motto that she was taught at a very young age, “dance comes from your heart…not your feet!” For over 10 years, she taught primarily in the Los Angeles area to a wide array of students with various ages and abilities in multiple genres. She also travels the country as a competition judge and guest teacher and is a part of Impact Dance Adjudicators. Emily is a Member of Dance Educators of America. She is also a Y.P.A.D (Youth Protective Advocates in Dance) certified teacher and program ambassador. Her choreography and teaching style reflect her focus empowering her students to make a difference in their communities through their art. Emily has been seen on stage, screen, print and television both nationally and internationally. She has been fortunate enough to work in multiple areas of the entertainment industry. She’s worked both in New York and LA as a model, an actor and of course her first love and passion, a dancer. A few of her favorite credits include Nike, Macy's, Mercedes Benz, Loreal, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Freeform Network. Emily has also been a volunteer with Kids for Kids, Dancing for Life, Inc., a non-profit organization which raises funds and support for sick and needy children primarily through the art of dance since the organization’s founding in 1994. Since 2005, she has served on the Board of Directors. Emily is the founder of The emPower MOVEment. A social platform, in studio workshops and classes, that offers support for the developing human spirit in young people through dance and related activities to promote positive growth of both mind and body. After spending over a decade in Los Angeles, performing, and teaching, Emily could not be happier to be back in her home state of Connecticut sharing her passion for dance and as a leader within the team at the SGC community!
Elizabeth (Parisi) Battista (Administration)
Liz hails from Hamden, CT and has been a longtime supporter of the arts and nonprofit communities. She brings to our studio a wealth of experience working with youth, having served as a Youth Group Leader, Camp Counselor, and member of the Kids for Kids, Dancing for Life, Inc. Board of Directors. Professionally, Liz has worked in operations at Staples for the past 12 years, where she is known for her commitment to growth, team development, and community engagement. Liz also serves as Co-Chair of The emPower MOVEment - a social platform offering in-studio workshops and classes designed to support the developing human spirit in young people. Through dance and related creative activities, the program nurtures confidence, resilience, and joy in every participant. Liz believes there is a place for every child in the studio to move, explore, and grow. She is thrilled to be part of the SGC team and looks forward to sharing her passion for the arts, learning, and personal development with our community.
Kimberly Spanier (Core Ballet, Pre-Dance, Adult Ballet)
Kim began her classical ballet training under the direction of Joyce Karpiej, former director of the Hartford Ballet School. She also spent summers studying at the Boston Ballet. Kim continued her training and joined the Company at Connecticut Concert Ballet where she danced lead roles in productions of the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Apollo, Cinderella, and Snow White. Kim retired from performing and now enjoys her time teaching students at several studios along the shoreline. When she is not teaching, Kim works as the Development Manager at the Diaper Bank of CT and is a co-owner of Everything Under the Roof - a residential remodeling company. Kim lives in North Branford with her husband, Jay, and her two daughters, Sofia and Ellie.
Emma Brockett(Core Ballet, Pre-Dance, Pre- Hip Hop, Core Combo)
Emma has been dancing since the age of 7, training at a local studio in various styles including jazz, tap, ballet , lyrical, modern and contemporary and started dancing competitively when she was 13. Emma discovered a strong passion for ballet early on in her teens and was accepted into the Joffery summer program at age 16, and a year later at 17 she was accepted into the trainee program at New England Ballet Theatre in Connecticut under the direction of Victoria Manning. Post-High School, she went on to join New England Ballet Theatre’s professional company as a Demi-Apprentice. With NEBT she got to dance in shows like “Cinderella” and “Fantastic Toyshop,” choreographed by Rachael Gnatowski, and guest pieces such as “Painted Lady” choreographed by Jacob Taylor, and has performed in NYC at the Alvin Ailey Theatre in Gnatowski’s piece “B-side” and understudied for Saki Morimoto’s piece “Focus Point.” Emma has been a Professional member of Garet&Co’s contemporary company since 2023, and recently promoted as a Principle, furthering her contemporary training. She’s danced in many pieces by Garet Weirdsma such as “bodieshatewoman,” “Everyday&Everynight,” “Heaven I Know” and “Heal for me,” performing at locations including Jacobs Pillow, Dixon place in New York City, Warner Theatre and Battel Chapel. Emma began teaching and choreographing at 15, and has continued to teach at many established local dance facilities. She loves to work with kids and watch them grow as dancers each year and wants to continue teaching and choreographing in her future and leading the next generation to greatness, while also looking forward to continuing her dance career.
Riley Bauer (Core Tap, Core Contemporary, Dance Company, Adult Tap, Leaps and Turns)
Riley Bauer started her dance journey at the age of two at Backstage Dance Center LLC (Riley Bauer started her dance journey at the age of two at Backstage Dance Center LLC (BSDC)in Killingworth Ct. She stayed there for 16 years and was a member of the Competitive DanceTeam for 14 of them. While at BSDC, she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, lyric, and contemporary dance and took opportunities to train in other styles such as hip-hop and modern through many guest teacher workshops. Throughout her years competing, Riley took several regional titles such as Dance Teacher’s Club of Ct’s Junior Miss Dance of Ct 2014, Ct RegionalTeen Miss Headliner 2018, and Dance Teacher’s Club of Ct’s Miss Dance of Ct 2020, giving her the opportunity to expand her dance education through travel and national competitions. Riley is most grateful for her opportunity to travel to Reisa Germany for the IDO World TapChampionships in 2017 where she took the Silver Medal alongside her teammates in the Junior Small Group Division. Riley has continued her dance education at Sacred Heart University(SHU) where she is a member of the SHU Dance Company and the SHU Mo(VE)ment Professional Track. Most recently, she was able to travel with the Dance Company and perform in the Carnival Choreographer’s Ball New York, fall 2022. Her latest endeavor was performing as a featured dancer in the SHU Theatre Arts Program’s production of the Rocky Horror PictureShow in Spring 2023 Although Riley started assistant teaching at BSDC when she was 17, she has just started to break into the world of teaching this past year at studios throughout the Ct Shoreline. She is super excited to embark on the adventure of teaching and choreographing and even more overjoyed to do it at Studio at Guilford Center!
Moira Larson began dancing at the Hackworth School of Performing Arts when she was 3 years old. She has trained in styles of contemporary, lyrical, jazz, ballet, pointe, musical theater, acro, ballroom, hip hop, and tap. In her years competing and attending dance conventions she received many awards at regional and national levels. At Hackworth, she had the opportunity to assist teach students and continues to go back to teach. Currently, she attends Sacred Heart University, where she majors in nursing with a minor in dance. She is also a part of the Sacred Heart Dance Company. This past summer, she had the experience of a lifetime when she traveled to Italy with the Company to perform and train at the World Dance Movement! Dance has been such a special piece of Moira’s life, and she looks forward to continue growing as a teacher and choreographer!
Madi Oravec started dancing at age 3 at Hackworth School of Performing Arts where she trained and competed in styles including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, pointe, hip hop, ballroom, acro, musical theater, and tap. She attended many regional and national competitions and conventions with her team, where she received a variety of awards and was able to further her dance training. While at Hackworth, she was also an assistant teacher to many of the younger students and taught classes. Right now, Madi is a student at Sacred Heart University, where she is majoring in exercise science in the accelerated Doctor of Physical Therapy program while minoring in dance there as well. Her ultimate goal is to work as a Physical Therapist for dancers one day, teaching them ways to prevent injury and promote their longevity within dance. Madi has loved getting to work with dancers of all ages, and is beyond excited to continue her teaching and choreographing journey!
Chloe Sinoway (Core Ballet, Core Contemporary)
Chloe Sinoway danced competitively for 10 years where she had the privilege of learning work from KC Castellano, Alicia Monaco, and Omar Merced.
Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Montclair State University, she earned her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with a minor in Communications Studies. While in school, Chloe performed works by Michelle Manzanales, Cat Cogliandro, Doug Varone, Pamela Pietro, Christian von Howard, and Maxine Steinman. In 2023 she was a rehearsal assistant to Maxine Steinman for her Sophomore Repertoire and in 2024 taught alongside Sarah Weber Gallo in her Ballet IV class at MSU. Chloe concluded her college journey being awarded the "Spirit" of the Theatre and Dance Department. Chloe also worked as a Backstage Manger at Spirit of Dance Awards for 3 years. "Miss Chloe" currently teaches and choreographs at a few studios in the area specializing in ballet and technique.
Alexis Wheeler (Mamas’ New Groove)
Lexi Wheeler, LMFTa, has worked with a broad range of clientele over the years. Her focus began working with children, ranging from as young as 4 to as old as 21. While Lexi enjoys working with people of all ages, her current focus has been on supporting mothers struggling with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
Lexi offers a very gentle approach while still providing challenging techniques; encouraging clients to participate in their own therapeutic process by assigning homework when necessary. Lexi’s areas of expertise include: parenting education, emotionally focused interventions, self reflection /self esteem building, emotional regulation and CBT skills.
Allie Pollie (Pre-Dance)
Allie has been dancing since the age of 2 and started training competitively at the age of 5 until 18. She has trained in various styles that include tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary. After graduating high school, Allie began assistant teaching classes at The Studio at Guilford Center. Outside of dance she attend Quinnipiac University as a Communications and Integrated Advertising major. Over the years she has learned and grown so much from dance, and she hopes to have the same impact on her students. She is excited to continue her role as a teeacher to inspire and guide her students in their journey through dance.
Melissa Klein (Acrobatics)
Melissa Klein Yarnell - trained as competitive dancer in NJ under the guidance of Dawn Laviola Schaub. During her time competing, she received 12 titles. Melissa continued her training throughout NY, NJ and CT. At 15 she was honored to be chosen as an assistant to the legendary Frank Hatchett. She received scholarships to LA’s The Edge Performing Arts Center, NY’s Steps on Broadway and the then famous Gus Giordano Dance Center in Chicago. Ms. Yarnall holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Point Park University in Pittsburg. She performed at Walt Disney World and as a back up dancer with NSYNC at Universal Studios in Orlando. She was a dancer in three nationally syndicated commercials. Melissa’s theatrical credits include a National Tour of “Guys and Dolls” and regional theater performances of “Annie Get Your Gun”, “Damn Yankees”, The Little Mermaid” and “Swing”. She is a former competitive ballroom dancer and a certified yoga instructor. Melissa loves teaching and choreographing and has been awarded for Choreographic Excellence at many renowned dance competitions.
Laurent Mullen ( Core Latin Ballroom, Adult Latin Ballroom)
Laurent has appeared extensively on stage, TV and film as a professional actor, dancer, choreographer and vocalist. His acting on TV began on One Life to Live and includes roles on 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Blacklist,Elementary, The Good Fight, Elsbeth, Severance, and in the films The Good Shepherd, Romance at Reindeer Lodge, Desolation Angels and currently as Charles in Eternity of Amelia. He has appeared in numerous commercials including Connecticut Tourism, Michael’s Jewelry & Bender’s Showrooms. Laurent first began dancing professionally at 17 with Connecticut Ballet Company. He studied jazz, modern, and hip-hop in CT, NYC, and LA. He later joined New England Ballet Company, where he danced more than 18 principal roles in 8 years and served as its Executive Director. He appeared as the lead dancer in Evita at the Ivoryton Playhouse. Laurent is the owner of Ballroom Dancin Fools teaching wedding couples, social and competitive students since 1998. He is a Pro/Am competing instructor in American Smooth & Latin, Swing, Hustle and Theater Arts. He co-founded Connecticut Ballroom Theatre, LLC and is a 2 time first place winner of “Dancing under the Stars-Clinton”.
Lauren Parisi (Pre-Dance, Academic Tutoring, Stories in Motion)
More Bios Coming Soon…
Olivia Parisi (Pre-Dance, Academic Tutoring, Stories in Motion)
Olivia began dancing at age six and trained in ballet, tap, and jazz. She graduated from Sacred Heart University with a Bachelor’s degree in STEM and a Master’s in Teaching. Olivia currently works as an elementary school teacher and loves bringing her experience in education into the studio.
Studio Staff
Gina Perelli Adams
Casey Davis