Instructors:

roberta mathes, born and trained in NYC, received a BA in dance from Adelphi University and has a distinguished career in the performing arts, both in front of the audience as a performer, and behind the scenes as a choreographer/coordinator. Her litany of achievements include work in several feature films, Beat Street, Fatal Attraction , in television programs, The Guiding Light, Law and Order, and in award winning music videos, Higher Love (Steve Winwood), Heard it through the GrapeVine (Marvin Gaye). She has also performed in shows, Sweet Charity and Kismet, in major industrials for IBM and Chrysler, in special events including the Broadway opening of Disney's film Hercules, the Liberty Bicentennial and most recently in an off off Broadway play, Invisible Child. One of roberta's outstanding credits was as assistant choreographer in Brian de Palma's film Carlito's Way. While directing beyond dance @ the bergenPAC, roberta remains on the faculty of Steps on Broadway and American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive. roberta co-directed her own school, dance plus…a whole lot more for 13 years and has been a guest teacher in Israel, Italy, Canada, Norway, Venezuela and Brazil. Her strength as a dancer and choreographer is her versatility in style. However, roberta feels that her best achievements lie in the area of teaching dance as mentioned in a feature article in the February 2000 issue of Dance Teacher magazine. roberta was fortunate enough to be part of ABT's "Make a Ballet Program" and her students performed at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. She loves watching her students grow into expressive successful dancers. One of her students, Meredith Akins from Englewood is now dance captain on the hit Broadway show Mamma Mia. roberta's dynamic personality, along with her own "technique", forms a whole and responsive learning experience.

Tabitha Boulding was born and raised in Eden, NC. and later made the move to the Big Apple. She studied dance for sixteen years and then went on to get her BFA from East Carolina University in dance with a concentration in jazz. Over the past three years she has choreographed and danced in numerous performances including, Stripped, Miss New York Metropolitan Pageant, Culture Shock of NY, Elan Awards, Dancers Responding to AIDS, and Confessions of a Dance Teacher. Most recently she performed with roberta in the off off Broadway play, Invisible Child. She take classes with Rick Atwell, Patty Wilcox and roberta mathes at STEPS in NYC. Presently she is performing and choreographing in South Korea.

Kelli Gautreau began her training at age seven in ballet, jazz, tap, and gymnastics at her mother's dance studio in Ontario, Canada. She landed three seasons on Canada's version of Star Search. With a growing love for the performing arts, she continued her studies at Brigham Young University, received a BFA in music dance theatre and later became a faculty member for the jazz division at the university. Kelli trained under the Canadian/British Jazz Syllabus and is certified with British Association of Teachers of Dancing. She has taught dance/theatre workshops in Salt Lake City UT, Las Vegas NV, Dallas TX, and various cities throughout Ontario and Quebec. Kelli is the founder of a Canadian children's theatre group, The Groove Train Performing Company. She is a "triple threat" has moved to New York City to continue her training and pursue her career. Kelli teaches at The Brooklyn Music School and is very excited to be joining the talented faculty at beyond dance @ bergenPAC.

Ashani Kiner is a native New Yorker, who currently resides in Harlem. Ashani has received the bulk of her training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Steps on Broadway. As a diverse performer, Ashani is trained in ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, latin, ballroom, west-african dance, haitian, and world dance fusion. She is currently a member of Naj Dance Company, is choreographer for Spanish recording artist, Femy, and is a back-up dancer for up-and-coming recording artist Sa'Rah, in addition to modeling and appearing on tv, film, and in music videos. Ashani has been seen on television shows such as “Showtime at the Apollo”, “Good Morning America”, MTV’s “Yo Momma”, as well as music videos on MTV, BET, and VH1.

Ashani has a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Connecticut College. She has taught children and adults of ALL ages!! Ashani is experienced in teaching modern, jazz, musical theater, jazz funk, hip-hop, african, and ethnic fusion. She has taught at public and private schools in NYC, as well as community centers and dance studios throughout the tri-state area. Ashani is currently on staff at Beyond Dance in Englewood, NJ, at Dance Cavise in Mamaroneck, NY, I.S. 318 in Bronx, NY, and subs regularly at the world-famous, Steps on Broadway, Ballet Hispanico, and New Dance Group. If you don't know her yet, you will very soon...stay tuned!

Yucari Kobayashi is from Tokyo, Japan and has been dancing since the young age of three. After training there, she began teaching, performing and choreographing. After a short trip to NYC she was awarded a scholarship to The New York Conservatory of Dance where she trained under Pat Dukadovsky. Her NYC performing credits include the 2003 ELAN Awards and Dancers Responding To AIDS benefits at Symphony Space and St. Marks Church. This dancing demon is featured in several small dance companies: Jete, Stankovic Ballet Company, Faune Dance Troupe. She has taught at, The New York Conservatory of Dance, dance plus, of Englewood and Theatre Arts Dance Academy in Upper Montclair. Yucari continues to work closely with roberta and has assisted her at Steps on Broadway and at the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive.

Kirsten Lane began studying classical ballet at age six in Teaneck, NJ where she developed a love of dance. She continued her studies on scholarship at the School of American Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet School, and the Joffrey Ballet School. As a student, Kirsten performed at the New York State Theater in Coppelia with New York City Ballet. She has performed with regional dance companies in the New York/New Jersey area and traveled to Nagano, Japan to dance in the opening ceremonies of the 1998 Winter Olympics. She began teaching children and found it to be very rewarding. Her teaching credits include classes at the School at Steps in NYC and various schools in the Bergen County area. Her most recent work in the theater was as a production assistant on the musical The Frogs at Lincoln Center, re-adapted by Nathan Lane (her uncle who continually inspires her), directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, and music by Stephen Sondheim. Kirsten is also a certified yoga instructor for both children and adults.

Camille Lewandowski has a BA in speech and theatre with a concentration in dance from Montclair State University. She had taught dance for twenty six years for ages three to adult, specializing in her pre-school syllabus, making dance exciting to the younger students! At present she teaches movement at Paramus Catholic High School where she was instrumental in creating an elective dance program! She performed with the infamous Nicholas Brothers in a show called 40's in the 80's. In her spare time Camille, along with choreographing the spring musicals at Paramus Catholic High School loves, spending time with her family.

Frankey Rodriguez born in Brooklyn, started dancing and performing at the age of eight. He has an eclectic style blending hip-hop, popping and locking with jazz and new style reggae. Frankey has worked with Luther Vandross, The Braxtons, Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, Queen Latifah and more recently Brandy, TLC, and Chaka Kahn! He also teaches throughout the tri-state area and has spent several years directing, choreographing and producing the music for the NIKE sponsored dance troupe, Culture Shock… and all at the tender age of twenty six. Frankey is slated to release his very own debut CD later this year.

Donna Starobin a graduate on NYU has a diverse background in dance. She began studying ballet at the age of six and continued training in NYC at American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey and with the renownd Maggie Black. Donna performed with the Garden State Ballet but later, her focus shifted to tap. She has studied extensively with some of the finest tap teachers and legends in America including Brenda Bufalino, Roxanne Butterfly, Barbara Duffy and Lynn Schwab. Recently Donna performed in Tap City 2004 at the Duke Theatre in NYC. Donna is an AFAA certified instructor and has taught dance and fitness classes for over twenty years. She continues to study tap and tae kwondo and loves teaching kickboxing for master Alvin Bernard.
Donna has been as inspiration to her daughters, Julia and Lauren who also love to dance.