KAYLA MCKEOWN has been a valued member of the DanceWorks Studios team since 2014 and currently serves as Studio Manager and Children’s Tap Instructor. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Montclair State University in 2018 and completed her M.A. in School Counseling at Montclair State in May 2021. Kayla is now in her fifth year as a high school counselor, where she supports students academically, socially, and emotionally. Kayla began her dance journey at DanceWorks at the age of 8 and continued through age 18. From 2008–2014, she was an active member of DanceWorks & Company, performing at renowned venues such as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She continued her dance education at Montclair State University, dancing as a non-major throughout her undergraduate studies. Kayla also served on the faculty of the Summer Dance Camp from 2014–2016. Passionate about working with young dancers, Kayla enjoys creating a supportive and joyful environment in the studio and is committed to building lasting relationships with DanceWorks students and families.

NELL CONWAY has served as DanceWorks Studios’ Production & Marketing Manager and instructor for the past seven years, bringing energy, creativity, and a deep-rooted love for the dance community to every facet of her work. Her dance journey began at the age of three under the guidance of Kathy Costa, sparking a lifelong connection to the studio and its philosophy. A proud DanceWorks alumna, Nell was both a student and company member before stepping into leadership roles as studio manager and teacher from 2001 to 2005. She continued her training with Freespace Dance, The American Dance Festival, and various contemporary companies throughout the tri-state area. After graduating from Montclair High School, Nell pursued a degree in Dance at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she trained with renowned choreographers from around the world. She later earned a degree in Arts Management with a concentration in dance and events production. In addition to her role at DanceWorks, Nell is the Executive Producer of the Montclair Dance Festival and offers production and marketing services to a range of companies and non-profits. She is passionate about fostering young artists and continues to share her love for choreography, performance, and creative expression with the next generation of DanceWorks students.

TAYLOR CAREY is a full time dance educator, choreographer, 200 hour certified yoga and Ellové instructor and holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Dance Education and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance, from Montclair State University. She is currently in her 10th year as a high school dance educator. Taylor is additionally DanceWorks Studios Co-Manager. Taylor is the High School Dance Teacher at Abraham Clark High School, in Roselle, NJ. Before this role, she was the Dance Teacher at Rosa Parks High School of Fine and Performing Arts in Paterson, NJ and developed the dance program at Marion P. Thomas Charter High School in Newark NJ. In 2016, Taylor created and directed the dance program for four years at Timber Creek High School in Sicklerville NJ. In 2021, Taylor became the full-time Dance teacher at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, NJ. While at Montclair State University Taylor performed works by artists including Doug Varone, Chase Brock, Carolyn Dorfman, Karen Gayle, May O'Donnell, Jessica DiMauro, Joao Carvalho, Lynne Grossman, Francesca Harper, and Nicole Smith. Taylor has also performed at the American College Dance Festival. After graduating from Montclair State, Taylor performed with Free Space Dance Company, and Erin Pride Dance Project. Taylor also had the opportunity to perform as a main dancer with Cooper River Ballet, Ritz Theatre Company, in Scrooge the Musical, and Philadelphia with a.Dance theatre.  Taylor grew up dancing at DanceWorks Studios at the age of three and has never left since.

JEFFRY FOOTE is an actor, singer, and tap dancer. Jeffry has been performing for many years in the tri state area. Some of his credits include Shades Of Harlem, Dance Bojangles Dance, Riffin & Tappin, 42nd Street, and is a principal member of the NJ Tap Dance Ensemble. He has also performed in venues such as NJPAC, BergenPac, and Mayo Arts. He also teaches tap in Morris and Essex Counties, and has been teaching rhythm tap for 13 years. He has also appeared in short films, and has some various voice over projects as well.

EMMA GENTILE is a Montclair dancer who recently graduated from Temple University, where she received her BFA in dance. She has been immersed in the dance world since birth but officially started her training at age 12 at DanceWorks Studios in Montclair, NJ. Gentile is trained in ballet, modern, tap, jazz, hip hop, African Diasporic techniques, and improvisation. In addition to her technical training, she is passionate about choreographing and film dance. Throughout her dance career Emma has had many amazing opportunities to perform locally and even globally in dance festivals throughout New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and Europe.

KIERAN MCBRIDE started her early training at Nunnbetter Dance Theater in Northern New Jersey. She later went on to train at the Royal Danish Ballet School and Gelsey Kirkland’s Academy of Classical Ballet. Kieran has previously danced professionally with American Repertory Ballet, South Carolina Ballet, and is currently a dancer with Ballet Nepantla and New York Theatre Ballet. Throughout her career Kieran has had extensive experience with a range of styles, and the opportunity to dance works by renowned choreographers. Kieran is passionate about teaching ballet as a strong foundation for any other genre of dance, and she is extremely excited to join the DanceWorks family!

OTTO ROJAS (OttoRedShoes) began dancing at the age of 13 as part of his high school’s dance crew, quickly developing a passion for the art form. By 16, he joined Eclipse Dance Crew, where his dedication deepened and his opportunities to perform and train expanded. The following year, he earned national recognition by winning the televised dance competition Más Que Bailar alongside his partner, Helen Alfaro, a milestone that led to travel and advanced training experiences. In 2017, Otto made history by participating in World of Dance Panama with H504 and was awarded a full scholarship from World of Dance and Millennium Dance Complex LA by Jesse Lee Santos. This allowed him to train with leading choreographers and dancers at renowned studios including Millennium Dance Complex, Playground LA, Movement Lifestyle, The Lab, Tmilly TV, and more. His mentors have included Willdabeast Adams, Janelle Ginestra, Jojo Gomez, Sienna Lalau, Scott Nicholson, Brian Nicholson, CJ Salvador, Sean Lew, Kaycee Rice, Mikell Wilson, Matt Steffanina, Julian De Guzman, Josh Price, Fefe Burgos, and Ysabelle Capitule. Otto has performed for artists such as Maribel Guardia and Elvis Crespo. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Dance from Middlesex College and continues his professional training in New York City with X Pro at Brickhouse NYC. Passionate about teaching and inspiring others, Otto strives to help students grow in both skill and confidence, guiding them to discover the light within themselves.

LANE DALLAPE is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Suwanee, Georgia, trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Her education includes Suwanee Academy of the Arts, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Brenau University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. Recently, Lane performed with VISIONS Contemporary Ballet, directed by Ranardo-Domeico Grays. She also completed the American Repertory Ballet trainee program under the direction of Aydmara Cabrera and Ethan Stiefel, and has since become a teacher at their school as well as Vision Dance Center. Lane looks forward to joining DanceWorks and helping young dancers find their passion through technique and musicality.

CRISTEN PENNELLO began dancing at age two, training at studios across New York and New Jersey and performing at national competitions and major events like the Orange and Citrus Bowls. She appeared in print work for dance costume catalogs before entering secondary education. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance from Montclair State University and an M.A. in Dance Education from NYU. Cristen performed with professional companies including NYC’s From the Ground Up and has been a founding member of moe-tion dance theater since 2006, performing throughout the tri-state area. Her international experience includes study and performance in Italy, and she has taught and choreographed at Middlesex County College and Rutgers University. From 2006–2009, she served as Head Dance Instructor at Mercer County Performing Arts High School before pioneering the dance program at Union City High School, where she founded the UCHS Dance Company, choreographed the musicals, and coached the Drillettes Dance Team. Cristen also led professional development initiatives, coordinated the Middle States Accreditation process, and founded the NJHS Dance Festival — earning the first-ever Jeté Award from Dance New Jersey in 2013. After 13 years at UCHS and 17 years as a dance educator, she was promoted in 2022 to District Performing Arts Supervisor at Union City High School. In 2024, Cristen was the Nimbus Rose Gala Honoree, being celebrated for her contribution to dance education in the state of NJ. In her current role as District Performing Arts Supervisor of Union City Schools, she oversees arts programming, dual enrollment, student organizations, and school-wide events. She continues to advocate for dance education as a board member of Dance New Jersey, as well as an adjudicator of the New Jersey Governor's Awards in Arts Education, and also continues to perform professionally with moe-tion dance theater.

JULIA SPRUNG is a Montclair native who began her dance training at age 14, dancing at both SMAPA and Montclair High School Dance Company. She then became more serious about dance and began to dig deeper into her dance training and attended Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts intensives, Abraham.In.Motion Intensives, and 10 Hairy Legs intensives through which she worked with and performed pieces by renowned choreographers including Earl Mosley, Rennie Harris, Darrell Moultrie, Meredith Rainey, Beatrice Capote, Heidi Cruz-Austin, Kyle Abraham, Randy James, and many more. Sprung graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts of Rutgers University with her B.F.A. in dance 2018, and then graduated again in 2019 with her M.A. in Dance Education (K-12) from Rutgers. During her time at Mason Gross she was able to explore her artistry and work with many faculty teachers and guest choreographers and perform works by Brian Brooks, Stephanie Batten-Bland, and Pam Tanowitz, Keith Thompson, and many more. She is trained in ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, musical theater, hip hop, African Diasporic techniques, Latin dance techniques, heels, and improvisation. Sprung has worked as a dance teacher in public school districts including Union City, Montclair, and Irvington. She also has taught and choreographed in various studios including Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts, Newark School of the Arts, Inspirational Dance, and more. Sprung has won a Foxy Award for “Best Choreography in a School Musical” for her choreography in Tuck Everlasting at Glenfield Middle School in 2023. More recently, she has been performing in both New York and New Jersey in various shows, music videos, and dance visuals. She performed in two Alvin Ailey Extension program showcases in 2025 and 2026, Steps on Broadway Industry Showcase in 2025, Broadway Dance Center Student Showcase in 2026, and other major showcases including Paradigm, Accord, Club NYC, and QIAA. Additionally, Julia is a certified 200-hr Vinyasa Yoga instructor, certified Pilates Mat and Reformer instructor, and certified Group Fitness instructor. Julia is passionate about sharing her love for dance and helping young dancers develop their artistry, and is so excited to join the DanceWorks family!