Faculty — Studio 7
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Studio 7
The daughter of The Dancer’s Workshop Director Barbara Parren, Erin Pasko began her dance training at The Dancer’s Workshop where she was a national award-winning performer and competitor. In addition to her early dance training at TDW, Erin trained at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center in New York City under Neil Schwartz, Jared Jenkins, and many more. Erin was a New Jersey Nets Junior Dancer and moved on to dance on the distinguished Rutgers University Dance Team. Erin has danced for international pop artist Psy on The Today Show and was an assistant to professional NYC based choreographer Neil Schwartz and acclaimed Broadway producer Lisa Stevens. Her choreography has been chosen from hundreds to be recognized and featured in the prestigious Capezio A.C.E. Awards and Project Creation Choreography. She was sought out on YouTube to bring her choreography and students to audition for NBC’s World of Dance Season 3 with judges Jennifer Lopez, Neyo, and Derek Hough. Most recently, Erin taught Jazz Dance II to dance majors and minors at Stockton University. She is currently coaching and choreographing for the nationally-ranked Stockton University Dance Team. Aside from dance and choreography, Erin is a certified cycling instructor at SoulCycle in NYC and NJ. Erin is excited and proud to be carrying on her mother’s legacy and incredibly honored to be the director of Studio 7.

Barbara is a native of the shore area and owned and operated The Dancer’s Workshop for 39 years. Barbara is recognized as an outstanding teacher by Dance Educators of America and was highlighted in Dance Studio Life Magazine. Barbara’s students have won numerous awards and accolades and have traveled to dance competitions and events around the world. Alumni have majored in dance at higher institutions, performed professionally, and are sought out choreographers. Barbara studied under Charles Kelly, Frank Hatchett and Farnworth and Hauer. Barbara is certified with Dance Educators of America and a certified Pilates instructor. She is so proud to see her daughter, Erin, carry on her legacy and create a great future for Studio 7.

Meghan is a New Jersey native. She studied dance intensively in NYC after her collegiate years at LIU for Dance Studies/Movement Therapy. Her passion for on-stage performance is captivating and has led her to perform most recently as a Radio City Rockette in the Christmas Spectacular. As a NYC based dancer and choreographer, she has toured professionally, traveling around North America. She was lead-choreographer for an upcoming international pop singer and will be choreographing for her European tour later this year. Meghan has taught professional workshops to aspiring dancers. She encourages her students to find their own “sunshine,” and it shows through their confidence and technique. She values education dearly, as she is a certified holistic health coach, 500hr Yoga instructor, and a NJ Certified Massage Therapist.

Lauren grew up training at The Dancer’s Workshop where she was a member of the Seacoast Dancers and became a faculty member her senior year of high school. From there she continued her dance training at the college level and attended Montclair State University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. At MSU, she studied and performed under many modern, jazz, and ballet teachers and choreographers. She continued her education at Rutgers University studying Dance Education, earning a Master of Fine Arts and teaching certificate in NJ and NY. Lauren is a member of The National Dance Education Organization and Dance New Jersey. Lauren continues her dance education by attending dance professional seminars and teaching conventions. In addition to teaching at TDW, Lauren is also a dance educator at PS 315 in Brooklyn, NY where she shares her passion for dance with the elementary level students. At PS 315, she organizes performances throughout the year, teaches general movement and dance technique to all of the students, and choreographs for the dance team.

Nicole studied dance at The Dancer’s Workshop from the age of 3 and is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary and modern dance. At the age of 12, she joined the competitive dance team The Seacoast Dancers. As a member of The Seacoast Dancers, she traveled the country competing in national dance competitions. She also participated in numerous dance conventions such as Break The Floor Production’s “JUMP” and “Nuvo.” She has taken class and learned from some of the world’s best dancers and choreographers. Nicole attended Monmouth University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in PR and Journalism. She now works for L’Oreal USA as an international supply planner. Nicole is also a Swchinn Certified indoor cycling instructor and a senior instructor at Tandem Cycle. She continues her dance education by taking class at Broadway Dance Center or from visiting dancers and choreographers. Nicole has been teaching and choreographing dance for 8 years at The Dancer’s Workshop. Her passion for dance has never faded and she continues to make it a priority in her life. She cares deeply for her students and provides a fun and safe space in her classroom for the children to express themselves freely.

Helen McCafferty discovered her passion for dance at The Dancer’s Workshop. Since she was 5 years old, she trained in various styles of dance and found her second home. As her enthusiasm grew she auditioned for the company team, the Seacoast Dancers. Being in the company exposed her to a whole new world of dance. She has trained with professional dancers, performed in the Capezio A.C.E. Awards, and auditioned for America’s Got Talent. Along with her training at TDW and SD, she also had amazing opportunities such as studying at the American Ballet Theatre, The Rock School of Ballet, and performing with the Lakewood Blueclaws Dance Team, Junior Rutgers Dance Team, and the New Jersey Tap Ensemble. Following graduation from Red Bank Catholic, she continued to fine tune her passion for dance on the Montclair State University Dance Team. After years of hard work and dedication, Helen McCafferty and her teammates were named 2018 NDA D3 National Champions and 2019 NDA D3 Second in the Nation. Helen was also recognized as part of the All American Dance Team for the 2018-19 season. As she continued her training she also discovered a love for teaching. Throughout her college education, Helen followed her love of teaching to various studios all around New Jersey. Now having completed her college career, she is so excited to be back at her home studio sharing her passion! She hopes to encourage young dancers to be themselves, to love dance, and most importantly to have fun while doing it! She is honored to be at Studio 7 and cannot wait for this season!

Jenny Husta, from Mullica Township, NJ, is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern. Dancing since the age of 3, she quickly recognized her passion for dance. Specializing in tap, Jenny has attended multiple NJ Tap fests where she learned from Ayodele Casel, Jason Samuels Smith, and many others. During her collegiate years, Jenny attended and participated in the American College Dance Association (ACDA) and Universal Dance Association (UDA) camps. In 2017, she became a member of the nationally ranked Stockton University Dance Team, performing and competing with jazz and hip hop at events such as the 76ers halftime show and UDA Nationals in Orlando, Florida. In 2020, she graduated from Stockton University where she earned her B.A. in Dance with a concentration in Pre-Movement Science. In May 2021, Jenny joined The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble. As a First-Company Dancer, she has performed in multiple pop-up performances around the Philadelphia area, as well as in The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble’s production of “The Tapcracker” and “On Tap 2023.” Jenny enjoys teaching and choreographing at studios and high schools throughout New Jersey and is so excited to be a part of Studio 7 this season!

Samantha Bassett began her dance training at In the Spotlight in northern NJ. Turning her focus to ballet training began with the encouragement of teacher Lisa Danais, a former dancer with the New York City Ballet. Samantha’s passion for ballet led her to train for several years with Leonid Kozlov, a former principal with both the Bolshoi and New York City Ballet, at Kozlov Dance Academy. Samantha performed leading roles in numerous ballets and classical variations with Kozlov Dance International, including The Nutcracker, The Firebird, Swan Lake, and Paquita, and originated roles in works Kozlov choreographed for her. Samantha attended The School of American Ballet in NYC, the preeminent ballet academy in the US, studying Balanchine technique with world renowned teachers Suki Schorer, Susan Pilarre, Katrina Killian, Peter Boal, Garielle Whittle, Olga Kostritzky, and the late Stanley Williams, Richard Rapp, and Andrei Kramarevsky. Samantha attended Fordham University and performed and competed as a member of the university dance team Ram Rhythm. She took class at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center while attending college in NYC. Samantha holds a BA and MA in political science from Fordham University and a law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. She resides in Wall Township with her husband and 5 daughters. Samantha is thrilled to get back into the studio & share her passion for ballet with the students of Studio 7. She looks forward to fostering a focus on artistry and technique in a positive and encouraging environment.

Taylor Hurle comes to Studio 7 from Jackson, NJ. Her passion for dance began at Jackson Dance Center where she trained intensively for 15 years. In the fall of 2020, Taylor graduated from Stockton University with a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Management and a B.A. in Dance. During her time as a dance major, Taylor performed in various works created by Beau Hancock and Shannon Murphy and served as rehearsal assistant to Erin Pasko and Katrina Richter. Taylor is an alumni of the Rockettes Summer Intensive. She attended the program every summer in NYC from 2013-2019. She has also had the opportunities to train under Rhonda Malkin in her prestigious Professional Dance Coaching program and Universal Dance Association’s College Summer Spirit Camp. Currently, Taylor instructs both competitive and recreational dancers in NJ and PA and is a full time graduate student at Stockton University pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree. She is also a fourth year member and President of the Stockton University Dance Team, who recently placed 2nd in the nation. Taylor is beyond excited to be a part of Studio 7 and cannot wait for this season!

Alisa Iacovelli is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer working in the New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia regions. Alisa was a member of Alchemy Dance Company, and has had the opportunity to perform under the direction of Artist House/Asya Zlatina & Dancers, Caitlin Quinn Pittenger, Rain Ross, as well as other artists. She began her dance training at Stagelite Academy of Performing Arts, and went on to receive B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Health Science from Stockton University. She recently graduated from Temple University with her Masters in Occupational Therapy. Throughout her training at Stockton University, Alisa has performed in works under the direction of acclaimed dance companies such as Gallim Dance, Lehrer Dance and Robert Moses’ Kin. She has presented her choreography at the Peridance APEX showcase, the iKada Contemporary Dance Festival, the American College Dance Association conference in 2016 and 2018, KYL/D’s Inhale Performance Series, the Koresh Artists Showcase, NYC Dance and Music Festival, and several other showcases. Alisa recently began teaching open classes at various places such as Powerhouse Dance, NDS Convention, local studios and more. She is also one of the proud coaches of the Stockton University Dance Team. Alisa continues to work as a choreographer and teacher as she moves forward in discovering her unique artistic voice.

Andrea Wachholtz began her training in Brooklyn, NY and went on to receive a scholarship with the New Ballet School associate school of the Feld Ballet Company, NY, NY. She holds a B.F.A. degree from Adelphi University, is an ABT certified teacher in Primary through Level 3.

She toured the United States, Canada and Mexico performing with such companies as...The Empire State Ballet, Xing Ballet, Royal Dance Theatre, Mime Internationale, Buffalo City Ballet, The Staten Island Ballet, Ballet Deviare and Some Dance Company. As a soloist, Andrea had the opportunity to dance many classical roles as well as dancing the works of many prominent choreographers, developing extremely valuable experiences.

She has been a teacher and a coach with such schools and companies as...The School of The Empire State Ballet Company, Summit Gymnastics,The Arts and Education Institute of Western NY, Paragon Gymnastics, Staten Island Ballet Company and School, Poly Prep Country Day School as well as Ballet Mistress for Staten Island Ballet Company for two years.

Andrea owned and operated her own studio, Andrea in motion inc. for ten years. She has worked and trained dancers helping them to reach their full professional potential.

Andrea is also a judge for regional and national dance competitions.

Andrea has also been choreographer for Adelphi University Cabarets,The Broadway Theatre Collective, The Empire State Ballet Company workshops, Summit Gymnastics, Paragon Gymnastics, Staten Island Ballet School, Poly Prep Country Day School, various dance studios, Sweet 16’s & cheerleading squads.

Andrea is dedicated to providing the proper knowledge to children and adults of all ages and capabilities that will allow them to grow both as a dancer and as a person. To help them discover how to use their own actions and experiences through their dancing in the most safe, pleasant and enjoyable environment. She is committed to her continued professional growth, injury prevention and the development of exciting new programming.

Christine began her dance journey at the age of three. She started with ballet, tap, and jazz which quickly evolved to add acro, lyrical, and contemporary. She started competitive dance at the age of eight in all genres and began private acro training in both a dance studio setting and gymnastics facility at that time as well. She began assistant teaching when she was thirteen and teaching her own classes at age sixteen. She has assisted, taught, and continues to sub at several local studios for both acrobatic and dance classes. She graduated from Raritan H.S. with an associate’s degree in social sciences from Brookdale Community College. While attending high school and college, Christine worked as a sub and assistant in a preschool as her lore of children and teaching is in her nature. She brings with her the desire, experience, and ability to provide a fun, safe, learning environment at Studio 7.

Karley was born and raised in Pompton Lakes New Jersey where she began dancing competitively at the age of 5 at the Performing Arts Academy. During her time at PAA she was crowned Teen Miss Acrobat of the United States 2014, Miss Acrobat of the United States 2016, was a Miss Dance of the United States finalist in 2016 and 2017, and received multiple regional dance and acrobatic titles throughout her competitive career. Karley was also a member of the United States Dance and Acrobatic Team for many years where she had the opportunity to perform at Madison Square Garden, Disney, Hershey park and more.

Karley continued her dance career at East Carolina University as a member of their Dance Team from 2017 to 2021. Throughout these 4 years Karley served as practice captain, received the coaches award for the 2019-2020 season, and dedication award for the 2020-2021 season. Karley performed at division 1 football games, basketball games, and competed at NDA Nationals where the team placed in the top 3 in D1A Pom all four of the years Karley was a member. At ECU, Karley was given the opportunity to choreograph many hip hop and jazz half time routines.

Karley now loves to share her passion for dance and acrobatics through teaching. She looks forward to seeing her students improvements and always pushes them to be the best athletes that they can be.

Alyssa Todaro was born and raised in Red Bank, NJ and began her dance training at L.A. Dance Center of the Arts in Lincroft, New Jersey under director Debra Nicolosi, where she had numerous performances and competitive opportunities and experiences. She began her dance career starting at the age of 3 and has continued her passion for dance ever since. She has trained in all styles of dance and competed in all styles competitively from the age of 5 to 21. During her training as a competitive dancer she has received awards on her dancing such as; Miss Teen Onstage America, Miss Dance KAR, and Miss Beyond the Stars. At the age of 18 she began her next chapter at Stockton University where she continued her dance training. Alyssa was accepted as a member of the Stockton Dance Company and also a member of the nationally ranked Stockton University Dance Team. Throughout her undergraduate career, Alyssa has had the privilege to work and study with artists such as; Rain Ross, Caitlin Q. Pittenger, Nathaniel Beau Hancock, Chandra Moss-Thorne, as well as Shannon Murphy, Blythe Smith, Kathryn Vickers, and Lauren Putty-White. Throughout her dance program experience she also had the opportunity to take master classes from professional companies such as; Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company and Tiffany Mills Company. As a member of the Stockton University Dance Team, Alyssa worked with her coaches Erin Pasko and Alisa Iacovelli and has also received the title of captain and Vice President of the nationally ranked team. She has competed at the UDA College Dance Team Nationals held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center in Orlando, Florida for four consecutive years. In addition to her dance training, Alyssa is a recent graduate of Stockton University with a degree in Liberal Studies with a Minor in Dance and will be continuing her dance career as a staff member of the Universal Dance Association. Alyssa will continue her passion for dance by trying out for professional sports dance teams and continue her love for both dancing and teaching here at Studio 7!

Lauren Strigari comes from New York City and began her career with the Rockettes at Radio City when she was seventeen years of age, and soon to follow was casted in Footloose with the Broadway choreographer AC Ciuella. She is proud to be a part of such organizations such as Broadway Bares Directed & founded by Jerry Mitchell as assistant choreographer. Along with teaching at dance studios throughout NYC & NJ she also is a proud leader of "Broadway in South Africa" as a teacher to young aspiring artists. She has performed with Ariana and Frankie Grande in videos & many Broadway appearances. Having a big lust for life and performing, she began taking her career worldwide. She worked with a more percussive show "The Aluminum Show" which toured Russia, Israel, Lebanon, and Canada. “Grease Das Musical” her main focus as she became the Associate Choreographer and director playing in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. As an avid fitness instructor and love of group fitness Lauren was trained by the company of SoulCycle and went on to help train & open studios across Germany! She is a firm believer on "How you do anything is how you will do everything" So go forward with passion, love, and good intentions!”

Spencer Todd discovered her passion for ballet at The New Jersey Ballet located in Livingston, NJ at the age of 10. She performed with the company at Papermill Playhouse and toured performing The Nutcracker. She trained in hip hop, lyrical, and contemporary at a local studio Ocean Dance Force in Manasquan, NJ. Spencer then went on to pursue her theater and performing dreams at The American Music and Dramatic Academy, graduating with an Associates of Arts in Theater Dance. She then went on to train at Steps on Broadway in their Conservatory Program, perfecting her skills in theater dance (Fosse focused), ballet, modern, contemporary, commercial dance, jazz, and tap. Choreographers she has worked with include Chet Walker, Dana Moore, Casey Colgan, Nick Palmquist, Debbie Roche, Al Blackstone, Laquet Sharnell-Pringle, Lisa Stevens, and Nicolas Thompson. Spencer aspires to work primarily in dance theater. Through her experience and passion, Spencer is excited to help shape and guide her students in their own individual dance journeys.

Max is a new graduate of Montclair State University with a bachelor’s degree in TV Production and Digital Media. Through his years of dancing he has trained intensely in tap and hip hop, working under the instruction of Deborah Mitchell, Karen Callaway Williams, Hilary Marie, Aaron Tolson, Derrick Grant, and Carlos Cordova to name a few. Max has won numerous “Mr. Teen” titles from various regional dance competitions, as well as the national title of Mr. Teen Beyond the Stars. He is also a dancer in the New Jersey Tap Ensemble and interns with the Jersey Tap Festival. He completed multiple national tours with Adrenaline Dance Convention and Competition as a part of their production team and an assistant to his tap mentor Nick Dinicolangelo. He keeps his love of dance alive by performing in shows throughout New York City, with his most recent performance being the Tap City Awards show.

Caitlin began her early training at Lowe Dance Studio in Voorhees, NJ, and at the age of 16 moved to Boca Raton, Florida to train at The Harid Conservatory. After graduating from Harid in 2007, Caitlin spent two years in the Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, where she had the opportunity to perform with the main company in ballets such as The Nutcracker, The Great Gatsby, and Alice in Wonderland. In 2009 she joined the Atlantic City Ballet under the direction of Phyllis Papa and has enjoyed dancing in a wide variety of roles, her favorites being Arabian in The Nutcracker, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Lucy Westerna in Dracula. Caitlin is still currently performing with the Atlantic City Ballet and has toured with the company all over New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Arizona, and California. When she’s not dancing or teaching, Caitlin enjoys baking and holds a degree in Baking & Pastry from the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College. Caitlin currently lives in Medford, NJ with her boyfriend and their two cats, Calliope and Stormy.

Shaye Fletcher was born and raised in Cape May where she attended her mother’s dance studio, Cape May Dancers, from the age of 1 to the age 18. Training under her mother’s direction not only built her passion for dance, but also taught her how to graciously and positively impact every single student that walks into the studio, both as a dancer and as a person. Growing up, Shaye participated in both recreational and competitive dance, which provided her with a large array of experience in all styles. Along with her own training, Shaye was able to teach alongside her mother and run acro and contortion classes, as well as teach private acro lessons. Shaye is a student of Stockton University, where she is studying Occupational Therapy and Childhood Studies with a plan to obtain her Masters Degree. Along with furthering her education, Shaye is also continuing her training on the nationally ranked Stockton University Dance Team as a team captain! Although she loves and appreciates every style of dance, she adores acro dance because of the never-ending possibilities of tricks, combos, and creativity for all levels from beginner to advanced. She is beyond excited to be able to share her expertise and love with everyone at Studio 7!

Sara is a professional ballroom dancer, specializing in latin dance such as Salsa, Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, and Jive. She competes regularly and trains with top coaches at Rogers Dancesport Center, as well as names such as Tony Dovolani from Dancing with the Stars.

Sara is passionate about sharing her love of dance, and looks forward to each opportunity to teach students and bring out the best in them. Her philosophy is to train hard, but to still have fun and remember the joy that dancing brings.

Sara’s love for performing and dancing started as soon as she could walk, and she is grateful to work and spend her time immersed in what she loves.

Caitlin Quinn Pittenger completed her M.F.A. in Dance from Temple University in Philadelphia and her B.A. in Dance from Goucher College, with a concentration in performance and choreography. Caitlin has always been dedicated to her teaching and has been a sought-after guest artist, master teacher, adjudicator and faculty in the tri-state area. She is currently an Associate Professor of Dance at Stockton University, where is also serving as Performing Arts Program Chair and Artistic Director of the Stockton Dance Company. In addition, she has had the pleasure of being a faculty member in the dance programs at Georgian Court University and Temple University. Pittenger has performed and toured with ClancyWorks Dance Company, under the direction of Adrienne Clancy and has worked with extensive artists throughout her training and career. Most recently she has performed and collaborated with Rain Ross, Beau Hancock, Merián Soto and Eva Gholson, to name few. Pittenger continues to present her own work and perform in Philadelphia, New York City, and New Jersey. Her recent work has been highlighted in the Koresh Artist Showcase in Philly, Fringe Arts Scratch Night, and Jennifer Muller/The Works Hatch Series in NYC. Caitlin is a Dancers Workshop and SeaCoast Dancer Alumni, as well as a dedicated mother, artist, and scholar, who is passionate and grateful for the opportunity to create and share with the new generation of dancers at Studio 7.