Teachers

Debra Punzi  

Debra Punzi is a teacher, choreographer and artistic director. She has helped hundreds of dancers start their careers. She has a Masters Degree in dance and her early training includes Joffrey Ballet School, Paul Haakon and Valentine Froman. She has trained as a Lincoln Center Teaching Artist. She has studied Cecchetti method, Royal Ballet School and Balachine Method. Ms Punzi performed in Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, A Mid Summer Nights Dream, Snow White, Swan Lake, La Corsaire pas de deux, Don Quixote pas de deux, Giselle, The Nutcracker and many orginal ballets. In the year 2000 she was named "Women of the Year" by the Town of Brookhaven.She has worked as a Dance Competition Judge. Her career as a choreographer is vast including workshopswith Bessie Schonberg and Regional Dance America National Choreography Intensive.  

Natasa Trifan  

Natasa Trifan is an international choreographer and teacher who was raised in Romania where she studied ballet for nine years at "Floria Capsali", the premier Romanian Ballet School. She graduated from the "Academy of Theater and Film" in Bucharest with a major in choreography and modern dance. In 1999 she moved to United States of America an graduated from SUNY Brockport with an MA in Dance and Somatics. In 2001 she studied at the East -West Movement Therapy Program, the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method . Natasa founded Natasa Trifan Performance Group in 1999.Natasa's work has been seen in Romania, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Chile, England at Chipping Norton Theater and the Bath Theater and in New York City at the Citicorp Theater at Alvin Ailey Studios , the HERE Theater, The Harlem Stages, the Dance New Amsterdam, the Theater for The New City, the Merkin Hall at Kaufman Center, the Construction Company, the Dance Theater Workshop, the Joyce Soho theater, the Merce Cunningham Studio and at many others venues in Brooklyn.

Dawn Petchonka  

Dawn Petchonka studied at the New York Conservatory of Dance, The Ballet Center, Lumier Ballet, and at the Eglevsky School of Ballet. She performed with Ballet Long Island for many years in The Nutcracker,Peter and the Wolf, Cinderella and many more ballets. Her life is dedicated to ballet. Ms Petchonka has over 20 years experience teaching classical ballet and pointe. She has performed in New York City and Long Island and is a former staff member at USDAN Center for the Performing Arts , Eglevsky Summer Ballet Intensive and American Theater Dance Workshop.  

Robin Williams 

Robin Williams started dancing at the age of 5 and hasn’t stopped dancing yet. Born in Detroit, Michigan Ms. Williams was a dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem and is recognized as one of New York’s highly respected choreographers and dance training principals. She is credited for exposing classical dance to school children in the Harlem area. Performing abroad and throughout the United States, Ms. Williams was a principal dancer with Dancer Theatre of Harlem's Ensemble, Gallman's Dance Theatre, Nanette Bearden's Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Ballet Long Island. Her most rewarding performance to date, however, is fulfilling the dreams of young people everyday at her Uptown Dance Academy.  

Keith Miller 

Mr Miller has a BA in dance and theater from Wright State College. He has performed with Ohio Ballet, Joan Miller Dance, Dayton Ballet, Staton Island Ballet and Ballet Long Island. His young traing as a chils started his training at Jeanie Moreland Dancers He has performed roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Peter and the Wolf, A Mid Summer Nights Dream, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty and more. He is a dancer and teacher currently teaching tap, jazz and ballet.  

Laurie Solomon 

Ms Solomon has a BA in theraputic recreation and has studied ballet for over 30 years.Her earliest training was under Debra Punzi and she currently attends weekly ballet class with Ms Punzi. She has performed with Ballet Long Island in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Snow White, Firebird, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas, Multicultural Celebration and many more ballets. She is an incredible staff member at The Ballet Center and aspires to pass on her love of ballet to her students.  

Kasey Flath

 Ms Flath has studied dance for over 10 years. She has been awarded many scholarships to study dance. Her studies have been at The Ballet Center, The Joffery Ballet School and The Rockette Experience. She is a beautiful classical ballet dancer. She performs with Ballet Long Island in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas and many other ballets. Kasey loves to work with children and her passion is to get everyone to dance.  

Juliana Jagielo  

Ms Jagielo began her dance training in an after school program in Brentwood School District. Juliana auditioned for a scholarship to study at The Ballet Center and has been awarded over 21 scholarships to study dance and acting. She completed a two year assistant teacher program before becoming part of the teaching staff at The Ballet Center. Juliana has a strong love of dance and a passion for teaching. Currently she performing professionally with Ballet Long Island in lead roles in Snow White, The Nutcracker, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Pas de Quatre , Swan Lake and other works. Juliana Jagielo is a dancer that combines passion, dedication and desire.   

  Nora Goodman
Nora has studied classical ballet, modern and Irish Step dance. Ms Goodman has recieved many scholarships to study ballet. She has studied at The Ballet Center, Corvino Ballet and Next Generation Ballet in Tampa , Flordia. She is a teacher who is energetic, positive, and gives specific feedback to each student, not just general comments. She has performed lead roles with Ballet Long Island in many ballets including The Nutcracker, Snow White, Pas de Quatre, Swan Lake, Pocahontas, Firebird, A Mid Summer Nights Dream and many more. In addition to dancing, Nora plays the piano and sings.

Micheal Seaman 

Mr Seaman began his training under Olga Vazar and the studied at the Eglevsky Ballet School, Broadway Dance Center and The Ballet Center. He has studied classical ballet, tap , jazz, and gymnastics. He has over 25 years experience as a teacher. He has dance professionally in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Firebird, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty and other works.  

David Moreno 

Mr Moreno began his early training The National Ballet of Panama. In New York he has trained at Broadway Dance Center, Joffery Ballet School and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. He has performed with Ballet Long Island,New Jersey Ballet, Nanette Bearden's Contemporary Dance Theater. He has performed at the world renowed "Andy Williams Show" at the sophisticated Moon River Theater. David Moreno is one of the most knowledgeable, fun, artistic and serious minded teachers a student would want to know. If you want to learn to dance then Mr Moreno is your guide.

Sarah Goodman
Sarah Goodman has studied ballet and modern dance. She has performed with Ballet Long Island as the lead role in Pocahontas, the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and many roles in Cinderella, Snow White, Swan Lake, Pas de Quatre, Romeo and Juliet. She is a talented dancer and a joy to watch on stage.She was hand picked to worked as an assistant teacher for two years under Debra Punzi, Artistic Director, The Ballet Center. She is a teacher who loves to pass her passion for dance to her students.

Mandi Kovalevich-Garcia

Mandi began dancing at a local Long Island dance school at a very young age. She took classes in Tap, Jazz, and HipHop. In High School she was on a Kick line and love performing. She has also studied Dramatic Arts and has a certificate in Dramatic Arts, High Honors from Eartern Suffolk BOCES. In college she studied early childhood education. After college, she realized where her heart truly lied, and this was sharing her love of dance with others. She has taught classes at David Sanders Dance Dynamics and Elite Dance Center . To her, being a dance teacher is the most gratifying and rewarding experience, and she cannot wait to teach her students each week.