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OUR TEAM
At Dance Force, our team of dedicated and caring instructors place an emphasis on having fun while learning. We believe that each dancer is a star and deserves individual attention as we help them build their self-esteem.
Take a look at the experienced and accomplished individuals below that we are proud to have as a part of our Dance Force family!
Laura Marra
Laura began dancing at the young age of 3 and has many years of experience studying gymnastics, tap, jazz, ballet, baton, and musical theatre both recreationally and competitively.
Laura has been teaching at Dance Force since 2006 and loves teaching and sharing her love and passion for dance and gymnastics with her students. Laura graduated from Plymouth State University with a B.A in Creative Arts Therapy and Dance and holds a M.S in Counseling and Community Psychology.
Laura is also very involved with local community musical theatre where she has performed in 30+ local productions with numerous different theatre companies. Laura has also choreographed several local musical theatre productions for which she received a TANYS award for choreography. Laura is the mother of three wonderful daughters and works as a Supervisor for Schenectady County Children and Family Services as well as owner and cake decorator of Heavenly Sweets.
When not teaching and dancing, Laura also enjoys singing, baking, traveling and spending time with her family.
Cara DeMeo
Cara is the founder of Dance Force and has been the studio's director for 26 years!
At Dance Force Cara teaches at the Rotterdam location and manages both Rotterdam and Amsterdam’s locations. She began dancing at the age of 5 and has studied dance ever since. She is proficient in all areas of dance and loves the expressive outlet it brings to all.
Cara herself was a competitive dancer winning many top awards, one she’s most proud of was “NY Most Well Rounded Dancer” having to win all 4 divisions in Jazz, Lyrical, Tap and Open. She began teaching at age 14 and opened Dance Force at age 17. Cara’s teaching style is laid back but structured and always making it priority to learn and have fun at the same time. She has been fortunate to choreograph for commercials, TV shows and off Broadway shows and theater groups.
She has hosted many event fundraisers for Cancer Society (founder of Entertaining for a Cure) Humane Society, AIDS and many more, giving back to the community is always a priority. Dance Force is now an active member of “National Dance Education Organization” where Cara does continuing Ed along w it’s Musicworks, Dance Life and CLI.
Cara herself has two amazing children, 18 year old Mia and 5 year old Luca, they are her everything in life. She is continually proud of how DF has grown and sculpted so many tiny dancers into beautiful young adults.
Trisha Roth
Trisha has been teaching for Dance Force for 8 years. She teaches ballet and gymnastics at the Amsterdam Studio. She also teaches creative movement and dance for children with special needs at the Rotterdam location.
Trisha is excited to teach ballet and tap at the Rotterdam location beginning this year. Trisha has two daughters, Shauna and Brianna that have grown up dancing at Dance Force. When she’s not teaching dance, Trisha is a kindergarten special education teacher.
She is also the founder and director of Schalmont Youth Cheer and Dance. Fun fact: Trisha first met Cara at the dance studio when they were in elementary school.
Jen Bargy
Jen studied tap, jazz, ballet, gymnastics, lyrical and baton at a local dance studio in Schenectady and competed nationally throughout her childhood.
She credits her dance education to a teacher who focused on the technical aspects of ballet, taking ballet three times a week and the encouragement of amazing peers that she currently has the pleasure of teaching with now at Dance Force many years later.
After taking several years off to focus on her four children and a full-time job, Jen has returned to Dance Force to join the gymnastics team.
Jackie Stark
Jackie has been teaching for over 20 years at Dance Force and over 10 years in the fitness industry personal training & teaching group classes.
She is dedicated to taking continuing education to both grow as a teacher & help her students grow as dancers!
Heather Sheehan-Pielo
Dance has always been a part of Heather's life because for generations it was in her family and passed down. She started dancing at the age of 2 and never looked back.
Over the years Heather has danced both for recreational reasons as well as participated in numerous local, regional, and national dance competitions. She started teaching her own dance classes at age 15 and taught recreational and competitive level dancers ages 2 and up.
After high school, Heather received her A.A.S. Degree in Early Childhood Education. She went on to open a successful dance studio of her own for 17 years, and makes custom/semi custom dance costumes.
She is currently in the process of starting her own custom costume supplies business and enjoys teaching at various local studios to continue her love of dance and teaching!
Andre Malo-Robles
Andre is a dancer/choreographer, and educator based in Albany, NY. He has danced for the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Dresden SemperOper Ballet (Germany), Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Teatro Colon, Ulster Dance Company, and Ajkun Ballet Theatre.
His training began in NYC at Westside Dance Project and was further developed through the School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, and The Ailey School.
Andre is on the faculty at Skidmore College and many local dance schools in the Capital Region. Andre holds degrees from American Public University, Empire State, and Queensborough Community College. He hails from Brooklyn, New York.
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Evan Buess
Brittany Moeske
Emma Curtin
Mia Jones
Lexi Grant
Maddie Jerard
Karen Gilot