Dive Into MDS!
The MDS Philosophy
Quality - Joy - Inclusiveness - Inspiration
For 40 years, the MDS philosophy has been to provide quality dance education in a caring environment. We aim to inspire our students to be the best dancers they can be, whether they are recreational or intensive dancers. We dedicate ourselves to developing self-esteem and confidence in each child, and aspire to have a lasting positive influence on each and every student.
Quality Dance Education
We believe in a positive atmosphere for our students, their families, and our staff. Although parents and teachers might view the child’s learning process in different ways, the goal is the same: we want every child to have the best experience, both physically and mentally. Respect among the parents, students, and faculty provides a caring and positive environment.
Our school takes the responsibility of educating and guiding your children very seriously. The lessons learned at dancing school go beyond the techniques and steps they master. We believe dancers gain an understanding of discipline, commitment, teamwork, and the value of working hard. We offer them a way to express themselves and have a better understanding of themselves. Dance is an individual art form. We strive for our students to feel satisfied with their own accomplishments, to be supportive of others and to feel good about being at our school.
Someday our students might forget most of the steps they learned at dancing school, but never the experience. We hope that experience will provide them with the skills and confidence for a successful life whether or not it includes dance.
An Inspired Staff
Our faculty is more than a group of wonderful dancers. Each member of our teaching staff has a college degree in dance, and many have additional specialties and certifications in the field. Our teaching staff includes those who are certified to teach dance to students with special needs, those with a Masters Degree in Dance Education, and dance artists with specialization in choreography and composition.
Our faculty & staff
Cebo
Jaime C.
Emma B.
Faculty
Cebo has been a distinguished fixture in the street and club culture for more than 30 years. Cebo is president of New York’s first street club dance companies, Next Generation NYC, LLC (NXGN) / Next Generation New York Studios. Cebo is also the movement specialist for GoNoodle’s Blazer Fresh, a director of the MopTop Universal Program at Peridance Center, and a member of the world-famous house dance originators Dance Fusion Crew NYC. His love for street club culture and all the things it continues to do for the world continues to drive him to find ways in which he can help enrich the community through music, feeling, and dance!
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Favorite Teaching Saying: "Search for the energy in the room, not in the mirror."
Emma B.
Jaime C.
Emma B.
Faculty
Emma is a Dominican-American artist and certified educational professional born and raised in Union City, NJ. Emma began her formal dance training through the K-12 educational model which has also influenced her desire to make the artists expressive and accessible to all. She is a graduate of Brown University, where she earned her BA in Performance Studies, and New York University, where she received her MA in Dance Education; receiving K-12 certification in NY and NJ. Emma has worked as a dance educator at Union City High School and is currently an adjunct professor at Wagner College and a teaching artist with NJPAC's art education department. She teaches and choreographs in various styles which include salsa, bachata, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, and more.
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I Feel Super Happy When... I'm sharing my love of dance with my students!
Jaime C.
Jaime C.
Aileen C.
Faculty | Administrative Staff
Jaime began her dance training at the age of 2.5. She has studied styles of dance
including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern and acro. She began competitive dance at the age of 9 when she won several top scores at both Regional and National levels. She competed and took convention and Master classes all around the country. After high school graduation, Jaime attended Marymount Manhattan College where she graduated with her BA in Dance and minor in education while student teaching all over NYC public schools. Jaime has close to 20 years of teaching experience with students ranging from ages two to adult and has won
several top score, choreography and special awards at regional and national level. Jaime’s love of children, dance, and dedication to both have proven she loves to share her passion with everyone around her.
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Favorite Sweet Treat: Frozen Snicker’s Bar
Aileen C.
Danielle D.
Aileen C.
Faculty
Aileen is a Rutgers University alumna with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. She has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern from a very young age, as well as branching out into ballroom/Latin and street styles in adulthood. With a background as a childcare provider, she strives to provide children a safe and nurturing environment to explore movement and creativity while celebrating personal growth. Aileen currently teaches children’s classes in ballet, tap, hip hop, and creative movement and is so excited to see a new generation of dancers blossom.
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Favorite Livingston Spot: Livingston Town Center
Danielle D.
Danielle D.
Danielle D.
Faculty
This Midwest girl has been dancing since preschool! After high school Danielle moved to NYC to attend Marymount Manhattan College. There she studied many styles of dance and received her BFA in Dance with a minor in Education. After college, she spent 10 years performing on various tours, industrials, and cruise ships around the USA, Caribbean and Europe. Danielle's greatest passion is teaching children the joy of dance! She has taught at The Ailey School, ABT’s Summer Intensive, Manhattan Movement Arts Center and Apple Seeds in New York City and numerous dance studios in the tri-state area. Danielle started teaching at Michele's Dance Studio in 2011 but in 2014 after having her second child, Danielle chose to stay home full time with her son and daughter, returning to teach at MDS in 2021. She is excited to share her love of dance with more MDS dancers.
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Favorite Song to Dance To: "Someone Like You" by Adele
Katelyn H.
Danielle D.
Danielle D.
Administrative Staff
Katelyn is a choreographer, performer, arts administrator, and teacher/facilitator originally from Austin, Texas. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Houston with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Dance, she moved to the east coast where she has built a multidisciplinary arts practice spanning dance, writing, installation, and fiber art. She holds a New Jersey teaching certificate for high school English, is a 2012 Teach for America New Jersey corps member, and is the owner and artistic director of SMUSH Gallery, an art space dedicated to creative and community work in Jersey City, NJ.
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Hidden Talent: Spreadsheets!
Homeria L.
Homeria L.
Homeria L.
Faculty
Homeria is an artist based in New York. She majored in Dance at the University at Buffalo and has continued to choreograph and perform in freelance projects in the New York/New Jersey area. Homeria has studied with many artists such as Tom Ralabate, Emily Greenwell, and Bo Park, and she is currently a member of the company Cross the Line in NYC. Homeria’s goal in class is to give students the space to take risks and grow their artistry. She aims to create a space that challenges and inspires artist, while also bringing fun and creativity to dance. In her class you can expect discussion, improvisation, and choreography based on the fusion of her training. Homeria believes dance informs our human experience through mind-body connection and hope artist can cultivate it in her classroom.
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I Feel Super Happy When... I'm cooking a new recipe
Allie M.
Homeria L.
Homeria L.
Faculty
Allie is from Houston, Texas. She is a graduate from Montclair State University where she obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a minor in Family Science and Human Development. She has been trained in ballet, jazz, Horton, Limón, Taylor, and more, and has taught ballet, jazz, pre-pointe and contemporary. Her extensive background has not only refined her technical abilities but also instilled a deep sense of discipline, teamwork, and creativity. As a teacher and choreographer, Allie drives her students to push their boundaries and to achieve their highest potential by fostering a supportive and challenging environment.
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Favorite Animal: Panda
Gina R.
Homeria L.
Gina R.
Faculty
Gina is a dancer, teacher and choreographer who has been dancing since the age of 3 years old. She has trained in many styles including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop and more. She began competing at competitions at the age of 13 and traveled all over New Jersey. She attended the Academy for Performing Arts high school in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Gina graduated there in 2021 and continued her schooling at Montclair State University. She is set to graduate Spring 2023 to get her degree in Family Science and Human Development. She is now the president of the Montclair State Dance Company where she runs the organization, inspiring people to come out and dance just for fun. Gina is excited to share the love of dance with new dancers and she is excited to teach at MDS.
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Favorite Animal: Axolotl
Ross S.
Mallory T.
Gina R.
Faculty | Studio Director
While Ross has performed as a dancer, choreographer, and musician all over the country and internationally, he has also taught at many of the best dance studios in NJ. He has been dancing and teaching consistently in Livingston, NJ since childhood. Ross grew up participating in almost exclusively tap and hip hop and continues to study these forms and participate in these cultures as part of his regular upkeep in staying an effective educator and studio director. Ross combines his passion for dance with a desire to understand how children learn. His years of experience and a belief that dance is for everybody have helped him develop a set of values and classroom tools to adapt to many different types of students.
His credentials include a B.F.A. in modern dance from Ohio University, a C.E. to teach dance and K-6 in NJ public schools, a Sivananda advanced yoga teaching certificate and he is certified by Rhythm Works Integrated Dance to teach children with special needs. Ross is also a certified dance teacher by the Dance Educators of America.
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Favorite Sweet Treat: Cranberry Cookies
Mallory T.
Mallory T.
Mallory T.
Faculty
Knee deep into her teaching and choreographing career, Mallory desires to positively affect as many people as possible. She hopes to offer a space where one can feel safe, free and compelled to explore their internal selves through movement and their body's sensations, and she encourages students to experience the work rather than just express, perform, or impress; it's all about how it feels, not necessarily how it looks. In her work, choreographic and teaching, Mallory is heavily inspired by somatic experiencing, meditation, musicality, and finding one’s bodily limitations. She hopes to create classes and pieces that define the feeling of being human as well as uncover one’s personal capabilities and aspirations. It is more than just dance moves and at the same time, class is just class. She hopes her work can help dancers find pleasure in their movement and more importantly, in their minds.
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Favorite Teaching Saying: "What does it feel like?"
Heather W.
Mallory T.
Mallory T.
Special Projects
Heather is a dancer, educator, artist, and arts advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Dance from Point Park University and is the founder, director, and instructor of the award-winning dance program at County Prep High School, where she built a specialized curriculum focused on creative process with attention to cultural and social responsibility. She currently serves on the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Workgroup for the National Dance Education Organization. She has presented professional development, movement workshops, and lectures for NDEO, Dance New Jersey, Jersey City Public Schools, Montclair State University, and the Brooklyn Arts Exchange. She has performed in a wide range of performance genres (modern dance, West African dance, tap dance, music, theater), in venues throughout the east coast, including the NJ State Theater, Mass MoCA, Ars Nova, White Eagle Hall, Chashama, and the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center.
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Favorite Sweet Treat: Cap'n Crunch
Our History
The First 40 Years
Have you ever wondered who put the “Michele” in Michele’s Dance Studio? Look no further than this newspaper clipping, courtesy of the West Essex Tribune from almost 40 years ago. Back in 1982, Michele Sandler, better known around town as Miss Michele, put on her leotard, opened her studio, and began sharing her love of dance. From these small and humble beginnings, MDS grew to be the leading presence for dance education in Livingston, NJ.
Over the years we've taught many generations of dance students. That goes for our family, too! From the beginning, Michele's sons, Scott and Ross, took classes at MDS and would show off their b-boy and tap routines around town as well as on the MDS stages. Since those early days, Ross has gone on to have an extensive career as an international performer, choreographer, and dance educator. We are proud to have such high quality dance education run in the family and to offer it to our wonderful community.
In the forty years since our founding, MDS has grown into a supportive studio for all of Livingston’s young dancers - it has become a place where a love of movement is fostered and where excellent training is the standard.
MDS Today
After 40 wonderful years, MDS just keeps getting better. With a highly educated faculty and top-notch clientele, MDS is now led by its second generation of the family. Studio owner Ross Sandler is a professional performer of dance and music with a B.F.A. in modern dance & choreography as well as certifications in yoga and teaching special needs students. Under his leadership, MDS is growing its community and enriching its curriculum to include even more artistry and performance. It continues to be a joyful, inspired, and inclusive studio where Livingston students can enjoy The Quality Dance Experience.