Owner and Artistic Director

Marisa Amanda has been dancing for over 25 years. A New Jersey native, she trained at the New Jersey School of Ballet and other local studios with a focus on ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, gymnastics, lyrical and musical theatre. A graduate of Rutgers University, Marisa earned her BA in Dance after four competitive years studying ballet, modern, choreography, performance skills and improvisation. She also studied Laban Movement Analysis, cultural dance of India, Israel, and Turkey, along with dance production, diversity, afro-fusion, dance and theater history. She applies with great interest these areas of academic understanding to her practice. In 2015 Marisa was invited to study abroad in Moscow, Russia at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy through the Joffrey Ballet School, NYC. In the following year, her choreographed work had the tremendous honor to be selected for presentation at the American Dance Festival, being acknowledged by some of the biggest names in the industry. Her choreographed works have won numerous overall, title, and special awards along with numerous choreography awards. In the summer of 2020, she was published in a dance magazine about her journey and career. Marisa is frequently invited to judge dance competitions, professionally light dance shows, run photoshoots and instruct at intensives the tri-state area. She is very excited to be going into her sixth year as a dance studio owner and spreading the love of dance at ACIDANCE, the studio where dancers come first!

Miss Brittney is a dedicated and energetic dance instructor who is driven by her desire to share her passion for dance with students of all ages. Her enthusiastic and positive attitude allow her to run a stimulating and engaging dance program which motivates students and instills a passion for dance within them. On a personal level she is approachable and compassionate which allows her to develop relationships with students that help to push them to strive for excellence in their art. Brittney grew up training in all genres of dance in Olyphant, Pennsylvania. She has trained at numerous places including but not limited to, Point Park University, Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center to name a few. Every competitive year, Miss Brittney’s dancers consistently place in the overall awards at competitions receiving high marks and special awards. Miss Brittney has been instructing dance since 2008 and is very excited to be educating young dancers at ACIDANCE for her fifth year. This season, Miss Brittney will be teaching recreational hip-hop, 3 Innovative Dance Company Competition Teams, ballet, pointe and competitive duets and trios!

Katya has been dancing for over fifteen years. She was trained under Marisa Amanda at ACIDANCE. She is trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, modern, jazz, gymnastics, tap, improvisation, musical theatre and choreography skills. She is a graduate of Phillipsburg High School and a graduate of the ACIDANCE Work/Study Program after six years of student teaching and training. She currently attends Warren County Community College while also working at ACIDANCE and Hunterdon Medical Center. Miss Katya is a thespian and was a consistent featured dancer in her High School’s plays. She was also a member of the color guard and a member of the Phillipsburg Dance Team. Katya’s past solos have placed in the overalls during competition seasons. She has broadened her dance education by taking master classes and intensives from guest artists from the American Ballet Theater, Catapult Dance, Bill T Jones, School of American Ballet, NewBrease Dance Project and more. She is the first ever dancer to be crowned Miss ACIDANCE 2021 and was also the 2022 Rob Walker Memorial Dance Scholarship recipient. She is very excited for her second year as an instructor at ACIDANCE.

Miss Breanna has been dancing since she was just three years old. She is heavily trained in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Tap, Ballet, Pointe and African. She attended a performing arts school where she continued more in-depth training while simultaneously completing four years of competitive dance. Breanna was a part of two dance groups in college where she first started choreographing. She has been teaching dance for over three years now and choreographing routines for dancers for six years in the tri-state area. In May of 2022, she received a Choreography Award titled “Crowd Entertainment,” and this piece had the highest scoring 12 and up number at Breakout Dance Competition. Again, in May of 2023, her piece had the highest scoring 12 and up number at Beyond The Stars Dance Competition. She is excited to continue her passion and teaching journey here at ACIDANCE. In season 6, Miss Breanna will be teaching tap and jazz recreational classes as well as competitive competition privates! We are so excited to have Miss Breanna!

Miss Tay has been dancing for over ten years and is currently pursuing her Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Theater at Kean University. She is currently the President of Kean University Top Knotch Majorette Dance Team, and Vice President of Kean Musical Movement. Growing up dancing at Joanne’s School of Dance, she studied contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and acrobatics. Throughout high school, she was captain of her high school dance team in addition to performing in recitals and competitions. To Miss Tay, dance is a way to express and relieve your thoughts and feelings when you are left with no words to say. She is beyond excited to share her passion for dance and creative ideas with the dancers at ACIDANCE! In Season 6, Miss Tay will be teaching recreational hip-hop, tap, gymnastics and jazz as well as two of our Innovation Dance Company Competition Teams!

Office Manager