FACULTY

Our faculty members have decades of teaching experience and foster an atmosphere of originality and mutual respect for all levels and movement styles. Our students learn the value of discipline and commitment in a professional and supportive environment.

Mariana Sanchez is Dance Matters’ Founder, Owner and Director. She was born in Mexico City and began her dancing career at the age of 4. She was fortunate to discover her passion early on and has devoted herself to a lifetime of dance training.

Mariana’s early classical studies where under the British Royal Academy of Dance Curriculum. She had the honor to perform in ballets such as LaBayadere, Swan Lake, Giselle, and the Nutcracker in her native Mexico. Mariana has taken the stage internationally in Mexico, England, Costa Rica, Cuba and the US.

She moved to NYC to continue and expand her dance training and studied under the tutelage of under Alan Danielson, Director of the José Limón Institute of New York City, David Howard, Milton Myers, Peff Modelsky, and Nancy Bielski. She graduated from the acclaimed Independent Studies Program at Alvin Ailey School of Dance.

Mariana is an experienced and loving teacher. She has extensive experience and has a warm and positive approach to teaching. She is an ABT Certified teacher, having completed the ABT Teacher Intensive Training program through Level 3. In addition Mariana graduated Cum Laude from NYU with a BA in Social Sciences with a concentration in International Studies.

She feels fortunate to have found her calling and has created Dance Matters NYC, a wonderful dance organization dedicated to enriching the lives of her community through the beauty and transformative power of dance.

lee katherine fink

Lee Katherine Fink has studied with the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, NC Dance Festival at NC School of the Arts, Mike Minery, Alvin Ailey, the Rockettes and the dance companies of Larry Keigwin, David Dorfman, Ron K. Brown, Gina Gibney, Ellis Woods, Kate Weare and Battleworks. After graduating with a BFA from NYU, Lee Katherine interned for Amalgamate Dance Company, was also a part of Composer’s Voice Concert Series, performed 3 years with Michael Susten and company, and is a current member of Synthesis Dance.

“I really want to have as much of an impact on kids lives as I can. Teachers carry a huge responsibility to instill character.

Dance Matters has welcomed me with open arms. The environment is incredible, as well as the staff and the students. This studio understands the importance of dance in the world and in individuals. I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to help create a warm atmosphere and a plethora of opportunities for each student who walks through the door.”

rebecca hite

Rebecca Hite received her MFA in dance choreography/performance from Smith College, and her BA in dance from Connecticut College. She interned with BoSoma Dance of Boston, MA, and Parsons Dance of New York City, and was fortunate enough to spend five months in Sydney, Australia studying Graham technique and dance composition. Rebecca has performed works by renowned artists such as David Dorfman, Lisa Race, Heidi Henderson, Adele Myers, Nicholas Leichter, Jeremy Nelson, Wally Cardona, and Monica Bill Barnes. She has taught at Smith College, Amherst College, the American College Dance Festival’s New England Region, Middle School 217 in Briarwood, Queens, and at multiple New York-based dance studios and senior centers.

Rebecca has performed with The Feath3r Theory under the artistic direction of Raja Kelly; Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances for a Variable Population; MachineH Dance; and is co-creator and co-artistic director of Reject Dance Theatre. She obtained her Pilates Mat certification through Equinox Fitness. Rebecca’s work has been presented at Triskelion Arts in Brooklyn, NY, Built on Stilts Festival in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, MixMatch Dance Festival in Los Angeles, California, Trinity Repertory Theater in Providence, RI, the Astoria Dance Festival in Astoria, NY, The Manhattan Movement and Arts Center; plus many more.

dana fisch

Dana Fisch, originally from the Kansas City area, received her Bachelor of Science in Dance Management at Oklahoma City University. Since graduating, she has had a very successful career wearing many, many hats: dancer, choreographer, producer, stage manager, and administrator. Some of her favorites: Dance Captain & Tap Dancer for NJ Tap Dance Ensemble (Deborah Mitchell, director), studio manager for Battery Dance Company (Jonathan Hollander, director), Stage Manager & Tap Dancer for Tap Extravaganza (produced by the NY Committee to Celebrate National Tap Dance Day), Company Manager & Jazz Dancer for Push Factor Dance Company (Jacqui Young, director), and Tap Dancer for Mazel Toes (Shelby Kaufman, director).

All of her experience culminated when she founded Undertoe Dance Project. Fusing the artistry of contemporary jazz dance with the percussive rhythms of tap dance, Undertoe performed in and around the tri-state area for nearly six years at venues including Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, 14th Street Y, and in festivals such as the Downtown Dance Festival, Choreographer’s Canvas, Figment NYC, and Dance Parade. Signature events were annual New York Seasons, the Astoria Dance Festival, the Undertoe Dance Festival, and Tappy Hour (a recreational tap class for adults).

Dana is thrilled to join the Dance Matters NYC team! She is excited to help this wonderful organization grow and thrive in Queens, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

kerry mcmanus

Kerry McManus is a professional dancer and teacher based in NYC. She received her training in classical ballet and modern techniques from Eastern Connecticut Ballet under the direction of former NYCB soloist, Gloria Govrin. Her training continued in New York at Marymount Manhattan College where she received a BFA in Dance with a concentration in ballet. Her performance career varies in style from classical and contemporary ballet to post-modern art installations and commercial music videos.

Kerry has been teaching dance for over 10 years and adores her work! She teaches kids of all ages as well as adults. She feels passionate about the art and beauty dance has brought to her life and wants to share it with everyone willing to learn. Kerry is certified with the ABT National Training Program through Level 5 as well as Dance Education Laboratory and Autism Movement Therapy.

Dance Matters has been her home studio for the past 6 years, teaching creative movement, ballet and adult ballet classes.

hayleigh schmidt headshot

Hayleigh Schmidt is a dancer, choreographer, and educator from upstate New York. After earning her B.F.A. in Dance (pedagogy concentration) from Mercyhurst University, she relocated to NYC to continue her training and education through Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Program.

As a professional artist, Hayleigh has freelanced for various classical ballet companies, has been featured in choreography festivals, and has been part of professional dance teams. During August 2020 Hayleigh accepted the position of Ballet Mistress and Principal Instructor at Ballet Indiana.

Apart from choreographing and private instruction, she developed the Wellness in Dance program; a program dedicated to providing pre-professional dancers with essential knowledge in cross-training, nutrition, and recovery techniques. Having a particular passion for coaching young dancers for auditions and competitions, she loves spending time with individuals preparing them for college, professional companies, and Youth America Grand Prix competitions.

Giorgia Picano is originally from Formia, Italy. She began dancing at a very early age at Centro Art Studio and started her professional training at 19 at the École Supérieure de Danse Jazz in Nice, France, graduating in 2019. From 2015 to 2019, she performed works by Serge Alzetta and Geneviève Blanchard, touring in Italy and France with AEDJ Group and Les Ballets Serge Alzetta.

In 2019, she moved to New York City to train in the Scholarship Program at The Ailey School. While there, she performed works by Jessica Castro and, as a member of the Ailey Student Performance Group, works by Patrick Coker, Hollie Wright, Amy Hall Garner, as well as excerpts from Alvin Ailey’s repertory. She completed her studies at Ailey in May 2022.

Since then, Giorgia has participated in numerous projects across New York City, demonstrating her versatility, creativity, and ability to adapt to a wide range of dance styles and choreographic processes. She currently dances with Hanna Q Dance Company and Incanto Productions, where she has also choreographed four off-Broadway shows that toured between 2023 and 2026.

With over ten years of teaching experience, Giorgia has built a dynamic teaching career across Italy, France, and New York, working with students of all ages — from toddlers (18 months) to adults — in both academic and recreational settings, including in-school and after-school programs. She is also frequently invited to lead specialized workshops at schools across Europe. She teaches a wide variety of styles, including Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Horton, Lyrical, Floor Barre, Stretch and Strengthening, Conditioning, and Mat Pilates.She holds multiple teaching certifications, including AEDJazz, Horton Pedagogy, ABT® National Training Curriculum, and Mat Pilates.

Giorgia is thrilled to be part of the Dance Matters NYC family as a ballet, jazz, and modern teacher, as well as a mat Pilates instructor.

Fatima “Tima” Smith is a Dancer/Choreographer that was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She has been training and dancing professionally for over 15 years and specializes in Hip-Hop and Acro.

After graduating from a performing arts high school she traveled to dance and teach in different states across the country including California, Arizona, and Virginia, to name a few. Currently, she teaches over 20 classes a week to students of all ages between NY & NJ. She is known for her high energy, dynamic choreography and her passion for teaching and helping students gain confidence, knowledge and structure in her classes.

Within her career she has had the pleasure of working for several different up-and-coming and mainstream artist such as Melissa Sandoval, Ali Tomineek, and Ciara! She has also been honored with the opportunity to perform for Michael Jackson’s estate at NYFW. Her goal is to continue to spread her love and passion for dance with the world. 🫶

Berenice Carballo is a salvadorean jazz, contemporary, ballet and modern dancer. She began her dance studies in El Salvador at Humanum Tempore under the direction of Estela Mena and perform on events like UNICEF initiative “Mi derecho a un sueño” and productions like “Moana” and “Danza El Salvador.” In 2022 she moved to NYC to continue her studies at Peridance Certificate program where she was part of the 2024 class. While in school she had the opportunity to learn from teachers like Anabella Lenzu, Amanda Stevenson, Preston Mui and Richard Chen See. She also had the opportunity to perform works of choreographers like Igal Perry, Ali Pfleger and Erica Bowen. She is very excited to join the Dance Matters Faculty and share her love for dance with her students.

Jazmin Carballo is a dancer from El Salvador trained in jazz, ballet, contemporary, modern and hip hop. She began her dance studies at Humanum Tempore under the direction of Estela Mena and performed multiple times as a member of the professional team. She has been teaching dance and acrobatics since 2017 and enjoys sharing her love for dance through her classes. In 2023 she moved to New York City to be part of the STEPS ON BROADWAY CONSERVATORY program where she has had the opportunity to work with choreographers like Billy Griffin, Cristina Camacho and learn from teacher like Kenna Morris and Kate Loh.

Cara Trinidad was brought up in Manila, Philippines where she trained in classical ballet, modern, and contemporary from age 4. She was a full scholar at Academy One Music and Dance Center under the tutelage of Cherish Garcia, Pamela Asprer-Espejo, and Jeffrey Espejo. This opened up the path to train and compete in both local and international settings. Some notable experiences being the Asian Grand Prix in 2012, and the Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive in New York in 2015. She became a homegrown teacher at Academy One as well. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Dance from the University of the Philippines, she moved to New York and has since been teaching ballet and creative movement at multiple schools and programs in Queens. Cara is also an ABT® Certified Teacher, and has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Joseph Harrington is a dance educator, fitness instructor, and performer based in New York City. He holds a BFA in Dance from Pace University where his concentration was Ballet Pedagogy.

Joseph began performing at a young age, eventually making his Broadway debut at age 8. He starred as Billy in Billy Elliot The Musical on Broadway at age 11 and continued the child performer life for a few more years before heading back to Cincinnati, OH to focus on training and being a kid. He has since maintained a performance career alongside being an educator of dance and fitness to folks of all ages. Some of his favorite opportunities include creating a Boys Ballet program with Mariana Sanchez of Dance Matters in Queens, NY and initiating a theater dance program for seniors at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. He is a NASM-certified Personal Trainer and a certified Reformer Pilates instructor through Studio Pilates International. Joseph strives to use his experiences growing up to inform how he teaches his students. He is passionate about creating a safe, kind, and fun space for his students that inspires hard work and growth.

Asimeni Savvas…

Bio coming soon!