Dance Cavise is always striving to offer its students an outstanding teaching faculty, including top New York City professionals. Every teacher specializes in the discipline of their class. With diverse personalities, each teacher brings their unique experience to the classroom, while still maintaining the integrity of our syllabus. Mr. Cavise conducts weekly staff meetings to discuss new teaching ideas and address the specific needs of students. Our faculty members include:

Shahidah Ansari - Zumba

Janelle Barnett

Natrea Blake - Hip Hop
Natrea was born and raised in Queens, NY. She began her dance training at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center. Ms. Blake is a graduate of the New York City High School of Performing Arts and received her BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School. Since then, Ms. Blake has studied and performed with the Alvin Ailey School, NYC’s Peridance and Ballet Hispanico. Our adult students are welcome to join her Wednesday Hip Hop class.

Joe Antony Cavise - Jazz
Began his professional career in 1981 when he joined the Actor's Equity Association and the Screen Actor's Guild. Mr. Cavise received critical acclaim from The New York Times for his role of Dick McGann in the Off- Broadway production of Street Scene. In 1983, he joined the original Broadway Company of Cats and later, performed the lead role of "Mr. Mistoffelees". He was featured in A Chorus Line- The Movie, and has appeared in many TV films and Soap operas.

In 1991, Mr. Cavise founded the Off CenterDance Theatre, Inc., (OCDT ), now in residence at the Dance Cavise Studios. He has created over three dozen pieces exposing scores of dancers to his choreography.

Mr. Cavise has been teaching dance for over twenty five years and decided to leave his performing career to dedicate himself to children and dance education. He managed and taught at STEPS on Broadway, one of NYC's foremost dance institutions. In 1989 he and his wife Lori, opened Dance Cavise Inc. located in Mamaroneck, NY. In 2001, Mr. Cavise was quoted as "Westchester's Dance Man" in Dance Teacher Magazine, a national publication dedicated to dance educator's in the United States.

He strongly believes that children are our future, and hopes that his legacy will have a lasting and positive affect on their lives.

Christian Claussens - Ballet
Born in Belgium, Mr. Claessens studied at the Conservatoire de las Monnaie on full scholarship.  After arriving in the US, he received full scholarships at both the School of American Ballet (NYCB) and American Ballet Theatre (ABT).  Since then, he has danced with Kansas City Ballet, the Pittsburgh Ballet, and as a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet.  Mr. Claessens was the director of the Purchase Youth Ballet at SUNY Purchase and the Co-director of the International Ballet Project.  He teaches adults twice a week at Dance Cavise and children

Elizabeth Douglas - Ballet / Modern
Elizabeth received her Masters Degree in Dance Education from New York University and her B.A. in Dance Performance from the University of Buffalo.  She also holds a teaching certificate in Dance for grades K-12th. Ms Douglas is affiliated with several children’s organizations through out NYC, including the Harkness Dance Center, teaching interactive adaptive theatre.  She has worked with several noted choreographers such as Alvin Nikolais, Douglas Dunn, and Melissa Hayden.  Elizabeth continues to enjoy the influence and growth that teaching , choreographing, and performing bring to each other.  She is thrilled to expand this philosophy at Dance Cavise. 

Olga Dovorovenko - Ballet
Olga teaches our Advanced Ballet students, also teaches at the New York Ballet Institute, Ballet Academy East, and the School of American Ballet Theatre in New York City. She has won the "Distinguished Artist of the Ukraine Award" and has taught in France, Canada, and the Czech Republic. Olga's daughter, Irina, is a principle dancer with New York's American Ballet Theatre.

Vladimir-Dorovenko - Ballet
Mr. Dvorovenko received his training at the State Ballet School and State University of Art in Kiev, Ukraine. He has taught and performed both nationally and internationally. He and his wife Olga, (also on the Dance Cavise staff), are parents of Irina Dvorovenko, who is currently a Principal ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre in NYC.

Jesse Factor - Modern
Jesse Factor holds a BFA with honors from NYU's Tisch School.  He has performed and taught all over the world with touring companies including Cats and Cabaret, and as staff member for the International Schools Theatre Association.  Mr. Factor is currently pursuing studies in pedagogy at the Martha Graham Center. 

Anne-Marie Galler - Creative Movement
Anne-Marie began dancing at the age of 3, and became professional at the age of 15. After becoming a member of the Actor's Equity Association in the National Tour of West Side Story, directed by Jerome Robbins, Ms. Galler went on to appear in the original Broadway casts of Me and My Girl and Prince of Central Park. She moved to Westchester in 1998 and married her husband Jamie and has a beautiful boy Tristen. Anne-Marie is thrilled to be a part of the Dance Cavise staff.

Michael Garber - Jazz

Heather Garbrandt - Ballet / Creative Movement
Heather was trained at the New Jersey School of Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School and New York Theater Ballet. She moved to NYC when she was 18 to dance with Ballet for Young Audiences. Here she danced principle roles such as Clara in The Nutcracker and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. Heather has also danced with Staten Island Ballet and Octavia Cup Dance Theater. In 2003, Heather began teaching  the “Young Childrens Division” at Ballet Academy East and STEPS on Broadway in NYC. This is Heathers first year with Dance Cavise and she looks forward to many more!

Jamie Himpel - Creative Movement / Jazz / Studio Manager
Jamie is originally from Kansas City, where she trained and performed with the American Dance Center of Kansas City. She received a B.A. in literature from SUNY Purchase and went on to dance professionally with the original company of Off Center Dance Theatre. Jamie has worked with the Dance Cavise Studios since its' inception in 1989 and will soon be celebrating her 20th year with the organization. Besides teaching, she is also Studio Manager, in charge of day to day operations.

Ellen Kaplan - Jazz / Tap
Ellen Kaplan, a.k.a. Ellen ‘Watermelon’ is back teaching at Dance Cavise after a 12 year hiatus. She was part of the original staff almost 20 years ago, teaching tap, jazz and creative movement. She majored in speech and theater at USC and trained in New York with Phil Black for tap and jazz. She became a member of American Guild of Variety Artists in 1972, dancing as the opening act for Dobie Grey and the Platters and joined Actors Equity in 1973, performing in Summer Stock companies throughout the country. Locally, she spent many years dancing and singing at the Yorktown Regional Theater. She has been the pre-school director at the Rye YMCA for the p ast 19 years, teaching music and inspiring children to move, and she currently performs professionally throughout Westchester and Connecticut as a children’s entertainer.

Lisa Kovacs - Pilates / Ballet
Born in Montreal, Liza Kovacs studied at the National Ballet School in Toronto and upon graduation danced with the National Ballet of Canada. She took part in Lalala Human Steps' world tour of "2" where her opening solo was described as "a memorable moment in the history of Canadian dance". She has since danced for some of Montreal's best contemporary choreographers and co-produced the solo show Projet Kovacs. In 2003 she completed an MA in dance with a focus on learning in technique class. In 2006 she graduated with distinction from the Laban Centre MSc Dance Science program, completing a thesis on periodized training in dance. She is a fully certified Pilates instructor and has recently completed the year long intensive Laban Movement Analysis course at LIMS in New York City. She has an ongoing interest in anatomy and physiology and studies with neuromuscular specialist Irene Dowd and anatomist Rebecca Dietzel in NYC while teaching dance and pilates in Westchester.

Giselle Lorenz - Jazz
Giselle A’valline Lorenz is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and competition judge. Recently, she has performed choreography by Luis Salgado of In the Heights, Rachelle Rak of Sessions and last June was in the opening number of Broadway Bares 2009 choreographed by Peter Gregus of Jersey Boy’s. She has also been working with Onstage New York Dance Competition as a backstage runner and was a 2009 regional judge for Headliners Dance Competition last season.

Prior to being a New Yorker, Giselle grew up dancing at Dyan’s World of Dance in Eagan, MN where she competed in multiple styles of dance. From there she went on to study with the Atlanta School of Ballet, Cologne Dance Center (Germany), Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway in New York. She has worked as a professional dancer/singer with Stiletto Entertainment and Holland America Cruise Lines, ARC Dance Productions, Studio East, Westlake Dance Center, and Avant Garde Entertainment. Giselle’s choreography credits include: Working the musical for South Puget Sound Community College, Differently the Same with EnL’air Dance Company, and various entertainment venues with Laughter Masters Productions. Giselle’s regional theatre credits include: “Cassie” in A Chorus Line, “Claire” in Bloody Poetry, “Claire Goodwin” in Genesis: the Mary Shelly Play and “Kate” in the musical Working. Giselle graduated in June 2007 from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA with a Bachelor of Arts degree, in Business and Performing Arts.  

Colin Pritchard - Tap
Colin Pritchard, a native of nearby Harrison, loves to take classes at Dance Cavise when not teaching them!  He has performed internationally and across the country in such musicals as 42nd Street (original and 2001 revival versions),  A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Singin' in the Rain, Contact, Thoroughly Modern Millie, No, No, Nanette, The Sound of Music, and Hairspray, among others.  Colin has also done work in contemporary and classical theatre, as well as on TV, film and in the studio as a recording artist.  

Kim Prosa - Ballet
Kim Prosa began her dance training in southern Oregon under Joan Sanders-Seidel of Netherlands Dance Theatre.  She continued her training in classical ballet and contemporary dance at American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey and Paul Taylor and received her BFA in dance from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, graduating with honors in 2006.  Kimberly has performed works by Dance Theatre of Oregon, the Eugene Ballet Company, Purchase Dance Corps, Stephanie Tooman, Bettijane Sills, Pascal Rioult, Angela Harriell and has been a company member with HT Chen and Dancers for the past two years.  She has taught ballet, pointe and contemporary dance throughout New York, Ohio and Oregon.

Kate Roth - Jazz / Tap
Kate holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Southern California.   She has performed in industrials and commercials, as a guest artist with internationally acclaimed tapper, Gregg Russell, and his dance company, as well as appearing as an Equity performer in numerous musicals.   Favorite credits include Kristine in A Chorus Line, Rhoda in White Christmas, Gertie Cummings in OKLAHOMA!, and Ethel Peas in Thoroughly Modern Millie.  This past summer, Kate was the dance captain of the new musical, VOTE!, choreographed by her mentor, Rachelle Rak. 

Cristina Savone - Tap

Miriam Serow - Jazz
Miriam began teaching ballet, tap, jazz and "disco" way back in the 1970's throughout central and western Massachusetts. She taught for Joe when he first opened Dance Cavise in 1989. After raising her 2 kids and continuing a performing career in theatre and TV, Miriam's thrilled to be back "home" teaching with Joe.

Moenike Sims - Hip Hop
Born in Oklahoma City, Moenike became Miss Black Oklahoma in 2002.  After receiving a Bachelors Degree in Dance from Oklahoma City University, she co-founded the School for the Arts, a non-profit fine arts school in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  She went on to teach and choreograph Tap and Hip Hop with the prestigious Urban Elite Program where she received rave reviews from local media.  Moenike moved to New York where she is now on staff at several city dance programs including the Cherry Street Dance Productions.  She is currently performing through out the tri-state area with several R&B and Hip Hop artists.

Stephanie Stavinsky - Pilates / Ballet
Stephanie Stavinsky began her dance training in 1978 with Angel Raymond in Haddonfield, NJ. She continued with ballet, modern and tap classes through graduation from Boston University and continued to perform with Margot Parsons in Boston from 1993-1994. From 1994-1996, Stephanie taught ballet to adults in Cambridge, MA. Upon moving to New York, she continued her own dance training and performing experience, working with Diana Cartier at American Ballet Theatre, Tricia Kaye, and David Howard and dancing with the Bergen Dance Theatre. She has taught ballet at Dance space (now Dance New Amsterdam, Sandra Cameron Dance Center, 550 Broadway, and at American Ballet Theatre. She taught ballet and pointe at the Alvin Ailey School for four years. In 1999, Stephanie receivd her certification to teach Pilates at Sage Fitness in NYC. She relocated to Toronto in 2001 to complete a teacher training diploma program at the National Ballet School and returned to New York in 2003 to teach dance and Pilates.

Chris White - Hip Hop