The entire staff, including teachers and managers, are First Aid, CPR and AED certified.
Alexa Tonis: Studio Director and Choreographer
Alexa Tonis is the director and founder of Alexa’s Dance Academy. She began her dance career at the age of two. Her training was varied between her hometown studio, specialized performing arts high school and her college dance team. In her hometown studio, Alexa trained in Ballet, Modern, Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theater and Acrobatics. She was on the competition team where she competed in over 40 competitions during her dance career. The competition team also allowed Alexa to dance for various charities and benefits. She attended Frank Sinatra School of the Arts majoring in dance. She studied ballet and modern on a daily basis to complete her four-year degree. During her time at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, Alexa worked with American Ballet Theater for three years. She had the opportunity to dance on the stage at the Metropolitan Opera House. Working with American Ballet Theater also provided her with skills and practice in performing, marketing, lighting and staging. In 2008, she graduated from Frank Sinatra with an Arts Endorsed Diploma in Dance. Alexa always made sure to continue her training by taking classes regularly at Broadway Dance Center.
Alexa then continued her education at St. John’s University where she studied public relations and event management for four-years. She joined the dance team where she trained in jazz and hip-hop. Later, Alexa became captain of the St. John’s Dance Team. This provided Alexa the opportunity to choreograph numerous half-time routines that were performed at all St. John’s Men Soccer games at Belson Stadium and all St. John’s Men and Women’s Basketball at Carnesecca Arena and Madison Square Garden. She also got to travel with her team to the Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida to dance at the UDA dance competition. She was happy to be apart of the team when they came in second place at hip-hop finals. In addition to her time at St. John’s University, Alexa began teaching studio and competition dance. During this time, Alexa would see over 100 students a week and she couldn’t have been happier. It is safe to say that this is the time in her life when Alexa found her true place in the dance world. She continued to teach students between the ages of 2-18. For these four years, Alexa taught ballet, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater, tap and lyrical to her students. She led her students to win first and second place awards, along with special awards honoring her choreography. Alexa can’t wait to continue her career in dance teaching her students the love of dance in a unique and innovative way.
Now, in her 6th year of owning Alexa’s Dance Academy she can proudly say that she has won numerous first place wins and numerous title wins. She has won choreography awards, costume awards, studio of excellence awards and technical excellence awards. Alexa also has alumni that made it onto college dance teams and into college dance programs. She is excited to see how much further she can take her choreography and training!
Miss Natalia: Teacher and Choreographer
Natalia Yepes is a Queens, NY native that began dancing/training at the age of 3. Natalia is trained in ballet, pointe, modern, tap, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, hip-hop, and Latin dances. She is a graduate of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts where she had the chance to perform works from the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Michael Thomas, Marcea Daiter, and collaborated with Battery Dance Company and New York City Ballet. She received her B.F.A in Dance from the SUNY Purchase Dance Conservatory. While at Purchase, she received world renowned training from faculty with backgrounds in New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Ballet Hispanico, The Martha Graham Company, Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey, Mark Morris, and much more. Natalia has also taught and performed abroad through the New York Dance International Summer Intensive under the direction of Kazuko Hirabayashi, in Burgos, Spain. There, she competed in a National Hip-Hop Competition with a group of dancers from the summer program. She taught and choreographed for the Spanish students in the program, who later performed her work in the city’s principal theater. Natalia worked as a teaching assistant and student teacher throughout her high school years, with children of all ages. She currently teaches all levels from ages 3 to adult. Natalia has always dreamed of becoming a Radio City Rockette, and continues to pursue that dream, but she found a passion for teaching that she simply cannot ignore.
Her mission as a dance teacher is to not only inspire and influence the new generations, but also to continue to grow as a teacher and expand her dance knowledge, creativity, and teaching methods to make it fun, interesting and exciting for every student that walks into class. Natalia began teaching at ADA when it first opened 6 years ago, she has watched the studio become an actual studio, start with 6 students and grow immensely, and she could not be happier to be a part of this tight knit dance family! She has worked with such talented students, choreographed award winning routines, and feels so overwhelmingly loved and appreciated by everyone at ADA. Her students drive her to give her best, and continue to challenge them and guide them to reach their full potential as young artists.
Jasmine Fernandez: Teacher and Choreographer
Jasmine Fernandez is a professional certified dancer and educator, who started dancing before she could walk. She studied and trained at a few local dance studios finding one that inspired her and made a huge impression on her life and dance career. She went on to assisting at the age of 12 and held her own classes at the age of 17, teaching competitively and recreationally (ages 2-18). This is when she knew she had found her life’s calling. She receives many special awards recognizing her unique choreography and concepts while achieving many individual and group dance goals throughout the years. She continues education in New York City intensives & workshops, Adelphi University, and competitive conventions. During the summers Jasmine auditioned for many dance camps and intensives where she was accepted and taught staging, lighting, the audition process, singing, stage makeup, and reading/acting out scripts for commercials.
Jasmine spreads her passion with many studios and hopes to keep going around the world to make her mark in the dance world. Her classes consist of positivity, fun but challenging movements, injury prevention, proper placement/technique, and life lessons. Jasmine is a well-rounded dancer and teaches many genres of dance including Tap (All styles), Hip Hop, Jazz (All styles), Lyrical, Contemporary Fusion, Technique classes, Creative Movement, and Acrobatic Arts. She trains all ages but specializes in working with children in their early childhood years and students who are looking to take their career to the next level professionally.
Jasmine has danced professionally for the NASL Champions (2015 & 2016) New York Cosmos Soccer Team. She got to work with so many talented and famous individuals and experienced what it was like to dance in the professional/commercial world. Many of the performances are featured on Channel ONE, Fox news, and YouTube. You can catch one of Jasmine’s upbeat choreographed dances on YouTube as well as her choreography on her YouTube channel. Jasmine later retired from the Cosmos and remained strong to her beliefs in remaining a student. One of her philosophies is to never stop evolving and learning because life and the world have so much to teach. Making art is such a beautiful thing and staying creative and positive is how Jasmine dances and teaches throughout life.
She takes part in Broadway Dance Center Dance Educator Development Workshops where she works closely with well-known professionals leading in the dance industry. During these workshops, teachers share their extensive knowledge and innovative ways of teaching, proper warm-ups, different types of stretching and when to apply them during classes, and in-depth content addressing various ages and levels… the list goes on and on.
Jasmine is also a certified Rhythm Works Integrative Dance Instructor. This is a clinical hip-hop dance program for people with individual learning differences, and a wide variety of diagnoses. It is based on Dance- In a Box’s “Hip Hop Made Easy” Program that uses music, purposeful movement, and defined rhythm patterns to fully integrate the body, mind, and spirit. Jasmine is trained and qualified to provide a safe and positive learning environment, while having the skill set to recognize sensory integration, learner types and using behavioral strategies and dance games/props as a fun unique learning tool to activate the brain and muscles.
She took it upon herself to also get certified with Acrobatic Arts because of its popularity in the competitive dance world. Jasmine can prep students for world renowned exams in AcroDance and to progress as a well-rounded dancer. The program is based on safe and effective progressions with proven results in five divisions of AcroDance: Flexibility, Strength, Balancing, Limbering, Partner Work and Tumbling. The program goes from levels 1-12 and pre-professional stages. You can also find famous Acrobatic Arts dancers on World of Dance.
Besides teaching dance education, Jasmine has worked in the education field for some time. She’s worked for many daycares, public, and private schools. She absolutely loves working with children and learning from them. During her days of teaching she realized that she would be an eternal student and never misses an opportunity to open her mind and learn new things. She went to many popular clinics and conventions, took a few courses in college studying proper technique, placement, history, and anatomy & kinesiology in dance. She graduated with a Degree in Business Management and is currently enrolled at Adelphi University working hard towards her master’s in Childhood Special Education (Dual Certification) and New York State Teacher Certificates in ages Birth through 2 years old. With big dreams of opening her own inclusive daycare arts business.
Jasmine goes into all her classes giving 100% and giving her whole heart to each one of her students making sure each one of them is confident in their own skin and seeing each student as an individual with open eyes and a world of endless possibilities. She loves being a part of the ADA family where Alexa and Diana have welcomed her with open arms throughout the years. She loves teaching in this wonderful loving environment with so many talented individuals almost everyday, as well as during the summers in the new summer dance program that Alexa has let her run and create. She aims to provide disciplined, high quality training; where each student will learn something new feeling confident, working towards goals, and accomplishing them at the end of classes and seasons. Jasmine is positive that she will give all her students the tools they need to go out into the world and follow their dreams whether they are dance related or not. “Every child deserves a champion- an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection & insists that they become the best that they can possibly be” Rita Pierson
Kourdell Young: Teacher and Choreographer
Kourdell Young started dancing at the age of 8 in the 2nd grade in his church’s praise dance team. From there, he developed a love and passion for music, and always had a connection with moving people through dance. Making people feel something through the art of dance always fulfilled him in a way nothing else could. In 2004, he performed at the McDonald’s Gospelfest at Madison Square Garden and won with his church praise team. He participated in the McDonald’s Gospelfest from 2004-2008 getting runner ups for all years and winning in 2004 and 2006.
All he wanted to do was progress and perform so at age 11, he auditioned for Theatre Arts Center summer theatre camp at Queensborough Community College, owned by Robert Lanconi, entitled Bound for Broadway. He attended for four Summers from 2007-2010, and there he learned and was instructed by many on and off Broadway actors and singers. At the end of the intense four week process, there was a full show of mixed Broadway shows and genres all in one theme. During this time very is inspired from what he was learning during the summer, he needed to continue his passion and new knowledge throughout the school year.
He enrolled in 2008 into a dance studio’s competition team. He trained in jazz, contemporary/lyrical, ballet, and hip hop. He’s competed in numerous competitions with his team such as Beyond The Stars, Legacy, Starbound, All American Talent, United States TD, Starpower, and Tremaine Dance Convention. He went on to win the titles Mr. Teen Dance of Pennsylvania, Mr. Dance of Long Island, Mr, Regional and Mr. National Beyond the Stars 2014, 2nd runner up Mr. Teen Dance of the United States.
As he was dancing in his studio after school, during school hours he was taking chorus class and participated in four musicals in high School. Those musicals included 42nd street, Footloose, Beauty and the Beast, and Bye Bye Birdie. He also was president of his jazz choir in school and apart of the tri music honor society. He also participated in his all county jazz chorus and district chorus all while becoming captain of his dance team at school. In his school dance team, he learned how to teach dance to all types of students and personalities and learned how to oversee and direct by setting pieces for his pep rallies, special performances and dance competitions that his high school dance team took part in.
But his biggest achievement and home dance group where he has grown as a dancer and a human being is the hip hop crew, Generation X, based out of Manhattan. Generation X is owned by Kelly Peters, one of the most influential and well respected choreographers not only in NY but in the country. he started with them in 2011 and is still currently there years later and continues to grow and be challenged. He has crossed paths with countless great choreographers in the industry thanks to Kelly Peters. He has trained under countless choreographers including: RK Davis, Soraya Lundy, Mr. Qiggles, Tweetie, Future, Cricket, Ephrat, Jonté, Hollywood, Noel Frostlock and many others. Generation X has performed at many events and competitions such as Good Morning America, TRL, MTV Summer Live, The Pulse on Tour, World of Dance, Prelude, 106&Park, carnival NYC and La, and on Fox Goodday America.
Generation X has taken part in another company called Urban Dance League who has also performed on 106&Park and various other venues.
Kourdell performed at the Soulfrito Fest at the Barclays Center in the summer of 2017 with the Artist, Yunel.
Kourdell is now a teacher at Alexa’s Dance Academy and teaches in public schools in Brooklyn, Queens and Harlem. He currently dances with Generation X and is one of the staff members at the new Times Square urban dance studio, BrickHouse. His dream is become one of the worlds best performers and has an upcoming R&B mixtape set to be released!
Lauren Rapoli: Teacher and Choreogrpaher
Lauren Rapoli began dancing at the age of three at her hometown dance studio in Cornwall, New York. Throughout her training, she has studied a wide variety of dance genres including ballet, pointe, musical theater, modern, tap, jazz, and hip-hop. She performed in an annual recital each spring that showcased her progressing dance technique and skills. She was placed in the highest ranking of class at her dance studio at just 12 years old. Lauren also began to perform in “A Familiar Suite” once she was the eligible age to audition. This production was created as a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”. Lauren received leading roles within the show up until she graduated high school.
Over the years she has also participated in many workshops, which have allowed her to explore other styles like ballroom, fusion, and commercial dance. Lauren has gotten the opportunity to perform at world-renowned venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. In the summer of 2016 she also participated in the Performing Arts Educators dance festival traveling to Barcelona, Spain. Lauren returned to the same festival in the summer of 2018, taking place in Milan, Italy.
Lauren began assisting dance classes at the age of 10 and started substitute teaching dance at age 15. At 17 years old she was granted two classes of her own. Lauren’s desire to teach blossomed at this time. She soon decided to attend Hofstra University with a major in Dance Education and a minor in General Business. Throughout her college experience, she was exposed to even more aspects of dance creation and performance as well as teaching methods and styles. Lauren plans to continue working hard to perfect her craft in both teaching and dancing. As a graduate of May 2018, Lauren hopes to continue to share her love and passion for dance with all of her students in the future.
Currently, Lauren teaches Prekindergarten during the day at an accredited institution. She also is in the process of obtaining a Dual Master Degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education for Hofstra University. Lauren has an interest in understanding more about the way children develop and learn as well as the impact teachers can have in their students’ lives.
This is Lauren’s 3rd year teaching at Alexa’s Dance Academy and looks forward to continuing to teach and inspire her students through her passion of dance.
Marissa Cannella: Teacher and Choreographer
Marissa is currently attending Hofstra University and is currently one of the captains of the Hofstra University Dance Team. She is a third year team member and has been on the team since 2016. She has won three Division 1 National Pom Championships in the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 at UDA College Nationals in Orlando, Florida. She also went to Cali Colombia with her team and competed in the first ever Pan American games in 2017 and brought home a gold medal. Marissa is from right here on Long Island and her hometown is Wantagh, NY where she trained dance at her hometown studio. She started dancing at the age of 3 years old and hasn’t stopped since. She has studied a variety of dance styles including acrobatics, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap and hip-hop. She started competing when she was 8 years old and continues to compete now at a collegiate level. After assisting many classes for many years at her hometown studio, Marissa began teaching her own classes. She taught Acrobatics, Lyrical and Jazz. She loves being able to work with kids of all ages and she loves that she gets to share her passion with them. Marissa is very excited to be teaching at Alexa’s Dance Academy and she can’t wait to help motivate, inspire and teach new things to her students.
Marlon Mayers: Teacher and Choreographer
Marlon Mayers discovered his passion for dance at the age of 14 where he began his dance training when accepted into Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. While attending Frank Sinatra, he also attended Ballet Hispanico, The Abrons Arts Center and The Martha Graham school of Contemporary Dance. Graduating from Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in 2009, Marlon attended Marymount Manhattan College as a B.F.A dance major.
Marlon has landed wonderful opportunities that allowed him to work with a wide range of choreographers from different styles of dance such as Jessica Lang, Laurie-Ann Gibson, Daniel Catanach, and Larry Keigwin, just to name a few. Since then he has been a Principal Dancer with the Abrons Arts Center Dance Ensemble, a Corp de Ballet dancer with Urban Ballet Theater and a freelancer with small modern dance companies based in New York City.
Although Marlon loves performing he has a passion for teaching. He has had the opportunity to choreograph on the graduating class at Frank Sinatra school of the Arts as well as teach and be a mentor for the underclassmen. He has also presented his own choreography with the American Ballet Theater’s “Make a Ballet” and has submitted and showcased his works to numerous arts festivals. When not rehearsing and staging his own works, Marlon spends his time in a studio teaching and sharing great life lessons to students throughout the greater New York area.
Katie Johnson: Teacher and Choreographer
This is Katie Johnson’s second year teaching at Alexa’s Dance Academy. Originally from Florida Katie moved to New York at 16 to train under Judith Jamison and Robert Battle at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She followed in the footsteps of Mr.Battle and moved to Miami to train at New World School Of The Arts. There she started her professional career training and performing with Vitolo June performing for the Haiti Relief. After she moved to Washing D.C. to work with Deviated theater performing “Creature”. Since Katie has moved back to NYC performing with Broken Box, White Wave and FJK dance. She also stars in Conversing With Oceans “One” music video. Katie is excited to see what the next generation of dancers have to offer!