Your FDO Faculty
OlivIA Alboher
Contemporary
Olivia was a Top 5 female finalist from Season 18 of So You Think You Can Dance, where she captured attention from the very first episode. A dancer, model, and social media creator/influencer, Olivia is known for her viral dance and flexibility trends across TikTok and Instagram, where she has built an audience of over 2 million followers. Her innovative choreography, athleticism, and passion for movement have made her a standout in the dance community since a very young age.
Olivia’s professional career began early — landing her first Broadway credit in Billy Elliot: The Musical at just 10 years old — and she has since appeared on CBS, FOX, Apple TV, and Hulu in TV shows, commercials, and dance specials. She is a proud Capezio Athlete and model for iconic brands like Jo+Jax, continuing to inspire dancers worldwide.
In 2023, Olivia made history as the first female dancer to earn the title of 4x National Champion and was named American Dance Awards Young Choreographer of the Year. She is also a passionate teacher, and on faculty for conventions such as Wild and Immerse Artist Experience, as well as guest teaching at Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles.
Pamela Gaccione
Leaps & Turns
Pamela currently resides in Little Falls, NJ. She has obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Family and Child Studies from Montclair State University and is currently an Elementary School Teacher, Dance Teacher and Dance Adjudicator.
She is also the former Captain of the NBA Brooklynettes Dance Team in Brooklyn, NY. She began her dance training at the age of 5 at For Dancer’s Only and has been trained in ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics, modern, lyrical, hip hop and contemporary. Pamela has grown up dancing competitively and was America Dance Award's Junior Dancer of the Year in 2006.
She booked her first dance job as an NBA New Jersey Nets Kids Dancer and was Captain of the team as well as became a Capezio dance wear model.
She has now been featured in television series including Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and CBS Bull, just to name a few. She has been a Brooklynette Dancer for 9 years, 6 years as Captain and is also a choreographer for the team. She has traveled across the world performing and sharing her talents in places such as China, Paris, Barbados, Mexico, Las Vegas, Chicago Florida and continues to do so.
Jeryka Morales
Hip Hop
Jeryka has been training in all forms of dance since the age of 7. She competed as a soloist and in groups, achieving top scores and multiple “Dance Titles.” After graduating from Passaic County Technical Institute as a dance major, she began her professional career at just 17, training under Kelly Peters. She joined his New York City–based company Generation X and continues to train at Brickhouse NYC.
With over 10 years of teaching experience, Jeryka is currently on faculty at Stagelite Academy of Performing Arts, where she shares her passion and expertise with the next generation of dancers.
Her performance credits include being a lead dancer in Future’s Crushed Up music video, the TRL comeback with DJ Khaled and French Montana, a Nike commercial for Kyrie Irving, and collaborations with Reebok, the NYC Knicks, and Swarovski. She continues to train, perform, and teach across the United States in all styles of dance.
This season, Jeryka will also serve as a judge for 3Sixty The Tour Dance Competition, further expanding her influence in the competitive dance world.
Jenna Coker-Jones
Acting Up | Adult Barre
Jenna Coker-Jones is an actor, singer, dancer, comedian, and performance coach whose career spans stage, screen, and studio. She has appeared on Law & Order, Chicago Med, Hulu’s Once Upon a Christmas Wish w/ Mario Lopez, and Apple TV+’s The Savant starring Jessica Chastain.
As an original cast member of Fame on 42nd Street (Lambchops) and Evil Dead the Musical (Cheryl) (+cast albums) she rocked out performances on The Macy’s Day Parade, CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade, VH1, and an Emmy winning episode of The View to name a few. She also co-wrote the Broadway show Getting the Band Back Together with Ken Davenport and a handful of other comedic improv-based actors.
Additional on stage credits include many regional productions + 4 national tours, including the 1st national tour of Seussical the Musical with Cathy Rigby, West Side Story alongside Whoopi Goldberg…Two of her faves were playing opposite husband, Christopher Kale Jones as Seymour & Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at the historical Ford’s Theatre in DC, as well as Mary Delgado to Christopher’s Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys.
A dynamic storyteller, she has also toured internationally and created viral comedic content alongside superstar Todrick Hall, garnering millions of views. As a sought-after acting and performance coach, Jenna helps artists of all ages unlock confidence, connection, and authenticity both on and off the stage. With a background in holistic health and an elite group trainer at Equinox Clubs in NYC/NJ, she integrates holistic awareness and wellness into her coaching, empowering clients to perform with precision, power, and purpose.
Sam Sonzogni
Tap
Samantha is an award winning choreographer who has been dancing since age three. She has been trained extensively in all genres of dance under names such as Michael Minery (Director of Jump, Director of American Tap Festival, Slide, Tapaholics) and Ray Leeper (So You Think You Can Dance, Director of Nuvo, Choreographer).
Samantha also works with companies such as Capezio to help move the dance world forward with new dance wear products. From 2003 until 2010 Samantha was a part of the New Jersey Tap Ensemble where she performed in many theaters, such as NJPAC, alongside notable tappers Maurice Chestnut, Karen Callaway and Deborah Mitchell.
Samantha is not only a dance teacher, but also graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English. In the competitive world, Samantha has had multiple national winning pieces and has been recognized for her choreography by many competitions including the American Dance Awards, Starquest and Starpower. Samantha has traveled around the United States teaching aspiring new artists and hopes to continue to do so for a very long time.
SAm Torres
Contemporary
Sam is an FDO alumni, where she grew up dancing since the age of 3 training extensively in all styles and earning numerous regional titles and one national title throughout her competitive career.
Her passion for dance led her to Penn State University, where she was a member of the nationally recognized Lionettes Dance Team. During her four years on the team, Sam performed at Penn State football and basketball games in front of crowds of over 110,000 people and competed at UDA College Nationals in the Division IA Jazz and Pom categories, consistently finishing in the Top Ten.
She served as team captain for her junior and senior year, leading her team with dedication, discipline, and love for the sport.
Now, Sam is excited to share her love of dance with her students. She hopes to instill the same drive, confidence, and joy that dance has given her while helping dancers grow.
Lauren Torres
Jazz | Hip Hop | Pom
Lauren’s dance journey began at the age of two at For Dancers Only, where she trained in all styles of dance and earned numerous regional and national titles, including National Miss StarQuest.
She continued her training at Pennsylvania State University, where she danced with the Lionettes Dance Team and served as team captain during her senior year. While at Penn State, Lauren competed at UDA Nationals, finishing in the top 10 in Division 1A Jazz and Pom, and performed at multiple high-profile events, including football games at Beaver Stadium in front of crowds exceeding 110,000 fans.
A proud Penn State graduate, Lauren now brings her extensive training, leadership, and performance experience back to the studio, inspiring and mentoring the next generation of dancers.
Miguel Solano
Ballet
Miguel is from Medellin, Colombia with training from BalletStudio Bogotá under the direction of Patricia Niño.
In 2013, he moved to NYC to complete his studies at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet on full scholarship. He has participated in summer programs including Hubbard Street Dance, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Batsheva Dance Company in Israel.
Miguel has worked with Awaken Dance Theater, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, RudduR Dance and Connecticut Ballet.
He has worked with choreographers Earl Mosley, Christopher Rudd, Darrell Moultrie, Larry Keigwin, Nadege Hottier, Larissa Calero, Eve Chan, and Ted Thomas.
This is Miguel's 4th season with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in NYC.
Daniel Vaniksa
Lyrical
Daniel was recognized as 'National Outstanding Dancer' by New York City Dance Alliance and Broadway Dance Center, honoring him with the coveted Richard Ellner Scholarship.
Daniel’s credits include Rosta Thomas' "Bad Boys of Dance,” "Hairspray,” "Footloose,” and the national tour of "The Music Man" with original choreography by Susan Stroman.
He performed in Atlantic City’s Caesar's Palace in the Broadway review productions "Nights on Broadway II & III.” Daniel's industrial/TV appearances include: Volkswagen Germany, Walmart, as well as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Christopher Kale Jones
Acting Up
Christopher Kale Jones is a celebrated actor and vocalist known for his commanding performances on stage and in concert venues all over the world. Originally from Oahu, Hawaii, he trained in acting and music at Northwestern University before launching a career that sees him starring in major theatrical productions, as the musical guest on The Tonight Show, Entertainment Tonight, & Guest Starring on NBC’s Chicago Med. Christopher’s artistry has earned him multiple nominations and awards, including Los Angeles’ Ovation Awards, Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards, Philadelphia’s Barrymore awards, and St. Louis’ Kevin Kline and Theatre Circle Awards, solidifying his reputation as a respected performer and mentor.
On stage, Christopher is best known for originating the role of Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on the First National Tour and performing it in San Francisco, Los Angeles and the first to take it around the country. He has played standout roles in regional and world-premiere musicals such as Little Shop of Horrors (as Seymour with his wife, Jenna), Beauty & the Beast (Lumiere), Beautiful (Barry Mann), Titanic (Andrews), The Sound of Music (Captain), and more.
On the concert stage, Jones tours nationally with his solo show "DARIN: Christopher Kale Jones sings Bobby Darin, and as a founding member of the vocal group Under The Streetlamp, with which he recorded 6 albums, starred in TV specials, and performed at landmark venues across the U.S. including the legendary Greek Theatre in LA.
Marissa Perkins
Tumbling
Marissa Perkins, at the age of 3 found a love for dance and began training in all genre’s. A competitive dancer since age 6, she has held titles and awards both at the regional and national level.
Marissa spent many summer’s attending intensives at Broadway Dance Center, ballet seminar’s and gymnastics training throughout New York and New Jersey.
She is a graduate from Montclair State University with a degree in Nutrition Sciences.
She has taught acrobatics and gymnastics since 2015 and has completed certifications in training, education and safety courses.
Kathy VanDereedt
Ballet & Pointe
Kathy is a performing artist, choreographer and dance educator based out of NYC. Her versatility has enabled her a long and varied career that spans 20 years across multiple disciplines. In 2024 she performed in her fourth production at The Kennedy Center, dancing the work of co-choreographers Jessica Lang and Kanji Segawa in The Washington National Opera’s Turandot.
Other career highlights include: Romeo & Juliet (chor. Jonathan Goddard), La Traviata (chor. Parker Esse), Carmen (chor. Anna Maria Bruzzese), the Emmy Award-winning show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (chor. Marguerite Derricks), the International Tour of Disney’s The Beauty and the Beast (chor. Matt West), and various regional productions including White Christmas, Crazy For You, The Producers, and more. She has also danced for companies Bryn Cohn & Artists (Bryn Cohn) and BODYART (Leslie Scott), and performed the works of Purdie Baumann, Calen J. Kurka, and Chris Hale, to name a few.
Her choreography has been seen across the US and Canada, and most recently Kathy’s work was selected to be showcased at the National High School Dance Festival, which features prominent performing arts programs from across the country.
Elisabetta Spuria is originally from Italy, where she grew up and started her professional career as a dancer/choreographer. Since she moved to New York City she has been working with such artists as Mariah Carey (“Charmbracelet World Tour”) and Michael Bolton (“Only A Woman Like You Tour”) as both associate choreographer and assistant director.
She has been assistant choreographer, dance captain and performer in numerous theater productions, and has had the pleasure to work and collaborate with many directors and choreographers like Josh Bergasse, AC Ciulla, Andy Samberg, Andrew Goldberg, Michele Assaf, etc. Elisabetta has her hand in all different areas of the entertainment industry, from hip and edgy industrials to the most classic of all musicals.
She was associate choreographer for the PBS children show The Electric Company and for ABC’s 2010 One Life To Live musical episodes.
In addition to that, Elisabetta travels extensively to teach master classes and workshops throughout North America and across the globe. She has also been a guest teacher at Broadway Dance Center and at Steps on Broadway in NYC.
Cassidy Szymański
Twosies | Combo
Cassidy Szymanski began dancing at the age of 3 at the Nancy Carole School of Dance, now known as The Next Step School of Dance.
At the age of 14, she quickly learned that she loved to be in a teaching position and working with kids. Since then, she has worked as a dance teacher, substitute teacher, babysitter, tutor, teacher’s aide, daycare teacher, and more.
Now, she studies Psychology at William Paterson University and plans on becoming an elementary school guidance counselor. Cassidy joined the FDO dance family in 2024 as a preschool and combo teacher.
She hopes to make a positive impact in the studio and can’t wait to continue sharing her love of dance with all of her students!