Vanessa Berry - Owner/Director A Jersey Shore native, Vanessa Berry has been teaching since she was 16.
Her education in dance includes Red Bank Regional Dance Major, a degree in dance education from New York University, multiple
fitness certifications, and extensive training in the Lotte Berke method. Performing credits include stage and televsion.
Before she became the proud owner of Kick Fitness and Dance she taught at some of the best studios in NY and Colorado including
Equinox, New York Sports Club, Lotte Berke Method, Dance West, and the Boulder Arts Festival. Vanessa's unique
workouts were featured in articles in Self, Fitness, and Parenting magazine and she also made multiple appearances on Good
Morning New York as a fitness leader. Vanessa was also chosen to lead a warm up for the Revlon Run/Walk in Times Square.
As a choreographer and dance teacher, Vanessa has received many accolades including Top Studio, Best Choreography, Most
Entertaining, and multiple first place awards. Her classes offer strong classic dance technique in a fun and caring
style. Her students learn confidence, grace, stage presence, and coordination while developing a love for dance in all its
styles. In the 10 years that Vanessa has owned Kick, the studio has gained a reputation of being a
premiere dance and fitness facility on the Jersey Shore. Her childrens classes are always popular and full of energy.
Hew newest signature class Yoga Booty Ballet is a seamless blend of Yoga, Lotte Berke method, and Ballet Barre exercises that
create long, lean and flexible muscles. A small rubber ball is used for additional resistance for a packed crowd each
class. With over 500 students each week, Vanessa is also known for her super tough conditioning classes, and her amazing children's
Dance Sampler, Hip Hop, and Jazz dance classes.
Vanessa is also the mother of two beautiful young dancers Sadie
and Henry.
Michelle Tolson has been dancing since the age of 10 and choreographing since
the age of 15. Her students hold many regional and national titles in both dance competitions and pageants including Regional
Dancer of the Year for American Dance Awards, World Talent Winner for International Sunshine Girl, and World Showstopper.
Former students have gone on to appear in regional and national tours, So You Think You Can Dance and two are currently on
Broadway in Memphis and Wonderland.
Michelle received the Young Choreographer of the Year Award from American Dance
Awards in 1998. She is also a pageant coach and choreographer, and has had four students compete in the Miss New Hampshire
Program for Miss America in the last five years. Michelle also held the title of Miss New Hampshire 1996 and competed at the
Miss America Pageant that fall. Her picture and shoe can be seen in the Miss America Hall of Fame in Atlantic City.
She is the choreographer and producer for the New Hampshire's Distinguished Young Woman Program, a scholarship program
for senior's in high school and is a former Junior Miss for New Hampshire.
Her performance credits include
Radio City Rockettes for six years, where she performed in The Radio City Christmas Spectacular as well as on the Today Show,
the Isaac Mizrahi Show, and in the Macy’s Day Parade. She also performed in Tap Girls, 42nd Street, and numerous television,
video and print works.
For five years she was a Professor at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY,
where she choreographed Cabaret for the main stage and implemented the Tap program. Currently she is a guest artist
at Georgian Court University where she works with the dance club and is the dance advisor/coach for the Neptune High School
dance team and the choreographer for the musicals. Her dance team was chosen out of 90 teams in the NY/NJ/CT area to
compete on the new MSG Varsity Talent Show. While at Neptune she choreographed A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to
the Forum and Guys and Dolls. She continues to teach at dance studios throughout New York and New Jersey, and works
as a Master Teacher throughout the country.
Michelle is the Head of Dance at Camp Vega in Kents Hill, Me.
She has held this position for nine years and it is considered the number one all girls camp in the country,
Michelle
also tours the country as a master teacher, adjudicator and director for various dance competitions. She was a director for
Dancers Inc for five years and now works as a judge for three competitions throughout the country. She has been
judging for ten years and enjoys teaching new talent every weekend.
Miss Jess (Jessica Connors): A New Jersey native, Jess began dancing at age 3 and continued through high school studying
ballet, pointe, jazz and tap. She began attending classes in NYC during high school and also began assistant teaching at this
time. Education includes an AA in health sciences from Brookdale as well as a BA focusing in nutrition from TESC. Jess also holds national certifications as a
youth soccer coach with 10+ years of coaching
experience. Teaching and choreography experience includes dance studio settings as well as
preschool, elementary and middle school environments.
As the mother of two Kick dancers, Jess is thrilled to share her love of dance and performing with her daughters, Kay and
Alli!
 Elysha has been studying dance since the age of four. She is a graduate of the Red
Bank Regional Performing Arts Dance Program. Her high energy dancing and expressive choreography has been featured
at Broadway Dance Center, PNC Arts Center, NJ PAC, NJ Teen Arts, Red Bank Regional Performing Arts High School, Radio City
Music Hall, and Pariji Clothing Company's Holiday Event NYC. Her teaching experience includes Kick Fitness and Dance,
Once Upon A Dance, Movement Dance Academy, Ocean Center East, Red Bank Regional, Ocean County College, NJ Teen Arts - Stockton
College, Count Basie Theater's Cool School, and more. Her innovative choreography has received numerous
accolades at the regional and national level. Elysha is enthusiastic to continue her training and stay on top of the newest
styles and trends. She hopes her passion for dance encourages and inspires other dancers to
share their talent with the world
Dore A. Rogers (Miss Dore) a New Jersey native
started dancing to the beat, and moving her feet at an early age. Her love affair of the arts began when her mother took
her to see the Broadway production of Annie! Her high school years were spent studying with the Red Bank youth ballet, performing
in various productions and ballets. Chamber choir, drama club, and piano also played a big part in her life, winning her
numerous state and national awards. With a dance scholarship in hand she went on to attend the University of the Arts in
Philadelphia. Studying with dance legends, Judith Jamisen of the famed company Alvin Ailey, Milton Meyers,and various other acclaimed instuctors.
She spent several years traveling and performing,and for the past 12 years she has been mastering her teaching skills. Teaching
ballet, tap, jazz, modern, musical theater, as well as preschool dance to children of all ages in the area. It is her belief
that dance truly does come from a special place In the heart. In her classrooms she works hard to help each student
find that special place. Through dance and music Dore hopes to build their confidence. So that they may enjoy success
in whatever they do, both inside and outside the dance classroom. When she isnt teaching she is busy moving to the beat
with her adorable son Chase, who is quite the lil mover himself!
Alyson
Goode fell in love with dance at the young age of two. She has trained across many dance studies including Ballet, Pointe,
Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theater, Modern, and Tap. As a competitive dancer she received high scores, including a judge's
award for "Best Technique." By middle school, Alyson started along her teaching path as a dance teacher assistant
and began choreographing competitive dances. She also studied at Princeton Ballet, and her
early stage credits include The Nutcracker
and Kismet, where she was a featured principle dancer. In 2001, Alyson was
discovered to dance on MTV’sTotal Request
Live Talent Week. As co-captain for Monmouth University ’s Dance Team she
choreographed routines for both local and NCAA Division 1 athletic events. She later graduated from MU with a B.A. in Communication
and currently works as an advertising Senior Account Executive… but continues to feed
her love for dance by teaching at Kick! She maintains her training at Broadway Dance Center, workshops with the Knick’s
City Dancers, and also studied with Heidi Groskreutz from season two of So
You Think You Can Dance. Alyson is also a Spin instructor and was featured in SELF
magazine’s online healthy lifestyle success stories. Her energetic and fun classes emphasize growing knowledge
of dance technique, while encouraging student’s to develop a deep passion for the art. She challenges students to not
only learn steps and routines, but to independently create their own connection to the music. Alyson is looking forward to
her 7th year teaching at Kick!
Miss Laura (Laura Schwamberger) started taking dance lessons at the age of 5 years
old at a local dance studio and
studied Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Pointe and Tap though college. When she was 11 she was accepted onto their
competition team for jazz, tap, and ballet. She competed regionally and nationally with the team for 9
years and earned “Gold” status or higher at every competition. She began assistant teaching
at the studio at the age of 12 years old and was given her own classes to choreograph at the age of 17. She
also studied at the Ocean County Performing
Arts Center, performed at Walt Disney World in Orlando for Disney’s Magical Music Days, and has taken
private workshop lessons with a Rockette. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Montclair State University
with Bachelors in Communications and Public Relations in May of 2008. Since then she has been a Marketing Coordinator for
Woodlake Country Club and has continued to teach dance at a studio in Point Pleasant. In her spare time she likes to go to the Broadway
Dance Center in New York as well as attend various conventions. Laura is excited to start teaching at Kick 2!
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