Dance Team

Paula Sanders

Dance Team Director and Choreographer

High School: Sachem High School 

College: Fashion Institute of Technology,  Advertising Marketing and Communication

Occupation: Professional Dancer/Choreographer, Dance Instructor 

Dancing Highlights: Being a Knicks City Dancer, touring with Latin recording artist Prince Royce, dancing in the Premio Juventud and Premio Lo Nuestro (Latin Teen and Latin People’s Choice Awards) with Prince Royce, Pitbull, Neyo, Nayer, and Wisin y Yandel, and working with Real Housewives of New Jersey star, Melissa Gorga

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: I love fitness! I'm super adventurous when it comes to working out- I have done it all. I love working out and feeling good about myself. When I do have free time you can find me in the gym, in a hot yoga class or doing whatever the latest trend is. I love to sweat! 

Favorite Food: I am a total foodie! There is nothing I don't like! If I had to choose it would be Thai Food. I can eat it every day. Or pizza! I loveeeeee a good, fresh brick oven pizza! 

Pre-Performance Superstition: None! But I do have a ritual right before I perform I have to do this little shaky jig! I jump up and down, shake the shoulders around...I look a little crazy but it revs me up a little before I perform. Can't go on without it!

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Marie D.

High School: Commack High School

College: Suffolk Community College

Occupation: Bebe Stylist/ Certified Medical Biller 

Dancing Highlights: Jets Flight Crew member, three-time NDA All-American, four-time National Kickline/Hip Hop Champion

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Shopping, anything with family

Favorite Food: French Fries/ Nonna's Sunday meat sauce!

Pre-Performance Superstition: Funny breathing/handshaks with teammates

Fun Fact: I'm allergic to peanuts :( and any animal can make my heart melt

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Megan E.

High School: Sachem East High School

College: Penn State, 2012

Occupation: Assistant Media Planner

Dancing Highlight: Danced for David Sanders Sance Dynamic for 6 years. Competed with Sachem East Arrowettes for 6 years (NDA Grand National Champions, 2008). Performed and competed with the Penn State Lionettes at all home fotball and basketball games (NDA Grand National Champions 2012)

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Playing Golf

Favorite Food: Chicken Parm

Pre-Performance Superstition: The night before a performance, I will always run through my dances in my head three times each. It always helps me stay confident with my performance

Fun Fact: I was captain of the largest student run philanthropy in the world called THON. It helps raise money for the fight against pediatric cancer.

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Jessica F.

High School: Frank Sinatra School of the Arts

College: Nassau County Community College

Occupation: Sales Associate/Cash Wrap Specialist

Dancing Highlights: Winning two first place national titles during summer 2012. Performing at MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Center, and ABT

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Shopping and music festivals

Favorite Food: All Italian food, Mama's cooking

Pre-Performance Supersitition: I'm just always worried about my turns, making sure I nail each one, that's always my fear on the side of the stage

Fun Fact: I'm never afraid to dance in a crowd, I'm always down for a good time and a great adventure

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Danielle F.

High School: Professional Performing Arts High School

College: Berkley College

Occupation: Professional Dancer and full time student

Dancing Highlight: Just in general being able to have the opportunity to travel and dance around the world

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Playing Softball

Favorite Food: Any type of pasta

Pre-Performance Superstition: I close my eyes and just get into my own zone

Fun Fact: At the age of 20, I have been able to travel to over 23 countries

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Kim L.

High School: Bronx Regional High School

Occupation: Professional dancer and correspondent 

Dancing Highlights: Performing in front of 5,000 people while the ball dropped on New Years Even 2012 and Opening my favorite designer's fashion show with my own piece

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Volunteering, working out, bike riding, travling

Favorite Food: Spanish food!

Pre-Performance Superstition:  I don't really have one, I just have to say a prayer before any performance

Fun Fact: I channel my inner Beyonce before every performance, I can't live without Spanish food, I was the class clown in high school, and when I was a little girl, I thought i was Mariah Carey! 

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Lena M.

High School: John Adams High School

College: Briarcliffe College

Occupation: Professional Dancer, Fitness Model, and Personal Trainer

Dancing Highlights: Best time dancing was in Canada with my Bellydance Company

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Love to workout 

Favorite Food: Strawberry, walnut, and grilled chicken salad

Fun Fact: I'm goofy and sarcastic, but fun! :)

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Tara M.

High School: Ledyard High School

College: Marymount Manhattan, 2006

Occupation: Professional Dancer

Dancing Highlights: Obviously making the Lizards Dance Team ;), Rockettes' Professional Invitational Intensive, Marymount Manhattan College, and Eastern Connecticut Ballet Company

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Yoga, anything with weights/cardio galore, skiing, and walking my dog. 

Favorite Food: My nickname is "the dessertinator" - so anything sweet doesn't stand a chance around me, especially chocolate

Pre-Performance Superstition: No specific quirks really... I just like to be super organized. Some breathing and stretching always helps center me too

Fun Fact: I love being a hostess with the mostest and a queen of crafts- Martha Stewart better watch out! 

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Lauren R.

High School: St. John the Baptist DHS

College: St. Josephs, 2015

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Shopping!

Favorite Food: Anything with Chicken

Fun Fact: I quote Mean Girls everyday

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AnnMarie S.

High School: Benjamin N Cardozo High School

College: Queens Borough Community College

Occupation: Sales Associate

Dancing Highlights: Two time solo title winner. Danced for the Lady Liberty basketball team at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. Was part of Beyonce's Move Your Body campaign for MTV. Danced with performance group Team Rave New York for four years.

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Shopping

Favorite Food: Penne ala Vodka

Pre-Performance Superstition: I always crack my knuckles before going onstage

Fun Fact: I was president of my school in 8th grade

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Christina S.

High School: Palm Desert High School

Occupation: Professional Dancer and Personal Assistant

Dancing HIghlights: My most memorable dance moments were performing fot he MTV Music Awards, dancing for Coca Cola in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, and signing with MSA to represent me as an artist

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: I'm a bit of a thrill seeker, outside of dance, I like doing anything that provides extreme levels of excitment, like roller coasters or skydiving. I also enjoy doing anything outdoors, especially hiking, shopping, and spending time with friends and familty

Favorite Food: I love some good, authentic Mexican food

Fun Fact: I'm a 2012 Guinness World Record Holder for being part of the longest team dance marathon. We performed choreographed dance sets as a team for 24 hours straight to raise money and awareness fo National Bullying Prevention Month while the entire event streamed live via MTV. It was amazing! 

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Hiroko U.

High School: Kasuga High School

College: Fukuoka University, 2008

Ocupation: Dancer, Dance teacher

Dancing Highlights: Spending three years dancing for a professional baseball team in Japan before moving to the US in 2009. 

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Cooking, traveling

Favorite Food: Chocolate, Sushi

Pre-Performance Superstition: Closing my eyes and thinking about my family

Fun Fact: I'm so addicted to chocolate!! Chocoholic!! I can eat chocolate as a meal

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Kristina Z.

High School: LaGuardia Performing Arts Hig School

College: Adelphi

Dancing Highlight: Being in Dance Spirit Magazine and becoming a member of Abstrakt Beings, the Company

Favorite Non-Dance Activity: Scrapbooking and baking

Favorite Food: Cupcakes

Pre-Performance Superstition: I always have to do a ballet barre or warm up before performing

Fun Fact: I was born in Pancevo, Serbia and Serbian was my first language

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