Guest Teachers at Studio D Dance

Miss Shelly Hutchinson

Contemporary Jazz

Shelly Hutchinson is a choreographer, instructor, dancer, and producer in New York City. She has been a choreographer for "So You Think You Can Dance" Ukraine, on creative teams in operas such as Candide, Samson and Delilah and Aida. Currently audition choreographer for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Vince Camuto ad for NYC Fashion Week. Choreographer for adapted for stage version of Disney's High School Musical. Television appearances include MTV, CBS Morning Show, ABC, Saturday Night Live, Law & Order, HBO Miniseries "Mildred Pierce", The Today Show, David Letterman, and The Learning Channel. Performing credits include Radio City Music Hall, Warner Brothers Films, Disney, back up dancer for Craig Mack, Wyclef Jean and in Lou Bega's "Mambo #5. Off-Broadway and Regional Theatre, Broadway Bares, National and European Tours including "Fame, the Musical", Bye Bye Birdie, Irene, and West Side Story. Recently Nominated for "Outstanding Choreography" for "Occasion For Sin" as part of Planet Connections Theater Festivity. On faculty at Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet School and Peridance in NYC.

Miss Lauren Russo

Miss Shelly Hutchinson

Modern, All Levels

Born in Bridgeport, CT, Lauren began dancing at the age of two. Graduating from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in August 2018 with honors, she received a dual major BFA in Dance/Economics. Lauren has worked with numerous choreographers and artists such as Darrell Grand Moultrie, Matthew Rushing, Ronni Favors, Alonzo King, Jermaine Sipvey and more. Lauren has performed at major events such as The Hudson Yards Heatherwick Unveiling Event of The Vessel hosted by Mayor de Blasio and Anderson Cooper, as well as alongside The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (AAADT) in their New York City Center Season from 2016-2018. Alongside classmate Jacob Nahor, Lauren pioneered a study abroad program at The London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS) in Spring 2017. Here she learned and performed works by Hofesh Shechtor, Ohad Naharin, and Crystal Pite. Since graduating, Lauren has walked in New York Fashion Week, performed with the Merce Cunningham Trust, toured with American Swiss Ballet and is currently a company member with Ballaro Dance under the direction of Maria Ballaro.

Alexandra Cummins

Miss Shelly Hutchinson

Alexandra Cummins

Choreographer, Instructor and Performer, received her MFA in Performance and Choreography from Mills College as well as two Bachelor’s degrees in Theater Arts (with a concentration in dance) and French (with distinctions) from Sonoma State University. She recently relocated to Milford, CT from Los Angeles, CA where she worked as the Studio Manager of Garri Dance Studio and the Director of Dance at Bloom School of Music and Dance.

For eight years Alexandra served as the resident choreographer/dance instructor for Roustabout Theater in Northern California and then shortly afterwards transitioned to be the dance department head for Frenchwoods Performing Arts in upstate New York. As a collegiate instructor she has taught at UC Berkeley, Santa Rosa Junior College, Saint Mary’s College and the Academy of Art University. Alexandra was also the Artistic Director for the Santa Rosa Junior College Traveling Company and company member for both Summer Repertory Theater and Barclay Broadway Dance Company. To date Alexandra has choreographed nearly fifty musicals including Billy Elliot, 42nd Street, In the Heights, White Christmas, Legally Blonde, Anything Goes and Hairspray. Alexandra additionally holds two competitive ballroom titles including top six for Future Champions in American Smooth and top three for Jack & Jill in Lindy Hop.

Emily Fodor

Emily Fodor has been dancing for 19 years. Since she was three years old, she danced as one of Miss Dona’s students at both the YMCA when Miss Dona was the Dance Director, and then danced at Studio D. She was a competitive dancer at Studio D for four years. While on the Team, Emily earned many platinum and High Gold awards. She is a proud Alumni of Studio D and was able to use the valuable technique and experience from the Studio D Staff to join the UConn dance team for all four years of college. During her final year on the team, she held the position of an officer who showed leadership through example and consulted with the coaches on decisions affecting the team. The UConn Dance Team is a Division One Team that performs at all UConn home football games, men’s and women’s basketball games as well as competing in the Daytona Beach Nationals for the National Dance Alliance Championship. In 2017 when Emily was a senior in college, the Team placed 2nd in the country for hip-hop and 7th in the country for jazz! Since UConn is so large in population, the UConn Dance Team competes in Division 1A, which is the most competitive division at the competition. Emily has had experience performing in front of thousands of people including environments such as dancing at Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Gillette Stadium, Gampel Pavilion, the XL Center in Hartford and the Daytona Beach Band Shell. She was trained by many successful hip hop dancers throughout her career including her mentor on the team who now dances for the Brooklyn Nets and choreographer, Toya Ambrose. Emily has earned her Bachelor's degree in both Mathematics Education and Mathematics. In May of 2018, Emily earned her Master’s Degree in Education. Emily is very excited to begin another year teaching and working with the faculty and students at Studio D!