Lisa Mennilli is an accomplished teacher and choreographer. Her credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, Mame, My Fair Lady, Your a Good Man Charlie Brown, Aladdin, Aida, and Seussical the Musical, to name a few. Lisa has been owner and director of the Lisa Mennilli Dance Academy, of Monroe, Connecticut, for the last 31 years. Her students have gone on to professional careers in television, major motion pictures, and on the Broadway stage. Her Competitive Dance Company has garnered such awards as Dancers of the Year, Overall Grand National Champions, as well as winning over 2,000 first place awards for Outstanding Achievements in Dance. Students and graduates have been awarded scholarships to participate in many prestigious dance and theatre programs across the U.S. Lisa is the proud recipient of such titles as “Outstanding Choreographer,” and “Teacher of the Year.”
Lisa Mennilli is also affiliated with Sabrina's Encore Productions Company. This company produces three live musicals a year (ages 6 - high school) One show in January and two in July in a professional setting.
Instructors
Bill Coates- tap teacher
Bill Coates has recently moved to New York from Washington DC where for nearly a decade he has taught tap dance. While in Washington DC he was on faculty at places such as the celebrated non-profit organization Joy of Motion, Catholic University and University of Maryland. Some of his choreography and solo/group performances in Baltimore/DC include National Tap Dance Day Celebration of Baltimore, DC's D.A.R.E to Keep Kids Off Drugs and the children's show Pancake Mountain. He was also the founder, host and featured dancer for Washington DC's premier tap dance outlet, Sole Conversations. Currently Bill travels to various studios up and down the east coast, teaching students from young to old and beginner to professional.
Class Description
Bill's class emphasizes rhythm, phrasing, speed and dexterity. They include technique, mostly derived from tap greats such as Henry Letang and Steve Condos.
Lauren Barrett
Lauren began her training at Robin Horneff's Performing Arts Center under the direction of Robin Horneff and choreographer Kelley Larkin. She's performed with Ben Vereen at Make a Wish Foundation Benefits as well as with Wyclef Jean and the Temptations at the Princess Grace Foundation's Benefit for the Prince of Monaco. She's performed on the CBS Morning Show, Off Broadway in The Fringe Festival with Gil Stroming and can be seen in International American Express Commercials. For the last 7 years she's been teaching and choreographing all over the tri-state area and has won top awards for her studios all over the country. She's also choreographed for the College of Charleston Dance Team, "Falling Awake" a NYC Showcase and has taught at National Dance Showcase Conventions. From 2004-2006 she was a member of Synthesis Dance Project, Dir. Tracie Stanfield, where she performed at the 2004 Elan Awards, International Dance Festival '05 and '06, Carnival Choreographer's Ball '05 and '06, and Save The Music/Hurricane Katrina Relief Benefit among many other venues. She was featured in the Uptown Series Showcase with Clarity in Motion and has recently joined the dance company :pushing progress, Dir. Calen Kurka. She has performed as part of the company in The Artists Showcase hosted by: pushing progress at Alvin Ailey studios and at B.B. Kings on 42nd st for Broadway Underground produced by Jared Grimes. She is thrilled to be a part of this studio, it is a joy teaching and a blessing to be a part of it .
Lauryn Linley
Lauryn has been teaching dance at the Lisa Mennilli Dance Academy for the past 4 years. She has had a strong interest in the creative arts since she was 3 years old. Lauryn studied tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical for fifteen years with the LMDA. During this time she competed in numerous dance and singing competitions, earning several awards and distinctions including Top Overall Soloist, Grand National Champion, and Top Vocalist. Lauryn has appeared in many theatrical productions, most notably as Maria, in West Side Story, Sallie Bowles in Cabaret, Grace in Annie, Sister Hubert in Nunsense and Val in A Chorus Line. She has attended American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC, as well as Fairfield University. Lauryn is currently studying dance at STEPS and Broadway Dance in Manhattan, and voice with Brett Boles at Sabrina's Encore Productions in Newtown, CT.
Kara Walsh
Kara Walsh began her training at the School of Performing Arts under the direction of Robert Maiorano and Arlene Begleman. Kara then moved on to study at the Alvin Ailey school in New York City. She has studied privately with Elizabeth Parkinson and Graciela Kozak. Kara was a member of Spectrum dance Theater and Buglisi Dance Theater. She has worked with choreographers such as Donald Byrd, Jacquelyn Buglisis, Mary Ann Lamb, Roni Koresh and Ruben Celiberti. She curently is working with choreographer Devin Pullins on a new project and assists and demonstrates for master teacher Graciela Kozak at The Peridance Center and Alvin Ailey School.