Our Staff
We have some of the most talented and professionally trained teachers in the area. We also welcome guest teachers from other studios and traveling performances throughout the year.
Director
Miss Heather
Trained in all forms of dance: acrobatics, ballet, lyrical, modern, jazz, pointe, street funk and, back in the day, the popular Jazzercise! She started dancing at the age of 7 and was a member of the pre-professional Lehigh Valley Ballet Guild for 6 years, performing in various ballets and Nutcracker shows with several well-known principal dancers. She was trained by many outstanding teachers who nurtured her love for dance over the years… too many to name.
Throughout her dance years she competed and won numerous top awards, including the title for competing 4 top solos to be crowned Miss Teen Talent 3 consecutive years, and was crowned Miss Starpower during her senior year of high school. She was also a cheerleader at her local high school, a member of the track team, and taught at local gymnastics centers in Pennsylvania, choreographing floor routines for gymnasts and training them in various dance techniques.
Throughout her dance years she competed and won numerous top awards, including the title for competing 4 top solos to be crowned Miss Teen Talent 3 consecutive years, and was crowned Miss Starpower during her senior year of high school. She was also a cheerleader at her local high school, a member of the track team, and taught at local gymnastics centers in Pennsylvania, choreographing floor routines for gymnasts and training them in various dance techniques.
She received many scholarships, including one to dance in a Martha Graham class and a full scholarship to attend The Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts for the entire summer of her junior year at Bucknell University. She began teaching her own classes at the age of 15, from 4-year-olds up through adults, and enjoyed it so much that she continued teaching while attending The University of the Arts in Center City Philadelphia, where she received a BFA in Dance Education and Performance.
Miss Heather was thrilled to meet and audition for Debbie Gibson, making it through to the final cut of the hit TV show Star Search, as well as earning an invitation to dance at the Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.
In 2002, after all of these amazing dance experiences, Miss Heather decided she was ready to conquer her long-sought-after dream of owning her own dance studio. 25 years later she is proud to be one of Freehold's prominent, successful small businesses, and continues to grow her studio and be a proud part of helping young dancers achieve their dance goals and reach for their dreams alongside her amazing staff.
She is also very proud to have many talented alumni return to teach at FAPA, as well as long-time teachers who continue to teach here, and is proud year after year of the many accolades and accomplishments achieved by the studio. “We have such talented and creative teachers that really make a difference and set us apart. Our FAPA students are all very special, and it is extremely rewarding as a director to see their accomplishments!”
Faculty
Our teachers
Professional dancers, choreographers and FAPA alumni.
Miss Christina
Miss Christina has been an elementary school teacher for over 20 years and has found her way back to her first love, dance. She has taught all styles of dance to students ages 2 to 50.
Christina is so happy to have the opportunity to combine her two loves, dance and teaching, to help students grow and to love dance too.
Miss Emily
Miss Emily has been with FAPA for 17 years and was a member of our Performing Company, studying all forms of dance, for 10 years.
Miss Justine
Miss Justine graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in Jazz Dance Performance. She has performed with a few contemporary dance companies in NYC, at the Philly Fringe Festival and the Capezio ACE Awards, at numerous other locations, and at Dr. Oz's galas.
She loves teaching all students and seeing their growth and passion.
Miss Kali
Miss Kali graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in Jazz Dance Performance. She has been a teacher at FAPA for 8 years and loves being a part of the FAPA family!
Kali loves teaching the art of dance to all of her students.
Miss Kira
Miss Kira grew up as a Junior Olympic gymnast, and that gymnastics background has proved to be a beneficial asset to her dance career. At the age of 16, she moved to Los Angeles to train with Krista Miller's Launch Program. She also began touring with Revel Dance Convention, where she continued to grow as a Professional Assistant and Rev Kids Faculty Member.
Kira is versatile in all styles and passionate about teaching and choreography. She has had the opportunity to assist choreography for several productions, including the Derek Hough Tour. Kira recently moved to New York City and is enjoying working with numerous dancers on the East Coast. She is excited to be teaching hip hop at FAPA this season!
Miss Mary
Mary No is a NJ-based tap dancer, teacher and choreographer. She was previously a faculty member and choreographer for Gil Stroming's Break the Floor in NYC and was on faculty of the Syncopate tap convention for the last 9 years. Mary's choreography has been featured in several tap performances in NYC, including Aaron Tolson & Derick Grant's Spook-tap-ular, as well as Malana Murphy's annual RIFF Tap Festival in Dallas, TX.
Her students have been recognized on a national level on the competition/convention circuit and have been featured in the Off-Broadway show “Tappin' Thru Life” with Maurice Hines and the revival of “The Tap Dance Kid” with Savion Glover.
Mary also works as a CFP® and CSLP® with Student Loan Planner. She loves to help young individuals and families become money savvy and works with them to manage their large student loan balances.
Miss Morgan
Miss Morgan’s love for dance began at three years old at Freehold Academy of Performing Arts, where she grew up training in jazz, contemporary, lyrical, tap, and ballet. After graduating from Howell High School, she was excited to turn her lifelong passion into teaching and choreographing routines.
One of her favorite parts of teaching is getting to share her love for dance with her students and watching them grow, gain confidence, and discover their own passion for performing. Having grown up in the studio, Miss Morgan has always considered it her second home and feels so lucky to now be a part of creating that same special experience for her students.
Miss Nicole
Miss Nicole has been teaching at FAPA for 24 years. She has a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Delaware. She has choreographed and danced in summer theater programs and danced for an entertainment company for 15 years.
Miss Nicole has a family of two boys, so she gets her fill of girls by teaching them. She loves inspiring her students to feel joy and passion every time they dance.
Miss Sarah
As the second oldest alumna of FAPA ever, Sarah is elated to be back teaching at a place she called home for so many years! After graduating from SUNY Buffalo with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Education, she toured the world with Celebrity Cruise Line as Specialty Dancer & Aerial Captain.
In her 10+ years of aerial work, Sarah performed on aerial trapeze, silks, hoop, bungee, harness, hammock, cloud swing, dodecahedron, cube and chandelier, specializing in act creation & choreography, duo & group acts, and aerial bartending. Turns out hanging upside down on the ballet barre worked out alright for her!
With experience as a Rehearsal Director for numerous production companies, dancing off-Broadway and in national tours, opening for artists such as John Legend and Jon Bon Jovi, and performing industrials for companies such as Bacardi, Wine Spectator Magazine, Hard Rock Casino, PGA Tours and many more in spectacular venues around the world, she is happy to be in her next chapter teaching the future generation of tumblers and twisters.
She continues her education & credentials with Acrobatic Arts, PBT, Sugarfoot Dance Therapy and more. Her greatest accomplishment is her double titanium super platinum award-winning son, Nicholas Rose.
Miss Tori
Miss Tori has been at FAPA for 7 years and is a former professional ballet dancer. She has performed all over the country with several professional ballet companies, including North Carolina Dance Theatre, Lustig Dance Theatre, Oakland Ballet and ARC Dance.
She recently graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Business Administration. Miss Tori loves sharing her passion for ballet and technique with all of her students!
Office
Miss Helenea
Accounts Manager
Miss Helenea is celebrating her retirement, but she's not really done with us completely! She will stick around and be our registration and accounts manager behind the scenes.