ABOUT OUR TEACHERS

All our teachers are Jean DeLuca graduates, have participated in master classes and have won numerous competition awards for performing and choreography.  Most have been teaching for me for more then 20 years and all continue to perform with our adult progressive company.  Extremely dedicated to dance, and teaching is their passion.

Donna Greco-Rodriquez
began her training with us at age 13, with a very obvious passion to perform and to teach. She soon spent many hours by my side as a teachers' assistant.
Taking all master classes available, studying at Jeannette Neil's and Leon Collins in Boston, and her own innate talents have brought her to a place of awesome expertise in choreography.
Currently, the director of our company dancers , her responsibilities continue for recitals, competition and our Disney Performances.
Donna also finds time to choreograph for local teacher groups, Mount Hope High School and Kaleidoscope theatre. an elementary school teacher by day, an exciting dance teacher by night.

Kris Macaruso-Marotti - an accomplished lawyer by day - dynamic dance teacher choreographer by night. Her passion is Jazz - Ballet - Lyrical. Early ballet training with Festival Ballet took her to the stage as "Clara" in the "Nutcracker".
She studied extensively with Clint Hamblin of Boston and appeared professionally as a principle soloist with his company and most notably as his "adagio partner". Kris also danced with the "Shery Gold Dancers in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. her performances and student choreography are recipients of many competitive awards.
We are very blessed to have her on our staff for more then 25 years.

Lori Barrone-Pitocchi - passion is Ballet. Her many years of training and teaching experiences, and her creativity and musicality consistently gives her students the gift of wonderful original choreography that always produces "beautiful pictures".
Lori began classes with Jean at 4 years old and for several years danced with Festival Ballet Company' During her college years, she studied dance at Hofstra and competed in National competitions while also training at the Long Island Dance Conservatory.
Graduate studies for occupational therapy at Springfield College gave her the opportunity to dance with the Longmeadow Conservatory and perform with the Springfield Symphony.
Married to Mike Pitocchi with two beautiful and talented little girls, Lori continues to (Her Quote)"Love Teaching ballet at our school and grateful that my daughters have the opportunity to learn and love dance with Jean".

Alesia Wetsel-Payne - has been studying and teaching with us for more than 30 years. Her passion is tap. She has enjoyed many master classes with Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, Dianne Walker, Josh Hilberman, Buster Brown and our own Joe Pizzi.
As a performer and a choreographer, her routines in competitions produced many special awards and Gold metals..

Jackie Grossi - began dancing with us at age three and quickly progressed to being a highly competitive dancer. Winning many special awards and Gold Medals. Through more than 20 years of training, she studied with Jean, Donna Rodriguez, Alesia Payne, Kris Marotti and has also enjoyed master classes with Servion glover Dianne Walker, Joe Pizzi, Clint Hamblin and more. The last years brought her to U.R.I. to pursue a C.P.A. masters and she has been a wonderful addition to our Wakefield Staff.

Nikki Batsford –

Brook Young
started her dance training 24 years ago when she began dancing at Jean DeLuca Performing Arts.  At the studio she studied all forms of dance including tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, and gymnastics.  She has been teaching at Jean DeLuca Performing Arts since 1995 when she began as a teacher’s helper.  In 1998 Brooke began dancing for the Rhode Island College Modern Dance Company and performed with the company for 5 years.  While dancing for the TIC Dance Company, Brooke became part of the hip-hop troupe Dance Planet, which later transformed into Phase II.  She has also been a member of the Fusionworks Dance Academy for the past 6 years.  Today Brooke continues to share her love of dance with the students that she teaches.  Brooke holds a degree in Special Education and is currently working towards her Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling through Providence College.

Amy Squillace-Cipriano

Lori Badessa- Jaiswal
started dancing with us when she was 3 1/2 years old. As a teenager she assisted Donna Rodriguez in dance classes for various elementary schools in Cranston, RI. As an adult, her job to her to California where she married, had a beautiful daughter and, as luck would have it, moved back to Rhode Island in time for our 50th studio anniversary. She enrolled her daughter Sydney in our Pre-School classes and began enjoying dance again with our Adult Company. I am thrilled to be teaching Sydney, and to have Lori as my assistant.