Mea Pangia
- Artistic Director, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Lyrical, DXC
Mea Pangia has a degree in Theatre and Dance from Rowan University. She has also studied dance at Dance Center of South Jersey, Lowe Dance Studio, Koresh Dance Center in Philadelphia, and under the direction of choreographers such as Paule Turner (founder of c o u r t), Melanie Stewart (Contemporary Dance Company), Ronni Koresh (Koresh Dance Company), Savion Glover (Tap Direction for the animated film Happy Feet), Chet Walker (choreographer for the Broadway show FOSSE), and Robert Burden (Tap Team Two and Co). Mea has received scholarships to Joffrey Ballet, STEPS in NY, and The American Dance Festival in NC. She has also performed with dance companies: Voorhees Dance Ensemble and Ritz Theater Dance Company. Miss Mea has performed in numerous productions such as SHOES 2 DANCE, SWEET CHARITY, VICOR/VICTORIA, A CHORUS LINE, STEPPING OUT, LILITH, PETRUSHKA, THE NUTCRACKER, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, AND DUKE AND DANCE as well as performing at the Philly Fringe Festival. She has also choreographed musicals at The Ritz Theater including GODSPELL and CANDIDE. Miss Mea was also the choreographer for the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corp for their “Soul Searchin” touring company. Mea has received numerous choreography awards during competition season as well as having her piece “We Are Gonna Be Friends” selected to perform in the choreography review in 2014, where Cathy Roe described Mea as a “master of composition”. In April 2015, Mea’s contemporary piece “The Great Beyond” was chosen to perform in the choreography review at Cathy Roe Ultimate Dance and her piece “A Fifth of Beethoven” was chosen to perform in the Entertainment showdown and won! Mea has been awarded a scholarship to attend the Rhee Gold Dance Retreat in Massachusetts and this past season was awarded a scholarship to attend the Dance Teacher Web conference in Connecticut. This past season, her piece Toxicity was chosen to perform in the choreography review at Cathy Roe. Mea was invited to join the inner circle of Dance Studio Owners Association. She is very blessed to have such wonderful people in her life and this includes the Dance Xperience family! Mea would like to thank all of you for allowing her to share her love of dance and for making her dreams a reality with her students at Dance Xperience!
Hailey Hubbs
- Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Twinkle Star Dance Program, DXC
Hailey earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from Rowan University as well as her associates in Entrepreneurship. Hailey has trained in numerous forms of dance including Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-hop, Modern, Pointe, Lyrical, and Musical Theater. Professional works outside of Rowan University include choreographing for “It’s Happening at Home” (Fringe Festival 2018), Performing in “Death by Chocolate” (Fringe Festival 2018), and “Dancing Past the Dark” with Allegory Dance Theatre. Hailey has also produced her own Fringe Festival piece entitled “The Quiet Room” (Fringe Festival 2019). “The Quiet Room” was a choreographic work exploring the effects of Alzheimer’s critically reviewed in The Dance Journal. Hailey was brought back to Rowan University in 2022 as a guest choreographer for their spring dance showcase to place “The Quiet Room” on their Dance Extensions company members. Hailey is also a Dance Xperience alumni and is beyond proud to be sharing her love for dance with her students at Dance Xperience.
Lauren Arleth
- Ballet
Miss Lauren is a 1998 graduate of DeSales University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance and as well as the Jeanne Meixell Award Excellence in Dance. She began her dance education with ballet at the age of 3 at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia where in 2008 she earned the honor of being celebrated as a distinguished alumni during the schools 100th Anniversary Celebration. Lauren began her teaching career at DeSales where she focused on dance education. She continued teaching in Bucks County PA after graduation and in 2011 became the Artistic Director of a studio located in a Fitness facility. Throughout the years she created an award-winning competition team, taught various genres of dance, was featured in the Teacher Spotlight of the national dance publication “Dance Studio Life” and was even a former employee of Dance Xperience. In 2024, the fitness facility closed its doors and Lauren is very excited to focus her attention back home in New Jersey and to be back at Dance Xperience!
Amanda Ortner
- Twinkle Star Dance Program, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap
Amanda graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rider University with a B.A. in Arts and Entertainment Management, and a minor in Dance in December, 2020. Amanda has trained in numerous forms of dance including Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Pointe, Lyrical, and Musical Theater. Amanda started her dance training in her hometown of Manahawkin, NJ and competed with her local studio through high school. The majority of her college dance studies focused on Modern technique, Pilates, and Mind/Body connection through dance science. During her college years, she performed in the semi-annual Dance Department showcase, and danced in and choreographed for the Rider Dance Ensemble. Amanda has performed professionally in the Philadelphia area and continues to train locally. Additionally, she has experience working for several performing arts companies and with Groove Dance Competition on the production team. Amanda has a passion for helping dancers find their individuality and ability to express themselves through dance. Her teaching approach encourages dancers to think outside the box and foster their creativity. Miss Amanda is a wonderful addition to our staff of dance educators!
Laura Jean Volkland
- Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, Twinkle Star Program, DXC
Laura Jean Volkland started dancing around the age of five and was trained near Princeton New Jersey under the RAD’s dance educational program until she was eighteen. Laura graduated from Montclair State University in 2013 with her degree in Dance and Theatre. Since graduating Laura has taught dance, theatre, and vocal lessons all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania at different studios and conservatories. This is Laura’s third year with Dance Xperience where she teaches Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre, leaps and turns, Stretch and conditioning, and the twinkle baby tap and ballet classes. Laura performs and choreographs with local artists from all over New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York. For the past five years Laura has been performing with Odd Act’s Improv troupe. This past spring Laura started a new venture in stand up comedy. Laura is currently working on creating her own Improv and comedy company. Laura is so excited for another season with Dance Xperience and many more to come!
Sydni Thompson
- Ballet, Jazz, Twinkle Star Dance Program
Sydni Thompson is eager to start helping students grow and succeed at Dance Xperience! With a passion for movement and dedication, Sydni will bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to Dance Xperience. Sydni started dancing at the age of 2 and has never stopped. From the time she was able to keep a rhythm, she has danced on a competitive team in her home state Florida. And at the age of 16, she decided to turn her hobby into her job and began her dance teacher journey. Guiding beginners or refining the techniques, Sydni prides herself on creating a supportive and inspiring environment where students can flourish. With a background in aiding children with special needs, Sydni is committed to helping dancers of all ages and levels achieve their goals and discover the transformative power of dance. During Sydni’s college experience, she majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Psychology. Sydni performed and was involved in her dance program at the University of Central Florida called the Knights and Damsels Dance Company. Involved within the artist board for four years, she danced and choreographed in showcases and events at the University of Central Florida. After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, she is now in a Master’s Program and will continue to learn until she gets her PhD in the field of special needs Healthcare. Sydni has a passion for the younger generations, believing in fostering creativity, discipline, and joy through dance and is looking forward to sharing her passion with dancers at Dance Xperience.
Ann Marie
- Customer Care Specialist
Miss Ann Marie is excited to assist Dance Xperience with Customer Care Relations and answer any questions you might have regarding your child and their dance program. She has been a resident of the South Jersey area for many years but grew up in the city of Philadelphia, PA. Miss Ann Marie’s passion for the Arts and Dance has allowed her the privilege to have studied dance for twelve years at two local dance studios in Philadelphia and attend the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Center City. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance and learned many skills through the study of dance that she carries with her to this day. She is looking forward to meeting you and your child in the dance studio. Happy Dancing!
Katherine “Kat” Corbett
- Acro, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz
Katherine “Kat” Corbett is originally from eastern North Carolina where she grew up and attended East Carolina University. She received her BFA in dance performance and began teaching and choreographing in NC. Over the years, Katherine has trained and worked with with choreographers at BodyTraffic, Koresh, American Dance Festival, and Rubberband Dance. Katherine now resides in Philadelphia and performs with companies such as Brian Sander’s JUNK, Asya Zlatina and Dancers, and Matter Movement Group. Miss Kat is excited to be a part of the DX family!
Maria Cousins
- Receptionist
Miss Maria graduated from Douglass College, Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Spanish and Theatre Arts. She earned her teaching certificate to teach Spanish for grades K-12. Miss Maria also has her elementary certification as well. She has also earned her Masters in School Counseling from the College of New Jersey. Miss Maria taught Spanish, Academic Mastery and Bilingual-Bicultural Education for over 35 years until her retirement in 2015. Mrs Cousins was elected twice as Teacher of the Year and served as advisor and co-advisor to the middle school yearbook, School Leadership Committee and middle school Junior National Honor Society. Her favorite accomplishments are marrying her wonderful husband Kevin and raising her beautiful daughter, Kayla. Miss Maria has been working in the office at Dance Xperience since 2013 and is the heart of our studio. She loves all of the dancers at the studio and treats each child as if they were her own. She is a fantastic receptionist and a caring, beautiful person. Miss Maria is loved by everyone in our dance family!
Kayla Cousins
- Ballet, Jazz, Twinkle Star Dance Program
Kayla has been dancing since she was 5 years old and was a student of Dance Xperience dance studio and resident dance company, DXC, until she graduated from High School. Kayla is currently studying Performing Arts Dance at Rowan University and will be graduating in the spring of 2019. During her college career, she has been a member of the Rowan University Dance Extensions Company. As a member, she has been able to perform in various dance productions and has worked with artists from around the world. She has also performed in Rowan University Mainstage productions- “Dance of the Macabre” and “House of Murals” Kayla has also had the opportunity to travel to other colleges in the country through the American College Dance Festival Association. While studying at Rowan, Miss Kayla has been a substitute on several occasions at Dance Xperience and has also done through Dance Xperience’s Student Teacher Program. This past summer, Kayla auditioned for Philadanco’s summer training program and was accepted. Miss Kayla is super excited for this dance season with all of her wonderful students.
Emma D'Entremont
- Twinkle Star Dance Program, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Lyrical, DXC
Emma D’Entremont has been dancing since she was 3 years old, and spent 15 years dancing with Dance Xperience as a student and part of the company team. During her high school years she worked with former Broadway performers Jackie Bayne and Jason Gillman at their Broadway Artists Intensive in Florida and worked closely with the Man In Motion dance company in New York to create their award winning “This Is Me” video. She has been a substitute teacher on several occasions at Dance Xperience since graduating. Emma continued her dance career into college by being a part of the Rowan Dance Team. She will be graduating in Spring 2023 from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. Emma is so excited to be a part of the Dance Xperience family again and to teach students the art of dance!
Nicole Anderson
- Tap, Jazz & Twinkle Star Program
Nicole Anderson is a dance instructor and choreographer from the South Jersey area. She has been teaching dance since 2016, and received her Bachelors in Dance from Rowan University in 2018. Nicole’s dance education began in 1996, and has been her main passion in life ever since. She has 20+ years of performance experience, including being a member of Uniting Colleges Through Tap, and the South Pacific Island Dancers. Nicole also has performed in local theatre shows, such as South Pacific and Will Rogers Follies at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman. She’s been lucky enough to perform in venues such as Madison Square Garden, and the Carnival Cruise Lines. Nicole loves all styles of dance, but tap is her favorite. She is so excited to share her love of tap with the students at Dance Xperience!
Tarani Ellis
- Receptionist
Miss Tarani moved to NJ after growing up in Florida and is currently going to school for Accounting. Tarani is a bright light at Dance Xperience and willing to help staff and families whenever needed. She is excited to be working in the dance studio and greet all of our fantastic families and dancers!
LisaMarie Casazza
- Twinkle Star Dance Program
LisaMarie is from South Jersey and studies a duel major in dance and early childhood education at Rowan University. She has been dancing for sixteen years and some of her favorite dance styles include tap, jazz and contemporary. LisaMarie attends classes at Broadway Dance Center and Powerhouse Dance Center; she is a member of Rowan University’s contemporary dance company “Dance Extensions”, as well as a dancer in the 2022 Flair Dance Festival. LisaMarie can’t wait to share her knowledge and passion for dance this upcoming season with DX!