Joan Christensen
Executive Artistic Director
Joan Christensen has been the Executive/Artistic Director of Joan Lynn Dancer Center and Company for 40 years. Prior to opening Joan Lynn Dance Center, she was the Assistant Teacher to Ron Fucci of Ronnie’s Dance Workshop in North Haven for 15 years, for a total of 50 years of dance experience.
Joan has taught all styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theater, and aerobics. Joan has had a lifelong love of dance, and has studied many different styles and techniques throughout the years, with much emphasis in Jazz and Tap. She studied extensively in New York City under such notable teachers as, Charles "Chuck" Kelly, Judy Bassing, Luigi, Wayne Cilento, Patty and Leslie Lockery and continues to further her knowledge with the vast, digital dance available online.
Joan has a love for the theater arts and musical theater dance. She has choreographed many local productions across Connecticut, for high schools, and area theaters. For the past 20 years, she has been the principal choreographer for the Whitney Players, a local theater company under the direction of Cindy Simell-Devoe. Most recent productions have been Young Frankenstein, Shrek the Musical, West Side Story, Matilda, Anything Goes, Godspell, to name but a few.
Together with Cindy Simell-Devoe, Joan runs a 2-week musical theater camp in the summer. The camps' main focus is for children and teens who want to further their studies in acting and musical theater. Joan also runs a summer intensive for JLDC dancers.
As a performer, choreographer, director and teacher, Joan’s priority has always been to keep the performing arts alive and well in our community, and to give her students a strong base to build vital careers in the Arts.
David Christensen
Associate Artistic Director
David has been with the Joan Lynn Dance Center and Company as Director of Tap and Musical Theatre since 2012. He holds his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre performance from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee where he was assistant choreographer to Michael Susko in their production of 42nd street. In 2012 he was a featured dancer in a piece choreographed by Aaron Tolson at Broadway Dance Center in NYC. David has written multiple shows which have been featured at various theaters around the country including Pittsburgh CLO, Casa Mañana, Joe's Pub and 54 Below in NYC, the Children's Theater of Cincinnati and the Bloomington Playwright’s Project among others.
Amber Richetelli
Amber has been dancing with the Joan Lynn Dance Company since the age of 2. She then decided to further her studies at Hofstra University in Long Island where she graduated with a B.S. in Dance Education. Amber has worked as an assistant, teacher, and choreographer and is well versed in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and modern. She has performed in works by Maxine Steinman, Rachel List, José Límon (restaged by Pablo Ruvalcaba Tovar), and Anita Feldman. Amber is also the recipient of the New York State Dance Education Association Undergraduate Award.
Amber was President of the Dance Education club on campus, T’DAA (Teaching Dance as Art) as well as Hofstra’s chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Amber was also Lead Teacher of an integrated creative dance class for adults with varying abilities.
Alyssa LeCuyer
Alyssa has been a part of the JLDC family for 20 years. She started as a student at the age of 8 and was one of the early members of the original JDC Performing Group. Throughout her High School career, Alyssa was an assistant for many classes here at the studio. She began teaching in 2015 after graduating from Southern Connecticut State University with a Communication Disorder Degree. Throughout high school and college, Alyssa worked as a nanny. Ever since she was young, she always had a passion and love for children. After graduating, she worked as an ABA Therapist with children between the ages of Preschool and Third Grade. Alyssa teaches Ballet, Tap, and Jazz to our younger students. She resides in Wallingford with her husband and two young boys.
Laura D'Amato Russo
Laura began her ballet training at New Haven Ballet (CT), at the age of 6, under the direction of Artistic Director, Noble Barker. At the age of 13 she was invited to attend the prestigious Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory. There Laura trained intensely under American Ballet Theater.
While progressing on to dance as a professional freelance artist, Laura was privately coached under former American Ballet theater ballerina, Christina Fagundes. Her repertoire includes the classics, neoclassical and contemporary ballet, modern dance, and original roles created for her.
Simultaneously starting her career as an instructor, Laura served on the faculty of Ballet Etudes, Eastern Connecticut Ballet, Starship Dance Theater, and the New Haven Ballet. Ms Russo was appointed Ballet Mistress of the New Haven Ballet, as well as served as the principal of the Upper Division levels.
Schuyler Beeman
Schuyler is a singer, actor, dancer, and sheep farmer born and raised in Guilford, CT. He worked professionally in theatre for close to ten years primarily with Broadway’s Animal Trainer Bill Berloni where he handled dogs for production of Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, A Christmas Story, and many more. He also handled sheep, horses, and snakes for productions as well. Schuyler’s favorite show with William Berloni Theatrical Animals was a world tour with Isabella Rossellini’s theatrical lecture Link Link Circus where he was not only the dog handler but also the other actor in the show. Other performance credits include A Chorus Line (Greg), Finian’s Rainbow (Woody U/S), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chip Tolentino), Annie (Ensemble), Legally Blonde (Ensemble). Nowadays, Schuyler performs his one man cabaret productions alongside his three piece band for local audiences. Schuyler moved back to his hometown in 2019 to start his own farm, Arbor Farm, where he raises sheep for meat and wool as well as rabbits and flowers for dried arrangements. He also teaches classes at Shoreline Ballet and Joan Lynn Dance Company as well as coaches swimming at Hamden Hall Aquatic Club. Schuyler’s newest venture is pursuing his masters in Elementary Education at Southern Connecticut State University. For more information, follow him on Instagram at @arborfarmct.
Kolby Matusovich
Kolby has been a part of the Joan Lynn Dance Center for the past 21 years, both as a student and as a member of the faculty. She has studied a wide variety of subjects during her time as a student of the Joan Lynn Dance Center, such as ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical, but her true passion in life is tap. Kolby was also an inaugural member of The Joan Lynn Dance Company, and it’s predecessor, The Joan Lynn Performing Group.
She has been an attendee at The Big Apple Tap Festival in Manhattan, New York, where she learned from some of the leading names in the tap dancing world, such as Professor Robert L. Reed, Anthony LoCascio, Ray Hesselink, Germaine Salsberg, Avi Miller and Ofer Ben. She has also taken many tap classes at the pre-professional level at Broadway Dance Center, during her time as a student at Marymount Manhattan College. She also performed at the collegiate level in a tap number choreographed by one of her college professors. Kolby has also worked closely with Lanene Charters from the original Broadway production of Mamma Mia.
Kolby has been a proud member of the faculty of The Joan Lynn Dance Center for the past six years, and can always be seen teaching tap classes from ages 8 to adult in her signature pink and black tap shoes.
Tammi Wells
Assistant Artistic Director
Tammi has been with Joni since the age of three: first as a student, then an assistant, then a teacher and now as an Artistic Director. Tammi helped to create the Joan Lynn Company Dancers Performing Group. She has been an integral part of connecting with various charities and setting up performances. Tammi enjoys teaching all levels.
Tammi began her love of dance at age three under the direction of Ms. Joan. She evolved with the studio from a student to an assistant and she has been a teacher for the last 23 years. Tammi helped to create the original Joan Lynn Performing Group which danced at charitable events and raised money for a variety of causes. She was an integral part of transitioning the group into a competition team. Tammi currently resides in North Haven with her four sons. She has been a school social worker with the New Haven Public Schools for the past 14 years. Tammi enjoys educating her dancers on controversial topics and current events, and then integrating them into her routines. She sees a new dance as an opportunity to not only learn choreography but also to reach a new emotional space. She teaches many subject areas but has a special love for contemporary. of dancers and especially loves lyrical. Tammi has a strong background in child development due to her career as a Social Worker with the New Haven Public Schools.
Melanie Moore
Melanie has been part of the JLDC family since she was 4 years old and began teaching full time at the age of 18. She graduated from Quinnipiac University with a Master's Degree in Journalism and worked in the television industry for many years before landing on her final career in digital marketing.
She has also worked in the fitness industry for many years as a certified Zumba instructor bringing her love and passion for dance to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Sheri Bonanno
Sheri Bonanno has been teaching dance in CT and the surrounding New England area for the past 33 years. Her early training came from Sharon DiCrosta at the Dancer’s Studio. She then received her BA in Dance from DeSales University. Sheri performed with the Muhlenberg Summer Theatre and The Anita Feldman Dance Company. She is certified by Dance Masters of America and is a member of DMA Chapter 18. Sheri’s students and choreography have won numerous awards on the state, national and international stages. Her teaching experience includes teaching children ages 2 through adult in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, and acro with an emphasis in tap. She also continues to work as an assistant coach/choreographer for the American Dance Collaborative which is a group of dancers who represent the United States at the World Tap Dance Championships.
Kathy Popielarczyk
Kathleen Popielarczyk is a Connecticut based dance educator holding her BS in Human Resources from the Southern New Hampshire University. She received her early dance training at Gloria Jean’s Studio of Dance under the direction of Gloria Jean Cumming. She serves on faculty at Gloria Jean Studios of Dance and Joan Lynn Dance Company teaching students of all ages. Outside of dance, she has a special interest in inclusive programming including coaching youth sports for athletes with and without disabilities. Kathy integrates her passion for education, inclusion and dance creating a welcoming environment for all her students to grow and develop.
Victor Trevino
Mr. Trevino is the Founder and Artistic Director of Ballet Eloelle/Les Ballets Grandiva, Men in Tutus, and Men in Pink Tights. He has created various works for the company including Romeo and Juliet, Le Petite Nutcracker Suite, Spartacus, Swan Lake Act II, Bolero, Near the Middle Somewhat Below, Love Wrongs, Peridot, Minkus Gala, Pocahontas Pas, Dracula, The Changing Room, and he has staged numerous classical duets and solos as well. Beyond Les Ballets Grandiva his creations include The Adventures of Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Mr. Trevino also was an original member of Ballet Florida under Marie Hale and danced with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for ten years. He is currently working with Joan Lynn Dance Company, a community-based dance school in Hamden, Connecticut; Males on Pointe, a project for dancers in South America, and has been the performance coordinator and liaison for Palm Beach Atlantic University's dance department in Florida as well as an adjunct professor. He has studied under many of the world’s leading ballet teachers including David Howard and Wilhelm Burman. Victor's extensive career as a Ballerina includes most of the great female leads such as Odette, Odile, Giselle, Kitri, Aurora, Sugar Plum Fairy, Juliet, and Carmen. Mr. Trevino still enjoys the laughter of a live audience and is thrilled to be able to contribute to the dance communities around the globe.
Makayla Johnson
Makayla Johnson is 20 years old and has been dancing for the last 7 years. She enjoys other genres of dance, but has a special love for tap. She enjoys working with children and has been assisting at the Joan Lynn Dance Company since high school. She also works at a daycare and attends school to be a licensed practical nursing in hopes of becoming a neonatal or pediatric nurse soon.