Debi Kineavy

Debi has been the Co-Owner/Director of Touch of Class Dance Studio since 1993. She is a graduate from West Chester University with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. Debi received her early dance training under the direction of Debbie Apalucci, and quickly became a part of the senior teaching staff. Due to her evident love for the art, she wanted to open her own dance studio. Since TOCD was truly Debi’s second home and family, it only made sense for her to jump on board and become Business Partners with Debbie Apalucci. This strong unity has been successful for 25 years and will not stop anytime soon., and Joe By immersing herself in the dance community, Debi strives to provide her students with a broad range of movement spanning from “old school jazz” to current day “contemporary jazz”. One of her other passions is teaching tap. Debi loves mixing complex rhythms, musicality and fun. Aside from teaching classes in both the Broomall and Downingtown locations, Debi directs the studio’s community service program, “Dancertainers”, and the TOCD Performance Team. Her background in both dance and education has allowed Debi to become an extremely accomplished teacher in Delaware and Chester County.

Debi choreographed for the award winning South Philadelphia String Band, the Junior 76ers Dance Team, and the TOCD Competition Company where her work has been nationally recognized at major dance competitions by receiving Platinum, Best Overall, and High Scoring awards. Another major accomplishment includes when Debi, along with the other TOCD directors, received the “Educator of the Year” Award for their dedication and excellence in successfully training of many young talented dancers. Debi lives in Downingtown with her husband who has always been in the background and backstage supporting her career. Her daughter, Jenny Rose, attends the University of the Arts in Philadephia as a Dance Major and Creative Writing Minor. Her son, Marty, is studying at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City as a Dance Major with a concentration in Modern and Choreography.

Tara Armento

Tara Armento grew up as a competitve gymnist and worked at her family business, Metzlers Gymnastics, for the past 20 years. During this time, Tara coached children between the ages of 3-18. These athletes have won State, Regional, and Regional titles as well as full collegiate scholarships. Tara has worked alongside her mother, Pam Metzler, to choreograph gymnast competition floor routines for the past 15 years. She enjoys working with the younger tumbling students and is a welcome addition to the staff this season!

Tim Early

Tim currently shares duties as co-director of the Philadelphia based modern company Opus I Contemporary. In addition to working with many choreographers including Roni Koresh, Matthew Neenan, Scott Jovovich, Charles Anderson, Eva Gholson, Terry Beck, and Christopher Flemming, he continues to perform with the Brandywine Ballet and Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet.

He has been on faculty at Mount Holyoke College, Lafayette College, Moravian College, West Chester University, and currently Temple University. Since 1999, Tim Early has headed the dance department at the Performing Arts Institute in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Tim is trained in ballet, modern and jazz and enjoys a full-time teaching schedule. Tim and his wife Christine have two beautiful daughters and in his spare time he is an avid photographer and loves riding his bike.

Alicia Leahy

Alicia Leahy is a graduate of Cabrini College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Internet Computing. She is a full time employee at SAP as a Project Manager but still finds time on nights and weekends to teach at Touch of Class. Her dance training and teacher training courses were completed at Touch of Class under the direction of Debbie Apalucci. While in college, Alicia directed and choreographed the Cabrini dance team. She continued her passion for dance after college and was the coach and choreographer for the Junior Sixers Dance Team for 6 years.

Alicia has choreographed for the competition teams that compete in Regional and National competitions and her pieces have won Platinum’s, High Score Awards, and the Judge’s Showcase Awards. In 2010, her hip-hop group auditioned for ‪Paula Abdul‬’s dance reality show, Live to Dance, where they made it all the way through to the New York finals. Alicia is a busy mother to two daughters, who both started dancing at TOCD!‬‬

Lyssa Shopa

Lyssa Shopa has been dancing since she was 3 years old and has been at TOCD since she was 4 years old. She grew up at the dance studio and learned many valuable lessons from her teachers. She was a member of the Performance Team and involved in many of the productions TOCD put on. Although Lyssa graduated high school, she returned to Touch of Class to continue to teach hip hop, tap, and jazz. She is currently a full-time student at Saint Joseph’s University studying Actuarial Science. Lyssa’s goal for her students is not only to expand their knowledge and technique, but to help them grow and become confident both outside and inside the dance studio.

Lina McMenamin

Lina McMenamin has been a teacher/choreographer in the Tri State area for the past twenty-five years, and the ballet/modern director at TOCD. Her mission is to motivate students through technique and performance quality. Lina studied the Vaganova Syllabus with Margarita De Saa and John White of the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet. She studied Modern and Contemporary Movement with Betty Jones, Pat Brown, Donald McKayle, Shimon Braun, Susan Hess and Terry Beck. During her career as a dancer, Lina performed nationally and internationally with groups such as Terry Beck Troupe, Philadanco, Humphrey Dance Ensemble, Waves Jazz Dance Company, Philadelphia Civic Ballet, and the Pennsylvania Ballet Society. Lina is also the artistic director and founder of Opus 1 Contemporary Dance. She believes when you enter a space with your students, there’s instantly a give and take atmosphere that begins. She creates a class where in addition to the technical portion, imagination and freedom of movement occur. In addition to TOCD, Lina has taught ballet, jazz, and modern dance for the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, Brandywine Ballet, Bryn Mawr College, Drexel University, Temple University, West Chester University, and The University of Pennsylvania.

Christine Wallace

Christine has been a part of Touch of Class Dance Studio since its inaugural year in 1978! She studied ballet, jazz and tap under the direction of Debbie Apalucci and was one of her first instructors. During her dancing days at TOCD, she was an award winner at regional and national competitions. After graduating from high school, she left the studio for a few years to follow her dream of dancing professionally. She performed in many industrial and professional shows while working with The Hot Foot Agency. She was chosen as a member of the Philadelphia Sixers Dance Team and was the captain for the three years she was on the team. Her favorite moments as a Sixer Dancer were performing in various music videos and appearing in the 1997 NBA play station video game. Even after retiring from the team as a dancer, she continued to work as a director and teacher at the Sixers Dance Camps in the Delaware Valley. Always interested in business, she also worked as a project administrator for Proconex, Inc. where she provided administrative support for pharmaceutical companies. When the Downingtown studio opened in September 2008, she returned to TOCD as a full-time employee and combined her amazing dancing and business skills as an instructor and office manager.

Christine remains an integral part of the TOCD staff. She wears many hats at the studio including that of the accounts receivable manager for both studios, tumbling instructor, customer service guru, and facilities manager. She has three amazing children: Matthew, Kirsten, and Michael, and enjoys spending her free time at home with her family.

Heather Holajter

Heather Holajter started dancing at Touch of Class Dance Studio at the age of 4. She continued studying ballet at Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet and was accepted into the Society with Margarita de Saa and John White. Heather also received a scholarship to study with David Howard in New York City. Heather’s professional career began at age 19 with Colorado Ballet, dancing soloist and lead roles in various classical works, including Serenade and Swan Lake. In 2001, she returned to the area and began teaching and performing with PAB and First State Ballet Theatre. Heather continues as a guest artist in various roles, which include Sugar Plum for Christopher Fleming and PAB, as well as performances throughout the region, country, and world. She has also completed the teaching certification for the Vaganova Syllabus. For the last eight seasons, Heather has returned to TOCD to teach and is excited to return to the studio where she first experienced her love of dance. She looks forward to giving her students the same opportunities she received when she first started at TOCD.

Gina Romenelli

Gina has been a member of the TOCD family for the last 30 years: first as a student and then a teacher. Growing up, Gina participated in the Dancertainer Program, the Nutcracker performances and traveled with the Competition team. Gina participated in teacher training program at TOCD and her passion for teaching has never waivered. Gina received a BS in Education from Cabrini College, a Master of Education from Cabrini College and a Master of Instructional Media from Wilkes University. Gina is currently teaching at Sabold Elementary School is Springfield, Delaware County. Gina’s goal as a dance instructor is for students to have fun in a structured environment, learn the basics of dance and gain confidence in their performance. She is a valuable member of the faculty along with being a wonderful wife and the mother to two adorable children.

Jenny Rose Kineavy

Jenny Rose Kineavy is a graduate from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she received her BFA in Dance and a minor in Creative Writing. During her time at UARTS, Jenny had the opportunity to perform works directed by Mark Morris, Sidra Bell, Helen Simoneau, Douglas Becker, Beth Gill, and Zoey Scofield. These pieces were premiered on stages such as the Merriam Theater, as well as, in festivales such as FringeArts. Additionally, she has performed with the 76ers Pre Pro Dream Team, Opus 2 Contemporary Dance Project, and Opus 1 Contemporary Dance Company. Apart from stage performances, Jenny has appeared as a featured dancer in two movies, “Standing Ovation” and “Christmas Dreams”. Over the years, Jenny has trained at intensives such as Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, Academy of International Ballet, and BalletFleming. She has been dancing since the age of two, and trained at Touch of Class Dance Studio, in both Downingtown and Broomall PA. Here, she competed with the TOCD Company, participated in Dancetainers, Nutcracker, and completed the Teacher Training Program. Her passion for teaching and spreading her love of dance has brought Jenny back home to Touch of Class Dance Studio where she is a current Senior Teacher, as well as, Office Staff member.

Ciera (Cece) Smith

Ciera (Cece) Smith started dancing at Touch of Class Dance Studio at the age of 8. She became apart of the TOCD Teacher Training Program in 2014 and has been teaching since. Along with TOC, she danced with Beat Addikts United for 5 years and FloMotion Xclusive for 3. Cece danced competitively with Flomotion Xclusive for 2 years. Fun fact, Cece co-created the Downingtown Dance Team!! She had many opportunities to take classes among big names in Hip Hop, including Ian Eastwood, Rhapsody James, and Robert Green. She is studying Psychology at West Chester University and works part-time at The Learning Experience in West Chester as a child-care provider. She deeply cares about children and making sure that positivity is priority in the classroom/dance studio. Her teaching style focuses on the progression of not only dancing, but confidence, at the child’s own pace.

Kimberly DiBiasi

Kimberly, more commonly known as Miss Kimmie, started dancing at Touch of Class Dance when she was three years old. Over the years, she has developed friendships that will last a lifetime at TOCD, her home away from home. As a dancer, she participated in Dancertainers, The Nutcracker, Competition Company, completed the TOCD Teacher Training Program and began teaching classes. A graduate of Cabrini College with a BS in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Kimberly has been an educator all of her adult life. She also received her Masters of Education and Reading Specialist Certification from Cabrini, and teaches fourth grade at Sabold Elementary School in Springfield.

As the director of the Preschool Program, Kimmie loves teaching TOCD’s youngest students, because she can share her love of dance with them. She wants them to enjoy class, gain confidence, and learn the foundations of jazz, ballet and tap. She hopes that dance will give them the same enjoyment that it has brought her over the years. This year, she is thrilled to have her daughter join and fall in love with the TOCD family. Miss Kimmie was awarded “Teacher of the Year” for 2016 TOCD season.

Wonder Lawrence

Wonder Amanda Lawrence began her dance training at the age of 6 at Touch of Class Dance Studio. At TOCD she was a member of the Competition Team and had the privilege of taking class from many prominent dancers and choreographers such as Brian Friedman, Tyce Diorio, and Kenny Wormald. She attended the "Young Performers Theater Camp" in Philadelphia, and was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers Junior Dance Team. Wonder graduated from The University of the Arts with a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz dance. While there she was able to hone and nourish her passion for dance. Roni Koresh, Virgil Gadson, Kim Bears Bailey and Zane Booker were a few of the instructors who helped Wonder to reach her highest potential. Wonder has had the opportunity to learn and perform work by world-renowned dancer/choreographer, Anthony Burrell. She performed alongside Beyoncé during the 2016 VMA’s and is signed to a prestigious talent agency located in New York. Wonder has choreographed for the Philadelphia 76ers Junior Dance Team, Dacav5, Philly Phresh Crew, Ebony Joi and students at the International Academy of Ballet. After college, she moved to Los Angeles to learn from the best of the best and perfect her craft. She is now learning, choreographing and performing. She has created many award-winning pieces and is inspired by all things art. Above all things, being a mother is her passion and motivating force.

Todd Munoz

Todd became entranced with the hip-hop scene at the age of 19. He devoted the majority of his time to training under Andreas Johnson and Versatile Entertainment. While pursuing a degree in Physics and Mathematics Education at the University of Delaware, Todd discovered the opportunity to combine his passion for education with his love for dance.

Todd continues to enjoy a life of performing and choreographing. He has worked on projects such as Silver Linings Playbook, BET 106 & Park, MTV’s PromPosal, University Dance Teams, as well as local and international education building and performances. Todd is currently the Owner and Director of Beat Addikts United and the founder of the DelAWAREness Charity Showcase, benefitting Autism Delaware.

Alyssa Sand

Alyssa Sand has a B.S. in Physical Education from Illinois State University. She is a member of USA Gymnastics with Safety and Instructor Certifications. In Jacksonville, NC, Alyssa coached gymnastics for 3 years at Step Ahead Gymnastics and Dance. She was a lead instructor for several beginning/intermediate classes, and an assistant coach in specialty and advanced classes. Alyssa was a Marine Corps spouse for 18 years. During those years she spent most of her time taking care of her family. Additionally, she volunteered with Marine Corps families as a Key Volunteer and worked for the Department of Defense Education Activity school system as an educational aide and substitute teacher.

Alyssa worked as a Physical Education teacher in Virginia Beach, VA and Lawton, OK and also coached tumbling. Upon her husband’s retirement from the Marine Corps, she and her family moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to their family. Alyssa is currently a literacy aide at Uwchlan Hills Elementary School in Downingtown. Alyssa has been married for 20 years and has 4 children: Jourdan, Isabella, Ainsley, and Jack.

Robin Passmore

Robin Passmore has devoted her life to the art of tap dancing. Her love for performing has led her to perform in New York City, and Las Vegas, where she was dance captain for the closing act of Opium, at the Cosmopolitan. She is the dance captain of Chloe Arnold’s Apartment 33 and she has performed with Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies, on stage and in a Ted Talk. In 2018, she performed and taught at the UK Tapfest in London. Robin was a cast member of Jared Grimes’ Broadway Underground. Robin has performed at the Lincoln Center, for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala, and Summer at the Lincoln Center. She participated in preproduction workshops for the new 42nd Street. She was featured with Jared Grimes in the April 2015 editionm of Dance Teacher magazine. She has also appeared in several Sesame Street segments and on Good Morning, America. Robin travels the East Coast and Canada teaching master classes and setting choreography.

Broomall

Clockwise from bottom left:
Tammy Donato
Christine Wallace
Mary Burns
Bernadette Salla

Downingtown

Clockwise from bottom left:
Faith Dilworth
Lisa Festa
Mary Burns
Christine Wallace
Alexis Wise