Cara DeMeo Director/Instructor: Cara has been studying dance for over 27 years. She has always felt the need and want
to share her love and passion for dance with others and loves to teach! She has studied Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical and HipHop.
Cara has danced as a competitive dancer and won several top awards, some of which she is most proud of are:”Most Well
Rounded Dancer” which she had to compete as soloist in Tap, Jazz, Lyrical and Open and win each category to win this
title. She was honored to win choreography awards beginning at the age of 14. She won second runner up to“Dancer of
the Year” at American Dance Awards. Cara has been hired to work with various theater programs and was also hired by
Channel 6 to choreograph and dance for 3 seasons of their hit TV show “CR6”. She has also choreographed for local
commercials. She has attended many dance conventions and studio seminars to keep herself updated with the changing times.
Cara has joined hands with The American Cancer Society and is the founder of “Entertaining For A Cure” a fundraiser
to raise money for the society. She is entering her 13th year directing Dance Force and is very proud how each
year the studio has grown and has continued to sculpt tiny dancers into wonderful dancers! Cara has a laid back yet structured
teaching style….having fun is always most important! When she is not teaching or choreographing she is playing with
the love of her life, her daughter Mia!
Jackie Stark has studied tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and pointe since a young child. She was a competitve dancer
and won many awards. She has been teaching at Dance Force for many years and also spends her time teaching Zumba, Yoga, Aerobics
and other fitness classes. She teaches fitness classes at Dance Force and a variety of gyms. Jackie has a new addition to
her family..Emily, a beautiful baby girl!
Therese Peck: has been with Dance Force since 2005. She was graduated from SUNY Brockport (got to dance with Bill
Evans!) with a degree in Dance and Interdisciplinary Arts for Children with a concentration in children's dance. She
has studied Tap, Ballet, Irish Steph, Jazz, Musical Theater, and Modern. She has interned with the New York State Theater
Institute, which introduced her to choreographing for the stage. She has choreographed for several local school districts
as well as Schenectady Light Opera Company.
Rena Lewis: Rena started taking ballet seriously at the age of six at The Ramsey School of
Ballet. She quickly advanced to performing and teaching on a professional basis. She majored in Dance at SUNY at Purchase
and has made dance a lifestyle choice ever since. She loves the whole atmosphere at Danceforce and is proud to be a
part of its staff. Rena has been teaching at Dance Force for 6 years! In her spare time she writes articles for an Ellis Hospital
newsletter and enjoys taking intensive dance courses in Saratoga and NYC.
Nicole Healey: started lessons with Cara in 1993, and started dancing at Dance Force in 1999.
Nicole was a competitive dancer for 3 years. She has studied Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet and Hip Hop with Cara and has
recently taken class from Shane sparks, Wade Robson, Brian Friedman, Mia Michaels, and Laurie Ann Gibson. Nicole has
taught at Dance Force since 2006. She has backup danced for the Kast, a local music group and participates in hiphop
groups; Chaos and Limited Edition. Nicole has gotten awards for her choreography and currently takes class at Broadway Dance
Center and conventions like The Pulse to stay updated.!
Laura Smith: Laura began dancing at a very young age, studying Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Gymnastics, Baton and Pointe. Laura studied dance and musical theater at Plymouth State University, NH and received a B.A in Creative Arts Therapy.
Laura continues to keep her dance skills updated through participation in adult dance classes and a multitude of musical theater
performances through the Capital District. Laura has had extensive experience working with children
and teaching dance. Laura's classes focus on being fun and exciting while also learning all of the important technical skills
of dance and gymnastics. This is Laura's 6th year teaching at Dance Force.
Jenna Torino has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She started dancing at The Dance Studio in Guilderland, NY and
joined Dance Force in 2000, which is when she started competing at regional competitions. She is trained
in Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, and, her favorite style, Hip Hop. When she went off to college
in 2003 she joined the RU Rockers Dance team at Radford University and competed in the NDA Championships in Daytona Beach,
FL in 2004 and 2005. She has a BS in Accounting and Finance and since graduation in May 2007 has been working
at one of the leading financial counseling firms in Latham, NY. In 2007 she became a
Dance Instructor at Dance Force and currently teaches Hip Hop classes and the Junior Competition Hip Hop Group.
Jenna has a passion for dance and it shows in her innovative and creative choreography. Her commitment,
hard work and enthusiasm bring out the best in all of her students. Some students refer to her as a “drill sergeant”,
but she takes that as a compliment because at the end of the year, the hard work ALWAYS pays off. If
you come into her class, be ready to work and have fun! She is looking forward to working with all of her
students this year and for many years to come!
Renee Pangburn: started taking jazz and tap when she was 12 years old at Dance Force. She was asked to join the competition
team the next year. Throughout high school she competed in groups, duos, trios, and solos in jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip hop
and received top awards. While Renee competed she was a student teacher to Cara, Jackie and Sara in a variety of classes,
this is when she realized how much she loved to teach. While Renee was in her sophomore year of college, Cara hired her as
teacher. This past May Renee graduated in Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Albany where she studied Psychology, Education, and Business
Administration. While in college she was on the SUNY Albany Dance Competition Team where she danced at football and basketball
games, and competed against colleges nationwide at the NDA competition in Daytona, Florida. Renee’s favorite style is
lyrical but loves to learn and perform all styles. When Renee is not dancing she likes to be with friends and family, exercise,
spoil her nephew and nieces, and root for the Yankees.
Sara
Lavenia has studied various styles of dance including Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical and Pointe. She was a competitive
team and soloist for many years and recieved many top awards. Sara's classes are always fun due to her enthusiasm! Sara has
taught at Dance Force for many years and is now returning since having her daughter!
Jonelle Cislo started
taking dance classes at age 3! She attends workshops with Wade Robson, Mia Michaels, Shane Sparks,
Brian Friedman, and other NYC Workshops. Jonelle was
an Albany Conquest Treasures Dancer from 2004-2008 and also danced for the Albany Patroons.
Currently she coaches Amsterdam
Vibe Dance team for Collegiate baseball championship team the Mohawks, has been a
SIENA Dance Camp Instructor since 2006 and became ZUMBA certified
in 2007. Jonelle has choreographed for several local artists and groups.
This is Jonelle's third year teaching at Dance Force.
