• Former student Angelica Generosa will appear again as Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular this year. Angelica was trained extensively by Miss Gina.

• Tina Finkleman, who teaches modern dance on our faculty, has just returned from Los Angeles where she was working with Mark Meismer's Evolution Dance Company. She is currently rehearsing with Mikhail Baryshnikov as a member of his newly formed Hell’s Kitchen Dance Company. Tina was hand-selected by Mr. Baryshnikov himself! She will be on tour this summer, performing with him.

• One of our newest teachers, Al Blackstone, is currently appearing in and choreographing for the new series Drake and Josh, which can be seen on the Nickelodeon channel.

• Our students are now in front of the camera, too! Look for Samantha Braine, Michelle Caruso, Cassidy Ritter, Bianca Siriday, Anthony Tiedeman and Jasmine Torre-Leoncini in various publications, including catalogs for Costume Gallery and A Wish Come True. Jasmine has filmed TV commercials for Chuck E. Cheese as well as an episode of MTV’s Wonder Showzen. Alex DePierro, a member of the Pre Junior troupe, recently appeared in ABC’s Hope and Faith.

• Olivia Alvarez received the Gold Medallion from the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, in the category of Arts & culture, along with a $3,000 college scholarship, granted for the first time in this region. She is now eligible for the national award, to be presented in Miami later this year. In addition, she will be part of the first ever Young Ambassadors Leadership Conference, scheduled for this summer at George Washington University.

• Bianca Siriday has performed this year with the Knicks City Dancers, at Madison Square Garden.

• Ida Kraner was recently honored with the Middlesex County Principals and Supervisors Association Outstanding Student Award. This recognition was a reflection of Ida’s overall academic excellence and her achievements as President of the Student Council at Sayreville War Memorial High School.

• Danielle Kim has been accepted to the Governor’s School for Public Issues and the Future of New Jersey, and also into the National Society of High School Scholars by the Nobel family, which recognizes excellence in arts, medicine, and public relations.

• Led by Patient-Hero Michelle Caruso, some of our dancers participated in the 2005 “Light the Night” walk-a-thon for the Leukemia nd Lymphoma Society, and helped raise over $240,000 at the event.

• Andrew Alvarez is the recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award for 2006. The West Point Society of New Jersey gives this prestigious recognition to a select group of high school students based on outstanding performance in academics, athletics community service, good citizenship, and leadership.

• The Dance Stop Dancers recently performed at the Strand Theatre in Lakewood, in a charity event organized by Dancers Respond to AIDS, a division of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Professional artists who joined our dancers onstage included Al Blackstone, American Repertory Ballet, LaQuet Sharnell, and Mike Minery’s Tapaholics. Both Al and Mike are valued members of our faculty!

• Olivia Alvarez will pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

• Amanda Austin is attending Middlesex County College in the fall.

• Natalia Gadek will begin her college studies at Montclair State University.

• Brittany Gonzalez will be attending Eastern Carolina University, in North Carolina, and plans to obtain a degree in Interior Architecture.

• Ida Kraner is enrolled as a Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management major at the University of Delaware.

• Kristie Marcinczyk is preparing to major in Business and minor in Dance at Towson University in Maryland.

• Jennifer Wilkins intends to study at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.