Meet the Instructors

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Miss Michelle, our studio owner and executive director with over 25 years of teaching, began her journey at local studios before training at a professional ballet school in her early years. She went on to study various styles at institutions such as Alvin Ailey and even learned tap from the legendary Gregory Hines. With a focus on tap, ballet, and jazz, Miss Michelle enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion with the next generation of dancers. Outside the studio, she works from home, loves spending time with her dogs and reading a good book.

From her very first dance class at about 18 months old, Miss Illy has been deeply immersed in the art of dance. She attended daily classes at Dance N Beyond for almost 15 years before leaving to earn her business degree in NYC.  She has trained across a wide range of styles, including ballet, jazz, tap, Caribbean, and her specialties, contemporary and lyrical. Over the years, she has enriched her artistry through numerous intensives and trainings. As our business manager and artistic director, Miss Illy is most passionate about creating a safe, nurturing, and inspiring environment for our students, and providing an unforgettable, family-focused experience for the entire Dance N Beyond community.

Meet Miss Sammie, our dedicated dance instructor and lead choreographer who started dancing with us at the age of 2. Growing up in our studio, she furthered her skills at prestigious institutions like Greater Hartford Arts Academy, The Joffrey Ballet School, and The Broadway Collective. Miss Sammie is a versatile instructor, proficient in ballet, jazz, tap, acrobatics, lyrical, and contemporary dance styles. She is certified in Ballet, Early Childhood Dance Education, and Performing Arts through NYU. Alongside her dance expertise, she brings a background in acting and musical theater. With her passion and extensive training, she inspires our younger dancers to thrive in their artistic pursuits.

Ann Sovak embarked on her dance career after graduating from Mercyhurst University with a B.A. in dance, and at the remarkable age of 23, she became owner of a dancing school in the northwest corner, dedicated to teaching all dance styles. Ann eventually transformed the school into Dance N Beyond, recognizing the need for dance and fitness to unite. In 2011, Ann became licensed in Zumba Fitness and began teaching a variety of dance and fitness formats. In 2021, she passed the torch to current owner, Michelle Deraleau. She continues to inspire by teaching Zumba and Ballet at the studio today.

Coryse Villarouel is a principal Caribbean dance artist, instructor, and choreographer with over two decades of experience in both performance and teaching. Trained in classical ballet at Berkshire Foothills Ballet, Nutmeg Ballet, and the Hartford BFA program, she studied under renowned ballet masters. She later expanded her repertoire through Horton technique training at Alvin Ailey and advanced Caribbean dance training under Stephen Hankey of Trinidad & Tobago and Adrian Fletcher of Jamaica's National Dance Theatre. As a choreographer with The Caribbean American Dance Company, her work has earned multiple "Best Dance" awards at Hartford's West Indian Day Parade. Since 2004, she has taught Caribbean dance at Dance N Beyond, where she shares the history and cultural roots of folk, East Indian, African, and Spanish dance styles. She is also the founder of "Coco's Caribbean Connection," a vibrant program blending carnival-inspired dance, creative headpiece design, and the storytelling of her children's book, "Coco's Carnival Connection," which celebrates heritage, creativity and community.

Miss Haley's passion for dance began as a young girl taking weekly classes at the Berkshire Foothills Ballet School, now known as Dance N Beyond. She pursued her education at The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts as a dance major, studying ballet and modern dance. She developed a strong dedication and purpose to master skills in the proper mechanics of body movement, improvisation, choreography, and more. She attended summer intensives at the Earl Mosley Institute of the Arts. She is a certified Zumba instructor since 2018. She also trained to teach beginner gymnastics and assisted with coaching more advanced levels of technique, including flexibility and strength training. She continues her passionate education with inspiration through training at Ballet Hawaii in recent summers. She looks forward to teaching the next generation to conquer this world with extreme self belief, confidence, determination and resilience.

Miss Taylor is a mom of 3, RN, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and group fitness instructor with over 17 years of experience. Her wellness journey began in 2008 when she walked into her first Zumba class and felt her soul ignite. That moment changed everything- leading her to teach, open fitness studios, and help countless people discover the joy of movement. During the pandemic, she went back to school and became a nurse, giving her a deeper understanding of health and healing. Today, she combines her nursing knowledge with fitness and coaching to help people bridge the gap between rehab and lifelong wellness. Her mission is simple: to empower others to feel strong, confident, and alive through movement.