Owner and Artistic Director

Ally has been dancing for over thirty years, but teaching is what she loves most. She trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and New Jersey School of Ballet and brings an endless love for dance to every class she instructs. She has taught at several studios throughout New York State and has earned choreography as well as teaching awards. Additionally, Ally is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level Three of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also Acrobatic Arts certified and a certified Baptiste Power Yoga instructor. Her students consistently excel at competitions, but, more importantly, they grow in grace, confidence, and determination. In her classes, she emphasizes technique, musicality, and artistic expression. 

Cara is a graduate of the University at Buffalo with a BFA in Dance Performance. She also has her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Canisius College. Prior to becoming an elementary school teacher, Cara took advantage of the opportunity to perform all over the world, dancing professionally. Cara has performed in Japan, Singapore, and Guam, among other destinations. As a dancer on Holland America Cruise Line, she saw Hawaii, Mexico, and Alaska. Cara was also a Las Vegas performer in Bally’s Jubilee. Cara has close to 20 years of teaching experience in a dance studio setting. She resides in East Aurora with her family where she has been the Musical Choreographer at East Aurora HIgh School since 2015. Cara is excited to share her love of dance with Still Dancing and encourage young performers to grow in dance. 

Sam Tallard began her dance training at the age of 3 and danced competitively for 11 years. She was accepted into the Fine and Performing Arts Center (FPAC) at Howell High School in New Jersey and spent four years studying and performing Ballet, Jazz, and Modern, as well as taking Choreography classes, Musical Theatre classes, Voice classes, Acting classes, and in her senior year, Aerial Silks classes. Sam has always had a love for dance but these four years was when she really discovered her passion for performing and choreographing. 

Sam is completed her BA in dance with a minor in Education in 2019 from The State University of New York at Buffalo where she has trained in many styles including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Social Dance, and Partnering. During this time, Sam has performed for Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase, Dancer’s Workshop, Zodiaque Dance Ensemble, and ChoreoLab, as well as choreographed for Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase and Dancer’s Workshop. In her junior year, Sam held an internship with the University at Buffalo’s Dazzler Dance Team where she taught and choreographed side line and half time routines for football and basketball games, including the MAC championship. In her senior year, Sam began teaching at an after school dance program for second and third graders with a few of her peers at the Build Academy in Buffalo, New York. Sam is so excited to be continuing her passion for dance and choreography!

Arica began her dance training at the age of 3 at Mary Alice’s Dance Studio in Orchard Park, NY.  Arica’s passion for dance led her to be involved with a variety of types of dance including tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, modern, hip-hop, etc. but Tap was always her favorite.  Arica was a class assistant for a number of years and enjoyed helping the younger students grow and improve!  Arica grew up in a competitive studio setting, performing at various National championships including New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA).   While in college at the University at Buffalo, Arica was involved with the University’s dance club Impulse and choreographed a tap number for the end of the semester performance.  Today, Arica continues to enjoy tapping and taps weekly with other Mary Alice’s alum.   

Patti started dance when she was in 8th grade, at a small studio in Niagara County, Lewiston Dance Center. She went on to study Dance and Liberal Arts at NCCC. She was a part of Tanzan, the dance company at Niagara County Community College. She graduated from NCCC with an associates in liberal arts and then went to SUNY Brockport where she studied dance and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2006. At Brockport she studied ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Patti has been teaching dance since 2002. She has taught many styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, lyrical and musical theatre. She has taught all age groups as well from 3 years of age to adult. Her favorite style of dance to perform is Modern while her favorite style of dance to teach is anything to the youngest dancers and modern and jazz to older dancers. She thinks that anyone can become a dancer no matter their age or your ability as long as they work hard and try their best. Some of Patti's other accolades are a Post-Baccalaureate degree in Art Education. Patty was also the dance teacher at Cardinal O'Hara in Tonawanda New York for 7 years, where she taught dance and choreographed their musicals. She is a mother of two boys and lives in East Aurora with her husband and children. 

Izzy started dancing at the age of 11 and danced competitively for the past 6 years, 3 of them at Still Dancing. Izzy’s passion for dance sparked from the styles of ballet and lyrical. Over the years, she has assisted acro classes of all levels and is Acrobatic Arts certified. Izzy is currently a student at Villa Maria college in the interior design program. She hopes to inspire as a teacher and witness the same passion in her dancers!

Katrina E. Bierk - Mrs. Bierk began her training with her mother, Cynthia Schroeder- Gray, in her home town Freeport, Illinois. She continued her studies in the Chicago area with acclaimed instructors Eldon Parish, Ken Von Heidecke, Anna VanCura and Jean Paul Comelin. At 13 she was selected to perform as a soloist with the historic Rockford Dance Co. Mrs. Bierk furthered her training at the renowned Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Milwaukee Ballet School, and University of the Performing Arts. Soon after she received a full fellowship to the Joffrey Ballet School. While a student, she was invited by the Nevada Dance Theater founder to join the company, beginning her over 20 year professional career at age 19. After several seasons with NDT, Katrina received a scholarship to attend Northern Illinois University, graduating with a BFA in Theater & Dance, Dance Performance Emphasis, and a BA in Art History, along with awards for Outstanding Talent and Service. While at university she performed numerous Principle roles in both classical, contemporary and musical productions. She was also selected to compete at the Central American College Dance Festival, perform for the Doris Humphrey Centennial Celebration, and opening gala of the Chicago Navy Pier. Before completing her education she received her first full length Ballet commission, as well as developed a public school dance lecture series. After college, Mrs. Bierk returned to professional dancing as a Principal Dancer with several companies including American Festival Ballet, Lexington Ballet and Ballet Arkansas. She has worked with world renowned artists Eddy Toussaint, Robert North and Louis Montero while performing lead roles in, “Fire Bird”, “Swan Lake”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Giselle” and “Sleeping Beauty”. Katrina was also invited to perform as a guest artist for the Arts for Life Benefit, New Expressions Dance Theater, Baton Rouge Ballet and Ballet Metropolitan. Mrs. Bierk has led a distinguished career as a dance educator beginning at age 16. Her teaching experience includes work from the recreational to conservatory level, and positions as a Co-Artistic Dir., Assoc. School Dir. and Adjunct Professor of Dance. She has staged, choreographed and directed numerous productions, most recently choreographing “Carmen” for the Buffalo Opera Unlimited. Mrs. Bierk has had students selected into top national and international colleges, conservatories and professional companies, as well as coached YAGP and competitive dancers to place at the highest levels in Regionals and Nationals. Her family relocated to Elma, NY. in 2009 where they continue to enjoy all that WNY has to offer.

Emily Lennartz is originally from Corfu, NY and began her dance career at age three. While studying at SUNY Geneseo, Emily continued her dance education taking classes in ballet, jazz, and modern and was also a member of the Orchesis Dance Club. She graduated with a degree in Adolescent Education/ History and earned her Master’s degree in Literacy from the University at Buffalo all while continuing to teach dance at Center Stage Dance Company in Batavia, NY. While teaching at Niagara Catholic High School, she choreographed their school musicals and also volunteered as an assistant at Moving Miracles Dance Studio in West Seneca, NY. Emily is currently a fitness instructor at Barre Centric in East Aurora, NY and lives in Holland with her husband and three daughters (who are all Still Dancing Ballerinas!). She is very excited to join Still Dancing and cannot wait to help young dancers thrive and grow in a supportive and inclusive dance environment!

Renee started dancing when she was 4 years old. She grew up taking different styles of dance including jazz, musical theater, pointe, and contemporary. Renee started assisting classes while still in high school and started teaching in 2013. Renee has a degree in baking and pastry arts as well as a degree in career and technical education. While living in Los Angeles she took as many classes as she could from world famous choreographers at Millennium dance complex. Renee is Acrobatic Arts Certified. She loves watching the dancers grow into artists, and hopes to inspire her dancers to develop their own love and passion for dance!

Dance is an art that gives so much to those who practice it. We learn to work for what we want and invest everything we have. In ballet, dancers learn the same movements, but no two dancers move in exactly the same way. Everyone’s pirouette or arabesque is her own, and the sense of self we gain from perfecting them inspires confidence and pride. Dancing teaches us to treasure the moment we are in and to expect the best from ourselves and our peers. Come see what dance education can do for you!