Lindiana’s School of Dance has an amazing staff with a wealth of knowledge in Dance and Child Development. All of our staff are accredited with either Associate’s or Bachelor’s degrees or have been trained through other certificate programs. They all posses first-hand dance experience, and many have performed at the professional level here in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States. Our teachers are specially trained in Dance Anatomy and classes are therefore taught on a hands-on basis. By personalizing our classes, teachers get to know the student’s individual anatomies, which allows for easier dance corrections. Here at LSOD you can have confidence that our students are getting the personalized attention they need in order to develop, physically and mentally, as dancers.
Lindiana Flores received her early training in Worcester at Nola Borrelli’s Dance Studio. She went on to study at Dean College and graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Dance.
While in college, Lindiana participated in numerous dance and theater productions, including membership in the tap and modern cohorts of the Dean College Dance Company and a starring role in the college’s adaptation of Ntozake Shange's “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.” Lindiana also choreographed numerous pieces for annual dance department shows such as the Dean College Showcase and Cabaret. During her college career, Lindy had the opportunity to take classes with dance masters such as Maurice Hines, A.C. Ciulla, J.T. Jenkins, Brice Vick, Bob E. Thomas, Derick Grant, and Alvin Ailey’s Denise Jefferson.
After graduating from college, Lindiana accepted a scholarship to study at the Ailey School in New York City. There she focused on perfecting the Dunham and Horton modern dance techniques under the tutelage of Joan Peters and Elizabeth Roxas. Upon returning to Worcester, Lindiana accepted a position teaching modern, hip-hop, and Afro-Caribbean dance at Ritmos Academy. She soon became the artistic director of Ritmos’ newly formed dance company Hispania, successfully choreographing their 2008 Hanover Theater production “Añoranzas/Reminiscing.” That summer, Lindiana worked with Assumption College Theater Director Brian Tivnan as the choreographer of the youth-based production “Every Picture Tells A Story.”
Lindiana’s experience also includes teaching tap and modern for four years at Mendon Dance Center, teaching hip-hop at the Worcester Youth Center, and teaching Latin dance classes at Seven Hills Charter School. Recently, Lindiana had the pleasure of teaching Jazz at Nola Borrelli’s Dance Studio, the place her dance career started. Lindiana is delighted to be taking over for Nola Borrelli in June 2009 as she re-opens the studio under the name Lindiana’s School of Dance.
Melissa began her
dancing career at the age of three with Dance Spectrum
Academy. Melissa performed in Disney World in 1999 and
continued to perform with the University of Rhode
Island’s Hip-Hop Dance team called The Flavor Unit in
2000. Melissa spent several years with Providence City Arts,
which allowed her to showcase choreography at Rhode Island
School of Design. Melissa is professionally trained in Jazz,
Tap, Ballet, Modern and Hip-Hop. Melissa received her AA of
Dance from Dean College in 2006. Melissa also received her BA
of Psychology in 2004 from the University of Rhode Island and
Masters of Psychology from Assumption College in 2008.
Melissa specializes in hip-hop and has trained under hip-hop
professionals such as, Kelly Peters and Wyatt Jackson.
Melissa has been an instructor of hip-hop for 8 years and is
looking forward to sharing her love of hip-hop with
Lindiana’s School of Dance.
"I am a dancer. I believe that we learn by practice.
Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or
to learn to live by practicing living.... In each it is the
performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or
intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense
of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes in some
area an athlete of God."
~Martha Graham, c.1953
Tonya has been dancing
since the age of two, and began her dance training with Nola
Borrelli’s Dance Studio in Worcester, MA. Tonya is
classically trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical and Musical
Theatre. Tonya performed on the Burncoat Dance Team in
Worcester, MA for four years. During her time spent on the
dance team, she received the Unsung Hero award for her high
school excellence in dance. Tonya was a recipient of a full
scholarship for master classes in New York and after
completion of high school; Tonya was chosen as a lead dancer
for a Disney special in Florida but declined for her love of
teaching. In 1998, she taught dance at Houghton Elementary
School in Sterling, MA. Tonya has been teaching dance for
over 10 years and continues to teach dance at the Perkins
School in Lancaster, MA. As an accomplished teacher and
choreographer, Tonya has received numerous high scoring
trophies and special awards at regional and national dance
competitions. With a wealth of knowledge to give to our
students, Tonya will be teaching Lyrical and Musical Theatre
at Lindiana’s School of Dance.
Jenn began dancing at the age of 4 at the Diane Kelley Dance Studios in West Boylston. While at Diane Kelley's she studied ballet, tap, jazz, acro, and modern. Jenn also traveled weekly to the acclaimed Sherry Gold Studios and took classes from Rhee and Rennie Gold, competing regionally and nationally for 8 years. She continued her dance education at Burncoat High School and was part of the magnet program for 6 years. She participated in school productions, traveling team which performed for local elementary schools, and taught an after school program to grades 4-6. After graduating high school, she continued dancing at the Nola Borrelli's Dance Studio and was a part of the Senior Company.
In 2001, Jenn began teaching at Greendale Dance Academy and is currently still a member of their staff. Her choreography has won many high awards, overall titles, soloist titles, judges’ awards, special recognition and college scholarships.
In addition to teaching, Jenn Benson is also the owner of Miss Jenn's Danceduds in West Boylston MA. She continues to study with many nationally recognized teachers, including Frank Hatchett, Napoleon and Tabitha D'Umo, Finis Jhung, Bob Rizzo,Cathy Roe, Stepp Stewart,Mignon Furman and many more.
Jenn will be teaching Cheer and Acro, as well as, solos in the styles of Lyrical/Contemporary, Jazz and Musical Theatre.