ABOUT US
OUR STORY - DECADES OF DANCE
Since 1980, Yvonne’s School of Dance has been at the heart of South Edison’s dance community. For generations, YSOD has welcomed dancers into a supportive, family-centered environment—often teaching siblings together and later welcoming the children of former students. After beginning her own dance journey at YSOD at just three and a half years old, Tracy McManus proudly continued its legacy when she purchased the studio from Yvonne Ambrosio in 2015.
We take pride in providing high-quality dance education with personal attention that allows our teachers to build a meaningful connection with every child. Our strong reputation has grown through the recommendations of generations of past and present YSOD families.
Students can choose from a wide variety of dance styles taught in our large, clean studio spaces. We also offer opportunities to participate in competitions, community performances and other special events throughout the year.
YSOD proudly serves families from Edison, Metuchen, Highland Park, South Plainfield and the surrounding communities.
MEET OUR DEDICATED INSTRUCTORS
Our team of instructors is passionate about sharing their love for dance and helping students achieve their goals. They are the heart of our studio and go above and beyond in their commitment to the dancers,
Get to know our experienced and friendly instructors who are committed to bringing out the best in every dancer. Many of our teachers grew up in our YSOD studio and became these talented, dedicated instructors we have today.
Tracy McManus
Owner, Director, Instructor
TAP, HIP HOP, JAZZ, STARLIGHTERS Tracy’s journey at YSOD began when she started dancing at Yvonne’s School of Dance at just 3.5 years old. A dancer for 34 years and an educator for 21, she began competing at age 5 and has performed throughout the country and beyond—including on Disney stages, in New York City, aboard Carnival Cruise ships and at major dance conventions. Throughout her dance career, Tracy trained with renowned industry professionals, including Frank Hatchett, Joe Lanteri, Brian Friedman, Paula Abdul, Mia Michaels, Denise Wall, the Radio City Rockettes and many others. After earning a degree in Mathematics from Wagner College, NY, Tracy chose to follow her passion rather than pursue a corporate career. In 2015, at the age of 25 she purchased YSOD from Yvonne Ambrosio, taking ownership of the studio that had shaped her life from such a young age. Today, Tracy leads YSOD with a combination of traditional discipline, genuine heart and a modern understanding of how young dancers learn, grow and thrive.
Danielle Andriano
Instructor
TAP, STARLIGHTERS
Marissa Aucoin
Instructor
CONTEMPORARY, MODERN, HIP HOP, MUSICAL THEATER, STARLIGHTERS Marissa Aucoin is a passionate artist who utilizes dance to empower individuals and build communities through shared physical expression. She holds both a MFA and BFA in Dance from The College at Brockport and Montclair State University, respectively, and is committed to providing accessible, high quality dance education for both dancers and non-dancers alike. Marissa grew up dancing at YSOD and has been a part of the teaching faculty since 2009. Outside of the studio, Marissa is an adjunct professor at Raritan Valley Community College where she leads courses in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Dance History, as well as Dance Composition and Improvisation. She is also on faculty at Waves of Motion and teaches for several New Jersey non-profit arts organizations including Rethink Theatrical. In addition to her work as a teaching artist, Marissa continues to choreograph, produce and perform professionally. Recent performance credits include Monica Bill Barnes, Reframe Dance Theatre (Nathan Forster), Wild Beast Dance (Tammy Carrasco), CapFree Collective (Sara Caplan), and Big Fish Movement (Jordan Demetrius Lloyd) to name a few. Marissa currently serves as movement director for Idyll Shift, a contemporary dance theater company that fuses classical text and contemporary dance in an effort to shift perceptions of well-known narratives. She is also the founder and artistic director of her own company, mla | Format Dance, and has presented and performed works at the Rochester Fringe Festival, Dixon Place, Visual Studies Workshop, GreenSpace, Hollins University, Montclair Art Gallery and GEVA Theatre Center among others.
Aanyse P. Chandler
Instructor
ACRO, CONDITIONING
Jocelyn Dulog
Instructor
SPARKLE BABIES/TOTS, JAZZ, HIP HOP, LYRICAL, STARLIGHTERS Jocelyn Dulog's dance journey began at the age of 2.5, marking the start of a lifelong passion. She trained in all dance styles throughout her entire life at YSOD. At 8 years old, Jocelyn became a member of the Starlighters Dance Company at YSOD, where she participated in numerous performances. Some of her favorites include dancing at Disney World and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Jocelyn also attended various dance conventions and auditions, expanding her creativity and experience. Over the years, Jocelyn has shared her expertise by teaching classes across all styles and age groups. She is passionate about sharing her love of dance and helping young dancers grow and thrive. Aside from teaching dance, Jocelyn has a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary English Education, and is a high school English teacher. She combines her academic insights with her dance experience to educate and inspire the next generation of dancers. She is excited to teach classes, choreograph dances, and witness growth in her dancers this upcoming season.
Danielle Durso-Gorka
Instructor
LYRICAL, CONTEMPORARY, MUSICAL THEATER, STARLIGHTERS
Kassidy Fletcher
Instructor
HIP HOP, ACRO Kassidy’s journey in dance began at the age of 8. By the time she was 10, she knew she wanted to be part of a team that would allow her to take her love for dance to the next level. This led her to join YSOD, where she was fortunate to become a member of the Starlighters dance team within a year. Over time, jazz and hip-hop became her favorite styles, and she had the privilege of competing with jazz solos. She also gained a lot of experience such as being apart of the elite jazz, hip hop and lyrical team that is apart of her dance studio. She adored her time performing for her friends and family, doing dance conventions and auditions, as well being the entertainment for the Globetrotters and much much more!!!! A few years into her journey with YSOD, Ms. Tracy introduced acro to the studio and encouraged Kassidy to give it a try. She instantly fell in love with acro, and today, she proudly serves as one of YSOD’s acro instructors. In addition to teaching acro, Kassidy also instructs a class called Flip Hop, where students learn new acro tricks and incorporate them into their hip-hop routines. Currently, Kassidy attends Kean University and is perusing a major of Public Health. Her goal is to work with children in her future career. After graduating high school, Kassidy began working as a daycare teacher, and she now a preschool assistant teacher.
Hannah Flordeliza
Instructor
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HIP HOP, TAP, JAZZ. STARLIGHTERS
Greta Martin
Instructor
ADULT JAZZ, ADULT BALLET Greta Martin’s professional career as a dancer/singer/actress began as a concert dancer trained primarily at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (now the Ailey School) in NYC. She graduated from Spelman College, Atlanta, GA with a B.A. in math, then received a full scholarship to the Ailey School and was educated in Lester Horton, Martha Graham, Katherine Dunham, classical ballet, and various jazz techniques. After performing with the Ailey III (workshop) company and independent modern companies like the Clive Thompson Dance Company and the Nanette Bearden Dance Company, she took the leap from the concert world to the commercial and musical theater world. Her 16 years of performing included Broadway (Guy’s and Doll’s, Oh, Kay!, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway), regional theater (Sweet Charity, Victor/Victoria), national and international tours (West Side Story, Japan & Taiwan), television (Law and Order, Showtime at the Apollo), and film (Spike Lee’s School Daze and Malcolm X). All the while, in between performing, she was teaching both dance and dance fitness. She was married in 2003 and moved to NJ, where she taught at the New Jersey School of Ballet for 9 years. Being certified in group fitness with the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), she taught for 10 years at the RWJ Rahway Fitness and Wellness Center and is presently at RWJ Fitness and Wellness in New Brunswick. As an artist and an athlete, she values the discipline, excellence, commitment, community, and freedom of communication through movement that dance provides through all aspects of life. In 2015, she was gifted the opportunity to join YSOD in order to reconnect with the joys of dance she experienced in her youth. Now by sharing her professional journey with the students of the YSOD family, she hopes to instill in them the joy she still feels for the art of dance.
Lauren Mironov
Instructor
JAZZ, TAP, STARLIGHTERS Lauren Mironov has been dancing for 35 years and has been a dance instructor and choreographer for the past 20+ years. She has trained in all genres of dance but specializes in jazz instruction. Her instruction began at Yvonne's School of Dance. She competed during most of her childhood as she was one of the first mini members of the "Starlighters" Dance Company. She has won highest scoring soloist awards and scholarships at regional competitions and conventions. Highlights of her dance journey include modeling for Curtain Call’s costume magazine, dancing in Disney and Hershey Park, performing on Carnival Cruise Lines, attending a Broadway Dance Center Intensive with Mandy Moore and taking part in the Rockette Experience. During her college years she danced in two professional dance companies and also was a back-up dancer for local artists in the Baltimore area. She taught master dance classes at the Greater York Center for Dance Education and choreographed for a few college dance teams, including Johns Hopkins and Towson University. Lauren was also honored to have choreographed for the Middlesex County College Dance Team in 2010. Currently, Lauren is very excited to continue teaching company jazz and choreographing competition routines for YSOD. Aside from teaching part-time, Lauren has a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. She is a school counselor at Monroe Township High School and keeps very busy with her daughter and husband. She is proud to be a part of the YSOD family and to start another fabulous dance season!
Sophia Rivera
Instructor
SPARKLE BABIES/TOTS, JAZZ, HIP HOP, BALLET, STARLIGHTERS, ADULT CLASSES Sophia has been dancing at Yvonne’s School of Dance since the age of 7. She quickly worked her way onto the competition team, becoming a member of the studio’s very first Elite Competition team. Her passion for dance has continued to grow throughout the years, and she continues to train in a variety of styles to bring fresh, exciting, and diverse forms of hip hop to the studio. Sophia teaches ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and conditioning, and is the studio’s Adult Hip Hop & Tap instructor. She enjoys sharing her love of dance with students of all ages and believes there is always something new to learn, whether you’re taking your first class or have been dancing for years. From babies to adults, Sophia’s goal is to share her love of dance and create a fun, welcoming environment where every dancer can feel confident and inspired. Outside of dance, Sophia is a beauty industry professional and makeup artist. Her love for creativity and self-expression carries into everything she does, both in and out of the studio.
Sylvia Rivera
Instructor
SPARKLE TOTS, HIP HOP, STARLIGHTERS
Kelly Zygler
Instructor
LYRICAL, CONTEMPORARY, JAZZ, TAP, BALLET, CONDITIONING, STARLIGHTERS Kelly Zygler has been a part of the YSOD family for 20+ years. Starting her dance career at the age of 3, Kelly has trained in tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, and hip hop. In 2005, she began training at a competitive level as she joined the Starlighter’s dance company. As a Starlighter, she had the opportunity to perform at a variety of venues including cruise ships and Walt Disney World. During her college years, while attending Rutgers University, Kelly continued her dance education by completing a dance minor at Mason Gross School of the Arts while earning her bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Kelly has been teaching at YSOD for over 10 years. She continues to take classes to further her training as a dance educator and has studied under educators such as Rhee Gold, Tiffany Henderson, and Deanna Low. Currently, Kelly teaches ballet, jazz, lyrical, and tap for both recreational and company dancers. Outside of the studio, Kelly has her master’s degree in school counseling and is a high school counselor. She uses her education to create a positive, inclusive learning environment that supports the diverse needs of each student and promotes personal growth both inside and outside of the studio.
OUR STUDIO
Yvonne’s School of Dance, conveniently located on Vineyard Road in Edison, NJ, features three spacious, modern dance rooms with new flooring, updated equipment and a brand-new lobby area.
