Leslie Updyke - Owner/Director/Instructor:

Miss Leslie is the owner, director, and dance instructor of Leslie School of Dance and Artistic Director/Choreographer of the New Heights Dance Theater.

        Leslie studied with Madame Halina in Elmira beginning at the age of 3. Leslie opened Leslie School of Dance in Elmira in September of 1991, and the Watkins Glen Studio in September of 2004. She attended Mercyhurst College and the State University of New York - Purchase, majoring in ballet with a concentration in teaching and has a business administration degree from Corning Community College.

       Leslie has performed with the Elmira Corning Ballet Company, the Twin Tiers Ballet Theater and with the Mercyhurst and Purchase Dance Corps. She was involved with many professional productions performing multiple lead roles. She has choreographed many dance favorites including Coppelia, The Magic Forst, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, and the holiday class The Nutcracker.

       She is currently the artistic director for New Heights Dance Theater and has written and choreographed the Nutcracker in Motion and Walking on the Horizon. Leslie prides herself on offering a very artistic approach to teaching ballet.

       Leslie, and her husband, Greg, have three children and reside in Watkins Glen.

       Leslie can be reached at eiither of the Leslie School of Dance locations in Elmira Heights and Watkins Glen. 

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Lee Fischer - Office Manager of Elmira Heights Studio:

Lee has lived in Elmira with her husband, Bill, and her daughter, Elizabeth, for twelve years. Previously she lived in Winter Haven, Florida and was the Associate Executive Director of the American Water Association Lee spends her day teaching pre-school at Happy House Pre-K School and her afternoons working at Leslie School of Dnace. For the past six years she has been the Production Manager for New Heights Dance Theater. Lee has also volunteered her time at the Arnot Art Museum, Hendy Avenue Elementary School, Girl Scouts, First Presbyterian Church, and the Junior League of Greater Elmira Corning. It is her desire to see the arts grow in this community for all to enjoy.

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Eliene Putnam - Accounts Manager at Watkins Glen Studio:

Eliene is a graduate of Elmira College, Retired Sales Account Executive from Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Imaging and Sensing Technology Corporation. A former board member of the Elmira Corning Ballet Company and Twin Tiers Theater Ballet, she has been active with New Heights Dance Theater since its inception, primarily in the area of costuming.

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Missy Ripley- The Dance Shoppe Manager:

      

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Deanna Burt - Competition Team Coordinator (Performance Team Instructor) and Instructor in Acro, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Musical Theater, Bunny Bop, Cheerleading, Strength, Nutrition, and Conditioning:

Deanna began dancing at the age of two. After winning multiple regional and national dance competitions, she traveled across the United States as a Caravan Kid at the age of 18. Miss Deanna has trained with numerous professional teachers since the age of 14, consisting of Bob Rizzo, Barry Youngblood, Susie Vitale, Tony Vitale, Jerry Rose, and more. She graduated from Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences, a concentration in Athletic Training, and a minor in Pyschology. While attending CSC she was a member and choreographer of the Dance Club. Deanna's roles consisted of head choreographer, vice president, president, and she obtained club member of the year in 2002. Deanna began instructing dance classes at the age of sixteen. She began teaching for Leslie School of Dance January 2006, and is a choreographer for New Heights Dance Theater. She is proud to say she continues her education in all fields of dance each year by attending multiple national dance instructor conventions. She is now currently residing in Elmira, NY.

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Christina Kastner - Instructor in Ballet, Pointe:

Tina was born and raised in Elmira. She is proud to continue to live here with her son. She is a hair stylist in Painted Post for Shear Illusions, as well continuing her dream in Instructing Dance. Tina studied classical ballet with Rafael Grigorian for twelve years where she performed in The Nutcracker, Baba Yaga, Chipillino, and Romeo & Juliet. While studying for eight years at Leslie School of Dance, she performed in the Nutcracker in Motion, Fairytales, and Stepping Into the Season. Tina has been teaching at Leslie School of Dance since 2000, is a choreographer for New Heights Dance Theater.






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Erin Shane - Instructor in PreTumbling, Acro, and Cheerleading











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Sara Stocum - Instructor in Jazz, Tap, and Modern













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Jill Breedlove - Instructor in Jazz, Tap, and Cheerleading

Jill Breedlove grew up in the Albany, NY . She studied tap and jazz at Dance Dimensions in Albany for ten years. From 2004-2008 at Elmira College, I was Vice President of the Elmira College Tap Ensemble, a member of Danceline, and I also choreographed several dances for Orchesis. Orchesis is the performance dance club for Elmira College. Jill currently instructs both tap and jazz at Leslie School of Dance at the Elmira Heights Studio.

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Brittney Tennies - Instructor in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, and a Performance Team Instructor

Brittney was born and raised in Dundee, NY. She has been dancing since the age of 3. She studied tap, ballet, jazz, and pointe at Dimensions in Dance in Geneva, NY. She was also on the competition team and kickline for Dimensions in Dance. Brittney is working on her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at Keuka College. She is currently teaching tap, jazz, balle, lyrical, and a performance team instructor for Leslie School of Dance in Watkins Glen, NY.




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Amanda Cady - Substitute Instructor in Acrobatics and PreTumbling:

Amanda is a graduate of Corning Community College and is a RN at Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls, NY. She has been teaching at Leslie School of Dance since 2003 and previously taught at Glen Rhythm and Tumble. She is the mother of two daughters and she and her husband, John, reside in Watkins Glen, NY.



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 Sonya and Dan McCauley - Instructor's in Ballroom:

Miss Sonya is also an Office Assistant at the Watkins Glen Studio

Dan and Sonya McCauley began learning ballroom at Studio 1262 in Elmira in 1998. Their original intention was to learn a few moves so that they wouldn't look like fools during their upcoming first wedding dance. However, they were instantly hooked. They began teaching at Studio 1262 in 1999, where they remained as both students and instructors until 2002. During that time they also taught ballroom group classes by request at BOCES and various other locations throughout the Twin Tiers. In 2002, they took a break from social dancing to focus attention on their growing family. This year they decided that the timing was right to return to ballroom to teach for Leslie at Leslie School of Dance.
      
       Sonya has a Masters' in Materials Science from Penn State University. Dan has the same, but decided to one up her and get a PhD in Materials Science from Tokyo Institute of Technology. Sonya quit engineering to become a stay-at-home mom and has working part time at Leslie's Watkins Glen Studio office for the past two years. Dan is a scientist at Corning, Incorporated. They have three children and enjoy traveling, entertaining, and working on their 150-year old home when they're not dancing.

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Alexandra Young - Instructor in Acrobatics














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Samantha Miller - Instructor in Acrobatics and PreTumbling









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Marlene McMinds - Watkins Glen Office Assistant:

       Marlene and her husband, Bill, have two children. They reside in Reading Center. Marlene's family has been involved in dance for over ten years. She is employed by State Farm Insurance in Ithaca and loves being involved in the activities of her children.

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Michelle Lembo - Elmira Heights Dance Shoppe Assistant:



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Juli Hatlee - Elmira Heights Dance Shoppe Assistant:


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Laurie Collins - Elmira Heights Dance Shoppe Assistant:

Laurie has over twenty years experience in the retail field, working as the manager of women's clothing department at Lerner and Assistant Manager of The Limited. She has two children and resides in Horseheads. She has working with the Dance Shoppe at Leslie School of Dance since 2004. She is a Soccer Mom, Dance Mom, and enjoys animals and travel.



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