MEET MS. MARIA
Owner/Artistic Director
Miss Maria began dancing when she was just 3 years old and has since studied Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Modern and Bellydance. She graduated from Manhattanville College in 2010 with a degree in Dance & Theater and has been teaching dance to students of all ages ever since.
Maria has had the opportunity to work with and learn from incredible choreographers such as Peter Pucci, Val Pullman, Keith Saunders, Bill Hastings, Nicole Hockenberry, Hannah Nour and Tabatha Robinson- Scott. And she has had the chance to perform in Washington DC, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Lincoln Center, and the Joyce SoHo.
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Since graduating, Maria has coached the Northampton High School Dance Team for several years, danced and cheered with both the Lehigh Valley Storm and Lehigh Valley Steelers Dance Teams, as well as danced with the Monarch Dance Company for 5 years.
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Maria also has extensive experience choreographing for high school musicals, dance teams, competition soloists, performance projects and more.
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In 2019 Maria opened Valley Dance with the goal of bringing her love of dance to the Lehigh Valley and creating a welcoming environment for all our dance families. The mission and goal of Valley Dance is to instill a great passion and love of dance, while inspiring self-confidence, discipline and respect of the performing arts. The goal is to give each individual dancer the tools they need to take dance as far as they dream to take it.
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**We believe that if you can dream it, you can achieve it!**
MEET MS. JULIA
Dance Instructor
Julia began her dance training at the age of 7, quickly realizing her passion for dance and her desire to pursue it for the rest of her life. She trained extensively in Ballet and Pointe, as well as Contemporary, Lyrical, and Modern. Dedicated to honing her technique, she participated in numerous workshops, master classes, and dance intensives. Ballet and Pointe work have always been her greatest passions.
Julia earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from DeSales University. During her time there, she performed in several pieces, including “bloom,” choreographed by Lora Allen, where she had a featured role in a partnering duet. She also took part in student-created works such as “eevea,” “Read My Lips,” and “Retrospect.” Additionally, Julia taught Ballet classes for the DeSales University Conservatory of Dance program under the direction of Jill Fitzgerald, serving students in the surrounding areas.
Her performance experience includes appearances in Dance EXposure, the DeSales University Emerging Choreographers Concert, and the DeSales University Dance Ensemble. Julia has trained with renowned instructors such as Joffrey Ballet’s Principal Ballerina Trinette Singleton, Caili Quan from BalletX, Angela Sigley-Grossman, Julia Mayo, Tim Cowart, Milan Misko, and others.
Julia is thrilled to share her passion for dance with her students and inspire them through her love for the art form.
Meet Ms. Becka
Dance Instructor
Becka Morris has trained as a gymnast and a dancer since she was three years old. She attended Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts as a dance major, and has had the opportunity to perform and choreograph throughout the Lehigh Valley. Becka has taught dance and gymnastics for the past ten years in the Lehigh Valley, West Chester, PA, and Philadelphia. Her favorite classes to teach are acro and modern! Along with teaching dance and gymnastics, Becka is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. She loves working with clients to help them meet their athletic goals! Becka has also been teaching group exercise classes for the past two years. As a dancer, runner, cyclist, and swimmer, she understands the importance of proper strength training for athletes and for everyday life! In addition to teaching dance and fitness classes, Becka teaches 7th grade English at Bangor Area Middle School. Becka is very excited to work with all of the amazing students at Valley Dance this year!
Meet Ms. Carly
Dance Instructor
Carly Watson has been teaching dance for over 10 years in the Lehigh Valley and across Pennsylvania! She grew up performing as a featured dancer in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parades and competing in competitions throughout the state. She attended Lock Haven University where she studied Early Childhood and Special Education while also minoring in Dance. During her time at Lock Haven, she was heavily involved with Dance Consort, Modern Dance Company, and Revamp. She was both a dancer and choreographer. She also served as President and secretary of Modern Dance Company and Dance Consort. Carly was instructed by Tennessee's Ballet Artistic Director at Bucknell University and attended the American College Dance Festival at Penn State University. Aside from collegiate dance classes, Carly also taught professionally within the Lock Haven community. She also assisted the LHU Dance department as a volunteer instructor for local elementary schools. Carly graduated from Lehigh University with a graduate degree in Educational Leadership with a Principal Certification and currently teaches special education. Carly is excited to share her love of dance with the next generation!
Meet Ms. ZoE
Dance Instructor
Zoë grew up on stage. Inspired by her mother (who also grew up on stage) and the desire to overcome shyness, she began dancing, playing multiple instruments, and performing in community theatre at a young age. In high school, Zoë realized her goals in life were to own a dance studio and continue sharing her passion of movement with others. She began teaching dance and choreographing for theatre productions at the age of 15.
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Zoë attended Jacksonville University and graduated in 2020 with a bachelors degree in Kinesiology. She began college as a nursing student, however, after signing up for a dance kinesiology class, she quickly came to conclusion that kinesiology was the path for her. Throughout college and after, she continued teaching dance and performing whenever she could. She was a company member for Paradigm Flux Dance Company for 5 years. She spent a year in Philadelphia, dancing at multiple studios and performed with a non profit company before moving back home.
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After moving back to Jacksonville, Zoë started teaching dance again. She got involved with Pilates soon after and has loved it. Zoë had very little experience with pilates but has come to find that it perfectly aligns with her goals. She is amazed at how pilates can help peoples bodies in everyday life. Zoë, eventually, wants to use her knowledge of pilates and kinesiology to integrate into dance teaching and her own future studio. She is excited to be back in Pennsylvania and teaching dance!
Meet Ms. Emily
Dance Instructor
Emily began dancing when she was 2 ½ years old and has enjoyed exploring the art of dance ever since! She competed locally and nationally in acro, jazz, and lyrical for 10+ years; While also studying the technique and style of baton twirling, ballet, modern and contortion. She was a Majorette at Nitschmann Middle School and Liberty High School, where she participated in school led musicals and dance teams. Emily received her Bachelor’s Degree in Performance Management with a Minor in Sociology from Moravian College. Through the LVAIC Program she also studied extensively with the DeSales University dance department. She performed as the Feature Twirler for the Moravian College Marching Band, participating in local events, including the Collegiate Marching Band Festival.
She has performed in the 70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Holiday Parade in Honolulu Hawaii, the Miss America “Show Us Your Shoes Parade” in Atlantic City New Jersey, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Parade, New York City’s Columbus Day Parade, among other performances across the tri-state area. Dedicated to expanding her knowledge and technique, she has participated in numerous workshops, dance intensives, and master classes across the east coast. Emily also has experience teaching and choreographing for local middle school majorette’s, musicals, and dance teams.
Her favorite styles are baton twirling, contortion, lyrical and acro. She has recently developed a love for aerial silks, participating in classes at Abstract Aerial Academy and Valley Dance. Emily is excited to share her love for dance and twirling with Valley Dance!
Meet Ms. Latosha
Dance Instructor
Latosha Mitchell is a dancer, choreographer and instructor born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and currently residing in PA. She earned a B.S. degree in Legal Studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in NYC in 2004, but realized prior to graduation that her passion was in dance after taking a dance class at Broadway Dance Center. What started as a class for fun, turned into years of training in various genres, including jazz, modern, African, hip hop and street stilettos. The training she received has led to many teaching and performance opportunities. Since relocating to PA, she has had the opportunity to perform for different events, including SpringUp Festival at Cedar Crest College. She is the creator of Femmeography in Heels, a company that provides heels class instruction and performance opportunities. She is a member of GPC Entertainment, an NYC-based cabaret company that performs nationally and internationally, and Mika Romantic & Company, a PA-based burlesque company. Her goal is to bring forth positivity and inspiration to others through dance. She is excited to be joining the Valley Dance family!
Meet Ms. Jules
Dance Instructor
Miss Julia has had a passion for the arts ever since she was little. She grew up watching
classics like The Wizard of Oz and immediately knew that was what she wanted to do
when she was older. She started singing when she could talk and started dancing when
she was 2. Her dance journey began in recreational classes starting in Ballet, Tap, and
Jazz and then in 5th grade started competitive dance as well as Contemporary, Lyrical,
and Pointe. Along with dancing outside of school she began in depth training in
school. She attended Arts Academy Charter Middle School for Dance and Vocal Music
and started community theater participating in shows like Stuart Little, Gypsy, and
13!. Then after middle school she attended Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the
Arts as a Vocal Music major, studying classical music, musical theater and jazz and
took part in the school musicals her sophomore and junior year after leaving
competitive dance to pursue theater.
Julia earned her Associates Degree in Musical Theater from The New York
Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts in Manhattan New York. There she studied,
in-depth, different theater techniques, vocal music styles, and continued her dance
training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater. She had countless
performance and masterclass opportunities and was taught by amazing working
professionals and professors like Joe Barros, Christopher McGovern, Tally Sessions,
Jordan Gelber, and so many more. Since being home she has choreographed two
children's musicals in the area. Honk Jr! Was her debut at JCC in Allentown and High
School Musical Jr! was her most recent at The Holy Family School in Nazareth.
Miss Julia is so excited to start this new journey here at Valley Dance and can't wait to
instill the passion for dance she has had for years to come!
Meet Ms. willow
Dance Instructor
Willow Prichett's introduction to dance started at four years old with brief ballet classes, however, it was at age nine when she began taking Hip-Hop classes and performing in musicals that she truly became immersed in the world of performing arts. Having studied as a theatre major at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, Willow enjoys incorporating her acting experience into performing as a dancer. She has taken dance classes in the styles of Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Tap, and Ballet/Pointe, with her favorites being Jazz and Ballet/Pointe. She has been dancing at Valley Dance since they opened in 2019, where she also danced competitively for 2 years. In addition to her dance experience, Willow loves practicing yoga and pilates, recognizing the importance of physical fitness as a dancer. She has spent the last three years as an assistant dance teacher at Valley Dance, gaining experience and insight into the teaching process. Now, as she steps into the role of instructor, she is thrilled to share her knowledge and passion with her own classes. Willow is currently in college continuing her dance education and working towards completing her general education requirements. She plans to further her studies at a 4-year college as a dance major. Willow is dedicated to creating a supportive and positive class environment where students can express themselves and grow as dancers. She looks forward to sharing her love of dance and can't wait to meet her students!