MELISSA TRUELOVE | Owner/Director

Melissa Truelove welcomes you to The Dance Pointe. Mrs.Truelove is a Greenwich native with a BFA in dance from the University of Massachusetts's five college dance department. She founded TDP in 2009. Having spent her youth under the direction of the Greenwich Ballet Workshop, Truelove spent her summers dancing abroad. This experience pushed her to pursue her art at the professional level. Mrs. Truelove has had the opportunity to work with such artists as; Jin Win Yu, Janis Brenner, and Leslie Partridge. She performed with various artists in New York City and was a member of the Peter Czerner Dance Company, located in southern Germany. Mrs. Truelove is further sharing her European experience with her students by organizing summer dance intensives in the foothills of the Black Forest and northern Switzerland. The Dance Pointe is an extension of Truelove's passion and dedication to dance and its principles.

ASHLEY ANDERSON (Guest Artist & Competition Choreographer)

Born in southern Connecticut, Ashley has been passionate about teaching for over 9 years. Originally focused in Ballet, Ashley discovered Hip-Hop music at the age of 14 and began training all over CT, and was signed with the MSA talent agency at 16 years old. At 20, she began training in New York City at Broadway Dance Center, joining the first ever "Professional Semester" and training with teachers including Sheryl Murakami, Rhapsody James, and Luam. She was given scholarships from these programs including being a nominee at "Monsters of Hip Hop".Ashley lived in Los Angeles in 2016 where she furthered her knowledge and experience, working closely with Hip-Hop masters like Lando Wilkins, Jeka Jane, and Joesar Alva. Most recently she was awarded CT's "Choreographer of the Year". Ashley is truly excited and humbled to be able to work so closely with Connecticut’s young talent and hopes to build a strong foundation in dance and self with each one.

BILLY BLANKS | (Season 15)

Bio coming soon!

SARAH BURNS (Season 15)

Sarah is originally from Binghamton, NY. She has performed across the country and internationally in productions such as The Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a Rockette, 42nd Street, The Producers, The Addams Family, and as a classic Las Vegas showgirl in Jubilee. She has also been seen dancing on the television shows The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Match Game, The View, and Michael Buble's Christmas in New York TV Special. Sarah has a BFA in Dance Performance, a BS in Exercise Science, and an MS in Nutrition from the University at Buffalo. She is also a certified Pilates and children’s yoga instructor. She lives in New York City.

RICARDO DREYFOUS (Guest Artist)

Ricardo was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ricardo has always been intrigued by dance and began learning Salsa and Merengue during elementary years. Throughout his  college years, Dreyfous joined a hip-hop club called Remixx and found a home. For the next year he choreographed numbers for Remixx and has recently joined Double Up Dance Company's Team Leggoo. 

JESSICA GALLAGHER (Season 15 )

Jessica is a dynamic individual who embodies both the world of speech-language pathology and the artistry of dance. Jessica was raised in Rye Brook, New York, and has danced since the age of 3. Jessica was trained in all styles of dance, but throughout the years, she ultimately discovered a passion for hip-hop dance. Jessica danced at a local studio for the majority of her dance career. At 13, she joined a hip-hop group in NYC and dedicated hours each week to travel to NYC, practicing and performing at events such as concerts, fundraisers, and NY Knicks’ halftime shows. Jessica attended the University of Central Florida, where she not only continued to immerse herself in hip-hop dance as a member of a dance group but also shared her expertise by teaching hip-hop at a local studio. Jessica has recently moved to Connecticut and is ecstatic to continue sharing her passion for dance with the students of The Dance Pointe.

CAROLINA GUASCO | Studio Coordinator

Carolina is a graduate of Greenwich High School and The Dance Pointe. Having trained under Melissa Truelove, Carolina is thrilled to be sharing her joy of dance and her knowledge with the Tiny Tots and Mini Movers. Carolina carefully crafts every young dancers’ foundation and confidence. Carolina is an integral part of The Dance Pointe both in the studio and behind the scenes. Carolina participated in the 2014 International Dance Program in Germany and looks forward to the summer tours to come.

MICKEY LONSDALE (Season 15)

Mickey is an international award-winning physical theatre actor and dancer. He originally hails from Ramer, Alabama. He began his dance training at Alabama Dance Theatre and has a B.A. in Communication/Theatre at Auburn Montgomery. While in college, he became the emcee, entertaining 7000 fans nightly, for the Montgomery Biscuits. After graduating, Mickey moved to Italy to pursue an M.F.A. in Physical Theatre at the Accademia del’Arte. He received training in Commedia Dell’Arte, Clown, Dance, Choreography, and Acting. During this time, he attended Flic Scoula di Circo, Circus School, where he trained in acrobatics, acro dance, Chinese pole, walking globe, and various other circus skills. While in Europe, he performed with companies such as Familie Floz in Germany, Divaldo Continuo in the Czech Republic, and Red Dot Theatre in Italy and Turkey. After receiving his M.F.A., Mickey moved to the NYC area where has starred in several independent films, commercials, TV shows and works as a free-lance dancer/choreographer. He is also a founding member of Aura Curiatlas Physical Theatre. This company tours all over the world telling compelling stories using acrobatics, dance, and physical acting. Mickey has developed techniques that help children develop motor skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, and social skills. He has made it his goal to help children reignite their imagination to know and feel that whatever their dreams are, they can accomplish them. Mickey co-founded Circus Splendiferous LLC, in March 2020.

KRISTINE MACDONALD (Season 15)

Bellemare grew up in Northern Connecticut and studied all types of dance from a young age. In 2009, Kristine started teaching, and from that point she realized her goal is to spread her passion for dance, giving her dancers the opportunity to learn and grow inside and outside of the studio. Kristine's choreography has won numerous awards, and she is also an award winning and Top Score Award dancer at the Regional and Competitive level. Kristine teaches both recreational and competitive dance, and has a love for both levels, she believes each dancer should be treated individually striving as much as possible. Choose a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life!

VICTORIA MARTINEZ (Season 15)

Victoria is an energetic, caring and confident dance teacher who works hard to make sure that every student, regardless of skill, level improves and becomes the best that they can be. Victoria has experience teaching all ages styles of dance such as jazz, contemporary, ballet and hip hop. She is passionate about the art of dance and hopes to inspire her students as well. Victoria's has trained at some of the finest dance institutions including: Complexions Summer Ballet Program, Joffrey Summer Program, Houston METdance Professional Intensive and has her certificate from the International Dance Academy.

KENDALL MORAN (Season 15)

Kendall Moran attended Lamar University on a dance scholarship, then studied and trained with teachers and choreographers from the London Royal Ballet and Steps Studio to Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Kendall is an ABT® Certified Teacher and successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

SOPHIE MOYER

MAYA SANK (Guest Artist)

Maya recently finished a year long dance training with Vertigo Dance Company in Jerusalem, Israel. She is a graduate of Elon University with a BFA in Dance and Choreography. Maya has been dancing since she was 8 years old, and has studied at a number of studios but her formative training was under Jimmy Locust. Maya began teaching when she was in high school and has also provided private lessons to dancers preparing for competition and college auditions. Maya is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance with her students at The Dance Pointe.

SUSAN RODRIGUEZ (Season 14)

Susan was raised in Danbury, Connecticut and began teaching Hip-Hop, Street Jazz, and Social Latin styles in 2008 at a local dance studio. While pursuing her degree, she earned the opportunity to dance and choreograph for both the Fairfield University Dance Ensemble and the Spanish-American and Latino Student Association. Soon after, she worked extensively with the directors of Double Up Company & Entertainment, and assisted in the development of a dynamic training programs aiming to provide dancers in the CT community with consistent training in dance, fitness, and professional adeptness. She has proudly worked with the Liberate Artists Dance Education Movement as an apprentice for its FOCUS LA event and as a faculty member for its Phoenix Fire '19 event in NYC.

Today, Susan continues to teach all ages in Fairfield County and Hartford County, and continues to train and perform with Flux Momentum Dance Company, directed by Ashley Anderson. Susan is inspired by the way dance lessons and life lessons often overlap, and strives to teach her students how to be exceptional humans that move exceptionally.

CHARLOTTE STENZZ (Guest Artist & Competition Choreographer))

Charlotte has been dancing since she was 3 years old, grew up as a competition dancer, training in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, and hip hop. During this time Charlotte has received numerous titles including ADA Dancer of the Year (2016), Hall of Fame All-Star Award, and many scholarships from Intrigue and JUMP dance conventions. She was also a member and captain of the Newtown High School Varsity Dance Team, winning SWC’s and State titles. She went on to study at The University of Alabama, majoring in communication and dance, graduating in May 2020. During her time at UA, she was a part of the Alabama Dance Program and performed in numerous student and faculty choreographed shows. She was also a member of the Alabama Collegiate Dance Team, performing at the Alabama homecoming football game, men's & women’s basketball games, and competing at UDA Nationals in Orlando, FL. While her ultimate goal is dancing professionally, teaching has always been one of Charlotte’s passions and she is excited to share her knowledge and skills with her students.

JILLIAN VANDERNEUT (Season 14)

Jillian was born and raised on Long Island, where she fell in love
with dance at a young age and went on to dance competitively through
high school. After graduating, she was a member of the Adelphi Dance
Team while pursuing her degree in social work. While in school,
Jillian worked at Legacy Dance Center as a recreational teacher for
five years, teaching dancers of all ages in a variety of genres.
Jillian later moved to Connecticut for work, and was lucky to find an
opportunity to continue sharing her passion for dance as a teacher at
The Dance Pointe. Jillian is eager to keep helping her students find
their voice through dance, and share her knowledge and passion with
the next generation of dancers.

LAUREN VILLAMANA (Guest Artist & Competition Choreographer))

Lauren is a Connecticut native where she grew up dancing competitively. She then went on to study dance and photography at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. She graduated Cum Laude in May of 2020. During her time at Marymount, she performed in numerous productions and danced abroad in Italy. She is currently on faculty at multiple dance studios across Connecticut and is a certified Pure Barre teacher. She continues her training weekly and enjoys sharing her love of movement and dance with her students.