Dancers Pointe - Meet our Dance Family

Dancers Pointe - Imitated, but never duplicated. Train Right...Dance Right...

Meet Our Dance Family

Our people are among the most talented in the industry. It would be our pleasure to put our extensive experience and knowledge to work for you.

COME JOIN OUR DANCE FAMILY!

Meet Our Teachers

CATHY KAROSICK & MARY DRESSENDOFER

Co-Owners & Directors

Cathy opened her studio in September of 1970. For 40 years she has dedicated herself to creating quality dancers. The results are evident during the performances at the annual dance recital. Cathy is very gratified to see her former students return to the studio to enroll their own children. The love of dance shown by her students is quite apparent. So many have graduated college with dance degrees and opened up their own dance studios. Others have performed with the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and Walt Disney World Pleasure Island Dancers. Many former students have performed lead and corps roles in the NJ Dance Theatre Guild's performance of the "Nutcracker", such as Clara, lead Mirlaton, lead Chinese, and lead Arabian. Still other students have taught and currently teach dance, and have choreographed musical plays, and formed their own dance competitions. With many of her students, dancing is not just a passing hobby, it becomes a life-time passion. She is proud of their accomplishments.
Cathy has experienced extensive and broad-based training throughout her career. In her early dance development, she was mentored by Patty Grouss of Elizabeth, where she studied tap, ballet, jazz, and acro. In addition, she studied ballet and pointe at the Academy of Ballet in Elizabeth, under the direction of Delores Clifford, and performed with the Union County Ballet Company. She continued her dance training with the New Jersey School of Ballet, studying ballet, pointe, and adagio with Carolyn Clark, Joseph Carrow, and George Tomal. She also studied jazz there, as well, with Matt Maddox and Jay Norman. Cathy also studied in New York City at Farnworth and Hauer. There, she took classes with Charles Kelly in acro and Bob Fitch in tap. She also became a member of the New Jersey Dance Theatre Guild. The Guild afforded her students the opportunity to perform with a children’s ballet company, and earn ballet and tap syllabus awards. Cathy began her teaching career as a dance instructor for the Elizabeth Recreation Department. After two years, she opened her own dance studio. In addition to teaching classes in her own studio, she also has brought a pre-school dance program to the community nursery school.

Mary began her dance career at the age of 5 at Cathy Karosick Dancers Pointe, where she competed in various competitions and graduated from the Rahway Dance Guild with her certification in Tap Syllabus. Mary’s professional career includes a B.A. from Montclair State University in Psychology and Teaching. After working for a couple of years she decided to attend law school in Michigan where she taught at the Lansing Dance Foundation and was part of the Lansing Dance Company. After receiving her Juris Doctor Degree, she went to Villanova University School of Law and obtained her L.L.M. (Masters in Tax Law). When Mary is not dancing across the dance floor, she is an attorney that specializes in telecommunications tax law. Mary continues to update her dance technique by studying with various artists at the Broadway Dance Center, Karen Callaway Williams from the New Jersey Tap Ensemble, Egor Coria and Kindra Williams at the New Jersey Ballet Company, as well as attending various master classes and dance workshops. Mary has a wonderful husband and 2 beautiful daughters. She has been teaching since 1998 and enjoys sharing her love of dance with her students.

STEPHANIE BAROCZI

Dance Teacher

Stephanie has been dancing since she was five years old. She received her early dance education at Center Stage Dance and Theatre School in East Brunswick and continued there on their jazz and tap companies until she was sixteen. She has studied many forms of dance including jazz, tap, modern, ballet, salsa, hip hop, yoga, and belly dance. She has also studied acting and vocal. She took a short break from dance to pursue an education and career in cosmetology. She now has her cosmetology license and is practicing in a salon in Pittstown. While Stephanie was a student at Center Stage she had the opportunity to work as an assistant teacher to kids ages two to twelve and just fell in love with the idea of sharing the love of music and movement with children as a form of expression and discipline. She is now looking to go back to school to obtain a degree in dance so that she can share her passion with the world. She is grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait to share her love of the arts with your children at Dancers Pointe!

STEPHANIE BRANCO

Dance Teacher

Stephanie has been studying dance since the age of two and a half. She has studied all types of dance from lyrical to hip-hop. She enjoys being with kids and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge of dance with the younger generation. She believes that “Dancing is like dreaming with your feet” and dancing can be done by all as long as you put your heart into it. Currently Stephanie is a freshman at Seton Hall University’s College of Nursing, but she will continue to expand her knowledge of dance at Dancers Pointe.

TAYLOR FIELDS

Bio Coming Soon!

DOLON FRANKLIN

Bio Coming Soon!

BRADY HOHN

Bio Coming Soon!

KATHERINE JONES

Dance Teacher

Katherine has been dancing since she was two years old. Throughout her dancer career she has trained in many forms of dance such as Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet and Bollywood. In 2010 she graduated from Slippery Rock University with a BA Degree in Dance. While studying at Slippery Rock she had the pleasure of training with talented artists such as Natalie Desch of the Doug Varone Dance Company, Camille Brown, and The Philadelphia Dance Company. Since graduating she has performed with The Tiffany Mills Dance Company and has received her Zumba certification. During the summer months Katherine spent time taking class at Dance New Amsterdam and auditioning throughout New York City. She loves to teach young dancers and share with them the knowledge of a career in dance. Katherine is so happy to be a part of the Dancers Pointe family. Lastly Katherine would like to share a quote that inspires her on a daily basis, “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” - Martha Graham

EMILY JACANGELO

Dance Teacher

Emily is a graduate of Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance. While there she was trained in Simonson, Limon, and Alexander Techniques. She had the pleasure of performing in pieces by Shapiro and Smith, Jose Limon, Donna Scro Gentile, Jay T. Jenkins and Sean Curran. Since graduating, she has been teaching dance classes, and choreographing for children’s musical theater projects. During the summer, she is working closely with the drama staff of summer camps to provide dances for their works. She also has taught children’s dance classes at many public schools across New Jersey as a part of after-school enrichment programs. Emily has performed with Six Degrees Dance Company directed by Misty Nelson and Cecly Placenti. She was a part of their first full evening performance at Merce Cunningham Studios in New York City this winter. She continues to train at Dance New Amsterdam in many different techniques with teachers Oliver Steel, Diane McCarthy, and Stephanie Liapis. This fall Emily is heading back to Montclair State University for her Elementary Teaching Certificate!

RENEE KACHNOWSKI

Dance Teacher

Renee is a Senior at Roselle Park High School and has now been dancing for fourteen years. She started her dancing at age three and joined Cathy's at age seven. Her nine years at Cathy's has been a wonderful experience and she is more than excited to expand on her dancing career by helping younger students achieve what she has. Renee is also interested in singing, as well as acting and has performed in summer shows along with her high school's spring musicals. Dance has become a permanent factor in Renee's life and she fully enjoys helping out at the studio when she can.

JACKIE McDYER

Dance Teacher

Jackie has been training in multiple styles of dance since the age of three. These styles include tap, ballet, jazz, and musical theater. Jackie studied under Cathy Karosick through the age of eighteen. During these years she has competed in multiple competitions and has performed in yearly recitals and shows. She has also taken part in performances in venues such as the Waldorf Astoria. In addition to teaching for Cathy Karosick Dancers Pointe, Jackie is the director of the dance program at Union Catholic Regional High School. She has been the director of this program for the past five years and each academic school year her students perform in two shows. Jackie loves introducing children to the art of dance and watching them develop technically into mature dancers.

CARYN PEPOSE

Dance Teacher & Special Needs Teacher

Caryn has been studying multiples disciplines of dance for 21 years. From the age of seven through her senior year of high school, she competed in both regional and national competitions, including winning first place overall in Star Systems National Competition (2002) and Co-dance National Competition (2004). Caryn also appeared on ESPN2 in 2004 and has danced in Hollywood Studio’s ABC Theater in Disney World. Caryn is a Special Education Teacher with a Masters Degree in Special Education and Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Florida. She has choreographed multiple routines for the Dancin’ Gators Dance Company at the University of Florida. In addition, Caryn has been working with children who have special needs in a variety of capacities including seven years as a volunteer in a dance program for children with neuromuscular disorders. Her other experiences include working with children on the autistic spectrum in summer camps and extended school year programs as well as teaching in a self-contained class for children with learning disabilities. Caryn loves to teach and is thrilled to join the Dancer’s Pointe Staff this year!

KELLY PHILLIPS

Dance Teacher & Special Needs Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

ROBERT RIVERA

Dance Teacher

Bio Coming Soon!

JESSICA ROMERO

Dance Teacher

Jessica has been training in various forms of dance, mainly ballet, tap, and jazz, since the age of four. After graduating from Harrison Dance Studio in Pennsylvania at age eighteen, she continued her dance training at Cedar Crest College and West Chester University, both in Pennsylvania. While obtaining a BS in Early Childhood Education, Jessica also pursued a dance minor, studying dance history, pedagogy, technique, and performance. While at WCU, Jessica performed with both the school’s Contemporary Dance Company, a modern based dance performance group, and participated in the Dance Production Workshop, another campus dance company featuring various genres of dance. Jessica enjoys incorporating her knowledge of young children into her dance classes, and she loves watching them grow and develop into talented dancers. After graduating, Jessica had the opportunity to introduce dance into the preschool where she worked as a pre-kindergarten teacher, beginning a successful Introduction to Dance class for three, four, and five year olds. After a brief pause to begin her family and settle after moving to New Jersey, Jessica was thrilled to jump back into the world of dance and the opportunity to teach at Dancers Pointe.

KYLE DUPREE

Guest Dance Teacher

Kyle holds his BFA in Jazz Performance from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, where he was awarded the school’s ‘Excellence in Dance’ award in May 2010. He has been taught by and worked alongside renowned dancers and choreographers, including Milton Myers (Alvin Ailey), Louis Johnson (choreographer, The Wiz), Donald Lunsford (Philadanco), Pedro Ruiz, Jr. (Cuban Ballet), Christine Cox (Ballet X), Ronen Koresh (Koresh Dance), and Michael Sheridan (Pennsylvania Ballet). In Summer 2010 Kyle was selected as one of twenty-four dancers worldwide to study at Jacob’s Pillow’s Intensive Contemporary Dance Program in Beckett, Massachusetts. Dance credits include work with The Rebecca Davis Dance Company, SLJ, and Exhale Dance Company. Theatrical credits include Cats (Mungojerrie, PITP), Les Miz (Enjolras), and Dreamgirls (PITP).

JANELLE LOBELLO

Substitute Dance Teacher

Janelle has been studying the art of dance under Cathy Karosick’s expertise since she was three-years-old. With enthusiasm she performed, competed, and took pleasure in expanding her knowledge of technique and rhythm in classical ballet, jazz, tap, and several other disciplines of dance. She continues to grow as a dancer and teacher taking ballet and jazz classes at the New Jersey School of Ballet. Janelle’s professional career includes a BA from Montclair State University in Communications Studies and Journalism. She is currently the Communications Coordinator for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and is continuing her education at Seton Hall University studying Nonprofit Management. Above all, Janelle would like to communicate with her students something one of her inspirations, Mr. Bob Fosse, once said – “Don’t dance for the audience, dance for yourself.”