Marissa Cooper
Director
Marissa Cooper began dancing at the age of three and quickly fell in love with the art form. Trained extensively in all disciplines of dance, she grew up dancing competitively and attending countless workshops, conventions, and competitions. Throughout her early career, she earned numerous overall placements, scholarships, and convention accolades. Her passion, discipline, and artistry set her apart as both a performer and leader in the dance world.
Marissa is a highly accomplished performer, award-winning choreographer, and dedicated dance instructor. She has taught a wide variety of styles including Lyrical, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Technique, Flexibility, and Pre-Dance classes to students ranging in age from 2 through adult. Marissa is especially known for her strong emphasis on technique and her commitment to developing technically sound, versatile dancers. Her classes focus on proper alignment, control, strength, and artistry, ensuring that her students have a solid foundation for long-term growth and success.
Her choreography has earned widespread recognition, with her routines consistently receiving top honors at both regional and national levels. She has received multiple choreography awards, entertainment awards, and Victory Cups, reflecting her creativity, attention to detail, and ability to bring out the best in her dancers. In 2017, she was named “Best Choreographer of the Year,” one of many highlights in her thriving career.
Marissa’s students have gone on to win National and World Dance Championship titles, and she takes great pride in helping each dancer achieve their personal best. She creates a positive, empowering, and challenging environment where dancers feel inspired to grow both technically and artistically.
Beyond the studio, Marissa completed two years in the dance and education program at Hunterdon County Polytech, where she served as Chapter President of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). She won state and national competitions through FCCLA and remains actively involved as an alumna.
She has also expanded her impact through work with Imagine Dance Challenge and by teaching in local grade schools throughout Hunterdon County. Marissa continues to pursue excellence in her own training and professional development, always striving to bring fresh ideas and refined techniques to her teaching.
Currently, Marissa serves as the Director of Prestige Dance Academy, where she leads with vision, passion, and dedication. She is forever grateful to her teachers, mentors, and educators, and she hopes to continue being a source of guidance, motivation, and inspiration for her students for years to come.
Rachel Allen
Rachel has a BA in dance from Rutgers University, New Brunswick where she also earned a BA in chemistry and a minor in French. She is currently working towards her PhD in Chemistry at Rutgers University.
Rachel started her dance training at the Starmaker School of Performing Arts where she studied jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, baton twirling, lyrical, modern and contemporary and was a part of their competition team for 10 years. In high school and college, she trained at the NJ School of Ballet, Princeton Ballet School and the French Academie of Ballet. She also performed and was Captain of her high school dance team. At Rutgers, she studied ballet, modern, jazz and choreography through her Dance BA program and she was also the Head Choreographer and Captain of Rutgers Performing Dance Company, where she debuted her choreography and competed. She currently trains at Broadway Dance Center, Steps, and Peridance several times a week.
Performance highlights include Choreographer’s Carnival, Broadway Dance Center’s Student Showcase, BFA Senior Dance Concert, halftime performances at Madison Square Garden and the Prudential Center, and as a dancer in Hello Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, and Rock of Ages.
Rachel has been setting choreography and teaching all styles of dance at Prestige for the past 9 years. Dance is one of the many aspects of her life that Rachel is most proud of and most passionate about and she loves sharing her joy of movement with others. She hopes to help educate dancers to reach their greatest potentials, both as dancers and as humans!
Jamie McNally
Jamie McNally has been teaching dance, twirling, and gymnastics for 20 years. She attended Somerset Vo-Tech for two years where she studied all forms or dance and dance history. She boasts top dance routines for students who have won regional and national competitions, receiving the top teacher prize for choreography at the Star Systems Regional Championships and Show Stoppers Nationals. Jamie enjoys teaching all styles of dance including Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Pom, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acrobatics, Baton Twirling, Musical Theatre, and Cheer Dance. Jamie started dancing at the age of 3 and started competing in dance and twirling by the age of 6. She has accumulated state, regional and national titles in baton and dance. She has won advanced senior state titles in solo and strut including National World Corps Princess, National World Two Baton, National World Color Guard and National World Duet with partner, Krista Salerno. As a soloist, she won national titles in dance, pompom and flag and represented New Jersey as Miss Majorette. At Somerville High School, she participated in gymnastics and was honored as Somerset County Gymnast of the Year in 1999 and was inducted into the Somerville Hall of Fame in 2005. With her background, she adds to the curriculum of the International Gymnastics School in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania as an instructor. In 2013 Jamie assisted in teaching Madonna twirling for her MDNA World Tour. Jamie is a graduate Cum Laude from East Stroudsburg University with her degree in Sports Management. Jamie’s passion for dance is seen in all her students, and she is excited to share her passion for dance with students of Prestige Dance.
Cayla Rae Pavol
Cayla Rae Pavol is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She began dancing at the age of 2 at Star Maker Performing Arts and continued her education at Stewart Johnson Dance Academy. Cayla trained in contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap, hip hop, pointe, ballroom, and musical theater. Cayla has been the honored recipient of performance awards and scholarships from numerous competitions and conventions such as Dance Master of America, West Coast Dance Explosion, NYCDA, Legacy, Showstoppers, Onstage NY, and Starpower. Cayla is currently represented by CESD Talent Agency and has performed with multiple companies like Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Synthesis Dance Company, and Generation IV. She has worked with Kristen Hoagland, Kellie Hoagland, AC Ciulla, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, David Gamboa, and Jeffrey Lapes. Along with dancing herself, she is also a very passionate teacher. Her classes offer a safe environment for dancers to explore their own abilities as well as learn from others. She prides herself on keeping a positive attitude and pushing students harder then they thought possible. Cayla truly loves sharing her passion with others!
carrie sivo
Miss Carrie started gymnastics and the young age of 2. By 6 years of age she was competing. Miss Carrie was an accomplished gymnast for many years, winning various titles before becoming a coach. As a coach Miss Carrie lead young gymnasts through training for USAG and Joga, many gymnasts winning accolades at local, State, and National Competitions. Now an acro instructor Miss Carrie has taken classes with internationally known Acro Group Acro Alliance to further broaden her gymnastics and Acro background. Outside of the studio Miss Carrie is a Physical Education and Health Teacher in the Readington Township School District and holds a degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies.
Miss Carrie loves teaching and has a true passion for passing her knowledge of gymnastics onto young acrobats and gymnasts.
Allison Tarriff
Miss Allison received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. At DeSales, she studied Modern and Ballet Technique, Musical Theatre, Classical Jazz, Dance Composition, as well as Theatre Technology. She also served as “Dance Director” for the Conservatory of Dance at the University, a group which dance majors instructed local students. Since earning her degree, Allison as performed in a number of musicals, and served as head choreographer for several school musicals including: “Anything Goes,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Annie, “The Music Man,” and “High School Musical.” Miss Allison now has more than 10 years of experience teaching dance in the area. Allison is excited to be a part of the Prestige family, and is constantly working to pass on her love of dance to all her students, as well as her three children: Dean, Clare, and Cecilia.
Sydney Wilson
Sydney Wilson has been dancing since the age of two and brings over 15 years of teaching experience to the studio. With a strong foundation in all styles and a deep love for jazz, she also brings a solid knowledge of dance technique that she weaves into every class. Sydney continued dancing throughout college, further expanding her skills and passion for the art form.
She enjoys teaching dancers of all ages but has a special place in her heart for the littlest performers. Her classroom is upbeat and fun, with a balance of strong technique, discipline, and encouragement. Sydney believes in creating a positive space where dancers can grow in confidence and develop a lifelong love for dance.
Outside of dance, Sydney works full-time as a dental hygienist and lives in Flemington with her husband, Derek, and their son, Hunter.
Jennifer Lucisano
Jennifer has a life-long passion for dance and she shares this with her students over her past 17 years as an instructor. She began dancing at the age of three at Summit School of Dance, NJ. Over the next 15 years, she was trained in ballet, jazz, tap, pointe, lyrical, hip-hop, and acrobatics. At the age of six, she joined the competitive dance team that competed and traveled the entire East Coast, winning numerous, prestigious awards. After finishing out her years of dancing at the studio, she became part of their instructional staff where she taught students of all ages and different styles of dance. Jennifer pursued her passion further and continued her dance training at Raritan Valley where she studied ballet, jazz, hip-hop and modern dance. During the year, Jennifer became a member of the Freespace Dance Company in Verona, NJ where she performed in benefit concerts and many other different shows. One of her most memorable performances was participating in the Walt Disney World’s Magic kingdom, A Dream Come True Parade in 2009. Throughout her career she has choreographed for multiple dance and cheerleading teams. Many of her choreographed performances have won awards, some of which she performed herself! She is excited to continue sharing her passion for dance and teaching at Prestige Dance Academy!
Madi Mcvetty
Madi started her dance training at the age of two at Michelle Ferraro’s Dance USA in Coram, NY. She trained in many styles including jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and ballet before joining the Elite Company at Prestige Dance Academy at the age of ten. During her time at Prestige, Madi found her love and passion for dance and won numerous awards and recognitions. She was a part of both national and world ranked routines and was the captain of the Elite Company her senior year. Madi also trained at Somerset County Vo-tech where she focused on ballet and modern technique as well as the nationally ranked Hunterdon Central Dance Team.
After graduating high school Madi went on to join the nationally ranked TCNJ Dance Team and Synergy Dance Company where she continues to grow both as a dancer and a choreographer. She also continues her dance training at Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Madi is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary and Special Education with a concentration in English.
In addition to her own training and performance, Madi has developed a deep love for teaching dance. She finds joy in inspiring and guiding the next generation of dancers, and she takes pride in creating a positive, supportive, and challenging environment for her students. Madi is passionate about helping dancers discover their own voice through movement, and she strives to push her students to be the best versions of themselves both on and off the stage. Teaching allows her to share not only her technique and experience, but also the values of discipline, confidence, and self-expression that dance has given her.
Kayley Alvelo
Kayley began her dance journey at just three years old at The Edge Dance Company in Allendale, NJ where she built a strong foundation in a wide range of styles including ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, tap, and musical theater. Over the years, she has dedicated herself to grow as both a performer and technician, attending numerous intensives, competitions, and conventions such as Starpower, Starstruck, Beyond The Stars, Dance Xplosion, Radix, and JUMP, among others.
She is currently a senior at The College of New Jersey, pursuing a dual major in Special Education and Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics. At TCNJ, Kayley has been a dedicated member of the Synergy Dance Company for the past three years and has proudly served as captain for the last two. In her leadership role, Kayley has taken on a variety of responsibilities, including leading warm-ups and across-the-floor combinations, choreographing weekly combinations for practices, and mentoring team members with creativity and enthusiasm.
Her choreography has been featured in multiple performances, most notably in Synergy’s annual Spring Showcase and in the team’s routine for TCNJ’s Homecoming/Parent’s Weekend. Kayley’s commitment to a collaborative and supportive team environment, combined with her passion for dance and teaching, continues to inspire her and it reflects the same energy she brings to both the studio and the classroom. Kayley is so excited to be a part of the Prestige Dance family!