Teachers
Marisa Guzman-Colegrove, our artistic director, has been a part of the Central New York dance community for many years. Her teaching credits include flamenco, jazz, creative movement, modern, Stott pilates, and ballet. She has performed and choreographed with the Syracuse Contemporary Dance Company, Syracuse Opera Company, and with the Syracuse Symphony. Marisa has choreographed for Fayetteville-Manlius High School musicals as well as the Town of Manlius summer show. She is presently performing with a new group in central New York called Puente Flamenco.
Julia Bulger began dance at the age of 3. In Indiana she attended the G. Scotten Talent Center where she studied tap, jazz, and ballet before relocating to Pennsylvania at Dance Fusion. There she also studied modern, lyrical, break dancing, and hip hop and was an assistant teacher for hip hop. Julia then relocated to Manlius where she joined GDS to study hip hop. She is a student at FMHS.
Ellen Ayer Earley has been dancing since she was 3 years old at various studios throughout Syracuse, Houston, Philadelphia, and NYC. She attended The High School of the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and went on to The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Ellen has performed in and choreographed for many local theater companies and also danced with the USO during the first Gulf War. Most recently she was on the board of directors for Rarely Done Productions. Ellen has been teaching dance for the past 20 years for Camillus Dance Centre and formerly for Metropolitan School for the Arts and Syracuse School of Dance. While teaching for MSA, she developed a very popular musical theater class that focused on performance qualities and history of Broadway shows and performers. But her three dancing daughters are by far her greatest accomplishment. Miss Ellen will be teaching Ballet 3, Hip Hop, Jazz 2, Intermediate Jazz, Modern and Musical Theater.
Aneissa Kline studied ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical at United Academy of the Performing Arts. She also received Royal Academy of Dance training in classic ballet, pointe, character, and free movement at Ballet Arts by Delia. She was an active performer and competitor in the Oneida area until 2012. A 2016 graduate of Syracuse University, Aneissa performed for four years with the SU Dance Team. Aneissa is currently pursuing her masters degree at Syracuse University.
Anna Rupert has been studying dance since she was three years old. In addition to ballet, modern, and jazz experience she also studies the Spanish dance form Flamenco, both in Syracuse and in Sevilla, Spain, and has been dancing in a flamenco company here in Syracuse for six years. Growing up she danced at Syracuse School of Dance, Guzman's Dance Studio, and The Ballet and Dance Center, as well as taking dance at Manlius Pebble Hill, where she got the opportunity to take master classes with companies such as Paul Taylor, Taylor 2, Alvin Ailey, and more. She has performed with many groups around Syracuse, including SU Arts Engage, and the Syracuse Opera Company.
Theresa Rutkowski teachers general music, band and chorus for the Mexico Academy and Central School District. She received her bachelor's degree in music education with a concentration in clarinet from the SUNY Fredonia School of Music, and just completed a dual master's degree from Le Moyne College in elementary and special education. Theresa is the current woodwind director for the Baldwinsville Marching Band and Movement Coach for the Baldwinsville Winter Guard. She has been involved with musical theater all over the CNY and Western NY area and has played in many pit orchestras. Some of her favorite credits are West Side Story, Les Miserables, and A Chorus Line. She has been with GDS for many years as a dancer and is excited to be a part of the staff. She has recently added choreographer to her resume, assisting with the Little Mermaid and more. Theresa also made her return to the stage as a dancer for the Syracuse Opera's rendition of Rigoletto.
Ballroom Instructor
Krissi Caccamo grew up in Syracuse and took up ballroom dancing as an adult just for fun. She has been dancing at Guzmán’s Dance Studio since 2008 and decided she would like to teach ballroom. She became an instructor in 2009 under the teachings of studio owner Michael Guzmán. Since that time she has choreographed several “first dances” for couples, taught private lessons, assisted with classes at the studio, coordinated after school dance programs at Mott Rd, Jamesville Elementary, and Tecumseh Elementary Schools. She has been involved with various theatrical productions in the area as Stage Manager. In addition she has performed at different venues including The Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Currier and Ives Celebration in Fayetteville, Dancing With Our Stars, and the studio’s end of year performance. She also competes yearly for Dancing With Our Stars in Syracuse, NY.
Owners, Ballroom Instructors
Michael Guzmán, a native of Puerto Rico, grew up in New York City. While attending Syracuse University, he began his ballroom dance instruction teaching for Walt Medicis. A former teacher at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, he gained further experience as a choreographer for the school musicals and as the instructor for the Ballroom Dance Club. His performance credits include Pepe in West Side Story and Pedro in Man of la Mancha. Mike and Jennifer Greene, co-owner, have danced together for functions such as the State Fair, Beyond Boundaries Fundraisers, and the Carriage House Cotillion. Mike is a regular guest instructor in many school districts throughout the area.
Jennifer Greene, originally from Virginia, moved to Syracuse after having attended Ithaca College for her M.M. in Music Education. While an undergraduate student, she got her first taste of dancing the polka while working at the Interlochen Summer Music Camp in Michigan. Jennifer continued her pursuit of ballroom dancing by studying at Arthur Murray’s with her husband, Tony. A teacher at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, it wasn’t long before she met Mike and began attending his Ballroom Dance Club. When Mike opened the studio in September of 1999, Jennifer began her training as an assistant instructor. She and Mike have danced together with the Syracuse Symphony and taught together in demonstrations/ workshops at the New York State Fair and many area schools.