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DANA D’IORIO ADAMES STUDIO DIRECTOR Talent
Factory owner and Director of The Talent Factory Dance Company, has spent the last 25 years following in the footsteps of
her mother Debi Cusick D'Iorio and aunt Cheryl Cusick Igliozzi. Not only did they help develop her potential as a dancer
at a young age, they inspired her creativity as a teacher. Dana has been teaching and choreographing since the age of 14.
Dance is a passion for Dana as reflected in her positive, outgoing personality and ability to build esteem and efficacy in
every child and adult she instructs. Dana has trained with some of the best in the business such as Henry LeTang, Thommie
Walsh, Ronnie DeVito, Gil Stroming, Dan Karaty, Tawana Hall-Charlton and Savion Glover whom she had the privilege
of privately studying with in NYC. Dana offers the same opportunities to her students by traveling with her dance company
to numerous conventions and competitions all over the east coast. Dana is also the choreographer for the Miss Rhode Island
America pageant where she is able to use her own company dancers as pageant performers. She continues to be a role model and
inspiration to all her students! Dana takes pride in offering creative classes as she develops her students to reach their
optimal potential. dana@talentfactoryri.com
TARA TOMMASIELLO BALLET,
JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY, ASST. DANCE COMPANY DIRECTOR Tara has been dancing since the age of two, beginning her studies at Dance RI’s
Providence location, under the direction of Debi Cusick D'Iorio. While at Dance RI, Tara began competing at a very young age, participating in many
conventions and master classes where she studied under such renown instructors as Scott Benson, Laurie Rousseau and Ron DeVito.
In 1996, Tara began focusing solely on her ballet technique with Festival Ballet of Rhode
Island under the late Christine Hennessey. She landed the role of Clara in their annual production of “The Nutcracker"
in 1998 and soon after became part of the Junior Company. In 2001, Tara joined the Senior
Company as an apprentice dancer under their new name, Festival Ballet Providence. Since then, Tara
has attended many master classes from others in the business, including Suzi Taylor, Travis Wall, Joey Dowling, Jason Parsons,
Dan Karaty, AC Ciulla and Scott Jovovich, to name just a few. At 25 years of age, her choreography has received recognition
within the competitive dance circuit, receiving numerous Platinum, High Gold and Gold adjudications as well as Choreography
Awards and Highest Overall Scoring Awards. Alongside Dana D'Iorio Adames, Tara has choreographed
the Miss Rhode Island Pageant Dancers for a couple of years now. When she is not at the studio, Tara
is using her business degree from Stonehill College as Recruitment Sales Representative
at the Providence Journal. tara@talentfactoryri.com
VALERIE SOLES BALLET, JAZZ, BALLROOM
Valerie began
dancing at the age of six at Narragansett Performing Arts Dance Centre, under the direction of Cheryl Cusick Igliozzi. She
has performed many lead roles in productions such as Alice in Wonderland,
Cinderella, The Lion King, and Aladdin, just to name a few. In addition, Valerie has traveled throughout New England competing and attending master classes with choreographers such as Dan Karaty and Mia Michaels.
Along the way, she has brought home many Platinum, Gold, and Silver awards, along with a lifetime of unforgettable memories.
Valerie is currently performing on Carnival Cruise Line and loving every minute of it! She left this past February and plans
to be back at the Talent Factory in October!!! valerie@talentfactoryri.com
MELANIE MORRISSEY ACTING, VOICE, MUSICAL THEATRE, ASST. THEATRE CO DIRECTOR Melanie
started her acting
career at the age of seven and from that young age she knew that she had found her calling. Melanie did over 30 musical theatre
productions, including tours both locally and in Brazil. Melanie has
been a teacher for over five years teaching acting, voice, dance, and directing musicals. Melanie then moved to New Mexico and was featured in two union productions, Swing Vote and Love Ranch;
and she also appeared in the TV series Crash. Moreover,
she was the director of a nationally recognized acting and modeling school. She has since been offered other roles but finds
that teaching is much more rewarding. Melanie has a lot to offer the students from on camera experience, behind the scenes
work, stage experience, make-up design, directing, and much more. Sign up for her classes today, because space is limited!
melanie@talentfactoryri.com
KERYN TOMMASIELLO BALLET, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY
Keryn has been
dancing since the age of two, starting her studies at Dance
RI RI, under the direction of Debi Cusick D'Iorio. At the
age of seven, Keryn began competing at various competitions where she received Best Technical Execution, various
Platinum, Gold and Silver awards for her performances and was also the recipient of a NYC Jazz Scholarship
at Jump Convention in Boston. She has studied under some of the best
in the industry such as Suzi Taylor, Travis Wall, Mia Michaels and Dan Karaty, to name a few. She started
at the Talent Factory when it opened in 2004, where she focused solely one her favorite form of dance, contemporary. Since
then, Keryn has been competing with the Talent Factory and assisting/choreographing for the Junior Company. In addition,
Keryn recently traveled throughout Europe where she observed different forms of dance
and culture. She currently lives in New
York attending Syracuse University University majoring in Fashion Design. In her spare time, Keryn designs clothes
and jewelry and dances with a dance organization, "Danceworks".
AMANDA SOLES BALLET,
JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY
Amanada
has been dancing since
the tender age of 5 and hasn't stopped! She has trained heavily in ballet, jazz, lyrical and contemporary and this
past year starting teaching here at the Talent Factory. Over the years Amanda has trained with some of the best
choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Andy Blankenbeuhler, Travis Wall, Suzi Taylor and Joey Dowling. She has also won numerous
high scoring and prestigious awards throughout the east coast at NYCDA, WCDE, Access Broadway and Fire and Ice to name a few.
Amanda is currently teaching Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary while attending the University of Rhode
Island full-time majoring in Speech-Language
Pathology. amanda@talentfactoryri.com
SHERYL ANNE ATWOOD FITNESS
DIRECTOR Sheryl is the proud
mother of twin boys Travis and Tyler who are in Junior Company and CREW at the Talent Factory. Sheryl has an ecclectic background
that includes dancing for 8 years herself. Sheryl is immersed in fitness in her personal and professional life. She is a successful
fitness competitor and works as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor. Some of her certifications include SPINNING,
TurboKick, Weight Mgt. Consultant, Life Coach, Personal Trainer. She teaches Yoga, Pilates, bootcamp, and dance as well. She
has done workout videos and print work for RunnersWorld, Prevention, and Fitness Magazines. She is an instructor at the University of Rhode Island in the
Human Development and Family Studies Department. She currently is the president of her Parent/ Teacher Organization, a coach
for her twin's soccer team, and is very active in her community. Some of her past professional experience include working
as a teacher, therapist, lecturer, researcher, and real estate agent. She is consistently striving for balance and bliss and
has her priorities remains to be her family. Sheryl looks forward to doing personal training and group exercise at the Talent
Factory and being part of this great team!!! Energetic, UNDENIABLY MOTIVATED, and often hilarious - Sheryl Anne Atwood. sheryl@talentfactoryri.com
CATHY TOMMASIELLO RECEPTIONIST/OFFICE
MANAGER
Miss Cathy is our wonderful and fabulous Office
Manager. She has been involved in the dance world since she started both her daughters, Tara and Keryn, at Dance RI in the 80's under the direction of Dana's
mom, Debi Cusick D'Iorio. Cathy knows everything about the dance world! She is not only our Office Manager but also the
Talent Factory Mom. When you walk into the studio it is hard to miss her warm and loving smile from behind her desk.
The babies love Miss Cathy who is ready on Saturday mornings with dunkin munchkins and stickers. Miss Cathy is at all Talent
Factory events and never misses anything! She always goes above and beyond her duties of accepting monthly tuition and really
makes the Talent Factory a home away from home. We love you Miss Cathy!!! cathy@talentfactoryri.com
BERNADETTE EHMANN CARDIO HIP HOP Bernadette Ehmann has been dancing since the age of three
beginning her studies under the direction of Miss Dani at the Miami Dance Studio in Miami, FL then with Panda Jo Knox at Panda's Studio
of Dance in Madison, AL. She continued her studies at Narragansett Performing Arts under the direction of Cheryl Cusick
and Dana D'Iorio. There she had the opportunity of being a part of the Terpsichore Dance Company that competed in
various competitions along with attending conventions where she had the privilege to work with professionals such as
Gil Stroming, Wade Robson, Mia Michaels and Dan Karaty. She recently graduated from the University of North
Carolina at Wilmington where she founded, coached, and choreographed for Physical Graffeeti, UNCW's first established
Hip Hop Dance Team. She's now honored to be working with the wonderfully accredited Talent Factory Staff and providing
fun energetic classes for students!
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