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We offer performing arts programs for Parent/Child, Preschool, School Age, Teens and Adults in:

• Ballet
• Tap
• Jazz
• Lyrical
• Modern
• Hip Hop
• Musical Theatre
• Creative Movement
• Acro Dance
• Move with Me
• Acting
• Singing
• Leaps & Turns
• DanceAbilities

Find what moves you! Please contact Senior Programs Director Kim Buccheri for more information.

Jennifer Gregory holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance and Choreography from Sarah Lawrence College. She grew up dancing. When she discovered modern dance in college, she knew she wanted to pursue it as a career.

She honed her craft at festivals and intensives, including the American College Southeast Regional Dance Festival, the Doug Varone and Dancers Summer Workshop, and the Summer Dance Residency at The NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She went on to study modern dance under Viola Farber, a founding member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, at Sarah Lawrence College where she received her M.F.A.

Jen performed and taught in and around New York City, and although her professional path eventually took her in unexpected directions, dance always held a special place in her heart. After taking time off to be home with her children, she’s grateful she found her way back into the dance studio. She is a newly certified instructor for Rhythm Works Integrative Dance, a movement curriculum for children with learning differences and other special needs, and she has been a member of the School of Performing Arts team at the Madison Area YMCA since 2017.

Cheryl Downey holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Montclair State College. As a member of their dance repertory company, she has performed all over the country including the Gala Concert of the American Dance Festival in North Carolina. She has studied all forms of dance with such esteemed talents as Vincent Wineglass, Jaclyn Villamil, Nancy Lushington, Sara Pearson, Danial Shapiro & Joanie Smith, Joe Tremaine, Frank Hatchett, Debbie Dee, Greg Russell, Doug Caldwell and tap legend LaVaughn Robinson.

Cheryl has been teaching tap, ballet and jazz for over 30 years at several schools throughout New Jersey. She has developed her own style and curriculum, bringing an atmosphere of positivity and encouragement to each class, which has made her very popular with her students of all ages. Cheryl continues to attend workshops and seminars to enhance her dance knowledge and maintain the highest standards of teaching. She recently became certified by the state of New Jersey to teach dance in public schools and is newly certified in summer of 2019 with Rhythm Works Integrative Dance, which is a training program focusing on students with special needs and learning differences.

Her choreography has been recognized at many competitions and her students have won many awards including High Score, The Entertainer Award, Outstanding Choreography and National Grand Champions. Some of Cheryl’s students have gone on to dance professionally for the NFL, NBA, and the Rockettes, and many have become sought after dance teachers themselves. Cheryl is very happy to bring her experience and love of dance to the YMCA for the past 4 years, and she is excited to be a part of our new program for students with learning differences and other special challenges.

Laura LaMontagne is a life-long dancer with training in tap, ballet and jazz. She has been teaching dance at the Madison Area YMCA since June of 2018. While at university, she performed and choreographed for the Villanova Dance Ensemble, traveling throughout the Mid-Atlantic while participating in art festivals and competitions.

Laura continues to take adult classes in ballet at the Madison Area YMCA School of Performing Arts and she performs tap and jazz with Anne Fattal’s Footnotes. Laura is a proud mom of two teenage daughters who began their dance education at the Madison Area YMCA. Laura loves teaching dance to the children of the YMCA and is always so impressed by their talent and enthusiasm!

Grace McCombs has been dancing her whole life training in ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop styles. She participated in competition dance throughout her middle and high school years and was the president of school's dance club. She has trained at Broadway Dance Center and Peri dance Capezio Center in NYC in addition to attending multiple summer studies working with notable choreographers and industry professionals.

She has extensive experience performing with notable venues being Carnegie Hall, Bickford Theater, and Shakespeare Theater. Grace has choreographed both solo and group works at her home studio and through school. She created and planned a creative movement program at a summer camp for kids with special needs and is very passionate about dance accessibility.

Grace is currently studying at Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts to obtain her BFA in Dance focusing on performance and choreography. Within that program, she is on track to receive her teaching certification. In addition to dance, Grace loves to do pilates, yoga, and barre and is planning on receiving certifications in those disciplines during her time at school. She has been working at the Madison YMCA for 3 years and is looking forward to being a part of the SOPA team!

Abby Prem is a performer, choreographer, and artist, originally from Rochester, New York. Abby is a 2018 graduate of Nazareth College where she received her BFA in Musical theatre and a minor in dance.

Abby has been dancing, performing and competing since the age of 4. Abby’s favorite credits include; Pauline in Saturday Night Fever (The Engeman Theatre), Helene in Sweet Charity (Parker Esse) and Cleopatra in The Addams Family (Robin Levine). Abby has worked with on and off Broadway choreographers, directors, casting agents, and performers.

Abby looks forward to creating a space where young dancers can dip their toes into the industry. Abby is an award winning musical theatre performer, but she also loves to choreograph for musicals, music videos, and competitive teams.

Eli Kababa’s dance career began when he discovered his love of hip-hop culture while earning his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Studying under Souljerz Crew, he explored other techniques such as gliding, waving, popping & locking. 

Soon after graduating with a degree in Fine Arts from the County College of Morris, he was hired by New York City Ballet's Education Department where he worked as a Teaching Artist for 11 years in their Nutcracker, Ballet Bridges and Project Ballet Programs. During this time Eli co-founded Garden State Dance Project, a successful dance company devoted to cultivating community through various arts and entertainment projects. The Garden State Dance Project has earned their reputation as one of the tri-states most aesthetically-pleasing dance fusion ensembles.  

As the company in residence at the YMCA in Wayne New Jersey from 2007 to 2011, Eli and his dancers hosted school assemblies and taught in their School of Dance. After becoming the YMCA’s Dance Director, he built out the their dance program hosting annual dance performances and performing at venues such as 42nd Street Port Authority, Grounds for Sculpture, Ceres Art Gallery, Bickford Theatre and the County College of Morris, his alma-mater.