About Us

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Miss Beth started her business in 1988. Before that she was dancing with her dance teacher, Linda Regulbuto at Stepin’ Up Dance Studio in Somers, CT. She was the Associate Director there for six years and loved her job. Beth lived in Somers most of her life and decided she wanted to stay in the Connecticut area when she opened up her own studio. Her Dad told her that Tolland was the up-and-coming place to be, and she should look there. Well, he was right. Tolland has been awesome to Dance Express and Beth! Miss Beth went on to study in New York at the Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and Ballet East. She also took teacher’s class in Springfield, MA with Steven Boyd at Frank Hatchet’s Dance School. She took private ballet lessons with Richard Stienert, a principal ballet dancer with the Baltimore and Houston Ballet Companies and now Director of Ballet Theater Arts in Hartford. She still furthers her education by taking classes and having teachers from New York City come to Dance Express to hold master classes for kids during the year. Miss Beth is a former director of the Tolland Youth Services Community Theater. Miss Beth taught for the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists (NADAA) and has taught at National Convention. She also taught at Rhode Island College during final exams and at other locations in the tri-state area. Miss Beth directed and choreographed many plays for the Ellington Cultural Association and the YMCA in Vernon. She has worked for the Mansfield Creative Arts Council, Ellington Cultural Arts and the town of Ashford teaching dance. She has given her time to help different schools and programs throughout the years in order to further dance education. Miss Beth has dedicated her life to dance and her dancers and she’s loved every second of it.

Miss Lindsay is a founding member and co-artistic director of IMMIX Dance Project, a contemporary dance company centered around collaboration with local artists. Her choreography has been performed in festivals around the Northeast including 5x5 Dance Festival, Built on Stilts and Ted Hershey Marathon. Her love for dance started at the at the age of three at Dance Express, where she studied throughout her youth and now directs and choreographs for the schools Modern Ensemble. Graduating from Suffolk University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Lindsay performed with the Suffolk Dance Company and studied at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio. After college, she attended the Jose Limon Institute’s Professional Studies Program in New York where she performed Limon repertory and studied under current and former Limon company members as well as artistic director, Carla Maxwell. During her time in New York she also studied with Tracie Stanfield, Marijke Eliasberg, Kristin Sudekis, David Howard and Dorit Koppel. Lindsay has performed most recently with DancEnlight, under the direction of Lorelei Chang where she also taught for the pre-professional company and summer intensives. Her performance experience includes The Next Stage Project in New York City, Peter Pucci Dance in White Plains and Works/Laura Glenn and Dance Connect in Hartford. She has extensive experience teaching and choreographing for both students and professionals and is also a STOTT trained Pilates and Barre instructor.

Mr. Alex started dancing 20 years ago at Dance Express of Tolland with Ms. Beth at 6 years old. Over his tenure he learned jazz, tap, lyrical, ballet, modern, hip-hop, and contemporary and was a member of DE’s Company team. After graduation, Alex continued his studies at CCSU and participated in their dance company working with Choreographers such as Jennifer Muller, Catherine Fellows, and many others. Alex graduated with a bachelors degree in Marketing and a minor in Dance. While in college Alex began working for the Star Dance Alliance, a company that produces over 10 Dance competitions 3 conventions and 2 global pageants. This has given Alex the opportunity to travel the country and see how dancers from studios around the country express their love of dance. He uses this experience to create new works with all his students.

Christine Songhurst graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford with a BFA in Dance Performance in the Spring of 2009. During this time she also had the privilege to train at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance on scholarship. She has danced with dancEnlight as a dancer and company teacher and with Judy Dworin Performance Projects as a dancer. Christine Songhurst has taught in various schools around Connecticut including Limelite Dance Center, Eastern Connecticut Ballet, Premier Dance School, Miss Porter’s School and Yale. She spent 11 years as a core faculty member at the CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Half Day Program. Along with dance she is a professional stage and production manager and has done extensive technical theater work in locations including the Baryshinikov Arts Center in New York City, St. Joseph College, the Garde Arts Center, Charter Oak Cultural Center, Foxwoods and the Wadsworth Atheneum. She is currently one of the co-artistic directors of IMMIX Dance Project a non profit dance company in the Hartford area. She had the privilege of working at Dance Express of Tolland many years ago and is excited to be returning this year 

Jillian began dancing at the age of 3 and continued dancing for 17 years at her hometown studio. Jillian also began teaching at this studio during her senior year. While in college, she coached the Ellington High School dance team, combining her love of performance and mentorship. For the past 13 years, she has worked as an elementary school teacher, sharing her passion for learning and growth with her students. She is excited to now bring her love of teaching and dance to the Dance Express family