Miss. Gabby Sparks-Marfyak
​Owner/Director

Miss. Gabby began her dance training at just 2 1/2 years old! By the time she was 8, she knew dancing and teaching would be her eventual profession. She started assistant teaching at the age of 14 and instantly fell in love with helping  students achieve their goals. She was a competitive dance for 6 years, receiving numerous accolades and enjoying her time in the competitive dance world. She attended numerous conventions and master classes, that helped shape her teaching styles. During High School she also participated in numerous stage productions and musicals, as a featured dancer. And participated in competitive cheerleading for one year. 
In 2015 she graduated with a B.S. in Business Management with a minor in Dance from the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford. For 3 years, she worked as an undergraduate assistant at the AIMI NDI Summer Dance Institute.  Under the direction of Jacques D'Amboise, the found of the National Dance Institute in New York City and the prodigy of George Balanchine, she developed a teaching style that is unique and heavily influenced by the master teachers she trained with. 
Miss. Gabby was able to make her dreams of owning a dance studio come true at the young age of 19! She currently teaches all Acrobatics classes at Sparkle & Shine Dance, which is undoubtedly her speciality. In addition, she loves to teach Jazz for our competitive teams, and teaches our Toddler Tumble classes as well . Her students advance quickly and she loves seeing the smiles on their faces when they reach their goals. She also does the bulk of choreography for the SASD Competition Team which attends regional competitions each year and has won numerous overall awards, including the title of Junior National Grand Champions at Elite Dance Challenge Nationals in July 2018 and National Grand Champions at Backstage Nationals in July 2024! She enjoys finding community performance opportunities for her dancers as well.

When Miss. Gabby isn't at her studio home, she is spending time with her husband, Dustyn and her son, Teddy!  She enjoys going to Disney World and on vacation!

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Coledyn Garrow

Cole has been an athlete his entire life, starting out with traditional trampoline at age 6 and qualifying for the junior Olympics at age 9!
After Trampoline, Cole began studying pop-lock hip hop dance for 3 years before moving to Florida. Once there he began training in traditional trampoline gymnastics, receiving first place in trampoline and doubles mini tramp at the national level. 
Returning from Florida Cole began dancing again- incorporating both his hip hop, pop-lock and tumble skills to receive a first place national title at Star Systems National Dance Competition. 
After High School Cole began working on stunts in the film industry, working on movies and TV shoes such as, “Going In Style”, “Good Burger 2”,  “FBI”, “Blue Bloods”, “Wu Tang Clan an American Saga” and more! Training with Chris Brewster (Captain America), Marvin Ross (Spider-Man) and many other stunt men.  

Becky Zadlo

Coach Becky is super excited to start teaching Cheer & Dance, SASD's newest class addition, this spring!
Becky started dancing at the age of 3.  She enjoyed dancing and cheerleading competitively throughout elementary  middle and high school.  She has coached Watertown and Naugatuck Pop Warner Cheerleading teams in the past. Growing up she was part of a 3rd in the nation all-star cheerleading team.  During her time cheering throughout high school she learned the importance of simple skills and consistency as a driving force to reach your full cheerleading potential. Join Coach Becky to learn & sharpen your cheerleading moves and jumps as we learn a short routine to show off our new and improved skills in May’s spring showcase. 
When not Coaching, Becky enjoys spending time with her family, especially at weekend competitions with her dancer daughter, Clara!

Emma Wilton

Emma started dancing at 9 years old with Studio Red, a dance studio in Maine, but her love for performing goes back even further. Taking the stage in in middle school to perform countless musicals and singing her heart out to parent filled audiences further sparked a love of the stage and performance. Through the years she has danced in winter and spring shows, street performances, Disney and Hershey Park, and many competitions, as well as appearing as a featured dancer in several musicals. In the summer of 2017 Emma had the privilege of training at the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory in Torrington. Following her high school graduation she attended a semester at Bennington College to study post, post-modern dance and visual arts. In September of 2019 Emma spent a semester in Los Angeles completing Millennium Dance Complex’s Certificate Program, primarily studying hip hop, jazz funk, and contemporary. Currently, Emma is in her 2nd year of living in NYC and training at the prestigious Joffrey! Through exposure to many different styles Emma has been able to develop her personal style to incorporate aspects of classic dance technique with new contemporary moment. This is Emma's 3rd year as a guest Choreographer for the SASD Competition Team.

Jacey Bongiolatti

Miss. Jacey is an alum of SASD in her first year of teaching!
​She is currently studying dance & business at CCSU alongside her sister, Miss. Karis. 
Jacey is a seasoned acrobatics and dance competitor  having won numerous titles, scholarships and accolades during her 11 years at SASD as a dancer and teammate, as well as assistant teacher. 
​She is thrilled to be taking over our Friday Tumble & Gym program this season!

Roxie Lebenzon

Roxanne Lebenzon began studying Vaganova Ballet at the Atlantic Ballet Company and Bossov Ballet Theater in Maine. She continued her ballet education at Northwest Studio for Ballet in California, performing lead roles in Don Quixote, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. Under the direction of Ron Cunningham, Roxanne performed in the Sacramento Ballet's The Nutcracker. She also performed alongside the State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara, dancing in lead roles in Cinderella and The Jungle Book. In 2017, Roxanne graduated from the University of Utah with an Honors BFA in Ballet, receiving rigorous ballet training while studying kinesiology, pedagogy, choreography, and character dance. She performed with Utah Ballet continuously throughout her time in Utah, including dancing full-length ballets at Kingsbury Hall, as well as with the modern company Cat and Fish Dances. Roxanne has also been a guest artist across the US, performing roles such as Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker with the Theater Arts Alliance in California, and character roles with Ballet Theater Company of Hartford. In 2019, Roxanne joined The Dance Collective as a resident artist. 

Miss. Laura Busk 

Laura began dancing when she was five years old and, for the next 19 years, loved performing in dance shows and with local theatre groups. After college, and becoming an elementary school teacher, she decided to share her love of dancing with the children that she taught by gaining her teacher's certificates in ballet, tap and modern jazz with the British Theatre Dance Association (B.T.D.A). The wonderful thing about teaching is the chance to travel; Laura has taught in London, Shanghai and New York. During her time in Shanghai, she had her own dance school, alongside teaching her Grade 1 class. The students had a great time performing in annual displays and feeling the satisfaction of taking graded exams. After eight years in the classroom, Laura is now a stay-at-home mum to two gorgeous tots, Henderson and Skye. She still loves to perform, though, and most recently took to the stage as part of the ensemble in Young Frankenstein, at the Thomaston Opera House. You've probably guessed that Laura is not from Litchfield, Connecticut, or even the USA! Laura was born in England and grew up in Cambridge, about 1.5 hours North of London. So how did she end up here? Whilst working in China, she took a vacation to Australia, where she met her husband...who happens to be from Watertown!

Miss. Kate Martin-Fusco

Kate Martin-Fusco has been dancing for 25 years and teaching for 14, studying jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, hip hop, and more! She’s been certified by the Dance Educators of America in Jazz and Ballet, and is constantly working on finding new ways to teach and bring new experiences into her classroom. As a writer as well, she really enjoys bringing an element of “story” to her choreography. She’s performed locally in a number of shows, including A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Footloose, and Company; and she’s been the choreographer for Canterbury School’s spring musical for the past 13 years. When not dancing, Kate is writing, teaching writing, or mostly hanging out with her family—toddler daughter and husband! She has her BA in Elementary Education, and her MA and MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

Miss. Katie Brunetto

​Katie has been a dancer for over twenty years and has studied at various studios throughout CT.  Throughout her career, Katie has had the opportunity to study many genres of dance, including jazz, hip-hop, tap, lyrical, ballet, and musical theatre. As a student, Katie was a part of the Musical Theatre track at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and is also an alumna of vocal coach Laura Mashburn, with whom she studied both Classical and Musical Theatre vocal performance and technique. 

After graduating high school, Katie played the role of "Annie" in the '08-'09 National Tour of "Magic Tree House: The Musical," and continued to play the role of "Annie" in Magic Tree House's subsequent "Passport to Adventure" tours. Currently, Katie directs youth productions for the Warner Theatre Center for Arts Education Young Actors Series, and teaches classes at the WTCAE as well. Katie is also an active member of the theatre community and has performed in many productions with The Warner Theatre, Landmark Community Theatre, and The Goshen Players, among others.

Katie studied English at UCONN and holds a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from The University of Saint Joseph. 

Hali Thorne

Hali Thorne began dancing at age 4 in Danbury, CT. From there her love for dance only grew. By the age of 12, Hali won the New England Oireachtas and qualified for the World Irish Dance Championships. In her 19 years of dancing she has placed top 5 in North America five times, achieved sixth place in the All Ireland Championships, and was awarded 9th place in the entire  World. Hali is the 8-time New England Irish Dance Champion and Senior Ladies Champion upon her retirement in 2016. She hopes to inspire dancers to follow their dreams and achieve their goals.

Coach Jason Taylor

Jason began his training at the Harlem School for the Arts. In 2001 he moved to Connecticut where he trained at Footlights Center for Performing Arts and Connecticut Concert Ballet. He performed for three years with the acclaimed Hartford Stage "Breakdancing Sheakspeare' program. Jason teaches at numerous different studios throughout CT, and his choreography has been awarded prestigious awards at the regional and national level. Jason continues his training with the Monsters of Hip Hop and Broadway Dance Center in NYC and is currently performing with the Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience. 

Karis Bongiolatti

Those who have had the pleasure of meeting Karis know her undying love and passion for dance. Karis started her career with SASD at of 11, and danced for 7 years, 6 of which she was an important member of the SASD Competition Team. Assistant teaching classes since age 12, Karis has wanted to become a dance teacher for as long as we can remember. Now as a senior at CCSU, majoring in dance, she is in her 4th year of teaching at her childhood studio!
At the height of her competitive career  Karis, an advanced level Jazz/Lyrical Dancer, had been awarded numerous accolades for her accomplishments, including Title Awards, a variety of invitations to National Teams & Master Classes as well as Special Awards for her passion and technique, including Top Overall scores at regional and national competitions. She has performed at a wide array of events, including Citi Field (home of the Mets), Madison Square Garden, and numerous local venues as well. 
When Karis isn't teaching at SASD or in the classroom at CCSU, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her sister Jacey who is also an SASD Alum turned SASD Teacher!

Emma Boothby

Emma has been dancing since the age of four, and is an SASD alum after being a member of the competition team for five years in many dance styles, her favorites being ballet and contemporary. She is now a junior attending CCSU for Secondary Biology Education, and is the treasurer of the school’s dance company, Dancentral. Through this club, Emma has choreographed pieces, taught company classes, attended the American College Dance Association (ACDA) conference in Rhode Island, and had many performance opportunities. She spends much of her free time taking dance classes around Connecticut, including classes with Garet & Co., a professional contemporary dance company in Northern CT.

S.T.A.R's 
​Student Teaching Assistants & Role Models

Our student assistants help make our programs possible! They study all genres of dance at SASD on a weekly basis, attend camps each summer along with workshops and conventions throughout the year! Our S.T.A.R.'s attended an assistant training to make sure they were ready to take on the very important role this season. This training included all of the same safety protocol our staff receives as well as hands on learning- so that they can help your tiny dancers shine bright! You will always be able to tell an assistant out from the crowd- as they wear their white S.T.A.R. assistant uniform t-shirt during class to help make them recognizable! 
This fall we have 32 S.T.A.R.'s which is an all time record. Through leader and mentorship, many of our past assistant teachers have gone on to continue dancing through college, majoring or minoring in dance, and are now dance teachers themselves!
2025 Fall Session Assistants
Skye Busk, Clara Zadlo, Julia Fletcher, Violet Boothby, Clara Dains, Lily Lipinsky, Chloe Scanlon, Aria Fodor, Madison Munson, Skylar Bike, Addison Bike, Anna Pannone, Jocelyn Trotta, Kyleigh Kennerson, Madison Shaughnessy, Layla Young, Annalie Glista, Lilly Glista, Natalie Zombar, Alexa Lauretano, Daisy COllett, Sophie Reynolds, Alexa Larson, Jenavieve Finch, Emily Curtiss, Leyliani Grey, Teagan Bates, Olivia Crooker, Tenley Morrison, Jamie Samuel, Callie Saulnier