Dance Ink

During the past 5 years, her dancing and singing skills have blossomed, as well as her confidence while on stage. She has developed strong friendships with her fellow students.

The instructors are all caring and really lovely people. They keep the kids engaged during the classes and fully prepare them for the productions and competitions.

From breathtaking contemporary pieces to high-energy hip-hop routines, this season promises to be our best yet! Stay tuned as we unveil the talented individuals who will be bringing their unique styles and moves to the Dance Ink stage.

From breathtaking contemporary pieces to high-energy hip-hop routines, this season promises to be our best yet! Stay tuned as we unveil the talented individuals who will be bringing their unique styles and moves to the Dance Ink stage.

All classes will finish with a showcase! Shadyside After School Programs 2025/2026.

Lexi attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s 2024 August Intensive, where she continued to develop her passion and technique. Her favorite styles of dance are Ballet and Contemporary, and this season she is especially looking forward to performing The Sleeping Beauty ballet and participating in YAGP.

Lexi attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s 2024 August Intensive, where she continued to develop her passion and technique. Her favorite styles of dance are Ballet and Contemporary, and this season she is especially looking forward to performing The Sleeping Beauty ballet and participating in YAGP.

Chloe Dess is a passionate 13-year-old dancer who has dedicated herself to the world of dance since a young age. With a love for both jazz and ballet, Chloe’s talents shine across multiple dance styles.

Chloe Dess is a passionate 13-year-old dancer who has dedicated herself to the world of dance since a young age. With a love for both jazz and ballet, Chloe’s talents shine across multiple dance styles.

Ernest Tolentino combined his athletic and music abilities in college. Ernie received a B.M. in Music and Ballet Performance from the University of Texas at El Paso, he danced with Milwaukee Ballet and then the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for fourteen years rising to rank of soloist. Ernie danced numerous major and principal roles in all Pittsburgh Ballet productions and was featured in classical and contemporary works by Marius Petipa, Patrick Fantz, Ohad Naharin, Domy Reitersoffer, Agnes DeMille, Anthony Tudor and George Balanchine, just to name a few. An audience favorite, Ernie’s athletic ability, dramatic characterizations, sensitive and skillful partnering have won acclaims from critics all over the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Taiwan.

Hannah Carter of England joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2013 after dancing as a corps de ballet member of the Estonian National Ballet. She graduated with honors from the Royal Ballet School in London and performed in a number of productions, including a tour to Spain, with The Royal Ballet. Hannah was promoted to PBT soloist in 2015 and to principal in 2016. Her repertoire with PBT includes Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room and Nine Sinatra Songs, Jiří Kylián’s Petit Mort and Sinfonietta, and William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated as well as classics, including Swan Lake, Don Quixote and The Nutcracker. Hannah has also performed leading roles in Le Corsaire, La Bayadère and Romeo and Juliet, among others.

Mr Pickup looks forward to sharing his love of classical ballet with the students of Dance Ink!

Mr. John received his early training from Leeanne Rutherford at Ballet Theatre Australia and later with Peter Shortland and Kathryn Hailey at The Studio. As a dancer he performed with The Wiggles, Lithuanian National Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Studio Company and New York City Children's Theatre. Mr. John began teaching at Essendon Academy of Ballet, Melbourne Australia before teaching at various schools throughout Sydney and Melbourne. During this time he studied the RAD syllabus under Kathryn Hailey. After relocating to New York, he began training under Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov as both a dancer and teacher. Mr. John was a faculty member of the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet and taught in the full day, pre professional and after school programs.

Gabriel "KG" Ash is the founder and director of K.G. Dynasty MuvMint Formerly Known as KG Dynasty HipHop & Contemporary Dance Company. Raised in Pittsburgh, PA Gabriel started his dance training at Rogers Middle School for The Creative and Performing Arts as a dance major continued his studies of dance at CAPA High School, where he trained in ballet, jazz, modern, tap, African, praise, swing, lyrical, contemporary, and hip-hop. Gabriel attended college in Philadelphia at The University of The Arts as a Dance Education Major and now travels as a Creative Director, Instructor, and Choreographer doing workshops at different universities and dance studios across the world.

Ella Flores' expertise spans in Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet, and Musical Theatre, and she loves helping students discover confidence and creativity through dance. Having grown up in a collaborative, team-oriented studio environment, Ella values teamwork, positivity, and dedication—qualities she brings to every class she teaches.

Ella Hoffman has been dancing since the age of three and started dancing competitively at six. She then trained at West Point Ballet for two years focusing on her ballet technique, while still dancing competitively at Dance Ink. Ella began assisting dance classes at eleven years old, which is where she discovered her passion for teaching.

Summer Kaczynski's training consists of advanced jazz, ballet, modern, and contemporary, and has learned choreographic skills as well as methods of teaching dance. She moved on to continue pursuing her love of dance at Point Park University to complete a BFA in Jazz Dance, and is currently working towards a Masters in Business Administration degree.

Zoie Sabreah is passionate about creating innovative and thought-provoking works that challenge societal norms. Primarily through the genres of musical theatre, contemporary, and jazz; their artistic style is characterized by a fearless approach to experimentation, often incorporating elements of surrealism and avant-garde techniques to craft unique and immersive experiences for their audiences. Zoie takes great joy in teaching young artists and performers.

Leah Nimmo majored in Dance at Slippery Rock University, which gave her the opportunity to learn from a variety of faculty and guest artists as well as be introduced to a very wide style of dance. Her favorite part of teaching dance is sharing her love for dance, rhythm, and movement with students of all ages.

Annastassia Stewart pursued a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance from SUNY Fredonia. She can't wait to sing, dance, and act with everyone at Dance Ink! She currently works as a full-time nanny and part-time teaching artist.

Alyson Young is a passionate tap dancer who studied extensively in NYC with Ray Hesselink and Rashaan James. She recently completed her Level 1 & 2 Tap Teacher Certifications with Hillary-Marie and brings a rhythm-driven, encouraging, and technically grounded approach to her classes. Alyson is thrilled to be back in Pittsburgh—where she returned two years ago—sharing her love of dance and movement with the next generation.

Julia Dominguez danced at the advanced level in a variety of styles, including jazz, lyrical, pointe, contemporary, tap, hip hop, musical theater, and acro. Her passion for dance continues to grow, leading her to pursue a dual degree in Dance and Education at Point Park University. Julia’s driven by a deep desire to inspire young dancers and make a meaningful impact on their journeys.

Melanie Frye trained in a variety of styles such as ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, musical theater, hip hop, contemporary, pointe, heels, pom, and acro. She really enjoys teaching children the art and discipline of dance while creating a safe and fun environment for her students to shine and grow as individuals.

Hannah Santoro trained extensively in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern/Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop, mastering a wide range of styles. During her time at Shirley Dean’s, Hannah choreographed original pieces, volunteered as a teacher for younger students, and developed her leadership skills. She creates a supportive and inspiring environment for both students and faculty while leading community outreach initiatives.

Alivia Jane is trained in multiple styles of dance including Contemporary, Ballet, Pointe, Musical Theatre, Tap, Acrobatics, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, and Jazz. Alivia has traveled to multiple cities around the country competing in dance and learning from some of the best choreographers in the world. She combines her love for dance with a deep understanding of biomechanics to create tailored training programs.

Stephanie Masullo specializes in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and conditioning, with broad expertise across many styles. She believes in leading by example, helping students become role models and world changers—all through the power of dance. Her vision for the future of Dance Ink is to build a community of like minded individuals who use their unique talents to bring light to others through dance.

Stephanie Masullo specializes in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and conditioning, with broad expertise across many styles. She believes in leading by example, helping students become role models and world changers—all through the power of dance. Her vision for the future of Dance Ink is to build a community of like minded individuals who use their unique talents to bring light to others through dance.

Stephanie Masullo specializes in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and conditioning, with broad expertise across many styles. She believes in leading by example, helping students become role models and world changers—all through the power of dance. Her vision for the future of Dance Ink is to build a community of like minded individuals who use their unique talents to bring light to others through dance.

Stephanie Masullo specializes in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and conditioning, with broad expertise across many styles. She believes in leading by example, helping students become role models and world changers—all through the power of dance. Her vision for the future of Dance Ink is to build a community of like minded individuals who use their unique talents to bring light to others through dance.

Stephanie Masullo specializes in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and conditioning, with broad expertise across many styles. She believes in leading by example, helping students become role models and world changers—all through the power of dance. Her vision for the future of Dance Ink is to build a community of like minded individuals who use their unique talents to bring light to others through dance.

Stephanie Masullo specializes in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and conditioning, with broad expertise across many styles. She believes in leading by example, helping students become role models and world changers—all through the power of dance. Her vision for the future of Dance Ink is to build a community of like minded individuals who use their unique talents to bring light to others through dance.

Stephanie Masullo specializes in ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and conditioning, with broad expertise across many styles. She believes in leading by example, helping students become role models and world changers—all through the power of dance. Her vision for the future of Dance Ink is to build a community of like minded individuals who use their unique talents to bring light to others through dance.

Must be a student of Dance Ink to compete. You must be enrolled in a minimum of three classes including the style in which you compete. All technique styles require that you take ballet, jazz, and one additional technique. There will be two levels of competition: Primary & Advanced. The placement will be based on the number of classes taken/hours of dance studied each week. Additional fees apply for choreography, costumes, props, registration, and competition fees. These will be outlined for each individual competition based on the prices and location of the competition. Fierce Ink will participate in classes and spring production, holiday show, competitions and conventions, showcases, and INK Cares*. Audition required.

Must be a student of Dance Ink to compete. You must be enrolled in a minimum of three classes including the style in which you compete. All technique styles require that you take ballet, jazz, and one additional technique. There will be two levels of competition: Primary & Advanced. The placement will be based on the number of classes taken/hours of dance studied each week. Additional fees apply for choreography, costumes, props, registration, and competition fees. These will be outlined for each individual competition based on the prices and location of the competition. Fierce Ink will participate in classes and spring production, holiday show, competitions and conventions, showcases, and INK Cares*. Audition required.

Must be a student of Dance Ink to compete. You must be enrolled in a minimum of three classes including the style in which you compete. All technique styles require that you take ballet, jazz, and one additional technique. There will be two levels of competition: Primary & Advanced. The placement will be based on the number of classes taken/hours of dance studied each week. Additional fees apply for choreography, costumes, props, registration, and competition fees. These will be outlined for each individual competition based on the prices and location of the competition. Fierce Ink will participate in classes and spring production, holiday show, competitions and conventions, showcases, and INK Cares*. Audition required.

Must be a student of Dance Ink to compete. You must be enrolled in a minimum of three classes including the style in which you compete. All technique styles require that you take ballet, jazz, and one additional technique. There will be two levels of competition: Primary & Advanced. The placement will be based on the number of classes taken/hours of dance studied each week. Additional fees apply for choreography, costumes, props, registration, and competition fees. These will be outlined for each individual competition based on the prices and location of the competition. Fierce Ink will participate in classes and spring production, holiday show, competitions and conventions, showcases, and INK Cares*. Audition required.

Performance Ink Participates in local Parades and Festivals. All Participants must be a student of Dance Ink. You must be enrolled in musical theatre. There is a $50 per month performance ink fee that is added to the tuition. This will go towards master classes, costumes, performance fees/venues, and additional rehearsals. Performance Ink will participate in classes, spring production, holiday show, holiday parade, holiday season showcases, summer season, competitions & conventions are options, and INK Cares*. Audition required.

Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Tap, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Vocal, Acting, Baton, Piano, Adult Classes, Tiny Tutus, Discover Dance, My Grown Up & Me, and so much more!!

Performing Arts Classes offered include Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Acrobatics, Vocal, Acting, Baton, Piano, Adult Classes, Creative Movement, Discover Dance, and so much more. Sign up here for classes!

Dance Ink offers something for everyone, whether you're a seasonal student or just starting out. Come join us at our studio and be apart of something great!

Unlock Creativity, Build Confidence, and Make Friends! All classes will finish with a showcase!

Everyone is welcome to join! You do not have to be a B&G Club Member. All classes will finish with a showcase!

I would recommend any of the Dance Ink Summer Camps!

The students get to work on all aspects of a musical from set design, costuming, scene blocking, and choreography. It's amazing what they can accomplish in just two weeks! The performance they put on for family and friends at the end of the two weeks is always amazing.