Meet our Faculty

Jessica Caradonna

Director

Jessica Caradonna is the proud Director of this vibrant dance studio. With 28 years of dance experience at the studio, including 20 years as a dedicated dancer and 8 years as an instructor, She is deeply passionate about nurturing the next generation of dancers. Throughout her career, she has been honored with numerous awards for my choreography, including entertainment and costume awards, as well as many overall awards and first-place trophies. Her specialties are in Tap and Jazz, where she can focus on helping students excel and find their unique dance voice. What drives her is witnessing the transformation in her students—from the moment they struggle with a step to the joy of finally mastering it. It’s incredibly rewarding to see them grow both as dancers and individuals. When she is not at the studio, she loves spending time with family and friends and indulging in a good book. She is very excited to share her passion for dance with you and to help every student achieve their fullest potential.

Jaymie Rehberger (she/her) is from Queens, New York where she is currently studying at Adelphi University to receive her BFA in Dance this coming May. Jaymie also attended Frank Sinatra School of the Arts where she worked with different choreographers such as Kelby Brown. Throughout her dance career she had the pleasure of working with Isaac Lerner, Frank Augustyn, Orion Duckstein, Maggie Joy, Tito Del Saz, Omar Roman De Jesus, and Doug Varone. Jaymie also has been training and assisting at Broadway Dance Center with a popular faculty member, Michelle Barber. Jaymie choreographed her own piece for the Young People’s Concert at the New York Philharmonic. While she had studied and trained here at Queens Dance Academy for 15 years she has now shifted to the role of choreographer. She has won multiple awards including 5 choreography awards for her competition pieces. Jaymie is very excited to take on the role as Assistant Director this upcoming season and can’t wait to see how the studio grows as the years go on.

Jaymie Rehberger

Assistant Director / Choreographer

Marie Zvosec

Company Ballet Instructor

Marie Zvosec is a graduate of The Juilliard School, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and Sarah Lawrence College. She performed with Buglisi Dance Theatre, TAKE Dance, Bennyroyce Dance, Hilary Easton + Company, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Shannon Gillan and Elisabeth Motley, Elizabeth Keen, and with the Metropolitan Opera. For Brooklyn Opera Works, she directed Hansel and Gretel (2014), A Brooklyn Cabaret (2015), Dido and Aeneas (2016), Echo et Narcisse (2017), Venus and Adonis (2018), and All Wounds Bleed (2019). Choreographic commissions include works for Ohio Dance Theatre, Adelphi University, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Bennyroyce Dance, Springboard Danse Montréal, Blackbird/Oiseau Noir Dance, Moxie Contemporary Ballet, and Randolph College. She was a fellow at BAM’s Professional Development Program and was a full scholarship awardee for Teaching Artist Training at National Dance Institute. She was Chair of the Dance Department at Brooklyn Music School and at Randolph College, Director of the Helen McGehee Visiting Artist in Dance Program, and is a faculty member at Adelphi University. She has been on faculty at QDA since 2020​

Hannah Owens is so excited to be joining the QDA family for her first season! Hannah is a graduate from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in Dance. While at Cornish, Hannah took multiple courses in teaching methods and worked with a pre professional company, Kaleidoscope Dance Company, at the Creative Dance Center in Seattle. Since moving to New York, Hannah has premiered 3 new dance works both in New York and abroad. She recently made her international debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland performing her newest solo, In the Meantime. Hannah is thrilled to be working with these talented dancers and is pumped for the year ahead!​

Hannah Owens

Choreographer

Wendolyn Grullon

Choreographer

Wendolyn Grullon was a dedicated competition dancer for 12 years at Queens Dance Academy before transitioning into teaching. She now teaches recreational ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop, as well as competition classes in Hip-hop and Jazz. Wendolyn also coaches solos across various dance styles, including Lyrical, Hip-hop, and Jazz. Her choreography for the platinum award-winning hip-hop routine “Let It Go” earned her crowd-pleaser and choreography awards in the 2023-2024 dance season. In the previous season, she played a key role along with fellow teachers in winning the Outstanding Entertainment award for the routine “Jaw Drop.” Wendolyn has a strong passion for teaching and is committed to inspiring her students. She takes pride in helping dancers refine their skills and reach their full potential, whether they're in recreational classes or preparing for competitions.​

Amy Minick has been in the dance world her whole life. Growing up a competitive dancer at our very own Queens Dance Academy since the age of 7, earning numerous awards from many different competitions and conventions. She studied under and took classes from many talented professional dancers and has trained in all styles including Lyrical, Hip Hop, Jazz, Pointe, Contemporary, Ballet, etc. Once completing her competition career, her love for teaching took over and began assisting classes. Soon after, she began instructing her very own classes as she continues to do at QDA

Amy Minick

Choreographer

Laura Rehberger

Studio Manager

Laura is the Studio Manager here at Queens Dance Academy. With over 25 years of experience as a dance Mom at QDA, Laura has been deeply involved in the dance community and is passionate about ensuring the studio runs smoothly. Her role includes handling phone calls, scheduling, bookkeeping, and managing payments. Laura’s love for dance began long before she became a studio manager. Once her daughters started to dance, she knew it was something special, and being a part of their journey fueled her desire to dive deeper into the world of dance. This involvement has given Laura valuable insights into the business and has enriched her appreciation for the art form.

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