Teachers

Meet the teachers at Brooklyn Youth Ballet

Inspiring each student to discover their own unique voice and joy through movement.

Read their stories

Marissa with students before a performance

Marissa and students before a performance

Founder · Director

Marissa Frey

Marissa Frey, originally from Pennsylvania, began her ballet training at Greater York Youth Ballet under the direction of Lori Garling before continuing her studies on scholarship at Pennsylvania Regional Ballet. Throughout her early training, she studied under renowned teachers including Laszlo Berdo, Sandra Carlino, Richard Cook, and Cherie Noble, and earned numerous scholarships as a member of Regional Dance America. In 2009, Marissa graduated from SUNY Purchase with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance and Education, where she further expanded her artistry and passion for dance.

Throughout her professional career, Marissa has had the privilege of performing works by acclaimed choreographers such as Luis Fuentes, Jessica Lang, Marilyn Klaus, Rodney Rivera, and Andrei Vassiliev. She has appeared in prestigious venues including The Beacon Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse Square, Fairfield County Dance Festival, Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, Stage 48, and the internationally celebrated Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, among many others. Her extensive performance career includes dancing with companies such as East Coast Contemporary Ballet, Ballets with a Twist, Connecticut Theatre Dance Company, Brooklyn Ballet, Neville Dance Theatre, The Eglevsky Ballet, Yesid Lopez Contemporary Dance, DeMa Dance Company, and Janusphere Dance Company.

In addition to her performing career, Marissa has devoted many years to teaching and inspiring young dancers. She has taught at esteemed schools including Long Island City School of Ballet, International Ballet Institute of New York, Ballet Academy East, Chrystie Street Ballet Academy, Studio E School of Dance, and Callina’s School of Dance. She also spent two consecutive summers teaching at The Conservatoire Municipal W.A. Mozart in Paris, France, sharing her love of ballet with students internationally.

Marissa’s greatest passion is guiding children through the beautiful and disciplined art form of ballet. She believes dance teaches confidence, creativity, dedication, musicality, and self-expression while creating a strong sense of community and belonging for young artists. Through her teaching, she strives to inspire each child to discover their own unique voice and joy through movement in a warm, encouraging, and imaginative environment. Bringing the beauty and magic of ballet to the Brooklyn community has been one of her greatest joys, and she is deeply committed to nurturing a lifelong love and appreciation for the arts in every student she teaches.

Marissa Frey is the Founder and Artistic Director of Brooklyn Youth Ballet.

Teachers

Instructors

Instructor

Mia Thomas

An Australian performer currently based in New York, Mia Thomas is a passionate and versatile artist with extensive training in dance, musical theatre, and performance. A graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), Mia has trained extensively in jazz, tap, ballet, musical theatre, commercial, and Irish dance. She has also completed the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus while performing in various ballets such as “Giselle” back home in Australia.

Originally from Australia, Mia has performed in a variety of professional and competitive settings, including dancing at the Sydney Opera House and representing Australia internationally in song and dance performances in China. She was also awarded 2nd place nationally in Australia for Irish dance.

Alongside her performance background, Mia has experience working with children through dance teaching and mentoring, bringing high energy, patience, and positivity into every environment she works in. Her love of entertainment and connecting with people continues to inspire her work both on and off the stage as well as while she’s teaching.

Instructor

Taegan Smith

Taegan Smith (she/they) is an Artist, Freelance Dancer, Pilates/Dance Instructor, Dog Lover, and Summa Cum Laude graduate of The Ailey School/Fordham University (BFA/Dance and BA/History). Throughout school, Taegan performed in works by Annie Rigney, Kate Skarpetowska, and Matthew Rushing, and trained with Elisa Clark, Doug Varone and Dancers, Virginie Mécene, and Sidra Bell. She is currently dancing with Salvatore LaRussa Dance Theatre. Having been a dancing human for over two decades, Taegan seeks to use what she has learned to expand world access to, and appreciation of, the Arts and its undying impact.

Instructor

Tamia Jauné

Tamia Jauné, an artist from West Orange, New Jersey, is an Alumni of the Class of ‘25 with a degree in contemporary dance B.F.A from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music. Tamia began her dance training at The Ailey School with a full Scholarship from the NYC Van Lier Trust Foundation. During her college career, some of her performance experience and educational guidance came from Kurt Douglas, Hope Boykin, Jennifer Archibald, and others. Her teaching experience is based in New Jersey and New York with local studios such as Unique Performance Arts Center and Concepts Dance Academy. Since graduating, Tamia has performed in numerous contemporary works. She is an inaugural-season company member with Eni Co., as well as a guest artist with Lam Dance Works, based in Boston. As Tamia continues to expand her artistry as a performer, she brings her passion for growing a community through teaching.

Guest Instructor

Erin Gallagher

Erin Gallagher began her formal dance training at the Academy of Dance Arts in her hometown of Red Bank, NJ. She continued her studies in New York City at Studio Maestro (currently Manhattan Youth Ballet) under Deborah Wingert and François Perron. In addition, Erin was invited to train at the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Theater, and several summers studying with Suzanne Farrell at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

Professionally, Erin has worked with New Chamber Ballet, Staten Island Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Rebecca Kelly Ballet, Neglia Ballet Artists, TranscenDance Group, Dance at St. Peter’s, Accent Dance NYC, Ballets with a Twist, and Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance. Erin Gallagher is a graduate of Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts.

In the studio

Life at Brooklyn Youth Ballet.

Tuesday classes, spring performances, the small unposed moments. Tap any photo to follow along on Instagram.

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