The dance staff of Laurel Arts is made up of a wonderful group of caring people who have a genuine love for the art of dance, for adults, and also children. Our teachers take the responsibility to insure that activities are safe and age/gender appropriate. Each teacher encourages a positive, supportive and mutually respectful working atmosphere while stimulating student's minds and physical skills. They encourage students to strive to meet their fullest potential and to value the art of dance. Our teachers participate in continuing education opportunities and programs to provide the most up-to-date quality instruction. They are not only teachers, but serve as positive role models, mentors and motivators.

Amanda Bergstresser
Amanda graduated Summa Cum-Laude from Point Park College with a Bachelor’s Degree in dance and concentration in ballet. She has over 15 years of teaching experience and is well-versed in many forms of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical and ballroom.

Cindy Breen
Cindy has been teaching our special needs dance class since 2006, and she has been an adult dance student at Laurel Arts since 1996. In addition to teaching special needs classes, she also teaches recreational tap classes for teens and adults who want to learn tap, but do not necessarily want to perform.

Angela Godin
Angela is a former Laurel Arts dance student. She was graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. During the past 16 years, Angela's life has revolved around the theatre and dance. She was blessed to embark on her first directing job at the early age of 19 at Johnstown Christian School. There she produced and directed "The Miracle Worker, God's Favorite, Pollyanna, Arsenic and Old Lace, You Can’t Take it With You and Smoke on the Mountain."

She has worked with IUP’s Footlight Players and Richland Performing Arts Academy. She also performs and has been in more than 25 productions. Some of her favorites include "A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Glass Menagerie, Wizard of Oz ,Rumors, Geppetto and Son, Dracula! The Musical, There Goes the Bride, and Smoke On A Mountain."

Amanda Mudgett
Amanda Mudgett is a junior finance major at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown where she is choreographer and show chair of UPJ Dance Ensemble. Originally from Pittsburgh, she lives with her mom and dad, and has five nieces and nephews ages 6 to 14, which means that she really loves working with children. Amanda started dancing when she was about four years old, trying out all different types of dance. As a freshman in high school, she gained an interest in hip hop and tried out for the competitive team for Pittsburgh Poison Spiders: All Star Cheer and Dance. She danced for Poison for three years and competed in multiple places along the East Coast, competing everywhere from Detroit to Cincinnati to Disney World where they placed 14th in the Senior Hip Hop division out of over 200 teams. Amanda loves dancing and is excited and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Laurel Arts as the new hip hop teacher!

Melissa Gregory
Melissa Gregory is our new tap instructor as well as our newest preschool teacher. She has twelve years of training in tap dancing, and choreographed tap pieces for the Pitt-Johnstown Dance Ensemble. She danced for the organization for four years.

Melissa also has a bachelor's degree in elementary education which provides her with greater experience and knowledge in the profession of teaching. She possesses a great passion for dance, and is very excited to implement her teaching skills at Studio Kids Preschool.