Precision Dance Conservatory is dedicated to providing the highest quality professional dance instruction in an environment that fosters growth and progress in each dancer.
Nicole Thate
Owner/Director
Nicole Thate started dance when she was 3 years old. She began her training and love of dance at Jon Mullen’s Performing Arts Center in West Palm Beach, FL and then later Wellington, FL. As part of the Jampac dance company, Ms. Nicole trained there for 15 years. She competed annually at competitions both regionally and nationally winning judges awards and regional titles. Ms. Nicole has performed in The Orange Bowl half-time show with Ciara, Miami Heat basketball games, cruise ships, Disney World, So You Think You Can Dance and many more during her early performance years before college.
Ms. Nicole continued her dance training in college at Palm Beach Atlantic University where she majored in Psychology and minored in Dance. She was a member of the Dance Ensemble and performed in Fall and Spring concerts at the Kravis Center as well as at ACDFA (American College Dance Festival Association), now known as The American College Dance Association. Ms. Nicole has several classical ballets in her repertoire from during this time including Le Corsaire, Stars and Stripes, Le Sylphide, Don Quixote, Carmen, and the solo The Dying Swan from Carnival of the Animals. She then continued her dance training at the Hubbard Street Dance Center in Chicago while in graduate school at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Ms. Nicole’s teaching career began in 2005 and she has loved teaching the art of dance to students ever since. She has experience teaching ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and acrobatics. She has choreographed several award winning productions, solos, and group competition pieces. Her passion is to train dancers and provide a safe learning environment for them to grow and thrive in. She is certified as a Progressing Ballet Technique trainer as well as certified as an Acrobatic Arts instructor in both Module 1 and Module 2, certified in Alixia Flexibility modules 1 and 2, a member of National Dance Education Organization as well as Dance Educators of America.
Ms. Nicole is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Her passion is leading the Precision Dance Conservatory team to build a studio focused on Excellence, Passion, Integrity, and Community.
Julie Bravata
Ballet Teacher
Julie Bickerton Bravata is from Honolulu, Hawaii where she received her early dance training from Barbara Thuesen. She continued her studies on full scholarship at the National Academy of Arts in Champaign, IL and in New York City at the School of American Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre Scholarship Program, and with Madame Darvash. At the age of 15, Bravata became a member of ABT’s Ballet Repertory Company. At 18, she was invited to join American Ballet Theatre under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov. While with ABT, Bravata appeared in several Dance in America and Live from Lincoln Center television special presentations and worked with some of the world’s leading choreographers, such as, Kenneth MacMillan, Antony Tudor, Roland Petit, Jerome Robbins, and Twyla Tharp. She then went on to dance as a soloist with Ballet du Nord in France and with The Feld Ballet in New York City. Since retiring from her performing career, Bravata has taught all levels of ballet from creative movement through professional classes and was recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for inspiring young dancers and for her commitment to the arts. She has been an Artist-in-Residence at Bak Middle School of the Arts in Palm Beach, FL and on faculty for ABT summer intensives in Austin TX, Winston-Salem NC, Tampa FL, and Orange County CA. Bravata holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Florida Atlantic University. Bravata is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Doreen Cafarella
Ballet Teacher
Doreen Cafarella is a highly experienced dance educator and performer with over 30 years
of teaching and choreography experience. Ms. Cafarella a native of Boston, Massachusetts
began her training at The Boston Ballet. She studied with noble teachers such as E. Virginia
Williams, Samuel Kurkjian, Anna Marie Holmes, Lucinda Lea, and spent a year on full
scholarship studying with Natalia Dudenskaya and Constantin Sergeyev. Ms. Cafarella danced
professionally with Boston Ballet Company, Boston Repertory Ballet Company and Ballet New
England. She has appeared in leading roles of Pas de Quatre, Don Quioxte, Cinderella,
Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia, several Balanchine works and many more.
Ms. Cafarella has trained and mentored many dancers that are dancing with companies such as
New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Ballet West and Joffery Ballet. Students of
Ms. Cafarella have also been accepted to prestigious academies, Julliard, Harid Conservatory,
American Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, Washington Ballet, amongst other prestigious
academies. She coaches and prepares dancers for selected competitions such as Universal
Ballet Competition, American Dance Competition, and Youth America Grand Prix, where her
students and choreography have placed in the top 5. Ms. Cafarella was awarded the
Outstanding Teacher Award at the YAGP Boston competition. Other former students have
been successful on Broadway (Garett Hawe will be seen in Steven Spielberg’s West Side
Story). Ms. Cafarella has also served on the faculties of the Boston Conservatory of Dance and
Music, Northern Ballet Theatre Dance Centre and Ballet East, and most recently Coastal Dance
Center of South Carolina. Ms. Cafarella has also been a guest teacher at various summer
programs.
Ms. Cafarella founded the Northern Ballet Theatre Dance Center, a well-respected school in
the New England area with a strong reputation for excellent dance training, Northern Ballet
Theatre Youth Ensemble and Discover Dance (a nonprofit that brought dance to underserved
communities). Due to the success of the above organizations the Northern Ballet Theatre
Professional Company was established. Under Ms. Cafarella leadership the Company acquired
critical regional acclaim and was featured in many media outlets, securing employment in
theatres and establishing a touring schedule which allowed NBT to partner with regional
symphonies and became an established part of the arts community in New England.
Ms. Cafarella is noted for her original innovative choreography and experienced at setting many
of the classics such as Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, and Paquita. She
was awarded an Artist Fellowship Grant from the New Hampshire Council of the Arts for her
choreography. Dance critics that have reviewed her choreography have said “Throughout,
Cafarella’s choreography demonstrated her penchant for creating moving stage pictures that
are not merely beautiful to watch but admirable for their difficulty and effective use of the space”
reviewed by Patty Caya. Bill Copeland’s review of Cafarella’s original choreography of
Cinderella said “Artistic director and choreographer Doreen Cafarella must be credited for
creating a colorful and fanciful retelling of the fairy tale, while also providing wholesome family
entertainment”. Cafarella’s choreography for the Northern Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker toured
throughout New England with The Nashua Symphony, New Hampshire Symphony and the
Indian Hill Symphony to critical acclaim.
She now resides in Westlake, Florida and continues her journey of sharing and passing on her
love of dance.
Paula Carlyle
Tap, Jazz, and Pre-Primary Level Teacher
Ms. Paula started dance at 2 at her mother’s studio. She continued her extensive training at Cincinnati Conservatory, Gus Giordano in Chicago and full scholarship at Dupree Dance Academy in Los Angeles.
She began dancing professionally at the age of 16 and was feature dancer and dance captain in many shows, including “Gotta Dance” Kings Island, Norwegian Cruise Lines, EFX starring Michael Crawford, “Volta” in Starlight Express and lead dancer at Pleasure Island and Epcot for Disney World.
Ms. Paula appeared in National commercials including Mars Bars, Leggs, Disney World, and NBC lineup. She had the opportunity to work with Greggory Hines in the movie “TAP”.
Before deciding to give back the gift of dance to many children, she wanted to fulfill her mother’s dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette. She was so glad to have accomplished becoming a Rockette in New York and making her mother’s dream come true.
She has won multiple dance and choreography awards at the Regional and National levels. She is currently lead judge with the SDA Dance Competition.
She is passionate about sharing the love of dance with students and she makes learning dance an absolute joy in class.
Amy Norris
Dance With Me, My First Dance Class, and Pre-Primary Level Teacher
Ms. Amy is originally from Bergen County, NJ where she began dancing at the age of 3. She competed for many years and danced in both Disney World and on a Royal Caribbean Cruise with her local dance studio. Ms Amy began teaching in college and found her true passion in the classroom. Ms. Amy spent five years choreographing award winning competition pieces before moving to Florida in 2009. Once in Florida, she shifted her focus to pre-school. Not only does she teach dance, she is a certified pre-school teacher and assistant. Ms. Amy currently teaches dance full time, her favorite part of teaching dance is her ability to be creative. Since having her own kids, she has created mommy and me classes for children 6 weeks through 2 years old. She loves working with little ones and is thrilled to spend her days doing what she loves!
Ashley Nazzar
Ballet Teacher
Ashley Nazzar, a native of South Florida who began to dance at the age of four where she fell in love with the interconnection between movement, expression and performance ultimately leading her to choose to pursue dance as a career. She graduated from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of Arts where she performed an array repertoire including George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Diane Acteon, and Raymonda. After graduation, Ashley attended Joffrey Ballet School and was appointed as a trainee. She was given the opportunity to perform as a soloist in one of the pieces for their annual spring show as well as being part of the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, where she was selected among a few other students from the whole school. Within her profession, she hopes to spread joy whenever and wherever possible through her work, dancing and teaching for aspiring dancers to grow in an encouraging environment as well as creating a secure space for them to share their passion to others.
Ms. Ashley is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Angelica Walker
Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Acrobatics Teacher
Ms. Angelinca was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. She began dancing at the age of 3. She is trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Modern, and Acro. Throughout her middle and high school years, Angelica danced competitively which allowed her to travel to numerous workshops and conventions such as LDC, KAR, and ADE. She attended Dreyfoos school of the arts and New world school of the arts College where she Graduated and was additionally trained in pointe, choreography, and improvisation. During her time in college she has performed repertoire pieces from world-renowned choreographers such as Maria Teresa del Real and Peter London. Ms. Angelica is so excited to continue to share her love and passion for dance with our students.
Emily Karell-Chu
Pilates and Modern Teacher
From Saratoga Springs, NY, Ms. Emily Karell-Chu found her love of dance at an early age. She began her pre-professional career at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, where she graduated with a major in ballet, directed by former ABT Dancer Michael Owen. In 2015, she received her BFA in ballet from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), directed by former Ballet West dancer Qi Jiang. In 2016, Emily joined Ballet Florida and continues to perform with the company today. She became certified in Pendleton Pilates in 2015 while in college. She is passionate about teaching the next generation of dancers the beautiful art form of dance.
Larry Albright
Hip Hop Teacher
Mr. Larry graduated with a bachelor’s concentrated in Hip-Hop Culture from Rutgers University in 2003 and has been teaching, dancing, training and performing his style of hip-hop for more than 15 years. He has had the pleasure of choreographing for artists such as Sean Kingston “Fire Burning,” JRand “Spirit of the Radio,” Black Dada “Imma Zoe” and Kat Lane of Hits 97.3 (FL). He has also been featured as an opening act for such artists as B.O.B., T-Pain, Cobra Starship, Rae Sremmurd, Kirko Bangz, Sean Paul, The Spinners and the Village People.
Larry has also been seen on MTV with Pitbull and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno where he performed with JRand featuring Flo Rida. Though he loves to perform, his passion rests in teaching. His teaching experience is quite extensive, having taught all over the country and abroad. He teaches all levels from elementary to collegiate and professionals. Some of his former students have gone on to dance with Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Britney Spears and Rihanna. He has conducted master classes for many conventions including Dance Educators of America, Dance Masters of America, Pick the Stars International (CAN), and UDX Hip Hop Convention. He has also taught at many colleges including Rutgers University, FIU, FSU and Florida School of the Arts. His latest projects include being one of the choreographers for the interactive and energetic stage performances “The SHOP” and “TWISTED,” presented by Loud Live Productions. Currently, Mr. Larry teaches dance for the school district of Palm Beach County and Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Maria Hernandez
Hip Hop Teacher
Ms. Maria is a Colombian-born dancer and choreographer with a lifelong
passion for dance. From an early age, she immersed herself in the world of movement,
training in Ballet, traditional Colombian Folk, and Afro Caribbean Dance styles such as
Mapale, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Reggaeton. Her love for dance continued to
flourish as she moved to the United States in 2006, where she further honed her skills in
Salsa and Hip-Hop.
Ms. Maria’s journey in dance took a significant turn when she joined Sean’s Dance Factory,
under the guidance of Sean Green, in 2010. There, she delved into various dance styles
such as Dancehall, African, Krumping, Voguing, Waacking, House, Breaking, and Funk,
including Popping and Locking. Her dedication and talent led her to attend multiple
studios and conventions across the United States, drawing inspiration from each
experience that now shines through in her unique choreography.
In 2012, Ms. Maria transitioned into becoming a dance instructor and choreographer,
sharing her expertise and passion with others. Her exceptional choreographic skills
were recognized when she was invited to showcase one of her pieces at Miami’s
esteemed Black n’ White’s Choreographer’s Showcase, hosted by the renowned
celebrity choreographer Ekandem Essiet.
Throughout her career, Ms. Maria has made significant contributions to the dance
community. She has choreographed and performed in music videos and tours for local
artists, participated in Miami Heat halftime shows, and shared the stage with Vanilla Ice.
From 2013 to 2015, she played multiple roles, including dancer, choreographer,
assistant director, and co-director at Sean’s Dance Factory and its competition team.
Ms. Maria’s talents have also been recognized in competitive settings. In 2017, she secured
1st place and earned MVP recognition at World of Dance, New York, as part of Sean’s
Dance Factory, and has then taken multiple dance studios’ Hip Hop crews and/or
companies to win 1 st place in different Hip-Hop competitions. Beyond competitions,
Ms. Maria has had the opportunity to work closely with Venus Williams, teaching and
choreographing for her and her sister’s yearly showcases.
Moreover, Ms. Maria’s influence as a mentor and instructor has shaped the careers of many
aspiring dancers who have gone on to perform and tour worldwide with renowned artists
such as Ciera, Chris Brown, BTS, Ozuna, and more.
As a choreographer for Loud Live Productions and the artistic director of her non-profit
Dance-Art company called “We Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” Ms. Maria is dedicated to using
dance as a platform for community outreach and individual empowerment. Her
choreographic creations have graced prestigious venues such as the Broward
Performing Arts Center, the Kravis Center, and the Choreographer’s Showcase in
Miami. Additionally, she has presented her work in art shows and galleries, including The Box Gallery and the Norton Museum.
Ms. Maria’s philosophy revolves around dance being an art form of expression, seamlessly
intertwined with her lifestyle. Her genuine passion for dance shines through in her
teaching, as she empowers dancers of all ages, instilling strong self-confidence and a
deep love for the art form.
Carlos Ignacio
Ballet Teacher
From Cuba, Mr. Carlos started dancing at age 11 at Alejo Carpentier School of Dance and then attended the
National Ballet School in Havana, Cuba, where he graduated with professional honors. He joined
the National Ballet of Cuba, under the direction of Alicia Alonso, dancing from 2008-2014 as a
soloist. He moved to the United States and danced as a Principal Dancer with Ballet Evolution in
North Carolina. He moved to Miami and danced with Florida Classical Ballet as both soloist and
principal, as well as roles with many other local companies and international companies. He has
performed solos and principal roles in Don Quixote, Giselle, Dialogo a 4, Coppelia, Carnival of the
Animals, The Nutcracker, Majisimo, Dionaea, Spring Water, French Twist, Soldier Serenade,
sleeping beauty
Grace Andersen
Ballet Teacher and Lyrical Teacher
Miss Grace got what some may call a “late start” to the world of dance. She didn’t start training until the age of 12, where she trained under Sandra Schramel of Emergence Dance Theatre. From there Grace went to the University of Iowa to receive a B.A. in Dance and B.S. of Exercise Science. While in undergrad, she trained in ballet, modern, and jazz while at the University of Iowa- under the instruction of George de la Pena, Eloy Barragan, and Christopher Rasheem Macmillan, among others. She performed numerous works choreographed by faculty members at her time at UI and also trained with company members of DanceWorks Chicago during their summer programs. She has also choreographed multiple pieces, both for stage and Screendance. She has been teaching since 2017, focusing on ballet and contemporary.
Grace also works as a personal trainer and loves using resistance training as a tool to help dancers perform better. She loves teaching dance to all age levels and seeing her dancers master new technical skills and become artists.
Lyndsey Newsome
Musical Theatre Teacher
Ms. Lyndsey has many years of experience in acting, singing and dancing. She developed an interest for the performing arts after completing a performance in second grade. Ms. Lyndsey loves the stage and brings that passion to every class she teaches. She holds a Theatre Degree from Florida State University and has been teaching in South Florida for over 10 years now. Her classes are full of energy to help the students develop their passion for Singing, Acting, and Dancing all together through Musical Theatre.