Cristina Stavrou - Artistic Director . . .

Cristina is the founder and director of Dance Fever. Under her leadership for the past seven years, Dance Fever has flourished into more than just a dance studio. Cristina prides herself on fostering an environment that is inclusive, positive, supportive, and welcoming; a place her students can think of as a second home. She is devoted to promoting every child’s physical, mental, and emotional development, and dancers thrive under her care and attention.

Cristina has spent her lifetime pursuing her love of dance. Her passion began when she took her first class at three years old and it has only intensified since then. Cristina has been teaching and choreographing for over fifteen years and is highly trained in all dance genres including jazz, tap, ballet, acro, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, and musical theatre. Cristina was honoured with countless awards and scholarships over the course of her dance career, having had the opportunity to travel both nationally and internationally to participate in prestigious competitions and events. Cristina’s students now achieve similar accolades, with her award-winning, age-appropriate, cutting-edge choreography recognized year after year at competitions across Canada and the United States.

The only stronger commitment that Cristina has than to the art of dance is to children themselves and their optimal well-being. With a background in Child and Youth Work and having taught dance programs at elementary schools throughout York Region, Cristina is well versed in working with young people of all ages and abilities. She is immensely proud of her students’ successes, with many going on to attend schools for the arts, appear in television shows and commercials, and perform in festivals alongside Toronto-based artists. For Cristina, the most rewarding aspect of teaching is seeing the growth in her students and getting to celebrate their accomplishments.

Cristina continues to attend workshops and masterclasses so that she can provide her students with the most advanced, up-to-date dance instruction.

Cassandra Palazzolo - Assistant Director . . .

Cassandra started dancing at the age of four. She trained in various styles for fourteen years, completing RAD exams and winning numerous awards and scholarships at competitions throughout Ontario. Her lifelong commitment to dance led her to attend St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, where she graduated with Honours from the Regional Arts Dance Program in 2013. Cassandra has participated in workshops with professional guest artists throughout her dance career and been part of countless performances and events.

Aside from dance, Cassandra is passionate about helping young people reach their fullest potential. She graduated with Distinction from Ryerson University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care and a minor in psychology. She went on to further her education with an Ontario College Graduate Certificate in Autism and Behavioral Science, completing internships in IBI treatment centres as well as school settings.

Cassandra loves teaching the recreational and competitive students at Dance Fever. A member of the DF family since its very first year, she is so proud of how much the studio has grown and looks forward to what the future has in store. She continues her dance education through classes, seminars, and workshops.

Nancy Pezzo . . .

Nancy has been recognized as a professional performer and dance educator for many years. Her strong choreographic skills and strong technical training has enabled her to be successful in the dance world. She is highly respected for her ability to challenge her students to achieve their highest potential.

A graduate of Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto, Nancy has intense training in classical ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, pedagogy to name a few. Her experience in acting, has allowed her to appear in commercials with CTS Television Studios. Her talent has been recognized by several respectable talent agencies and included a scholarship for the International Model and Talent Network (IMTN) held in New York City where she was scouted from the cast director to be selected to appear on the Young and the Restless. Nancy has a very creative imagination which has given her opportunities to work on choreographic projects for Hudson Bay Company, Lancôme Paris, Toyota, Reitmans, Zellers, TD Bank Financial Group and many more.

Nancy has taught classical and contemporary ballet, lyrical and jazz at several organizations throughout North America, including DX Dance Events Minneapolis, Dance Manitoba Inc., New York Dance Experience and several in- house studio workshops. Nancy is on faculty as a guest teacher at Joy of Dance Centre and Teacher’s College as a classical ballet teacher. She currently resides as a full-time ballet educator at several recognized competitive dance institutions teaching graded and vocational level students.

She is a Registered Teacher, Mentor and Practical Teaching Supervisor with the Royal Academy of Dance. In addition, her certifications include honors with Imperial Society Teachers of Dance (ISTD) for Modern and National, International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA), Professional Adjudicators Alliance (PAA), International Academy of Dance Adjudicators (IADA). An established and reputable Dance Adjudicator for several respectable dance competitions across North America also appeared as a Guest Judge for the World Championships of Performing Arts held in Hollywood California.

A renowned Dance Educator, Choreographer and Performer; also adds her expertise and advice with Industry Dance Magazine. Nancy also continues her connection and ongoing involvement with both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. Nancy continues to teach for several workshop and convention classes throughout North America and is one of Toronto's most highly regarded ballet educators. As an instructor, Nancy teaches at varied dance schools throughout the Greater Toronto Area and has been the recipient of many choreography awards. Her combined career experiences have enabled her to become a well-rounded professional in the dance field. She is particularly eager to share her experiences, passion and love for dance with today's young dancers.

Natalie Pileggi . . .

Natalie is a Dance Fever alumna. Dancing since the age of 4 and competing since the age of 8, Natalie has multiple years of experience in a variety of dance styles including jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, acro, musical theatre, contemporary, and lyrical. She has had the opportunity to attend dance competitions throughout Ontario and won countless awards and scholarships. Most recently in 2019, she was the recipient of Dance Canada’s ‘Destined to Succeed’ award. Natalie completed Royal Academy of Dance examinations throughout her dance career.

Natalie teaches the recreational program at Dance Fever, instructing a variety of age groups and dance styles. Natalie is a graduate of St. Elizabeth Catholic High School where she was part of the Regional Arts Program for Dance. She continues her education at the University of Guelph-Humber majoring in Early Childhood Studies.

A.J. LoPresti . . .

An award-winning choreographer, studio owner, teacher & adjudicator, A.J. LoPresti has over 25 years of experience in the performing arts. A.J. studied at Sheridan Institute in the Musical Theatre Program and has trained in Tap, Jazz, Acrobatics, Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, Tribal, Swing, Lyrical, Fosse, Broadway and Contemporary. A.J. had some exposure on So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Season 4, as he was part of the top 150 finalists. A.J. had the opportunity to dance in Disney's movie "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure" working alongside Ashley Tisdale and some of the other High School Musical celebrities. A.J. also had the opportunity to choreograph and perform in Stacey Kay's music video "Island Girl” and “Show me what you got”. A.J. has performed in several shows in Toronto including Highschool Musical 2, the Canadian Premiere of Hey Marilyn and Panopticon, as well as Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady, Anne of Green Gables and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A.J. has also been part of several high-profile dance companies including The Dance Concept, Black White and Acoustic and InDou Dance Works. A.J. has won numerous awards and scholarships for his dancing including the title of Teen Mr. Dance Canada at the Dance Masters of America (DMA) pageant, and runnerup at the National DMA pageant. A.J. enjoys sharing his wealth of knowledge with future generations of dancers and looks forward to an amazing season ahead.

Taylor Mezzatesta . . .

Taylor is a passionate performer whose love of dance started at age five. She began competing at the age of six and has trained in a variety of dance styles since then including jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, acro, musical theatre, contemporary, and lyrical. Taylor completed Royal Academy of Dance examinations yearly during her time as a competitive dancer. She furthered her dance training at St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, where she graduated from the Regional Arts Program for Dance.

Taylor has been a part of the Dance Fever family both as a dancer and a teacher. As a former member of Dance Fever’s competitive team, she was acknowledged as a scholarship winner at various competitions and won numerous overall and special awards, including Luv2Dance Competition’s ‘Light Up the Stage’ and ‘Luv2Dance and It Shows’ awards. As a teacher, Taylor is looked up to by our younger students and enjoys sharing her love and knowledge of dance with our recreational students each week.

Alexia Recchiuti . . .

Lexi's love of dance began at a young age. Her passion combined with her natural facility has helped her develop into a beautiful performer, and this is evidenced by numerous awards, titles, and scholarships she has acquired for both solo and group performances over the years.

Lexi is not only a beautiful performer, but a beautiful individual. Her sweet and positive demeanor makes her adored by dancers and parents alike! Her students look up to and admire her for the patience and dedication she shows them. In addition to providing fun and exciting classes for our recreational students, Lexi continues to train extensively at Dance Fever and further her artistry across genres. A dedicated member of our competitive team, she completes Royal Academy of Dance examinations yearly and acts as an assistant to our instructors in workshop settings.

Felicia Pasqua . . .

Bio coming soon!

Angela Cecchino . . .

Angela has been in the dance industry since the age of 3 years old and has been recognized by many professionals in the industry. She graduated from St. Elizabeth School for the Arts in 2007 and has gone on to achieve great accomplishments and prestigious awards since then. She was named a pulse protege which provided her the opportunity to be trained by and perform for Brian Friedman. She has also assisted Brian Friedman, Laurieann Gibson, Chris Judd and Rhapsody. She has also Worked with hip hop sensation Luther brown and assisted and danced for Leon Blackwood and Nelly Furtado's choreographer Scott Fordham. One of Angela's greatest accomplishments was being chosen to be a part of Blake McGrath's Team Canada, where she competed in a world championship held in Germany. This wonderful opportunity then led to her being hired by Blake McGrath as one of his main dancers on his Time to Move Tour which allowed her to dance and travel all across Canada. Angela has also danced in music videos for Shawn Desman. Aside from her own dancing accomplishments she has also received many special awards for her unique choreography and is currently pursuing her dreams of sharing her experiences by teaching and choreographing many talented dancers across Canada.

Mariano Abarca . . .

Mariano Abarca is an extraordinary instructor, enthralling performer, and an accomplished choreographer. Mariano’s passion for dance was cultivated at an early age – he was raised in a home enveloped by music, thus, his body inevitably became his instrument. Initially, Mariano was exposed to, and continued to excel in, the Latin styles of dance: salsa, meringue, and the Columbian folk dance, Cumbia. His apparent natural ability, and intense appreciation of dance, ultimately, inspired him to study alternative styles of dance – hip hop, b-boying, popping and locking.

As a teacher and choreographer, Mariano has been working in Toronto in excess of ten years. His incredible musicality, his diverse skill base (hip-hop, b-boying, popping, locking), his remarkable experiences as a performer, his knowledge of the history and growth of hip-hop in Canada, and his willingness to share all that he knows with his students, make him a rarity in the world of hip-hop. His dancing abilities, combined with his passion for teaching and choreographing, render him one of the best instructors in North America.

Mariano is one of Toronto’s premier b-boys, and, unquestionably, an audience favourite. He is famous for his incredible footwork, and innovative style of intertwining popping, b-boying, and hip-hop.

As an established Toronto b-boy, Mariano led his crew, “Bag of Trix” to international acclaim at “The Battle of the Year 1999” in Leipzig, Germany. Mariano’s crews have, furthermore, earned championship titles in UK, Korea, and here in Canada.

Mariano’s extraordinary style has allowed him to dance in several music videos, commercials, and television programs. Thus, he has worked with artists such as Vivica Fox, Tom Green, Mya, K-OS, Wyclef, Arrested Development, Grand Master Flash, De La Soul, Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock – to name a few. Remarkably, he was provided the exceptional honour of performing for the Prince of Wales. Mariano Abarca is a role model, an innovator, and a true urban artist.