About Us

The Motion Arts Approach

At Motion Arts Dance Studios, we firmly believe that dance is for every body. Young or old, beginner or experienced, we welcome you!

Our faculty is comprised of professionals who are passionate about educating dancers and sharing their love of the arts. All faculty have been selected for their areas of expertise, which gives our students access to focused, cutting edge material. Our program is rooted in anatomical knowledge to instill a sense of strength, safety, and empowerment.

We think dance is an important part of our children's lives in many facets - as a creative outlet, a form of exercise, a line of communication, and a link to the greater community.
We encourage each individual to bring their unique talents to the group dynamic.
We provide dance education that is challenging, exciting, rewarding, and fun!

Meet Our Faculty

Alexa Astarita
Artistic Director

Alexa was born and raised in Essex County, NJ. She has had extensive training in jazz, ballet, modern, hip hop, and partnering over the past 20 years, beginning under the direction of Kathy Costa-McKeown. Alexa earned her BA in dance and media/ communications from Muhlenberg College, where she choreographed seven dance pieces. She also completed a specialized teaching practicum with a focus on children’s jazz and creative movement, and a fieldwork study teaching children in the Allentown school district. Her performance credits include Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Disney World, The London 2012 Olympics, the Bethlehem SteelStacks, Convergence: Community Harmony Through Dance, and works by prestigious artists including Olasebikan Freeman, Corrie Franz Cowart, David Parker, and Jeffrey Peterson. In August 2017, Alexa spent two weeks training and performing with Amalgamate Dance Company and Damage Dance in Piobicco, Italy. Alexa's passion for the art of dance drives her work every day, and she loves to create and grow along with her students.

Emily Claman

Guest Artist of the Month

Emily is a professional singer, dancer, and choreographer signed with Bloc Talent Agency. She grew up in Montclair, NJ and started dancing at age 4. From a very young age, Emily knew she wanted to be a performer. She trained in all styles at DanceWorks Studios and was fortunate enough to study dance in the Montclair Gifted and Talented public school system. Emily continued seriously training at The Ohio State University as a Dance Major. After applying to Broadway Dance Center’s prestigious Professional Semester Program, Emily was accepted and moved to NYC to pursue dance professionally. She has performed at highly respected venues including but not limited to Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, American Airlines Arena and the 2012 London Olympics. Emily has performed for millions on national TV with Good Morning America and New York Live with artists such as Iconapop, The Wanted and DJ Kiss. Emily has choreographed for various recording artists for live performances, music videos and TV specials. Emily was the National Junior Dance Team Choreographer for Turn It Up Nationals 2014. She also has choreographed for Montclair High School’s Dance Company for two seasons. Recently, Emily was accepted into two extremely competitive training programs with two of the industry’s most well respected, world renowned choreographers, Rhapsody James (Beyonce, Madonna, Britney Spears, JLo, etc.) and Dana Foglia (Beyonce’s current choreographer). Emily has just released her single, “Gone” which can be found on all music streaming platforms. Check out her website www.emily-claman.com!

Carolyn Bonaccorsi

Carolyn is a recent graduate of Muhlenberg College, where she double majored in Theatre and Dance. While at Muhlenberg she choreographed and performed in numerous works and was a member of Six Meters, Muhlenberg’s improvisational dance company. She also led fieldwork in the Allentown School district focusing on creative movement for students in the fourth grade. In the spring of 2017, she trained in butoh, contemporary and tarantella at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. Originally from Ridgewood, NJ she began dancing at the Wyckoff School of Dance training in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, and heeled tap with acclaimed instructor Jen Martin. In addition to teaching and choreographing she also regularly creates dance films.

Stefanie Roper

Stefanie was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She was raised in Orem, Utah where she attended her first ballet class at the age of 20. Stefanie is a graduate from Utah Valley University where she recieved a BFA in ballet. As a current NYC resident, she is freelancing and dancing professionally in the city. Her performance experience includes FJK Dance, Ballet Hispánico, Ballet Hispánico Dos, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, Repertory Ballet Ensemble, and Utah Regional Ballet guest artist. She was the executive producer of a local company called Latino Legacy for 3 years, choreographing as well as dancing contemporary and Latin folklore. With her diverse dance background she has had the opportunity to tour around the world, including at the White House for President Barack Obama.