Susan Butler is the Director of Artistic Dance Company. This studio is a life long dream where she can provide a fun and safe dance environment for students of all ages. ue's Sue'ssformal training started at the age of 5 at The Dancer's Studio under the direction of Sharon DiCrosta. She was a company member and competed for many years. She also trained in New York and Massachusetts under some of the most influential choreographers. Sue was the Associate Instructor at Jazz-N-Motion Studio Dance for 25-plus years where she had the privilege of working with many talented dancers.

Sue went to Bay Path College and received an Associates Degree in theater and dance. She also attended SCSU and graduated with a BA in Communications. Sue was a part of two major dance companies where she has had the opportunity to travel and compete in many Regional & National dance competitions on the East Coast. Experienced in all aspects of dance but she specializes in contemporary, ballet, lyrical, and jazz. She also teaches tap

& hip hop.

Sue choreographs for recreational and competitive dancers and has won many awards such as Choreography, Technique, Studio, Juior, Princess & Queen Titleist Awards as well as judges’ choice awards. ADC was awarded Best Tap Studio in 2024 and Destined for Greatness awards from the Royal Dance Competition, she is so proud of these accomplishments. She has choreographed many award winning routines throughout her career and continues to take classes in New York to stay up to date in today’s modern dance world.

Sue is CPR Certified to ensure her student's safety.

Briana Craig has been dancing for 19 years, trained at Jazz-N-Motion Studio of Dance under the direction of Susan Butler and Barbara Pawlak, and assisted there for 5 years. After that, she started teaching at Artistic Dance Company.

Briana is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, pointe, acrobatics, and hip-hop, and was a part of a tap dance company called "Taplife " based in NYC.

Briana was a regional and national competitive dancer for many years and has won many regional and national awards and scholarships. She was crowned Senior Queen at The Royal Dance Competition in 2021 and won the highest-scoring self-choreography award.

Briana's choreography has also won multiple judges' choice awards and choreographed multiple award winning routines throughout her time teaching here. In 2024 her tap routine won Best Judges' Choice Video at the Royal Dance Competition.

Some of Briana's routines have also won Princess & Queen Titleist, Best Choreography and Winner of the Royal Cirle at the 2024 Royal Dance Competition Nationals in NJ.

Briana continues to take classes while attending Quinnipiac University to get her bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering.

Erin Mahoney has been dancing for the past fourteen years with training focusing on acrobatics, gymnastics, ballet, and modern dance. She also has experience coaching in a gymnastics gym, where she instructed recreational and competitive gymnasts from toddlers up through level five. Erin is USAG instructor certified and is also certified in Red Cross CPR/AED & First Aid. She is an accredited interscholastic cheerleading coach with five years of coaching experience for a competitive, co-ed varsity team that placed fourth in its division in Massachusetts.

Erin performed and toured with the Olga Dunn Dance Company, she attended Naugatuck Valley Community College and graduated magna cum laude with an associate degree in dance. She has trained heavily in ballet and modern dance, performed pieces by renowned artists such as Mary Ann Lamb, Matthew Westerby, Megan Boyd, and Fulbright scholar Aguibou Bougabali Sanou, and also performed in the 5×5 Festival in West Hartford. She was a member of the Terpsichorean Dance Ensemble and served as Vice President on the executive board. Since graduation, Erin has continued to train in ballet and modern for an additional year as alumni, still performing with the Naugatuck Valley Dance Ensemble.

Erin completed her bachelor's degree in General Studies at the University of Connecticut and has since returned to school to complete a master's degree in English from Central Connecticut State University.

Emma Hartshorn has been dancing for 21 years, primarily trained at Jazz-N-Motion Studio of Dance under the direction of Susan Butler and Barbara Pawlak. She was also an assistant there for 5 years.

Emma is experienced in all styles of dance including tap, jazz, ballet, modern, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, pointe, and acrobatics, and was a competitive dancer for 10 years. Emma also attended Educational Center for the Arts (ECA), a half-day performing arts high school where she was trained in primarily modern, ballet, choreography, and contemporary dance. Through ECA, she was also able to attend Earl Mosley’s EMIA Summer Intensive. She was a member of the professional tap company “TapLife” based in NYC with Anthony and Staci LoCasio. She has trained with the Radio City Rockettes in their summer intensives, as well as performing throughout college in a student-based company DanceWorks.

Emma graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Hofstra University in 2022. She is now in her final year at Sacred Heart University in their Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program.

Emma was also a part-time teacher at Jack and Jill Daycare Center for 6 years and has ample experience working with children

of all ages.

Emma is CPR/first-aid/AED certified.