Winter Workshop - Jan 19, 2025

Emily Atkinson is a New Hampshire native who began dancing at age 4 training at Melissa

Hoffman Dance Center, and has loved dance ever since. After graduating high school in 2020, Emily went on to continue pursuing her dance career at Pace University as a Commercial Dance

Major and just recently earned her BFA in May of 2024.Throughout her time at Pace, Emily had the pleasure of learning from the industry’s best including Jillian Meyers, Mandy Moore, Tiler

Peck, Joe Brown, Shannon Lewis, Bobby Amamizu, Dom Chaiduang, Scott Hislop, Britt

Stewart, and many more. Emily is currently signed with Bloc Talent Agency in NYC and LA,

and booked her first job in August of 2023 being featured in a Coke Zero Commercial.

Julia Dickey is a Commericial Dance senior at Pace University in New York City. Originally from Windham, New Hampshire, she grew up dancing at Melissa Hoffman Dance

Center where she trained in all styles of dance for 15 years. As part of her training Julia was also part of Dance Masters of America as Junior Miss Dance of America 2015 and Teen Miss Dance of New England 2018. She is forever thankful for her training and deeply appreciates all

her teachers who have helped get her to where she is today. In addition to MHDC and Dance Masters, Julia was also part of Kanyok Arts Initiative, a pre professional training program in New

York directed by Laurie Kanyok. Post graduation in 2025, she plans to stay in New York City dancing with dreams of one day being a Radio City Rockette.

Jennafer Mcnutt is a native of a small town in Connecticut, where she grew up dancing in all styles. Her love for tap dance grew when she attended Plymouth State University, in Plymouth, NH, and further honed her tap knowledge and skills under the tutelage of Aaron Tolson. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and Spanish, Jennafer was selected to dance in Tolson’s semi-professional tap dance company, wherein she later served as his company manager and senior dance caption. Jennafer has also been teaching students for 15 years. She loves introducing students to tap dance, helping them find their passion for the art, and mastering technique. She is an award-winning choreographer, has won awards at both regional and national events, and her routines have received many top place placements, including overall adjudications and highest scoring tap routines. Jennafer is also involved in various scholarship programs, she serves on the Board of Directors for Miss Bedford, part of Miss New Hampshire America, and she choreographs for local contestants. Jennafer loves being a formative part of a young dancers’ training and enjoys sharing her passion and love for tap dance with her students.  

Riley Rienert is a freelance artist, choreographer, and teacher born and

raised in New Hampshire. She began dancing at the age of three at her

mother’s studio, New Hampshire School of Ballet, training in all genres of dance. In 2023, Riley earned her BFA in Dance Performance and

Choreography from Montclair State University, graduating summa cum laude and now resides in New York City! She has had the privilege of

performing works by Ohad Naharin, Doug Varone, Stefanie Batten Bland, Paul Taylor, Roderick George, Brice Mousset, and many others. She toured

as a company artist with Gaspard & Dancers contemporary company, most

recently touring in Romania and Armenia. She also just recently joined Kizuna Dance company, under artistic director Cameron Mckinney, and

performed in Japan this August! Riley has been teaching and

choreographing for 8 years, she’s also co-curated her own summer dance

intensive with her sister for the past 6 years in NH! Growing up in the DMNE organization, Riley is thrilled to come back and share her love of

dance with everyone!