Adrienne (Addie) Black-Cannistra
Founder/Owner/Director
Addie is the founder/owner/director of Dance From The Heart. She graduated from SUNY Cobleskill in 1995 with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education.
Addie has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She has studied many types of dance including: Acrobatics, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, and her favorite, Tap! Addie has competed all over the United States and has won many titles and awards including: Dance Elite Grand Champion 1994 and Miss Adult Dance Masters of 1995. Addie has studied with local choreographer Sandie Fukes and famous New York City choreographers such as Frank Hatchette and Savion Glover.
Addie’s love for teaching the art of dance started at a very young age. When she was 15 years old she was presented with the opportunity to assist and choreograph at Sandies Dance Academy in Oneida. At the age of 18, Addie’s choreography was getting recognition and praise at numerous competitions.
In the year 2000, Addie opened Dance From The Heart. A dance studio built on the philosophy that the only true way to dance, is from your heart. Her competitive students have won many titles and competitions all over the state for the past 13 years. Being recognized for outstanding choreography, stage presence and technique. In 2012 Dance From The Heart was awarded the high scoring studio at The Power of the Dance competition. The proceeds/cash given were given to a charity of their choice (The center for missing and exploited children), something they were proud to be a part of. Addie and the teaching staff at Dance From The Heart believe that every child is special and has their own gift. Believing in themselves is the most important goal to achieve.
Katie Masker
Dance Instructor
Katie Masker is a dedicated dance educator, choreographer and office administrator with a lifelong passion for the performing arts. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Community and Behavioral Sciences from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in 2016, blending her commitment to people with her love of arts education.
Katie began dancing at age two. She trained at United Academy of the Performing Arts, being taught by her favorite teacher Miss Addie, who she is so grateful to teach with now. As a competitive dancer from age 7, she built a strong foundation in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, Acro and Lyrical; her longtime favorites being Acro and Lyrical. Early highlights include being crowned miss DMA at age 9 and performing in the 1998 Orange Bowl Parade.
Since 2015, Katie has been a proud member of the Dance From The Heart family, where she teaches and choreographs. She’s passionate about helping young dancers grow in confidence, technique and artistry. Her work has earned multiple choreography and technique awards, reflecting her creative vision and high standards. She continues to invest in her professional development, attending the Dance Teacher Summit in 2016 and pursuing certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. Beyond the studio, Katie’s creativity shines through her love of costume design; rhinestoning and creating unique pieces for performances and competitions.
Family is central to Katie. She’s the proud mother of her daughter, Leah, who has followed in her footsteps as a competitive dancer at Dance From The Heart Studio. She shares her life with her partner of 8 years, Josh, and his three children – Alexa, Bryce and Colton – along with their three dogs.
Guided by kindness, positivity and perseverance along with her mother’s mantra that “The word CAN’T is not in my vocabulary.” Katie is grateful to do what she loves and remains committed to inspiring every dancer to believe in themselves, work hard and keep growing. She loves sharing her passion for dance while helping others reach their fullest potential.
Emily Babcock
Dance Instructor
Emily began dancing at Dance Form The Heart in 2000 at the age of three when Addie Cannistra first opened the studio. From a young age, she developed a strong love and passion for dance.
At the age of seven, Emily joined the competition team and spent the next eleven years traveling throughout New York state competing in a variety of dance competitions. During that time, she performed in solos, duets, trios and group routines in Jazz, Tap, Acro, Musical Theater, Ballet, Lyrical and Modern dance.
When Emily was thirteen, Addie gave her the opportunity to begin assisting classes at the studio. Through teaching, she discovered a passion not only for dance, but for helping young dancers learn, grow and build confidence. She enjoyed sharing her love of dance with the next generation and quickly realized that teaching was something she truly loved.
In 2015, Emily became a Head Instructor at Dance From The Heart and continues to enjoy helping dancers develop their skills while fostering a positive and encouraging classroom environment.
Outside of the studio, Emily works full-time at AmeriCU Credit Union and enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. One of her greatest joys is now watching her daughters create their own dance memories at the same studio where her journey began.
Alina Shantal
Dance Instructor
Alina Shantal has a passion for dance that began here at Dance From The Heart when she was 6 years old. Entering the doors of this dance studio creates a feeling of love and passion for dance that never goes away. At the age of 10, Alina joined the competition team and travelled throughout the state competing in different styles of dance for 8 years before graduating from VVS High School. While a high school student herself, she was given the opportunity to teach two of her own dance classes as well. Throughout her time, she has studied several styles of dance including Acro, Jazz, Ballet, Musical Theater, Hip Hop and her personal favorite – Lyrical.
Alina attended St. John Fisher College and graduated in 2021 with a degree in Inclusive Childhood Education. She also graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2025, receiving a Master of Science in Education degree. She teaches elementary school and has taught several grade levels. She has a passion for teaching and helping others learns, grow and realize and embrace their potential! This is displayed in her elementary classroom at school as well as in the dance studio. She believes that every student is capable.
Upon graduating college, Alina was welcomed back into the walls of Dance From The Heart to continue teaching and sharing her love of dance with the next generations. In her years back in the studio, she has continued to grow and learn as a teacher, choreographer and mentor to so many students.
Alina has always had a passion for dance and a heart for helping others. She is so excited to be able to continue to share this with the families of Dance From The Heart and enjoy watching each dancer grow!
Ali Voelker
Dance Instructor
Ali Voelker grew up in Connecticut where she dance since she was very little! Ever since she can remember she was a teacher’s helper and then became a dance teacher. In Connecticut, besides teaching dance, she coached a high school dance team as well as choreographed for musicals and directed plans. She has always had and continues to have a passion for dance and theatre.
Ali has been a special education teacher for 13 years. She has a Bachelors of Arts Degree and Bachelors of Science Degree in Education along with an individualized major called Movement Expression and Mental Health. She is certified in Special Education grades PreK-12th grade and Elementary Education grades PreK-6th grade. She also has two Masters Degrees; one in Special Education with a concentration in Behavior and Autism and another in Administration.
She loves thinking “outside the box” to help students with disabilities succeed. At Dance From The Heart, Ali Voelker and Danielle Brown have created an Adaptive Dance Program for dancers with special needs. Ali also loves working with the “tiny humans” and helping them to fall in love with dance at a young age. Ali, her husband, two little boys, pitbull, tortoise and kittens recently moved to Sherrill where her husband grew up. She is so excited to be teaching dance again! In her spare time she loves to read, ride her side by side, attend Syracuse football games and dream about doing circus arts again!
Brittany Rizzo
Dance Instructor
A love for dance and music has been a apart of Brittany’s life for as long as she can remember. It all started while slow dancing in her living room with her father to Country Music Television to eventually registering at Dance From The Heart when the doors opened here in Sherrill, New York.
Unlike many others, her start in dance came later in life but was nothing short of an epic adventure! Throughout her dance career, she was able to master multiple styles of dance as well as dance competitively throughout the Northeast. During her senior year she took on the role of choreographing a few pieces which opened her eyes to the idea of teaching.
Following High School graduation, Brittany attended Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, New York where she earned a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Equine Studies. But it wasn’t until she and her husband (Nick) began to grow their family did she return to Dance From The Heart. The love that she shared for dance throughout her adolescence brought her back through our doors once more with her daughter Adalynn!
Many days she can be found teaching multiple styles of dance throughout the week while making sure your son or daughter is enjoying their time here. She strongly believes that it won’t be the costume, the trick or the choreography that your children will remember when they look back at their time here, it will be how they felt within the dance room doing what they love. She can’t wait to meet and be part of your child’s dance journey!
Danielle Brown
Dance Instructor
Danielle is a former competitive dancer with over thirteen years of training across more than nine different genres, with a particular passion for Ballet, Hip Hop and Modern dance. Growing up as a competitive dancer, she represented Donna Frech’s School of Dance located in Norwich, NY in numerous regional and national competitions. Among her performance highlights, Danielle had the unique opportunity to perform at Disney World on two separate occasions and dance in an opening number for a Josh Turner concert.
While attending high school in New Berlin, NY she began stepping into leadership roles, choreographing Hip Hop halftime routines for school sporting events and serving as a teacher’s assistant at her home studio for eight years.
After graduation from Herkimer College with a degree in Applied Science, Danielle transitioned her deep understanding of human movement into a career in healthcare. She has practiced as a Physical Therapist Assistant for 13 years, specializing in pediatrics with a focus on treating sports injuries and children with developmental disabilities. Today, she channels her leadership and clinical expertise into her role as the Director of Rehabilitation at the Oneida Extended Care Facility.
Danielle continues to bridge the gap between dance physiology and patient care. Most recently, she ahs begun integrating her extensive knowledge of anatomy and movement mechanics back into the dance studio. She utilizes Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT) methodologies and is currently working toward certifications in “Science of Flexibility” and “Science of Turnout.” Through these advanced practices, Danielle is dedicated to safely maximizing the potential and progression of each dancer as an individual.
Sarah Light
Dance Instructor
Sarah has been moving to the music since she was just two years old, and she’s never really stopped since! Her first real “dance home” started at age ten when she joined Dance From The Heart. She spent her teen years competing in every genre possible. Between the long competition weekends and performing in musicals and plays throughout high school, the stage truly became her favorite place to be.
After high school, Sarah took a little detour to dive into the science of movement, studying sports and nutrition at Morrisville College. Life eventually led her into the world of motherhood, but things came full circle when her daughter started classes here at the studio. Being back at Dance From The Heart feels like coming home, and seeing the joy of dance through her eyes inspired Sarah to step back into the classroom as a teacher.
In her classes, she loves bringing that “theatre kid” energy to life. Sarah specializes in Musical Theater and Tap for all ages, focusing on making sure her students have a blast while they learn. Her goal is to use the background in sports and nutrition to keep our dancers healthy and strong, all while helping them find the same love for performing that she’s carried with her since she was little!
