Julie's training began at the age of 2 ½,  where she studied tap at Miss Margaret's School of Dance in Brooklyn, New York.  At age six, she was considered for a more formal education with a prima ballerina in New York City.  She relocated to New Jersey, and by the age of 12 her focus turned to teaching, and she began student- instructing under the guidance of Kelly Legge.

After high school, Julie was accepted to the dance department at Marymount Manhattan College, where she received both dance and academic scholarships. During her time at MMC, Julie trained extensively in the Vaganova and Cecchetti methods of ballet; O'Donnell, Murray/Louis and Nikolais modern techniques; Classical, Contemporary and Broadway jazz styles; and several styles of tap, including Rhythm, Buck-and-Wing, and "Hoofing".

Julie's dance background includes training with several world-renowned instructors, choreographers and performers, including Cassandra Phifer of Dance Theatre of Harlem, Nancy Lushington of the May O'Donnell Company, Anthony Ferro and Katie Langan of Twyla Tharp, Ed Kresley (West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie), Sheila Barker, Jeff Amsden, Jason Samuels-Smith, and Peggy Spina, protégé of tap greats "Baby" Lawrence, "Cookie" Cook and "Honi" Coles, to name a few.  Her academic instruction at Marymount includes an extensive background in education, psychology, and anatomy.  She graduated from Marymount with a B.A. in Dance Education in 2004. 

While in college, Julie also had the opportunity to train at Broadway Dance Center, taking classes in all disciplines with several of today’s most popular instructors and choreographers, including Rhapsody, Mike Minery, Bev Brown, Gil Stroming, Germaine Salsberg, and Joey Dowling. She continues to attend conventions to keep current on dance trends.

Julie began teaching in her senior year of high school, continuing to do so throughout her college years, commuting between NYC and Jackson on weekends.  She became a full-time teacher at Tip Tap Toe Dance Studio in 2003. Over the last eight years she has received countless awards and top scores for her choreography, as well as numerous special acknowledgements for her choreography, creativity, and her students’ technical and artistic abilities. 

Several of Julie’s students have attended the Fine and Performing Arts Center (FPAC) in Monmouth County and the Performing Arts Academy in Ocean County. Additionally, Julie’s students have been accepted to prestigious collegiate dance programs and awarded scholarships at Point Park University, the University of the Arts, Montclair State University, Rutgers University, and the California Institute of the Arts. Alumni from The Next Step Dance Academy have continued dancing at the professional level, receiving dance roles in the upcoming film Love and Other Drugs starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, dancing for the New Jersey Nets, as dancers on major cruise lines, and can also be found teaching and choreographing throughout Monmouth and Ocean County.

It was in 2007 that Julie felt that she was in the prime of her career as a dance educator, and decided to fulfill her life-long dream of opening a studio where students constantly reinvent themselves as performing artists, are challenged each time they walk through the door, make lasting friendships in a positive, nurturing environment, and most importantly, look forward to coming to dance every day. The Next Step Dance Academy is that dream, and she could not be more excited about this opportunity!

Danny DeFranco is a hip hop dancer, instructor and choreographer with extensive knowledge of Popping, Locking, B-Boying, Waacking, Waving, Tutting and House. Although he has trained in several forms of dance, including Jazz, Tap and Ballet, as well as Tae Kwon Do, Danny began to focus solely on Hip Hop in 2002. He competed at the regional and national level with the Wildstyle Hip Hop Company, and also assisted company director Eric Samson for several years. Danny has performed at numerous venues throughout the tri-state area including The State Theater, The Count Basie Theater, The Copacabana, The Opening Act of UNITY at Stevens Institute of Technology, numerous colleges and universities, and more. Danny has been featured in commercials airing in the United States and Europe. He is the Co-Owner of Soul Sessions, a concept developed by 02 Crew. Soul Sessions is a Hip Hop workshop held several times throughout the year giving students a taste of genuine styles of the dance. He is also the owner of an Entertainment company, Round the Clock Entertainment, which complements his dance career very well. Danny looks forward to teaching students not only the proper techniques and approaches to the dance, but also about Hip Hop culture and its roots in American history.

Danny has taught at several dance studios in the area, and is highly sought after throughout the state of New Jersey. He feels it is important to not just do hip hop, but to understand the history of hip hop and focuses on teaching the technique, not just choreography, to each of his students. Danny's dances are recognized at every competition we attend for his creative concepts, style, choreography, and his students' high level of execution. His classes are also among the most popular at our studio. We know that you will love Danny's high energy and unique style. Danny joined our staff in 2008, and we are so glad he is a part of The Next Step Dance Academy!

Amanda brings a strong, diverse dance background to The Next Step Dance Academy. Amanda began dancing at the age of three and has studied ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, tap and hip hop; most notably at Tip Tap Toe Dance Studio in Jackson, NJ. There, she was a student teacher for several levels of ballet classes, and was a substitute teacher from 2005-2007. Over her years as a competitive dancer, she has been recognized for her artistry, grace, and technical excellence at both the Regional and National level. She has been awarded many top honors, special awards and scholarships as a soloist, as well as a duet, trio and group performer. She has attended summer programs at the prestigious Kirov Academy of Ballet and the American Academy of Ballet, and has performed various roles in The Nutcracker with The Moscow Ballet in Atlantic City.

Amanda was a 2007 graduate of Colts Neck High School, where she served as Captain and Choreographer for the CNHS Dance Team. Currently she is studying Education and Dance at Georgian Court University, where her academic and artistic excellence has earned her a highly competitive scholarship.

Amanda's incredible technique, stage presence, and professional training make her a highly sought-after instructor. She teaches our recreational students as well as some of our exclusive Beginner Teen classes, and is loved by all of her students for her fun and creative ways of teaching technique. Amanda has been with The Next Step Dance Academy since the beginning, and we are so fortunate to have her share her talents with us!

Tara brings to The Next Step Dance Academy a wealth of knowledge in several areas of the arts, including ballet, pointe, modern, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, tumbling, voice and acting. In addition, she has extensive knowledge in anatomy and massage therapy. She has trained at many renowned facilities, including the Princeton Ballet School and Repertory Ballet, Broadway Dance Center, The Dance Space, Ballet Academy East and Marymount Manhattan College. In addition, she has been a featured dancer with the TapOlé dance company, the NJ Nets Dance Team, the Long Island Titans,The Big Red Boat cruise lines, and the Mainstreet Theatre Company, to name a few. She has also been featured in industrials for Suave hair products and the American Idol Tour.

In addition to her professional career, Tara also has several years of teaching experience in all areas of dance. Her choreography can be seen in several studios throughout the NY and NJ area. Tara has been with The Next Step Dance Academy since we opened our doors in 2007. During this time, her dances have received numerous overall awards at competitions, receiving high scores and accolades for her well-rehearsed, fun choreography. Not a day goes by where Tara's high energy classes are not learning and laughing. We are thrilled to have her as a part of our staff!

Kimberly brings a very diverse, technical dance background to The Next Step Dance Academy. She started dancing at the age of seven and has studied many areas of the arts including jazz, contemporary, lyrical, ballet, pointe, tap, modern, Dunham, hip hop, pilates, and musical theatre. During her years as a competitive dancer, Kim won numerous top awards and titles as both a soloist and as a group dancer, and gained recognition for her strong technique and passionate performances. Kim attended the Performing Arts Academy high school, where she graduated as Valedictorian in 2008. She then continued to study at Point Park University's Conservatory of the Performing Arts and graduated in 2011 with a degree in Dance. While at Point Park, Kim studied a variety of disciplines, including Dance Pedagogy, which she utilizes in all of her classes.

Kim has taught at a variety of studios, intensives, and performing arts camps in various states including New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Maine. Her most recent dance debut was in the film Love and Other Drugs starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Other credentials include Bhagara in the Burgh, Point Park Senior Choreography Project, Point Park Showcases and other Conservatory performances. Kim joins NSDA as the head of both our modern and technique programs, and teaches students of all ages ballet, jazz, lyrical, and pointe. We are thrilled to welcome Kim back home to NSDA, where her strong technical background challenges our students, and her love of dance is evident in every class!