Our Talented Staff

Miss Michele Hulsart
(Director)

Standing Ovations director, Michele Hulsart has been dancing ever since she was three years old. After attending Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and achieving a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts she went on to perform world wide. Michele performed a Vegas show in Korea for three months.  However, her real love for dance was in teaching so she has dedicated her life to teaching her students the art of dance and encouraging them to reach for their dreams. Michele has over 20 years of teaching experience and continues training to further her knowledge of dance. She attends dance conventions taking classes and business seminars. The studio was proudly featured in Dance Spirit Magazine in 2007 as being one of the top 50 upcoming studios in the country.  Michele also coaches all five of the competition teams along with teaching regular classes.  She teaches Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical & Musical Theatre.  Most recently she  was honored at Tremaine Dance Convention in NYC for all of the fundraising work the studio has done for Dancers Responding for AIDS.  She is also the proud mother of five wonderful children who all take dance classes. 

Miss Jen Cali
(Asst. Director)
Jen Cali graduated in May of 2000 with honors from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, with a B.F.A. in dance. Jen began dancing and doing gymnastics at the age of three. She intensely  competed rhythmic gymnastics for most of her childhood. This included traveling all over the East Coast to compete and learn routines. Jen came to Standing Ovation in the summer of 1994 as an assistant gymnastics teacher and serious dance student. A year later she was hired as a dance and gymnastics teacher. She now teaches ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, modern, choreography and musical theater. Jen is currently a coach for all five  Competition Teams along with being the assistant director of the studio. At competitions such as American Dance Awards, Starpower, Nexstar, and Elite Dance Forum she has won  choreography awards for her work.  She has also won a "Top Teacher Awards" at Star Systems for her lyrical choreography.  Besides teaching and dancing at Standing Ovation Jen has participated in and choreographed for Brick Community Players talent shows and summer musicals. Most recently her lyrical senior piece placed first overall at Dancers Inc. Nationals in the summer of 2010 as well as came in second in the choreography showcase.  She has also helped to choreograph the finale for a Dancers Responding to AIDS show held in Los Angeles, CA and in the show that Standing Ovation produces annually, Dancers Unite For Life.   Jen will be judging for Groove Talent Competition this coming season. She loves her work and the kids that bring such inspiration and joy to her. 

Miss Karen Napoleon
 (Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Private Lessons)
Karen has studied dance since the age of four and has been teaching for over 32 years. She started her teaching career in Northern NJ and  relocated to Ocean County in 1991. She has studied the Martha Graham technique and has had RAD  Ballet  training. Karen has been under the direction of Michele Hulsart for the past 17 years and enjoys giving encouragement to her students. At Standing Ovation Karen teaches ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theater, and modern to all ages. She also teaches private lessons to our Competitive Edge students, and continues to study master classes at conventions to further her education.

Mr. Billy Griffin
(Guest Teacher & Competition Choreographer )
Billy resides in New York City where he graduated with a BFA from New York University's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.   Most recently he traveled the country with the National Tour of "The New Mel Brooks' Musical Young Frankenstein".  Other performing credits include the National Tour of  "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" under the direction of Tony Award Winner Walter Bobbie, the National Tour of Jeff Amsden's "A Few Good Men Dancin'", the Elan Awards honoring Susan Stroman, the T.V. show "The Electric Company" on PBS, the soon-to-be released film "Clear Blue Tuesday" and numerous industrials, regional productions and benefits where he has danced alongside the likes of Spike Lee, Debra Messing, Jerry Seinfeld and Martin Scorcese.  NYC choreography credits include productions of "Side Show", "Cabaret," "Bat Boy the Musical,"  and "Reefer Madness".  He had the opportunity to choreograph the first workshop of "Mrs. Sharp" which most recently starred the Emmy Nominated Jane Krakowski from the hit T.V. show "30 Rock".  For the past 7 years Billy has served as the choreographer of the Miss CT Pageant for the Miss America Organization.   Check out animated Billy on the recently released "Dance On Broadway" for Nintendo Wii, performing choreography by "Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark" choreographer Chase Brock.  Billy is currently working with "In the Heights" choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler on the early stages of a collaboration between Andy and singer/songwriter Kate Nash, entitled "Only Gold." 

Miss Britt Napoleon
(Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical,Competition Solo Choreographer)
  Brittaney has been dancing for over 17 years and was in Miss Michele`s first three year old class. From age 9 all the way up to age 19 she was apart of the Competitive Edge Competition Team, and was named Studio Dancer of the Year for the year 2000. As she got older and became a soloist dancer Brittaney has won many prestigious titles such as Miss Broadway, Top Teen and Top Senior Soloist at Star Systems and NYLA Competitions. In July of 2010 she was picked to Internship  with Dancers Inc Dance Conventions and will be traveling all over the U.S. Brittaney continues her dance education in NYC and attends many conventions where she has won many scholarships at Tremaine & Co. Dance with Tyce Diorrio from So You Think You Can Dance. She has performed in many benefit shows such as 9/11 fundraisers, Hurricane Katrina Benefit performance,  Dance for Diabetes and Dancers Responding To Aids in NJ, NY & Los Angeles.  Brittaney is also a black belt in Karate and will be attending Georgian Court University again as a sophomore in the Fall as a Dance Major. On top of that she graduated from Ocean County Vocational Technical School with her degree in Cosmetology.
 Brittaney has been teaching under the direction of Miss Michele Hulsart for the past five years, and is excited to be teaching classes and private lessons again this year!
 

Miss Jen Vinges
 (Fitness & Strength)
Jennifer graduated from Trenton State College withst a degree in Corporate Fitness.  She has been a certified personal trainer through the American Council of Exercise for over 10 years.  She has competed in body building contests and has placed well in her weight class.  Jennifer is continually educating herself to make her classes better for the dancers and adults that she teaches at the studio.  She has been training and teaching a healthy balanced lifestyle her entire life.  She enjoys watching her clients and students progress towards a healthier lifestyle.  Jennifer's hope is that some of her love and enthusiasm for a healthy balanced lifestyle will be passed onto her students.  She is very happy to be teaching again at the studio this year. 

Mr. Danny DeFranco
 (Hip-Hop, Competition Solo & Group Choreographer)
Danny has been performing Hip-Hop for the past ten years and teaching for the past four years. He is highly skilled in Popping, Locking, B-Boying, B-Girling, Whacking, Waving, Tutting and House.  He has studied with Eric Samson and competed in all forms of dance on the regional and national level.  He has studied for many years in ballet, tap and jazz in addition to his hip-hop training.  In additioin to dance Danny has taught Tae Kwon Do at Kum Sung Martial Arts for several years and also owns his own DJ Entertainment Company for the past five years.  Hip Hop has become more than just a hobby for him, it is his culture and loves spreading it to his students. Danny has also begun his own dance competition, Groove, and will be heading out all over the east coast to support dancers in a positive fun way.
 He looks forward to his fourth year of teaching at Standing Ovation.

Mr. Mark Albrecht
(Tap & Musical Theater)
Mark Albrecht currently hangs his hat in New York City. He attended the prestigious American Musical  and Dramatic Academy in New York City with a major in Musical Theatre and a focus in Dance. Some of his credits include, A Chorus Line, Grease, Oklahoma, 42nd Street, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hello Dolly, Children of Eden, Fame, and many more. He has performed for The American Tap Dance Foundation’s annual “Tap City” at the famous Symphony Space. He has worked with choreographers and teachers such as Skip Cunningham, Germaine Salsberg, Shea Sullivan, Dr. Prince Spencer, Chloe Arnold, Ted Levy, Prof. Robert Reed, Bob Scheerer, Rusty Frank, Deborah Mitchell, Ayodele Casel, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Tony Bradford, and many more. An assistant to Shea Sullivan and Tony Bradford, Mark Albrecht has had the opportunity to be on the tap faculty at Broadway Dance Center, teaching master classes throughout the US, and choreographing internationally. Mark has also assisted Shea Sullivan at the eminent Pulse Teacher’s Workshop as well as taught Jazz and Tap for the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists convention.

Miss Brianna

Miss Devon

Miss Sheryl

Miss MaryKate VonSuskil
(Student Teacher)
MaryKate is from Normandy Beach, NJ and attends Toms River Regional Schools.  She began her dance training at Standing Ovation School of Dance at the age of 5.  Her mother originally put her in dance classes because she had a turned in foot and wanted her daughter to have grace and poise.  She continued to want more and more dance experiences and began doing dance competitions and conventions at the age of 7 on Standing Ovation Competitive Edge.  During her summer training she was awarded Junior Miss Power Pak 2008 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Last summer she trained with Sheila Barker for a summer workshop at Broadway Dance Center.  She found her passion for dance and was awarded Studio Dancer of Year “08” for Tremaine Dance Conventions.  Some of her scholarship awards are from Co. Dance, Wild, Pulse, Dancer’s Inc. and NYCDA.  MaryKate most recently was crowned Junior Miss Dancers Inc at their national competition, she traveled the country this past year assisting in master classes and learning the backstage part of the competition world. She is very excited to be joining us again for her second year of student teaching!

Miss Jessica Granit
(Student Teacher)
 

Miss Alexis (Student Teacher)