About Us & Our Staff
“The Dancer’s Pointe is probably my favorite local business in Orlando. Ms. Susi and her team are fantastic at building confidence in young people through dance. My daughter has been involved with 3 different studios in Orlando and this has become her home away from home, building deeper and deeper relationships with her fellow dancers and learning how to light up on stage.” Lyndsay
The teachers and staff of The Dancer’s Pointe are proud of all of their dancers, including their alumni students ~ those who have continued to pursue dance through college and the professional world, as well as those who have chosen different paths. We believe that regardless of the path chosen, they are doing it better and with more style, because they are dancers!
Susan Schott Martucci, Owner
Susi Martucci opened The Dancer’s Pointe in 1990 after graduating from college, dancing professionally for Walt Disney World, and choreographing and teaching in Tampa and Orlando. The dance studio has grown significantly since that time and recently moved to its new location in the Edgewood Isle Shopping Center on South Orange Ave. Ms. Susi is the former Dance Director for Bethea-Ebsen Center, has her B.A. Degree in Dance from St. Leo University and did her graduate work in Elementary Education at University of Central Florida. She is a certified and active member of Florida Dance Masters, Inc., and The Dancer’s Pointe is a certified member of Dance Educators of America. She is especially proud of her students, including alumni students ~ those who have continued to pursue dance through college and the professional world, as well as those who have chosen different paths. She strongly believes that regardless of the paths chosen, they are doing it better and with more style because they are dancers!
Kelly Salisbury, Artistic Director
Ms. Kelly is the Director of The Dancer’s Pointe. Kelly’s early training was with Southwest Dance Theatre and Bakersfield Ballet Academy. After graduating from the University of California Bakersfield, she moved to Los Angeles to study with Stanley Holden, Joe Tremaine, Donna McKechnie and Louis DaPron. She choreographed and taught for Civic Ballet Theatre, Santa Rosa College and Santa Maria Junior College. She relocated to NYC where she performed and choreographed musicals for numerous summer stock theatres. While in NYC, Kelly studied with American Dance Machine, Broadway Dance Center, and Harkness School of Ballet. Locally she has choreographed for the Civic Theatre, Orlando Theatre Project, the Jewish Community Center, Orlando International Fringe Festival, Seminole Community College and Theatre Downtown. She is currently an active member of Florida Dance Masters.
Nikki Ickes
Nicole (Nikki) Ickes has been deeply passionate about dance, teaching and choreography since childhood. She began her dancing career at age five. Her favorite genres include contemporary, lyrical, jazz and hip hop. In high school, she was Captain of her Dance Team, choreographed for many local theatrical dance performances, was awarded the title of UDA All-Star and was selected to represent the UDA organization while dancing in Paris, France. She attended Florida State University, where she continued to pursue her love of dance through the FSU School of Dance and was lead choreographer for several dance team competitions. Nikki took a break from dance for a career in Speech-Language Pathology and to raise two beautiful children with her husband. She is incredibly grateful that her daughter’s love for dance opened up opportunities both at The Dancer’s Pointe and Cornerstone Charter Academy for Ms. Nikki to go back again to her first love of teaching and choreography! She gets excited about inspiring youth to develop their passion for dance and creative movement. You will always find Nikki dancing around the house, in the car or pretty much wherever she goes!
Lainey Taczak
Ms. Lainey was born and raised in Orlando and began following her dream to dance at The Dancer’s Pointe at the age of 3. She danced with Howard Middle School as one of its inaugural performing arts school students; as such she trained with their highest level of dance and performed throughout the City of Orlando as a member of their Elite Dance Troupe. Ms. Lainey has trained extensively in ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, and her favorite style – hip hop! A graduate of Boone High School, Ms. Lainey danced and competed with the Bravettes for 3 years. serving as a team choreographer her senior year. When only 17 years old, she started teaching dance at Dover Shores Community Center, where she has led young dancers to perform and compete at the Dr. Phillips Center, guiding them to numerous honors. While sharing her love of dance with her students, Ms. Lainey is pursuing her own education at Valencia College and the University of Central Florida, working toward a masters degree in Exercise and Sport Physiology, with a minor in Nutrition and Dietetics. Her love for The Dancer’s Pointe grows each week as she continues to build relationships with her students, their families, and coworkers and is feeling so blessed to be a part of the DP family!
McClaine is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Contemporary Dance Choreography Festival (CDCFest), is a nationally and internationally awarded choreographer, Nationally Certified Pilates instructor and business owner (Pilates with McClaine), and dance educator of children through the collegiate level.
McClaine received her MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine and her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. Prior to receiving her degrees, she trained with Orlando Ballet School/Company and North Carolina School of the Arts. Post graduate school she held the position of Assistant Director of Dance and Adjunct Faculty at Sacred Heart University for 3 years. Her choreography has been awarded “Best Choreography” in regional and national competitions, presented in the “New Grounds” Choreography Festival at University of South Florida, the “EAST meets WEST” International Dance Festival at University California Irvine, the ‘Dance-Forms’ 72nd International Choreographer’s Showcase in Scotland, and the WHITE WAVE Solo/Duo International Choreography Festival in NYC, adjudicated in the ACDA Baja Regional Conference in Torrence CA, and competed in the 19th Annual McCullum Theater Education Choreography Festival as a finalist in Palm Desert CA. She was also a guest choreographer for the US International Ballet Company.
Catherine (Katy) Salisbury was born in Denver, Colorado and began dancing at age 3. Katy was a competitive dancer and studied under Elizabeth Tolerton in Cheyenne, WY. As a student, she danced in the Nutcracker with The David Taylor Ballet and Tulsa Ballet Companies. In high school, Katy auditioned and was selected to participate in the Ballet Aspen Summer Dance Intensive. For four summers, she was a dancer and performer in the Worthy Is the Lamb Passion play in North Carolina. In 1998, Katy was a character performer for the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Katy has been teaching dance for over 15 years at dance studios in Florida and Wyoming. Katy was a dance teacher and office manager for The Dancer’s Pointe over 20 years ago. She was a founding member of the Allendale Civic Theater as a choreographer in Michigan. While teaching for Act Two Studios in Wyoming, she had the opportunity to help her students audition, prepare and perform in the Nutcracker with the San Diego Ballet and Moscow Ballet Companies. Katy is a graduate of the University of Central (UCF) and currently works at PuzzleHR as a Regional HR Supervisor. Katy is excited to share her passion for dance with our dancers.
Noelle Carr was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and grew up at The Dancer’s Pointe, where she started dancing at age 4. She began dancing competitively at age 7 and continued as a member of the Pointe of Impact dance company through age 18. She is trained in many diverse styles; her favorites being tap and musical theatre. Noelle was an assistant teacher at The Dancer’s Pointe for many years and has served as a favorite substitute teacher for the last 3 years. Noelle, a Boone High School graduate, is currently studying marketing at the University of Central Florida. She is beyond excited to get back into dance and work with all of her favorite teachers who mentored her, while helping the next generation of dancers fall in love with dance the same way she did.
Lainey TaczakMs. Lainey was born and raised in Orlando and began following her dream to dance at The Dancer’s Pointe at the age of 3. She danced with Howard Middle School as one of its inaugural performing arts school students; as such she trained with their highest level of dance and performed throughout the City of Orlando as a member of their Elite Dance Troupe. Ms. Lainey has trained extensively in ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, and her favorite style – hip hop! A graduate of Boone High School, Ms. Lainey danced and competed with the Bravettes for 3 years. serving as a team choreographer her senior year. When only 17 years old, she started teaching dance at Dover Shores Community Center, where she has led young dancers to perform and compete at the Dr. Phillips Center, guiding them to numerous honors. While sharing her love of dance with her students, Ms. Lainey is pursuing her own education at Valencia College and the University of Central Florida, working toward a masters degree in Exercise and Sport Physiology, with a minor in Nutrition and Dietetics. Her love for The Dancer’s Pointe grows each week as she continues to build relationships with her students, their families, and coworkers and is feeling so blessed to be a part of the DP family!
McClaine Timmerman
McClaine is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Contemporary Dance Choreography Festival (CDCFest), is a nationally and internationally awarded choreographer, Nationally Certified Pilates instructor and business owner (Pilates with McClaine), and dance educator of children through the collegiate level.
McClaine received her MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine and her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. Prior to receiving her degrees, she trained with Orlando Ballet School/Company and North Carolina School of the Arts. Post graduate school she held the position of Assistant Director of Dance and Adjunct Faculty at Sacred Heart University for 3 years. Her choreography has been awarded “Best Choreography” in regional and national competitions, presented in the “New Grounds” Choreography Festival at University of South Florida, the “EAST meets WEST” International Dance Festival at University California Irvine, the ‘Dance-Forms’ 72nd International Choreographer’s Showcase in Scotland, and the WHITE WAVE Solo/Duo International Choreography Festival in NYC, adjudicated in the ACDA Baja Regional Conference in Torrence CA, and competed in the 19th Annual McCullum Theater Education Choreography Festival as a finalist in Palm Desert CA. She was also a guest choreographer for the US International Ballet Company.
Katy Salisbury
Catherine (Katy) Salisbury was born in Denver, Colorado and began dancing at age 3. Katy was a competitive dancer and studied under Elizabeth Tolerton in Cheyenne, WY. As a student, she danced in the Nutcracker with The David Taylor Ballet and Tulsa Ballet Companies. In high school, Katy auditioned and was selected to participate in the Ballet Aspen Summer Dance Intensive. For four summers, she was a dancer and performer in the Worthy Is the Lamb Passion play in North Carolina. In 1998, Katy was a character performer for the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Katy has been teaching dance for over 15 years at dance studios in Florida and Wyoming. Katy was a dance teacher and office manager for The Dancer’s Pointe over 20 years ago. She was a founding member of the Allendale Civic Theater as a choreographer in Michigan. While teaching for Act Two Studios in Wyoming, she had the opportunity to help her students audition, prepare and perform in the Nutcracker with the San Diego Ballet and Moscow Ballet Companies. Katy is a graduate of the University of Central (UCF) and currently works at PuzzleHR as a Regional HR Supervisor. Katy is excited to share her passion for dance with our dancers.
Noelle Carr
Noelle Carr was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and grew up at The Dancer’s Pointe, where she started dancing at age 4. She began dancing competitively at age 7 and continued as a member of the Pointe of Impact dance company through age 18. She is trained in many diverse styles; her favorites being tap and musical theatre. Noelle was an assistant teacher at The Dancer’s Pointe for many years and has served as a favorite substitute teacher for the last 3 years. Noelle, a Boone High School graduate, is currently studying marketing at the University of Central Florida. She is beyond excited to get back into dance and work with all of her favorite teachers who mentored her, while helping the next generation of dancers fall in love with dance the same way she did.
Morgan Asher
Morgan Carr-Asher has been with The Dancer’s Pointe since she was five years old and trained in all dance styles. She danced and competed with the Pointe of Impact dance company for 9 years and was an award-winning tap soloist. Ms. Morgan previously taught at The Dancer’s Pointe for seven years before taking a short break, and she is thrilled to be back this year! She is a graduate of University of North Florida where she earned a degree in America Sign Language and, in addition to being a dance teacher, is also a Teacher of the Deaf at Boone High School.
Laura Bryan
Laura Bryan is the poster child for “it’s never too late to learn to dance”. Laura learned to clog at the age of 25 and has been loving it ever since. She has participated in recreational/club clogging, exhibitions, and competitive clogging which have provided exposure to many different styles of clog dancing. She is currently a member of the Orlando Cloggers and danced competitively with Silver Bullets, Soundstage and American Racket. While dancing competitively, she performed both traditional and contemporary clogging as well as line formation and couple routines in venues across the Southeast. Laura has now moved into the role of judging competitive clogging. Over the years, Laura has performed in Disney’s Christmas and Easter parades, Neon Armadillo at Pleasure Island, Strawberry Festival, Florida State Fair, Central Florida Fair, Osceola County Fair, convention entertainment, and many fairs and festivals throughout Central Florida. Laura also had the honor of traveling to Passo Fundo, Brazil to represent the USA and dance with American Racket in the region’s International Folklore Festival – an experience of a lifetime! Having caught the clogging bug, she finds herself dancing in elevators, while filling the gas tank and standing in line It’s that fun! Laura is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Finance and has an MBA from the University of Central Florida. She is an avid FSU football fan (Go Noles!) and UCF basketball fan (ChargeOn!).
Lauren (Lola) McLain
Mrs. Lauren McLain (known as Mrs Lola by her students and friends) is originally from Virginia where she was introduced to dance at the age of 3. Her training included many years of the Cecchetti method of ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, acro, lyrical, and modern. She performed annually in the Nutcracker and was a featured dancer in several community theater performances. Lauren became a teacher assistant at the age of 14 and began teaching her own classes at the age of 16. She studied dance at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia graduating with honors in 2005. With over two decades of teaching experience, dance education has been and still remains Lauren’s main passion in life. She is excited to share her love of dance with students in Orlando after relocating to Florida in 2021 with her husband and daughter.
Stephanie Hickerty
Born in Louisiana, and after living in several states, Ms. Stephanie moved to the Orlando area in the spring of 2022. She started her dance education at the age of 4, training in ballet and tap for six years before combining the grace of ballet with figure skating. As a figure skater Stephanie participated in both competition and performances, eventually spending 6 years as a figure skating instructor. Never losing her love for ballet, she returned to ballet in 2015, and performed as a company member with Wellington Ballet Theater for several years in Nutcracker as well as other productions and performances, while also assisting with teaching classes at various levels. Since moving to Orlando, Stephanie continues to dance while teaching classes and working with students privately. If asked about her favorite joy, she would say it was sharing her passion for ballet and watching her students grow.
Delaney Foskett
Delaney Foskett – Ms. Delaney was born and raised in Conway. She started dancing when she was three years old at The Dancer’s Pointe, practically growing up in the studio. She trained for fourteen years and performed and competed as a member of the Pointe of Impact Dance Company for four years. Ms. Delaney graduated from Boone High School where she was a member of the Boone Bravettes dance team and an active member in the theatre department and chorus. She went on to Mississippi College to study interior design and graphic design while choreographing and dancing competitively with her sorority for three years. You have probably seen her around the studio, as she has been a substitute teacher for The Dancer’s Pointe, or perhaps you have seen her out and about the community that her family has been a part of for so many years. She is SO excited to have an opportunity to teach at her childhood studio, share her love of the performing arts with a new generation and learn even more from the women who inspired and taught her since she was a young child!
Clarissa Turner
CLARISSA TURNER is a dancer and choreographer based out of Orlando, locally known for her precision, versatility, and stage presence. She is versed in many styles, including contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip hop. She is currently training in urban dance styles which include waacking, locking, house, popping, krump, and animation. Her performance credits include Funkywunks, the Nomads, Universal Studios, Old Navy, Janet Jackson, Street Beatz, Sea World and Disney. She has battled underground to win the title of Queen of the Floor, and was a USA nationals gold medalist at Hip Hop International. She has been seen on America’s Got Talent with one of the top traveling percussion shows in the United States, choreographed for the former Orlando Magic Dancers, and is the current lead of Orlando Magic’s hip hop dance team, The 407. She is the owner or MADamce Entertainment and Director of Nomads Collective. Ms. Clarissa strives to educate and encourage her following to be open to learning a variety of styles and to concentrate not only on understanding their craft, but being able to show who they are within it.
Ron Weaver
Ron Weaver trained in musical theater, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and ballet. He has performed most notably with the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies for the NBA on TNT, Atlanta Braves, Superbowl XXV, Disney, Busch Gardens, and Anne Reinking’s Broadway Theater Project. Favorite roles include Don Lockwood (Singin’ in the Rain), Mike (A Chorus Line), Pal Joey (Pal Joey), Tulsa (Gypsy), and Action (West Side Story). Ron has choreographed scores of musicals and even the video game motion capture choreography for Hannah Montana: The Movie. His choreography and performances have earned first overall in jazz, tap, and musical theater at National dance competitions. You can see Ron improvise regularly at SAK Comedy Lab where he also teaches improvisational acting. He received his B.A. from Emory Univ. in computer science, religion, and dance, followed by a Master of Entertainment Technology degree from Carnegie Mellon. He has leveraged these programming and design skills to work for Walt Disney Imagineering (Toontown Online, Magic Words with Mickey), Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, and Electronic Arts (Madden, Tiger Woods). A professor by day, Ron is the Technical Design Director at FIEA, UCF’s graduate video game development program, currently ranked #1 in the world by the Princeton Review
Stephanie Crane
Stephanie started dancing at the age of six and hasn’t stopped yet! Growing up in Minnesota, she trained in a variety of styles including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, kick, pom, and musical theatre. She danced competitively both with a studio and on her school dance team, and later she trained at a pre-professional ballet studio. She then auditioned at Walt Disney World where she performed for five years, being selected to dance in multiple special events during her time there. Stephanie also has twenty years’ experience teaching and coaching dance. She has taught at studios in Florida and Minnesota, judged competitions, choreographed musicals, and has started school dance team programs from the ground up. With a degree in Elementary Education, Stephanie spent thirteen years at Windermere Preparatory School as a teacher and varsity dance team coach, where she started the lower school dance program and served as Dance Department Lead. She is always excited to continue to share her love and passion for dance with her students.
Camille Piovanetti
Camille Piovanetti, originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico began her dance training at the age of three years old. Dance has since been a significant part of her life, having been an enduring source of inspiration to her. She participated in winter showcases for Puerto Rico’s School for the Performing Arts and had the opportunity to compete in many dance competitions. In addition to being a part of Disney’s Lion King crew, she has showcased her performance skills for the Orlando Magic and Solar Bears. Ms. Camille’s high energy allows her to juggle her pre-law studies at UCF, while also serving as a nanny to young children and teaching dance! She is a passionate dance teacher for all ages from young children through adult learners. She imparts a deep love for dance through well-planned lessons and hands-on activities, earning top marks from her students for fun, engaging and in-depth classes. Ms. Camille enjoyed getting to know many students from The Dancer’s Pointe through subbing last year and is excited to help them develop their abilities on a weekly basis this year!
Staci Matz
Ms. Staci Matz, a Central Florida native, began her dance journey at The Dancer’s Pointe at the age of six and remained with the studio through her early high school years before joining the Boone High School Bravette’s dance team. As a competitor, she won multiple titles with the Pointe of Impact dance team and even performed on the iconic stages of Disney. After starting her family, Ms. Staci returned to the area and now enjoys sharing her passion for dance with her two daughters, who also train at The Dancer’s Pointe. As a school teacher, parent, and previous student, Ms. Staci is thrilled to be back at the studio where it all began, inspiring the next generation of dancers.
Margie Chan, Office Manager
Shelley Reardon, Office Manager