Faculty

Sarah grew up in Windsor, Connecticut and began dancing at age three with Connecticut Concert Ballet under Wendy Fish-Lawrence and David Lawrence. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ballet Pedagogy from The Hartt School Dance Division at the University of Hartford, where she expanded her training across contemporary, jazz, and modern dance. Sarah has taught at Alyce Carella Dance Centre, Connecticut Concert Ballet, and through an internship with the Hartt School Community Division, and has attended summer intensives with Orlando Ballet, Hartt Community Division, and Ballet Hartford.

Eliza specializes in ballet and pointe and is beginning her second year teaching at ACDC. She began studying ballet at age three with Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, later trained at The Brookline Ballet School, and graduated with distinction from Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Mathematics. Eliza also spent a year as a Trainee with Ballet Hartford, performed in classical excerpts and new choreography by Claire Kretzschmar, and currently dances as a company member with Woodbury Ballet Theatre.

Lucy has been dancing since she was 2 years old, training at Alyce Carella Dance Centre in tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and country line. She started as an assistant teacher at 14 and began teaching her own classes at 18. Over the next 10 years, she worked with dancers of all ages, with a focus on preschool and elementary-aged students.

Her classes combined strong technical instruction with a fun, positive environment where dancers could build confidence and develop a love for dance. She has experience teaching recreational and competitive dancers and enjoys helping each student grow at their own pace.

After taking time off to raise her children, Lucy continued working with young children as a Kindermusik educator, teaching music and movement classes for infants through preschoolers. She is currently a preschool teacher at Squadron Line Elementary School in Simsbury, where she brings the same energy and creativity into the classroom every day.

Lucy is also a member of the Stompin' Boots Country Line Performance Team, allowing her to stay active as both a performer and instructor.

With over 30 years of dance experience and more than a decade of teaching, Lucy is excited to share her knowledge and love of dance with the next generation.

Ms. Kelly began her dance training at Alyce Carella, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and pointe. She began teaching at Alyce Carella in 2021–2022 as a hip-hop instructor.

In 2022, Ms. Kelly moved to Long Island, New York, to pursue her passion for dance at Hofstra University. During her four years at Hofstra, she performed in 25 productions and choreographed nine original works. She recently graduated with her BFA in Performance.

While living on Long Island, Ms. Kelly continued to share her passion for dance through teaching at local dance schools. She taught summer classes in contemporary, jazz, and technique, as well as ballet and technique classes throughout the year.

Ms. Kelly is excited to continue her teaching career in Connecticut. She currently teaches at Alyce Carella in West Hartford and Dance City and the Arts in Southington. She is passionate about helping dancers develop their technique, confidence, creativity, and love for dance.