Staff

Melissa Fudale, Director

Melissa studied Ballet, Jazz and Pointe for over fourteen years at the Greenwich Ballet Workshop under the direction of Felicity Foote, and at Allegra Dance Studio both in Greenwich, CT. She is also licensed to teach aerobics, dance fitness and Pre and Post-natal fitness. She began her business training in 1989 by working in various corporate positions and most recently was the CFO for Thomas W Fudale Painting and Wallpapering. Since 2005, Melissa works as a Professional Assistant with children with disabilities at the Greenwich High School. She also volunteers as a Brownie Troop Leader with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut. She had been a part of the defunct Norwalk Dance Academy since 2004 helping the founder organize events for the competition team and accepted the position of Events Planner in 2007. She has fullfilled a lifelong dream by opening her own studio, the Norwalk Academy of Dance .

Stephanie Lietchnam, Ballet, Lyrical, Modern

Stephanie began teaching while still in high school at the Basically Ballet School in New Jersey, where she trained. She received a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase College. While studying there she taught for the Purchase Youth Ballet. After graduating she danced professionally in New York City for several ballet and modern companies including Lydia Johnson Dance, Michael Mao, Company Elke Rindfleich, and Nancy Turano, among others. Miss Stephanie always wanted to teach as much as she wanted to dance so after a few years she retired from performing and began teaching full time. Miss Stephanie believes strongly in the importance of ballet as a base for most other styles of dance. She believes anatomy is an important part of dance education, so she often brings her plastic skeleton, Isadora, to class to teach students about their alignment and structure. She does not use just one method, but incorporates lessons from Vaganova and Cecchetti syllabi, as well as her own more neoclassical background. Her modern class is based on Graham, Cunningham, and Limon techniques.

Gianna Vinelli, Front Desk and Sub for TBC, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop

Gianna has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and modern. She trained as a teacher under Jennifer Risola and has taught TBC, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap and Lyrical. She has danced competitively on the Norwalk Dance Academy’s platinum-award-winning Competition Dance Team. Gianna also worked the front desk of Norwalk Dance Academy as an office assistant, offering friendly customer service and tackling a multitude of behind-the-scenes tasks with poise and versatility, from typing to sewing. She is currently a student at Fairfield University studying to pursue a career in marketing. While continuing to work the front desk at NAoD, Gianna has now taken on numerous tasks from designing studio event flyers to ordering recital costumes. She is happy to assist NAoD’s staff and costumers whether it is substituting a class or answering your questions.

Jennifer Franzetti, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop

A dancer since the age of three, Jennifer has studied Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Modern, and Hip Hop. She received her Bachelors Degree in Dance and Theater from Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY. She currently teaches for a studio in Stamford teaching children and adults ballet, jazz, lyrical and tap. In addition to her teaching, she has also instructed a tap class for the Senior Citizens at the Senior Center in Stamford. Jennifer also teaches hip-hop and modern for the Continuing Adult Education Program in Stamford and during the summers she is head of the dance program for Long Ridge Camp in Stamford. Jennifer also has instructed for Kinderdance and Arthur Murray. Aside from teaching, Jennifer also enjoys performing. She recently was a part of the theater production “Mack and Mabel” and performed and choreographed for many dance concerts and ensemble performances in college where she received the Manhattanville Achievement Award. She has worked with some of the best in the industry including Barbara Duffy for tap, Earl Mosley from Alvin Ailey School, and Frank Hatchett for jazz technique. Today, Jennifer continues to teach, perform, and audition, as she loves to be on stage!

Diana Lisi, Lyrical, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop

Diana has been dancing all her life and never wants to stop. Dancing since the age of 4, Diana has studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Lyrical, Musical Theater, Irish, and Swing Dance. Diana began teaching in her Junior year of High School at Connecticut Dance in Monroe, CT, where studied dance growing up. Diana then went on to receive a BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University C.W. Post Campus. She has worked with many great dancers/choreographers such as, Merle Hollaman and Rafael Bumualia of the Limon Dance Company, Arthor Aviles of the Bill T Jones Company, and Orion Duckstein of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. One of Diana’s works, “Notice Me” was selected out of many to be performed at the 2006 American College Dance Festival. Diana currently continues to study at Broadway Dance Center, and is thrilled to be part of Norwalk Academy of Dance!

Nisha Govil, Lyrical, Jazz, Ballet, Tap

Nisha has been dancing for 12 years and has trained in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, hip hop, tap, ballet, and pointe. She has competed for several years winning numerous medals and awards. She was on the Quinnipiac Dance Company for four years as an active choreographer and performer. She has been teaching since 2004 and is a Dance Educators of America certified dance teacher in jazz, modern, tap, ballet, and acrobatics. Nisha trained for four years at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center in NYC. She has also trained and performed in the Indian style of dance Kathak. She is still actively dancing, competing, and teaching as she loves to do it all!



Samantha Litvak, Lyrical, Tap, Ballet, Modern, Jazz

Sam’s dance training began at the age of 2 and she hasn’t stopped since.  She trained in tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, and pointe and competed for many of those years, winning titles at both the regional and national level.  She performed in the Nutcracker with Ballet for Young Audiences and later was a featured soloist with the Livingston Symphony Orchestra.  While in high school, she began assisting tap dancer Nick DiNicolangelo at the Adrenaline Dance Convention.  She is still assisting with the convention and has gotten the opportunity to work with teachers such as Sonya Tayeh, Nick Zborowski, and Melody Lacayanga.  In 2008, Sam was the recipient of the Harlequin Dance Scholarship and wanted to continue her dance training in college.  She is receiving her BS in Sociology from Quinnipiac University and is currently a choreographer, performer, and the President of the Quinnipiac Dance Company.  Sam is now also a teacher for Syn.Co.Pate, a week long tap intensive and she has taught master classes for several studios across the US.  She has been lucky enough to train with tappers Chloe Arnold, Danny Wallace, Emily Shoemaker, and Alicia Monaco and continues to attend festivals and conventions to make sure that her classes are the best they can be.

Brittany Randazzo, TBC, Tap, Hip-Hop

Brittany has trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Modern and Hip-Hop. She has trained as a student teacher under Jennifer Risola for two years. She has danced competitively on the Norwalk Academy of Dance's high-score winning dance competition team. Brittany has also worked the front desk at Norwalk Dance Academy as an intern, then as an office assistant. She is currently a student at Norwalk Community College to get her associates degree in early childhood education. She then plans to transfer and double major in Dance and early childhood education.



Tatiana Violeta Chishlom, Hip-Hop

Tatiana has taught and choreographed extensively in Southwestern Connecticut including Notre Dame High and Kolbe Cathedral High School and the Norwalk and Westport YMCAs. As well as winning awards with her energetic choreography at college dance competitions representing Quinnipiac University. She truly has a joy when she is teaching children. Her goal as a dance teacher is to challenge herself as well as her students. She likes for her students to feel comfortable dancing and enjoy the art of dance as well as the music. Her favorite saying is”there is no such thing as I can’t do it”, because anything can be accomplished when you put your mind and your heart in it. Tatiana makes it her priority to make sure that her students leave her class with a smile and feeling proud of themselves.