Tawn Marie Lombardo

Tawn Marie began dance training at age six. Since then, she has studied tap, ballet, jazz, and lyrical dance with many wonderful teachers. After dreaming for many years of opening her studio, Tawn Maries Dance Centre was opened in 1996.

Since then, she taught thousands of students from all over CNY. Tawn’s students have won hundreds of regional and national titles. Tawn has won over 200 choreography awards. She was the recipient of the Woman in Leadership Award from Channel 5. 

In 2003, Tawn Maries Dance Centre was featured in Dance Teacher Magazine as one of the top 50 studios in the US, and in 2014 and 2015, It was chosen as the 20th Top Studio in the US by BDancewear.com! It has also won the title of Top Junior Studio in the US in 2014 at USTD Nationals, and her student was crowned Miss Dance of the US in 2014.

The studio is also active in community events and performed “A Christmas Fantasy,” for the city of Syracuse for many years. Currently, Tawn is a national adjudicator for competitions and has choreographed for national dance teams. Tawn is certified to teach by Dance Masters of America #8.

Cherish Furcinito

Cherish trained in her early years at Tawn Marie’s Dance Centre and Center of Ballet and Dance Arts under the direction of Tawn Campolieti and Deborah Boughton respectively. She won many competitions regionally and nationally and assisted at several conventions. She received a full scholarship to The University of the Arts under the direction of Donna Faye and attained her BFA in dance. She worked with artists such as Katie Swords, Meredith Rainey, Michael Sheridan, Mark Caserta, Justin Allen, and Sidra Bell.

She also preformed for Nigel Lythgoe and Jeff Thacker’s So You Think You Can Dance Dizzy feet Gala in California under the direction of Mandy Moore and Nick Lazzarini. She also performed for Capezio’s 125th Anniversary in New York City. She loves to create meaningful art through movement. She is passionate about teaching and seeing her students grow in all ways as artists and humans. 

Jessica Kurz

Jessica, Born and raised here in Syracuse, New York, She began dancing at the age of 3. At age 5 she starting dancing with TMDC under the direction of Tawn and staff continuing through her high school career! During that time Jessica was on the competition team, competing at regional and national levels, traveling with the studio to Florida to dance for Disney’s Magic Music Days!

She also extended her training during through out the years and summers traveling to NYC, Buffalo, Rochester and more taking many different classes in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, and modern giving her the opportunity to train under many artists and widen her skills and abilities throughout. After graduating she moved to Florida to work at Universal Studios Orlando, working and traveling with Marc Mero’s Think Poz tour performing and teaching to children of all ages.

Jessica returned to Syracuse in 2014 and started teaching/substituting on both recreational and competitive levels with local Studios in the Syracuse area. During this time she started performing with the Syracuse Silver Knights dance team traveling to local event and teaching as well. Jessica is excited to be starting her 1st season here with TMDC and can’t wait to share her love and passion with you all!

Emily-Anne

Emily-Anne began choreographing at just 15 years old, and her passion for dance continues to inspire every piece she creates. Trained in a wide range of styles, she combines strong technical foundations with meaningful storytelling, while fostering confidence, creativity, and personal growth in her students.

She earned her B.A. in Dance from Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts before joining Broadway Dance Center and The PULSE On Tour, traveling nationwide alongside some of the industry's leading choreographers. Emily-Anne later served as Assistant Artistic Director at Lisa's Centre of Dance Artistry in Oswego, NY, and spent 11 years as Lead Choreographer and Team Director at Legacy Dance Academy in Los Angeles, CA.

Now a freelance choreographer and educator, Emily-Anne teaches throughout New York and Los Angeles. Her choreography has been featured at SUNY Oswego and UCLA, and she has judged for national competitions including KAR, Ultra and Rainbow. Her work has earned numerous choreography awards, including FDC's People's Choice Award, and she was honored as KAR Nationals Teacher of the Year in Anaheim, CA.

Emily-Anne is thrilled to be back in her hometown, sharing her love of dance alongside the next generation of artists. 

Hannah Cherry

Hannah began her formal dance training at Philadelphia Dance Theatre (PDT). She has attended summer intensives on full tuition scholarships to The School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Ms Cherry was awarded the Outstanding Soloist award in the senior classical division for the 2020 Regional Dance of America. After PDT, Hannah continued her training as a trainee with Charlotte Ballet. She has had the honor of Patricia McBride setting Balanchine roles directly on her, including the principal in Balanchine's Raymonda Variations and the Jumping Girl in Balanchine's Who Cares?.

Hannah has danced in professional performances of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake with Charlotte Ballet in both corps and demi soloist roles. Ms.Cherry was one of five dancers to be chosen to choreograph for Charlotte Ballet’s 2024 Trainee Choreographic showcase. She has also had the privilege of helping to set Charlotte Ballet's production of The Nutcracker on the younger students. In 2024, Hannah danced principal, demi, and corps roles in Albany Berkshire Ballet’s 50th Anniversary of their Nutcracker tour. Hannah continues to live out her career as a professional dancer and a teacher. She is thrilled to be dancing with Syracuse City Ballet for her first Season.