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About Us
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Meet Our staff (Rehoboth, MA)
MISS COURTNEY MONIZ (OWNER/DIRECTOR)
Miss Courtney brings over 25 years of experience and passion to her students! A former professional dancer and cheerleader for multiple New England sports teams, she combines her love for performance with a strong foundation in technique and choreography.
She graduated from Rhode Island College with a B.S. in Business Management and a Minor in Dance Performance/Education. While at RIC, she was a member of the Rhode Island College Dance Company and performed in numerous professional shows. Since graduating, she has managed and taught various competition teams, trained with top choreographers across the New York and Boston areas, and continues to grow as both a dancer and choreographer.
Under Miss Courtney’s leadership, Empower Dance Industry has appeared on Hulu’s Dance Moms: A New Era Seasons 1 & 2 and has earned numerous awards, including choreography, top studio, sportsmanship, and ClassAct awards. Courtney also remains active in the professional dance world, performing guest roles from time to time, and serves as an adjudicator for WCTE, TCDC, and other dance competitions.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Miss Courtney is thrilled to own Empower Dance Industry, where she is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of dancers. She balances her professional career with her love for teaching, sharing her knowledge, dedication, and passion with every student who walks through the studio doors.
Miss Melanie Ryder
Melanie started dancing at the age of 3 and hasn't stopped since. She was a student at Step Ahead School of Dance (EDI Previous name) for 15 years. Melanie then went on to Springfield College where she received a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Business Management. During her time at Springfield, Melanie was a member of the Springfield College Pride Dance Team, which competed in hip hop and jazz at the regional level in addition to performing at football and basketball games. Melanie was also a member of the Springfield College Dancer's which was a club that performed on campus, in the community and attended a regional dance conference annually. Following her time at Springfield, Melanie continued her education at Lesley University where she received her Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Dance/ Movement Therapy. Throughout her education Melanie taught at Step Ahead and applied her knowledge of dance to her teaching style, allowing her students to develop a stronger understanding of their technique and body awareness.
Miss Melanie is very excited to start a new chapter with EDI! She thrives to continue to share her knowledge of dance in each of her classes as the studio grows together. Miss Melanie is inspired by the talent and passion her dancers bring and is so grateful to work with the EDI team!
Miss Natasha Martin
Miss Natasha is a passionate and experienced choreographer and has been working in the dance industry for fifteen years. She began dancing at the age of five, and has studied Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, Modern, Acrobatics, and Contemporary. Her love of dance was a catalyst to her pursuit of teaching and she continues to share this love with students of all ages. Natasha studied all forms of dance at Rhode Island College, where she was a company dancer and participated in many showcases. Natasha has also studied musical theatre during several summer intensive programs. As a young student she performed and participated in the Manhattan dance project, the Royal Caribbean dance showcase, The Harlem Globetrotters half time show, and dance competitions/conventions throughout the New England Region. She also holds a Master’s degree in social work and thrives to help students utilize dance as an outlet.
Natasha has received many accolades in the competitive dance field which include Choreography awards, First place adjudications, Title awards, and Dance Artistry awards. Most recently her choreography was nominated for the Industry Dance Awards as “best contemporary routine.” Natasha takes pride in learning new techniques and applying them in all choreography endeavors.
As an accomplished dance instructor, Natasha continues building her career by creating new choreography and teaching for several dance studios in the state of Massachusetts. Additionally, she seeks further knowledge of dance as an active member of CLI studios. She is also certified in Alixa flexibility and Youth Protection Advocates in Dance (YPAD). Natasha is excited to pursue this new journey with EDI and will continue to share her skills and training with EDI dancers.
Miss Sophie DiRenzo
Miss Sophie began her dance training in 2009 right here at Empower Dance Industry, and has been competing since 2013. She has developed a strong and versatile foundation in styles including Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, Hip Hop, and Heels. She is also a member of Team Atlantic, the partner team for Take Center Stage Dance Challenge.
Over the past several years, Sophie has worked as one of our assistant teachers and has started teaching independently for our younger competition dancers, and combo classes. Miss Sophie takes a lot of pride in guiding young dancers as they begin their dance journey! Miss Sophie is continuing her own dance education at Dean College where she is studying a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, with a track in Studio Management. In her time there, she is studying dance and business daily, while performing in various shows. She is also a member of the Dean College Pom team, where she she trains and performs at events and competitions.
Miss Lilyana Arnold
Miss Lilyana has been dancing for over 17 years and began her training right here at EDI, the studio she still proudly calls home!
She was a member of the competitive dance team for over eight years, participating in numerous competitions and conventions while training with a wide variety of professional dancers and instructors. Throughout her training, she has performed in many styles, with a strong focus on jazz and contemporary.
In addition to her dance background, Lilyana was a competitive cheerleader for her high school, where she served as team captain and helped lead her team to multiple state championships. She was also named 2025 Athlete of the Year, recognizing her dedication, leadership, and athletic excellence.
Lilyana was previously a student teacher at EDI for many years under the direction of Miss Courtney. She loves sharing her love of movement with young dancers!
She now attends Rhode Island College, majoring in Nursing with a minor in Dance, blending her passion for both care and creativity.
She is excited to bring her energetic dance and cheer experience to the students of EDI and inspire the next generation of dancers.