Lillian Dean Dance Studio

(732) 349-6188
lilliandeandance@aol.com

Dean Dancers - Lillian Dean Dance Studio
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612 Washington Street
Toms River, New Jersey

 

OUR FACULTY

Margie Dean Miller
OWNER | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Margie Dean Miller

Margie Dean Miller began dancing at 2 years old. She studied tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, Irish step dancing, acrobatics, ballroom, Hawaiian, and lyrical. She was a member of her Aunt’s competition group the “Deanettes” and appeared on the Tony Grant Stars of Tomorrow on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, N.J. and on The Ted Mack Amateur Hour TV show.

Not only did she study with Lillian, Margie also studied in New York with Charles Kelly, Luigi, Lynda Gache, Frank Hatchett, Peter Gennaro, Maurice Heinz, Gus Giordano, Madame Swoboda and more. She began student teaching at the studio at 13 and at 16 passed her teaching test and was certified with Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America.

When she was 17, Margie auditioned for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and although accepted, she chose to stay home and choreograph shows. Margie has many choreography credits since 1973 at Ocean County College, Monmouth University, Monsignor Donovan High School, Toms River High Schools East, North and South, Point Pleasant and has done numerous community theater productions. She was on staff at Monmouth University in the dance department and she is a member of the Professional Dance Teacher Association, New Jersey Dance Teachers Guild, Dance Educators of America, and Dance Masters of America Chapter #26.

Margie teaches Tiny Tots, tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, modern, contemporary, and pointe.

 

Melanie Miller
TEACHER | OFFICE MANAGER

Melanie Miller

Melanie Miller began dancing at the age of 3. She graduated Ocean County College with 2 degrees, General Education and Administrative Office Management. She has competed locally and statewide with the studio, where she has also been teaching for the past 15 years. Her training includes New York’s Broadway Dance Center under Frank Hatchett, Savion Glover, Lynda Gache and Art Stone. She has also taken classes with Zakk Manzella who is a member of Iconic Dance Crew that competed on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew.

Melanie’s past performances include: the Summer Olympics in London, Disneyland Paris (2012), The Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center in Walt Disney World, Universal Studios in Orlando, The Costa Atlantica Cruise Ship, and Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. She has also appeared in many local theater company productions.

Melanie teaches Tiny Tots, hip hop, acrobatics, tap, jazz, stretching/conditioning, and troupe.

Meghan Miller VanderPyl
TEACHER

Meghan VanderPyl began dancing at the age of 18 months. She graduated Ocean County College with an Associates degree and Georgian Court College with a degree in Psychology and Elementary Education. Meghan is a Literacy Interventions teacher at the Russell O. Brackman school in Barnegat.  There she runs the Brackman Theatre Company and her schools chapter of the International Junior Thespian Society.  She has competed locally and statewide with the studio, where she has also been teaching for over 30 years. Her training includes New York’s Broadway Dance Center under Frank Hatchett, Savion Glover, Lynda Gache and Art Stone.

Meghan’s past performances include:  Epcot Center in Walt Disney World, Universal Studios in Orlando, The Costa Atlantica Cruise Ship, and Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. She has also appeared in many local theater company productions.  She has also directed and choreographed for several theatre companies in Ocean and Monmouth Counties.

Meghan teaches jazz and lyrical


 

 

"I can’t put into words how much my family and I love Lillian Dean!

I danced with LDDS in my childhood, and some of my closest friends still to this day (20 years later) are my “dance friends"


LARA DUANNO