Miss. Christine

Owner & Director

Miss Christine Mignone-Morena has been the proud owner and director of Bedazzle Dance Studio since 2005. From a young age, Miss Christine discovered her passion for dance, training extensively and competing at the highest levels. Her lifelong dedication to the art led her to study with some of the best teachers and choreographers in the industry, shaping her into both a versatile dancer and a skilled mentor.

With over two decades of leadership at Bedazzle, Miss Christine has built more than just a dance studio—she has created a second home for her students and families. Her love for dance shines through in every class, rehearsal, and performance, and she takes great pride in sharing that passion with the community. Miss Christine’s mission has always been to inspire, educate, and nurture dancers of all ages, helping them not only grow in their technique but also in their confidence, discipline, and joy for the art form.

For Miss Christine, Bedazzle Dance Studio is more than a business—it’s a family, a dream realized, and a place where the love of dance is celebrated every day.

Mr. Chris

Mr. Christopher Marinelli is a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer from Staten Island, New York. He grew up training here at Bedazzle Dance, competing in national dance competitions from 8 to 18 years old, where he has won numerous awards consisting of not just overall placements, platinums, perfect platinums and elites but special judges and student choreography awards as well.

He then chose to continue his training as an adult at the professional level all around NYC, dancing under choreographers such as Luam, Candace Brown, Miguel Zarate and Miles Keeney at Broadway Dance Center, Brickhouse NYC and Peridance Capezio Center. He has a diverse repertoire being trained in almost every style of dance from Hip Hop to Ballet, including Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. To this day you can find Mr. Chris continuing to train, to adapt with the ever changing dance industry and ensure his training is always relevant to the culture of right now.

Mr. Chris has performed all over the tristate area including Six Flags Great Adventure, Richmond County Fair, Hudson Terrace, and Somy Hall just to name a few. You can find him featured in some pop star music videos as well, including Todrick Hall. While teaching is his priority he still finds time to perform and you can find him performing in a Lady Gaga Tribute Show for New Hampshire Pride this Fall.

He has taught students across the tristate as well including the prominent Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn College's Children/Teen Dance Program. His choreography is designed to challenge a student enabling them to grow while also storytelling and entertaining an audience. Mr. Chris brings a vibrant energy and intense passion to every class he teaches and loves creating a lasting impact on students who he believes are the next generation of dance.

Miss. Kayla

Miss Kayla Affrunti is a New York City based dance artist and educator. Growing up in the borough of Staten Island she began her dance career in competition dance, getting the opportunity to build athleticism and discipline and explore various avenues of the art. After deciding to focus on concert dance Miss Kayla continued pre-professional training at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts and received her BFA in Dance from Montclair State University. Some influential artists in her education include Maleek Washington, Christian Von-Howard, Frederick Earl Mosley, Maxine Steinman, Lynne Grossman, and Nancy Lushington amongst others! Miss Kayla greatly appreciates the vast knowledge she received from her past mentors that she can now synthesize and offer to her over 200 weekly students. Professionally, Miss Kayla spent a season with the Balasole dance company (director Roberto Villanueva), and two seasons with the Afro-modern company Torch Dance Theatre (directors Kenya Joy-Gibson and Maxwell Louis) as well as freelance performing before taking time to focus on teaching. Miss Kayla has written her own curriculum aimed at creating a strong foundation of elite artistic movement built progressively. She is inspired by Progressing Ballet Technique, the Cecchetti and Cuban schools of Ballet, and of course her own unique journey through dance training. This curriculum and all of Miss Kayla’s teaching emphasizes shaping the whole dancer, who is a human first and must be guided into a learning-based mindset that is imperative to successful dancing. She is thankful for all of her hardworking students!

Miss Nicole

Miss Nicole Bressi- began her athletic journey as an All-Star cheerleader, training and competing on prestigious Worlds-level teams in both Staten Island, NY, and New Jersey. In 2016, she brought her passion and expertise to Bedazzle Dance Studio, where she has been teaching both recreational and competitive acro ever since.

With a strong background in gymnastics and years of hands-on experience, Nicole is dedicated to helping dancers build strength, flexibility, and confidence through acro. In addition to her dance training, she has worked as a paraprofessional and has experience supporting children with special needs—something that has given her a patient, encouraging, and adaptable teaching style.

Nicole loves sharing her knowledge and inspiring dancers to push past limits while always keeping safety and proper technique at the forefront.

Miss. Jenna

Miss Jenna Derleth grew up dancing at Bedazzle Dance Studio and has returned to share her passion and expertise with the next generation of dancers. She continued her dance journey through college as a member of the Wagner College Dance Team, where she honed her skills in technique, performance, and teamwork. In addition to her dance career, Jenna is a dedicated occupational therapist, bringing a deep understanding of body mechanics, movement, and injury prevention to her teaching. Her unique blend of professional experience and lifelong dance training allows her to create classes that are both fun and educational, helping dancers build confidence, strength, and artistry.