Meet Your Passion Guides
CALLI ROTHBERG
Calli is the owner and fearless leader of PASSION. She was raised in Beacon since the age of 5 and trained at Hudson River Performing Arts Center throughout her childhood. She then went on to become the captain of the Binghamton University Dance Team thinking that after her last senior performance she may never have the opportunity to step foot on stage again. Thankfully that was not the case and she ended up dancing with DanceWorksNYC for a year and The Bad Girls Club in Charleston, SC for nearly two years.
Her passion for dance and building strong relationships has always been at her core. She is thrilled to fill her hometown with the magic of dance and movement by her adult peers.
You’ll find Calli teaching Heels and Twerk classes at Passion as her desire to express and teach sensuality and sexuality is at the forefront of her dance career today.
You can dance with Calli in Hip Hop 101 (Mondays), Heels 101, (Intermediate) High Heels, and Twerk it Out!
CHRISTINA KILBANE
Chris was born dancing out of the womb! Raised in Ohio, she started playing around and training in tap, jazz, and ballet when she was a toddler, and continued this journey into her adolescence. In 2010 Chris moved to Salt Lake City and strangely enough fell head over heels (literally) in love with Brazilian music and dance. Chris joined a samba school, Samba Fogo, where she studied, instructed, and performed with the group for the next seven years. Chris eventually moved east and began teaching in the Charlottesville, Richmond, DC area and has now transplanted herself to the Hudson Valley!
Chris is a huge proponent of making dance accessible, and spreading joy and connection through community movement!
You can dance with Christina at Samba Movement and Brazilian Funk!
STEPHANIE DECAPRIO
Stephanie discovered shuffling in 2020 and had no idea it would completely transform her life. What started as a curiosity quickly became a passion — a way to express herself, boost her confidence, and connect with an amazing community. Through shuffling, she’s found joy in movement, improved her mental and physical health, and learned just how empowering dance can be.
Now, Stephanie loves helping others experience that same magic — showing that you don’t need a dance background to find your rhythm, your confidence, and your flow.
When she’s not dancing, Stephanie is a proud mom of two and runs her own virtual assistant business, balancing creativity, movement, and family life with heart and hustle.
You can dance with Stephanie at Shuffle 101 and Shuffle N’ Flow!
KELLY ZITKA
Kelly Zitka is originally from Dallas, Texas, where she trained at Dance Industry Performing Arts Center. She received her BFA in Dance at Southern Methodist University, and went on to travel the world dancing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Lines. She toured with Odyssey Dance Theatre’s production of Thriller, and was most recently seen in A.D. Players' production of West Side Story. She loves to teach students of all ages and skill levels, and is beyond thrilled to be a part of the team at Passion!
You can dance with Kelly in Contemporary Feels!
ASHLEA BONDS
Ashlea has participated in the fitness field the majority of her life. Raised by a Texas high school football coach and an occupational therapist, Ashlea learned at an early age the importance of discipline and teamwork which has contributed to her excelling in athletics and academics. After a successful collegiate career in women's volleyball, she has advanced into the fitness industry. As a nationally certified group fitness instructor, Bonds' contagious energy and desire to help her community makes her a driving force in today's fitness world.
• AFAA certified group exercise instructor
• Licensed Zumba Basic 1 & 2, Toning and Gold instructor
• Licensed BollyX instructor
• Shape Up NYC Fitness instructor
• New York Urban Professional volleyball participant
• Collegiate Volleyball player
You can dance with Ashlea in Zumba Glow!
GABRIELLA BASSO
Gabriella first discovered dance when she was enrolled in ballet as a toddler. From there she went on to explore jazz, hip hop, and modern dance throughout her formative years. She studied Geology and Math at SUNY New Paltz, but always carried dance with her. She joined SMACC Dance Crew and was introduced to jazz funk, heels, K-pop, and other urban dance styles. She became captain of her dance team, and lead them in the creation of their first production “WOMXN”. Gabriella is a huge advocate for making dance accessible for everyone to enjoy, grow confidence, and find power in themselves. She started teaching Jazz Funk in 2021 and is excited to continue the dream at Passion, where she has been an active student and performer since 2022.
You can dance with Gabriella in Jazz Fusion!
MARISA PAULL GORST
Marisa Paull Gorst trained at the School of American Ballet in NYC and the Kirov Academy in Washington DC. Most recently onstage in the National Tour of CATS the Musical (’21-’23), she has also danced professionally in the Las Vegas production of The Phantom Of The Opera and with New York City Ballet (children's roles), Miami City Ballet, Albany Berkshire Ballet, New Orleans Ballet Theatre, Dances Patrelle, and other regional companies in and around NYC. Other credits: Billy Elliot (Theatre On Main Street), Little Mermaid (Yorktown Stage). In addition to her onstage career Marisa enjoys teaching and is currently on faculty as an adjunct professor at Vassar College, at Ballet Arts Studio in Beacon, NY and at Ballet Rockland in Garnerville, NY. She has also served at the School of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet in Colorado, the International Ballet School of Bled, Slovenia, and at many other schools including Broadway Dance Center and Peridance in NYC, and The Rock School in Las Vegas, NV. Marisa holds a BA from Smith College, graduating summa cum laude with Highest Honors.
You can dance with Marisa in Bold & Breezy Ballet!
STEPHANIE WALLACE
Stephanie brings over a decade of experience guiding individuals through healing arts, somatic practices, and sacred space facilitation. Having trained in Somatic Healing, feminine spirituality, and trauma-informed facilitation, she bridges the gap between the sacred and the physical body, helping participants unlock the wisdom stored within their bodies. Her work is rooted in creating safe, nurturing environments where participants can explore their sensuality and embody their fullest selves with grace, depth, and compassion.
You can dance with Stephanie in Stretch Lab!
MARCUS FRANKLIN
Marcus Carl Franklin is a polymath with 20+ years of experience in entertainment, from his beginning as an acclaimed child actor, his adolescence signed to a record label, his young adulthood as an independent film and event producer, and his adulthood as an independent creative director and systems designer. As a tap dancer, Marcus has performed internationally as a solo artist, fusing everything from hip-hop to folk music with improvised percussion, sometimes on the fly, by-ear. He was a featured percussionist with Drexel University’s Jazz Orchestra, and a lead performer in various National Tap Festivals as a student, intern, and teaching assistant.
Career Highlights:
- Original cast of Tony award-winning Broadway show Caroline, or Change
- The HBO classic, Lackawanna Blues
- An IFC Spirit Award-nominated performance as Woody in the Bob Dylan collage, I’m Not There
- 20+ years as a tap dancer; global improvisational percussionist
You can dance with Marcus in Tap 101: Fundamentals!
EMILY BARRY
Emily Barry is a Priestess of the River Valley in the Avalon tradition & Sistar of the Stars. She is currently studying to become a Priestess of the Stars in the Avalon tradition. Emily's spiritual path began over a decade ago when she discovered yoga. In 2016, she completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at the Kripalu Center and went on to study 250 hours of Integrative Yoga Therapy there. In 2023, Emily began her dance journey and found Passion, where she experienced the healing and transformative power of movement within this magical space. In 2025, she completed her Liquid Motion certification and is now excited to share her love of dance, intuitive movement, and sensuality as a Passion Guide.
Emily believes that dance is not only a form of expression but also a sacred practice that invites us to honor and embrace our bodies in all their intuitive, powerful, and sensual forms. She creates a safe, welcoming environment for students to explore their unique flow and tap into their inner strength. Whether you're new to dance or an experienced mover, Emily encourages you to listen to your body and connect with your natural rhythm. Her mission is to help you experience the healing, freedom, and joy that comes with moving intuitively and to guide you toward greater self-expression, confidence, and embodiment through the art of Liquid Motion.
You can dance with Emily in Liquid Motion!
KAMARIA CARRINGTON
Kamaria Carrington is a technically trained dancer, choreographer, and teacher with 25+ years of dance experience in Ballet, Rhythm and Broadway Tap, Jazz, Musical Theater, Hip-Hop, West African, Lyrical, Contemporary, Graham, and Horton, with 10+ years of teaching experience in these styles. She began her dance training at the age of 2 at Mind Builders Creative Arts in The Bronx, New York, and continued her training at Newburgh Performing Arts Academy where she was the dance captain of their elite dance team. After her time at NPAA, she continued her dance training at The Ailey School of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where she was a member of their Ailey Student Performance Group and got the opportunity to learn and perform Alvin Ailey repertoire and original works such as Dancing Spirit by Ronald K. Brown, Pessoa Melhor by Tina Bush, and Revelations choreographed by Alvin Ailey himself and staged by the talented Freddie Moore. Kamaria now works as a freelance dancer, actress, and choreographer based in New York.
You can dance with Kamaria at Hip Hop 101 (Thursdays) and Intermediate Hip Hop (Mondays and Thursdays)!
