Modern Motion Leadership Team

Ginger Haithcox

Executive Director
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Ginger started Modern Motion in 2005 after her college ballet instructor in college encouraged her to pursue founding a nonprofit dance company. Founded in 2010, Modern Motion Dance School had humble beginnings with Monday night classes all taught by Ginger while she built her career in non-profit ministries and youth serving organizations. 

Her childhood dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pointe was completed at Miss Kim's School of Dance and later she continued her dance education at Raritan Valley Community College - after having already earned her BA in Religion and Cultural Anthropology at Douglass College, Rutgers University. Her continuing education in dance and studio management include classes at Dance Teacher Summit, the Dancelife Retreat Center, the Studio Expansion program, MusicWorks Dance Teacher Connection, IDEA Business Summit and the Dancelife Teacher Conference. Ginger is a Leader with the Gold Alliance executive coaching program and is on the 2022 Faculty of the Dancelife Teacher Conference in Uncasville, CT.

Dustin Ciano

Manager of Business Operations
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​The performing arts has been a very large part of Dustin's life since he was first introduced to musical theater at the age of three.  When he was about ten years old, Dustin began learning trumpet and quickly transitioned from the stage to the pit band.  Dustin graduated from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 2018 with a B.S in music education and is now pursuing a career as a professional trumpet player. 

​He has performed in pit bands for countless musicals, performed in bands at Dorney Park in Allentown, PA and HersheyPark in Hershey, PA, has been part of four different stage shows at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, and has performed with local bands and orchestras. Dustin will be playing trumpet in the National Tour of Hairspray from November 2021 through June 2022.

Kate Raymond

Program Director
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​​Kate has been passionately involved in the performing arts her entire life -  theater, dance, and both vocal and instrumental music. Kate is a long time Stage Manager and Executive Board Member of Playhouse 22 in East Brunswick, NJ. She also appears on stage from time to time. Some of her favorite on-stage productions are Hairspray (Brenda/Ensemble), Gypsy (Electra), Crazy for You (Betsy), and Urinetown (Poor Ensemble) all at Playhouse 22.  Kate is also a theatrical choreographer for local community theaters and has choreographed a number of shows, including Guys and Dolls, Once Upon a Mattress, Sweet Charity, Anything Goes, and Bye Bye Birdie. She loves her role as Program Director here at Modern Motion, where she is continuously working on new programs for our students to evolve and build confidence. Seeing students become their best self is one of her greatest joys. Kate is also extremely bless with her two sons, Thomas and Henry and is excited to pass the love of the arts on to them!

Modern Motion Administrative Team

Angela Brackett

 Manager of Student Advancement
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New Jersey native, Angela’s background is in “Steppin”, Liturgical, Ballet and Contemporary dance. She studied in the Performing Arts program at Raritan Valley Community College and  majored in Dance and minored in Cultural Anthropology at CUNY Hunter College. While attending CUNY Hunter College she was a member of the Hunter College Dance Company where she had the opportunity to perform and tour with pieces choreographed by Ronald K. Brown and Robin Dunn. 

After the completion of her studies she auditioned for New York City based Step Company know as Soul Steps, LLC that she has been a member of for the past 8 years. While in Soul Steps, they toured both nationally and internationally, taught workshops and held residences.  Three years ago, Soul Steps along with thirty other women came to form Team Vicious and appeared in Paris Fashion Week, where they “Stomped The Runway” wearing the SS14 line of designer Rick Owens. Angela is the company coordinator for our Teen Company.

Nachanta Powell

Business Operations Specialist
​Nachanta, a Somerset native, graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Psychology and has an extensive work background in Office Management, Accounting and Finance. During her childhood, she was trained in hip hop, jazz and modern dance and performed at George Street Playhouse and Mason Gross Theaters.  A Proud mother of 2, Nachanta enjoys baking, reading, and crafting, and recently started an independent Natural Lip Balm Business with her oldest daughter, Aubri.

Bonnie QuaasBerryman

Program Specialist

​Bonnie has been dancing since she was 3 years old, and has studied all different forms including: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary/Modern, Musical Theatre, and Hip Hop. She has served as a choreographer for over 4 years working on everything from Musical Theatre productions to Dance showcases to Choral choreography. Bonnie is currently working towards her BFA in Dance from Rutgers University and the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Modern Motion Faculty

Deanna Destito

Dance Teacher

​Deanna began dancing at age 4 at Madelyn’s School of Dance in Bayonne, NJ, studying tap, ballet, and jazz. At age 13, she transferred to The Dance Academy of NJ to train in ballet, pointe, musical theater, and jazz more intensely. After studying Dance, Theater, and English at Montclair State University, Deanna continued her dance training at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and Princeton Ballet (American Repertory Ballet). She has served as choreographer for several musicals including Little Shop of Horrors, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, and The King and I. Her performance credits include Brigadoon, Oklahoma, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Anything Goes, and many others. In addition, Deanna has been featured in a variety of film projects both as a dancer and an actor.

​Deanna specializes in Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, Pointe, and Modern. She also teaches Musical Theater, Creative Dance, Tap, and Acro, with students ranging from 2 ½ years old to Adult. Formerly a preschool teacher, Deanna uses her extensive study of early childhood education to develop a creative curriculum for the young dancer. Deanna is also a trained vocalist and pianist who incorporates her knowledge of music theory into all of her dance classes.

Marielena Guthrie

Art Teacher

Marielena is a New Jersey-based artist and a recent graduate from Kean University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and a minor in Art History. Her work has appeared in four exhibitions at Kean during her time there. Most recently, Marielena collaborated with other artists at Kean in a Student Showcase, Build Wide Then Up. The show highlighted each artist's backstory and cultural roots. Her work takes inspiration from Van Gogh, Matisse and Frida Kahlo and she enjoys working with acrylic paints, watercolor, and color pencils.

Marielena is currently working as an Art Teacher’s assistant at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey; interacting and engaging with students in artistic activities; such as ceramics, painting, sculpture, among others. Marielena is excited to join the team at Modern Motion as the school expands its arts offerings.

Emily Tanis

Dance Teacher

Emily began dancing at the age of two and continued dancing all throughout college at Rider University. She was a choreographer for both the Rider Dance Team and the Rider Dance Ensemble. Her dancing and choreography have won various national awards throughout her career. She encourages creativity in the classroom and inspires her students to perform their best both on and off the stage. Emily is the Company Coordinator for our Hip Hop and Junior Companies.