Directors & Instructors

Yasko Takeno-Williams is the founder and director of Sunnyside Ballet Studio. She  served as a co-director of Washington Rock Youth Ballet in Central New Jersey where she taught over 15 years. Yasko received her BFA in dance from University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has extensive training in classical ballet in Tokyo where she performed various roles in classical productions. Upon her arrival to the U.S., she continued to study ballet with Andra Corvino and Jackie Vilamille in New York while performing with modern dance companies such as Arch Dance Company, Gabriel Masson Dance, Sonia Dawkins Prism Dance Theatre, Philadanco II and others. Yasko has performed at numerous venues such as Kennedy Center in DC, The DUKE on 42nd street, Pace downtown theater and so on. She is also a certified Pilates trainer both in mat and apparatus since 2005. She is an American Ballet Theater Certified Teacher for Primary level through level Three of the ABT National Training Curriculum. One of her goals is to provide a place and education for young children to immerse themselves to the art of dance.

Ms. Hitomi Miyauchi started her classical ballet training at Rei Classical Ballet Institute in Japan at the age of four. During her training she performed as Clara in the Nutcracker and other numerous rolls in Coppelia, Don Quixote and so on.

Upon her 2006 arrival in the states she continued her ballet training as well as Jazz, Tap, Contemporary and Theater dance. She holds a BA from Atomi University in Tokyo. Ms. Hitomi also appeared on K-broadway as well as several TV commercials in Japan. She has been working at SBS since 2011and enjoys teaching younger children as well as older students on pointe and private instructions.

Ms.Melissa Orlando has been dancing for more than 30 years. She received her dance training from Debi Ferber-Klein in Rockland County, with a focus on ballet. In addition, Melissa studied ballet at the University of Utah – with teachers formerly of NYC Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet, among others. Previously, Melissa taught dance at Debi’s Dance Shop, in Pomona, NY –including children’s tap/ballet classes, various levels of ballet, including pointe and private coaching.  She has a strong interest in choreography and intertwining of classical dance with modern music, making ballet accessible to younger, more diverse audiences. Melissa has completed Teaching Artist Training with the National Dance Institute for “Teaching Dance to Special Populations” and is an American Ballet Theatre-certified teacher of the National Training Curriculum for Pre-Primary through Level 3.

Ballet Estelle Botella is from Paris, France and trained at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts where she graduated in 2011. She spent summers training at Boston Ballet School, Colorado Ballet Academy, and the Royal Ballet School. She went on to dance as a trainee with American Repertory Ballet for two years. She joined Connecticut Ballet in 2013 where she was featured as Clara in their Nutcracker alongside Julie Kent and Alexander Hammoudi and spent a year with Manassas Ballet Theatre. In 2015, Estelle moved to Germany to dance with JSLN Dance Company where she spent two years touring Europe performing numerous works of classical and neoclassical ballet. In September 2017, Estelle was featured on French national television in the TV show “Prodigies” on France2 where she performed with the Winter Palace Saint Petersburg Ballet. Recently, Estelle performed with Connecticut Ballet, Thomas Ortiz Dance, Ballet for Young Audiences, Lydia Johnson Dance, Jersey City Ballet. Estelle has taught kids and adults for the past five years throughout the tristate area. She is an enthusiastic teacher who loves to introduce ballet to whoever wants to learn.

Pas de Deux Chihwan Kim

Modern (Graham Technique) Jeffrey Shirbroun is a dancer, artist, and teacher. Growing up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, he studied dance from an early age at the Bainbridge Dance Center, under the direction of Susan Thompson. Jeffrey continued his creative endeavors, graduating Instituto Marangoni, in Paris, France, with a degree in Fashion Design. Upon graduation he worked in fashion for a few years but longed for modern dance. He moved to NYC and joined Graham 2, and later earned his Teacher’s Certification from the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. He is very thrilled and honored to share in the Graham legacy, teaching this beautiful technique

Hiphop / Tap Arleigh Rothenberg has been a featured Tap Dancer at the world famous Cotton Club for 10 years under the direction of Dormeshia, and has performed in numerous shows by Derick K. Grant and Dormeshia. Arleigh has made several appearances on television shows such as Good Morning America and Sesame Street, and has choreographed for Flash Mobs, a social media campaign for a celebrity pop artist, and several music videos. Additional commercial work includes a “create with miadidas” international commercial. Arleigh holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Ithaca College, where she studied Television-Radio, with a Concentration in Video Production.

Street Dance Tomoko Ishikawa was born and raised in Tokyo, where she started her career as a dancer. She then moved to New York to find new inspiration. Tomoko has worked with various teachers and choreographers all over NYC. She has become busy with her own teaching and work, She has performed with various artists such as Cardi B, Missy Elliott, French Montana, Remy ma, Ciara, Madonna, Lil Kim, and Backstreet Boys. She has been featured in a Fashion brand “Converse” commercial. Numerous well known studios in Asia have invited her for special workshops.

Tomoko will continue to garner attention in both NYC and Japan as an innovative hiphop dancer and choreographer.

Guest Artists

Ballet Dona Wiley Kim

Contemporary Eriko Sugimura (Complexion Contemporary Ballet) Ballet/

Contemporary Morgan Sttinet