Testimonials

Lovely Program

Hi Madeline ~

Thank you for the very lovely program on Wednesday. The children (and adults) really enjoyed themselves & the opportunity you provided for them to experience a broad variety of dance & music. I look forward to future collaborative efforts with you; let me know if you'd like to do it again! Thanks again & have a great weekend!

Patricia S. Walsh
Principal
Milton Elementary School
Marlboro CSD

Heart Full of Joy

Dear Madeline,

It is with a heart full of joy that I send this message to you. Kristina has been accepted into the Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of Buffalo - Class of 2012! This acceptance means that Kristina was minimally in the top 1/3 of those that auditioned for fall 2009. We were told that they only have room for 28 freshmen to join the dance program this fall, so it is a select few.

I am so proud of her and how hard she has worked at everything she does. Kristina did not make the top 10 in her HS graduating class, but she definitely has made the top 5%. She's always been an honors student and will finish this year with 22 college credits.

I want to thank you & all the wonderful teachers that Kristina has had during her 11 years at Madeline's Dance Center. You all have attributed to her talents, her time management & disciplines. You are credited for the various influences that has enabled her to grow to be the wonderful person she is. I know Kristina wants to tell this news to you, Gina, Abby & Samantha herself - but I had to email you myself...or I was going to burst! :-)

Thank you for everything!

I hope you & your family have a blessed Easter!

Sincerely,
Dorine

Heartfelt Thanks

Dear Madeline,

We just got the good news that Victoria, 13, is accepted into Milton Academy. Thank you so much for writing such a great recommendation letter. The dance talent you and your teachers have helped develop in Victoria for the last eight years will serve her wonderfully well at her new school.

Special thanks also on behalf of my son, Michael, 10, whose hip hop training by your instructors, Abby Goldberg and Nicole Giunta has gotten him representation by the same Manhattan dance agency that represents So You Think You Can Dance stars Wade Robson and Mia Michaels, and Step Up 2 star Robert Hoffman. Michael just landed a commercial for a Cartoon Network "Ben 10" special. We're all very excited.

Your school has provided a fabulous foundation for both of my children, not only in dance, but also by instilling in them a willingness to perform and compete—elements that will help them succeed in school and life in general.

Best,
Sun-Ling Chen, M.D.

Heart Walk

Madeline,

I just wanted to extend a personal thank you for everything you provided for the heart walk. The performances were excellent, everyone was professional, and Francesca was wonderful singing the national anthem! It was a fear with the rain that everyone would walk one lap, return and leave before we could finish up the closing ceremonies. But with your help and the talents of your performers, we held on to pretty much everyone for the closing ceremonies by keeping them entertained. Please pass along to all of your performers how much it was appreciated!

Anthony Verano
Promotions/NTR Director, Cumulus Broadcasting - Poughkeepsie
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'Jump, Shout, Boogie'

Article from the Woodstock Times, Kingston New York - Posted April 2007

Kids, plus adults, make Madeline's Dance Center a family affair

by Will Dendis

The gang at Madeline's Dance Center

Chances are, no matter when you pay Madeline's Dance Center a visit, there's going to be someone dancing in the large mirrored studio, while another group hurries in and out of dressing rooms preparing for a class. Or maybe you'll see kids waiting for their parents, or vice versa. That's because for dedicated denizens of this lodge-like studio at the summit of a steep driveway off 9W south of Marlboro, dancing is more than just a hobby - it's a second life. The school offers classes on tumbling, jazz tap, classical, hip-hop and ballet.

This is a busy time for owner Madeline Bartolotti. She's helping the studio's competitive team prepare for the International Dance Challenge, one of several competitions the studio enters each year, coming up later this month in Albany. Bartolotti also recently teamed up with Radio Disney to do programs in local schools. The first one was two weeks ago at Milton Elementary.

The dance troupe teamed up with Radio Disney, which does its own program involving Disney-themed activities, to help bring entertainment to students unable to go on field trips in these times of defeated school budgets. "We perform with the kids, and get them engaged in some movements," said Bartolotti. "Radio Disney started the idea. If the kids couldn't come out, they would go to them. We do the same sort of show we've been doing for 12 years in schools and community venues." Bartolotti said they are still in the "preliminary stages" of their partnership with Radio Disney, but that the first show went well.

One unique aspect of Madeline's Dance Studio is its adult team. No other studio in the area has one. The team has eight members, all of which have children who are also members of the studio. The team formed five years ago when then-teacher Abby Goldberg encouraged parents, who were at the studio nearly every night anyway waiting for their children, to put on their dancing shoes and give it a whirl. "It's a blast," said Vittoria Sprague. "But it's a lot of work."

Between their own classes and their children's' classes, most team members say they're at the studio every day after work, plus Saturday afternoons. "We wait for each other when we aren't in class," said Stacy Marguglio of New Paltz. "The kids do their homework. This is where their friends are. You're here six days a week, so everyone is family."

Still, some of the team members, particularly the men, are reticent to boast about their dancing. "No one at work knows what I do at night," said Matt Bahr, who spends his days working as a mechanic. Bahr said he hopes his son, also a member of the dance team, looks favorably on his dancing. "We hope they're proud of us and we aren't embarrassing them," he said. "They can look back on this some day and think, 'Wow, my parents used to do dance with me.'"

The team did manage to waylay one junior team member for comment. Jared Sprague, the son of team members George and Vittoria, had this to say about his parents' involvement. "I think it's pretty amazing that adults can dance at their age," he said, to a round of laughter. "I don't feel embarrassed."

Though team members take classes as diverse as hip-hop and ballet, the team concentrates its routine on jazz material exclusively. In the past, team members used to do "character" routines, where they would lip-synch lines and incorporate exaggerated movements into their routines, but they aren't doing that this year. "No cheesy lip-synch stuff," said Marguglio.

The name of this year's jazz performance is called "Jump, Shout, Boogie." According to George Sprague, that name refers to "what happens when our wives tell us to do something. We jump, shout, then boogie."

While the team members joke about dancing quite a bit, all are very serious about it. "When it comes to competition, we want to look good and do well," said Bohr. "The payoff comes with the feeling you get walking off stage."

The competitions are scored by points. Last year, the team got a high gold medal at a large event and a platinum medal the year before.

Wonderful Contribution

Madeline,

Please let your dancers know how genuinely impressed I was with their performance in Lysistrata. Their dancing, acting, and athleticism made a wonderful and thrilling contribution to the second act of the play.

Equally impressive was their professional commitment and demeanor onstage, backstage, and offstage. As Stage Manager, I particularly appreciated their reliable and timely appearances for performances, attention to my announcements, and overall deportment and conduct. They were a pleasure to work with.

I received many compliments from the audience about their performance. They are really a very talented, professional, athletic and beautiful group of performers. Their conduct and talent reflects well on you and on their other instructors. Perhaps we will work again some time.

Sincerely,
John Farrell
Stage Manager: "90 Miles off Broadway"