MK Tap

Miss Kristin - Director
The magic of dance began for Kristin at the tender age of 4 with tap at Carol's Academy of Dance in Lancaster. While she thought it made too much noise and wanted to stop, her mother convinced her to persevere, and today her feet won't stop tapping. "Whoever said sunshine brings happiness, has never danced in the rain."

Hannah - Mascot
MK Tap's favorite mascot! Hannah "Bean" loves carrots, greenies and tap dancing. She enjoys spending time with the company members at rehearsals...as long as they rub her belly. "Dance like the whole world is watching!"

Alicia J. - Assistant Director
Alicia has been dancing since she was 3 years old and competiting since elementary school. It was Miss Kristin herself that introduced Alicia to what turned out to be her favorite hobby, TAP! She fits practice into her crazy schedule filled with F&M classes, an internship at College Row, and part time jobs at both Olive Garden and Willow Valley. In her free time, Alicia enjoys spending time with her friends and family, rehearsing with NetCo Dance Company, and hanging out with her sorority sisters. "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels."

Jacq
Official MK Tap Member #1! Jacquelyn loves summer days, reading books and dancing of course! She is a student at Penn State and a member of their ice hockey team. Jacq is full of energy has a passion for life that is unmatched. MK Tap is honored to have her, and her taps, on our roster. "Great dancers are not great because of their technique. They are great because of their passion."

Bri
Hi! My name is Bri. I have been dancing since I was 4, and absolutely love tap! I am married to my wonderful husband, Steve, and we have two beautiful little girls, Kylee, age 6, and Piper, age 17 months. I teach third grade and am in the middle of working towards my Master's Degree in elementary reading and literacy. I hope to be done by May of 2010. I am really excited to be part of MK tap!! "Some days, you gotta dance, live it up when you get the chance! When the world doesn't make no sense, and you're feeling just a little too tense you gotta loosen up those chains and dance!"

Allison
Ali is a junior at Penn Manor High School who loves dancing and hanging out with friends. Ali wants to go to college to be a dentist. "Work like you don’t need the money, Love like you’ve never been hurt, Dance as if no one were watching."

Jillian
Bon Jour friends! I started dancing the day I was created and then began practicing in a studio at age 3. I have danced at Crickets Performing Arts for the last 6 years and love Ballet & Jazz, but can't stop my tapping feet! My true love is spending time on stage acting, singing and dancing for the Lord. I also enjoy my friends, my family & my "May-May". "Dancing with feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart a whole other story. Tap till your heart is happy, God created mine for that."

Sarah K.
Sarah has been dancing since age 7 and considers the studio her second home. Besides dancing, she also enjoys reading, going to the beach, and annoying her fiance by tapping everywhere she goes.
"The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing."

Kristin G.
My name is Kristin Gianoukas, some people call me nickin. I attend eastern University where I am majoring in Dance but I also want to major in early childhood education. I have been dancing since the age of three and absolutely love tap (thanks to Miss Kristin) but I also love jazz, ballet, and contemporary. In my free time I enjoy creating pottery, reading, hiking, snowboarding in the winter, going to the beach, and of course dancing! "Dancers know that the mind,body, and spirit are inextricably intertwined... the miraculous magic of expression overrides everything. It becomes everything... you are dancing with God. Your are dancing with yourself. You are dancing in the light."

Caroline B.
Caroline is a dance major at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA, and is entering her sophomore year this fall. She has been dancing since she was 7 years old, and is very experienced in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, lyrical and modern. Caroline also teaches dance in the summer, including tap, ballet and hip hop. Throughout her years of dancing, Caroline has performed in multiple productions and competitions and has attended various competitions as well.

Heather
Heather began dancing at the age of four with Body Language Dance Studio in her hometown. She stayed there for 15 years before giving up dance to pursue a degree in Forensics at West Virginia University . After college graduation, she joined Sherry Foor Dance Studio for a year before moving to the Lancaster area. Now she dances at Cricket’s Performing Arts studio. Heather works as a senior chemist at Lancaster Labs. In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling, and her ferrets.
“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance…DANCE.”

Alyssa O.
Alyssa began dancing at the age of 3, and has been dancing competitively for 7 years. Kristin introduced her to tap at the age of 5 and gave her the support and training to become the tapper she is today. She has a love for music, dancing, shopping, and dinosaurs. Other than dancing Alyssa enjoys singing, acting, drawing, and writing. She loves to hang out with her friends and stay up all night on her lap top. She works hard in school and it pays off. She loves summer even though she would rather wear jeans all year. She hopes all her hard work and devotion will pay off in life. "To tap or not to tap? ...Silly question."

Julie S.
Julie has been dancing for eight years and goes to Penn Manor High School. She loves pointe, lyrical, ballet, and jazz, but tap is her favorite! “Dance is a science that many pursue, but few master.”

Hannah K.
Hannah took her first dance class when she was three, and her feet won't stop moving. She is in third grade at Kraybill Mennonite School in Mount Joy and loves to read, do crafts, and DANCE! "Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!"

Caroline W.

Caroline is currently a Junior at Hempfield High School and has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She currently takes classes in Tap,Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Irish, Modern, Lyrical, Stomp, Hip-Hop, and Advanced New Jazz. In addition to her busy dance schedule, Caroline is a member of her High School's Cross Country Team and is a principal dancer with Hempfield's Dance Theatre Productions. She also volunteers her time with Hospice of Lancaster visiting patients in local nursing homes. In her spare time she enjoys skiing and hanging out with her friends. "To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak."

Alyssa B.
Hi, I'm Alyssa. I started dancing at Crickets Performing Arts when I was only 4 years old and have loved dancing ever since. Although I enjoy pointe, ballet, jazz and lyrical, tap is definitely my favorite. I love tapping and I'm very excited to be a MK Tap dancer!!! "Dance is music made visible."

Angie
Evangelia "Angie" is going into the 4th grade. She especially loves tap, but also takes jazz and ballet at Lititz Dance Academy. Angie has been dancing since age 4. "Dancers are the messengers from God."

Julie D.

Julie is thrilled to be a part of MKTap! She began dancing at age 3 and is determined to keep dancing. She has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern. Julie has performed with Actors Company of PA and NetCo. "Does it come as a surprise that I dance like I've got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs?"

Sydney

Sydney is currently in 5th grade at Manheim Central Middle School and has been dancing at Silver Spring Dance Conservatory since she was 5. In additiona to tap, she also studies ballet, jazz and modern. When she is not dancing, Sydney enjoys reading, playing the violin and spending time with her family.

Janelle
Hi! I’m Janelle and I have many favorites in life!
Favorite style of dance: of course, TAP!
Favorite food: ice cream
Favorite person: my husband, Angelo!
Favorite hobby: knitting
Favorite place: Turquoise Bay, Australia!
Favorite number: 24
Favorite facial expression: a smile!
Favorite gift to give: a hug
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." Helen Keller

Jessica-Jayne

Alicia H.

Andrea

Sarah W.

Lauren

Chelsea