Dancers in sparkling teal costumes performing on stage under a flowing fabric prop

Empowering Dancers Through Joyful Movement

Building confidence, one step at a time, since we opened our doors in Brielle.

Our Mission

At the heart of Dance For Joy is a simple idea: every child deserves a place where they can move, grow, and feel proud of who they’re becoming. Since taking the reins, Kim has shaped Dance For Joy into a studio where technique matters, but so does the way a five-year-old feels walking into her first ballet class, or the way a teenager finds her voice through a solo she helped choreograph.

We keep our classes age-appropriate on purpose — the music, the costumes, the choreography — because we believe confidence is built layer by layer, not rushed. Our instructors know every student by name, and our studio, with its raised Marley floors and parent viewing windows, is designed so families can be part of that journey every step of the way.

Whether your dancer is taking her first Pre-Ballet class or preparing for competition with our company team, our goal is the same: help her fall in love with movement, and walk out a little more confident than she walked in.

Our Passionate Dance Educators

Kimberly Houli

Artistic Director & Owner

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Kimberly Houli

Artistic Director & Owner

Owner of Dance For Joy for over 20 years, Kim's passion for dance goes back as long as she can remember, and taking the reins at the studio let her build something around what she loves most: watching kids grow, both as dancers and as people. There's nothing better than seeing a student walk in nervous for her first class and walk out a year later dancing with confidence she didn't know she had. Whether your dancer is here for one class a week or training with the company team, Kim wants you to walk through the doors and feel like you found your community.

Jennifer and Jessica Hine

Hip Hop Teachers

Jessica Totaro

Contemporary Teacher

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Jessica Totaro

Contemporary Teacher

Founder and Artistic Director of the Movement Arts Project, Jessica's movement vocabulary is rooted in Limón modern technique and enriched by the hip hop foundations of breaking, locking, house, and popping. Her choreography has been presented at New York City Center, Dixon Place, Dance New Jersey's DOTL and Show Up & Dance, and the Liberty Hall Dance Festival. She holds a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts and has taught and choreographed professionally for over a decade. Her teaching philosophy centers on guidance rather than dictation, empowering dancers to access their creativity and communicate authentically through movement.

Dana Ingram

Dance Teacher & Co-Company Director, A Step Above Dance Company

Kathleen Pearlberg

Ballet, Pointe & Theatre Dance Teacher

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Kathleen Pearlberg

Ballet, Pointe & Theatre Dance Teacher

Ms. Kathy has been a classical ballet, pointe, and theatre dance teacher for over 30 years and is in her 13th year at Dance For Joy. A former professional dancer with the New Jersey Ballet Company for 16 years, she appeared in NJ Ballet productions of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake at Papermill Playhouse, as well as original works by Edward Villella, Jay Norman, George Tomal, and Joseph Carow, and danced George Balanchine's Allegro Brilliante, Donizetti Variations, Pas de Dix, and other full-length ballets. She has performed at Algonquin Arts Theatre in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Annie Get Your Gun, Spamalot, Damn Yankees, and Kiss Me Kate, with choreography credits including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Peter Pan, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business, Footloose, 9 to 5, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Mean Girls.

Miss Colleen

Ballet, Jazz & Tap Teacher

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Miss Laraine

Unique Kids Teacher

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Sara Martorana

Tap & Jazz Teacher

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Sara Martorana

Tap & Jazz Teacher

Dancing since the age of two, Sara trained extensively across a variety of styles, competing at regional and national competitions and attending top industry conventions, where she learned from renowned teachers and choreographers including Frank Hatchett, Sheila Barker, Mike Minery, and Jason Parsons. A career highlight was performing in Al Blackstone's award-winning piece Brown Eyed Girl. For more than 20 years she has shared her passion with students, believing dance is about more than technique — it's about building confidence, discipline, creativity, and lasting friendships.

Emily Penkethman

Ballet & Jazz Teacher

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Emily Penkethman

Ballet & Jazz Teacher

Emily began dancing at Dance For Joy, making her return as an instructor a truly rewarding full-circle experience. She earned her BFA in Dance with a concentration in Dance Education from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she performed works by faculty, guest artists, and fellow students while choreographing original works for stage and film. She's also a Licensed Massage Therapist, bringing her knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, and body mechanics into the studio to promote healthy movement and injury prevention.