Meet the Teachers · Caffery's Dance & Gymnastics CT

Leadership.

OWNER & DIRECTOR

Owner · Studio Director

Lindsay Almquist.

Lindsay Almquist is the proud owner and director of Caffery’s Dance & Gymnastics. Her passion for both dance and gymnastics has led her to share her knowledge and expertise with students in the Middlesex community for the past 25 years. Lindsay started dance and gymnastics at age 3 right here, under the direction of her godmother Maureen Aresco — the original owner and founder of Caffery’s.

From an early age her natural talent for movement was matched by an instinctual drive to strive for excellence. She competed in both dance and gymnastics through her childhood, then trained in NYC with some of the best professional dancers and choreographers, and decided that she too had the desire to teach and create. At just 19, Lindsay launched her teaching and choreography career.

Over the years she has earned 7 national titles, been recognized as Choreographer of the Year twice, and received numerous choreography awards. Lindsay teaches all dance genres and creates 30 to 40 routines annually — including large national-winning production routines featuring over 60 students on stage each year. She has trained hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to careers built on their love for dance and gymnastics.

Caffery’s began as a family-run business and Lindsay’s primary goal as director has been to preserve that warm, familial atmosphere while helping every student excel in an activity that brings joy to their lives.

Owner & Studio Director, Caffery’s Dance & Gymnastics
25+ years teaching across Middlesex County
7 national titles · 2× Choreographer of the Year
30–40 original routines per season

The instructors.

FACULTY · SPRING 2026

Caffery’s faculty specializes across dance, gymnastics, and tumbling. They write recital choreography, coach the competitive team, and answer parent emails within a day.

Tap · Acro · Gymnastics · Jazz

Erica Rivera

Erica has been part of the Caffery’s family for 20 years — she began as a 3-year-old student under Maureen Aresco and Lindsay Almquist, and over 15 years grew into a junior teacher and developed her passion for tap. After dancing for two semi-professional sports teams in Connecticut and training with master tap dancers Nicole Billow and Chloe Arnold of the Syncopated Ladies, she returned to Caffery’s as a lead teacher and choreographer. Her tap choreography has earned special judges awards and showdown invitations at national competitions. Outside the studio, Erica is a case manager for a Connecticut nonprofit.

TapAcroGymnasticsJazz

Multi-discipline · Faculty

Ava LaBella

Ava can’t remember a time she wasn’t part of the Caffery’s family. She began as a student, and after 16 years of dancing and assisting realized how much she loved teaching — she’s now in her fifth year on faculty. Ava graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a B.A. in Psychological Science and a minor in Sociology. In 2022 she began coaching at Mercy High School and choreographing the Mercy and Xavier High School musicals, and recently joined Mercy’s faculty full-time. In her spare time she teaches dance through YMCA after-school programs and runs hip-hop classes for Park & Rec.

Multi-disciplineHip-hop

Preschool dance & gymnastics

Kaitlyn Tomer

Kaitlyn has been part of the Caffery’s family for 23 years — 17 as a student, 6 as a teacher. She specializes in our preschool dance and gymnastics classes, helping our littlest students learn new skills while having the most fun. When she isn’t at Caffery’s, Kaitlyn is a certified second-grade teacher in Middletown, CT. She graduated in 2020 with a degree in Elementary and Special Education and earns her Master’s degree in 2025.

PreschoolGymnastics

Lyrical · Contemporary · Jazz · Tap

Maddie Tanasi

Maddie is excited to start teaching at Caffery’s this year. She began dancing 16 years ago and has been competing for the past 12. She started teaching five years ago at her previous studio, focusing on lyrical/contemporary, jazz, tap, and strength & conditioning. When Maddie isn’t teaching, she furthers her own training by taking classes at The Lab so she can bring her best self to her students.

LyricalContemporaryJazzTap

Ballet · Modern · Contemporary

Jacob Shoup

Jacob is passionate about instilling the joy of movement into his students holistically — brain, body, and soul. He specializes in ballet, which he has danced for over 20 years, and has also studied and taught modern, contemporary, and improv. He currently dances at New England Ballet Theatre in Avon, where he’s performed leading roles in The Long Black Veil and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and previously danced with Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet. Jacob trained at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and graduated from Butler University with a B.A. in Dance Pedagogy after specialty training in ballet and modern dance.

BalletModernContemporary

Acro · Tumbling · Gymnastics

Nichelle Amenta

Nichelle came to Caffery’s with over 15 years of recreational and competitive dance and gymnastics experience, with a focus on acro and tumbling. She began assistant teaching at a young age at her hometown studio in Thomaston, CT, working with students of varying ages and skill levels. After a hiatus to raise her three daughters, Nichelle searched for a studio that would let her share her love of dance and gymnastics with them — Caffery’s came highly recommended, and she fell in love with the family-oriented atmosphere. After her first year as a “dance mom,” she was thrilled when the chance came to teach gymnastics again. She continues to educate herself in new drills and methods to benefit her students.

AcroTumblingGymnastics

Multi-discipline · Faculty

Juliana Girgenti

Juliana has been part of the Caffery’s family since she was two years old. For as long as she can remember she has loved assisting in dance and gymnastics classes — so when the opportunity came five years ago to teach, she was thrilled. When she isn’t at Caffery’s teaching, she’s working toward her Bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University.

Multi-discipline

Gymnastics · Cheer

Ashley Rodriguez

Ashley is thrilled to be joining Caffery’s as a first-year instructor. Her journey started as a dancer and gymnast at age two and continued as a competitive gymnast for eight years. Ashley gained experience coaching gymnastics at the YMCA, then transitioned into cheerleading in high school and continued at the collegiate level with the UConn cheerleading team. She graduated from UConn with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies, and is currently pursuing a master’s in Public Administration at UConn.

GymnasticsCheer

Multi-discipline · Competition

Katie Pelletier

Katie started dancing at Caffery’s at age three. She was on the competitive team for the past 11 years — including FOUR national title-winning routines — and is currently a freshman at Central Connecticut State University majoring in exercise science. She was the captain of the Mercy High School Dance Team and is currently a member of Rise All Stars. Katie loves working with kids in the classroom and the studio, and is thrilled to share her passion for dance with young students.

Multi-disciplineCompetition

Assistant teachers.

IN-TRAINING FACULTY

Assistant Teacher

Kayla Carey

Kayla is a junior at Middletown High School and has been part of the Caffery’s family for 14 years. She has shined on Caffery’s competitive team for the past 10 years and has experienced the thrill of dancing in TWO national title-winning routines. She currently trains in college dance team prep classes and is studying early childhood development at school — a background that helps her connect and work effectively with young kids in the classroom and at the studio.

Working at Caffery’s.

HIRING · ROLLING

We’re always interested in working choreographers, certified gymnastics coaches, and reliable front-desk help. Send a résumé and a short note about what you’d love to teach.

Email an application →

The people your kid will be learning from.