Meet the Team

Becca Gargiulo (she/her) is a dance artist based in Durham, NC. In May 2022, she graduated summa cum laude with her BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University and received her teaching certification for Scott Putman’s Elemental Body Alignment System shortly thereafter. Since returning home to NC, Becca has reconnected with the local dance community in a variety of ways. She loves to teach and aims to cultivate a welcoming environment in her classes where each student has space to grow. She also continues her personal training and performs regularly with Footnotes Tap Ensemble and Nine Movement Collective. Outside of the dance studio, Becca loves to go thrifting and spend time with her cat, Lucky!

Maeve Corcoran (she/her) is a Research Coordinator at the TEACCH Autism Program under the UNC School of Medicine. She grew up practicing and competing in several styles, including ballet/pointe, jazz, lyrical, and modern. She then continued dancing as a member of Gamut Dance Company at Davidson College, where she managed the company her senior year. Maeve graduated with degrees in both Psychology and English in 2024 and now enjoys spending her time outside of work (and the dance studio) trying local Chapel Hill coffee shops, listening to True Crime podcasts, and cuddling with her cat, Emma. She is so excited to join Studio Move and to support dance opportunities for kids of all abilities!

Erin Byrd (she/her) is a dancer based in Durham, NC. She attended UNC Chapel Hill for a bachelor's degree in Psychology, where she officially stepped into the dance space as a member of Moonlight Dance Crew, primarily dancing hip-hop. Now, Erin is working with the youth ministry at her church as well as leading her church's dance group. Outside of the studio, you can find her playing and coaching volleyball, challenging friends to Just Dance or UNO, or DJing weddings and fun events. Erin is so excited to be a part of the Studio Move team!

Isabella Ruel (she/her) is a doctoral student studying Applied Developmental Science at UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Education. Her love for dance began in Massachusetts where she danced a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary. She continued dancing in styles such as lyrical, modern, and tap as a member of the Holy Cross Dance Ensemble at the College of the Holy Cross where she was president of the company for two years, and she also performed as a member of the Holy Cross Dance Team in jazz, pom, and hip hop styles for several years. Isabella loves combining her knowledge of educational psychology with her passion for dance, and she believes in making dance a supportive, confidence boosting, and fun experience for all. She is so excited to be a part of Studio Move!

Jill Amber Chafin has danced her way from the University of Arizona to New Zealand’s Wellington Performing Arts Centre. She ran her own dance studio and semi-professional company in New Zealand before catching the circus bug. She traded in her ballet shoes for silks and trapezes, training at the New England Center for Circus Arts to master the art of defying gravity.

When she's not upside down practicing handstands or spinning through the air, you’ll find Jill crafting her next novel, exploring hiking trails, getting lost in a good book, or chasing after her two kids (who definitely inherited her love of flipping around). She’s excited to bring the magic of circus arts to Studio Move, teaching students to tumble, juggle, hula hoop, and create amazing human pyramids!

Sydney Sirkin (she/her) began dancing in her home state of Connecticut, where she enjoyed training in various styles and dancing in musicals. She graduated from Elon University with a BA in Arts Administration and attended the American Dance Festival’s 2022 Summer Dance Intensive as a costume apprentice and student. She has worked in technical theatre and arts administration for organizations across the country such as the American Dance Festival, Connecticut Repertory Theater, The Ogunquit Playhouse, Wonderbound, Dance Project, Parsons Dance, and more. When she’s not in the dance studio, you can find her enjoying the outdoors, reading, or hanging out with her miniature poodle, Toby. She is so excited to meet the dancers at Studio Move!

Kat O’Melia began her tap dance journey in 2012 in Chapel Hill, NC and shortly after joined the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble under the direction of Gene Medler. During her time with the Ensemble, she traveled nationally to perform and participate in rhythm tap festivals, studying with master teachers including Diane Walker, Brenda Bufalino, Maurice Hines, Michelle Dorrance, Lisa LaTouche, and Derrick Grant. 

Kat began teaching at age 17 and has continued ever since, even leading a for credit tap class while at Oberlin College and Conservatory. After graduating in 2023, she returned to the Triangle where she teaches tap dance to both children and adults. Kat is a performing company member of Footnotes Tap Ensemble and a member of the National Dance Education Organization. Kat enjoys participating in workshops to stay up to date on innovative teaching methods, and deepen her understanding of pedagogy, history, and research. Kat’s current projects include the Triangle Tap Jam and the Triangle Dance Educators Cooperative. Kat is passionate about cultivating students’ musicality, improvisation, and performance skills while grounding them in strong technical fundamentals. She is excited to bring her love of tap and teaching to Studio Move this year!

Brenna Montgomery (she/her) is a master’s student in Occupational Therapy at the UNC School of Medicine. She began her dance journey as a toddler at Carmela’s Dance Studio, where she trained in ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern, jazz, musical theatre, and hip hop .After graduating high school, Brenna attended The George Washington University (GW), earning a B.A. in Psychology. While at GW, she served as President of Balance: The GW Dance Group, the university’s largest dance organization. During her time with Balance, she choreographed and staged five pieces in contemporary, lyrical, and modern. As a teacher, Brenna strives to create a safe, welcoming environment that fosters both physical and mental growth through dance for children of all abilities and backgrounds. Outside the studio, she enjoys hiking with her dog, exploring new coffee shops, and practicing yoga. As she transitions to life in North Carolina, Brenna is thrilled to join the Studio Move family!

Amanda Lupacchino is a performer, director, choreographer and educator from New York City. At age 11, she booked her first professional show, the national tour of Annie. She has toured North America with Sesame Street LIVE!, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE! and Angelina Ballerina. Her regional theater credits include: The Prom, A Chorus Line, Hairspray, Memphis, Cabaret, Grease, West Side Story, South Pacific, Saturday Night Fever, Mamma Mia and All Shook Up.  She has worked alongside some of Broadway’s greats on pre-production and workshops for the Broadway shows Jekyll and Hyde, Prince of Broadway and Chasing Rainbows. Her director and choreography credits include Bring It On: The Musical, A Chorus Line, The Addams Family, Wonderland: Alice’s Rock and Roll adventure as well as many cabarets, industrials and showcases. She was the creative assistant for Wine Lovers: The Musical on Norwegian Cruise Lines. TV/Film credits include: Monsters Inside Me and A Party To Die For. Amanda received her Bachelors of Science in Liberal Arts from The New School with a concentration in Creative Arts Therapy. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the young performers at Studio Move. www.amandaleighlupacchino.com

Morgan Cohan began dancing in Charlotte, NC in 2011 where she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre, pointe, and acrobatics. She practiced pom as a member of her high school dance team and went on to dance for the University of South Carolina in 2018. She proudly represented the South Carolina Gamecocks as a member of the Carolina Coquettes dance team for all four years of college. She served as one of the choreography chairs her senior year.

Outside of the dance studio, Morgan loves line dancing, hiking, camping, and exploring new coffee shops in the area. She is so excited to bring acro to Studio Move! 

Adrienne Murdock (she/her) began dancing at the age of three in her home state of Texas, exploring various styles, including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and lyrical. Her love of dance grew as she joined her home studio's competition team and dedicated time to assisting in the teaching. After graduating from high school, Adrienne pursued a BA in Communication from San Diego State University. During this time, she continued to study dance, taking barre, tap, and jazz lessons through the university. This past year, Adrienne completed a Master's degree in Outdoor Education abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Adrienne strives to apply her knowledge of educational practices in all she does and hopes to create a positive, kind, and welcoming environment in her classes. When she is not in the studio, you can find her enjoying a nice coffee shop, going out in nature, or creating artwork. She took time off from dance, but she returned to her love of dance through Studio Move's adult classes. Returning to the studio has been a shining light for her, and she can’t wait to share with you! She is thrilled to be a part of the staff here at Studio Move!