History
Under the direction of Emily Bernazzoli, Dance Dimensions of Hedgesville, LLC opened its doors in 2006. Under the guidance of a wonderful DDH faculty, a decade and a half flew by with so many fond memories! After 16 years, Emily closed the studio for 5 years to spend the evenings with her elementary age children and husband. During those 5 years, she returned to the classroom and is currently a Kindergarten teacher in Jefferson County. She also continued to share her love of dance and taught tap and ballet classes in the tri-state area. In July of 2026, DDH is reopening for another chapter!
Emily Bernazzoli, Owner/Director
Emily has 20 years of teaching experience. She graduated summa cum laude from Radford University, VA with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education (PreK-6) with an additional license in Dance Education (K-12). She is proud to be the first teacher in the state of WV to be an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Certified Teacher Training Intensive (summer 2009 & 2010) in Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum (2011). In addition, she is certified to teach the methods of Leap n’ Learn TM, a nationally certified early childhood dance program that is focused on the child’s mental and cognitive development. In July 2016 she was accepted into the American Tap Dance Foundation’s Teacher Training Program and has obtained her level 1 teaching certificate.
“I am passionate about inspiring children to be involved and excited about learning. I believe the number one life lesson learned in a dance classroom is encouraging oneself to continue seeking to find their personal best. It is a rewarding to watch a child bloom into a confident young person that happens to learn dance along the way. Our studio is a home away from home where students, whether recreational to serious dancers, support one another and share the joy of movement.”
Gabrielle Butler, Instructor
Gabrielle holds a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Business, with a minor in Event Planning from WVU. She will be teaching modern and jazz.
Gabrielle began dancing at the age of three with training in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip hop, and tap. Throughout Gabrielle’s training, she attended and performed at the West Virginia Dance Festival and Dance Works, and in 2019 she attended the WV Governor’s School for the Arts. In high school, Gabrielle was co-captain of her dance team, and in college, she joined the WVU Hip Hop Dance Team, where she performed and competed in NDA Nationals.
As part of the WVU Dance Program, she performed throughout the year, and in 2023. Gabrielle was inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts and served as vice president of the chapter. At WVU, she choreographed multiple works, with her piece “Know Your Every Move” getting selected to perform in the mainstage production Dance Now!, the American College Dance Association Festival, and the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
Matti Frye, Instructor
Meet instructor Matti Frye... Miss Matti is currently a member of The Frederick Flying Cows Professional Dance Team, The Cowbelles, and beginning her 4th season on the team! In her youth, she had the honor of being selected for the JAM Youth Project, a pre-professional tap company, as well as a member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Across her 17 years of training she has studied in various styles including: Hip Hop, Street Jazz, Shuffling/Cutting Shapes, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical and Ballet. She was on staff at 24/7 Dance Studio in Maryland for three years before joining us at Dance Dimensions.
“Being part of a professional dance team has allowed me to continue doing what I love, dancing and performing! As a past student at Dance Dimensions, I am excited to be returning and apart of the Dance Dimensions' faculty this year!”