Instructors

Nicole Mahncke (Nikki Manx) is a dance educator, choreographer, performer, arts advocate, community outreach organizer, and social justice activist. Nikki received her BFA in dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in 2006. She continued graduate studies in Arts Leadership & Cultural Management online at Colorado State University. As a dance educator, Nikki has shared her knowledge, knowhow and passion with thousands of aspiring young dancers from NJ’s largest dance studios to public schools. Since 2004, Nikki taught all ages and forms of dance throughout New Jersey, where she is a state certified dance educator for grades K-12 with the New Jersey Board of Education. Current and former teaching assignments include Richard E. Byrd School, Glen Rock MSHS, Ramapo High School, Bergen Community College in the Continuing Education Department/Summer Programs, and as a Teaching Artist for Bergen PAC, where she choreographed “Legally Blonde” and “Mamma Mia” for high school students at Dwight Morrow High School.  Nikki has created professional development workshops for performing arts teachers in Newark charter schools and travels to senior homes with cultural dance programming and performances. Nikki has also worked on special projects as a Dance Facilitator incorporating mixed abilities, most notably through the Arts Access program at Matheny Medical Center. 

Nikki is also the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Nikki Manx Dance Project, a non-profit NJ-based modern dance company. She has presented professional cause-driven multimedia dance productions that encourage environmental sustainability and social justice with the company since 2008.  Her work has been performed at Dixon Place, South Street Seaport, Jennifer Muller/THE Works Studio, Greenspace Studio, Southern Vermont Dance Festival, Two River Theatre, Bergen Community College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Drew University, Kean University, Puffin Cultural Forum, Grounds for Sculpture, and HacPAC. Nikki received ten arts awards as a grant recipient through the Bergen County Division of Historic and Cultural Affairs. She continues to include her student dancers in professional work and provides outreach opportunities to give back to the community, keeping the “heart” in dance, most notably with her signature charitable flashmobs. She has performed in various music videos and commercial projects, including producing flashmobs for Flashmob.com. Nikki has performed the work of Lynn Needle, Olivia Galgano, Jamie Marie Hannigan, Kelly Donovan, Erin Pride, Cleo Mack, Randy James, Alie Vidich, and Glen Burtnik in “Back to the 80s” at the Count Bassie Theater (Red Bank, NJ), and “Beatles Bash VII” (State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ.) She is also an active DanceNewJersey member, and a board member of the RidgewoodGuild, inspired by her deep commitment to serving her community.

As an arts advocate, Nikki formerly served on the board of the NewJerseyArtsEducationCollective and the Eco Art Committee at the TeaneckCreekConservancy.It is with much gratitude that Nikki carries on the vibrant dance legacy in The Performing Arts Building at 17 Chestnut St. in Ridgewood, NJ. Before HeART in Motion, Nikki worked as staff, faculty, board member, and studio director in the space as Art in Motion, managing the Junior Performance Ensemble and Youth Program, as well as participating in monthly showings with the Bergen Dancemakers at the studio since 2009. The Bergen Dancemakers provide mentorship, feedback and performance opportunities for adult dancers from college-100+ years old (true story). This organization continues to meet monthly at the studio, or on Zoom. Nikki strives to integrate HeART dancers into community collaborations through her membership with the  RidgewoodChamberofCommerce, and RidgewoodWalks. Nikki is a firm believer that there is nothing as powerful as a community getting together to create positive change and support one another, especially during these unprecedented times.

Laura Rime has been studying ballet for over 30 years in New York and San Francisco and is currently a member of Art of Motion Dance Theatre.  As part of the company she has danced in La Rotta, Iolanthe, Italian Symphony, Valse Fantasie and other repertory pieces.   She has also performed with Fisher Ballet in their Nutcracker production.

Laura Rime is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.  She has studied with the likes of Michael Smuin, Alonzo King, Arturo Fernandez, Giada Ferrone, Igal Perry, and Elisabeth Carrol.  Laura has performed in many ballets including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Les Patineurs, Firebird and others.  She has taught ballet to students of all ages but specializes in teaching Adult Beginners.  She has studied ballet, jazz, and tap since childhood and this experience has given her a love of dance, music and dynamics. 

Julie Finkel, a dedicated student of yoga for twenty years, was certified in 2004 at New York Yoga. A lifelong dancer, she loved the freedom of movement in Vinyasa yoga, as well as the intensity and discipline of Ashtanga. For the past 15 years, Julie has taught for yoga studios, corporations and private clients. She has also led trainings and workshops for the teacher certification at Sacred Sounds Yoga in New York City.  With her combined studies of yoga, dance and anatomy, Julie brings a breadth of knowledge to her classes and teaches to the individual needs of each student. It is with a keen eye and a lot of compassion that Julie supports students as they explore the asanas, find freedom in their breath and body, and deepen their practice. Her goal for all students is to find a sustainable practice so they can meet life with greater ease, flexibility and joy. 

Julie is a certified children’s yoga teacher through Next Generation Yoga. She has taught many young students throughout New York City and developed the Yoga-in-Education program for York Avenue Preschool. Julie holds a pre-natal yoga certification from Lila Wellness in New York City, and has helped many women transition through pregnancy with greater comfort and joy in their bodies. She has studied extensively at New York Yoga and Yoga Sutra, where she trained with David Hollander, Govinda Kai and Christopher Hildebrandt in Ashtanga yoga. Julie also pursued continuing education in injury prevention and recovery with the esteemed Michael Gilbert. Her passion for wellness and nutrition led to her certification in holistic training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. Julie completed the USIS program at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in 1998 and has a B.A in Dance Studies from Empire State College. She has taught at many dance schools and camps in NYC including Ballet Academy East and The Marymount School.In the last twenty years she has brought her love of dance to hundreds of students, both near and far.

Morgan is a certified Yoga Instructor and has completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Brett Larkin via her Uplifted YTT Program. Morgan continues to saturate herself with yoga knowledge and has found that the practices of yoga and meditation have brought her to a new level of personal peace and wellness. She tries to remain flexible in her style as she always tries to keep her student’s well-being, ability and needs in mind. In addition, she has recently qualified as a charter member of Yoga Unify, an organization that holds its members to the highest standards of character and ethics. 

Morgan is currently furthering her yoga with the study of Trauma-based yoga, in the hopes that she can be of service to those who may benefit from such a program. As a person in long-term recovery and with previous medical and mental health issues, she has a special bond with those who are struggling and is very involved in the recovery community. She has come to realize how intertwined her recovery and yoga practice are and seeks to help those who could benefit by adding yoga to their life.

Morgan has had the honor to teach people of all ages – from children to older adults. She has taught group lessons for Girl Scout troops in various local towns, as well as Senior Chair Yoga for The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources. She has taught “A Week of Yoga” for River Dell Regional School District, outdoor yoga classes for River Edge Recreation Commission, and was featured at River Dell PTO’s Wellness Fair. She also teaches Recovery Yoga at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. She was honored to host “The Brighter Side of Recovery”, an event held in collaboration with the New Milford Municipal Alliance. She has become heavily involved with Alumni In Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the community on the topic of addiction and has offered a donation-based Recovery Yoga class which benefits the organization in the past.

Morgan is available for private and group classes, both in-person and online, and feels that yoga is something everyone is capable of practicing on their own level. She is grateful for the opportunity to share her love of Yoga at the HeART in Motion Studio.

Raymond "Spex" Abbiw's career took off and he appeared in music videos with such artists as Mariah Carey, Joe, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and more. 

Spex also toured internationally in Japan and France. He made his Off-Broadway debut in the 2002 Full Circle Productions' production, Soular Power'd at the New Victory theater. He continues as a member of the Full Circle Dance Company touring throughout the U.S. and abroad including the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Spex was the co-owner of the now defunct House Dance Conference with founder, Brian "Footwork" Green--a monthly event providing a platform for entertainment, dance and education.

Spex continues to teach and perform nationally and internationally and is most happy about having his dream come true.

Manna Tsao is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, working with companies such as the Art of Motion Dance Theatre, Nikki Manx Dance Project, Chevalier Ballet NYC, and Keslerdances. She has performed both internationally and within the United States in various projects such as the WCET Gala in Tokyo, Washington DC's World Cultural Festival, the APAP showcase, the GORKY Project, and the Poseidon Project. 

Manna is the Office Manager, Youth/Adult Faculty, and the Co-Director of the Musical Theatre program here at HeART and has previously worked their productions of CATS (Co-Director/Choreographer), You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Assistant Director), and the original cabaret style musical, “A Day in the Life of Broadway” (Co-Director/Choreographer). She is also a choreographer for BergenStages and have choreographed for their productions of the Man of La Mancha and The Grapes of Wrath for their 50th anniversary season. Aside from teaching her classes at HeART, Manna regularly holds dance workshops at colleges aimed to help actors and dancers of all levels find confidence and joy in the art of movement. 

Manna graduated from Bergen Community College with an Associates in General Theatre in the Fall of 2024 and was also the recipient of the Academic Excellence Award. 

Susan Sorota has been teaching and sharing her enthusiasm for classical ballet in the Northern Bergen County area since 2007. She is an experienced instructor in all levels of ballet, from the very young ones through pre-professional, as well as adults. Ms. Sorota has coached dancers in preparation for performances, ballet competitions and audition videos. In September 2021, she became an ABT Certified Teacher through ABT's National Training Curriculum. In addition, she has completed the Leap ‘N Learn Early Childhood Dance Program, as well as the Karma Kids Children’s Yoga Teacher Training Program. Currently, she is participating in a program to receive her certification in Pilates training. 

Ms. Sorota began her professional ballet training at The New York School of Ballet with Richard Thomas. She earned a B.F.A. in Dance from SUNY Purchase and has also studied dance at The Schools of Cleveland, Houston, and San Francisco Ballet and at STEPS on Broadway. Ms. Sorota has performed with the Dance Corps at Purchase, Ballet Binghamton, Eglevsky Ballet, Dance Inc. Repertory Company, and Felice Lesser Dance Theater. Prior to her decision to teach ballet full-time, she earned a M.S. in Computer Science and worked as a software developer. Always in love with ballet, Ms. Sorota continued to dance during this time and performed in many local productions of original choreography, including Cinderella and the Nutcracker. 

Ms. Sorota lives in Northern NJ and has three children. Proudly, two of her children studied ballet until graduation from high school, and her eldest daughter has gone on to dance professionally.

Colleen Dunn has performed in 10 Broadway shows: “Contact”, “Legs Diamond”, “Will Roger’s Follies”, “My Favorite Year”, “Ain’t Broadway Grand”, “Cats”, “Follies”, “Annie 25 Anniversary“, “Sunset Boulevard” and “Steel Pier” (Broadway workshop only). 

Colleen was also a Rockette for the “Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.”

Her professional credits also include Films such as “Stepford Wives” and television such as “Law and Order.”

As a Ridgewood mom for the past 13 years, Colleen is happy to bring her love of dance to the HeART in Motion community.