Meet Our Staff

Anna Marie's Academy of Dance

Our staff is an important part of the success of our business.

We rely only on the best and use only college trained personnel. We do not use our current students to teach other students.

Paula Minacci

Artistic Director

PAULA MINACCI began her dancing career when she was six years of age at Harkness House Ballet in New York until she was fifteen. She received her BFA in Modern Dance at the University of the Arts. As artistic director of the Elysian Dance Company, her choreography has been performed at many dance theaters in the area. She has been with Anna Marie’s Academy of Dance for 26 years. She is a resident choreographer for many Philadelphia and North & South Jersey High Schools.

Anna Marie Pulaski

Owner/Executive Director

In 1977 Anna Marie Iatarola Pulaski and her husband Bill Pulaski along with their daughter Elizabeth Ann started Anna Marie's Academy of Dance. Always a resident of Tacony, Anna Marie wanted to open her business here. She is a graduate of St. Hubert High School in 1958 and is a member of the Alumni Assoc. She received the distinguished graduate award in 2000. Since 1984 she has co-ordinated the St. Hubert Dance club and is the executive director of the fall musicals. She also lectures bi-annually at the University of the Arts pertaining to the business of dancing schools.

Anna Marie's mission statement is to raise the standards of the neighborhood dancing schools by providing her students with a teaching staff that have degrees in dance and are professional performers to bring the art of dance to its highest standards.

Ida Cantwell Admin. Asst.

Bill Pulaski Co-Owner

TIFFANY STALEY DELIO earned a BFA in Jazz performance from The University of the Arts, 2000. She began her dance training at the age of six in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she performed with the New Mexico Ballet Company and Jazz Company Expose. In addition to these traditional forms Tiffany has been a company member of both local hip-hop companies Montazh and Chosen. Her recent work has been with The Movement Lounge at the Drake Dance Theater and Conwell Theater as a guest artist.

ELIZABETH BURGOON has studied Irish Step and Ceili dancing with Rosemary Timoney for the past 18 years. She has performed on Good Day Philadelphia, QVC, and at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at the swearing in of Congressman Jon Fox. Since 1994 she has been teaching with the Timoney Irish Dancers. Elizabeth graduated from LaSalle University with a degree in English and is presently pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in Education.

ROSALIA CHANN As a native of Vineland New Jersey, Rosalia performed with the Vineland Regional Dance Company as a soloist for seven years before moving to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts. She graduated with honors in May 2007 with a BFA in Jazz Dance Performance. Her previous training includes Philadanco, The Julliard School, American Ballet Theatre, The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Rosalia is currently a member of BalletX, a contemporary ballet company in Philadelphia.

LINDSEY LaFOUNTAIN Hailing from upstate New York, Lindsey began her dance studies at Munson Williams Proctor Institute School of Art, where she was also a teacher's assistant.She recently earned her BFA in Modern Dance Performance from the University of the Arts in May 2007, graduating with honors.She was also the recipient of the Elizabeth Ann Pulaski Memorial Scholarship, and the Outstanding Performance in Modern Dance Award. Lindsey has also trained with Philadanco and Koresh Dance Studios. Currently, Lindsey is a dancer and rehearsal assistant with the Smoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative under the direction of Zane Booker

BRITTANY BARTKUS -

Brittany began her dance career at the age of two. She was a member of the Elysian Dance Company for five of her sixteen years at Anna Marie's Academy of Dance. Brittany is an instructor and choreographer for the Department of Recreation’s Young Performer’s Theater Camp at the Annenberg Theatre. In May of 2008, she graduated from Temple University with a BS in Kinesiology (The study of the mechanics of body dance movements) and a Health and Physical Education Certification. Since September 2008 Brittany has been the Health and Physical Education teacher and the dance program director at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School. Brittany is also the choreographer for the St. Hubert High School Musicals and Dance Club. Come September 2009, she will be employed at The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.

7201 Marsden Street * Philadelphia, PA 19135-1224

(215) 332-3636

* TACONY * Northeast Philadelphia * Cottman Avenue Exit of I-95 *

* NE Corner of Wellington & Marsden Streets *