Alyson Portelance-Ayer
Alyson began her dance training at the age of four and has performed extensively. She holds a BS degree from the University of Connecticut in Child and Family Counseling and received her Masters Degree from Wesleyan University in Dance and Liberal Arts.
She has owned her own studio since 1986, opening it with the help of her parents at age 15. She and her students have performed throughout New England. Alyson is the recipient of two community service awards. She has been on the faculty for the University of Connecticut, The Hartford Conservatory of Dance and Music and Eastern Connecticut State University where she has taught courses in jazz, tap, theater movement, dance teaching methods and choreography to college students as an adjunct professor.
She is a teacher of teachers, holding master classes and teaching seminars for various colleges. Having earned a coveted “perfect score” and Grand Championship in Professional Dance Competition herself, she has also judged numerous local dance competitions as well as in Boston and New Orleans.
Her students, as well as her choreography, have won top awards and scholarships in regional and national competition, and many of her students have gone on to pursue professional teaching and performance careers with artists and companies such as the Boston Ballet, Momix Dance Company, Nutmeg Ballet, Dance Connecticut, The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, The Rockettes, New England Patriots Cheerleaders, The Brooklynettes Professional Dance Team, Blackwolves, and Sun dance teams, Alvin AIley, as well television, music videos and even the late Michael Jackson. Many of the graduates from her studio go on to dance in college dance or theater programs or on competitive dance teams. Several of her graduates are employed as instructors by area dance studios. Or have opened studios of their own.
A “Teacher of Teacher’s” several area schools have sent their instructors to Alyson’s “Teacher Training Program”. Alyson teachers prospective dance instructors and studio owners in business and teaching methods at both the School of Hartford Ballet and The Hartford Conservatory. She has travelled to area schools as a “Master Teacher” in Jazz, Tap and Hip-Hop .
In 1998, she founded Synergy Dance Company, a professional jazz and tap dance company which performed for celebrity audiences, such as Henry Winkler, Alec Baldwin, Florence Henderson, Danny Glover and the late Flip Wilson at the Connecticut Forum. Synergy has also performed for the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, nightclubs, Foxwoods Casino, fashion shows, colleges, various school systems, art expos and has hosted numerous venues.
Alyson has choreographed and produced an original Duke Ellington Jazz Nutcracker for the Hartford Conservatory was performed at St. Joseph’s College. ASD has participated in the Niantic Light Parade where they won for “Best Dance Studio” for several years Alyson continues to teach and has built an amazing staff of Instructors.
She is a wife and mother of two wonderful boys, Jack and Alexander.