Directors
Abby Slater, Founder & Artistic Director
Blythe Alexander, Director of Administration & Children's Program
Blythe Alexander, Director of Administration & Children's Program
Abby Slater is the visionary Founder and Artistic Director of Symmetry Dance Company. Her passion for arts education extends to directing and choreographing programs such as ArtsAlive at Newton Ransom Elementary and collaborating on numerous school programs throughout the region.
Abby began her dance career in 1985 and choreography in 1998, training at Northeast Theater Dance Academy under Lisa Becker Padula and April Goldberg, and has further studied with Jimmy Sutton and Alexi Ramov.
She holds a Media Communications degree with a minor in Dance and Dance Production from East Stroudsburg University, where she was a member of the University Dance Company and lead instructor and coordinator of the Community Dance Program. She later served as a guest choreographer for East Stroudsburg University’s Dance Company for over 15 years. She has also performed with Pennsylvania Dance Vision’s Repertory Ensemble.
In addition to her achievements in dance, she is certified with Yoga Ed™., allowing her to integrate yoga into public schools and train educators. Abby completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2010 and earned her 500-hour certification at Always-At-Aum Yoga School in New York.
Blythe Alexander, Director of Administration & Children's Program
Blythe Alexander, Director of Administration & Children's Program
Blythe Alexander, Director of Administration & Children's Program
Blythe Alexander serves as the Director of the Children’s Program and Director of Administration at Symmetry Dance Company, where she teaches tap, jazz, and Creative Movement classes. She is also the creator of Symmetry’s "Turbo Tap" Fitness Class and a certified Basic Level 1 Zumba instructor.
Blythe began dancing at age 5 at Northeast Theatre Dance Academy under Lisa Becker Padula and continued her training with Kathi Jo Hubner, Alexi Ramov, and Jimmy Sutton at Tiffany Falls Performing Arts Center. She earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biochemistry and an MBA in Marketing and Operations Management from The University of Scranton.
She joined Symmetry Dance Company in 2013 and became an instructor in 2014. In 2017, she partnered with Artistic Director Abby Slater and served as Director of the Children’s Program before becoming Assistant Director.
Outside of Symmetry, Blythe works as the Director of Innovation, Sales Support, and Quality Management at i2M. As the eldest of six children, her deep love of family and dance makes Symmetry the perfect fit for her.
Staff
Janel Naro
Janel has been a choreographer and instructor at Symmetry Dance Company since 2014, teaching Contemporary, Modern, Musical Theater/Theatre Jazz, and Hip-Hop.
Before college, she studied acting at The Northeast Theatre’s Griffin Theatre Conservatory in Scranton under Mary Ethel Schmidt. She earned a B.A. in Theatre Arts with a minor in Dance from Wilkes University, where she trained extensively in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Fosse, Tap, and Composition with Kristen Degnan-Boonin, Sean Harris, and Kris Cross.
During her time at Wilkes, Janel performed in productions across the Theatre, Dance, and Music Departments and studied directing, voice, and scenic design. She also served as a teaching assistant for Modern Dance under Broadway’s Lynne Mariani and as the dance captain for the musical Carrie.
Ashley Tomko
Ashley Tomko has been with Symmetry Dance Company since 2012. She is a 2002 graduate from Northeast Theatre Dance Academy under Lisa Becker Padula and continued her training with Kathi Jo Hubner, Alexi Ramov, and Jimmy Sutton at Tiffany Falls Performing Arts Center. She began teaching at Northeast Theatre in 2007.
Throughout her career, Ashley has participated in master classes with esteemed artists such as Savion Glover, Dorothy Wasserman, Mary Ann Strilka, and the cast of 42nd Street. She also performed as a chorus member in Chicago at the Diva Theatre and The Broadway Cinderella at the Manhattan Center in NYC. Additionally, she was a member of the "Red Rocket" Dance Team.
Michele "Mick" Wieckowski
Michele or "Miss Mick" is a Ballet instructor at Symmetry Dance Company. As a teacher, Miss Mick emphasizes technical skill and personal growth. She began her dance journey at age 5 at the Moosic Youth Center School of Dance and was a former competitive gymnast until age 13, bringing strength, agility, and discipline to her ballet training.
She trained with the Scranton Civic Ballet for 10 years with Helen Gaus and Julie Ardito. For the past decade, Michele has performed as a key member of Symmetry's Adult Company.
Outside the studio, Michele is a personal trainer and a proud dog mom to Cash. While she enjoys various dance styles, ballet remains her passion. Her mantra is "When in doubt, always relevé," encouraging her students to rise above challenges in dance and in life.
Caitlyn Metz
Caitlyn Metz is an instructor and choreographer at Symmetry Dance Company.
With 26 years of experience in the performing arts, she has studied voice, theater, and various dance styles, including ballet, Pointe, tap, jazz, modern/contemporary, and hip-hop. In 2008, Caitlyn began her teaching career at Major Performing Arts Center, later becoming the Artistic Director and Owner of Take the Stage Center for the Performing Arts.
She furthered her education by earning certifications in Dance Teaching from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2018 and Performing Arts Essentials from New York University in 2019. She also holds certificates in Stretching & Injury Prevention, First Aid & Basic Life Support, and is a National Certified Instructor with the Youth Protection Advocates in Dance. Caitlyn also serves as an Ambassador for the National Dance Foundation.
Katherine Minella
Katherine Minella is an instructor at Symmetry Dance Company. She began her extensive dance training at the age of 2 at Longwood Performing Arts and has studied all styles of dance, including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Modern, Lyrical, and Contemporary. Katherine was a member of Longwood Dance Company for 6 years and was the founder and captain of the Kennett High School Dance Team. She graduated from The University of Scranton with her Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience in 2024, and is currently earning her MBA and a Master's in Health Administration. Katherine is also enrolled at the National Dance Education Organization to earn her certification in dance education.
Michelle Mazzei
Michelle has been a Ballet, Tap, and Jazz instructor at Symmetry Dance Company for several years. She started her dance training at the age of 4 under the direction of Alexi Ramov and James Sutton, and continued her studies at Northeast Theatre Dance Academy with Lisa Becker Padula. She also takes adult and yoga lessons at Symmetry Dance Company.