What is Turn It Up Dance Challenge?
About Us
Read More About our History and Values
About Turn It Up Dance Challenge
Turn It Up Dance Challenge is dedicated to providing high quality, organized and stress free dance competitions & conventions. It is important that our dancers are able to take the stage with confidence and pride knowing that we have perfected the behind the scenes. We provide first class venues, on time scheduling, and a genuine sensitivity to our guests needs.
From our start in 2006, we have stayed true to a values-centered and family friendly environment. We pride ourselves on hiring the most hard working caring crew in the industry. All of our crew is thoroughly interviewed, screened and has gone through a detailed 4 day training process. In addition they are considered a part of our family. We can assure you they will treat your team the same way. They are prepared to answer any questions or concerns that may arise and will work hard to make everyone feel at home.
In addition to our crew, we hire a first-class faculty of judges and master teachers that provide detailed feedback that is both useful and constructive. Our judges value the importance of delivering corrections in order to assist with improvement while also building confidence. At Turn It Up Dance Challenge you can be assured that your experience will be positive and one that you will look forward to each year.
Melissa Burns
President
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: melissa.burns@turnitupdance.com
Melissa Burns has been a long-time, motivated member of the dance industry. Growing up dancing, at an early age, Melissa had the opportunity to dance on board the Norwegian Majesty Cruise Ship, at the Olympic Stadium of Munich, Germany as well as many other cities and countries all over the world.
She then went on to receive a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Fine Arts from Stonehill College located in Easton Massachusetts. At Stonehill College, Melissa studied with such dance professionals as Valerie Robertson and Adriene Hawkins among others. While attending Stonehill College, Melissa founded and directed the Stonehill College Dance Team, which she brought to national recognition in Daytona Beach, Florida. There, her team was featured on CBS Television and received high accolades.
After graduating, Melissa taught Vagonava ballet as well as jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical and contemporary throughout the New England area. Melissa was also featured at the Fox Theater of Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Connecticut and at the Avalon in Boston, Massachusetts where she was a finalist with the World-Champion Celtics Dance Team.
Melissa has been highly involved in competitive and non-competitive dance her entire life. During these times she had both positive and negative experiences in the competition industry. With her passion for dance, she saw the need for a professional, yet friendly and accommodating venue for dancers to be able to compete.
Nine years ago she began a journey to fulfill this need through founding the company Turn It Up Dance Challenge, Inc. Understanding what teachers, choreographers, and students endure during practice, performance, and competition, Melissa continues, through Turn It Up Dance Challenge, to give them a competition experience they deserve.
Melissa Burns has been a long-time, motivated member of the dance industry. Growing up dancing, at an early age, Melissa had the opportunity to dance on board the Norwegian Majesty Cruise Ship, at the Olympic Stadium of Munich, Germany as well as many other cities and countries all over the world.
She then went on to receive a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Fine Arts from Stonehill College located in Easton Massachusetts. At Stonehill College, Melissa studied with such dance professionals as Valerie Robertson and Adriene Hawkins among others. While attending Stonehill College, Melissa founded and directed the Stonehill College Dance Team, which she brought to national recognition in Daytona Beach, Florida. There, her team was featured on CBS Television and received high accolades.
After graduating, Melissa taught Vagonava ballet as well as jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical and contemporary throughout the New England area. Melissa was also featured at the Fox Theater of Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Connecticut and at the Avalon in Boston, Massachusetts where she was a finalist with the World-Champion Celtics Dance Team.
Melissa has been highly involved in competitive and non-competitive dance her entire life. During these times she had both positive and negative experiences in the competition industry. With her passion for dance, she saw the need for a professional, yet friendly and accommodating venue for dancers to be able to compete.
In 2006 she began a journey to fulfill this need through founding the company Turn It Up Dance Challenge, Inc. Understanding what teachers, choreographers, and students endure during practice, performance, and competition, Melissa continues, through Turn It Up Dance Challenge, to give them a competition experience they deserve.
Courtney Tagliaferri
Operations & General Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: courtney@turnitupdance.com
Our General Manager, Courtney Tagliaferri, joined the Turn It Up team after years of working as a retail professional but is no stranger to the world of dance. She spent much of her childhood, including high school, attending dance competitions and conventions around the United States as well as abroad. Although a Massachusetts native Courtney attended college in Florida and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Fashion Merchandising. After a successful career in retail she felt something was missing and felt inspired at the thought of providing such a motivating platform for dancers of all ages. Her experience in customer relations and business operations combined with her passion for dance make her a perfect fit for the Turn It Up Dance Challenge team.
Elizabeth Girczyc Afonso
Web, Systems & Tabulation Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: elizabeth@turnitupdance.com
Elizabeth Afonso, also known as Liz, joined our team in 2013 upon graduating college from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. Liz started dancing at the age of three and continued until she was 18. Her favorite styles include tap, hip hop, and acro. Aside from dance, Liz was heavily involved with cheerleading and won many league, regional, state, New England, and National championships with her high school team. Liz lives with her husband Matt and their miniature poodle Calvin and enjoys spending her time off cooking and spending time outdoors. Over the years, Liz has worn many different hats at Turn It Up but she looks forward to taking on her new role as the Web, Systems & Tabulation Manager!
Alyana Titus
Event & Awards Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: alyana@turnitupdance.com
Alyana Trammell discovered a love for dance at the age of 3 when her Mom decided to enroll her in a tap class at a local studio in Connecticut. Alyana quickly became enthralled with the craft and began training in all styles, while also competing at the regional and national level. After graduating high school, Alyana moved on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Fitchburg State University. While in college, Alyana continued dancing and choreographing for the university’s dance club and surrounding community. Alyana was introduced to Turn It Up Dance Challenge in 2014, where she has been able to create countless memories working as a crew member. Alyana is excited to be following her passion in the competitive dance industry and is looking forward to continue growing with Turn It Up Dance Challenge!
Nikki Gyftopoulos
Event & Judges Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: nikki@turnitupdance.com
Nikki Gyftopoulos aka Nikki Gyfto has been a part of the dance industry in many facets, including dancer, teacher, choreographer, creative director, studio owner, adjudicator, and more. She first joined Turn It Up Dance Challenge as convention faculty, and continued her journey as a national dance team choreographer and competition adjudicator. She now joins the Turn It Up headquarters team to combine her passions of dance, marketing, and event management. From her choreography around the nation, she has received over 50 choreography awards, and most recently was awarded the Industry Dance Awards 2021 Best Performance of the Year. In addition to teaching and choreographing, Nikki is co-owner of Thr3e Live Dance Complex, an industry-level studio in Rhode Island, offering drop-in classes for all ages. She is the creative director of the hip-hop crew LIV3LIHOOD from Providence, RI, which has danced with New Kids On The Block and been awarded Prelude New England 1st Place Champions 2018 and 2019 and World of Dance Boston 2nd Place 2019. Nikki holds a BA in Public Relations and a dance minor from Hofstra University and completed her MBA in marketing at Providence College.
Michelle Slahor
Client Relationship Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: michelle@turnitupdance.com
After receiving her bachelors degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Michelle went on to pursue a career in medical simulation where she was fortunate enough to discover her love for production and all that goes on behind the scenes. From ages three-12, Michelle studied and competed in ballet, tap, and jazz. She’s had many hobbies over the years however her love for dance has never waned. Recently she’s ventured into the Latin world of dance, having taken lessons in both salsa and bachata. Michelle is so excited to join the Turn It Up team in a position that allows her to pursue her passion for people, operations, and all things dance! She can’t wait to meet you 🙂
Alyssa Benson
Client Relationship Specialist
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: alyssa@turnitupdance.com
Alyssa started her dance career at age 2. She went on to dance at competitions from age 6 until 19 years old. She has had the opportunity to travel and take classes from top choreographers around the US. After she graduated high school, she went on to get her license in Cosmetology. Her passion for dance never ended and she became Co-Director of her family’s studio. Alyssa is so excited to start this journey with Turn It Up Dance Challenge.
Stephanie Silva
Event & Merchandise Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: stephanie@turnitupdance.com
Stephanie started her dance journey at the age of 3. Her passion is in tap dancing, but she has studied in all styles. She has had the opportunity to perform throughout the years including at The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC and Magic Kingdom in Disney.
In 2009, she graduated from the Dance Education Training Course through the Dance Teachers Club of Boston organization, where she went on to teach dance for 4 years.
Stephanie graduated from Johnson & Wales University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management. Though her career led her to the hospitality industry, she has never lost her passion for dance, and has even taken some dance classes as an adult. Stephanie is happy to be a part of the Turn It Up Dance Challenge team!
Meaghan Ward
Event & Social Media Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: meaghan@turnitupdance.com
After years of playing sports and taking local dance classes, Meaghan Ward started dancing full time at a local Massachusetts studio at the age of 9. She continued to dance and take part in competitions until she went to college. Meaghan enjoyed not only being on stage but also working backstage at other shows as well. While she enjoyed all styles of dance, her favorite styles include modern, pointe, and hip hop. After years of performing and competing, Meaghan decided to pursue a career in entertainment. She graduated from Pace University in New York City in 2021 with a degree in Arts & Entertainment Management. During her college career Meaghan took part in the Disney College Program and assisted with the opening of Walt Disney World’s Galaxy’s Edge in 2019. Meaghan is excited to be back in the dance world and is looking forward to her role with Turn It Up Dance Challenge!
Nick D'Agostino
Productions Manager
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: nick@turnitupdance.com
Nicholas D’Agostino, also known as Nick, first joined our team in 2019 as a member of the convention production crew. He was raised in Massachusetts with a deep passion for both sports and video production work. Although he did not grow up in the dance industry, he quickly found a new passion as he learned what it takes to produce high quality, professional events. Nick is very excited to be furthering his path with Turn it up and looks forward to continuing to make shows as memorable as possible!
Mollie Baron
Travel & Event Coordinator
PHONE: 617-283-8811
EMAIL: mollie@turnitupdance.com
Mollie began dancing at the age of three, and quickly jumped into the competition world at the age of five. In addition to being a part of her studio’s competition team, Mollie was also a classroom assistant which is where she discovered her passion for teaching, so much so that she began teaching her own dance classes at 16. Mollie attended the University of New Hampshire, graduating with a B.A. in Psychology. While attending college, Mollie continued to work at her local dance studio taking on new roles and responsibilities including office manager, instructor and choreographer. Mollie is looking forward to bringing her expertise and expanding her role within the dance world as part of the Turn It Up team!
Want to be Part of the Turn It Up Dance Challenge Family?
Join Our Team
We're Always Looking For Great People to Join Our Team!
If interested, please fill out the section below, and a Turn It Up Dance Challenge member will contact you.
Photographer: Capture apx 40 images of each routine. There can be up to 600 routines per weekend. This is a perfect fit for someone with action shot or dance photography experience and who has the stamina to shoot for long periods of time.
Production Team (Sound, Lighting, Video): Responsible for loading in all technical equipment. During the show, capture live footage or work as sound tech monitoring, with detail, music volume, and other technical aspects of the show to ensure a polished production.
Judge or Master Teacher: Must have proper teaching or performance credentials and have a passion for working with young dancers.
Backstage: Responsible for communicating and checking in dancers, keeping the show on time, and keeping organization backstage.
Social Media: Responsible for capturing media and managing company social media platforms during events. Check in customers and assist other roles as needed.
Merchandise Sales: This person would remain in the foyer of the event communicating and selling merchandise. The ideal candidate would have some sales or retail experience.
Tabulator: Monitor all tabulation equipment and ensure that each score is accurate. Must be attentive to detail and have strong organizational skills.
Show Director: Most times this position is hired from within. This candidate must be a strong leader, organized, and have strong communication skills.
Emcee: This person is responsible for announcing each routine and hosting our awards ceremony. The ideal candidate would be an upbeat, energetic, clear speaking voice, have impeccable customer service skills, and a passion for what they do.
*All jobs require weekend travel (Friday-Monday).
*Must be available for mandatory training January 2023.
Turn It Up Dance Challenge’s Core Values
- Deliver exceptional customer service.
- Believe that honesty is the best policy.
- Dedicate yourself to quality, integrity, and professionalism.
- Treat your team with respect.
- Be enthusiastic & passionate.
- Be open to change and innovation.
- Commit to excellence.
- Embrace responsibility.
- Be the change you seek.
- Be humble.