Our Faculty
Our experienced and caring faculty create and facilitate a rich, joyful learning experience for all students
whether a young child or an adult.
Elsa Posey, R.D.E.
Elsa Posey, R.D.E., is Founder and Director of Posey School and teaches ballet classes for children and adult beginners as well as professional dancers. She is respected as an international scholar of dance, dance history, and dance pedagogy, specializing in dance for young children and classical ballet.
Ms. Posey attended schools of the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater. In addition to meeting with her classes at Posey School, she is President of the National Registry of Dance Educators, Past President of the National Dance Education Organization, and a national advocate for arts education.
She has served on the Board of the New York State Dance Education Association, recognized by the NYS Department of Education; Board of the Dance Notation Bureau; Board of the Congress on Research in Dance and National Dance Association. She is past Co-chair of the Education Committee for the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science.
Ms. Posey has received recognition for her work by the Northport Historical Society as an “Icon of Northport”. In 2015 she received a Proclamation from the Village of Northport. She will receive a Proclamation from the Town of Huntington in 2024.
Kimberly M. Wager, Director
Kimberly Wager has dedicated her life to the art of dance, combining professional performance experience, rigorous classical ballet training, and a passion for education.
As a young dancer, Kimberly continued her training with respected ballet educators and performed professionally with Rebecca Kelly Ballet in New York City. Her performance experience provided invaluable opportunities to refine her artistry while working in a professional dance environment.
Kimberly pursued extensive training in the internationally recognized Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet, successfully completing every examination through the Intermediate Level. This comprehensive course of study reflects years of disciplined training, technical excellence, and dedication to one of the world’s most respected ballet syllabi. Her Cecchetti education continues to serve as the foundation of her teaching philosophy and commitment to developing strong, expressive, and technically proficient dancers.
In addition to her dance training, Kimberly earned a Master of Science in Early Childhood and Childhood Education from Long Island University, where she was honored with the Distinguished Educator Award. She also earned a Master’s degree in Dance Education from New York University. Kimberly traveled to Kampala, Uganda, where she taught dance and shared her passion for the performing arts with young dancers. Her international teaching experience reinforced her belief that dance is a universal language that builds confidence, creativity, and community.
Kimberly is also a New York City public school teacher, bringing extensive knowledge of child development and educational best practices into every class she teaches.
As Director of Posey School of Dance, Kimberly is proud to continue the school’s tradition of excellence. She has directed and produced numerous full-length ballet productions, including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and Les Sylphides, giving students the opportunity to experience the beauty and discipline of performing classical ballet.
Kimberly believes that every dancer deserves exceptional training in a positive and encouraging environment. Whether students aspire to professional careers or simply wish to experience the joy of dance, she is committed to helping each individual develop confidence, discipline, artistry, and a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts.
Isabella Eredita Johnson, Pianist
Ms. Johnson directs and produces OPERA NIGHT on the first Friday of every month at the Northport Methodist Church on Main Street. She is former Chairman of the Northport Arts Coalition and cultivates diverse interests in the arts. She holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music and is both a concert pianist and piano teacher.
Whenever her busy schedule permits, Isabella accompanies ballet classes at Posey School and assists with choreography.
Lena Massari Sawyer
Lena Massari Sawyer has been a museum educator for over twenty years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Art History from the State University of New York at Buffalo and did her graduate work in Art Education at The Steinhardt School at New York University. She has been involved with museum based parent-child workshops as well custom designed art programs for the School of America Ballet, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and ”The Family Circle” for a major NYC museum. For over six years she taught a museum based class ”Book Then Look”, a membership class for young preschool children in which visual arts were explored in conjunction with Caldecott awarded children’s literature.
Lena’s career focus has been on introducing young children (ages 2 to 6) to art through both gallery tours and projects designed to engage them in art making in a way that encourages their own creativity and visual style.
Christina Vanophemert
Christina started dancing at Posey School at the age of 5. This is where her passion and love for dance began. With the excellent training she received from Posey School she received a scholarship to Adelphi University and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. Christina also attended many prestigious dance intensives such as American Ballet Theater, The Rock School of Dance and NYSSSA. Christina has been assistant teaching since she was 14, and she began teaching her own classes her first year of college. Christina has also performed in many ballets, her favorite being “Play Ball”, Christopher Fleming from New York City Ballet hand picked the dancers out of the Adelphi dance majors to be in his 45 minute ballet. Christina was speechless when she was chosen. Christina is thrilled to be back at Posey teaching.
Morgan McNulty
Morgan grew up dancing at numerous studios across Long Island and NYC. She started dancing when she was 2 years old, then began dancing professionally at age 16. Morgan has backup danced for multiple music artists which gave her the opportunity to open up for Fat Joe at 1 Oak in Southampton. Every summer Morgan trains with the world-renowned Radio City Rockettes in their Rockettes Summer Intensive. She has been teaching since age 17 starting at local dance studios here on the island, and has ever taught in other states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Morgan has been dancing all over the country such as performing at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas! She can also be seen acting on some of your favorite TV shows such as Law and Order: SVU, Orange is the New Black, Blue Bloods and more! Morgan has been in numerous music videos for people such as Justina Valentine, Fat Boy and more.
Lexi Rosenberg
Miss Lexi Rosenberg graduated from The University of Tampa with her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology & Applied Dance in 2019. At University Lexi studied Brain Compatible Dance Education & dance anatomy and physiology, and had the pleasure of learning from artists like Bill Evans, discovering a true passion for dance education, and the way it touches & fundamentally changes the course of childrens’ lives. In the summer of 2019, Lexi studied in Seattle, WA. with Anne Green Gilbert, the founder of Brain Compatible Dance Education, earning her certificate as a BCD educator.
Based on brain/body developmental research, this teaching protocol uses conceptual learning to develop holistically trained dancers who are skilled technicians, inventive creators, critical thinkers, and successful collaborators, in the words of A.G.G. This curriculum focuses on an adapted vocabulary of Rudolph von Laban’s space, time, force, and body elements of movement.
Lexi’s classes include solo and group activities that foster self confidence, as well as social skills; students end each class with a reflection of the concepts explored, strengthening self-awareness and critical thinking. Miss Lexi’s warm and enthusiastic nature provides students with a safe space to learn, express, and grow.
Lauren DeMarco
Lauren DeMarco was originally the Assistant Teacher at the Posey Preschool and has been part of the Posey family for the last 6 years. Some of Lauren’s many current roles at Posey School include the Office Manger, Assistant to the Director, and Manger of the “Shop at Posey”.
Lauren was born and raised in Queens, NY and has studied dance since the age of 4.While attending Cardozo High School on a dance scholarship, she assisted in dance instruction at a private dance school. Lauren received her MA in Mental Health Counseling from Notre Dame College and earned a certificate in Human Services from the University of New Hampshire. She continued various dance classes after graduating and taught classes for young children. After working in the Mental Health field for 6 years, Lauren decided to become a stay at home mom when she moved to East Northport
in 2009. She is a mother of 2 children and is the PTA President of her son’s elementary school. She is thrilled to be working in the dance education environment once again.
Karaline Focke
Karaline started dancing at the age of 3 in a small town in Houston, Texas. She fell in love with dancing and theatre at that age. By the age of 16 she had worked with many companies such as Juxstapose Arts Collective, Houston Ballet, Theatre Under the Stars, Joffrey ballet, and Ellison ballet. She has attended several festivals by Regional dance of america (RDA) and has competed and won various competitions such as YAGP and UBC. But her training didn’t stop at just ballet, she continued to work in many styles of dance and theatre and proceeded to work with creators such as Kevin Cahoon, Michelle Mercedes, Casie “Tynee” Goshow, Jae Ponders, Abby Tatro, Cara Gargano and many more! Karaline has been pursuing theatre since the moment she can remember! She has been in shows such as Chicago, Footloose, Mean Girls, Beetlejuice, and so much more!! Karaline has also worked for the costume company Weissman from 2023-2025, you may have seen her as the Spring 2024 cover. She has been teaching since she was 15 years old at THE JETPAC in Clear Lake, Texas many different styles for Ballet, Contemporary, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Acting and so much more!! She is now living on Long Island to finish her education at LIU Post with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Musical theatre. She is so excited to join the posey family and can’t wait to be apart of this wonderful studio!
