Our History

Our faculty is made up of experienced dance professionals who are passionate about teaching and dedicated to helping students reach their full potential. They create a supportive and nurturing environment where students can thrive.

https://www.instagram.com/getrickfit/

Rick Long, known by the moniker "GETRickFit," is a multifaceted professional based in New York City, specializing in dance, choreography, personal training, swim instruction, and wellness coaching. With a rich background in dance, Rick's expertise encompasses dancehall, jazz, and hip-hop styles. He has trained under renowned choreographers such as Frank Hatchett and Wade Robinson. Throughout his career, Rick has performed in over 50 major cities worldwide and has collaborated with artists like Lisa Lisa and Daddy Yankee. Notably, he appeared in the feature film "Step Up 3D." ​dancemogul.com

In addition to his dance career, Rick is a dedicated personal trainer and wellness coach, operating under the brand "GETRickFit." He emphasizes mental, physical, and spiritual fitness, offering training sessions and packages tailored to individual needs. Rick actively engages with his audience through social media platforms, sharing motivational content and fitness advice. Rick's philosophy centers on self-improvement and consistency, encouraging others to pursue a better version of themselves daily. He believes in the power of dance and fitness to bring joy and confidence, striving to inspire others through his work. ​dancemogul.com

For more insights into Rick Long's work and philosophy, you can visit his YouTube channel:  YouTube

Rick Long exemplifies dedication to his craft and a commitment to fostering wellness and positivity in others.

Ana is a freshman at Fairfield University. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She started her dancing career in Mexico City at a competitive dance studio. There she participated in competitions in Chicago and LA. After moving to the U.S she joined Greenwich Dance Studio and has performed every year with them at SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center. Ana has danced jazz, contemporary and hip hop. Ana was also part of the Greenwich High school Varsity Dance Team where she performed in football games during half times as well as basketball games. In February of this year they got third in the state at state competitions. She is planning on joining the Fairfield club dance team and participate in those styles. Ana has been at flower petals since January 2023 and is now teaching the beginners class along side with Emma McDermott 

Emma is currently a senior at Greenwich Country Day School. Emma began dancing at the age of three. Over the last 10 years Emma has been dancing at the Greenwich Dance Studio and has performed every year with them at SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center. Emas has danced and continues to dance in a multiple styles including Jazz, HipHop, Contemporary, Modern and Ballet. Emma has also studied dance in Italy at the Narnia Arts Festival. Emma has been with FlowerPetals since the beginning in 2021 and currently co-teaches our beginning dance class. 

Sophie is a senior at Greenwich High School. She began cheerleading in 8th grade and over the last four years has been coaching one of the Greenwich elementary school cheer teams (NMS Bulldogs). Sophie joined FlowerPetalsAdaptive Dance because she wanted to be apart of a local organization that makes a positive impact in the community. She is currently the lead teacher for our toddler movement class. Sophie is responsible for planning and leading the weekly class while nurturing the development of the children and fostering a positive learning environment. She is also the Co-President of the Adaptive Dance Buddies Club, extending the FlowerPetals spirit into Greenwich High School. Sophie loves volunteering at FlowerPetals and plans to pursue a degree in elementary education in college. Her dedication and passion for working with children make her a valuable member of the FlowerPetals community. 

May is a Junior at Greenwich High School. May has been dancing since the age of two. She is a member of the Greenwich High School Varsity Dance Team, performing at half time for football and basketball games and competing in several competitions a year. May is also a member of the Greenwich Dance Studio Company (her cherished studio since first grade) which is a 10 person select group of dedicated, highly technical dancers and strong stage performers. May has spent 6 summers dancing in the prestigious Joffrey Intensive in New York City. May is also a dedicated student at Greenwich High School doing independent research in Women’s History and a member of the Rho Kappa Honor Society. May has been a volunteer at FlowerPetals since her Freshman year and it is her passion to bring dance to children of all abilities. 

Emily Hall is a senior in high school at Greenwich Academy and has been dancing since she was three years old. This year will be her 15th season at Greenwich Dance Studio where she trains and performs in jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop styles. Emily is also a member of her studio's ensemble, has performed at the Palace Theater's annual DanceFest, and dances with Greenwich Academy Dance Corps as a featured performer in their annual Winterfest show. Lastly, Emily has experience in the professional dance world, having been a featured dancer in a promotional video with Industry Entertainment Group LLC. Aside from volunteering to help teach dance at Flower Petals classes, Emily also serves an crucial administrative role for our organization. She prepares video presentations for special education conferences, applies for grants, and has the arduous task of creating our Board of Directors operational manual.  

Mika  joined The Greenwich Ballet Academy at the age of 4.  At the age of twelve, Mika began to compete at ballet competitions such as Youth  America Grand Prix, Universal Ballet Competition, and Connecticut Classic.  In 2019, Mika was awarded tenth place for her classical variation at the Universal Ballet Competition. Mika also received top 24 for her classical variations at the YAGP Boston Semi-Finals in both 2020 and 2021. In 2022, she attended the YAGP Tampa Finals as a member of Maybe, a contemporary ensemble. In 2023, Mika received a scholarship for the Ballet Hispánico Summer Intensive at  the Universal Ballet Competition. Additionally, Mika received top 24 for her classical variation, top 12 for her contemporary solo, Its Torn, and placed 3rd in the ensemble category for If You Go Away, a contemporary ensemble, at the YAGP NY Semi-Finals. Soon after, she attended the YAGP Tampa Finals as a member of If You Go Away. Mika has also attended numerous distinguished summer intensive programs including the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive  Program in NYC (2017, 2018, 2019), the Kirov Ballet Academy Summer Intensive Program in Washington, D.C. (2020, 2021), and the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program (2022). With GBA, Mika was also able to attend the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia at the age of 11 for a week. It was an unforgettable experience. Mika is now a Junior at Hackley School in Tarrytown. She is an exceptional student excelling in advanced and AP courses. Mika volunteers as a ballet teacher with the Flower Petals Adaptive Dance Company

Alina began her ballet studies in a local Connecticut ballet school at age 4, before joining the Greenwich Ballet Academy when she was 6. During her time at GBA she continued to foster her passion for ballet through classical and contemporary training, along with multiple performance opportunities during the annual Nutcracker (including the role of Clara in 2018) and Spring Gala productions, as well as multiple ballet competition appearances. At age 14 Alina was accepted into Ellison Ballet, a professional training program in New York City. For the next two years she commuted to NYC from suburban Connecticut daily. While at Ellison, Alina had the opportunity of performing excerpts from Don Quixote, La Bayadere, La Esmeralda, Giselle, and original choreography by Jolanta Valeikaite and Ashley Carter. In 2023 Alina was accepted into the highest level class at the American Ballet Theatre JKO School, and has been training there ever since. Over her short time at ABT she has already participated in workshops focusing on choreography by Justin Peck, Twyla Tharp, and Complexions NIQUE. She also performed in an ensemble piece at the 2023 ABT Fall Gala choreographed by Lauren Lovette. Since early 2023 Alina has been volunteering at the Flower Petals Adaptive Dance Company in Greenwich CT, and hopes to continue doing so! 

Throughout Alina’s dance education, she had the opportunity to attend several Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensives, the New York Dance Project Summer Intensive, several Ellison Ballet Summer Intensives, and the European School of Ballet’s Balanchine and Bournonville Intensive taught by Suki Schorer (where Alina performed the lead in Serenade).  

At various points in her career Alina participated in several ballet competitions including YAGP (2nd place Boston 2019, Grand Defile in the YAGP Finals 2019, Top-12 NYC 2020 and 2021, 1st place NYC Ensamble 2022), Universal Ballet Competition (Virtual Nutcracker - Marzipan 2020, Platinum 2021), and the Connecticut Classic (1st Place Junior 2019, 6th Place Junior 2020).