Bridgewater Studio

We’re proud to have such a wonderful & dynamic teaching staff. They are certified by Dance Educators of America and all grew up dancing through our dance school. Several of our teachers are members of Associated Dance Teachers of NJ and all attend many workshops.

Lauren Newby

Lauren is happy to be returning for her 11th year as an instructor and her 28th year as a dancer at Lois Allen School of the Dance. She started at only 2 1/2 studying all genres of dance.

From 2001 to 2005 Lauren attended DeSales University and earned a BA with honors in Dance.  From 2009 to 2013, Lauren enjoyed a performing career with The Undertoe Dance Project, a jazz/tap fusion company based in NYC, where she danced in the company and worked behind the scenes as a manager. Over the past ten summers Lauren has worked at Camp Ballibay for the Fine & Performing Arts in Pennsylvania. Currently she is Dean of Campers and works there as a dance instructor.

Lauren taught at On the Move in Butler from 2005-2010.  In the fall of 2010, she began teaching exclusively at
Lois Allen School of the Dance and started their first competition team.  She also choreographs for her alma mater at ALJ HS, Kumpf Middle School & Matthias School
in Sommerset.

Lauren relishes being able to teach all age groups and many styles. She stays up to date attending many classes, workshops & teacher training programs. Lauren
is a member of the National Dance Education organization, Dance Educators of America, Associated Dance teachers of NJ, and Dance NJ. 

Lauren is also working on her Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) degree at Union County College. Gaining a better understanding of the body, functional movement and proper injury prevention & care. Lauren is extremely passionate about all forms of dance and hopes that she can pass that on to her students.

Jennifer Kober

Jennifer graduated from Woodbridge High School in 2008. While in high school she was on the National Honors Society and captain of the cheerleading squad her senior year. She graduated from Middlesex County College with an Associates degree in Psychology. Currently she is attending AIMS Education to become a certified Sonographer and  has been inducted in the National Technical Honor Society. She is certified in Zumba fitness and certified in Dance by Dance Educators of America. 

She has been a dancer at Lois Allen School of the Dance since she was 3 years old, so for 22 years and counting. She always has a passion for dance and her goal is to teach her students that exact same passion that she
has been feeling for years.

Kristen Woska

Kristen  has been an avid dancer since the age of four, studying at numerous studios throughout the state of NJ. She has studied all types of dance including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, and latin. Kristen graduated in the top ten of her class from Rahway High School where she was a member of the dance ensemble and featured in the spring play Grease. She went on to study business management at Kean University where she was a member of Kean Dance Theater. Today, she continues her love for dance by attending numerous workshops and taking classes at Broadway Dance Center in NYC. 

Kristen has been teaching dance full time since 2010
and loves challenging all levels of dancers with her choreography and creating a family like atmosphere in
all of her classes.

Carissa Gaughran

 Carissa Gaughran has been in numerous regional theatre productions around NJ and NYC.  She has worked with choreographers, mentors, and directors such as Al Blackstone, Warren Carlye, Bob Cline, Lindsay Mendez, Laura Osnes & Sutton Foster.  She has been a work study for three years at Broadway Artist Alliance in NYC.  Carissa teaches dance at her family's studios, both in Clark and Bridgewater.  She also  completed the Elite Professional Semester at Broadway dance center. 

Carissa has performed professionally as a dancer/singer on  Norwegian Cruise Lines and  as the "Lead Singer"   sailing the high seas and traveling the world!
This summer she has been performing in Maine at "The Maine State Music Theatre" an equity theatre performing in"Beauty & the Beast", "Saturday Night Fever", and "Singing in the Rain."

Samantha Gelnaw

Samantha graduated from Manhattenville College and holds two degrees in English writing and theatre performance. Samantha taught children at the Villager’s Summer Theater in Somerset, NJ for five years, specializing in acting and singing.

Samantha is our resident musical theatre, acting and voice instructor and is a NYC professional actress with credits including a featured role in the Academy Award winning Silver Linings Playbook. She also directs the main stage musical every year. 

She now works mostly in film and television, but has a background in stage theatre and is classically trained in acting. She is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild union.

Samantha loves teaching and sharing her love for acting and singing with the students at Lois Allen School of the Dance.