AIM Academy Moves to the Heart of Matawan!

Arts In Motion (AIM) Academy, entering its 6th season of operation as a dance academy and its first season as a music school, will move next to the Matawan Post Office at 147 Main Street in Matawan this fall.  This artistic and educational establishment focuses on several styles and levels of dance, ranging from preschool to pre-professional, as well as offering private music lessons for children and adults.

AIM offers classes in ballet, jazz, contemporary lyrical, hip hop, pointe, tap, and most recently ACROBATICS!  Music lessons are available for drums, guitar, bass guitar, piano, and vocals.  The academy promotes a creative mindset in a clean, safe, fun, and positive environment, where proper execution/technique, discipline, and style are its main focus.  Teachers are committed to furthering education, confidence, strength, and discipline in the arts through challenging classes, an encouraging atmosphere, and a true passion for performing arts. 

AIM Academy History…

Arts In Motion began as an idea between two friends who had the same love for the art of dance.  Partners, Kimberly Tam and Amy Boyle both believed that through correct training, proper guidance, and heart, recreational and professionally driven students have the potential to excel in every facet of life. 

As trust in their work grew within the community, the pair, along with professional musician, Seth Rheam, decided to expand AIM into a true arts academy. Students will learn how to understand, appreciate, and understand their instruments. Through positive reinforcement and instruction, students build the knowledge, technique, creativity, and passion needed to become true musicians.

AIM Academy Staff…

AIM Academy takes great pride in the education and lessons provided to its dedicated students and their families. Each faculty member has extensive credentials, professional experience, and knowledge within his/her genre of the dance world. Studio partner Kimberly Tam, a former assistant editor of Dance Magazine New York, spent five years as a Ballet and Contemporary Jazz choreographer/instructor for New Jersey’s prestigious American Repertory Ballet’s, Princeton Ballet School. There, she was involved with “Dance Power,” a collaborative educational project sponsored by ARB and the New Brunswick Board of Education, with the late Gregory Hines as its honorary national Chair.  Studio partner Amy Boyle, is credited with over 25 years of teaching experience specializing in pre-school and elementary dance education. Her patience and ability to nurture a child’s interest in dance, enables individual student’s to reach their goals.  Kathleen Bellone, Ballet Mistress at AIM, danced more than 30 different balletic leads while with Elliot Feld and partnered with the famous Mikhail Baryshnikov.  Kruti Shah, Bollywood and Advanced Tap instructor, has heavily trained with one of the principal dancers of the Russian National Ballet Company and was the Ballet Mistress of The New Jersey Ballet. In 2011, she was a top ten finalist out of thousands of dancers across the world, representing the United States on Star Plus’ hit reality show Just Dance.  AIM’s hip hop instructors have traveled across the country training and performing with the nation’s leading hip hop instructors and choreographers.  Most notably performing in California’s “Funkanometry’s The Sock Hop”, one of the country largest elite hip hop exhibitions.  Seth Rheam, drummer for the globally recognized band East of the Wall, comes from an exceptional musical lineage. With deep roots from the jazz and big band eras, Seth’s parents and grandparents were part of the world famous “Glenn Miller Orchestra” and played with such jazz greats, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Max Roach, and the Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald.   Currently he is endorsed by, “Grover Pro Percussion, Inc; Silver Fox Drumsticks (Beststick.com)” and “The TRX Cymbal Company; Young Turks.”

AIM Students… 

AIM students reach beyond the walls of the local studio and strive for professional distinction.  This season, the studio’s Performance Company Dance Captain, Mariam Giorgadze (“2012 MSG Varsity NYC Radio City Rockette Experience Winner”, was accepted into the famous Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s Summer Intensive Program at The Julliard School.  AIM student and “New York Knicks City Kidz” dancer Jhailyn Farcon, at 7 years old, is completing a six-month international tour with Broadway’s Billy Elliot. Dancing With the Stars alum, MSA Talent Agency dancer, and New York Knick City Kidz Jaryd Farcon recently completed his freshman year at New York City’s LaGuardia Arts High School (from the hit movie FAME). Jaryd was also accepted into the most advanced level of the internationally renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Summer Intensive!  An incredible season with plenty more to come!

AIM’s Extended Family…

AIM is also the home of the East Coast’s leading hip hop dance company and exhibition Team “UFP Dance LLC,” which company members appeared on season 3 of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew.  UFP dance company directors, Bo Belza, Katrina Endoza, and Joseph Ancheta instruct all of the AIM Academy Hip Hop classes.  

AIM Gives Back to the Community…

The academy is a proud sponsor of the national foundation Dance Across America and the Andrea Rizzo Foundation.  For the past five years, AIM has hosted a performance benefit that raises funds for the dance therapy program in the pediatric cancer unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

AIM Academy will open its doors this fall and is incredibly excited to continue its journey with the Matawan Community.

For more information visit www.aimdancenj.com or 732-970-3967