Owner/Artistic Director
Kaitlyn Hallinan
Kaitlyn is the owner and director of “The Studio on 5th”. She created the academy/company in hopes of giving the youth of the area a positive and rewarding dance experience.
Mrs. Hallinan began dancing at the age of 7 and hasn’t stopped since. Her love for the art was apparent on and off stage. She studied at Allegheny Ballet and was honored to learn from some of the most knowledgeable dance instructors/choreographers in the business from all over the world. Kaitlyn has always preferred the discipline and structure of Ballet, and instills this in all of her students.
The theatre holds a special place in Kaitlyn’s heart. She has been cast in more plays/productions than she can even begin to list. Her musical theatre classes are educational and certainly one of a kind! Kaitlyn has also worked behind the scenes and is very knowledgeable in stage lighting, make up, hair, and set design.
Mrs. Hallinan has 19+ years of experience as an instructor/choreographer in the area. Kaitlyn has made a name for herself in the community as an energetic, creative teacher who isn’t afraid to take a risk and step outside of the box. She is the director of the award-winning TSO5 Competition Team. The team has held title after title over the years (regionally & nationally). She has been awarded Best Choreography, Most Entertaining, etc. for her numbers numerous times throughout her time as an instructor.
What Kaitlyn is most of proud of though is her students. She believes there is no greater gift than watching a child progress into a young adult and truly enjoy each and every step of his/her journey.
Tap Director
Paige Nyanko
Miss Paige was a graduating senior from The Studio on 5th and is a graduate from Penn State University with a degree in Business. She has been dancing her entire life and heavily involved in the competition circuit since 2007. Miss Nyanko is well versed in the genres of Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Pointe, and Musical Theatre. She has attended conventions, master classes, and summer programs…instructed by some the best teachers in the business. Paige has known for many years that her career goals included sharing her love for dance with dancers in training. She has been a teacher at The Studio on 5th since 2015. Her work with the younger classes has instilled discipline and a solid knowledge of Ballet technique in its students. Paige has received awards at the Regional and National level for her Tap dancing. She is a trusted Tap instructor and has a broad vocabulary of Tap terminology and tricks. Among her many talents, Paige has recently taken up dance photography and is dabbling in custom costuming. Paige believes that clean, technical dancing is key to a stellar performance. If you ask her, “What is the most important thing to remember when studying dance from Kindergarten to a Senior?”, she will most definitely answer, “Never quit tapping!”. She has helped guide our younger students to a bright future in all styles of dance. Especially, her personal favorite, Tap!
Acro Coach
Maddie Kanouff
My name is Madelynn Kanouff and I am 21 years old. I am from Hollidaysburg, PA. I graduated from Altoona High School in 2020, and now am completing my student teaching with Penn State Altoona. I have had many experiences with children and enjoy being around them. I have been teaching at the studio since 2021. My favorite style of dance is either acro or contemporary. I grew up dancing, assisting my teachers, and spending a lot of time in my front yard teaching myself tricks. Teaching is a passion of mine, and teaching dance is just the best! This is my time to share the love of dance with younger ones, and I love to have fun with them.
Teacher
Cassidy Fox
My name is Cassidy Fox, and I am 20 years old. I grew up in Hollidaysburg and graduated from Hollidaysburg Area High School in 2023. That same year, I also earned my cosmetology license through the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center.
Alongside my professional studies, I’ve built meaningful experience working with children at the YMCA Early Learning Center. Dance, however, has always been a true passion of mine—I have been dancing since the age of three and began teaching at the studio in 2022.
My favorite styles to dance and teach are hip hop, lyrical, jazz, acro, and tap. I love getting to know each dancer personally, supporting them in their growth, and making sure they have fun while learning. Teaching allows me to share both my love of dance and the joy it brings with the next generation.
Teacher
Victoria Mauk
Victoria has been dancing since she was 3 years old at Andrea’s School of Dance and spent 8 years competing on their competition team Main Street Dance Company. Her favorite genre is contemporary, where she loves to blend emotion with movement to tell a story. She graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Sciences and a minor in Leadership Developement, bringing a strong work ethic and a passion for mentorship in every class she teaches.
Teacher
Samantha Wolfe
Samantha Wolfe has been dancing since the age of six, when she began her training at Miss Cindy’s School of Dance in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. There, she developed a strong foundation across a wide range of styles, including hip-hop, jazz, ballet, pointe, tap, modern, contemporary, and lyrical.
She continued her dance education at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, a performing arts high school, where she focused her training on modern, contemporary, ballet, and jazz from 9th through 12th grade. During this time, Samantha also participated in competitive dance, gaining valuable performance experience and discipline.
Samantha’s favorite styles to both dance and teach are jazz, contemporary, and ballet, where she enjoys combining strong technique with expressive movement. She has always had a passion for teaching dance and sharing her knowledge with others.
She is currently a student at Penn State Altoona, where she is studying Business. While continuing her academic journey, she remains actively involved in dance as a member of the Ivyside Dance Ensemble, allowing her to further grow as both a performer and dancer.
Samantha brings commitment, passion, and hard-work into every class and shows genuine love and passion for dance in all her classes.
Acro
Madison Becker
My name is Madison Becker I am 20 years old. I graduated from Altoona area high school in 2024. I grew up doing cheer for the school and gymnastics at Ltd and danced for 13 years at Blair dance academy. I did competitive Hiphop and did many other genres of dance. My favorite genres are Acro, Hiphop, and Jazz. I grew up always forcing myself to learn the most I could when I wasn’t at the studios, I find so much joy in teaching kids and helping them be the best they can be while having them enjoy themselves doing it. Dance has always been a way of expressing myself, and seeing other dancers have that passion is such a beautiful feeling.
