Our Teachers

All | 
Art | Dance | Math | Music | Russian | Yoga

Art

  • Ekaterina Ermilkina

    B.A. from the School of Arts in Yalta, Ukraine; M.A. from the famous "Mukhina"  Academy of Art and Industrial Design of St.-Petersburg, Russia; a  member of Russian Designers Union.  A member of Studio Montclair – an association of professional visual artists in NJ. Has more than 10 years experience in branding design, advertising prints, posters, banners, business cards, periodical magazines, direct mails, postcards, design web sites. Has been presented in various solo and group exhibitions and has been collected by patrons throughout the United States, as well as international collectors from Canada, Germany, France and Russia. On the faculty of the Do-Re-Mi since 2009.

  • Ekaterina Kardonova

    Ekaterina graduated from Krupskaya Pedagogical Institute (Moscow, Russia) with M.A. in Fine Arts. A highly skilled landscape and portrait painter who has developed an unusual capacity for fine details from her Russian studies of miniature lacquer portraiture. Her working experience includes lacquer miniature at Smart Work Studio (PA), design and installation of art work at Tropicana Pavilion in Atlantic City and Broken Hearts Memorial - a major fundraiser for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Katia is a resident artist of Rahway Arts Hive Studio and a regular participant of their exhibits. A professional teacher, Ekaterina has worked at the Do-Re-Mi since 2006 and earned a great reputation among students and parents for her professionalism, patience and cheerful disposition.

  • Leonid Shoshensky

    A graduate from Moscow Architecture Institute, with parents and grandparents professional artists, Leonid is an author of paintings and works in design and graphics exhibited at more than 70 shows held in Russia, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, and USA. At his lessons, with their creative and relaxing atmosphere, he helps each student to develop his or her own potential, enabling them with adequate technical skills. Under his guidance, college-bound arts students prepared their portfolios and more than 70 of them were accepted in prestigious colleges of Arts. Some of his art students became professional artists and art teachers.

  • Natalia Bessonova

    Natalia Bessonova started her artistic studies in Art School for children (Volgograd, Russia), received her B.A. from Art College in Saratoff, Russia (oil painting) and M.A. from Saint-Petersburg State Artistic Industrial Academy (Russia ) majoring in Glass and Ceramics. She took additional course in Graphic Design and Animation at Anthem Institue (NJ.) As of now, Natalia has sold more than 500 paintings. 

    She has worked at the Do-Re-Mi since 2010.

     

  • Tatyana Kardonova

    Tatyana Kardonova is a graduate of the Moscow College of Theater Arts, majoring in Scenery and Props Design.. As a free-lance artist she has worked on various projects.  Here recent projects range from icon restorations to large scale murals. She is a participant of  several  solo and group shows in Russia and United States. Some of her work and updates on upcoming events and shows may be seen on her website  www.kardonova.com.  Her students and parents, additionally to her artistic skills, appreciate her resourcefulness, creativity and warmth.

Dance

  • Don Howes
    Ballet, Jazz, Modern

    A professionally trained ballet dancer, Don was performing in Corps de Ballet in San Francisco Ballet and as a featured dancer in San Francisco Opera Company. He has been also trained in Tap, Jazz and Modern dance. Don choreographed many musicals (Oliver, West Side Story, Ain't Misbehaving and others) and conceived and choreographed several original ballets for Chatham Community Players, West Orange Theater Under the Stars, Millburn and Mountainside High Schools  and other companies. Don is  a certified teacher and works in a private day school. Don has experience teaching children of various ages, from 3-4 yrs. We are lucky to have such a  professionally equipped, creative and inspring dance teacher with fabulous class management skills.

Math

  • Irina Baksht
    Logic/Math

    A professional Mathematician with a M.S in Mathematics from Moscow University and many years of tutoring experience, Irina has been teaching at the Do-Re-Mi for the last year. Irina is trying to connect developmental approach, cultivating logic and word problem solving strategies with a standard program, making sure our students are secure with the school math and develop their mathematical potential up to the fullest. Her resourcefulness contributes to cultivating interest in this class among advanced students, and her patience and consistency allows her to reach  "struggling" students as well.

  • Julia Eizenkop
    Math

    With the MS degree in Physics from Ural State University (Ekaterinburg, Russia) and extensive tutoring experience in Math (various tutoring centers, including Kumon), Julia is bringing to our school her Learn through Play math program for young children. The program is designed to develop logical and problem solving skills and includes elements of statistics and probability games. Serious concepts are introduced through the system of age-appropriate hands-on assignments.

  • Olga Raspopin
    Logic/Math

     

    Olga graduated from Ulianov Pedagogical University (Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia) with M.A. in Math. She received additional training in early childhood development at E. Danilova workshops (Moscow.) Olga created and taught an educational project for Russian-speaking children in Cherry Hills Library in Albuquerque, NM and taught math and speech development at various settings in NM and NJ. Well-known hands-on methods, such as Nikitin's and Zaytsev's blocks, is an important part of her program for children of ages 3-7.   

     


Music

  • Agnieszka (Agnes) Peszko
    Violin

     

    Agnes received her BM in Violin Performance from Bard College Conservatory of Music (NY) and is working towards her Masters degree under Li Weigang, the first violinist of the Shanghai Quartet in John J. Cali School of Music (MSU, NJ.) Agnes has been successfully teaching students from 5 to 60+ years old. She focuses her teaching on helping students to develop a healthy technique and joyful discipline that enables them to achieve desired results and express themselves with confidence and pleasure. Her studies in Alexander technique is a valuable resource in helping students to achieve a physical freedom in playing violin that in turn helps them achieve results and express themselves.

     

  • Alexandra Gorokhovsky
    Violin

    With B.A. from the Kiev State Conservatory, and B.A. and M.A. from Manhattan School of Music, Alexandra is a winner of multiple prizes in regional, national, solo and chamber competitions. She joined NJSO in 1995 and continues to enjoy a busy freelance career which includes Little Orchestra Society, The New Philharmonic of NJ, numerous Broadway shows, such as Oklahoma, Kiss Me Kate, La Boheme, Titanic and many others. Alexandra has been on the faculty of the Do-Re-Mi since September 2009 and quickly earned love and respect of students, parents and colleagues for her professionalism, patience, encouraging attitude and cheerful personality.

  • Glen Fabisevich
    Piano

    Glen Fabisevich is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where he studied piano with Nina Svetlanova and Arkady Aronov. Born in the USA to the family of then recent Russian immigrants, he received his early piano trainging,  as well as college training from Russian pianists.
    In additio    n to teaching, he performs in the United States and Europe.  He has taught students of all ages and levels for 10 years.  He uses a variety of teaching methods, ranging from traditional methods of learning music, deep listening and contemplation exercises, and musical games for kids.   He is also the music director at the Federated Church of Livingston.

  • Joshua Bartsch
    Guitar, Drums

    Joshua Bartsch is an inspiring musician and music teacher with BA from the Art Institute of Philadelphia, PA and years of additional studies of guitar, piano and drums (his last drums teacher was Mark Guiliana, featured in Modern Drummer Magazine.) Josh has taught acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar and drums to children and adults for 6 years,  privately and in school setting, such as Millburn Music Center and Metropolis Music in Jersey City. He performed with various bands in Los Angeles and New York. performance at WPU.

     

  • Marianna Konovalova
    Piano

    A graduate of Gorky Music College and Gorky University, Marianna was a piano and music history teacher in Children's Music School system back in Russia for 20 years. In the United States, she has been working in different schools for 10 years, including Do-Re-Mi from 2008. Each year some of her students enter  ABRSM examinations. Every one of them passes the exams successfully, most of them with merit, and some with distinction (the highest degree.)

  • Marina Genina
    Piano

    A graduate of Gnessin Music College, Moscow, Russia and Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory of St.-Petersburg, Russia, Marina is a piano teacher with 30 years of experience. She was a head of piano department of the oldest children’s music school in Moscow for over 15 years. In the US, she worked in various settings. Recently she became associated with the Golden Key in Vienna and Golden key in Paris Piano Festival. Many of her students participate in various student piano auditions and festivals, receiving awards with the following performance in Carnegie Hall. Mrs. Genina has been on the faculty of the Do-Re-Mi since 2005.

  • Marina Goldin

    Marina Goldin is a graduate of Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory (St.-Petersburg, Russia) with M.A. in Musicology. She is trained as an early childhood music teacher with MusikGarten and is a certified Simply Music teacher. She teaches Simply Music and early childhood music classes. Mrs. Goldin is a founder and director of the Do-Re-Mi School.

  • Marina Korsakova-Kreyn
    Piano

    Mrs. Korsakova-Kreyn graduated from Glinka Conservatory (Gorky, Russia) with M.A. in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and was teaching piano in the State Music School for Choirboys. Additionally to her life-long teaching piano to students of various levels and ages, she is active in research and lecturing, including topics on Music Cognition, Time and Space in Music, Interdisciplinary courses on Music and Visual Arts. Marina recently completed her PhD. in Cognition and Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas.She brings creativity and wide cultural aspect to everything she does, including her teaching.

  • Nana Gray
    Piano, Singing

    Classically trained pianist (B.A.) and singer/chorus conductor (B.A.), Nana completed her education with M.A. in composition.
    Nana started her career as a pianist and chorus teacher. Later she was a director and singer at the Georgian Radio vocal group "Sun and Chocolate" as well as director and teacher of Children’s vocal studio at Georgian TV. For both vocal group and children’s studio she was a principal arranger of the songs. She has been working at the Do-Re-Mi since 2003.

  • Nicholas Indalecio
    Guitar

    BM in Classical Guitar  from William Paterson University and previous studies of Jazz Performance at Peabody Conservatory (Baltimore, MD.)  Nicholas has performed extensively in various venues with groups and artists including Karla Chisholm, PJO and George Garzone and has four years of successful private teaching in North New Jersey. Mr. Indalecio is currently working at his Master's degree in Guitar performance at WPU.

  • Taya Shumerina
    Piano

    A graduate of Kishinev Conservatory with a diversified experience as a pianist and piano teacher, Taya came to us from Amato Opera (NYC) where she had been working as an accompanist and vocal coach. Her previous experience includes teaching in a Kishinev School for Gifted Musical Students and various educational music programs in Ukraine. Currently, additionally to the Do-Re-Mi, she teaches at the Fort Hamilton Military Community Children's Enrichment Program and holds a position as an organist and choir director in St.-John Lutheran Church in Bloomfield.

  • William Kratz
    Multi-instrumentalist/educator

    A graduate of The Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and The New School for Jazz (New York, NY), has performed and recorded with numerous artists including Dennis Chambers, Paul Gilbert, Samir Chatterjee, Eric Wollman, Sanjay Mishra, and Gary Hoey among others. Bill has over 15 years teaching experience, including National Guitar Workshop children’s program (New MIllford, CT) and DayJams (New York, NY.) During different periods of his career, Bill has taught guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, clarinet, flute and oboe. At the Do-Re-Mi has been teaching guitar since 2007 and woodwinds since 2010.

Russian

  • Alina Poluyko

    A professional teacher with Master's degree in Elementary Education, and with teaching experience of 20+ years in preschools and elementary schools, Mrs. Poluyko teaches pre-reading and language development program to younger children. Her program is coordinated with and serves as an introduction for the reading program that is developed and taught by Angela Kozarevich. At the Do-Re-Mi from 2006.

  • Angela Kozarevich

    A professional elementary school teacher, with B.A. in Elementary Education from Pedagogical Institute of Odessa, Ukraine, and 12 years of work in elementary grades, Angela is perfectly equipped to teach reading. Angela started working with us in 2003 and during these years she developed a strong reading readiness and language development program and adjusted a standard reading program to meet the needs of children with limited conversational Russian.

  • Natalia Smirnova

    Natalia's educational background includes both Pedagogy and Russian Philological degrees from the University of Riga. Her research ranged from modern children's literature to Russian literature of 12th century. Natalia’s 20-year teaching experience ranges from nursery school to High School (Russian language, Russian and Foreign literature) to adult foreign speakers at Latvian International organizations. Teacher of the Year 2000 in Riga. For school-age children born in the US, Natalia adapted recently published in Latvia an efficient method of teaching Russian as a Foreign Language. At the Do-Re-Mi since 2003.

Yoga

  • Eleonora Lvov
    Yoga and Yogabilitation for Kids with Special Needs

    A certified Yoga Teacher, Children's and Prenatal Yoga Teacher (StarSeed Yoga 200-hours Teachers Training Program, Montclair, NJ), and Certified yoga for the Special Child instructor, Eleonora is recognized as a registered Yoga teacher by the yoga Alliance. B.A. in Education (Odessa, Ukraine.) Eleonora Lvov has been practicing yoga for 10 years. Having studied yoga with many teachers representing different yoga traditions (Lyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara, Viniyoga) she has developed an eclectic approach in her own teaching. Her classes provide a fun and challenging atmosphere to practice and include pranayama, asana, and meditation. Great interpersonal skills help her to reach out practically any student.