Brienne Monaghan

Brienne Marie Monaghan started teaching at Piazza Dance Co. in 2001, at the age of 16. She continued teaching until she graduated high school in 2003. She began her dance training at Piazza Dance Co. at the age of three. Brienne has a background in tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, pointe, modern, musical theatre and hip-hop.  

To further her career in dance, Brienne auditioned and was accepted into Western Michigan University’s dance program where she pursued her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Brienne was also a recipient of the 2003 Livonia Arts Commission Scholarship and the 2004 Dalton Outstanding Dance Major Scholarship. While at Western, Brienne trained with dancers and choreographers such as George Faison (choreographer of “The Wiz”), Derrick Evans (back-up dancer for Michael Jackson), Sharon Garber (corps member of the Milwaukee Ballet), Frank Chaves (artistic director of River North Dance Company), members of the Martha Graham Dance Company, Pilobolus Dance Theatre and members of the George Balanchine Trust. Brienne was also on the board of Western’s student run dance organization, “Orchesis”. She was also a member of Western Dance Project, the universities own touring dance company. In 2005 Brienne and other members of Western’s dance program were invited to perform in the Masters of African American Choreography Concert at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. for George Faison’s, “Suite Otis”. There they performed along side Philadelphia’s nationally renowned dance company, Philadanco, as well as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem, to name a few.  Brienne holds a bachelor of science in nursing degree from Madonna University and is currently working as a registered nurse.  

Brienne is on staff at the Piazza Dance Co. where she teaches both recreational and competition classes. Her students have acquired many accolades within the competition circuit and many have gone on to become professional dancers and teachers themselves. She has won numerous choreography awards over the 10 years she has been teaching competition. “I am very excited to teach your children and share my love of dance with them. There is nothing more exciting for me than to have influenced a young student to develop a passion for the art of dance.”