Tony Azzaro – Director & Teacher
Tony Azzaro is a professional dancer, actor, host & choreographer based in the Philadelphia & NYC region, currently repped by LDC Artists Representation. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the dance & entertainment world including Kenny Ortega (Dirty Dancing, High School Musical & Descendants), Luis Salgado (On Your Feet) and Jason Segal (How I Met Your Mother & Dispatches from Elsewhere). Some credits include: AMC, CBS, Telemundo, ABC, Discovery, Comedy Central, various commercial work and more. Aside from his work as a performer, Tony has been a sought after dance teacher in the region for over a decade, and is a regular guest professor at both Lehigh University & Muhlenberg College. He is also the Director of Drama & Theatre for Pennridge North Middle School. Tony sits on the board of non-profit dance company, Project Moshen (Philadelphia, PA), and is a member of UNESCO’s International Dance Council. He also recently completed a certificate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts for Performing Arts Administration & Education.
When not at IMPACT, Tony can be found choreographing for various competition teams, along with teaching various workshops & conventions throughout the year. His award-winning choreography has been recognized at multiple dance competitions such as DanceMakers Inc, DanceXplosion, Elevate and others. Tony frequently teaches workshops on hip-hop technique & history in the tri-state region and beyond. Some of Tony’s teaching credits include Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, The Koresh School of Dance, along with many schools and community programs. He always looks to bring technique, history & insight to his dance classes, while helping young performers navigate the entertainment industry. Tony was also the founding artistic director of Freestyle Dance Academy, and studio director for 11 seasons, leading them to many years of recognition as one of the Best Dance Studios of Bucks County.
Growing up in Houston, Texas, Tony began exploring dance after his experience in theatre led him to movement. He was also a member of the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas. Tony was inspired by the likes of Michael Jackson, Usher, Justin Timberlake and more, along with dancers such as the Electric Boogaloos, The Lockers, Rock Steady Crew and others. After moving to Bucks County at the start of high school, he began to seriously educate himself in hip-hop and dance. Tony is versed in multiple styles of hip-hop including popping, locking, breaking, krumping, tutting, and house, and has been one of the most sought after hip-hop instructors in the area for years due to his knowledge. He also has experience with various other styles of dance such as jazz, various partnering styles, musical theatre and more. Tony is also an accomplished actor, having performed in various productions on stage, film and on television.
Tony has also been an entertainer at Cutting Edge Entertainment in Huntingdon Valley for over a decade as a dancer, DJ and Master of Ceremonies. Tony is extremely proud of his time performing with Outta Kontrol, a Temple University based hip-hop team, before completing his degree in Production, Communications and Media.
“Mr. Tony”, as many of his younger students have come to call him, believes that in order to provide his students with the best training, he must always remain a student and continue learning. Tony still trains and takes classes whenever possible, and takes any chance he can to meet and learn from other actors & dancers. Not only is he an active performer independently, but Tony is a member of Sanbrooka Productions theatrical company in Philadelphia, under the direction of Sammy Reyes.
Tony is an active member of The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew, based out of New York City. TBB is an organization that focuses on the preservation & education of hip-hop culture & dance. Originally founded in 1975, the organization now has chapters all over the globe, constantly pushing to educated & inform about hip-hop music, dance & culture.
“LIFE ISN’T ALWAYS CHOREOGRAPHED, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO FREESTYLE.” – Bradley Rapier aka Shooz of the Groovaloos