OUR MISSION
At THE FIREHOUSE, our mission is to provide professional instruction in dance, voice, guitar and piano in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment in order to expose students to the virtues of performing arts while fostering a sense of confidence and community.
Our Team
TONI BRINKER - Owner & DIRECTOR
Toni is a mom of 4 kids, a military wife, and a lover of dance. Her passion for dance started at the age of 3 and only intensified when she added cheerleading at the age of 12. Pursuing both throughout high school and college, Toni completed both her Bachelor’s of Exercise and Sports Science and Minor of Dance at Southwest Texas State University. After completing her Master of Physical Therapy at Baylor University she served 8 years in the U.S. Army as a physical therapist. She is excited to share all of the things that dance has added to her life with her students.
Classes: Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Tumbling, Cheer, Clogging, and Acro
Jennifer Hudson Santos - TEACHER
Jennifer Hudson Santos, a native of Dunn NC, is a graduate of Appalachian State University. Jennifer has a BA in vocal performance and a BA in music therapy.
Jennifer has been teaching for 20 years, specializing in Voice, Piano, Guitar and Ukulele. Talent pageant coaching is another service Jennifer offers.
MICHELLE uRCIUOLI - tEACHER
Classes: Ballet
Michelle Urciuoli, originally from Greenville, SC, trained at the Greenville Ballet School, Greenville Fine Arts Center, and S.C. Governor's School for the Arts. At 17, she became a pre-professional dancer with the Greenville Ballet Company, performing in productions like The Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast. After relocating to NYC, Michelle worked with The Staten Island Ballet, Ballet Long Island, and several other local companies. She toured with The Will Rogers Follies National Tour, Crazy for You European Tour, and performed as a Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Michelle has taught dance at the French Woods Festival and Hope for Kids Performing Arts Camp, and currently teaches Musical Theatre Dance at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. She trained and certified in the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum and served as an adjudicator for Starbound National Talent Competition. Recently, she choreographed The Addams Family: A New Musical for Fayetteville Academy. Michelle is very excited to join Firehouse and to share her expertise with a new group of talented performers.
American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum is a breakthrough 9 level program that combines high quality artistic training with the pillars of dancer health and child development. ABT (trademark symbol) National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels.
ABT's National Training Curriculum is a program for the development and training of young students that embraces sound ballet principles and incorporates elements of the French, Italian, and Russian schools of training. The curriculum aims to assist beginning through advanced teachers in training dance students to use their bodies correctly by focusing on kinetics, coordination, anatomy, and proper body alignment. Artistically, the National Training Curriculum strives to provide dance students with a rich knowledge of classical ballet technique and the ability to adapt to all styles and techniques of dance.
Lily BRINKER - teacher & choreographer
Ms. Lily has been teaching at THE FIREHOUSE for the past four years, though her roots in the studio run much deeper. Growing up alongside her mom, Ms. Toni, she spent countless hours taking classes and assisting with instruction, building a strong foundation in both dance and teaching.
Lily’s training includes three summers at prestigious Joffrey Intensives in Georgia, New York, and Los Angeles. She was also a cheerleader for four years at Cape Fear High School, further developing her performance skills and leadership.
Currently, Lily is entering her junior year in the Nursing program at East Carolina University, balancing her studies with her love of teaching. She is known for her sharp eye for technique and her ability to push dancers to reach their full potential. At THE FIREHOUSE, she teaches competition technique classes, choreographs for competitive teams, and—of course—brings unmatched energy and fun as our much-loved hip hop teacher.
Ms. Lily’s passion for dance, combined with her dedication to her students, makes her an inspiring role model both in and out of the studio.
Classes: Hip Hop and Technique
Gaebriele Wilson - office manager and teacher
Ms. Gaebriele Wilson, better known as Ms. Gabby, began her dance journey at THE FIREHOUSE in 2017 and has loved being part of this family ever since. For the past three years, she has worked in the office and stepped into classes as a substitute wherever she is needed—whether lyrical, tap, jazz, ballet, tumbling, or clogging.
Dance has always been a passion of hers, and she finds great joy in helping students grow not only in their skills but also in their confidence. Outside of the studio, Ms. Gabby is a hairstylist at The Bailey Collective Salon in Clinton.
She is truly grateful to be a part of THE FIREHOUSE team and to continue sharing her love of dance with the next generation.
Aubrey Autry - teacher
Ms. Aubrey has been dancing for as long as she can remember and recently discovered the joy of teaching, which she found incredibly rewarding. She was a member of her high school dance team and performed with the CCS All County Dance for the last two years, creating some of her favorite memories along the way. A proud graduate of Cape Fear High School, she finished in the top 10% of her class and is now a freshman at Methodist University, pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer. Aubrey’s favorite dance styles are acro and contemporary, and she loves any opportunity to get creative and try something new. She is thrilled to join the FESPA team and share her passion for dance with others!
