Meet Our Faculty

Mariana de Ezcurra is an award-winning choreographer, recognized by some of the most renowned competition organizations in the USA, having presented hundreds of her dance routines before judges at well-established regional and national competitions such as Nexstar, World Class Talent, Beyond the Stars, Elite Dance Challenge, and On Point Dance Challenge. She is a multiple Choreography Award winner, and her routines have consistently placed Top Scores and Highest Overall Scores in many of the competitions the studio attends.

Mariana's choreography and teaching methods are unique due to her strong ties to the theatre. She performed for years in musicals — locally, in Boston, and in her native Buenos Aires. She enjoys narrating stories through her dances and using strong images to see her dancers come alive and make the audience an engaged participant. She has brought her students, with fun, upbeat dance routines, to many showcase performances such as Relay for Life, TV broadcasts, and art shows, with one of the highlights being a trip to Disney World in Orlando for a live performance.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina (the Tango capital of the world), Mariana is now studying different ballroom styles like Salsa, Tango, Foxtrot, Merengue, Waltz, Rumba and Swing, and will be a Certified Acrobatic Arts Teacher this fall as part of her outside-studio studies. She is also certified in Zumba instruction.

Mariana has studied different styles of dance with various organizations both locally and nationally. She has studied one-on-one with reputable and experienced teachers who mentored her first steps into the choreography world. She is constantly researching new styles, trends and ideas in dance to provide her students with a great education — one that includes excellent technique, new dance skills, and all the elements that help her students excel and stand out, as well as feel accomplished and proud of their work.

Mariana graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology (her first love) and worked as a psychotherapist for more than ten years, both in the public sector (hospitals, clinics, emergencies) and in private practice, seeing clients for individual and couples' psychotherapy. She also holds a degree in Physical Education. Both disciplines have contributed greatly to the work she does at the studio.

She has produced ViVa Argentina, an all-professional Tango-based show in which Broadway dancers from Forever Tango participated under her direction. In her early 20s, Mariana traveled for almost two years on her own through South America, North America and Europe; her experiences and anecdotes from that adventure are often splashed with illustrations in her choreography.

Mariana has choreographed for fashion shows, parades (the studio won the Best Youth Parade Float at the famous Topsfield Fair), art shows, weddings, fundraising performances, and music videos, along with a long track record of Broadway musicals with Neverland Theatre — Chicago, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Annie, The Sound of Music, High School Musical I and II, Godspell, Grease, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Cats, Oliver, Broadway revues, holiday-themed shows, and of course many, many dance shows featuring her students. She also choreographed "Blue Hair Troupe," an innovative musical revue performed at the Tremont Theatre in the Boston Theatre District on a two-year run, as well as another year's run at Giggles Comedy Club in Saugus, MA.

Mariana has taught after-school programs, workshops and intensives at Boston-based organizations such as the Girl Scouts and others. In a recent Dance Teacher magazine interview, she was quoted on overcoming "stage fright" or "performance jitters" — another example of the worlds of dancing and psychology coming together.

She is a ferocious defender of positivity and camaraderie, and has developed a "Zero Tolerance" policy against bullying — helping her students identify bullying and its effects, and teaching them to become agents of change by speaking up and, more importantly, by being accepting, loving and open to others. She relates this mindset to her mentor in her young formative years, Mrs. Dell'Oro — first Mariana's varsity volleyball coach, who later earned doctorate degrees in both Theology and Philosophy — whose long talks and shared experiences strongly shaped Mariana's view of relationships, teaching, learning, leadership, friendship and solidarity.

Mariana believes any student who enters the doors of MDS should be treated with the utmost respect and receive personalized attention, aware of the differences and challenges children face in their social lives today. She is proud to offer a space where kids of all ages can feel safe, be themselves freely, and feel supported and loved by both staff and their fellow dancers. Her passion is connecting with people and children through dance, exercise, humor and love. At MDS, your child will receive the kind of attention, dialogue, understanding and guidance that would be hard to find elsewhere.

Sofia Diskes-Atherton is an accomplished dance educator, choreographer, coach, and studio director with approximately 12 years of teaching experience and a lifelong background in dance. Beginning her teaching career at a very young age after years of assisting classes, Sofia quickly discovered that working with dancers was one of her greatest passions. Since then, she has built extensive experience teaching dancers of all ages, levels, and abilities across a wide range of styles — from first-time and recreational students to competitive, pre-professional, collegiate, and professional-track dancers.

Sofia's teaching philosophy is rooted in a simple belief: there is a place in dance for everyone. Whether a dancer is taking their first class, attending once a week simply to move and enjoy something they love, competing at a high level, or working toward a future in the professional dance industry, Sofia believes every dancer deserves to feel that they belong.

This belief is why Sofia places such a strong emphasis on a personalized approach to teaching. She recognizes that every dancer is different — with their own goals, strengths, challenges, learning styles, and reasons for dancing. She strives to meet each student where they are while challenging them to discover just how far they can go, combining the mentality of a coach with the warmth and encouragement of a mentor.

Sofia is passionate about nurturing a genuine, lifelong love of dance while helping dancers understand it as an art, a form of expression, and a sport. To her, dance education goes far beyond learning choreography or perfecting technique — it is an opportunity to develop confidence, discipline, resilience, creativity, athleticism, and self-expression.

Throughout her career, Sofia has taught studio classes, competition training, private lessons, master classes, and convention classes, and has trained dancers who have gone on to pursue dance at the collegiate and professional levels. Her choreography and students have earned numerous top overall scores, national high scores, special recognition, and top choreography awards at prestigious competitions throughout the United States.

Her choreography experience extends well beyond the competitive world. She began choreographing for musical theatre productions at just 14 years old and has since choreographed for theaters, live shows, special events, and competitive dance. Throughout her career she has trained with and learned from numerous world-renowned dancers, choreographers, educators, and industry professionals, and she is also certified in acrobatics instruction — bringing knowledge of strength, flexibility, technique, and safe skill progression into her teaching.

Sofia is especially proud to be building the future of Mariana's Dancing Studio alongside her family. She works closely with her mom — the studio's founder, owner, and Co-Director — and alongside her sister, whom Sofia had the privilege of coaching and watching grow throughout her own dance journey. What began as teaching and mentoring her sister has grown into the incredible opportunity to now work alongside her as colleagues and continue building something together.

Above all, Sofia loves being part of her students' journeys. She finds the greatest reward in watching dancers discover confidence, overcome challenges, and accomplish goals they once thought impossible. Whether she is teaching a young dancer their very first steps, coaching a competitive dancer through a challenging season, or helping a dancer take the next step toward their future, Sofia is passionate about making a lasting impact on every dancer she teaches — and is incredibly proud of the community being built at MDS.

Catalina Diskes began dancing at just two years old and quickly discovered a lifelong passion for the art of dance. What started as a love for movement grew into years of dedicated training across a wide variety of styles and a successful competitive dance career. As a student at Mariana's Dancing Studio, Catalina had the opportunity to train extensively and learn from world-renowned choreographers, earning numerous overall awards, special awards, and recognitions throughout her competitive career.

After graduating high school, Catalina knew she wanted to remain a part of the dance world and share the passion that had shaped so much of her life. She transitioned into dance education and choreography, discovering a love for helping young dancers grow both inside and outside of the studio. Catalina is a well-rounded instructor who teaches and choreographs in a variety of styles, with a strong focus on technique, performance quality, musicality, artistry, and confidence. Her choreography and the dancers she has trained have achieved success on both regional and national stages, earning numerous awards including National Championship titles, along with several Top Choreography awards and other special recognitions.

As a teacher, Catalina's mission is to make every student feel confident, passionate, and proud of their progress. She believes that dance is both an art and a sport, and that the process of learning, growing, and challenging yourself is just as meaningful as the accomplishments that come along the way. She strives to create a positive and welcoming environment where her students feel comfortable being themselves, having fun, taking risks, and discovering their own individuality as dancers.

Catalina is grateful to continue growing within the Mariana's Dancing Studio family as a teacher, choreographer, and Assistant Director, and is passionate about helping inspire and shape the next generation of dancers.