Mayeisha Parker
Artistic Director & Instructor
Mayeisha’s passion for the arts was born in a Brooklyn community center, where she first experienced African dance across the street from her childhood apartment. That spark led her to audition for The Wiz in third grade—landing the lead role and setting her on a lifelong path in the arts. She went on to attend a series of gifted performing arts schools in New York, training in acting and musical theatre at Henry Street Settlement under Kenneth Greens, and the Harlem Theatre Company. At just 16, she was awarded a BFA Acting Scholarship at Marymount Manhattan College.
As a mother of five, Mayeisha deeply understands the role the arts play in child development, confidence building, and emotional expression. Her mission is to provide children and adults alike with a safe space to move, express, and grow through dance, fitness, and performance
Mayeisha A. Parker is the visionary behind MFA Studios, a thriving Dance, Fitness, and Cheer studio with two locations and over 15 years of community impact. Under her leadership, MFA Studios has become a cornerstone for youth arts education and wellness, offering a wide range of programs including competitive cheer, competitive dance, fitness training, and the area’s largest preschool performing arts program for children ages 2 to 5.
What sets MFA Studios apart is its dual focus on excellence and inclusivity. The studio’s nationally award-winning cheer and dance teams are known for discipline, creativity, and unity. Meanwhile, the Preschool Performing Arts Program introduces young children to ballet, tap, tumbling, creative movement, and musicality—igniting a love for performance early in life.
Elba Rivera
Instructor
I have been working as an instructor since 2006. I am an AFAA certified personal trainer, and I am certified to teach Zumba, Sh’Bam, Body Pump, Insanity, CXWORX, and Silver Sneakers.
I love to help people feel better about themselves both mentally and physically. I especially enjoy working with people struggling with health problems and physical limitations. The sense of accomplishment I receive is truly fulfilling, and gives me the energy and strength I need in order to perform at the level my clients deserve.
Julie Heintz
Instructor
Julie was trained in dance at Michelle Buschner School of Dance in Rochester, New York where she studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical and Modern Dance. Julie was selected to join a Senior Ensemble dance group at the age of thirteen and enjoyed competing both locally and regionally. During her high school years, Julie began teaching dance and her first fitness class, “Ballet Barre Fitness.” She moved to Virginia in 1982 and continued to teach dance and fitness classes for many years. Julie has been certified by AFAA and NDEITA (currently NETA), Kettlebell AMPD, Barre Above, Zumba and has taught a wide range of classes including Step, Body Sculpting, Strength & Tone, Interval Training, and Adult Tap. She was hired by Nike to perform demo fitness routines in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. to help promote Nike fitness attire. After taking an absence from instructing to raise her family and start a business career, Julie is excited to be teaching again and to be a part of the MFA Team!!
Suzanne Amoruso
Registered Dietitian/Wellness Coordinator
Suzanne is a Board Certified Dietitian and Wellness Coach. She has been practicing as a dietitian for over 20 years. She is a resident of Locust Grove for 24 years and resides here with her husband. She has 3 grown children and one new precious grandson.
Suzanne has a BS degree in nutrition from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, and she received her certification as a diabetes educator in Virginia in 2003. She specializes in diabetes education, weight loss, GI issues. More recently Suzanne has a special interest in integrative nutrition and functional foods/medicine. “Helping people heal from the inside out; getting to the root cause of your issue”.
After researching more about the gut microbiome, she began to incorporate and recommend more whole food nutrition to her patients.
In 2020 Suzanne started a private practice, Nutrition For You. She serves patients in Fredericksburg, Culpeper, and Locust Grove. She is also a wellness coach for the Juice Plus company; helping people understand the importance of getting more whole food nutrition and fruits and vegetables into their diet. This is a great way to “bridge that gap” of what we should be eating everyday.
Suzanne enjoys staying active playing pickleball, hiking, working out on a daily basis. She also enjoys making new healthy recipes following a plant based diet
Don’t forget the acronym below:
M.I.S.S. Move, Increase water, Sleep, Stress management
Wallis Payano-Batchelor
Instructor
Wallis has been dancing for over 30 years. She began dancing traditional music from the Dominican Republic as a young girl in Bronx, NY. She has danced in Latin dance groups in high school and college. During her service in the Air Force she was an ambassador in Tops in Blue, an expeditionary group that traveled the globe providing entertainment for military members and their families. She has done Zumba for over 15 years and has been an official Zumba Instructor since 2020.
Henry Butler
Instructor