• Founded in 1975
• Non-profit organization registered with the State of New Jersey
• Dedicated to youth performance and development
• Made up of male & female performers between the ages of 5 and 18

• Dance Company is offered for ages;
  5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-13 and 14-18

• Dancers train in technical classes including;
  Ballet, Pointe, Turns & Leaps and Flexibility

• Dancers train in dance genres including;
  Tap, Jazz, Lyrical/Contemporary, Musical Theatre and HipHop

• Showstopper American Dance Championships
• NUVO, JUMP, The Dance Awards
• Madison Square Garden
• The Prudential Center
• Knicks, Nets, Liberty and 76'ers Halftimes
• Giants Stadium
• The Meadowlands
• The Garden State Bowl Halftime
• Lincoln Center
• Julliard School of Music Comic Opera, The Hero
• The World's Fair in Tennessee
• Disney World, Epcot Center
• Universal Studios Florida
• Denmark
• The former Soviet Union in Moscow and Leningrad

History

The Entertainers Baton and Dance Company was founded in 1975 by Mary Bonnell and Leesa Bonnell Csolak through a local recreation department and begin in its inaugural year with over 150 members. It was designed as a non-profit organization dedicated to youth performance in Dance, Baton Twirling and general stage performance. It has morphed over the past 39 years into an organization that sponsors performers in all areas of dance, voice and acting and has been known as The Entertainers Baton and Dance Association, The Entertainers Dance Company, The Entertainers, Star Maker’s Entertainers, The Star Maker Dance Company and The Star Maker School.

The organization has taught literally thousands of student members the art of performance in many genres. The group has performed at the 1982 World’s Fair, The Julliard School of Music, NYC in the Comic Opera, The Hero under the direction of Gian Carlo Minotti, for Bowl Games, Net’s, 76er’s, Knicks and Liberty Basketball Halftime Shows, went on tour to Denmark and the Soviet Union for the Olympic Committee in 1987, performed in Disney World and at Universal Studios. Groups, Duo/Trios and Soloists have been State, Regional and National/World champions and finalists for thirty-nine years.

The group continues to offer youth performances for senior citizens, convalescent centers, town parades and events and fundraisers for the American Diabetes Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis, Cancer Research Foundations and others. The school also offers annual scholarships to needy children and a scholarship at the local high school for a graduating senior continuing their education in the arts.

Over the past 29 years members have been trained in Dance, Acting and Voice and promoted in the NYC area to obtain personal professional representation. Student members have become youth professionals working on Broadway, on TV, in Films, in Commercials and have done professional Print and Industrials as well as music videos and concert performances with major music artists. They have sung in nightclubs in NYC, done jingles for commercials, sung on record albums, and done voice over work for product advertisement and cartoon series.’ They have gone on to further their education winning college and university scholarships and become successful professionals.

The Entertainers and The Star Maker School is recognized throughout the US and is well known on the East Coast and in NYC as one of the top schools in the country continuing to turn out champion and professional child, teen and young adult performers.