About US

The Company of Dance Arts (CODA) is dedicated to providing a diverse group of children and teens with high-caliber dance performance opportunities and fostering professional artistic growth, exceptional performance standards, and comprehensive personal development. Our programs are designed to elevate young dancers through advanced training and engagement with professional artists and choreographers. We aim to nurture resilience, artistic excellence, and a broad skill set in performance, choreography, and stage production. 

CODA enriches the community's cultural landscape by promoting an appreciation for classical ballet and contemporary dance. Our outreach initiatives actively engage diverse audiences, fostering inclusivity and sparking interest in the performing arts. Through education and performance, CODA shapes the next generation of artists and creates an organic system where the art of dance thrives and enriches lives.

For nearly 40 years, CODA has been dedicated to providing young dancers with performance opportunities that meet professional standards of artistic development, performance values, and production qualities. Since 2010, current artistic directors Nick and Shayne Mishoe have continued this mission of the Company, which was founded in 1985 by Jennifer James Church.

The Company presents The Nutcracker annually in December. Each spring features a production from our vast repertoire, which includes The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Rabbit & Other Tails, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, and the Celebrate Dance Series. For these productions, CODA has successfully partnered with a number of regional venues including Count Basie Center for the Arts and Two River Theater in Red Bank, the Strand Theater in Lakewood, Monmouth University's Guggenheim Theater in West Long Branch, and Rutgers University. 

Kristen Dwyer

Lucy Gao

Paul Gottdenker, DMD

Mona Ryan

Lara Saggese

Yvonne Lamb Scudiery

Lisa B. Shire

Loly Tor

Kevin Tor