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Judi Nelson Baruck

Judi Nelson Baruck is Artistic Director and Vice President/Program for ReCreation Tappers of Southwest Florida. In this role, she conducts classes, rehearsals and members-only practice sessions, choreographs routines and oversees public and private performances. She has been active with the organization since its inception in 2004. Having studied various dance disciplines since early childhood, Judi established the Judi Nelson School of Dance in Miami FL, which she operated for more than 22 years. Her students have won many titles and scholarships, and a number have gone on to professional performing and teaching careers. Judi has a lengthy history of significant contributions to dance arts. She is a long-time member of Florida Dance Masters, and has served in a number of roles for the organization, including National Performing Arts and Pageant judge, scholarship auditions teacher and membership examiner. She was a national representative for Fred Astaire Performing Arts and a master tap teacher and performing arts judge for the organization. She served as jazz choreographer for the Cultural Arts Society Junior Ballet Company and was a performing member of their Senior Ballet Company. In addition, Judi co-founded South Dade Expressions Dance Company, where she was production coordinator. She also served as director/choreographer of the Miss North Miami Pageant (preliminary to the Miss America pageant) for five years. Music and dance continue to be Judi’s passion and a major part of her life, and she is delighted to share her love of tap dancing with the wonderful members of ReCreation Tappers.

Francesca DeAngelo

Francesca DeAngelo, originally from Harrison NY, is Associate Artistic Director of ReCreation Tappers of Southwest Florida and teacher/choreographer for Etudes de Ballet, Naples FL. She is the former owner and artistic director of New York Dance, Westchester County NY, and is a renowned dance teacher, choreographer and company director with more than 40 years’ experience. She has traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East as a performer and master teacher, delighting children and adults with her dynamic classes and choreography. She has studied extensively under the tutelage of Ronnie Stewart, JO JO Smith, Frank Hatchette, Phill Black, Bob Audi, Fred Benjamin, Finis Jhung, Henry LeTange, Lisa Hopkins, Germaine Salsberg, and Sheila Barker. Francesca has choreographed more than 35 musicals for KJK Productions Main Stage and Children’s Theatre, NYD Summer Theatre, Creative Summer Theatre, and several Broadway Star Benefits presented in the NY metropolitan area. Currently, she is co-choreographer for the highly acclaimed Archbishop Stepinac HS Drama program in New York. Over the last 10 years, she has choreographed several award-winning musicals including the high-school premiers of Billy Elliot, A Bronx Tale and Jersey Boys. As a teaching artist, Francesca has taught extensively in NYC and Westchester County Public Schools. In addition, she was choreographer for The New York Vagabonds, an all-male quartet who headlined on cruise ships around the world (Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Regent). Many of her students have performed at world-class venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Palace Theatre and the London 2012 Invitational during the Olympics! Most recently, she brought ReCreation Tappers dancers to Rome, Italy to perform in July 2024 with the Performing Arts Educators (PAE) organization.

Cindy Padgett

Cindy Padgett began studying dance at age six, working on a diverse dance menu of tap, jazz, ballet and hula. It was the beginning of a lifelong career in performing arts. While pursuing studies in Theater Arts, Performing Arts and Creative Arts in college, Cindy managed to find time to teach dance and perform, launching her professional singing and dancing career at Southern California theme parks. Her career as an entertainer has taken Cindy across the country and across an ocean – she twice traveled to Japan for months-long engagements. As one of the Sahara Girls at the famous Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, her troupe opened for a bevy of superstar headliners. Cindy also was lead singer/dancer in a five-girl revue that ran for seven years in Las Vegas, and she later traveled to diverse venues – Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City and Aruba – performing cabaret style shows. After leaving Nevada to live in Colorado, Cindy taught at the Ascot Theatre/Dance Studio in Littleton and also at her home studio. Arriving in Naples in 2007, Cindy quickly established herself as an entertainer and dance teacher/choreographer. She has performed extensively as a singer in SW Florida, including Ft. Myers, Bonita Springs, Naples, Sanibel Island and Marco Island. Cindy is Master of Ceremonies for ReCreation Tappers appearances, choreographs routines and performs with the troupe.

Linda Betts

Born and raised in Buffalo NY, Linda has a rich heritage of dance education. Her mother founded Buffalo’s Geraldine C. Hoffman School of Dance in 1930. This dance school, still operating under the same name, has the distinction of being the oldest dance school in western New York State. Linda first graced the stage at three years of age and pursued the study of dance across the country, with a concentration in New York City. At 16, she dove into teaching, and by her eighteenth birthday, Linda was instructing students in ballet, jazz, tap, gymnastics and ballroom dance. In 1980, Linda became sole owner and director of the Hoffman School of Dance, and it was her dance home for more than 25 years. The studio was sold in 2006 and continues to turn out well-trained, well-rounded dancers. Moving to Naples in 2009, Linda began teaching tap technique at various area studios. She is a member of Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America. Linda has been an affiliated teacher with ReCreation Tappers since 2009.

Marilyn DiEnno

Dance has been a part of Marilyn’s life since she was four. However, at an early age, she developed a foot condition that required corrective shoes. Marilyn’s doctor suggested that along with the required braces, tap dancing might help strengthen muscles in her ankles and feet. Well, he was right. And, as a bonus, Marilyn developed a love for tap dancing right from the beginning and has barely taken off her tap shoes since! Marilyn studied tap, ballroom, acrobatics and jazz for 14 years. As a child, she appeared on the Horn & Hardart’s Children’s Hour television show and at Tony Grant’s Stars of Tomorrow Children’s Theater at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City NJ. Seven-year-old Marilyn did four shows a day, seven days a week. Later, she frequently performed in shows in Delaware County and the tri-state area of PA/DE/NJ. As an adult, Marilyn returned to her childhood studio to take more challenging classes. She excelled and joined the teaching staff, working mainly with children. Her responsibilities included music, choreography and production assistance at various performances. However, Marilyn’s true love is teaching adult women. She finds it exhilarating to see students progress from knowing very little tap to learning new steps and -- after much drill and practice – "owning" those steps. And once they "own them," they are theirs to keep forever. That's what lifts her spirit and feeds her soul! The expression of confidence and accomplishment on her student's faces is priceless. Marilyn thoroughly enjoys her involvement with Rec Tappers and her classes.

Jerolee Richards

“I love to dance!” That has been Jeree’s motto since she was introduced to dance at the age of four. Ballet, tap, jazz, even line dancing -- just put on some music and her natural instinct is to move. (Her grandson teases Jeree that as a “middle child” she was looking for attention!) Jeree enjoyed dance lessons during her elementary and high school years. She excelled, and at 12 was invited to be an assistant teacher. By the time she was a teen, Jeree was teaching the younger students. During high-school and college, she also volunteered to choreograph numbers for both high-school musicals and community theater. Although attending college interrupted her pursuit of dance for education and recreation, Jeree offered dance lessons to children at her hometown community center during summer breaks. Jeree believes that once dance is “in your bones” it will always call you back! After marriage and three children, including a “dancing” daughter, Jeree reentered the dance world and began teaching children at the studios where her daughter was enrolled. Missing the exhilaration of more instruction and challenges for herself, Jeree was very excited to discover ReCreation Tappers of Southwest Florida! She believes she has benefitted greatly from the exceptional instructors and the opportunity to perform with ReCreation Tappers. When she began to hear requests from adult women who wanted to learn how to tap, Jeree decided to make it happen for them by offering classes for beginners and advanced beginners. She enjoys watching her students progress and share her passion for tap.

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