NICOLE CASSARINO-CONLON
Entrepreneur
Entertainment Producer
Choreographer
Nicole Cassarino-Conlon is a native of Hartford, CT. Nicole took her first dance lessons at age three, leading to her lifelong passion for Dance, Choreography and Performance. She held shows in the backyard for neighbors and led dance classes on the blacktop at recess. After the choir teacher asked her to choreograph school productions, Nicole suggested forming a show choir. The show choir went on to win awards and still exists today. She then started a group of high school dancers called Dancers Against Drugs and worked with the many DARE programs throughout the Northeast, all while choreographing an anti-‐drug rap video with the Hartford Police Department. That video would be shown in different DARE programs and educational settings across Connecticut.
After graduating high school, Nicole auditioned for the prestigious Steps on Broadway in New York City. Among hundreds of other dancers, she was one of two dancers chosen for a dance scholarship; and she moved to New York City at 17 years old to pursue this opportunity.
Nicole’s first choreography job in New York was with Apollo Theater Records – where she choreographed for singer Billy Robinson and later Morgan Heritage. She would go on to Choreograph for recording artists Rhythm Syndicate and Pretty Poison and perform for many freestyle and hip-‐hop artists in the late 80’s and 90’s. Between choreographing, dancing backup for musicians, teaching and taking dance classes she kept herself busy.
Nicole is a certified dance teacher through Dance Educators of America.
Before long, doors opened for her to do artist development, showcase and choreograph at other music labels: Sony/Epic, Daylight Records, Extreme Records, and Tommy Boy Records. She would later choreograph national TV commercials and produce stage shows nationwide for many corporate companies. One of the hair companies eventually asked her to be a guest artist/presenter promoting their new makeup line at different trade shows throughout the U.S. Nicole continued working part-‐time for MAC Cosmetics and free lanced on celebrity makeup projects for the Meredith Corporation, The Gayle King Show and HGTV.
In addition to serving clients in NYC, she returned to Connecticut and established a New York-‐style dance school, as well as managing and choreographing dance teams for semi-‐ professional and professional sports. Her creativity was contagious, so more opportunities would present themselves. Nicole eagerly took on new challenges to be versed about the entertainment industry, and had the foresight to expand upon the Corporate and Casino markets which would ultimately lead her to what she does today.
dfx Entertainment was established in 2002. Over the years and through her travels, she has built an extensive network of performers, entertainment professionals and celebrities that she works with today. Nicole provides clients with top-‐notch talent, entertainment and creative solutions for their venues or events, produces and choreographs one-of-a-kind shows and creates unique memorable marketing campaigns with different partners.
dfx Entertainment’s newest addition is the recently built dfx Studios , a beautiful creative space in a Historic 100-‐year-‐old Factory . This is where Nicole creates her productions with her team through music, choreography, make -‐up and costume design. She still teaches and develops talent, offers coaching, workshops and performance opportunities for new talent and professional talent.
Nicole is a creative and strategic thinker who never stops evolving. She has built her business on her lifelong passion, is driven and works with integrity and purpose. Nicole loves to share her successes with the creative people around her.
Nicole says, “Bringing an idea or vision to life, the whole creative process is exciting! I love helping talented people pursue their passions and connecting them to opportunities in the entertainment business.”
Nicole lives with her husband Mike, their children Mya and Noah, a Lab named Zoe and a horse named Showtime!
Nicole is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Creative Education Foundation (CEF). In her leadership role with CEF, Nicole helps develop strategy for and execute production for the organization’s annual Creative problem Solving Institute (CPSI).