Aubree Marchione‏ is an actress/dancer/singer, a true triple threat, but what makes her special isn’t just her undeniable talent but how she chooses to use it. Marchione, who is most widely recognized for her professional ballroom dancing, chooses to dance with disabled partners. She is on a mission to spread awareness of wheelchair ballroom so those who thought they would never dance again are able to get a second chance.

Marchione was born on December 29, 1985, and grew up in rural Tabernacle, New Jersey. “It's a very small town with not a lot of things to do,” Marchione says, “so my friends and I always ended up making our own fun. I think that’s what led me to be creative and athletic as a kid.” Marchione was always creative and talented, but when she was young acting, singing, and dancing were not her career goals, contrary to most children’s fantasies. “When I was in 4th grade, I remember telling my teacher that I wanted to be a writer and an ice skater,” she recalls, laughing. Like most teens whose childlike fantasies morph into something more realistic and suitable, Marchione says that as she grew older, she wanted to attend school for theatre and become an actress. “My plan was to play soccer through college so that I could go to NYU on a athletic scholarship, but before I graduated high school I tore both my ACL's and had to get surgery on both knees,” Marchione says.

But everything happens for a reason. “As I was lying in bed recuperating, a ballroom dance competition came on TV. I knew then that's what I wanted to do. Ballroom dance seemed so elegant, sexy, and exciting to me. I thought it would be such a great profession. My dreams of acting never stopped though. I believe that dancing and acting go hand in hand.” After Marchione was out of the hospital and fully recovered, she began to pursue her dancing dreams. “I was very lucky to find Sandra Fortuna's school, Universal Dance Center, in New Jersey” she says. “I started taking classes there, and she took me under her wing and trained me to be a top dancer and professional in the dance industry.

Early on I competed with her son, Brian, and did very well. My experience has led me to choreograph national and international commercials, and also to get some small roles in television.” Marchione was living her dreams thanks to her talent and the help she received from Universal Dance Center, it wasn’t only a place that taught her to dance, but also the place where she was first introduced to wheelchair ballroom. She instantly wanted to become involved with it because it is so unique. She saw “wheelchair ballroom as an activity that could push me to be more creative in my field, [as a way to] help me grow as a dancer, and most importantly, as a way to] help others -- disabled or able-bodied.” With Fortuna’s help, Marchione was able to participate in the making of the first wheelchair dance syllabus, WheelEase. “I've taught people in chairs and their able-bodied partners how to dance socially, competitively, for their first dance at their wedding, and have performed at various fundraisers and events with different partners,” Marchione says. Now, she and Fortuna are focusing on teaching classes and training others to do the same.

Marchione has taught many people, but “the most memorable couple that I taught,” recounts Aubree, “was a wedding couple who were both blind. They called the studio because they had heard about the wheelchair dancing and wondered if it was possible for me to teach them for their wedding. I told them to come in and I talked them through the steps. They turned out to be the best wedding couple I've ever had because they had such a good connection with each other. It was an amazing experience to watch their parents’ faces when they saw how well their children could dance.”

Right now, Marchione is not only a teacher but a dance partner to Nick Scott. Scott is a champion wheelchair bodybuilder-turned-dancer. The two met at an event Marchione was hosting for 2B Entertainment, the Arnold Sports Festival. She wanted Scott as a partner because he’s strong, musical, and entertaining, she says. When she asked if he would come to New Jersey to learn how to dance and choreograph a routine, he said yes. Together, the pair has danced the samba and the rumba, among others. Videos of their routines can be seen on Marchione’s blog. Marchione has big plans in mind for the pair. First, she says she and Scott plan on competing at the Paralympics next year. Eventually, they want to put together a routine for “Dancing with the Stars” or “So You Think You Can Dance”.

“My goal is to showcase wheelchair dancing on one of these popular shows to spread the awareness of this activity,” Marchione says. “There are only a handful of people within the U.S. who even know what wheelchair dancing is, [and I want to change that.] I've watched this activity change the lives of so many people within my reach, and I know if I could get the word out and get more studios teaching wheelchair dance, it would enrich the lives of so many people -- older people who used to dance but who think they can't anymore because they are in a wheelchair, young disabled veterans who want to dance with their wife at their wedding, kids with disabilities, etc." Marchione is most proud “of having so much going on in my life at such a young age. I am proud to make a difference in people's lives. I am proud that I make my parents happy. I am proud that I am a professional dancer.” She adds that “even though I am an achiever, I do not take for granted the people who have inspired and helped me through my paths. I wouldn't have been as motivated if I didn't have those people in my life.”