DONNA MICELI RHODES (Director) received her training at Boston Ballet, Gus Giordano Dance Center in Chicago, and the New York City studios of Luigi and Alvin Ailey. In addition to founding the Donna Miceli Dance Ensemble and the Youth Dance Company, Ms. Rhodes has instructed at Boston School of Ballet, Gus Giordano Dance Center, Jeanette Neill Dance Studio and Lowell Arts Magnet School. She has been a Master Teacher for the Dance Teachers Clubs of Boston and Maine, Dance Masters of America and Tanzwerkstatt Internationale in Bonn, Germany. The recipient of numerous awards for her performances and choreography, Ms. Rhodes has choreographed for MRT and professional companies. She was a finalist in the International Choreography Competitive Event at Jazz Dance World Congress 2000 and 2003 where she received Honorable Mention awards for her work. Ms. Rhodes is certified by the Dance Teachers Club of Boston and Dance Masters of America and serves as adjudicator at competitions.

ANDREA BLESSO (Modern, Total Body Series, Making Dances) trained at DMDC and received her B.A. in Dance/Performance from Roger Williams University.  She teaches at Salem State College, The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, Medicine Wheel Youth Programming and serves as Improvisation Director for Bennett Dance Company. Andrea currently performs with Turnpike Project, Bennett Dance Company and EgoArt, Inc.

MARY DEMASO (Ballet) is Founder and Co-Director of Dance Prism. A teacher for more than 25 years, Ms. Demaso directs her own Ballet academy and teaches at numerous schools and colleges. She received her own training from Vienna State Opera Ballet and Sam Kurkjian. Many of her students have become professional dancers with respected ballet companies, including Boston Ballet.

BECKI DENNIS (Theatre Arts, Hip Hop) holds a B.A. with honors in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. An alumna of DMDC and the Youth Dance Company, she has taught musical theatre at COPC in Pittsburgh, PA and Andover High School.

AMANDA FREDRICKSON (Childrens Programs) has trained at DMDC for seven years and is a member and soloist of the Youth Dance Company. She is a graduate of DMDC’s Teacher Training Program. We welcome her as a junior member of our staff.

ELLEN GRINDER (Tap & Jazz, Co-Director of the DMDC Dance Companies) holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum/Instruction from Boston  College and serves as Assistant Director of the Harrington Extended Day Program in Lexington. Ellen celebrates over 30 years as a dancer and faculty member at DMDC. She traveled to Germany in 1992 as Dance Captain of Donna Miceli Dance Ensemble and assisted with teaching and choreography at the International Dance Festival in Bonn. Ellen performed at Jazz Dance World Congress 2000 and returned in 2003 as a finalist in the International Choreography Competitive Event.

ADRIENNE HAWKINS (Artist-in-Residence, Jazz), well known as a teacher of dance throughout the world, holds an M.F.A. in Dance from Connecticut College. She has been a guest artist at numerous colleges including Harvard University, Mt. Holyoke, UMass-Amherst, Boston Conservatory and University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Ms. Hawkins has been Artistic Director of Impulse Dance Company of Boston for over 30 years and is an award-winning choreographer, known for her incomparable mixture of humor and passion.

RICHARD HINTON (Hip Hop) holds an M.S. in Professional Communication from Clark University. A 15 year student of DMDC, he was a soloist with the Youth Dance Co. and is a member of the Advanced Contemporary Repertory Ensemble.

AMANDA JOHNSON (Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz) received her bachelor’s degree from UMass-Amherst where she was a member and choreographer for the nationally ranked Hip Hop Dance Team which was featured on ESPN in 2000. She has been teaching Tap, Jazz and Hip Hop for six years in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Calgary Alberta Canada where she performed with Dance Montage, a Hip Hop company. Amanda is currently enrolled in the M.Ed. program at Salem State College, teaches at New Hampshire School of the Performing Arts and is a member of Seacoast Civic Dance Company. She is director and choreographer for DMDC’s Tap Repertory Ensemble.

LISA LIPPIELLO (Lyrical, Ballet) received a degree in Dance from Point Park College where she performed extensively with faculty and guest choreographers and at the Kennedy Center. During her 12 years of study at DMDC, Lisa was a member and soloist of YDC and an Apprentice Teacher. She performed with Donna Miceli Dance Ensemble at Jazz Dance World Congress 2003.

JEFFREY POLSTON (Artist-in-Residence, Contemporary Ballet Jazz) tours internationally with Complexions, a NYC company directed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre veterans Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. He performs with Impulse Dance Co., was a  first company member of  Philadanco! and New Boys (Japan). He trained at North Carolina School of the Arts and taught at Boston University and Dean College.

KRISTEN MAZUR RUSSELL (Pre-School, Ballet, Tap) trained at DMDC for numerous years with additional study at Boston School of Ballet. She was a member of the Youth Dance Company and Donna Miceli Dance Ensemble. Since graduating from DMDC’s Teacher Training Program in 1991, Kristen teaches and choreographs for DMDC and musical theatre groups.

GILDA SORDILLO (Tap, Jazz) A DMDC alumna, Gilda majored in Dance at Dean College and Oklahoma University. Her teachers include tap masters Henry Lee Tang and Al Gilbert. She choreographs and teaches for private schools in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and has received the highest awards for choreography.

NICOLE RAUSEO ZWIREK (Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz) received her B.F.A. in Dance at UMass-Amherst where she performed as a member of the University Dancers and UMass Dance Team. A 15 year alumna of DMDC and the Youth Dance Company, Nicole teaches 5th grade in Tewksbury. She is director and choreographer for Jr. HYPE and Kid Co. II.

LAUREN EVANS & LAUREN VIEIRA (Pre-School and Childrens Work) We welcome these young artists to our junior teaching staff. Ms. Evans and Vieira have completed DMDC’s teacher training program and are members of the Youth Dance Company.

Guest Artists & Choreographers:

NAILAH BELLINGER is on the faculty of Dean College and is a judge and master teacher for DMA and ADA. Her credits include membership on the 1992 Dance and Music Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. She performed with several dance companies in California and appeared with Janet Jackson in the video “Escapade”.  Lorraine Chapman, director of Lorraine Chapman & Dancers, has danced for Ballet de Montreal, Feld Ballets/New York City, Prometheus and Spencer/Colton. She teaches at Harvard University and Brown University and her choreography has been performed in New York, Seattle and Toronto.

Kelly Cannone is the founder of Dance Artistry in Rhode Island, the studio Dancer Magazine notes as "One of the four most successful studios in America". She is a Master teacher, choreographer and adjudicator whose students have performed across the United States, in Europe and in Russia. Kelly is also the founder of Aspiring Dreamz, a goal setting program presented to schools and organizations.

Lorraine Chapman, director of Lorraine Chapman & Dancers, has danced for Ballet de Montreal, Feld Ballets/New York City, Prometheus and Spencer/Colton.  She teaches at Harvard University and Brown University and her choreography has been performed in New York, Seattle and Toronto.

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BILLY McLAUGHLIN teaches at Boston Conservatory, Jeanette Neill Studios and Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts. He performs throughout New England, the U.S. and Europe with Prometheus, Impulse Dance Company and ACE Entertainment. He recently appeared in his own one-man show in New York City.

DUSTIENNE MILLER is a graduate of DMDC and holds an M.S in physical therapy from Russell Sage College where she founded the Sage Dance Ensemble. She performed in the national touring companies of “Fosse” and “Will Rogers Follies” and is currently playing Bebe in “A Chorus Line”. Dustienne is a certified Kripalu yoga instructor.

MICHELLE PINTO (Jazz, Lyrical, Repertory) majored in Dance at University of South Florida and is a 20 year teaching veteran. She trained at DMDC for over 15 years and was a soloist and member of the Youth Dance Company which she co-directed for several years. Michelle was also a member of Prometheus and the Body Language Dance Company. She is co-director and choreographer for Kidsdance Co. and the Youth Dance Company.

Eva Von gencSy, former principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, founded Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal. In 1977 she received the Queen’s Medal for Special Artistic Achievements.  A renowned teacher, Ms. von Gencsy directs Jazz workshops and choreographs on an international level in Canada, the U.S., Europe and North Africa.

JACQUI YOUNG, a DMDC alumni, is the founder and artistic director of DANZJAM National Conventions and NYC-based Push Factor Dance Company. Her choreography has been featured on stage from Boston to Branson, Missouri, New York City to Las Vegas.

MICHELLE ROONEY "Zenobia" (Bellydance), is a  professional bellydancer from the Boston area. She is classically trained in various dance forms including oriental, ballet and modern dance with foundations in yoga and pilates.