My Mission as an Educator
As someone who has been a theatre and dance student for 19 years and is currently working to create a career in the arts, I feel a strong passion for passing on my love for the arts, just as I was. I thrive in positive environments, and my goal as an educator is to always make my teaching space a positive environment for all of my students, while also striving to provide my students with the highest caliber of arts education. I am always looking for a creative outlet where I can make an impact on others, and nothing seems more rewarding to me than helping students of all ages spark and strengthen their passion for theatre and dance to keep the arts alive in the next generation.
What do I bring to the table to musical theatre and dance classes?
Along with my experience directing, I am trained in Stanislavski, Laban, Meisner, Alexander, and Uta Hagen techniques that I enjoy bringing to the classroom in any musical theatre performance or acting classes.
As the director of the Bishop Stang High School Theatre Company, I emphasize the importance of character analysis. My students study their characters using Stanislavski's "The Magic If", where my students will journal answers to their individually provided questions created by me to spark character development. My students also incorporate Laban through the Four Effort Elements to develop their character's way of movement and the Eight Effort Actions to access emotion.
As for dance, I have experience teaching styles such as musical theatre dance, jazz, tap, ballet, pointe lyrical, partnering, and commercial to students ages 6-18. I focus on creating techniqually strong dancers while also emphazing the improtance of telling a story through movement.
A Bit About My Teaching Experience
I have been teaching and working with children since 2018 when I assisted as a camp counselor for Bishop Stang High School's Summer Theatre Clinic. At this camp, I had the opportunity to work as an acting coach and dance captain, assisting the Director/Choreographer of the cabaret. In 2020, I volunteered at Holy Family Holy Name School's drama club as the Music Director for their production of The Lion King Jr. This was my first time being in charge of any type of direction, and I learned so much about collaboration in an artistic workplace.
Starting in the summer of 2022, I had my first paid opportunity as a Director/Choreographer at Bishop Stang’s Summer Theatre Clinic. It was such a fulfilling experience working with all ages of young children and being able to inspire a passion and love for dance and theatre just as I had been inspired so many years ago. This experience made me realize how much I enjoyed teaching which later led me to my most formative internship.
In the summer of 2024, I had the privilege of working at Stagedoor Manor as an Assistant Choreographer/Counselor. Each session, I worked closely with a seasoned Director/Choreographer, cleaning choreography and creating choreography of my own for pre-professional level children’s productions. Along with my Assistant Choreographer responsibilities, I taught recreational dance classes as well as a performance class for Class Showcase. This experience was completely transformative and was ultimately what led me to decide that I wanted to pursue education. I experienced so much joy this summer watching my students' excitement and passion grow through the art they were creating. I especially loved watching my students with little to no dance experience find a new-found confidence and love of movement in my classes and rehearsals.
I have taught dance at numerous recreational studios throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island instructing students ranging from the ages of 5-18 years old. My forte lies in musical theatre dance, jazz, and ballet styles although I have a deep love for tap, lyrical, and contemporary dance, as well. I have choreographed lyrical solos and duets for competition which have placed in the Sapphire category. I pride myself in raising the bar for students with technical improvement, choreography retention, and stage presence while all being fostered in a positive and uplifting learning environment.
Choreography Highlights
Coming soon...