Katie is excited to be entering another wonderful season at The Performing Arts Connection as the Office Manager. Before arriving at TPAC, Katie was employed at Native Plant Trust (Garden in the Woods), where she served as the Administrative Coordinator for three years. Working at the Garden sparked an interest in environmental issues and protecting the region’s native flora and fauna, and she plans to continue educating herself about the field of conservation. Prior to that she was a Gallery Assistant at Quadrum, a gallery featuring a carefully curated collection of designer jewelry, for twelve years. There she was able to indulge in her love of gemstones and all things sparkly. Her favorite part of working at Quadrum was meeting interesting artists and making personal connections with clients. Katie has two daughters and is a proud dance, soccer and theater mom! She has made her home in Framingham for the past 20 plus years after earning a degree at Framingham State University, studying Art History and Museum Studies. She is so excited to be a part of the TPAC team and work with all the wonderful families, students, and colleagues!

Emily is so excited for another great year of teaching dance and theater at TPAC! Emily danced at Acton Boxborough Dance Center for 15 years, starting at age four. At AB Regional High School, Emily was very involved in Proscenium Circus, their theater group, as a performer, director, and student choreographer. She received a TAMY nomination for her work in “Mary Poppins”, and played Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.” Emily has a B.A. in Dance and Theatre from Muhlenberg College, with concentrations in Education, Choreography, and Performance Studies. She performed in numerous faculty and student productions, choreographed several mainstage pieces, and coordinated dance showcases. She was thrilled to work with Earl Mosley in “Unconquered” and has taken master classes from Dianne Walker, Aaron Tolson, Thelma Goldberg, and Ian Berg. At college, Emily was captain of the jazz team and a performing choreographer for both the jazz and tap teams. She also taught dance for the Muhlenberg Community Dance Center and completed an Arts Administration Internship at The Dance Complex in Cambridge. She performs with Dance Works Boston, a Boston-based dance company. Emily strives to create inclusive and engaging classes and shows that foster a love of performance. She cannot wait to get moving with everyone!

A lifelong musician with a passion for education and performance, Hannah is a dynamic music educator, performer, and music director based in the Greater Boston Area. She holds a B.A. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Plymouth State University and has been teaching since 2013.

Hannah currently teaches voice and piano, music directs, and coordinates private lesson bookings at The Performing Arts Connection (Sudbury, MA). Previously, she has worked with Jammin’ With You (Wellesley, MA), Educational Theater Collaborative (Plymouth, NH), Newbury Elementary School (Newbury, VT), and various educational programs throughout Vermont and New Hampshire.

As a performer, Hannah has appeared throughout New England including regular engagements at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Boston, MA) and Temple Beth Shalom (Needham, MA). Her credits include performances with Coro Amante (Warwick, RI), Night Song (Cambridge, MA), New Hampshire Master Chorale (Plymouth, NH), and other ensembles across the Northeast and Canada.  Hannah is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment where every student feels valued and supported. Lessons and classes are tailored to meet each individual’s unique goals, needs, and learning styles, ensuring that music remains a source of inspiration and personal growth. Hannah brings joy, warmth, versatility, and a passion for music to every lesson and performance.

Ashley began her dance journey at age 3. When she was 12, she joined her first competition team and competed in various styles such as jazz, tap, lyrical, and contemporary until she graduated high school. During this time, she also taught dance classes to elementary age children. In college, Ashley was a member of the Siena Dance Team for four years. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Spanish Language from Siena College in 2012. After graduating, Ashley worked in special education while also teaching dance and movement classes to young children. In 2016, Ashley joined the TPAC community and never looked back. During her time at TPAC, Ashley has taken on multiple roles, including Teacher and Choreographer for the Conservatory Program, Eclipse Dance Team, Encore, and Metrowest Family Theater. She was Costume Coordinator for several youth musicals and worked remotely as Administrative Assistant in 2022. Even after relocating to upstate NY with her family, Ashley has one foot firmly planted at TPAC because there's just no other place like it! She is looking forward to her new remote role as Recital Coordinator as well as returning in person for other TPAC endeavors!

Michaela is overjoyed to be returning for her fourth year at TPAC! Michaela is a teaching artist, director, and music director currently based in Boston, MA. She is currently attending Emerson College to pursue a Masters in Theatre Education. She is a graduate of Muhlenberg College, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Music, with concentrations in directing and choral conducting. Michaela currently teaches musical theatre classes, coaches private voice lessons, and serves as a Youth Choir Director. Michaela believes that the arts can be used to help students build confidence by learning about themselves and the world around them. She can’t wait for another amazing year at TPAC!

Jess is thrilled to be a part of the TPAC team! She has been a student at TPAC since she was eight years old. She took Conservatory classes, competed with the Eclipse Dance Team for five years, and was part of the studio’s Apprentice Program. She also has had the absolute pleasure and joy of being a summer counselor for the past three years at the Summer Theater Workshops and could not be more excited now to be a part of the Little Limelight and Conservatory team! Jess is currently in college, studying for a BFA in Theater Education. She is so excited to watch the students grow and have the best year ever! WOO, season 18!!

Abbie is a dancer, choreographer, and educator who holds a BA in Dance with a concentration in Hip Hop and a certificate in Dance Education. She is currently on staff at multiple studios teaching Hip Hop, Acro, Jazz, Lyrical and contemporary. Additionally, Abbie is the founder and director of a youth Hip Hop Crew in central mass and is a freelance show choir choreographer. Abbie’s captivating choreography has received numerous awards in the competitive sphere of show choir and dance including National Grand Champions!  When she’s not teaching or choreographing, she can be found continuing to train in various styles of dance in the Boston area. Abbie was a member of The Concept Artists where she performed all over New England. She has trained at the internationally acclaimed Bates Dance Festival and was a member of the Emmanuel College Dance Team. Additionally, she performed and choreographed for the Salem Dance Ensemble where she was awarded the Salem State Creativity Award for her culmination of dances. Abbie has also been featured in a Boston Globe Article about creating art during the pandemic.

Abbie’s teaching philosophy encourages her to create a safe space for her students to learn, create, and explore. Her classroom provides a space of community where every student’s voice is heard. Additionally, Abbie prides herself with the ambition to make her students more than dancers, but artists.

Casey is thrilled to be on TPAC staff for her second year! Born and raised in Sudbury, MA, Casey got her theater start right here, at The Performing Arts Connection, where she studied under Samm, JB, and countless other fabulous instructors from 2007-2020, when she graduated from high school and headed to Williams College in the Berkshires. While at TPAC, Casey studied Musical Theater, took voice lessons, danced on the Eclipse Dance Team, performed in multiple youth and community theater musicals, and was a longtime member of The Friends of Broadway. While working towards her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Psychology from Williams, Casey led the nation’s oldest continuously running student theatre organization, Cap&Bells, serving as both General Manager and Co-Artistic Director over the past 3 years. She performed on the Contemporary Dance team for 2 years and then transitioned to being a TA under Artist-in-Residence Erica Dankmeyer, former member of the Martha Graham company. Casey continued to perform and some favorite roles include Cathy Hiatt (The Last Five Years), Molly Aster (Peter and the Starcatcher), and Ashlee (Dance Nation). After graduating from Williams in June 2024, Casey returned to TPAC as a member of the faculty, and is now in her final year of her Master’s in Social Work at Boston College, set to graduate in May 2026!

Ava, a Boston-area dancer and choreographer, recently graduated from Skidmore College with a dual degree in Dance and Business. During her studies, she performed student and professor works, as well as pieces by guest artists Peter Chu, Takehiro Ueyama, Brenda Way and Dexandro Montalvo, Monica Bill Barnes, and BalletX. She has presented her choreography at the Tang Teaching Museum, Onstage Dance Company’s Onstage 360°, Skidmore’s Celebration Weekend Concert, School For Contemporary Dance and Thought, The Dance Complex’s “Roots & Routes” at Arrow Street Arts, NACHMO Boston, Providence Fringe Festival, and Manhattan Movement & Performing Arts Center as part of the C(HORIO) Showcase. As a freelance dancer, Ava has worked with KAIROS Dance Theater as a Trainee, 8&1 Dance Company East, Chia-Ying Kao, and Bridget Nicolo, and is currently working with Madison Florence and NunweilerTanz. She is also a dance teacher who works with students of all ages and enjoys sharing her passion for movement with others. Her Arts Administration Internship and Development Associate position with the Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA, and her Media & Marketing Internship with NYC-based company BodyStories: Teresa Fellion Dance fostered her inspiration to advocate for the arts, specifically dance. She is excited for another season with the TPAC community!

Anina (they/she) is a voice & songwriting teacher and performer based out of the Metrowest MA area. As a voice and songwriting instructor, Anina works with students to curate their own short-term and long-term goals. The three tenets of Anina’s teaching philosophy are exploration, play, and collaboration— she is all about helping their students discover a new confidence in themselves as performers and writers! In voice lessons, Anina strives to provide students with strong foundations in vocal health, aural and music theory skills, and performance techniques. In songwriting lessons, Anina aims to give students new tricks and tools to add to their songwriting tool belts, as well as a safe space to explore new ideas. Anina takes a very student-centered approach to teaching, so each lesson is uniquely suited to what works best for each student. She finds that if a student has agency over their lessons, they tend to get the most out of lessons and foster a deeper love of music and theater! 

Anina comes from a jazz-based music theory background thanks to their time at Berklee College of Music, where they received a B.M. in Professional Music. In addition to teaching, you can find Anina performing in her annual benefit concert When The Sun Begins To Rise, and on various community theater stages across the Metrowest area. She is also an active member of NATS, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and recently participated in the inaugural NATS Boston Mentorship Program. Outside of music, Anina enjoys reading, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and hanging out with their cats.

Tanisha is a well rounded dance teacher with a diverse background in performance, instruction, and choreography. With over 15 years of experience in the dance world, she is dedicated to pushing creative boundaries and sharing her love of dance with others. She holds an Associate of Arts degree from Dean College (2015), and continues to explore new avenues for artistic expression. Tanisha is professionally trained in hip hop, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, ballet, and tap, she has taught students of all ages and levels throughout her career. An award-winning choreographer, Tanisha brings a unique artistic vision to her work, crafting pieces that resonate with her audience and students. Tanisha Is thrilled to be joining the TPAC team, eager to contribute her passion and expertise to such an amazing performing arts studio!

Emma grew up dancing at Central Park Dance Studio in New York and enjoyed additional training at Broadway Dance Center, Peridance Capezio Center, and the American Academy of Ballet. She now dances with DanceWorks Boston and loves performing with them! In her free time, Emma loves to dogsit, go thrifting, explore coffee shops, go on walks, and spend time with friends!

Kelly-Jo has been a preschool teacher for over 30 years and loves to bring light, laughter and learning into her classroom! Kelly-Jo completed her lead teacher requirements for preschool and infant/toddlers at Mass Bay Community College. She started teaching in Maine at Rocking Horse Child Care Center (1986), and since then has also taught in New Hampshire (1988-1994), and Massachusetts (1994-present). Kelly-Jo helped launch TPAC's Pod Squad back in 2020 and has loved every second of the journey. She is the mother of two wonderful children and loves taking vacations to the beach and Disney World! Kelly-Jo hopes to continue to mold young minds through hand on projects and thinking outside the box. She believes that through using your imagination and support of each other you can accomplish anything! Kelly-Jo has strived to create a safe and fun learning environment for children so their education, growth and safety always comes first. Fun facts: has a German Shepard, loves Disney, and her favorite color is green!

Hi y’all! I've been working at TPAC since 2020 (don’t remind me though, it’ll make me feel old), and can’t wait for year FOUR of Fun Days with the incomparable, Kelly-Jo! I love running around with the kids, doing crafts with KJ, and finding new games to play. Can’t wait to see you all at Fun Days!

Katie is excited to start another amazing season at TPAC! She received dual degrees in both Theatre Arts and Creative Writing from Providence College. Katie teaches a variety of Little Limelight classes and is ready to have another great year helping students begin their journey as young dancers and actors. When not at TPAC, Katie can be found reading during her free time.