Owner, Director, Performance Co. Founder & Teacher

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Chrissy graduated with a BFA in Dance from Emerson College where she studied with Tommy Neblett of Prometheus Dance, Janet Taisey Craft of the Ipswich Moving Company and Peter Dimuro of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. She founded FlipSide Dance Theatre shortly after graduating to pursue her love of creating choreography. She joined Annemarie’s Dance Centre in 2003 after teaching at various locations including Boston University and the Munroe Center for the Arts in Lexington. During her summer intensive program at the University of Hawaii, Chrissy taught creative movement, tap and jazz to children. In 2004 Chrissy started the Movement Project Performance Company at Annemarie’s Dance Centre to provide a college-like dance experience to teen dance students interested in a more immersive dance experience. Chrissy has continued her dance training through summer conferences (Dance Teacher Summit, Broadway Dance Center’s Summer Teacher’s Program, Rhee Gold’s Summer Conferences and the Jazz Intensive held through the National Dance Education Organization.  Chrissy’s choreography was chosen as one of two choreographers to present work at the Pro-Danza Italia program in Castiglioncello, Italy. Chrissy purchased the studio from Annemarie Fairhurst in 2013 after working together for 10 years. Since the studio was purchased, Chrissy has worked alongside the studio’s talented staff to create programming, classes, educational experiences and events that benefit the dancers and the community. In 2017 with the help of the town of Ashland and Arts! Ashland Alliance Chrissy started Illuminate Downtown Ashland which is a free event to the public that aims to shed a light in the important role art may play within a community. Chrissy is proud to be entering her 10th year of owning the studio and thrilled to share the studio’s 45th birthday with staff and studio families.

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Performance Co. Assistant Director, Teacher,

NHSDA Chapter Sponsor

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Jenny is originally from Rochester, NY where she began her dance training with MaryKay Touris. She holds a BA in Dance with a minor in Art from Goucher College where she graduated with honors and as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She has also had the pleasure of studying dance at Middlesex University in London, The Princeton Ballet School, Ballet Austin, and for the past 12 years with Marcus Schulkind of Green Street Studios. For over a decade, Jenny primarily performed as a founding member of Contrapose Dance, a contemporary repertory company under the direction of Courtney Peix, and with EgoArt, Inc, a multimedia modern company under the direction of Nicole Pierce. Jenny enjoyed the opportunity of performing works by both directors, as well as Marcus Schulkind, Gianni DeMarco, David Parker, and Sydney Skybetter among others. Jenny has taught all levels of ballet, pointe, and modern technique at several Boston-area dance schools and currently teaches advanced ballet technique at Tufts University in Medford, MA. She is proud to call ADC her teaching home!

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Young Student Director, Teacher, Office Staff

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Donna grew up in Connecticut studying ballet, tap and jazz at the Dance Arts Centre in Bristol. Before moving to Massachusetts, Donna taught aerobics full-time. After moving to Massachusetts, she earned an Associate’s Degree in Business from Newbury College while continuing to teach aerobics part-time. She completed the Ailey Extension Finis Jhung's Summer Workshop and The Pulse NYC Teacher Workshop as well as workshops more recently with Discover Dance and Local Motion.  Donna loves working with our youngest dancers and fostering their love of dance.  This is her 17th year with the studio, and she feels incredibly lucky to be part of such a terrific staff.

Office Manager, Teacher

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Stephanie is an 11-year equity dance veteran.  She has vast experience as a dancer/performer with the Walt Disney Company in Orlando, Florida. Stephanie spent the majority of her time as an Equity Swing in ‘Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage!’ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios where she performed for thousands of people daily.  Stephanie was also a featured dancer in the castle stage show ‘Dream Along with Mickey’ at Magic Kingdom. Alongside her dance career Stephanie  has theater administration experience. She was a  substitute equity scheduling lead where she directed daily operations through various venues on property within Disney. While in Orlando, Stephanie worked with modern dance company Voci Dance which invokes and brings awareness to performance art and installations throughout the community.  Stephanie was a dancer and dance captain at the speakeasy style  “Capones Dinner and Show” in Kissimmee. She has done film work as an extra, modeled accessories, and danced in various conventions and parades throughout Florida. She has worked with HFCC in Oscoda, MI, choreographing and collaborating for their productions of ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Oklahoma’.  

Performance Co. Faculty, Teacher

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Audra received her BFA in dance from UMass Amherst and her MFA in Performing Arts from Smith College. Audra has been dancing, teaching and choreographing in the Boston area for over a decade. She has been on faculty at Amherst College, Smith College, U Mass, Amherst, Bridgewater State College, Holy Cross College, Ballet Arts Center of Winchester and Acton School of Ballet. Audra has performed with choreographers and companies such as: Lorraine Chapman The Company, Caitlin Corbett Dance Company, Brian Crabtree, Marcus Schulkind, Weber Dance, Daniel Mckusker and the Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company. Her dancing has taken her to places such as Holland, London, Canada and New York City. Choreographically, Audra has received attention via awards and grants and her work has been presented at various venues. Audra received the Emerging Artist Award, the Performance Works Project Award, and a grant-based award through the Massachusetts Cultural Council for choreographic projects at Green Street Studios in Cambridge, MA. We are happy to have her on board.

Performance Co. Faculty, Teacher

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Jackie began dancing at Annemarie’s Dance Centre when she was 7 years old. The studio has always been a part of her life in one way or another. It is her home away from home. She is indebted to studio founder Annemarie Fairhurst for fostering her love of dance and for encouraging her to explore different dance genres beyond ballet. While studying at Walnut High School’s summer program, Jackie fell in love with the richness and groundedness of modern dance. Jackie continued her modern dance training at Rutgers University earning a BFA in Dance and a BS in Exercise Science. After graduation, she danced for a year in NYC, but felt compelled to learn more about pedagogy. Jackie continued her studies and now holds an MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Smith College, where she was a graduate teaching assistant. While performing highlights include working with notable choreographers Heidi Latsky, Fritha Pengelly, Randy James, John Evans, Julia Ritter, Rodger Blum, and Jim Coleman, Jackie has always felt most at home teaching and choreographing. She has taught at Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Keene State College, University of Tennessee, and studios throughout MA, TN, and IL. Her choreography has been presented in Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Illinois. She teaches dance for young children, ballet, and modern. She loves working with all ages from the studio’s youngest dancers to the Performance Company students. The studio sponsored her participation in Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Teacher training, where she learned techniques to make dance inclusive for all abilities. She is especially grateful to Chrissy for giving her the opportunity to teach the next generation of dancers; for leading the studio with artistic grace; and for bringing together an amazing staff. Jackie lives in Medway with her husband and two daughters. 

Tap Team Director, Teacher

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Julie has studied tap, ballet, and jazz dance, and has taught classes and competition teams in North Carolina and here in Massachusetts. She is a member of the Dance Teachers’ Club of Boston, and is a graduate of their dance teacher training course, during which she received the Gold Scholarship. In 2009 she was selected to participate in a residency at the Red Cinder Creativity Center. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Children’s Discovery Museum in Acton and has been a member of the MA Arts Education Advisory Council for elementary and secondary education. Julie is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Teacher

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Meghan Stanton started as a student at Annemarie’s Dance Centre studying ballet, pointe, jazz, hip hop, tap and modern. Upon graduation, Meghan pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Bridgewater State University. There she studied ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, and tap techniques. She also focused on pedagogic practices, methodology, and choreography. Meghan was involved in the BSU dance company, Dance Ensemble and founded the National Dance Education Organization Student Chapter at Bridgewater State University. She conducted multiple research projects in dance injury prevention and injury tracking for the Department of Dance during her years at Bridgewater State University. Recently, Meghan graduated with her Masters of Science in Athletic Training from Bridgewater State University and is wishing to specialize in working with dancers. This is Meghan’s third year as a teacher with Annemarie’s Dance Centre.

Teacher

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Ashlee is an Educator, Dancer, and Choreographer from Warwick Rhode Island. A current Graduate candidate at New York University, Ashlee is studying Dance Education with a focus in Teaching in the Professions and Higher Education. She also holds an Undergraduate Bachelor’s Degree in Dance with a concentration in Performance and Choreography from Dean College. A certified Personal Trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Ashlee is currently employed at Esporta Fitness as a personal trainer. Ashlee’s training credits include training with The Gypsy Project: LA, under the direction of ACE award winner Erica Sobol, as well as Mary Grace Mcnally, Tilman O’Donnell from Netherlands Dans Theatre, and Adi Salant from Batsheva dance Company. She has taught at multiple dance studios across New England, as well as teaching classes and workshops in the New York City Department of Education.  Ashlee is excited to be joining the incredible faculty at Annemarie’s Dance Centre for another incredible year! 

Teacher

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Jessica, born and raised in Massachusetts, received her early dance training at the North Reading School of Ballet in Modern, Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Lyrical under the direction of Lisa Pulver. In high school, Jessica was also accepted into the Junior Apprentice program with Urbanity Dance Company and added Contemporary dance and Improvisation to her repertoire. While with Urbanity, Jessica Rose trained with mentors and choreographers such as Betsi Graves, Ellenore Scott, Jackie Nowicki, and Tucker Knox who have all impacted her movement and way of teaching. Through Urbanity, she has performed in the spring and fall showcases each year, at Outside the Box Multi-Arts Festival, and the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival to name a few. After departing from NRSB and Urbanity in 2016, Jessica Rose jumped straight into a professional career by joining Bosoma Dance Company under the direction of Katherine Hooper. So far with Bosoma, she has performed at the Peabody Essex Museum as living art in the exhibit Rodin: Transforming Sculpture, various festivals, and in their annual fall and spring shows. In 2017, Jessica Rose joined Boston Community Dance Project under the direction of Sarah Kay “SKooJ CorE-O” and started training in Fusion movement. So far with BCDP, now rebranded as BCDP GLOBAL, Jessica Rose has performed in shows such as New York City’s Choreographers’ Carnival at the Highline Ballroom, the NYC Dance Parade, Openhouse NYC in Times Square presented by Brickhouse NYC, New York City's Dixon Place, various festivals, and BCDP's annual summer benefit show. Jessica has also been given many opportunities to educate pre-professional dancers and also choreograph on the company. In late 2019, Jessica joined Celebrity Cruises and performed in Eden on the Celebrity Edge until April 2020. 

Jessica Rose also shares her love of teaching and passion for the creative process with many dancers in the area. She choreographs in styles including Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, Ballet, and Improvisational dance. She has taught and choreographed for Aurora Borealis Dance Company, Urbanity Dance Company, Boston Community Dance Project (BCDP GLOBAL), and various other studios throughout the NorthEast.

Teacher

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Linda Tracy has been a dance educator since 1973. As a former Owner/Artistic Director of her own school in Massachusetts, she brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and fun to her dance classes, and especially enjoys teaching young students. Linda is certified by Dance Masters of America, the Dance Teachers’ Club of Boston, and was a Registered Adjudicator with the National Dance Council of America. She continues her own dance training at Boston Ballet School, and attends master classes in jazz, theater dance and tap in Boston and New York in order to keep up with the latest teaching trends. She also performs, and has choreographed and danced in over twenty musical theater productions. Linda holds a B.A. in Human Development from Lesley University. When not in the studio, Linda enjoys Broadway shows, creative writing, history, and spending time with her Maltese puppy, Thunder.

Teacher

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Nathan is a dancer, instructor, and choreographer with 10 years of teaching experience.  He grew up in Upton, MA, where he took dance classes at Dance Works Academy, beginning at 4 years old.  While there, Nathan primarily studied hip hop, but also trained in tap, modern, musical theater, and lyrical.  His love for dance grew with him as he started branching out into taking more classes at workshops and conventions, where he has had opportunities to learn from some of his biggest inspirations in the dance world while participating in the Open-Style dance culture and lifestyle. Today, Nathan teaches his own brand of Open-Style dance, as well as the fundamentals, technique, and history of Hip Hop.  He loves to focus all of his energy on his students, making sure that they have fun with dance, while also encouraging them to work hard and grow into better and stronger dancers, as well as people!  Nathan is incredibly happy and excited to begin his 2nd year as a part of the Annemarie's Dance Centre faculty!

Teacher

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Erin Janiszewski

Ballet, Pointe, Jazz & Tap Teacher

Erin Janiszewski, an Indianapolis native, brings more than 25 years of dance experience in teaching and performing. Her versatile training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary and Modern have given her the opportunity to work in a wide variety of venues.  Erin trained as an apprentice at the Broadway Theatre Project, a student at the American Ballet Theatre intensive and on scholarship with Tremaine Dance Conventions. Erin continued her diverse dance education in college, earning her degree in Dance Performance at Ball State University where she performed at the DUMBO Dance Festival in New York, The American College Dance Festival Association Gala Performance and various musicals and dance concerts. Erin also performed in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean Islands with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. She currently performs with Cambridge Dance Company at various concerts and events including the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, Dance for World Community, and Annual Mayfair Festival.  Since returning to the U.S., Erin has been teaching at dance studios and camps throughout her native Indiana, Las Vegas and locally in Massachusetts. Her choreography has been featured at the Project Excel Awards and at the world premiere of the musical, The Circus in Winter.

Teacher

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He originally learned dance off the streets of Boston, and trained in multiple Martial Arts since he was six. Since then, he's had extensive training in hip hop, break-dancing, tricking & parkour. Eventually, he expanded his training into tap and contemporary. As J'Quan progressed, he traveled to look into different genres of art and dance from different cultures to further expand his knowledge and understanding in order to then develop his own unique style.

J'Quan attended Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts for Game Design with a minor in Psychology. During this time, he helped create the Becker College Dance Program as Captain for the team and President for their club. He also joined Dance Company Worcester as a guest choreographer/dancer for 4 years, was a part of one of the most influential crews for hiphop in Boston known as "Phunk Phenomenon," was a Director/Choreographer for Urbanity, and helped create their adult dance crew called "Prizmatic". He won Prelude NY with Phunk, hosted Prelude Boston and competed at World of Dance. He worked with music artists such as Joyner Lucas, Rodney Hazard, Maverick, World Premiere Band, and local other artists in the Worcester & Boston areas. He has also hosted events for the community to exchange in art and culture.

In dance, he combines Musicality and storytelling combined with the fast, intricate movements of a martial artist and acrobatics in his work. "It's not always about the movement of your body, but the movement of your mind. Your mind is unlimited so you must keep it creative, unapologetic, and free."

Teacher

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Lindsay Andersen began dancing at the age of 4, studying classical ballet, tap, and jazz throughout her youth.  She continued training as she moved across the US with her family, adding pointe, lyrical, and musical theatre to her repertoire while simultaneously performing in musicals and community theatre.  Some highlights from her time as a performer include playing the role of Wendy in Peter Pan, Miss Hannigan in Annie, and joining the cast of the Williamsport Civic Ballet for their annual production of The Nutcracker.  In 2005 Lindsay began teaching and in 2009 she became the first graduate student to receive a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance Pedagogy from Oklahoma City University. While in graduate school she focused her studies on teaching and choreographing for dance students between the ages of 8 and 18, and helped establish a dance center for the community on campus. Over nearly two decades Lindsay has taught thousands of children and adults in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Massachusetts and she continues to further her studies as a teacher through dance teacher conventions, classes, seminars, and literature. In addition to her MFA in Dance, Lindsay also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance/Opera from the Cleveland Institute of Music and she is a Balanced Body certified Mat Pilates instructor. Lindsay currently lives with her husband and two children outside Boston Massachusetts.

Office Staff

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Originally from Florida, Jonele grew up studying ballet, tap and jazz. She participated in summer programs with the Florida Ballet as well as studied with “Luigi”, the iconic jazz dancer and choreographer in NYC. Jonele attended the University of Florida and studied Mass Communications. After working in public relations for several years, she took a break to raise her family. Jonele is currently an elementary school teaching assistant and is thrilled to be back in the studio environment. 

Office Staff

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LuAnn has been in the dance world since the age of four when she hit the stage tapping to “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”. She was the Owner/Director of Impulse Dance Center in Natick, MA for 30 years until retiring in September of 2018.  She was the founder of two performance ensembles based at Impulse. LuAnn’s “Interactive Nutcracker” was a highlight of the Holiday Season and was enjoyed by Natick elementary schools and the community.  Growing up in central Connecticut, LuAnn received her dance training from Lillian Schovall and The School of the Hartford Ballet.  Additionally, LuAnn holds an Associates Degree in Business.  She has choreographed for Natick Drama Workshop as well as Boston Children’s Theatre, was the resident choreographer for The Cambridge Performing Arts Theatre in Ohio and directed a dance ensemble affiliated with that theatre. LuAnn is, happily, part of the office team at Annemarie’s Dance Centre.