 Faculty
Jennifer Faulkner Artistic Director, Dance Teacher
Jennifer has a B.A. in dance from The University of Akron and is Pilates certified. She has also studied dance at The University of North Carolina. She attended New York University's Summer Dance Program, where she had the opportunity to study with with Bebe Miller, David Dorfman, Doug Elkins, and Doug Varone. She has worked with Boston Ballet’s Citydance program, and has been teaching in the Boston area since 1998. She has performed with The Choreographer’s Group in Cambridge, MA and continues to stay active in the dance community. In 2007 she attended a DanceLife Teaching Seminar in Boston, MA.
Lindsay Castner Dance Teacher
Lindsay Castner is a registered teacher with the American Association of Irish Dancers and Teachers (AAIDT). She has been Irish step dancing for 20 years. Lindsay has competed all over the New England area and has won various awards and exceled to compete at the championship level. Lindsay has performed as a solo dancer as well as part of the Heavey-Quinn Dancers at various festivals and events in the New England area. Lindsay has been instructing for 10 years and enjoys sharing her love of Irish Dance with young students. Lindsay continues to grow as a dancer/teacher by taking workshops from innovative Irish Step Dance instructor Kieran Jordan, who is well known in the Boston Irish community. Lindsay has also been exploring another type of percussive dance, Cape Breton step dance (a Scottish style dance). Lindsay holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary & Special Education as well as Human Development and a master's degree in Educational Studies.
Jennifer Cote Dance Teacher
Jennifer began her dance training at the Studio of Performing Arts, where she studied modern, ballet, jazz, and tap. She has a BA in Dance from Dean College, where she was given the opportunity to present several self-choreographed pieces, and received scholarships for her academic and artisitic achievments. She has also performed in several shows at Dean College, she was a soloist in the Modern Company, and a demi-soloist in the Ballet Company. In addition, Jennifer has studied at the Boston Conservatory Summer Program, and at the Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive in New York City.
Monique Dorian Dance Teacher
Monique has been dancing and performing for over 16 years and teaching at The Movement Center since 2002. She studied dance at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where she attended Master Classes by Paul Taylor, Parsons Dance, Mark Morris, The Martha Graham Company, and more. She continues to study in the Boston area. She teaches all levels of dance technique to a variety of ages. Monique has performed with troupes including WIC, Tracy Varga, Hips on Fire, and The Russell Jackson Formation team. She is a former Amateur Open Gold Competitor, and has placed in several NDCA Championship Finals in the United States. She has studied with U.S. Latin/Ballroom champions and renowned coaches Diana MacDonald, Marianne Nicole, Edward Simon, Jose DeCamps, and Chris Johnston. Monique helps coordinate the Movement Center hip-hop program, and also teaches jazz and lyrical.
Dawn George Dance, Yogilates, and Zumba Teacher
Dawn began dancing at the age of six in Indiana and studied there for most of her formative years. She continued her studies at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music - Ballet Conservatory. She has had the opportunity to study with Finis Jhung, Joe Tremaine, Michael Williams, Patricia McBride, and Skip Costa along with many others. After relocating to Iowa from Europe, she joined the Andante Dance Company and Attitudes Dance by Aimee as a senior instructor. She also served as assistant Children’s director for the Ballet Internationale's 2001 production of The Nutcracker and The Moscow Ballet's production of The Nutcracker in 2002. Her former students have gone on to study with companies and schools including Julliard, NYC Ballet, ABT, The Joffery Ballet, and The Boston Ballet.
Jackie Grady Dance Teacher
Jackie was educated and trained at The Boston Conservatory of Music. She competed regionally and nationally in dance for 10 years. Also, she has studied acrobatics and gymnastics. Jackie has been teaching for over 15 years, and formerly owned and operated her own studio's in New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Eden Roessel Dance Teacher
Eden Roessel recently graduated from Skidmore College with a B.S. in Dance. At Skidmore, Eden studied ballet, modern, jazz, and tap, performed in many faculty and student choreographed shows, and produced her own choreography. She also had the chance to work with guest artists from Doug Varone and Dancers and American Ballet Theatre, among others, and performed in works choreographed by Isadora Duncan, Doris Humphrey, Donald McKayle, and Robert Battle. Most recently, Eden completed an internship with the National Dance Education Organization, and studied with the Martha Graham Dance Company during their summer residency at Skidmore.
Pam Vlahakis Yoga Teacher
Pam is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Teacher Alliance. She has a Masters in Education and is a Licensed Dietitian. She completed her yoga teacher training in 2001 at Yoga Spirit Studio in Essex, MA. He eclectic teaching style integrates various yoga traditions including Kripalu, Iyengar, and Astanga. Her teaching is also inspired by continuing study and training in Yoga Therapy and Medical Qi Gong. She teaches adults, kids, and family yoga.
Drika Overton Dance Teacher
Drika Overton’s career has spanned over 25 years and includes work as a performer, teacher, choreographer, producer, and presenter. She is the creator and artistic director of the internationally recognized Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival and MaD Theatricals, a unique collaboration of nationally and internationally recognized jazz and tap artists creating the critically acclaimed productions Clara's Dream a jazz nutcracker, and Music Hall Follies: A Vaudeville in 9 Acts with special guest artists Bill Irwin and Fayard Nicholas. Since 1990 she has produced and performed in concerts to promote jazz and tap to wide audiences throughout the region.
Drika has shared the stage with such acclaimed artists as Savion Glover, Jimmy Slyde, Buster Brown, Brenda Bufalino, Dianne Walker, and Keith Terry.
Drika teaches master classes and residencies at schools, colleges and universities, studios and festivals throughout the United States. Most recently she was commissioned to teach and choreograph work for dance companies at Rhode Island College in Providence and at Auburn University in Alabama.
Julia Schechter Dance Teacher
Julia Schechter was born and raised in the Boston area and holds a B.A. in Psychology and a Dance Concentration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For over seventeen years she has trained in Ballet. Modern, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Ballroom Dance. Most recently, Julia has been competing and teaching with the UMass Ballroom Dance Team. In addition to teaching many styles of dance, Julia has extensive experience choreographing for many dance and figure skating performances in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
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Faculty 