Studio Manager

 Elissa has been studying dance for over 20 years. She is a seacoast NH native and started her training at Steppin’ Out Dance Academy. Elissa continued her education at Franklin Pierce University, receiving a degree in Arts Management and Dance. While at Franklin Pierce she was given the opportunity to study abroad in Lyon, France to experience “La Biennale de la Danse”. She was also able to choreograph multiple performances while teaching and studying the NHDI curriculum.

Elissa has continued to share her passion and joy for dance by teaching with local studios as well as serving as an administrative and production manager for several years. She was also the grant coordinator and performer for Forty Steps Dance, a modern company based in Nahant, MA.

Elissa joined the Joy of Dance family in 2015 and taught for five years. She continues to be a part of our family in an administrative role as she pursues other passions, you will see her around the studio from time to time!

Director of First Impressions

Donna has been in the medical field for over 30 years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family especially her grandchildren. A few of Donna’s favorite hobbies include making crafts, going to her grandson’s football games, and cheering him on during his ski races. Her favorite holiday is Christmas! Donna loves performing arts and is excited to be a part of Joy of Dance!

Jazz, Lyrical, Rhythm Tap, Shooting Stars, Tiny Stars

Hayden has been dancing for 19 years and began her dance education at Brixham Danceworks in South Berwick, Maine. During high school, she was a part of Marshwood Marching Hawks for 5 years, with her final 2 as Drum Major. She was the coach of the Marshwood Middle School Winterguard, choreographing their 2016 program- The Little Robot (based on Wall-E). After graduation she joined the Dance Team at Lesley University, choreographing 3 group pieces and 4 solos. She has taken at least one class in almost every style, including Tap, Hip Hop, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and Jazz.

Hayden joined the Joy of Dance family in 2020.

Ballet, Dance Adventures, Dance with Me, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Performance Team, Pointe, Rising Stars, Tiny Stars

Marissa has over fifteen years of dance experience, training in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Broadway, Lyrical, Modern, and Contemporary. Along with training in her technique classes, she also performed in The Nutcracker, Dance Rochester/Dance Northeast, and across the seacoast with Sole City Dance’s Ensemble.

After high school, Marissa continued her studies at Franklin Pierce University for one year before transferring to the University of New Hampshire, where she received her B.A. in English Literature with a Minor in Dance. While at University, she had the fortune to train with Assaf Benchetrit, Gay Nardone, and Susan Endrizzi, receive the Robert Alvin Performing Arts Scholarship from FPU, and perform as a member of the UNH Ballet Company for three years. Some of her favorite performance roles include Snow, Lead Arabian, Toy Flute, Flower, and Clara, all in the Nutcracker, Will O’ the Wisp (Hamlet: 7 Rooms, FPU), House Slave (Les Enslave, UNH), and Princess (Cinderella, UNH).

Not only has Marissa had the privilege of teaching young children’s dance around the seacoast, but she also taught her fellow classmates at FPU and UNH in Choreography and Pedagogy classes. Marissa joined the Joy of Dance family in 2017.

Dance Aventures, Hip Hop, Hip Hop Troupe, Jazz, Lyrical, Performance Team

Emily began dancing when she was only 3 years old. At age 11, Emily found Joy of Dance and continue her training here through high school. She has studied Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Hip Hop, Lyrical, competed with Joy of Dance’s Performance Team for 4 years, and is a member of Alegria Dance Company. While at Joy of Dance, Emily has been fortunate to have studied under several teachers through the apprenticeship program for 6 years. She has been teaching her own classes for Joy of Dance for 4 years. Emily joined our teaching staff in the fall of 2015.

Emily loves to mix her passion for dance with her passion for working with kids. She plans to get a degree in early childhood education as well as continuing to expand her dance training.

Young Children’s Program Manager

Shooting Stars

Maddi began her dance education over 20 years ago. She trained in multiple styles with studios in the Monadnock Region. After graduating high school, Maddi attended Franklin Pierce University and graduated with her B.S. in Marketing and Advertising. While at FPU, she performed with the university’s dance company to further her training. During her Junior and Senior years, she had the privilege of attending the American College Dance Festival. There she had the opportunity to train with many choreographers from across the country.

Since graduating, Maddi is thrilled to have had the opportunity to teach students age 1.5 to 18. She has also gained valuable experience in the business field as an administrative assistant and development assistant.

Maddi joined the Joy of Dance family in 2019, and brings her love of dance to the seacoast!

Dance with Me, Shooting Stars

Taylor is a Seacoast NH native and has been dancing since the age of 4. Whether in the studio or in her living room, she dances every single day! She graduated from UNH in 2007 with a degree in Communications. Taylor was a part of the Dover High School Winter Guard and coached while she was in college.

Taylor is a mom of 3 and a childcare provider. She has been caring for young children for over 10 years and thrives in an environment where her inner child can come out to play! Dancing and spending time with kids are her biggest sources of joy, and she is beyond excited to merge the two and begin her teaching journey with Joy of Dance!

Performance Team

Cara has been teaching dance in the New England area since 2005 and has been dancing since the age of three. She grew up in Portland, where she studied at Maine State Ballet, Portland Ballet, and Casco Bay Movers. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2006 with a B.A. in English/Journalism and a minor in Dance. She was a member of the UNH Dance Company and also had the opportunity to study aerial dance!

After college, she worked for several years as a news, features, and sports reporter in the Boston area, but kept finding herself pulled to dance. She performed with DancEdge, Intimations Dance, OnStage Dance Company, DanceWorks Boston, the Boston Cannons Dance Team, and the Lowell Devils Ice Girls. As a teacher, Cara worked with students at Broadway Bound Dance Center, the Arlington Dance Place, Starline Academy for the Performing Arts, and Creative Steps Dance Studio. Cara also spent five years working for Boston Ballet School, serving in multiple roles as well as completing the Boston Ballet Adaptive Dance Training in August 2016.

In 2018, Cara founded the Joy and Movement (JAM) Adaptive Dance Program. JAM is a fully inclusive dance curriculum for children with physical, developmental, learning, and/or sensory differences. She designed the curriculum specifically to provide her students with opportunities to enhance their gross and fine motor skills, balance, coordination, social skills, self-esteem, communication, and self-regulation.

Cara earned her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy in May 2019 from Lesley University. She is also an Endorsed Practitioner of Rainbowdance, a certified Rhythm Works Integrative Dance instructor, and a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) with the American Dance Therapy Association.

Cara joined the Joy of Dance family in 2020. When not dancing, Cara works as a clinical counselor at a therapeutic boarding school. She loves baseball, hockey, ice skating, kayaking, running, reading the Sunday newspaper, and doing crossword puzzles!

Ballet, Modern, Pointe, Rhythm Tap, Shooting Stars

Cherie Williams began dancing at a young age and later studied at Boston Ballet under the direction of Virginia Williams (founder), French School Ballet Master Adolph Robicheau, and Harriet Hoctor. She completed two years of college at the Boston Conservatory of Music in the BFA program. Her degree is from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA, now The University of Mary Washington. She graduated in 1981 with a B.A. in Dance. She implemented the Intramural Dance Program at the Tewksbury Junior High School, danced with MWC Dance Company performing in the Washington D.C. area, and taught for the Joy of Movement, a Boston-based studio. Cherie owned and operated Dance Designs in Plaistow, NH for 28 years. Working with Operation Mobilization, a missions organization, and DanceLink Cherie helped choreograph for and danced with OM Arts in England, during the Summer Olympics in 2012. She headed back overseas for more dance ministry in July and August of 2015 and danced across Hungary. Cherie joined the Joy of Dance family in the fall of 2019 and looks forward to sharing her “Joy” of dance with her students.