Acting, Spring Spectacular Emcee

Joey teaches Creative Drama at MEMDT to children in grades K-12. Joey is a local favorite who can be seen performing for many local theatre companies including Worcester County Light Opera Co., Theatre at the Mount in Gardner, and Sterling’s own community theatre group. He has acted, sang, and played guitar locally for over 40 years. Joey has performed lead roles in Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Wedding Singer, and most recently in Chicago, Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and The Producers at The Mount. Joey continues to entertain our audiences as emcee of our annual year-end performances.

Hip Hop

Rebecca “Becca” Bustillos first fell in love with Hip-Hop at a young age when her older brother introduced her to artists such as Tupac, Mobb Deep, and Nas. Her passion for the music manifested itself in dance choreography for her friends. Unbeknownst to her at the time, that experience would lead to a twenty-year career in dance instruction. Becca studied at Greenfield Community College where she received the Carolyn Nims McClellan dance scholarship. She trained with Jennifer Weber at Mount Holyoke College and has worked as a guest teacher at New England colleges, high schools, and dance studios. In addition to dance instruction, Becca also has fifteen years of business management experience. In 2007, Becca founded the Crazefaze Dance Crew, which is a Ladies Hip-Hop Crew from Western, MA. The crew has since performed in competitions, for charity, and with flash mobs. They are well known within the community for spreading the love of Hip-Hop. Becca and Crazeface have received multiple awards in both dance and choreography. According to Becca, dance is what has gotten her through life. Her philosophy is that taking a situation and bringing it from a negative to a positive with dance is life changing. Everyone has their own struggles and difficulties in life, but through dance you can heal. Dance has been her therapy for many years, and she continues to pass it on to the younger generation.

Tap, MEM Dance Company Choreographer

Kelly has been an arts educator for more than 25 years. She served on The Arts Advocate of RI, and is a Board Member of the Warwick Consortium of the Arts & Humanities. In 1981 she founded Dance Artistry, Inc. in Warwick, RI and became owner of the studio Dancer Magazine called “One of the four most successful studios in America.” She started her own dance company, a non-profit organization, who performed internationally visiting Copenhagen, Denmark, and Minsk and Moscow, Russia. In order to expand her teaching opportunities to the martial arts, she earned her black belt in American Kenpo Karate. Kelly has numerous career highlights, these include choreographing numerous corporate events, commercials, and music videos including the Miss R.I pageant, Koch Eye Associates Promotional Video, Market America’s Regional Convention and many more. Kelly has appeared in several televisions commercials and theater productions. She has been on staff with Dance Olympus and Candance conventions. Kelly’s latest venture is writing motivational articles for children. Her work has been published in Dancer Magazine, The Gold Rush and Cheerleading Dance and Drill Magazine. Kelly has been traveling around the country teaching dancers and dance teachers how to set goals in her Aspiring Dreamz Workshop. Kelly has published a Book titled “Aspiring Dreamz, Goal Setting For Dancers” and has written a children’s book titled “The Broken Doll” which is being considerd for a ballet production in Rhode Island.

Jazz, Lyrical, MEM Dance Company Choreographer

Nicole comes from Rhode Island where she was the owner and artistic director of “Nikkis Dance Connection”. She is now on faculty at two prestigious studios throughout New England. Nicole’s artistry, talent, passion and dedication have proven successful by her students earning titles on the regional and national level, including numerous choreography and overall awards. Nicole has had several of her students chosen as “Captain” cheerleaders for the New England Patriots and Boston Celtic dancers. Her students have been selected and featured in past seasons of “So You Think You Can Dance’ making it as far as the top 10. Currently her students can be seen performing for “Katy Perry ‘ in Las Vegas, the National touring company for the musical “PROM” and “MEAN GIRLS”, Cirque du Soleil, many music videos and commercials. Past dancers have also gone on to perform for Disney, Hershey them park, cruise lines around the world and professional performance companies throughout the US. Nicole is a teacher and coach who is proud to see her students developing into successful professionals, living out their dreams. She is in constant demand, teaching, choreographing and adjudicating throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Nicole is also the owner of “Kenneth Scott, Ltd”, a wholesale rhinestone jewelry business catering to dancers, gymnasts and skaters in the performance industry.

Tap

Samantha Emmond is originally from Hartford, VT where at a young age started dancing at a studio called dancers’ corner. In her training, she attended the St. Louis Tap Festival, M.A.D.D. Rhythms Tap Summit, and the Tap City Pre-Professional Program. Sam was a founding member of a New Orleans based band, Tap That Brass, which featured brass musicians and tap dancers. In 2016, Sam began working with Boston based company Subject:Matter where she is currently the dance captain. With Subject:Matter, she has performed at places like Joe’s Pub, Musikfest, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out stage and House of Blues. Sam was featured, alongside Ian Berg, in Keith Lockhart’s “Boston Pops in Love” with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Sam is an alumna of the School at Jacob’s Pillow Tap Program 2019 and has the privilege of being a weekly student of Dianne Walker since 2017.

Acro, Ballet, Children’s Dance, Jazz, Tap

We are thrilled to have PMD Alumna, Kaylee Mahan, as an official MEMDT Faculty Member. During Kaylee’s time at PMD, she spent many Saturdays assisting with the Children’s Classes and quickly became a favorite amongst our tiny tots. Years later, Kaylee is excited to return to the studio and teach classes of her own.

Kaylee is a recent graduate of Roger Williams University. Completing a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, minor in Arts Management and core concentration in International British Studies, studying under Michael Bolger, Michael DeQuattro, France Hunter, Cathy Nicoli, Gary Shore, and Kathy Gordon Smith. During her time at the university, she was able to spend a semester abroad in London for dance. As well as partake in residencies and perform works by Shura Baryshnikov, Sean Curran, Jenny Rocha, Tiffany Mills, and Christina Robson to name a few. Outside of her academics, she is a member of Evolve Dynamicz dance collective, in which she performs and choreographs. Kaylee also is the director of her own dance company Collective Moments Dance Company.

Kaylee has completed her certification in Acrobatic Arts and has received a certificate from NYU Performing Arts Industry Essentials. From Teaching to choreographing, performing, and studying, Kaylee is excited to pass on her dance knowledge and love of dance!

Jazz

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, is a graduate of The University of The Arts in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz & Theatre Dance. She has performed as an Equity dancer in regional theatres in many productions such as “Fiddler on The Roof, “Once Upon A Mattress”, “Suites of West Side Story” and “Tales of Hoffman.” Monica has also performed in numerous dance concerts and musical reviews including Untamed Illusions Dance and Magic Show at The Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City, and “Rockin’ The Boat” at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. Internationally, she has performed in “Juke Box” in Naples, Italy, “Night on the Town” in Barcelona, Spain, “Broadway Opener” in Marseille, France and “Leigh Gee’s Enigma” in Palermo, Sicily. She can also be seen in commercials such as “Nobody Beats the Wiz” and “New Balance Fitness Wear”. Monica has been the Director and Choreographer of the Dance program at Central High School in Springfield, Massachusetts. She was the former Director of Seven Hills Charter School’s dance program in Worcester, Massachusetts and formed a children’s Dance Company at Chandler Elementary School. Monica is currently an adjunct professor of Dance at Worcester State University, and former Head Dance Team Coach for the Worcester State Dance Team. Formerly Monica was the Dance Team Coach/Choreographer for the Massachusetts Pirates Dance Team in Worcester MA, currently Monica is a freelance choreographer and Master teacher and Adjudicator throughout the East Coast.

Ballet, Nutcracker Choreographer

Dede received a BFA in Dance from the Boston Conservatory and has been certified by the Royal Academy of Dancing. She owned and operated her own ballet school in Shirley for many years. Dede has choreographed and performed for the Sawtelle Singers at the Bull Run in Shirley, and many local community theatre groups. Dede has conceived, written, narrated and choreographed many original youth ballets, including “The Rose in My Garden”, “Sugar and Spice” and “Fairy Isle”. Dede attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teachers Workshop under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. Dede continues to challenge and inspire MEMDT dancers with her beautiful ballet choreography.

Ballet, Jazz, Tap

A PMD alumna, Hayley is a New England based dancer, educator, and choreographer. She is a graduate from Salve Regina University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary and Special Education and a minor in Dance. As a former company member with Extensions Dance Company, she has had the opportunity to work with and perform in pieces by artists such as Kat Pantos, Betsi Graves, Mike Esperanza, and Joshua Blake Carter. She has performed at American College Dance Association’s adjudicated concerts, as well as the National Dance Education Organization’s Jazz Dance: Roots and Branches in Practice Conference. Most recently, Hayley’s choreography was accepted into the Southern Vermont Dance Festival and performed at the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival.

Children’s Dance, Jazz, Mini Dance Camp Director

Amanda has been a part of the PMD family for 20 years. She teaches the weekly children’s classes; Kindercombo & Primary T/B/J and is the summer mini dance camp director. Amanda graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Business Administration and a degree in Early Childhood Education. Amanda is a PMD alumni and gained her dance and teaching experience under the direction of Paula Meola. Amanda is a stay-at-home mom and active volunteer at the local schools and in the community. She enjoys helping young children develop their gross motor skills through creative movement and dance.