Our Staff
Miss Michelle Shirley -- Owner/Director/Teacher
Michelle took her first dance class at a very young age in a small hometown studio. After realizing dance was more than just a hobby she decided to train and study with The Boston Ballet School in Newton. After graduating high school, Michelle attended Dean College School of Dance, where she graduated with high honers and earned her Associates Degree in Dance. As a college graduate she was chosen and accepted into the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre's intensive training program. Michelle moved from Boston to New York City to follow her dream and while studying with Alvin Ailey she also received training at Broadway Dance Center, and Steps on Broadway.
Realizing that teaching was more of a passion than performing professionally, Michelle continued her education by attending credited dance teacher training programs. After passing many detailed examinations she is now a certified teacher through the Dance Teachers Club of Boston and the Dance Educators of America. Michelle is also a proud and active member of both organizations.
As an adult Michelle still continues her studies today by dancing at many different adult dance studios offered in the Boston area. She also continues her education regularly by attending top notch conferences and training courses offered in the Dance Education Field.
Michelle has been teaching in the Boston area since 2000 and in 2004 she accomplished her life long dream of operating her own dance studio. Her passion for the art of dance and her love of children show in her teaching, directing, and overall philosophy of the dance studio.
Aside from the studio Michelle spends her time with her husband and 3 children.
Miss. Brenna Banister
Brenna began dancing at the age of 5 in Waterbury, CT. She fell in love with the art form after moving to Vermont, where she continued training in Tap, Jazz, Modern and Ballet at Dance Express in Saint Johnsbury, VT. Brenna trained at Dance Express from ages 10-18. While attending Lyndon Institute, an independent high school, Brenna had the privilege of taking dance alongside her academic classes every day. She was a member of LI’s Pulse Dance Company and founded an after school Tap club for her peers.
Brenna moved to Boston to attend Boston University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. While at BU, Brenna spent one semester dancing with BU’s Dance Theatre Group. After graduating in 2012, dance returned full force in Brenna’s life. She joined OnStage Dance Company and was a member and choreographer for four seasons. She also was an Ensemble dance in Heartbeat: A Modern Dance Rock Concert during its three runs at the Oberon Theater.
Currently, Brenna is a preschool teacher at the Belmont Cooperative Nursery School. There, she works with two classrooms of children between the ages of 2.9-4. She also runs her own dance group called Alive Dance Collective. A small group of adults, Alive presents work in local festivals and shows. Brenna’s passions include children, dancing, and ice cream and she loves any chance she gets to combine any of them!
Miss. Stefany Cobb
Stefany began dancing at the young age of 3 at her home town in Massachusetts. Throughout the years, she got the opportunity to study under many different dance studios, teachers and choreographers. Stefany’s interests in styles include ballet, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, tap, lyrical, pointe and Haitian Folk.
Joining Dance Prism (a professional ballet company out of Concord, MA) at the young age of 8 was her first of many openings to a variety of styles of companies throughout the Boston area. She is currently an active company member of Dance Prism as well as a choreographer and dancer in Boston Dance Productions. Stefany has won awards at both The Pulse Boston and Georgia by leading choreographers Mia Michaels and Desmond Richardson. She has also attended Bates Professional Dance Festival in Maine for 3 years where she studied under Shonach Mirk-Robles, Jennifer Archibald, Nancy Stark Smith and Crystal Brown. Stefany has also studied under Jeffrey Louizia, Mary Demaso, Skooj Chore-o, Ricardo Foster Jr., Adrienne Hawkins and Rosanne Ridings.
Outside of teaching dance, Stefany also works as a passionate Licensed Massage Therapist. In her spare time she loves to spend time training in boxing and is an extreme pet lover!
Miss Lisa Cauble
Lisa began dancing (at age 5) at the Peggy McGlone Dance Studio in Waltham, Ma which focused on Broadway styled tap, Bob Fosse jazz, and classical ballet. She danced her way through high school as dance captain in its well-known performance craze Dance Theatre; as well as the Waltham’s Varsity Show Choirs, competing regionally and nationally. Lisa now has had the pleasure of choreographing for show choirs around the Boston area.
Following her passion of dance she attended Springfield College, double majoring in Dance and Rehabilitation Disability Studies. While working toward her BA she started assisting and teaching at the Shooting Star Dance Center in Springfield where she added Lyrical, Acrobatics, and Broadway Jazz to her skills. Upon graduation, in 2009 she followed her dreams to dance at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida where she also subbed at various dance studios. After enjoying the sun and experience, her hometown was calling her back.
Lisa performs with the Reagle Music Theatre with credits in Music Man, A Little Bit of Ireland, and a “rockette” in the annual Christmas Spectacular. She has continued to study dance at various locations, and currently studies at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in Boston.
She loves to spread the passion of dance to her students and enjoys each day making them smile.
.jpg)
Miss. Genevieve Fuller
J.A.M. Adaptive Dance Director
Starting at her hometown studio in South Dakota, Genevieve has been dancing on and off stage since she was a child. In 2016, Genevieve received her B.A. in dance and psychology at Goucher College in Maryland where she explored the power of dance and movement to communicate what cannot be put into words. Upon graduating, Genevieve moved to Boston to pursue a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Dance/ Movement Therapy at Lesley University. Genevieve is now a Registered Dance/ Movement Therapist (R-DMT) and works with children through adults at an outpatient clinic where she uses her movement lens to support clients in identifying, expressing and regulating their emotional experience.
After assisting in the J.A.M. classes last year, Genevieve is thrilled to continue with the CSDS community as Director of the J.A.M. program. Apart from this new role, Genevieve also teaches in Boston Ballet’s Adaptive and CityDance programs and strives to spread the joy of dance any chance she gets.
Miss Madeline Levesque
Madeline began her training at Lebanon Ballet School in New Hampshire at the age of 6. She trained at Boston Ballet, Alvin Ailey, and Point Park Conservatory. In 2014 Madeline received the Artistic Achievement Award from Point Park University and in 2015 she received the Chancellor’s Talent Award from The University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 2018 she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Dance from UMass Amherst. Additionally, she has completed Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Training Program.
Madeline moved to Massachusetts to follow her passion for teaching dance. Madeline has studied ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, modern, musical theater, hip-hop, floor barre, tap, and character dance. She has performed for City Center Ballet, Point Park Conservatory Dance Company, UMass Dance Company, UMass Dance Team, and Opera North. She had the opportunity to be taught by Kiesha Lalama, Peter LeBreton Merz, Paul Dennis, and Sarah Wroth.
Things she does when she is not dancing are going for walks, going to the beach, watching Boston sports games, and hanging out with friends.
Miss Elizabeth Lloyd
Elizabeth started dancing when she was just three years old, and has been devoted to movement ever since! At her home studio in Minnesota, she studied and practiced ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and contemporary. In middle school, she started assisting in classes, and was soon practically living at the studio - and loving every minute of it! When she was 15 years old Elizabeth started teaching dance at her studio, and immediately fell in love with sharing her passion of dance with others! Elizabeth recently graduated from Lesley University with a B.S. in Business Management and Expressive Art Therapy. While working on her degree, Elizabeth choreographed pieces for her college’s dance team, and also discovered a new style of dance called West Coast Swing. Realizing her strong affinity for this dance, she soon added West Coast Swing to her teaching repertoire. She currently competes in West Coast Swing, both regionally and nationally, and has gathered a strong reputation as a local Boston WCS teacher. Throughout the last few years, Elizabeth has spent significant time training with movement coaches, learning in depth how the body moves at a functional level. This training has not only improved her own technique, but has also afforded her the expertise and ability to make dancers of all styles more knowledge about the “whys” of dance and not just the “hows.” When Elizabeth is not dancing you can find her curled up in a book, with a hot cup of tea in hand!
Miss. Michelle Marquis
Michelle started dancing at age two and quickly fell in love. Shortly after, she started competing in styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, hip hop, and modern. By high school she became a student at the New England Civic Ballet to focus more on training in contemporary and classical ballet. Michelle graduated from Plymouth State University and holds a B.S in Business Administration and a certificate in Dance Pedagogy. During her time at Plymouth State she was a member of the Dance Division and Contemporary Dance Ensemble as a performer and choreographer. She has also worked with choreographers and companies such as Urbanity, Mziyanda Mancam, and Broadway Choreographer Jesse Robb. She attended master classes with BoSoma, Deca Dance Theatre, Pantos Project, BCDP, Tremaine and many more. Michelle was even given the opportunity to privately dance with The Paul Taylor Dance Company in New York City. After graduation, she furthered her studies in dance education and performance as an intern with Neoteric Dance Collaborative performing at the Southern Vermont and Shaker Village Dance festivals. She has continued to specialize in commercialized dance training and performing in Boston, NYC and Los Angeles. Currently she is a member of a contemporary fusion company called Tilted Collab and a worldwide commercialized heels company called Army of Sass.
When Michelle is not dancing she loves going to hot power yoga, hiking and relaxing on the beach.
Miss MaryElizabeth Mooney
MaryElizabeth began dancing at the age of four in Pittsfield, MA - doing ballet, hip-hop, and everything in between. At the age of 13, she began dancing with the Cantarella School of Dance and the Albany Berkshire Ballet, moving through the ranks of their academy from Senior Academy to Junior Company. She has spent summers training with the Milwaukee Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, Manhattan Youth Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Walnut Hill School. With the Albany Berkshire Ballet she has performed various soloist and corps de ballet roles in productions of Madeline Cantarella Culpo's The Nutcracker and Paula Webber's Carmina Burana, as well as various other classical and contemporary works.
Currently, MaryElizabeth is a student at Boston College pursuing a degree in Economics with a minor International Studies and a proud member of the class of 2020. She continues to be involved in dance through various on and off campus dance groups and taking classes whenever she can.
Miss Hannah Ranco
Hannah Ranco is a dancer and choreographer currently earning her BFA in dance studies with a concentration in choreography at Dean College. While at school, she stays busy as the captain of her school’s hip hop team and a member of Regality Dance Company. Outside of school, Hannah stays busy teaching and working in different aspects of the dance community. Her previous work experience includes ushering at the Bates Dance Festival and work-studying at the Commercial Dance Intensive under the supervision of Casey Noblett. Her choreography credits include her two latest pieces You Were a Lesson and Cogito Ergo Sum both of which were presented on the Dean College stage.
Miss Kyla Threlfall Brown
Kyla has been dancing since age 3 in studios and schools in Utah, where she is from. She has studied and continues to study in the styles of ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip hop, world/folk dance, and musical theater. Kyla majored in Dance Education at Brigham Young University and had the opportunity to perform with a folk dance team, Kinnect, dancEnsemble, Contemporary Dance Theater, and Young Ambassadors while attending school. These teams toured nationally and internationally, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Eastern Europe to perform and do outreach activities. In 2014, Kyla lived in Southern India for 3 months teaching life skills through dance to children from leprosy colonies. After college, Kyla danced professionally with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company and taught dance full-time at a high school girls treatment center. Since moving to Boston, she has danced with the company Tilted, taught at an after school program at an elementary school, and seeks out performing opportunities. Most recently, her and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby girl to their family in June!