BoSoma School of Dance is committed to creating an inclusive educational environment that encourages growth, expression, innovation and empowerment of each individual to discover their uniqueness through dance.
We will be closed for the holidays December 22nd - January 4th
Classes will Resume Monday June 5th
Katherine Hooper, Owner, an Essex local, began her dance training at RDS Performing Arts in Dover, MA and continued her professional training at the University of North Carolina, then finished her BFA at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Five College Dance Program. As an undergraduate, she co-developed an Arts Collective and an Improvisation Group while producing, directing and choreographing 2 full-scale productions. Following graduation, Katherine moved to Colorado where she co-founded Performance Works, Ltd., a contemporary dance and theatre company. For five years, as the choreographer and co-artistic director of the company, she taught and performed throughout the area inspiring local dancers and non-dancers to achieve their personal best through movement. While in Colorado, Katherine also certified through Polestar Education in Pilates Matt Work, which has enhanced her passion for creating highly athletic and dynamic movement. In 2001, 2002, and 2013, Katherine was commissioned to choreograph original works for the Patricia Kenny Dance Collection, formerly of the David Parsons Dance Company. In 2004, she taught workshops at Peridance Center in Manhattan. In 2005, she was acknowledged by Boston Uncommon Magazine as ‘One to Watch’. Since 2005, Katherine has been commissioned to set work on the Lee Lund Dance Company, in Connecticut, for their annual pre-professional concert. On an annual basis, she teaches master classes at various New England area Universities, Colleges and Dance Studios, most recently at Plymouth State University, NH and Beth Walsh Dance Studio, MA. Katherine opened Mass Motion Dance North in Peabody in 2010. In 2014, she was awarded the ‘Support Your Studio’ grant by the Dizzy Feet Foundation for her commitment to bringing dance to the local community through teaching and performances and for her passionate teaching within her studio inspiring young dancers of all levels to achieve their best through dance. As the recipient of this award, the Mass Motion Dance faculty and students received a workshop and master class with Season 9 So You Think You Can Dance winner, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp. Katherine is also the Artistic Director and choreographer of the BoSoma Dance Company (BDC). Through the BDC Educational Outreach programs, Katherine works throughout the school year linking the arts and literacy, enhancing the public school curriculum and the teacher/student experience in the classroom. BoSoma is passionate about getting students active and excited about learning within a creative, physical and academic community both inside the studio and within the classroom. Inspiring the creative and athletic mind is key to our children's success.
Courtney Costa, Director, received her dance training from local studios and prestigious summer programs, including Boston Ballet, Boston Conservatory, Carolina Ballet, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Her dedication earned her numerous awards at regional and national competitions. During this time, she also had the privilege of performing in The Nutcracker with the Hanover Conservatory (formerly Ballet Arts Worcester) for over 10 years, where she danced many lead roles. After graduating high school, she continued her education at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance in 2017. While at Hartt, she expanded her training including Limón, Graham, improvisation techniques, partnering classes and contemporary dance forms. She had the opportunity to study under renowned faculty such as Betsy McMillan, Hilda Morales, Katie Stevinson-Nollet, Mike Esperanza, Miki Orihara, Nina Watt, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Stephen Pier. Courtney joined BoSoma Dance Company in 2017 while also guest teaching at several studios throughout Massachusetts. In 2019, Courtney became the Assistant Director of BoSoma School of Dance (BSD). After six years of dedication to this position, she stepped into the role of Director of BSD in 2025. She is passionate about sharing her love of dance through education and is dedicated to fostering an inspiring and supportive learning environment to inspire future generations of dancers.
Kelsey Blanchette, Assistant Director, received her early training from Dance Progressions of Londonderry, NH studying ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance. After graduating high school she went on to Salem State University where she studied Modern dance under the direction of Meghan McLyman, Caitlin Corbett, Betsy Miller, and James Morrow. During her time at Salem State, dance grew into a lifelong passion for the arts. Kelsey attended several American College Dance Festivals in New England where her work was represented twice, assisted in the choreography of The Drowsy Chaperone, and was awarded the 2017 Creativity Award, the highest honor of the arts from Salem State University. Kelsey has had the opportunity to dance in summer programs and intensives with the Amy Marshall Dance Company and BoSoma Dance Company, perform professionally with Saving Grace Dance Ensemble, and take part in many local arts festivals. In 2023, Kelsey joined BoSoma Dance Company as a Company Dancer. Kelsey has served as the Community Outreach Director since 2022 and stepped into the role of Assistant Director in 2025. Kelsey's vision is to cultivate a supportive, safe, and exciting dance environment where meaningful connections are formed and mutual inspiration thrives.
Dana Mazurowski, Curriculum Director, began her dance training at the New Hampshire School of Ballet where she remained enrolled for ten years. There, she trained in numerous styles, including ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, contemporary, musical theater, tumbling, and danced competitively around the country. In May of 2016 Dana graduated from the Hartt School Conservatory with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Pedagogy. While attending the Hartt School she expanded her training in other genres including Limón, Graham, character, and contemporary dance forms. She had the good fortune to train with renowned teachers and choreographers including Stephen Pier, Nina Watt, Hilda Morales, Jackie Nowicki, Miki Orihara, Betsy McMillan, Doug Varone, Gregory Dolbashian, and Katie Stevinson-Nollet. During her time at the Hartt School she also had the opportunity to study abroad for a period in Amsterdam, Netherlands at the Henny Jurriens Foundation. In June of 2016 Dana was nominated by the American College Dance Association to perform at their national showcase at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. After moving to New York City in 2016 she began working as a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer. She participated in many showcases and projects including Queensboro Dance Festival, solo work for Nancy Meehan company member Frances Rosario-Puelo, guest performer for Vivid Ballet at Alvin Ailey, Shifting Tides performance at The Actors Fund Arts Center, and danced as a company member with One Day Dance for two seasons. Presently, Dana performs with BoSoma Dance Company and Nsquared Dance Company. She also is a Ballet instructor for Elite Feet Artists Company.
Pattie Hunter, Irish Step Program Director, grew up in Boston and began Irish Step Dancing at the age of five. Pattie is an award winning championship dancer who has successfully competed both nationally and internationally, including the All World Championships held in Galway, Ireland. Pattie is a certified T.C.R.G. and a member of the Irish Dance Teachers Association of New England, the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America and An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha in Dublin, Ireland. Pattie is currently the Irish Step Program Director for BoSoma School of Dance as well as Mass Motion Dance Metrowest and Sturbridge.
Alyssa Sullivan, Administration Coordinator & Irish Step Assistant Director, received her dance training at Mass Motion Dance North under the direction of Katherine Hooper. Throughout high school, Alyssa was member of Aurora Borealis Dance Company, a pre-professional contemporary dance company under the direction of Katie Pustizzi, where she studied dance improvisation. After graduating high school in 2017, she attended Adelphi University where she studied Modern and Ballet. In addition to teaching a variety of classes at BSD, Alyssa serves as a resource for our Irish Step students and families, communicating information and answering questions! Alyssa’s goal as a teacher is to allow her students to feel comfortable using dance as a way to think creatively and to leave class feeling better than when they walked in the door. She is very excited to share her passion for dance with the students of BSD!
Maddie Gaieski is a compassionate dance artist and educator with years of teaching and choreographic experience, whose goal is to help dancers develop their artistic voices while connecting with others through the community. Her formative years were spent as a competitive dancer in the Merrimack Valley area. Later, she studied at Salem State University, earning a bachelor of science degree and studying within their dance program. She learned from great movers such as Caitlin Corbet, Juilliard graduate Jenna Pollack, and Jaheem “FaceOff” Alleyne. This time helped inform her teaching and choreographic process. Over the past years, Maddie has taught classes all over New England, teaching students of all levels, ages, and backgrounds. Maddie is primarily a Hip-Hop dancer and gained most of her Hip-Hop foundation at Phunk Phenomenon Dance Complex in Everett, studying under the direction of Reia Briggs Connor and learning from Boston greats such as Jaja Leviner and Ricardo Foster. She has been training with Junior Cius and the newly formed Push: The Collective. Credits include dancing for the rapper DaBaby at Boston’s House of Blues, Boston Celtics halftime, Redbull Dance Your Style, Tommy the Clown vs the World, and performing at Fenway Park. Maddie continues to train as a dancer, taking varying classes and learning new techniques to bring back to her students. Through enthusiastic and inspiring coaching, she pushes her students to become the best versions of themselves while instilling humanity and kindness.
Janelle Holmes earned her Bachelor's of Fine Arts from University of Hartford in May of 2020, with a focus in ballet pedagogy. While attending The Hartt School, she performed in many main stage shows, and danced as a guest artist with Ballet Hartford. Janelle has also held various internships focused on teaching dance in the Hartford area. Additionally, Janelle is involved with artistic outreach programs such as Spectrum in Motion and The Prism Project, practicing movement and music therapy with students with exceptionalities. Currently, Janelle is pursuing her Masters of Business Administration at the University of Hartford while working as a freelance dancer in Southern New England. She joined BoSoma Dance Company in 2023.
Chantal Kelleher, is a dance educator, adjunct professor of dance and choreographer. She received her BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Performing Arts under the direction of Stephen Pier. Upon graduation, Chantal joined Boston’s contemporary dance company Urbanity Dance where she performed professionally for two years before stepping into the inaugural role as choreography fellow. Under the direction of Besti Graves, Chantal had numerous opportunities to dance, choreograph and collaborate with other artists in Boston, New Hampshire and New York City. Most notable, her work “The Run Before THE Run” premiered at Urbanity’s Spring Concert and was the featured work for the company in the 2019 Boston Contemporary Dance Festival. The Boston Globes Karen Campbell described her work as “(t)he evenings one piece with a genuine spark of clever levity (...)’ Other notable commissions include Endicott College’s Faculty Showcase (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), Boston’s Liberty Hotel Halloween and New Years Eve events (2013, 20214, 2015) and Urbanity Summer Intensive promotional video (2019). Currently, Chantal is on staff as an adjunct professor of dance at Endicott College serving as the professor for modern and contemporary dance studies, pursuing freelance choreographic opportunities and a holistic health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
Erica Lane received the bulk of her dance training from Mass Motion Dance North in Peabody, MA, under the direction of Katherine Hooper, graduating from the Intensive Dance program in 2016. She then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Education and Care and a minor in Dance at Salem State University. Erica was a dancer and choreographer for Repertory Dance Theater, one of Salem State’s dance teams. She also worked as an intern for BoSoma School of Dance in 2017-2018 before joining the faculty as an Office Assistant. Outside of BSD, Erica works as a Pre-School teacher.
Heather MacBeath trained at the Dance Place in Arlington and Mass Motion Dance North, which then became BoSoma School of Dance under the direction of Katherine Hooper. While attending BoSoma School of Dance, she volunteered as an assistant for Tiny Tots and Level classes. She graduated from BSD & the BoSoma Youth Company in 2019. Since then, Heather has been pursuing her BFA in Studio Art with a minor in dance at Endicott College, graduating in May of 2023. She has participated in the Repertory Dance Ensemble every semester at Endicott College and has worked with many faculty and guest choreographers. Heather has also taken multiple choreography classes under the instruction of Nicole Sao Pedro-Welch and her choreography has been showcased in the annual Student Invitational Exhibition twice. Heather loves kids and hopes to spread her love of the arts to her students!
Chastity Olszta, brings over 20 years of diverse dance experience, spanning from competitive stages to the collegiate level. She began her dance journey at just three years old, quickly developing a passion that led her to compete at both regional and national competitions. Throughout her career, she has earned numerous accolades, both for her dancing and her choreography. After graduating high school, Chastity attended Bridgewater State University, where she graduated early with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. While there, she was a valued member of the BSU Dance Team. Chastity is passionate about sharing her love of dance, inspiring dancers of all ages to reach their full potential.
Vanessa Raftery started dance at the Agnes Strecker Dance Studio in Revere, MA at the age of 3 and continued to dance and teach at her studios (Revere, and Groveland) until Agnes retired in June 2014. In September 2014 Vanessa was thrilled to become Artistic Director of Georgetown/Groveland Dance Studio. Vanessa is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, and participated in Dance Education Training from the Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston. She has performed in places such as Disney, the Danmark Tall Ship, numerous community parades and other local events. She is a certified Kindermusik Educator and also a Zumba Instructor. Vanessa continues to further her dance knowledge by attending master classes and participating in conventions such as Pulse and Jump. She attended Marian Court College, where she graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Management. Vanessa has taught all ages and skill levels, but has a special passion for teaching the younger ones. She loves to see how excited they are for class and watch their growth throughout the year.
Marlaina Tucker started dancing at the age of 4, training at Miss Tina’s Studio of Dance in Gloucester, MA. She went on to study at Dean College, graduating in 2020 with a Bachelors in Dance with a concentration in Studio Management and a minor in Business. Marlaina choreographed and performed in a number of shows while studying at Dean. She also spent the summer of 2018 as an intern with BoSoma School of Dance and presently works as the Administrative Assistant for the company. In addition to teaching at BSD, Marlaina teaches creative movement classes at local pre-schools.
Kerry Hayward - Office Manager
You can find Ms. Kerry working in the office throughout the year. She also manages the lobby at all BSD Recitals and performances!