Director of Dance

jessica@hopartscenter.org

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JESSICA WILSON began her teaching career in 1993 when she joined the faculty of Jacqueline Cronsberg’s Ballet Workshop New England right here in Hopkinton. She was appointed Associate Director of the school in 2003, and upon Mrs. Cronsberg’s retirement in 2005, Jessica founded MetroWest Ballet. Her students have gone on to join companies like Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Alabama Ballet, Ballet Theater of Maryland, Dawson/Wallace Dance Project, Los Angeles Ballet, Arch Contemporary Ballet, Carolyn Dorfman Dance, and Boston Dance Theater. Jessica began her dance training through the Royal Academy of Dance with Mary Tolland and received coaching from the Genée International Ballet Competition medalist Herida May for R.A.D. exams. She also studied intensely with well known teacher Jacqueline Cronsberg, graduated from Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and later attended State University New York at Purchase where she majored in dance and psychology and minored in philosophy. Jessica held the position of Artistic Associate with the Massachusetts Youth Ballet where she worked closely with Sandra Jennings, Repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, on ballets such as Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Who Cares?, Divertimento #15, Le Baiser de la Fée, Apollo, and divertissements from The Nutcracker. She has guested at Boston Ballet’s summer dance programs and completed certifications with the American Academy of Ballet in New York. In 2019, Jessica joined the Hopkinton Center for the Arts as its Director of Dance. In addition to teaching dance, Jessica and her partner run a beekeeping business. She enjoys being outdoors and making ceramic honey pots. She is celebrating more than thirty years of teaching.

 

Miss Zoe is from Long Island, NY, where her dance journey began and continues to thrive. She trained extensively at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, becoming an integral part of the Arts in Motion Dance Company and actively contributing to their CTP program. Her early dedication to dance evolved into a lifelong commitment to sharing the joy of movement with others. From assisting classes at a young age at her local studio, Zoe discovered a passion for nurturing young talent and fostering their love for dance.

 

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Dean College, Zoe aims to deepen her knowledge and understanding of this profound art form. She is thrilled to join the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, where she looks forward to bringing her passion, expertise, and creativity. Zoe is deeply committed to inspiring young dancers and creating a positive, inclusive environment where students can express themselves and grow both as dancers and individuals.”

Instructor

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Onalie began her classical ballet training with Connie Zadakis in a small town in western Maine, and after a year there she enrolled at Boston School of Ballet, where her teachers included Sydney Leonard and E. Virginia Williams. She then went on to attend Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts in Natick MA, and after graduating she accepted a scholarship to Chicago City Ballet School, where she had the opportunity to study with Marjorie Tallchief. She then attended the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY
Purchase, from which she received a BFA in Dance. She went on to dance professionally with Anna Myer and Dancers, Ballet New England, Connecticut Ballet Theater, Minnesota Dance Theater, New Jersey Ballet, Nicola Hawkins, and North Atlantic Ballet, as well as numerous independent contemporary choreographers based in Boston and NYC. Some of her roles include; the lead role of Firebird in Firebird,
Helena in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Taglioni in Pas de Quatre, Dewdrop, Snow Queen, Rat Queen, Arabian and Marzipan in the Nutcracker. Other ballets she danced include Giselle, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, Paquita, Le Corsaire, Nijinska’s Les Noces, Tudor’s Dark Elegies, and Balanchine’s Elegy and Serenade.

Onalie has been teaching ballet for the past 25 years to all ages and levels from young children to adults, beginners to professionals. Most recently she taught for 14 years at Pioneer Valley Ballet in western MA where she also served as Ballet Mistress and Rehearsal Assistant for their annual Nutcracker, Spring shows, YAGP, and Outreach Programs. She was also Adjunct Dance Faculty at Smith College and Dean College, teaching ballet and composition.
 

Onalie has also studied and worked as a Massage Therapist and has attended Yoga Teacher Trainings, finding that both of these forms of bodywork inform her approach as a dance teacher. She is a certified instructor of Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), having attended the training with its creator and founder Marie Walton-Mahon in NYC in 2016. Onalie currently teaches at Developpe in Sudbury and is excited to join HCA Dance faculty.

Instructor

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Mallory is a professional dancer and dance teacher based in New England. She graduated from the University of Arizona with her B.G.S in Arts, Media, and Entertainment in 2022. Through her career she has danced with Ballet Tucson, Providence Ballet Theatre, Metamorphosis Dance Company and Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project. She has also been a guest artist with AMA Dance Theatre and New England Ballet Theatre. She has taught at New Bedford Ballet, Synergy Dance Studios, Providence Ballet Theatre, Premier Dance Academy, Metamorphosis Dance Company, and Abilities Dance Boston. Her primary goal in teaching is to create a welcoming supportive environment where everyone can thrive. She believes that dance is for everyone and is very grateful for opportunities to connect with others through dance.

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Instructor

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Laura Leones has a background in Ballet. She studied and performed with The Boston Ballet Company in their productions of The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. Laura came to Latin Dance in 2017 as a student and later instructor at Tumbao Latin Dance in Worcester. Since then she has studied with many leading Salsa and Bachata instructors in New York, Boston, Connecticut, Providence and Houston and has performed on various Salsa and Bachata dance teams at Latin Dance congresses across the U.S. Laura also teaches at Assabet After Dark. In addition Laura is a certified Barre Vida fitness instructor. 

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Laura is excited to share her passion for salsa and bachata. She believes that dance is an amazing form of self expression, and Latin Dance provides a unique opportunity to use what you have learned in class outside the dance studio. One of the best things about Latin Dance is that it is accessible to everyone no matter your age or whether or not you have danced before.

 

Laura is a lawyer and longtime resident of Westborough who met her husband salsa dancing (of course). They share 6 children and two granddaughters.

Instructor

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Desiree was a professional ballerina of 15 years and now dedicates her time to teaching dance. She enjoys watching her students grow, challenge themselves, and develop a deeper appreciation towards the art of dance itself. At HCA currently works with the Excel Program and brings her expertise to students with special needs. In addition to her work at HCA, she brings her program Movement & Mindfulness to both public and private schools. She introduces mindfulness techniques and educates students on the importance of exercise and movement in their daily life. She is the proud mother of Luc, and when she's not teaching, she enjoys working out, cooking, tending to the garden, and spending time with friends and family.

Instructor

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Rubina Nagarkatti is a native Hindi-Urdu speaker from Mumbai. She is a part time

lecturer at Boston University currently living with her family in Massachusetts. 

 

Dance has always been her passion, and she considers herself the biggest bollywood buff. Through rhythm, movement and expression, she brings the magic of Indian cinema to life in her classes. She likes to make every class feel like a celebration. "Let the music move you—Bollywood style!"

 

Rubina has a background in stage performance, cultural events, and competitive choreography. She has studied Bharatanatyam for 3 years, is a certified Zumba Instructor, and has more than a year of Kathak training having completed her first Prarambhik exam with distinction. She’s had the joy of participating in workshops with some famous Bollywood choreographers like master Saroj Khan, Sandip Soparrkar and Dharmesh Yelande. The experiences has helped her to blend traditional Indian styles with a modern flair. She finds joy in teaching students across all levels including those prepping for a wedding performance, joining for fun, or looking to level up their dance game. 

 

Her motto: Life is better when you dance!

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Instructor

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Ashley Rosenthal of Hudson, Massachusetts studied dance and communications at Bridgewater State University from 2019-2023. She began her dance training with Cathy Hazeltine Fallon and Elaine Sisler at Studio Ballet of Hudson. She later performed with the Franklin School of Performing Arts from 2012-2014 with Cheryl Maddox and Jennifer Markham before she joined Metrowest Ballet with Jessica Wilson in 2015 and moved to Hopkinton Center for the Arts with Wilson in 2019. 

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In her time at BSU she had the opportunity to research dance through many lenses including an honors thesis exploring the gifted kid experience, as well as expanding her dance experience through designing lighting and stage managing department concerts, teaching classes to her peers, and working closely with the faculty. Other research projects included benefits of dance for students with OCD, pedagogy approaches for students who struggle with absenteeism, and exploring sustainability awareness through movement. Ashley received honors through the National Dance Education Organization as well as awards such as Leadership and Professionalism (2020, 2023) by the BSU Dance Department.

 

Ashley began teaching drop-in ballet classes under the mentorship of Jessica Wilson in 2019 and continued teaching peer-taught ballet classes at BSU with a focus on different learning methods and creating an inclusive and safe learning environment to all students in all dance levels. Ashley earned an internship at Jacob's Pillow in summer 2023 working with The School program. She now teaches ballet, jazz and creative dance to students at the HCA whose ages range from three years old to adult.

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Instructor

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Ms. Van Winkle, originally from Ukraine, danced with the Kiev State Dance Classical Ensemble, appearing in both principal and character roles. She has taught ballet for the Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater and the Acton School of Ballet, with many of her students accepted into top ballet schools and professional companies.

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With a master's degree in Education from Kiev State University and a master's degree in Health Education from Middlesex Community College, Ms. Van Winkle has also completed courses for a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, focusing on Sports and Dance Medicine at the University of Rhode Island. In other academic feats, she's taught at Harvard University for ART Students with an Annual Exchange and Presentation in Moscow, Russia.

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In 2005 Ms. Van Winkle co-founded the Bolshoi Summer Intensive, USA Chapter, in Cambridge, MA. For several years she was responsible for the annual audition classes of this program based in NYC and CT under the Russian-American Foundation. Ms. Van Winkle has also had the pleasure of working with gymnastic students, helping them with choreography and technique improvement. Ms. Van Winkle has taught in many ballet summer programs including FBP, FSPA, SSBT, Providence Ballet, Dance Theater of New England, and International Ballet Academy to name a few.

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