Desiree Reese Mottard is a former professional ballet dancer with a 15-year performing career and a seasoned dance educator with extensive experience teaching ballet instruction. Certified through John White's teacher-training program in the Vaganova method, she has taught for over 20 years throughout the Boston and MetroWest areas. She spent many years teaching under the Direction of Trinidad Vives and Parren Ballard and was one of the core instructors at The Brookline Ballet School. During her professional career, Desiree performed the leading roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Cinderella in Cinderella, and Swanilda in Coppélia. She danced as a Principal Dancer with José Mateo Ballet Theatre and as a Soloist with Virginia Ballet Theatre and Ballet Magnificat. These experiences continue to inform her artistic standards and approach to teaching and directing. For over 25 years, Desiree has dedicated herself to the study of classical ballet, meditation, and yoga. Her work extends beyond the traditional studio setting. As the owner of Movement & Mindfulness for the past decade, she has brought teacher-training programs to local schools, serving both students and educators. In addition, she has led dance programs at MCI Framingham and the Respite Center and has served as a primary instructor for HCA's Adaptive Dance program. Her work reflects her belief that dance is a powerful way of finding one's voice through expression. She brings a leadership style grounded in discipline and care while cultivating confidence, artistry, and a lifelong love of dance in every student she teaches.

Casey is a professional choreographer, educator, and performer. She received her B.A. in dance performance from Rhode Island College, where she trained and studied with exceptional choreographers such as Clay Talifaro, Sean Curran, and Mark Taylor. After graduation, Casey continued her education at Broadway Dance Center in New York City and Boston Ballet, where she studied weekly in a variety of classes. While a dancer of the Andary Dance Company, Casey had the opportunity to perform at the Cunningham School in New York City and tour the northeast. As a new member of the Franklin Performing Arts Company, Casey has enjoyed roles such as Morticia in The Addams Family Musical and the Amazing Mayzie in Seussical. She has performed and worked alongside Broadway’s Clay Rice-Thomson, Tyler Hanes, and Josh Strickland in FPAC’s productions of Matilda, Mary Poppins, Something Rotten, and Tarzan. Casey has also been an adjunct faculty member at Rhode Island College, Dean College, and Salve Regina University, teaching jazz, tap, and working with the RIC dance company as assistant rehearsal director. In 2010, she became an adjudicator and choreographer for the Elite Dance Challenge regional and national competition. Later, Casey joined the judging panel for the Celebration Talent Competition and the Sheer Elite International Dance Competition. In 2014, Casey became the dance department director at Franklin School for the Performing Arts and the director of the FSPA Dance Company, a position she held for over ten years. During her time at FSPA, she taught a variety of dance and musical theater classes and created and facilitated curriculum, student placements, and performances for the school. Casey now works as a freelance artist and teacher.

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. Onalie has been teaching ballet for the past 25 years to all ages and levels from young children to adults, beginners to professionals. 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.

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.​ ​ 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. ​ 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.

Ashley 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. 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.

Rubina 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!

Laura 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.  ​ 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 six children and two granddaughters.

Alicia is a 2022 graduate of Dean College, where she earned her B.A. in Dance Studies with a minor in Creative Writing. She grew up dancing competitively in a wide range of styles, where she holds a special love for ballet and tap, and has recently found a growing passion for musical theater. Alicia approached dance experiences with the intent of teaching it to others—taking in phrases, how to execute moves, and different variations or body modifications. With several years of teaching experience, Alicia has worked with dancers of all ages—from young children to adults—nurturing both technical skill and creative expression.  During her time at Dean, she deepened her choreographic voice through various improvisation skills, musicality, and modern techniques, exploring movement as both a storyteller and an artist. She has also recently had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona and Madrid to learn and study repertoire created by renowned choreographers, including William Forsythe and Akram Khan, experiences that continue to inspire her evolving approach to dance and performance. Alicia also has a passion for safety and body awareness, and recently presented at the Intelligent Body monthly seminar exercises she learned from Dr. Luis Gadea Mateos in the ARTof Spain intensive.

Lindsay began her dance training in Massachusetts and went on to earn her B.A. in Dance from Hofstra University. During her time at Hofstra, Lindsay had the pleasure of expanding numerous aspects of her dance training. She performed in works by Larry Keigwin, Igal Perry, Frederick Earl Mosley, and more; produced numerous student-choreographer showcases; presented choreography at the American College Dance Associate Festival; and, presented an honors thesis exploring the connection between ballet and politics throughout Russian history. In 2017, she performed in Boston Early Music Festival’s centerpiece opera, Le Carnaval de Venise as a member of the Young Artists program. In addition to ballet, she continues to train and compete in ballroom dance. Lindsay is delighted to join the HCA Dance staff to share her love of ballet with students. When she is not teaching or dancing, Lindsay enjoys golfing and baking.

Alyssa is a Boston-based actor who has worked for companies such as New Repertory Theatre and Reagle Music Theatre. Credits include Me and My Girl, Singing in the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof, and many more. She is also no stranger to the New York stage as her credits include performances at Alvin Ailey and Carnegie Hall. Alyssa received her BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory and attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts majoring in theater in high school.