OUR TEAM OF TEACHERS
DEDICATED TO PROVIDING QUALITY DANCE EDUCATION TO INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES
KRIS TESTA
Dance has always been a major part of our cofounder Kris's life. At just two years of age, Kris began dancing with Mildred Holmes. As she studied under Holmes, she found that she felt most passionate about ballet and began to focus on it more with the Boston Ballet School. She then went on to attend the Northern Essex dance program. She was a member of the Stillpoint dance company and still continues to take classes to remain educated and up to date, bringing the most contemporary styles into her choreography. Throughout the past twenty years, Kris has worked at numerous studios in the Massachusetts and New Hampshire areas, but has found her home with the TSDC family where she enjoys teaching the senior, teen, and junior competition teams in all styles along with many recreational and technique classes. Her work has received numerous choreography and concept awards at both the regional and national levels. Try out a class to get to know Miss Kris!
NORMA JEAN FOWLER
Ms. Norma is a dance educator with over forty-eight years of experience. Her dance awards include outstanding choreography, outstanding costume, overall high scores, overall National high scores and overall National technical awards. Her students are National Ballet School scholarship winners (Alvin Ailey, River North. Pacific Northwest, Kirov Academy, American Ballet Theatre), DMM, DMA pageant winners, LA Underground, LA Dance Force, LA Dance Magic, Urban Jamm, ASH dance, West Coast Dance Explosion scholarship winners, Miss Michigan 1999, 2000, 2004, 1st runner up to Miss Michigan 2000, 2001, 2003, Radio City Rockettes’ and Rockette ensemble cast members. She is Certified by exam Cecchetti Council of America, Student and Associate Levels Graduate of Theatre Arts Program, Oakland University, Rochester MI Certified by exam Dance Masters of MI and America Certified by exam in the Eight Year program of Leningrad’s Vagonava School Certified by exam Dance Educators of America Certified by exam in the Alixa Flexibility Method Certified by exam in Acrobatic Arts Member of Dance Teachers Club of Boston. Ms. Norma’s objective is to teach dance, movement, music awareness, and artistic creativity to students from beginning through very advanced competitive level. Her priority is to insight self-awareness and self-esteem in young and teen students, as well as, introducing them to multi-disciplined dance techniques.
KRISTEN MARTINO
Kristen (Kris) is a Ballet, Ballet Pointe, tap and lyrical instructor, with a focus on classical ballet, technique, injury prevention, and creative vision. She has taught all ages and trained dancers of all levels in ballet, tap, broadway jazz, lyrical and more at various studios and a current dancer for Danko Productions. She obtained a Nursing degree from Excelsior College, and became an R.N. She is fluent in American Sign Language, and pursuing her Dance Of America Certification. Her dance training began at a young age with La Pierre School of Dance. Having been a dancer for over thirty years, she has studied numerous forms of the art including ballet, tap, character, lyrical, musical theater, jazz and more. Over the past years she danced with the Boston Dance Company and studied from such notable dancers such as Sam Fiorello, Jose Mateos, and more. As an educator, Kris believes in the artistic potential of every student and emphasizes creative expression as well as technicality. Her instruction includes demonstrations of movements, explanations of movements and a breakdown on how to execute them successfully. Her creative work centers on themes of the human experience and influenced by her studies in American Sign Language, Tai Chi, The Alexander Technique, classical ballet, modern, and contemporary dance.