Ballet/ Creative Movement/ Pointe/ Director

Melissa is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT National Training Curriculum.  Melissa is delighted that Reaching Heart Center is in it's 16th year!  The school was founded in 2001 in Chatham where it remained for 9 years. Our new location in West Harwich opened in July of 2010 and is a unique renovated antique enchanted  barn which  is a magical place to work, dance and flourish!  Melissa is grateful to have such a beautiful studio to  teach in.

Melissa's early training includes three years dancing at Walnut Hill School in Natick, where she graduated high school and one year dancing at the Royal Ballet School in London. Melissa is a graduate of Connecticut College where she majored in Child Development, and minored in dance.  She has been teaching ballet for over 36 years and could not imagine a better job in the world. She is grateful to have such an amazing staff  and wonderful committed students who are all passionate about dance! 

 Melissa is delighted that several of her students are continuing to  dance as a major or minor in college. She  has had students of hers attend SAB, Walnut Hill, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, PNB, Miami City Ballet and ABT in both NYC and Alabama during recent summers. She has high hopes that some of her current students will also go on to a professional career in the dance field!  Melissa is delighted to be offering several wonderful master class teachers to her students at Reaching Heart this Spring and during our 8 week summer ballet intensive.

Ballet/Creative Movement/Pointe

Sara is a wonderful teacher who has been with Reaching Heart for 10 years.  She is exceptional in her ability to communicate corrections to both the youngest of dancers and our older students as well. Sara's early training was with Ms. Virginia Zango Traube at the Mid-Cape School of Ballet and then at Nutmeg Conservatory.  She is the proud mother of two beautiful children!

Contemporary/ Jazz/ Lyrical

Suzette has taught at Reaching Heart Center for 14 years!  She is a wonderful inspiration to us all. Students of all ages love her creative choreography.  Suzette also teaches at the Harwich Junior Theatre and at The Academy of Performing Arts.

Francesca was born in Sassuolo, a small town in the north of Italy. She studied at the "Marie Taglioni" ballet school near Modena (Italy) from five years of age until she was 13 years old. She continued her studies of Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary Dance in France at the International Ballet School "Ecole Superieure de Danse De Cannes". At the age of 15, she returned from France and continued to take classes of Ballet at a professional level, studying with Donatella Sturam. Francesca is great lover of the Arts and has studied Mime, Opera Singing, and has a background in theatrical set design. In the summer of 2005, she earned a degree in Interior Decorating. Francesca is fluent in Italian, French and English! She has 17 years of experience in teaching classes of Pre-Ballet , Ballet and Choreography. Francesca also teaches Floor barre. The methods she uses to teach ballet are French, Italian (Cecchetti) and Russian (Vaganova).

Victoria studied at the Reaching Heart School of Ballet starting at the age of three. Throughout her time at the studio, she studied ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip hop. At the age of 13, she found her love of teaching after becoming a ballet assistant to Miss Melissa. After graduation from high school, Victoria pursued a Bachelor's degree in Forensic Science with minors in Dance and Criminal Justice. Each Summer and Winter Victoria would continue teaching classes with RHSB, and now that she has graduated, she is looking forward to teaching in the Fall and Spring as well!

Victoria loves to focus on ballet, pointe, and contemporary/modern, as well as choreography. 

Todd Hall has studied at some of the most prestigious ballet schools in the country, including: The Boston Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet and the School of American Ballet.  Todd has danced professionally with the Washington Ballet, the Boston Ballet and many other companies throughout the U.S. and Europe. While in Boston, Todd earned a degree at Emerson College.  Due to some serious eye problems, he had to curtail his performing career, and as a result developed a love of teaching dance! He has taught ballet and pas de deux classes across the country from as far away as Alaska and up and down the east coast.  Todd's classes are energetic and challenge students to reach beyond their potential.  We are delighted to have Todd joining our staff as a frequent guest artist.