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 three beautiful children!

Contemporary/ Jazz/ Lyrical

Suzette has taught at Reaching Heart Center for 18 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.

Katie started at Reaching Heart School of Ballet in the Mommy and Me class at just two years old. Throughout her time at the studio, she studied ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip hop. Climbing the "Nutcracker Ladder", Katie danced just about every role and looked forward to it each year. She started her ballet teaching as an assistant to Miss Melissa and then moved on to teaching her own ballet classes and hip hop throughout high school.   Once in college at UNH, Katie joined the dance team and taught creative movement, ballet, and hip hop at a New Hampshire studio. Katie has returned to the Cape and loves teaching students of all ages. She  especially enjoyed being back a part of the Nutcracker. She added one more part to her Nutcracker repertoire and stepped in as the Mouse King this year so she could dance with her "mice"!

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.