Owner & Director

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Miss Kat's passion for dance started at two years old; since that early age she has enjoyed all genres of dance, enrolling in as many classes and dance workshops as her parents would allow. She joined a gymnastics team when she was 8 years old and competed all through high school, winning medals for balance beam, uneven bars, floor and vault.  By the time she was 10, Miss Kat knew she wanted to teach and pass on her passion for dance and gymnastics to others. 

At the age of 12 Miss Kat began assisting her dance teacher/director, becoming an assistant teacher when she was 14.  She started teaching her own jazz and tap classes the following season along with a pre-school class; she was also the only acrobatics teacher. Miss Kat was very fortunate because her mentor knew her dream was to pursue a career teaching dance and provided Miss Kat the opportunity to travel with her to Boston and New York attending teaching seminars and master classes with Art Stone, Frank Hatchett, Jo Rowan, Steven Boyd, the Manhattan Dance Project, to name a few. 

Miss Kat assumed management of the studio when she was 17, after the director suffered a major injury. Shortly thereafter the director left Rhode Island and at the age of 18 she officially became the owner/director. Miss Kat was teaching classes at the studio and after-school dance programs at several elementary schools in the area. 

During her career she was the choreographer for the Wanskuck Players Children's Theater, The Northend Players Community Theater, Miss Lynn's Performing Arts, and was the Director and Choreographer for the Miss Senior Sweetheart Pageant of America for 27 years. She has judged dance and cheerleading competitions and is currently a judge for a New England based dance competition company. 

Miss Cassie was only two years old when she started dancing at Kats. Over 20 years later, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to not only be part of the Kats family, but to also share her love for dance with her students now, as their teacher. 

Throughout her years at Kats, Miss Cassie has learned many different genres of dance including jazz, tap, lyrical, acro, ballet, and pointe. She attended high school at The Jacqueline M Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where she majored in dance and gained experience in modern as well. After high school, Miss Cassie attended the University of Rhode Island with a major in elementary education. 

She is currently a 3rd grade school teacher by day, dance teacher by night, and she wouldn’t have it any other way! Miss Cassie has experience teaching ballet, jazz, tap, acro, and lyrical. She truly enjoys building relationships with her students and pushing them to be the best they can be!

Miss Cassie received the Princess Jessie Award in 2014 and the Heavenly Gingers Scholarship in 2016.  

Miss Bree has been a part of the KDCPA family for over 20 years and started assisting in dance classes in 2008. Miss Bree is currently studying Business and Non-profit management at Southern New Hampshire University. As a student with us, she studied jazz, tap, ballet, pop jazz, pointe, lyrical and hip hop. Miss Bree was also a very active member of the Page to Stage theatre program and has been involved in all their performances. 

Miss Bree is actively pursuing her goal to make a career in the Performing Arts field. Bree has taken dozens of master class in all styles of dance. Some of her favorites include classes with The Boston Tap Company, Bob Boross, The DC Tap Fest and classes with several broadway professionals. She has acted as a mentor and assistant for several of our theatrical arts students.  Miss Bree also loves to preform with local community theatre companies. She has worked on all sides of the stage as an actor, director, choreographer and stage manager with Academy Players of RI. Miss Bree’s true love is the stage and she wants to spend as much time there as possible. For that reason, Bree looks forward to sharing her passion for the performing arts with all the students at Kats Dance Centre & Performing Arts.

Bree received the Princess Jessie Award in 2010 and a Heavenly Gingers scholarship in 2017.

Miss Sam joined the Kats Dance Centre family in 1998. Five years later she became a junior assistant and progressed to teaching her own classes. Miss Sam performed in Disney World with Kats Dance Centre & Performing Arts on three separate occasions and  received additional training while there, taking classes given by professional Disney dancers. She also participated in several master classes and workshops such as The Manhattan Dance Project and Off the Curb. 

Miss Sam continued performing as a Company dancer and as a staff member until she was 20 years old, "retiring" from teaching to pursue her dreams of starting her own beauty business and family.  Now an accomplished hair dresser, wife and mother, we were thrilled to welcome her back 10 years later to teach.  Miss Sam answered our call, agreeing to come out of "retirement" because, in her own words, "Team Kats for life!"

Miss Bella has been dancing and performing since she could walk. She has been dancing at Kats for over 15 years and has studied jazz, ballet, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, musical theatre, and acro. She is also a member of the competition team. She enjoys furthering her education by attending master classes in those genres. In 2022, she was able to attend the Soul Dance Convention.

Isabella is a member of the International Thespian Honor Society (3 star Thespian and Presidential Scholar) and secretary of the National Honor Society at her high school. She has been heavily involved in theatrical productions throughout her school career and has acted as dance captain for all of her high school performances. She can also be seen in shows with Academy Players of RI. To say Isabella loves the performing arts is an understatement. 

She loves sharing her love for dance and performing arts with the students at Kats. 

Isabella received the Princess Jessie Award in 2023.

Miss Emma started dancing at Kats at four years old. She started as a dancer and made her way from a junior assistant to teacher. Throughout the years Emma learned many different genres of dance including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, and tap. 

While being apart of the Kats family for almost 20 years Miss Emma also played soccer where she felt what she learned in the dance studio helped her on the field. Miss Emma attended Regis College where she was apart of their dance company as a company member and a ballet teacher. 

Miss Emma is currently a registered nurse and returned to teaching for the 2023-24 season because of her love of sharing dance with all of the students. 

Miss Kayla is Miss Kathie's youngest daughter and danced with KDCPA for over 25 years. She trained in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, hip hop, pop jazz, lyrical and acro. Miss Kayla began assisting classes when she was 11, was promoted to an assistant teacher at age 13, then teaching her own classes by the time she was 15. In 2009 she was named Assistant Director; even though she was a young teacher she gained her love and respect for dance from her older sister, Jessie, and her mom. 

Miss Kayla made the decision to stop teaching full-time in 2019 to follow her dream -- opening her own bakery. She is now the proud owner of Gingersnaps Bakery, located on Front Street in Lincoln, which was recently named Best of Rhode Island by 30th Best. She spends her time there making cookies and pastries as well as custom cakes and treats for her customers.

While we miss seeing her at the studio everyday, everyone at KDCPA is so proud of her and her accomplishments. Because dance and teaching is her blood, she comes back when she can as her ultimate goal as a teacher is to keep students motivated and inspired since there is no better reward than watching them improve and succeed.

Miss Cassie began dancing at the age of two and studied in the styles of Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Modern. She studied at and performed with the Albano’s Ballet including “The Nutcracker” performed at Mohegan Sun.

Miss Cassie graduated from Rhode Island College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance.  She was a member of the Rhode Island College Dance Company for four years.

Before joining Kat’s Dance Centre & Performing Arts staff in 2021, Cassie lived and studied dance in Los Angeles, California for four years.  Continuing her studies she trained in many styles at studios like Edge Performing Arts Center and Millennium Dance Complex. 

Miss Cassie continues to share her love and passion for dance through teaching and is honored to be apart of the Kats Dance Centre family.

Miss Kayla-Rose is a graduate of both Rhode Island College and Dean College and has been dancing at Kats Dance Centre & Performing Arts for almost 20 years. Miss Kayla-Rose studied jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, pop jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and acro. She became a member of our staff in 2006 as a Studio Assistant, gaining the knowledge and experience to teach.  The passage of time has only increased her passion for the performing arts and Miss Kayla-Rose loves being in class helping other dancers do what they love.

As a teacher she continues to pass on her love of dance to our students. She enjoys getting to know her students, forming bonds, and creating goals with them both in and out of the classroom. Miss Kayla-Rose teaches a variety of classes in jazz, tap, ballet, acro and musical theater. She is also the director of our Competition Team!

In addition to her role as a dancer and teacher, Miss Kayla-Rose worked as choreographer and stage manager for several "From Page to Stage Productions" with Miss Lynn in our performing arts program. She has also been a teacher and choreographer for the Lincoln after-school programs. Most recently, she has returned to theater choreography with Academy Players of RI. 

We enjoy having Miss Kayla-Rose on staff and look forward to having her with us for years to come! She is creative and challenges her students, making learning fun and exciting!

Miss Alana joined the studio over 7 years ago. She is actively taking classes in ballet, jazz, lyrical, acro and hip hop. She is also a member of the competition team and enjoys taking master classes when she is able. In addition to performing with KDCPA when she can, she danced in the Lincoln Variety Show and plans to continue being involved. Last summer Miss Alana attended the Soul Dance Convention and that helped fuel a spark to pursue a career related to dance. 

After supporting the studio as a staff assistant the last few years, we are pleased to have her as a member of the teaching staff. She hopes to pass her passion for dance to the students, hoping they love it as much as she does.

Miss Shana joined the Kats Dance Centre & Performing Arts staff in 2009. A Lincoln native, Miss Shana grew up in her family’s dance studio, the Brae Crest School of Ballet. Under the direction of her mother, Ana Marsden Fox, and grandmother, Herci Marsden, she developed an early love of ballet. 

Miss Shana received her BA in Communication from The University of New Hampshire, where she minored in theater & dance. For the past 13 years, she has been the resident choreographer for Rhode Island’s Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Research Foundation Flames of Hope events, where State Ballet of RI dancers literally ignite the opening ceremonies.  

Miss Shana is on staff at The Brae Crest School, and is part of The State Ballet of RI Board of Directors as a Vice President.  Miss Shana also serves SBRI as a rehearsal assistant, choreographer, wardrobe volunteer, and audition judge. An avid admirer of the arts, Miss Shana passionately continues her family tradition of loving and living ballet.