I've Got Rhythm Dance Center: "Where Students Feel At Home!"



	PETER DASILVA Peter is a local actor who has earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from Salem State College. He has received extensive training in voice, acting, dialects, and stage combat. He has appeared in numerous professional productions of Disney’s Beauty and the beast, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof and Jesus Christ Superstar with New Bedford Festival Theatre. Last summer he performed in Festival Theatre’s production of Oliver at the Zeiterion Theatre.

	MAI-LIS HOMEISTER Mai-Lis is a senior at UMASS Dartmouth studying graphic design. She has been dancing for 18 years and received her training in ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, pointe and tap from Heather’s contemporary School of Dance in New Hampshire. She is the co-founder and 2nd Captain of the UMASS Dance Team and has become active competing and performing on and off campus for the past 3 years.

	PAULA LAUZON Paula Lauzon comes to us from Lisbon, Portugal. While in Portugal, she studied for our years under the Director of former Russian Ballerina, Anna Mascolo – who produced some of the finest dancers in Europe. Ms. Lauzon choreographed and performed in various high school productions such as: Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Cabaret, etc. Paula moved to this country in 1981 and continued her studies with Brun Studios of New Bedford, where she was a member of the New England Dance Ensemble. She was a ballet instructor at this studio for two years. She studied with the Dance Academy of Westport and also with Festival Ballet of Rhode Island. Presently, she teaches Ballet for Children at the new Bedford YMCA – she has been there for nine years. Ms. Lauzon wil be teaching the ballet classes in which she will concentrate on the basic techniques of ballet. One particular focus will be on the child beginner. Ms. Lauzon GRADUATED Magna Cum Laude from UMass Dartmouth, with a Major in Humanities/Social Services. She is an administrative supervisor for Hawthorn Medical Associates.

	JENN LOPES Jen majored in dance at Dean College and comes to I’ve Got Rhythm Dance Center with over 25 years of studying and teaching dance. Her choreography for competition has received many gold medals and awards for being outstanding, unique and creative. In 2005 the competition she choreographed for, qualified to be part of the American Team Work’s Competition in Germany. Jen currently teaches at other schools and is educated in the arts of ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theater and acrobatics. She has choreographed performances for Walt Disney World and Universal Studios and has worked with the Stonehill College Dance Team for competition at the National Dance Association finals in Florida.

	JEFF MAHMOOD Jeff has been teaching at I’ve Got Rhythm since 2004. He began his dance training in Cheshire, Connecticut at the age of 6. He is a graduate of Roger Williams University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree of the Arts in Dance Performance. Jeff is educated in and has experience in teaching ballet, lyric, modern, tap, hip hop, and ballroom dance. He has performed at the Six Flags Great Adventure for Radio Disney in Agawam, Massachusetts, and at the Bushnell as a backup dancer for Christy Carlson Romano. Jeff is currently the director of his own Dance Company, Clashing Rhythms, which he created in 2003. He enjoys traveling and sharing his passion for dance in the form of teaching at other dance schools.

	CHERYL THOMPSON Cheryl has been an instructor at I’ve Got Rhythm Dance Center since 2001 and has over 25 years of studying and teaching dance. Cheryl teaches Creative Movement, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Gymnastics and started a program teaching the mentally challenged. Cheryl has participated in the Dance Masters of America Teachers Training School; the High Scope Workshops for Early Educators; and The Dance Teachers Conference in New York City and Project Motivate conference in Boston. She has performed in and choreographed numerous high school musical productions and has also choreographed, costumed and designed theatre sets for a number of productions. Cheryl free lances as a choreographer and teacher at other schools in the area.

	LAUREN THOMPSON Lauren Thompson has been on the faculty of I’ve Got Rhythm Dance Center for the past three years. She shares her knowledge and passion for dance by also teaching at several other schools. Lauren is trained in various forms of contemporary dance and enjoys traveling as a performer and guest teacher. She has studied with Maurice Hines, Gregory Russell, Jay T. Jenkins, Derek K. Grant and many other well known Master Teachers in the dance industry. Lauren has received her dance training from UMass Amherst and Dean College. This spring she is looking forward to graduating from Dean College with a B.A. in Dance as well as a minor in Business.