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Instructor, Summer Camp Coordinator

Jennifer Hamilton

Jennifer’s love of dance started at an early age and has spanned decades and being able to share that passion with her students brings her such joy! She has performed professionally throughout New England with many companies including Dance Prism and Bay State Ballet as well as many others. As a teacher and choreographer, she has worked at numerous dance schools, choreographed various musicals including Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Alladin as well as spending years as lead choreographer for Kidstock Creative Theatre summer program. Jennifer also taught the dance team at Bentley College and is a rehearsal coach and choreographer for Ballet Arts Centre Nutcracker. In the studio Jennifer strives to create an atmosphere where students can flourish, find their love of dance while building on their dance technique in a fun, encouraging environment! She has had many students go onto professional careers and even more that have carried their love of dance and movement with them while they pursue their goals outside of dance, but they’ll always carry with them the lessons they learned while enjoying their years of dance.

All-Star Cheer Coordinator

Stephanie Stillings

Stephanie has been coaching cheerleading for 24 years. She has coached recreational cheer, Pop Warner, AYF, middle school, and she has specifically been coaching All-Star cheer and dance since 2001. She enjoyed cheering in middle school, high school, and college and also cheered on a couple of open co-ed All-Star teams and even a parent team! Cheerleading became a passion of hers in 8th grade when she first started cheering, and it really grew when she became a coach for the first time in 1998. 

Stephanie has her Bachelor’s degree in childhood studies and she is a certified special education teacher. She was Franklin High School’s Teacher of the Year in 2018 and she was the former Royalty Elite’s Coach of the Year for the 2019-2020 season. She  currently is employed as a special education teacher at Franklin High School, also serving as a team leader. Stephanie’s favorite part of coaching is watching her athletes achieve their goals as both individuals and as a team. She loves to see her athletes gain confidence in themselves, their skills, and their teammates over the course of a season. Seeing an athlete’s face light up when he or she achieves a new skill for the first time and seeing a team “hit zero” for the first time are always the most meaningful moments for her as a coach. She also really enjoys seeing her teams recognized for their sportsmanship and positive attitudes at competitions. Coach Stephanie can’t wait to start working with our Ultimate All Stars as our Head Cheer Coordinator!

Instructor

Jacqueline LaFerriere

After owning a successful dance school for many years in Southern NH, Ms. Jackee joined the CDW family, teaching everything from our littles to bigs!

Jacqueline began her training in gymnastics first for 8 years which lead her to ballet. She quickly fell in love with the artistic expression and camaraderie that comes with dancing.

After performing for several years, she became an assistant teacher and quickly realized that this was what she wanted to do with her life.

Miss Jackee attended Northern Essex for College, where she received multiple degrees in Dance including her Dance Education degree. She has performed all throughout New England including NECC’s student performances, American College Dance Festival, Fame, Chicago, and several dance competitions and local events.

Miss Jackee loved her first season at CDW and is so excited for another. 

Instructor

Sue White

Sue White has been a part of the dance world for over 30 years. Her studies have included Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary; Modern, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Drama and Voice. Born and raised in New York, she began dancing at age 5 under Marya Kennett (stretching coach for Evander Holyfield).
Ms. White moved to New Hampshire in 1986, where she continued her studies in local studios and college. She attended Northern Essex Community College majoring in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Dance. Ms. White has owned her own studios and is no stranger to the competition scene. She has received numerous awards for her choreography and was named & New Hampshire Teacher of the Year 2001 and Dance Hero of the Year; in 2006. Sue's dancers have been featured in Video Magazine, Boston's Nutcracker, the World Championships of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles California as well as numerous National and International events. Her dancers have been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine as upcoming stars to watch out for and Ms. White herself was featured in Dance Teacher Magazine in 2008.  Sue continues to participate in community outreach programs today. Her dancers have gone on to major in Dance, open their own studios, establish their own dance companies and dance professionally. Sue is not only proud of her students for the dancers they have become, she is even more proud of the people they have grown into and the pleasure of being part of their journey.

All-Star Cheer Coach

Taylor LeBlanc

Coach Tay is so excited to continue her coaching with us at CDW’s Ultimate All-Stars! Taylor has cheered since 8 years old and has done just about every version of cheerleading you can think of (All-Star, high school, and college!) An incredibly strong tumbler, Taylor’s passion for cheerleading has carried over into her coaching career, where she now helps athletes of all ages thrive in and off the mat! We are so thrilled to have Taylor join our CDW family as part of Ultimate All-Stars! You will see her leading classes for both dance and cheer programs, helping our tumblers achieve their goals.

Instructor

Sarah Flewelling

Sarah Flewelling grew up dancing in Scarborough, ME, and Dover, OH, before getting her degree in Dance Performance and Choreography from Hope College in Holland, MI. Since graduating in 2014, she has taught at the former Capital City Dance Center and NV Dance Productions, where she served as co-director for seven years. She has a passion for choreographing and loves working through the creative process with young artists; as well as helping dancers realize their potential and unlocking a new love for dance. She lives in Northfield, NH, with her husband, Scot, and her baby daughter, Sylvie. She is so thrilled to be a part of the Creative Dance Workshop team! 

All-Star Cheer Coach

Makaylah Willey

Makaylah has been cheering for 10 years. She has cheered at the recreational and the all star level and she has competed on all star teams levels 1-5. In addition to having successful seasons with her teams, Makaylah has also won awards for top tumbler and top jumper at various events.

Makaylah has coached teams at the tiny and mini level. She also coaches tumbling classes at all levels with all age groups and she teaches private tumbling lessons. Makaylah also enjoys being a “buddy” on our Cheerabilities team where she works with athletes with special needs, and she has assisted with this type of program for 3 years.

She can’t wait to get started working with our new program, Ultimate All Stars! 

Instructor

Devon LeCompte

Devon LeCompte began dancing at age 2 and has never stopped. She grew up in Concord dancing with her mom, Ms. Bridget at Creative Dance Workshop of Bow. She started assistant teaching followed by developing and setting choreography for the studio at the young age of 16. She attended Dean College and earned her Associates in Dance, studying all the genres- hip hop, ballet, modern, tap, jazz and improvisation, and she was the Captain of "Synergy," the Dean College Hip Hop Team while in school.

 

Devon is certified to teach through the Dance Teachers Club of Boston, and now directs our Hip Hop Program at CDW, where her dynamic, up-to-date and fresh choreography regularly stands out from the rest and wins top awards and recognition wherever our dancers go.

Instructor

Heather Dow

Heather lives in Contoocook, NH with her husband Brandon and daughter Olivia. She graduated from Hopkinton High School in 2009 and Franklin Pierce University in 2013. She has two
degrees-Elementary Education and US History, and currently teaches Pre-K at Lempster
Community School in Lempster, NH.
Heather’s dancing career started at age 4 locally in Concord, and she was a member of the competition team at her studio from ages 10-19. She danced with the Franklin Pierce University dance team, and then returned to teach locally at areas studios until 2023, when she joined the CDW family!

Instructor

Jennafer McNutt

Jennafer is a native of a small town in Connecticut, where she grew up dancing in all styles. Her love for tap dance grew when she attended Plymouth State University, in Plymouth, NH, and further honed her tap knowledge and skills under the tutelage of Aaron Tolson. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and Spanish, Jennafer was selected to dance in Tolson’s semi-professional tap dance company, wherein she later served as his company manager and senior dance caption. Jennafer has also been teaching students for 15 years. She loves introducing students to tap dance, helping them find their
passion for the art, and mastering technique. She is an award-winning choreographer, has won awards at both regional and national events, and her routines have received many top place placements, including overall adjudications and highest scoring tap routines. Jennafer is also involved in various scholarship programs, she serves on the Board of Directors for Miss Bedford, part of Miss New Hampshire America, and she choreographs for local contestants. Jennafer loves being a formative part of a young dancers’
training and enjoys sharing her passion and love for tap dance with her students.

Instructor

Jordyn LeCompte

Jordyn LeCompte is a key part of our Hip Hop program at Creative Dance Workshop. Growing up dancing alongside her sister Devon and her mom, Ms. Bridget, Jordyn is a fantastic teacher who connects with her students and inspires them to grow in and out of the classroom. 

Jordyn received her Bachelor's Degree in May 2023 from Merrimack College and lives in Bow with her boyfriend Mike and their puppy, Bruno.
 

Instructor

Kristine Larocque

Kristine Larocque began her dance training at age 3.  She grew up studying all styles and levels of dance.  This brought her to the realization that she had found her passion, Expression through Dance!  

Kristine became an Assistant Dance Teacher at The Sally Zyla Dance Studio in Manchester N.H. during her Junior Year of High School.  When she graduated, she began teaching, selecting music and choreographing performance pieces in a range of techniques and dance styles from beginner to advanced levels. While teaching, she attended dance Intensives, master classes and trainings throughout New England and New York. 

Kristine has her degree in Early Childhood Education and her Certification in Childcare Administration. She has been an Early Childhood Educator for 25 yrs.  She was the former owner and manager of the Kindertree Learning Center, Early Childhood Program in Manchester NH for 18 years and currently is the Center Director for Southern NH Services Child Development Program in Manchester NH.  Presently, she is attending Southern NH University pursuing her bachelor's degree in human services with a concentration in children and families. 

Kristine’s passion for teaching will help foster an outlet for creativity, personal expression and growth.  She is very excited to be part of the Creative Dance Workshop Team! 

Assistant

Diane Levesque

Diane Levesque is a treasured member of our staff and has been assisting our combination classes and
summer camps for many years. Diane has run wildly successful dance programs in Capital Area schools
and with her patient, loving demeanor, she is an invaluable member of our CDW team.

Instructor, Office Manager

Amanda Egan

Amanda Egan is not only our Office Manager- she's also a lifelong dancer and an engaged, inspiring teacher here at CDW. Dancing for over 40 years, she started with the beloved Sally Zyla in Manchester over 40 years ago, learning every genre and sprinkling in some dance fitness along her journey. 

 

A lifelong learner and proud educator, Amanda has her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration, a Master's Degree in Education, a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and she is currently department head and math teacher at Manchester School of Technology. 

Assistant Teacher

Carrie Messerschmidt

My name is Carrie Messerschmidt. I am 15 years old and have been dancing since I was 3. I lived in Connecticut and danced there for 9 years, and moved to New Hampshire in 2020. This is my fourth year dancing here at CDW, and I love it! Dancing has always been my passion, and my favorite styles are ballet, contemporary, and modern. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to be an assistant teacher here. I love helping people (especially the little ones) find their passion for dance, and grow as a person as well.

Assistant Teacher

Kaylee Leonard

I love being an assistant teacher at CDW. It is so fun since it includes my two favorite things dance and little kids. This is my 12th year doing dance at Creative Dance Workshop and my 7th year on the dance team. This will be my 6th year helping with the younger dancers. CDW is a second home to me. I am also very lucky to have some of my best friends at dance.

Assistant Teacher

Avery Rizzo

My name is Avery Rizzo and I am 12 years old. I have been taking dance lessons for 7 years, first at McKenna Dance Center and now with Creative Dance Workshop. During this time I have tried many styles of dance including hip hop, musical theater, tap, ballet and lyrical but my favorite styles are definetly tap and lyrical.
  I love to dance and I have always loved little kiddos. My future career goals are to become a pediatrician and a dance teacher so being a part of the leadership program as an assistant dance teacher and working with the littles is like living my dream.

Co-Director

Ana McKenna

Ana (Cutting) McKenna was raised in Concord, New Hampshire. She began her dance training at the age of two and has continued to live her love of dance for over forty years. Ana has shared her passion for dance and performance all over the New England and New York areas with children and adults of all ages and abilities. She earned a Master's Degree from Granite State College and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications from Saint Bonaventure University, where she was a Division I cheerleader for the legendary Bonnies. Ana continues her service in the US Army with a military career spanning 23 years--currently serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve. 

Ana is completely dedicated to growing and developing children to become resilient, capable and confident leaders-- in dance/cheer, in school and in life.  She recently founded an assistant teaching and leadership program at CDW, where she applies skills learned along her journey to help kids become the best version of themselves.

Ana has taught dance to all levels for over twenty-five years in New York, Boston and New Hampshire. Ana continues to further her dance education locally and in Boston and New York. Ana has loved teaching dance to the wider Capital Area for over almost 20 years, first with McKenna Dance Center, and now with Creative Dance Workshop.

The Creative Dance Workshop is committed to age-appropriate movement, music and costuming, as well as fostering an inclusive, warm environment where everyone has the opportunity to shine.

Co-Director

Bridget Edinger

Bridget Edinger  has been dancing since the age of 3. She studied dance at Bradford College where she was a member of the Bradford Dance Company, performing in numerous events throughout the Boston Area. In order to combine her love for dance with her love for children, Bridget went on to get her degree in Early Childhood Education. Bridget has taught dance for over 26 years. She has taught locally at her own studio, as well as classes in Massachusetts before founding Creative Dance Workshop of Bow.
 
Working with Community Arts is very important to Bridget, and she has choreographed many shows for the Concord City Auditorium fundraisers under the Direction of Irene Deschenes. She also choreographed performances to raise money for the American Red Cross, Concord Public Library and the Rotary Club of Concord.  Bridget encourages her dancers to give back to their community as she does, by participating in numerous community service events each year and directing a charity performance during the Holiday Season to raise money for the Friends of Forgotten Children and other local non-profit organizations in our community. 
 
Bridget is an active member of the Womenade of Concord, past board member of the Junior Service League and is a member of The Dance Teachers Club of Boston. Bridget is thrilled to merge this year with McKenna Dance Center, and to touch even more lives through the art of dance. When not in the studio, Bridget enjoys spending time with her family, boating on the lake and watching her son play hockey.

Our Team | Creative Dance Workshop | Staff | New Hampshire | Bow

Meet Our Team

At the heart of our team, you'll find highly talented instructors. With our years of experience and expertise in various dance styles, we bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to every class. Dedication to our craft is evident in our ability to inspire, challenge, and guide our dancers towards excellence.

Our passion extends beyond our own skills and accomplishments. We are deeply passionate about helping our students and athletes excel. We believe in their potential and are committed to providing them with the tools, guidance, and support they need to reach new heights. We take pride in nurturing their growth, instilling confidence, and celebrating their achievements, both big and small.

At Creative Dance Workshop and Ultimate All-Stars, we are united in our pursuit of excellence. We create a warm and inclusive environment where every dancer and athlete feels valued and supported. We foster a sense of belonging, encouraging teamwork, respect, and collaboration. Together, we celebrate each other's successes, uplift one another during challenges, and create lifelong connections that extend beyond the studio.

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