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Donna Schipani Owner/Director |
In
September of 1986 Miss Schipani opened the Academy in the Hampstead
Town Gym, just two day a week with only 50 students.
The Academy has now grown to accommodate students from Massachusetts,
New Hampshire and Maine. Donna is a certified and fully accredited member of
the Boston Dance Teachers Club, Dance Masters of America and the
National Dance Council of America.
A
dance educator for over 40 years, Ms. Schipani has extensive training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, and Lyrical dance and has volunteered
her services for innumerable community and school programs for
the Arts including: St. Catherine’s Church Musical Theatre
Camp in Nashua, Student Enrichment Day at Danville Elementary
School, Timberlane Regional High School Career Day, St. Anne’s
Summer Craft Festival-Hampstead, Sandown Old Home Days and the
Miss Hampstead Pageant.
Miss
Schipani is the past Secretary/Treasurer and Membership Chairperson
to Dance Masters of America and held the position of stage manager
to the Miss Massachusetts Program—a preliminary to Miss America— for
11 years. Donna established both the HDA Performing Arts Co. as well as the
Northeast Performing Arts Co. Both companies represent the Academy and
allows dance students the opportunity
to perform as part of their dance training.
The Hampstead Dance Academy was awarded the Top Studio Award in both the Dance USA and Sophisticated Production Regional events and Miss Donna, herself, was awarded the Class Act [Teachers] Teacher Award for her dedication to her students.
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Brittany Agostino
Brittany is a recent graduate of Dean College School of Dance. She graduated Cum Laude with a bachelors in Dance and a rninor in Psychology. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and modern. ln the past, her choreography has been selected to be performed in student choreographed shows at Dean throughout the years. She has also been chosen to be on the choreographers board for Kerretic Dance Company based out of Methuen, Massachusetts along with working with their competitive groups.
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Brittany has been performing through her entire dance career all around the New England area. Brittany has also taken master classes with teachers at Alvin Ailey Studios and Broadway Dance Center in NYC, other master teachers around the New England area, and guest teachers from all over the country, At Dean she is trained in all styles with her focal point bqing tap. She has worked and trained
with Kelly Peters, a hip-hop choreographer frqm NYC, at Dean, along with Nailah Bellinger, Jill Silverman, and Charles Holbrook along with other highly qualified faculty at the school. She has been teaching and working with Children, teens, and adults for eight years passing on her own passion for the art to aspiring performers. |
Andrea Francoeur
Andrea began her dance career with Miss Donna Schipani in 1988 at the age of three. During her time at Hampstead Dance Academy, she competed for 12 years receiving several dance awards and medals. While at HDA, Andrea studied with Miss Donna, Tammy Aspell and took class with Sandy Duncan and Ray Leeper among others. In the fall of 2003, she received Capezio’s Rising Star Award for her accomplishments in dance.
After graduating from high school, she attended the University of New Hampshire for two years, where she studied with Gay Nardone and Larry Robertson. While at UNH, Andrea was a member of the UNH Dance Company both years, and studied aerial dance for one year. She choreographed and danced in many student showcases as well. |
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In 2005, Andrea transferred to Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts for their outstanding dance program. She was a member of the prestigious Dean Dance Company and also received a performing arts scholarship for both years. Andrea performed in the chorus of the musical Anything Goes, Cabaret, Dance Team Show, and the Christmas Variety Show. At Dean, Andrea studied tap, jazz, ballet, and modern with: Nailah Randall Bellinger, Kristin Horrigan, Joan Palladino, Brian Steele, Jill Silverman, Maryanne Kodzis, Bob Thomas, Jean Wenzel, and Lisa Pari.
In May of 2007, Andrea graduated from Dean College with high honors and bachelors of dance and minor in psychology. We are so excited to have Andrea with us. |
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Stephanie Nute
Stephanie started dancing at the age of six at Hampstead Dance Academy, where she was trained by the very own Donna Schipani in ballet, pointe, tap and jazz for eleven years. After high school Stephanie went to Bridgewater State College to dual major in Dance Education and Early Childhood Education. At BSC, Stephanie was an active member of the Dance Company, for which she performed and choreographed for the fall and winter shows. She auditioned and was accepted into the Dance Ensemble, the competitive dance group at BSC. During her time at college, Stephanie experienced many styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop, classical ballroom, Latin ballroom, African, Folk and Square. Stephanie worked with Kausalya Srinivasan, a Fulbright scholar, and she served as Secretary and Treasurer of the newly formed BSC Dance Team.
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For more than 15 years, Stephanie has competed in numerous regional and national dance competitions and has won more than 60 medals. She has participated in community outreach projects A Day With a Dancer and Brockton’s Dancefest, and has used her dance teaching skills at public school systems in southern Massachusetts. Stephanie is licensed to teach and we are happy to once again have her on our staff.
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HDA Alumni who have gone on to pursue their dance careers
Christine Dulong | Studied with HDA 14 years
Graduate of the University of NH with a B.A. in Musical Theater. Recently toured with The Centre of the Arts in Quakertown, PA and is in the productions of Grease, Footloose and Chicago and is currently performing with the Seacoast Repertory Theater.
Jorge Reynolds | Studied with HDA 14 years
Graduate of Northwestern University in Illinois. Studies include, voice, drama, dance, and musical theatre. Ranked the top tenor in the state of NH for the two consecutive years. Currently residing in New York and continues to audition for the big break.
Marielle Baroni | Studied with HDA 14 years
Graduate of Plymouth State University with High Honors. Has her degrees in dance and business. Currently employed as a dance instructor.
Keri Lynn Pratt | Studied with HDA 11 years
Major motion picture and TV star. Featured in“The Help”, “Drive Me Crazy”, “Joan of Arcadia”, “Law and Order ”, “Cruel Intentions 2”, “Fat Albert”, and was Miss Teen New Hampshire as well as Miss NH National Teenager
Molly Alger | Studied with HDA 14 years
A
student at Keene State College studying Dance and Early Child Hood Education
Apryle Donohoe | Studied with HDA 14 years
A student at Plymouth State University continuing her education in dance and Criminal Justice and is a member of the Contemporary Dance Ensemble.
Nicole Baroni | Studied with HDA 14 years
A student at Plymouth State University. Is a member of The Contemporary Dance Ensemble
Emily Scotti | Studied with HDA 15 years
A student at St. Anselm College studying Nursing and is continuing her dance training while performing on their Dance Team.
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