Carolyn Dutra
Founder, Director, President
Miss Carolyn Dutra
Miss Carolyn was a member of the world famous Radio City Music Hall “ROCKETTES”. She also performed with the Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company and was a Soloist and charter member of The Festival Ballet of Rhode Island. Carolyn is a former member of the original “Sherry Gold Dance Co.” Miss Dutra is a former Miss East Providence and model. She has done numerous commercials as well as print ads.
Miss Dutra performed with the Rockette Alumnae at the New York Plaza Hotel and in “The Nutcracker” on Broadway. Carolyn has been tested and is certified to teach dance by The Dance Masters of America, as well as, the Dance Teachers’ Club of Boston and has served on both boards of DMA and DTCB. She is a member of the Dance Alliance of Rhode Island and the National Dance Education Organization, as well as ASCAP, BMI & SESAC and the Warwick Rotary. Miss Dutra has taught and adjudicated throughout the U.S. and Europe and is a coach and evaluator for Dance Proficiency in RI.
Students have been accepted into the Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Festival Ballet Summer Programs, as well as the Mark Morris Summer Intensive and Alumni have gone on to Broadway, movies and television and more!
In addition to her illustrious career in dance, Miss Carolyn is the proud mother of Blair-Victoria, and grandmother to Carolina!
Miss Carolyn was a member of the world famous Radio City Music Hall “ROCKETTES”. She also performed with the Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company and was a Soloist and charter member of The Festival Ballet of Rhode Island. Carolyn is a former member of the original “Sherry Gold Dance Co.” Miss Dutra is a former Miss East Providence and model. She has done numerous commercials as well as print ads.
Miss Dutra performed with the Rockette Alumnae at the New York Plaza Hotel and in “The Nutcracker” on Broadway. Carolyn has been tested and is certified to teach dance by The Dance Masters of America, as well as, the Dance Teachers’ Club of Boston and has served on both boards of DMA and DTCB. She is a member of the Dance Alliance of Rhode Island and the National Dance Education Organization, as well as ASCAP, BMI & SESAC and the Warwick Rotary. Miss Dutra has taught and adjudicated throughout the U.S. and Europe and is a coach and evaluator for Dance Proficiency in RI.
Students have been accepted into the Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Festival Ballet Summer Programs, as well as the Mark Morris Summer Intensive and Alumni have gone on to Broadway, movies and television and more!
In addition to her illustrious career in dance, Miss Carolyn is the proud mother of Blair-Victoria, and grandmother to Carolina!
Blair-Victoria Dutra
Studio Director of Operations, Recreational Faculty
Blair-Victoria Dutra is the Studio Director of Operations, Co-Director of Dance For Art, Inc. and a dance and yoga instructor. She has been with the Carolyn Dutra Dance Studio from the very beginning, and is a former CDDS Company member, dance captain, and Southern RI Youth Ballet Company Member. She performed in Europe, competitions, with the Moscow Ballet, at Carnegie Hall and more during her 16 years dancing with CDDS. In 2017 she performed as a backup dancer for Weird Al Yancovic at PPAC, RI! She is a current member of the National Dance Education Organization and Dance Alliance. Blair-Victoria pursued her educational career receiving a Masters of Social Work from Boston University and a B.A. in Psychology from Roger Williams University. She served a year with AmeriCorps and then worked at Westbay Community Action in Warwick, RI. Her graduate school internship was at My Life My Choice, a survivor-led non-profit organization fighting to end commercial sexual exploitation of children. She later worked as a project manager at American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. Blair completed a 200hr yoga teacher training through Providence Power Yoga, is certified to teach children's yoga through Karma Kids Yoga and a certified POUND Pro instructor. Blair is the proud daughter of Miss Carolyn and mother of Carolina!
Chryssa Mitchell
Company & Recreational Faculty, Bookkeeper, Management Team
Chryssa Mitchell is a former Carolyn Dutra Company Member, former member and soloist with the Southern Rhode Island Youth Ballet Company, and was accepted into the prestigious Pennsylvania Ballet School Summer Program. During her time as a CDDS student, she was a demonstrator and successfully completed the Dance Teachers Club of Boston’s certified dance instructor program and received the award for highest Ballet scores, written and performance, in her graduating class. Miss Chryssa is a Certified Instructor with Rhythm Works Integrative Dance, a program that provides inclusive dance classes created specifically for kids and adults with individual learning differences and other special needs. She is also a certified Zumba instructor. Miss Chryssa is an Early Childhood Educator with a bachelors degree from Wheelock College, Boston, MA and has completed coursework in the Special Education Masters program at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA. She LOVES to continue learning and in recent years attended the “8 and under curriculum” and “Ballet intensive” workshops at the DanceLife Retreat Center, Norton, MA, attends Dance Teachers Club of Boston trainings, completed courses with the National Dance Education Organization Online Professional Development Institute and attended the NDEO conference, and you can expect much more! Miss Chryssa is the coordinator for CDDS National Honor Society for Dance Arts, junior and secondary chapters. She is also the proud mother of Sadie, Molly and Nina :)
Rachel Diehl
Company & Recreational Faculty, Management Team, Personal Assistant to Miss Carolyn
Rachel Diehl is a member and scholarship recipient of National Dance Education Association (NDEO) and Rhode Island Dance Alliance. Rachel is a graduate of the Dance Teachers Club of Boston, Dance Education Training Course, received an award for the Greatest Aptitude for teaching dance, and the Caitlin Ledwell award as Faculty Choice. She is a former CDDS Company Member and Southern RI Youth Ballet Member. Rachel performed on cruises, in Disney, competition and more with CDDS, and as a backup dancer for Weird Al Yancovic at PPAC, RI! She is a graduate of Rhode Island College with a degree in Youth Development and Non-Profit Studies. Rachel was the recipient of the Paulette Harwood Ballet Scholarship at the 2015 DETC, the highest written and performance scores in Ballet. Miss Rachel received her Acrobatic Arts Certification Primary-Level 6 with a received a perfect score on her written exam. Miss Rachel is a certified POUND Pro Instructor, licensed Zumba Instructor.She is a member of the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston, a guest instructor at DTCB Annual Meeting and the coordinator for Dance Education Training Course for CDDS demonstrators. She is also the proud mother of her son, Benjamin :) "CDDS is my forever home and my happiest memories have been within these walls!"
Jenna Mae Mixner
Company & Recreational Faculty, Management Team
Jenna Mixner is a proud Carolyn Dutra Dance Studio alumni and graduate of the Dean College Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance. Jenna started dancing at the age of 3 under the direction of Miss Carolyn Dutra. After high school she decided to pursue a career in the dance field and continued her education at Dean College where she earned her Bachelor’s in Dance Performance and Choreography. With the help of Miss Carolyn, she was awarded the Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston Dean College scholarship worth $70,000. During her time at Dean, Jenna choreographed more than 10 of her own pieces to be shown on the stage, as well as assisted in producing a show her senior year. She has also performed in original works by Bill Evans, Kristina Berger, Jeremy Howes, Todd Shanks, and more in Dean College’s Dance Company. She was also the recipient of the Artistic Excellence Awards presented by the Dean College faculty.
Jenna is certified in Module 1 of Acrobatic Arts, Barre Fitness through the American Barre Technique and continues to find opportunities to continue her dance education in Rhode Island, Boston, and New York City.
Jenna is certified in Module 1 of Acrobatic Arts, Barre Fitness through the American Barre Technique and continues to find opportunities to continue her dance education in Rhode Island, Boston, and New York City.
Shane Farrell
Company Faculty
Shane Farrell is a choreographer, dancer, and educator from Providence, Rhode Island. His diverse dance training started at a family-owned dance school in North Providence, RI and continued at the Brae Crest School of Ballet.
In 2009, Shane joined Newport Contemporary Ballet (formerly Island Moving Company), a classically trained contemporary ballet company in Newport, RI. During his decade at Newport Contemporary Ballet (NCB), he performed in several national tours and two international tours to Kazakhstan. Shane performed in many amazing venues with NCB’s site-specific repertoire: Newport Nutcracker at Rosecliff Mansion, Dracula at Belcourt Castle, and Second Star To The Right: A Tale of Hook and Pan aboard the Oliver Hazard Perry tall ship. He has performed works by José Limón, Stephanie Martinez, Colin Connor, Maurice Causey, Kevin Jenkins, and Staycee Pearl. Shane has also performed in collaboration with Pasadena Dance Theatre (CA), Missouri Contemporary Ballet (MO), Owen/Cox Dance (MO), Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre (FL), Staycee Pearl Dance Project (PA), Houston Contemporary Dance (TX), and Samruk Dance (Almaty, Kazakhstan), and danced as a guest artist with companies throughout the northeast. Outside of the concert dance world, Shane has appeared on MTV’s Made, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and the 2010 film Hachi starring Richard Gere.
As a choreographer, Shane’s work has been presented nationally and internationally, most notably at the Abay Opera House in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He has choreographed six world premieres for Newport Contemporary Ballet (RI) and three original works for their 2018, 2019 and 2021 Newport Dance Festival summer intensive program to critical review. Writing for Motif Magazine, Mark Morin described Luminous (2013) as “raw…and passionately graceful…The suggestiveness and the musicality of Farrell’s choreography...make this piece a guilty sensual delight.” He has additionally choreographed original works commissioned by Wheaton College (MA), Salve Regina University (RI), Sacred Heart University (CT) and has most recently served on faculty in the dance department at Dean College (MA).
Shane is a master teacher with educational experience at universities, ballet schools, and elementary schools. Using a variety of pedagogical approaches, he has helped dancers of diverse backgrounds understand movement education. Please visit www.shanefarrell.org for additional information and up-to-date news on Shane Farrell.
In 2009, Shane joined Newport Contemporary Ballet (formerly Island Moving Company), a classically trained contemporary ballet company in Newport, RI. During his decade at Newport Contemporary Ballet (NCB), he performed in several national tours and two international tours to Kazakhstan. Shane performed in many amazing venues with NCB’s site-specific repertoire: Newport Nutcracker at Rosecliff Mansion, Dracula at Belcourt Castle, and Second Star To The Right: A Tale of Hook and Pan aboard the Oliver Hazard Perry tall ship. He has performed works by José Limón, Stephanie Martinez, Colin Connor, Maurice Causey, Kevin Jenkins, and Staycee Pearl. Shane has also performed in collaboration with Pasadena Dance Theatre (CA), Missouri Contemporary Ballet (MO), Owen/Cox Dance (MO), Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre (FL), Staycee Pearl Dance Project (PA), Houston Contemporary Dance (TX), and Samruk Dance (Almaty, Kazakhstan), and danced as a guest artist with companies throughout the northeast. Outside of the concert dance world, Shane has appeared on MTV’s Made, Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, and the 2010 film Hachi starring Richard Gere.
As a choreographer, Shane’s work has been presented nationally and internationally, most notably at the Abay Opera House in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He has choreographed six world premieres for Newport Contemporary Ballet (RI) and three original works for their 2018, 2019 and 2021 Newport Dance Festival summer intensive program to critical review. Writing for Motif Magazine, Mark Morin described Luminous (2013) as “raw…and passionately graceful…The suggestiveness and the musicality of Farrell’s choreography...make this piece a guilty sensual delight.” He has additionally choreographed original works commissioned by Wheaton College (MA), Salve Regina University (RI), Sacred Heart University (CT) and has most recently served on faculty in the dance department at Dean College (MA).
Shane is a master teacher with educational experience at universities, ballet schools, and elementary schools. Using a variety of pedagogical approaches, he has helped dancers of diverse backgrounds understand movement education. Please visit www.shanefarrell.org for additional information and up-to-date news on Shane Farrell.
Ashley Andreis
Company Faculty
Ashley began dancing at the age of 5 and received her early ballet training at Eastern Connecticut Ballet. She attended several summer programs including Boston Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, as well a performing in the Youth America Grand Prix for 2 years.
Ashley completed her last three years of schooling with Festival Ballet in Providence, and soon after joined the company at age 17. She has performed in numerous productions, such as Balanchine’s Rubies and Donazetti Variations, Antony Tudors Leaving are Fading, danced the lead in Romeo and Juliet, and various soloist roles in Nutcracker, including the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Other various works have included pieces by Viktor Plotnikov, Avichai Scher, and Mihailo Djuric. She also has danced as a guest artist for many schools and companies throughout the New England.
Ashley’s passion for the art of ballet has not only allowed her to perform, but has also lead her to quite the career as an instructor. She shares her art as a faculty member at several studios in and around Massachusetts, Rhode Island and in San Diego. She is always excited to train and influence her students in the wonderful world of ballet!
Ashley completed her last three years of schooling with Festival Ballet in Providence, and soon after joined the company at age 17. She has performed in numerous productions, such as Balanchine’s Rubies and Donazetti Variations, Antony Tudors Leaving are Fading, danced the lead in Romeo and Juliet, and various soloist roles in Nutcracker, including the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Other various works have included pieces by Viktor Plotnikov, Avichai Scher, and Mihailo Djuric. She also has danced as a guest artist for many schools and companies throughout the New England.
Ashley’s passion for the art of ballet has not only allowed her to perform, but has also lead her to quite the career as an instructor. She shares her art as a faculty member at several studios in and around Massachusetts, Rhode Island and in San Diego. She is always excited to train and influence her students in the wonderful world of ballet!
Joelle Minisce
Company Faculty
Joelle Minisce is a dancer and choreographer from Providence, RI. Her dance journey began with ballet
at an early age and continued for the first 10 years of her career. She then began to expand her expertise
to many other disciplines including contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop and lyrical by training with
Rising Stars Dance Academy, Liv3lihood Crew, Thr3elive Dance Complex and Boston Community Dance
Project. Joelle feels a deep love for every style she has trained in and draws inspiration from them all in
her dancing and choreography. Joelle has spent the last ten years working as a choreographer and
instructor at various dance schools in the New England area where her choreography has received
multiple regional and national awards. She has also directed, choreographed, produced and performed in
multiple concept/music video projects such a Project Phoenix Concept Video Series and Down We Go's
"Conscious Minds" music video. In addition, she has been featured in AYO: The Show, Greenwich Bay
Brokers television advertisement, and many local showcases and performances.
Ashley Picard
Company & Recreational Faculty
Ashley Picard began her dance career at Cheryl’s School of Dance when she was four years old and danced competitively at her studio for twelve years. She is trained in various genres, including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyric, contemporary, hip-hop, musical theatre, modern, and acrobatics. Throughout her time at CSD, Ashley has had the opportunity to train with renowned choreographers and performers such as Emily Brown, Billy Griffin, Michael Susten, Andrew Burleson, Travis Wall, and many more. During her competitive years, Ashley was awarded numerous high-score awards, special awards, and prestigious scholarships from Power Pak and the World Dance Pageant. Additionally, she received the Elizabeth Reilly Donabedian Dance Award when she competed in the Miss Rhode Island Teen Scholarship Competition. Ashley has also received title awards as a soloist and was crowned Miss Imagine and Miss Believe at the regional level through the Star Dance Alliance. She even had the opportunity to compete at the World Dance Championship against nine countries and placed Top 10 in the world.
During her college years, Ashley was a member of the University of Rhode Island’s dance team, the Ramettes. As a Ramette, Ashley performed pom, jazz, and hip-hop style routines at the men’s and women’s basketball games as well as football games. She also received annual training by attending UDA summer camp, a one-week intensive that strengthens dancers’ technique, team-building skills, performance and entertainment quality, and ability to master dynamic routines quickly. Her time as a Ramette has developed her dedication towards providing necessary life skills to her students through dance that can be implemented in every aspect of life.
Ashley graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and plans to pursue a career as a physician associate in the near future!
During her college years, Ashley was a member of the University of Rhode Island’s dance team, the Ramettes. As a Ramette, Ashley performed pom, jazz, and hip-hop style routines at the men’s and women’s basketball games as well as football games. She also received annual training by attending UDA summer camp, a one-week intensive that strengthens dancers’ technique, team-building skills, performance and entertainment quality, and ability to master dynamic routines quickly. Her time as a Ramette has developed her dedication towards providing necessary life skills to her students through dance that can be implemented in every aspect of life.
Ashley graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and plans to pursue a career as a physician associate in the near future!
Heather Howard
Recreational Faculty, Office Staff
Heather is a former member of the CDDS Company and the Southern Rhode Island Youth Ballet. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from UMASS Amherst, where she was an active member of the UMASS Dance Team. She has also danced with the WBNA Solar Power Dance Team. Heather spent seven years abroad in the United Arab Emirates, where she held various customer service management roles, including serving as studio manager and dance instructor at a boutique yoga, Pilates, and dance studio in Abu Dhabi.
Heather is so happy to be back at home in the dance studio and excited to share her passion for dance with the CDDS community. She is also the proud mother of her daughter, Eleni.
Heather is so happy to be back at home in the dance studio and excited to share her passion for dance with the CDDS community. She is also the proud mother of her daughter, Eleni.
Alyson Falk
Recreational Faculty
Alyson Fester Falk has been with the Carolyn Dutra Dance Studio for 30+ years. She is a former CDDS Company Member and former member of the Southern Rhode Island Youth Ballet Company. She has successfully completed the Dance Teacher Club of Boston’s certified dance instructor program and obtained a dance minor from Rhode Island College. Her higher education also includes a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education, B.A. in Psychology, Master’s of Education in Multicultural Special Education, and a Master’s in Early Childhood
Education. She has been a National Board Certified Teacher as an Exceptional Needs Specialist and currently works as a Special Education Teacher in an urban school district. Alyson is sister to CDDS dance educator, Tamara Fester Carty, as well as daughter to Annette Burke, who served as CDDS office staff until her retirement in 2015. She is also a proud mother :)
Education. She has been a National Board Certified Teacher as an Exceptional Needs Specialist and currently works as a Special Education Teacher in an urban school district. Alyson is sister to CDDS dance educator, Tamara Fester Carty, as well as daughter to Annette Burke, who served as CDDS office staff until her retirement in 2015. She is also a proud mother :)
Tamara Carty
Recreational Faculty
Tamara (Fester) Carty began dancing at the age of three and entered the Carolyn Dutra Dance Studio in 1979. Looking back on these formative dance years, she acknowledges everyday the lessons she learned at the studio that go beyond the foundations of dance technique. She began her dance teacher’s training under the tutelage of Miss Carolyn who encouraged her creativity and self expression and instilled the importance of bringing passion, enthusiasm and energy into teaching. Tamara attended the Dance Teachers Club of Boston’s Teacher’s Training Course and passed the membership exams to both Dance Teachers Club of Boston and Dance Masters of America. She attributes her love of teaching dance as the driving force behind attending Rhode Island College and receiving a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in education. In the last twenty years, if she isn’t wearing her dance shoes, Miss Tamara is teaching English at Smithfield High School. In this capacity, she felt incredibly honored to be the recipient of NBC’s Channel 10 Golden Apple Award in March 2011 and again in 2023. Every school day, Ms. Carty intrinsically applies the movement, fluidity and choreography of dance learned at the Carolyn Dutra Dance Studio into the teaching of literature – minus the sequins and high kicks.
Sadie Mitchell
Recreational Faculty
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Kassidy Rochon
Acrobatics Faculty
Kassidy Rochon began dancing at the age of two and studied multiple disciplines of dance including acrobatics,
ballet, contemporary, hiphop, jazz, lyrical and tap. During her time as a competitive dancer she earned
many titles and awards at numerous competitions across the east coast. Kassidy began teaching dance
at the age of eighteen and has since worked with over 20 studios throughout New England. She currently
works at six establishments where she teaches a variety of classes which include acrobats, lyrical,
contemporary, conditioning, jazz and technique classes. Her choreography has received recognition at
several regional and national competitions and many of her students have achieved overall placements.
As well as teaching, she has toured with Elite Dance Challenge and Fly Dance Competition as a
backstage manager. Kassidy is a passionate dance teacher, who truly wants all her students to succeed.
She encourages everyone in her class to strive for their best and reach their fullest potential!
Diana Doorley
Office Staff, Faculty Substitute
Diana Doorley is a former CDDS Company Member and Southern Rhode Island Youth Ballet Member. She is a graduate of the Dance Teachers Club of Boston, Dance Education Training Course and a graduate of Providence College with her Bachelor's in History and Secondary Education. Diana was also a member of the Providence College Dance Company. Diana is currently a teacher at Ricci Middle School and is studying to get her master’s degree. We are fortunate to have her on staff during her busy year!
Gricelda Orellana
Office Staff
Gricelda has a fun extended background of dance with TDC for about 16 years. She enjoyed being captain of the MPHS Majorette Squad and continued being coach 2 years after graduating high school. Along with dance, she has been in many pageants and has done print and runway fashion shows in Rhode Island & Guatemala. She has been doing receptionist and administrative work for over 13 years & hope her bilingual skills will bring diverse opportunities to grow our dance family.
Faith Ogden
Office Staff
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Olivia White
Office Staff
Olivia is a former CDDS dancer who is currently studying Family Sciences and Developmental Psychology at the University of Rhode Island. She has experience in dance and music, focused primarily on choral singing. She is a current member of the URI Dance Company. She is excited to return to the CDDS family and be able to showcase her outgoing personality whether in the office or the classroom.
Kaila Raymond
Office Staff
Kaila grew up dancing at Academy of Tap, Jazz, Ballet and Hip Hop in Bellingham, MA and assisted as a classroom demonstrator. She received a bachelor's degree in English and minor in Psychology from Rhode Island College. With many years of customer service and administrative experience, she hopes to make a great impact on parents and children alike. Growing up as a dancer and demonstrator, she is happy to be back in a dance studio assisting others in their passion and fun!