Staff

Ashley has been studying various disciplines of dance for 29 years, and over the past 13 years, has been teaching dance to students of all ages in a multitude of styles. Ashley is a graduate of Colby Sawyer College where she received a degree in Child Development and child Psychology, while at Colby Sawyer She continued her dance education and was a member of the ensemble Dance Team. Ashley is an award winning choreographer and performer whose works also includes; Carnival Cruise lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Providence Bruins, Elvis back up dancers and a Pawtucket Red Sox Game. With training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, contemporary and Hip Hop. Ashley has much to offer her students. She loves working with children of all ages to help them grow and achieve the confidence levels that allow them to love what they do as dancers. Ashley volunteered at Up Reach working with children with special needs and at Children's Hospital. With her expertise in dance and her degree in Child Development and child Psychology, Ashley believes her well-rounded background has helped her to develop a distinctive and successful teaching method that brings out the best in her students in and out of the classroom.  Ashley is also a certified Zumba, Kids Zumba and Kids Jr. Zumba Instructor. Ashley is also an certified Acro Arts and Progressing Ballet Technique instructor

Aileen began dancing at the age of 3 and hasn’t stopped since. At age 10 Aileen started dancing competitively, and age 12 was studying Ballet and Modern techniques pre professionally. Aileen studied R.A.D technique from a young age. Aileen continued to dance competitively at various studios on the South Shore, and was a part of several pre-professional student dance companies. After High School Aileen was accepted into the The Hartt School as a Dance Performance Major. Since then Aileen has continued to perform, teach and choreograph in and around New England. Aileen is a creative, sought after choreographer whose dancers have won top awards. 

 Russell Clarke grew up in Airdrie, Scotland. He began his dance education at The Janice  Ridley School of Dance at the age of three. At age eleven, Russell left his hometown to train at  The Dance School of Scotland in Knightswood, Glasgow. After four years, he migrated to  London, England to train at The Royal Ballet’s Upper School. During his three years there, he  trained in many styles of dance and performed with The Royal Ballet Company in productions  that included The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. In 2007, Russell moved to the US where he  joined Ballet Arizona. A few highlights from his time with the company include principal roles  in Don Quixote, Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, Twyla Tharp’s The Golden Section,  George Balanchine’s Movements for Piano and Orchestra, La Valse, La Sonnambula, The Four  Temperaments, and Ib Andersen’s Play, 1052, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mosaik, Symphonie  Classique, and The Nutcracker. Russell received critical acclaim playing the role of the Poet in  George Balanchine’s La Sonnambula and was also praised by the New York Times playing the  role of Phlegmatic in Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments.   Russell originated the lead role in Andersen’s Diversions, which was seen on the  Kennedy Center Stage in June 2010. In Russell’s final season with Ballet Arizona, he originated  the principal role in Ib Andersen’s world premiere of Cinderella, which went on to receive  critical acclaim. After retiring from Ballet Arizona, Russell went on to direct The Community  Dance Academy at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts for four years. He is  currently an Associate Professor at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee where he has taught for  the past ten years. Russell is also an adjunct faculty member at Dean College in his residing town  of Franklin, MA.