A dance teacher helps one's students find the song in their heart, the beat in their feet and a passion for life!
Dance is the hidden language of
the soul, of the body...and because
there is only one of you in all time,
this expression is unique.”
FACULTY & STAFF
CHRISTINA LEONARD
STUDIO DIRECTOR, TEACHING ARTIST
Christina Leonard is a lifelong dancer and Massachusetts based director, teaching artist, choreographer, and mentor who has worked with hundreds of young dancers from studios and training programs in Greater Boston over the past 2 decades. Working primarily with the youth with instruction in classical Ballet, Tap (her first-love), Lyrical & Contemporary, and Broadway-inspired Jazz, her unique teaching style comes from connecting the deep history of dance styles to the lessons of today in the classroom. Christina received her fundamental dance training and mentoring through her mother, Donna Leonard and is an original CSDS Alumni. Since then, her professional career blossomed as a performer, dance teacher, guest artist, and choreographer at local & regional studios, including the inspirational Tony Williams Dance Center at which she worked for nearly a decade. Christina held the position of Rehearsal Assistant, Assistant Director, and Co-Director with Melrose Youth Ballet for 9 years; producing and co-directing full-length ballets including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, Coppélia, and more. She was co-founder of Middlesex Ballet Project in 2018, in which she produced and curated performance and workshop opportunities for Massachusetts ballet dancers seeking versatile opportunities to perform and work with guest choreographers & arists. In addition to this, she maintained an 18-year membership with the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston and worked with BalletROX as a teaching artist in Boston Public Schools throughout her career. Christina acquired certification in Adaptive Dance from the Boston Ballet in 2019 and continues to focus on her work in the classroom where she applies life experience and well-rounded perspective of dance to foster healthy leadership, strong technique, and goal-oriented training to her students. She continues to apply the core principles of learning as a lifelong student of life on a never-ending pursuit of dance education.
JASON CREAMER
TEACHING ARTIST, CSDS ALUMNI
Jason Creamer is a Massachusetts native who has trained for most of his life in multiple dance techniques while developing a unique quality of movement that can be best described as refined, fluid, and contemporary. After his elementary years of training in Woburn, Jason became an early member of the Aurora Borealis Dance Company under the direction of Katie Pustizzi. From there he pursued classical training and a successful career in competitive dance with his 'alma mater', Center Stage Dance Studio with the guidance of CSDS Director, Christina Leonard and Jaclyn (Capozzi) Demianiuk. In addition to the multiple accolades & titles received at regional dance comps, Jason pursued a professional career in classical and contemporary Ballet from 2014 to 2021, with leading and supporting roles in regional Ballet companies, including Melrose Youth Ballet, North Atlantic Dance Theater, and Middlesex Ballet Project. Throughout his performance career, Jason's stage presence proved to be magnetic and captivating by way of his natural abilities, refined technique, and acrobatic fluidity. He is a graduate of the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston Dance Education Training Program in which he was the recipient of scholarships and awards during his two-year studies. These experiences paired with his consistent relationship with CSDS Directors and colleagues have given him the tools to work with students in the classroom and pass on the lessons of dance education that helped to define and shape him into the artist that he is today.
ISABELLE DOH
TEACHING ARTIST, PERFORMANCE COACH
Isabelle Doh is a first-generation Haitian-American, dancer, mother, and devoted advocate of the Boston dance community. She has had a lifelong love affair with dance that was realized both through her own family's cultural roots and her formal dance studio training through childhood and young adulthood in Somerville, Mass. She has since maintained a consistent place in the Boston dance community both as a dancer, model and supporting backstage roles in productions with City Ballet Boston, Mary Flynn Murphy Dance Studio, and the Mass Session; a chapter of Boston Krump. The many styles of dance that speak to Isabelle include Haitian Folk Dance, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz. In addition to her ongoing career in dance, Isabelle has forged a career in the Biotech industry as a Lab Manager, helping to define and organize protocol, staffing, and efficiency in a fast-paced work setting. With a natural disposition towards helping others and genuinely enjoying the company of young children, Isabelle pairs these qualities with her skills, technique and style to create a positive classroom atmosphere full of joy, inspiration, and transferable knowledge. She is thrilled to bring her valuable and contagious energy to the classroom as an instructor and performance coach this season at CSDS!
JEANNIE LEONARD SOUZA
OFFICE MANAGER
Jeannie Leonard Souza is best known to the community as "Miss Jeannie" because of her attentive, thoughtful, and warm approach towards each and every student that passes by the CSDS Front Desk. For more than 20 years, Jeannie was the proud franchise owner of "Gymboree" facilities that she fostered with love in the communities of Peabody and Melrose. In addition to being a successful business owner and director, Miss Jeannie found her passion in the classroom as a teacher and instructor who worked with babies, toddlers, and children up to age 7 for more than two decades. She retired as a leading-lady of Gymboree several years ago and now brings her sweet and creative disposition to the CSDS community by way of keeping our office and administrative tasks well-organized and attending to the needs of our dance community. In addition to her work at CSDS, you can find Miss Jeannie at the North Shore Music Theater where she has worked for many years as Box Office manager, Usher, and devoted supporter of the regional arts community.
ADJUNCT & GUEST FACULTY
TAYQUAN POMARE
AKA LANDMINE
KRUMP TEACHING ARTIST
Center Stage Dance Studio is honored to welcome Tayquan Pomare-Taylor AKA “Landmine”, one of the top Krump dancers on the East Coast. His incredible weekly series will lead participants through the multidimensional style of dance known as “Krump”. Tayquan is a pillar in the Boston dance community, working with the Youth and Adults alike through open dance sessions, classes, and mentorship opportunities. His leadership in the dance community was awarded an honor by First Lady, Michelle Obama, through the Boston Children’s Museum in recognition of his work as a Krump mentor to Boston youth. In addition to his long history in battle dance and collaborations with dance artists across the US, Landmine was awarded the "World of Dance Champion" in 2018 and more recently, "Top 16 Contestant" in the 2023 Red Bull 'Dance Your Style' competition. The CSDS community is committed to providing the most authentic representations of dance and sharing this unique opportunity with local youth and adults alike. His professional acquaintance with CSDS was established by way of the studio’s Director, Christina Leonard, who has been an active member of the Boston Krump community since 2021.
ANA BUESO
ADJUNCT FACULTY, TEACHING ARTIST
Ana has been dancing since she was three years old and continues to have a passion for the art. Her training focused on Ballet at Tony Williams Dance Center and BalletRox where she graduated as a soloist and company dancer. As time went on she branched out to other styles including Lyrical, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, Belly Dancing, Mexican Folklorico, Bachata, and any other classes she could take! Ana has performed in the Urban Nutcracker for over 10 years with lead roles such as Natasha and Clarice, and eventually moved on to professional roles on pointe such as Snow. During her time at TWDC and BalletRox she has performed all over Boston for events, fundraisers and galas.Since 2015 Ana has transitioned more into a teaching role because she realized another huge passion of hers is working with youth in an impactful way that empowers them. In Ana’s classes you will see that she does not only focus on dance technique, strength and stage presence but also on building confidence and creativity with her students. Ana believes it is important to acknowledge that not all children decide to pursue dance as a career. With that being said, they can still enjoy their time while they dance and gain lifelong skills from it.
In 2014 she began working for BalletRox, a nonprofit dance program as the Program Assistant and Instructor. In 2017 Ana trained through Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Program and became certified. Here she learned both the techniques and strategies to teach dance and movement to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. Ana was able to utilize these techniques when she was teaching in numerous Boston Public Schools. Since 2018 she has worked as the Executive Assistant for Soca Fusion which offers a range of dance classes, performances and workshops for everyBODY. More info can be found at SOCAFUSION.COM
JONATHAN LEONARD ALUMNI, ADJUNT FACULTY / NYC
Jonathan "Jonny" Leonard began dancing at the age of 3 at Center Stage. In his teen years, he spent summers at José Mateo Ballet Theatre and Boston Ballet where he realized his love for ballet. After graduating high school, Jonathan received a full scholarship to attend Joffrey Ballet School's Preprofessional Training Program in New York City. Following his first year, Jonny joined The Joffrey Concert Group under the direction of Davis Robertson and Nicole Duffy. While with JCG, he danced in works by Gerald Arpino, Dwight Rhoden, Africa Guzmán, Gabrielle Lamb, and Tyler Gilstrap. After graduating from Joffrey, Jonny went on to dance with The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company , Ballet Hispánico II, and is currently a company member with New York Theatre Ballet under Diana Byer. Since joining NYTB, he has danced in Keith Michael's The Nutcracker, James Sutton's Sleeping Beauty, and in repertory works by Pam Tanowitz, Antonia Franceschi, and Robert La Fosse. Jonny's teaching experience began at Center Stage after receiving his certificate for teaching from the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston. He has refined his skills as a ballet teacher working with New York Theater Ballet youth school, and most recently traveling to Nagoya, Japan for an international performance collaboration with NYTB. Jonathan is grateful for the guidance of his family, teachers, and mentors and enjoys passing on the knowledge and artistic expression he's gained.
KRISTEN CALDER
ADJUNCT FACULTY, GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Kristen Calder is an alumnus of North Shore Dance Academy where she was given a strong foundation in dance and where she realized her passion for the art. Kristen is a graduate of Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance. While on scholarship at MSU she studied several techniques of modern, ballet, Rhythmic Analysis, Labanotation, Improvisation, Compositional Choreography, Dance for Children and Dance Pedagogy. She has performed in choreographic works by José Limón, Charles Weidman, Sophie Maslow, May O’Donnell, SabatinoVerlezza, Karen Gayle and Elizabeth McPherson. Kristen’s most recent professional credentials include a modern performance in “Philipsz Sound Installation” at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem and a role in Machine Drum’s “Late Night Operations” music video, a benefit performance for Art for Life at the Kushi Institute, and numerous performances at New York City’s 92nd Street Y for “Friday’s At Noon”. Her experience as a teacher started at an early age with hands on training as an assistant teacher and then as a teacher for children 3 to 18 years of age. She has an understanding for the individual needs of each student and is able to incorporate this into her technique classes and when working on choreography with large groups, small groups and soloists, bringing each dancer up to their fullest potential.