The Dance Place Instructors

Click on the instructor names to see full biographies.

Instructor Bios

Fontaine Dollas Dubus, Owner
Fontaine began teaching at The Dance Place soon after Irene Weiss established it in 1984. She majored in the Arts at Bradford College then went on to The Art Institute of Boston to study illustration. She taught and studied dance while at art school, taking classes in various styles including a concentration in the Luigi technique with Weiss. She also studied with Julia Boynton, Christien Polos, Diane Noya, Tommy Neblet, Denise Collins, and Pam Smith, (whose classes she still enjoys). While touring Europe she attended classes in Dublin and Copenhagen. She has taught dance at The Governor’s Academy for over twelve years, and also directs Joppa Teens at The Dance Place. She covers many styles, including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Latin, African, Hip Hop and more. She helped develop Joppa Jazz Dance Company as a premier youth dance troupe for students ranging from 4th to 12th grade. In addition to dance Ms. Dubus has a passion for theater. She has appeared in dozens of plays, including equity productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Hello Dolly! In 1987 she co-founded Exit Dance Theatre, a modern dance company based in Newburyport. Exit performs locally, in Boston and the north shore. In 1994 Exit performed her piece, Kristallnacht at the Auschwitz Museum in Poland. She continues to study locally, in Boston, and New York whenever she can, usually at Luigi’s Jazz Center. She continues to perform and choreograph regularly with Exit and also acts and directs plays when she can. She hopes to encourage artists young and old to explore beyond the traditional techniques, to find what makes them feel passionate about creating, no matter what form it’s in. That is the philosophy of her studio, The Dance Place.

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Susan Atwood
Susan is a co-founder of Exit Dance Theatre. She began dancing in early childhood and has studied with numerous inspiring teachers. Over the years, she has performed and choreographed in many venues and companies including Karlin's and Company and TurnPike Project. She teaches throughout the North Shore previously directed the dance program at Governor's Academy in Byfield, MA from 1994 until 2003. She has a busy practice at The Wellness Center of Newburyport in Asian Bodywork and Craniosacral Therapy.

Greg Coles (African, Latin) - Between his sophomore and junior years in high school Greg spent a summer on scholarship at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater School in New York and returned in the spring to study with, among others, Pearl Lang of the original Martha Graham Company. From his learning at the Ailey school and at Taft Greg choreographed a production for which he won the school’s award for the Most Outstanding Independent Studies Project. Greg continued his dance career throughout college (Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT) where he studied technique, movement analysis, kinesiology, anatomy, choreography and instruction. Combining dance with his academic aspirations, Greg continued his dance training in African and Latin dance and drum during his graduate work in Boston (Harvard Business School, Boston, MA). Greg studied with every African and Latin instructor in the Cambridge and Boston areas about everyday for over five years. He performed as a member of professional dance troops, dance teams, and performance companies; and, assisted with the instruction of Latin dance classes. Greg eventually developed his own style (blending that of his most recent instructors and past learning) and kept to the authentic patterns through his on-going study of the history of both African and Latin Dance. He has traveled to Mali, West Africa, to Costa Rica, to Puerto Rico and plans to visit the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Because he enjoys dancing with beginners, Greg was asked to teach Latin dance classes for beginners in Boston. Later he was asked to teach in Gloucester; and, when he and his wife, Martha, moved to Marblehead in 2001, Greg started a series of North Shore dance and drum programs designed to teach young people and beginner to professionals adults African and Latin dance and drum. Greg currently teaches Street Latin Dance classes for course credit at Salem State College. He offers public classes in Newburyport, Rowley, Beverly, Peabody, Salem and Marblehead and offers private instruction to individuals, small groups and couples at his home studio in Marblehead. He regularly hosts private and public parties either at his home or at his clients’ locations and hosts weekly dance parties at Rockafellas in Salem.

Julie Pike Edmond
Julie began her academic pursuits in Dance Education and Performance at Columbia College in Chicago and completed her BFA at Bradford College. Upon graduation, Julie immersed herself in the Greater Boston dance community and has had the pleasure of performing with Brian Crabtree, Caitlin Corbett Dance Company, Exit Dance Theatre, Karen Murphy-Fitch, Nicola Hawkins and WeberDance. Julie currently performs with EgoArt Inc. In 2003, Julie founded the TurnPike Project, an experimental contemporary dance company, and has since shown her work in Cambridge, Newburyport, and New York City. Julie teaches ballet, creative movement, modern and jazz at The Dance Place in Newburyport, MA and The Ipswich Moving Company Dance School in Ipswich, MA.  She also runs an independent Shiatsu, Craniosacral, and Reiki practice where she works on humans and pets alike.

Erin Foley
Erin has been dancing for over 15 years in the Newburyport area and currently performs with Exit Dance Theatre. She was a member of the Joppa Jazz Dance Co. for five years where she studied with Cheryl Schwind, Irene Weiss, Susan Atwood, Diane Bowden, and Denise Collins. Erin attended Colgate University and danced under Joy Canning. She graduated with a degree in English from the University of New Hampshire. Erin recently joined Fontaine Dubus as the co-director of the Joppa Jazz Dance Company. She teaches jazz, ballet, and hip-hop.

Nicole Francois
Nicole considers herself fortunate to have taught for and with LUIGI in his studio @ 62nd @ Broadway for 8 wonderful years. She also taught his technique at Broadway Dance Center for 7 years. “He is my mentor and I strongly believe in his technique. She has been at The Dance Place since 2002.

Jeanne Gordon - Bio coming soon!

Jennifer Berube Grinnings
Jennifer began her study of dance at the age of four. She trained under the direction of Miss Helen Deane and Miss Cynthia Marnik at the Deane School of Dance in Salem, MA for 18 years. She has appeared in numerous performances with the Salem Ballet Company sharing the stage with such distinguished artists as Frank Ohman of the NYC Ballet as well as Laura Young, Tony Cantazaro and Stephanie Moi of the Boston Ballet. She taught dance for Dance Exclusive in Swampscott, MA both prior to and after college. During college she studied ballet under the direction of dance veteran Franco Jelincic. After taking a break to start a family here in Newburyport, she is very excited about teaching and dancing again.

Betsy Katz
Betsy began her dance training at a very early age. She is originally from Fairfield Connecticut, where she studied classical forms of dance, such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and Ballroom. Betsy studied at the premiere studio in town called The Fairfield County School of Ballet. At a mere eleven, Betsy was honored to be accepted at the prestigious “School of American Ballet,” NYC. S.A.B., the official school of George Balanchines’ New York City Ballet. Along with her ballet training in NYC she also studied Jazz in with Charles Kelly and Frank Hachett. Ms. Katz pursued her BFA at the State University of New York at Purchase, where she was introduced to Horton, Limon, Humphrey, Cunningham, Taylor and Graham techniques. Ms. Katz’s regional theatre credits, include, dancer/chorographer for the musicals Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, and West Side Story. Betsy earned the lead role as “Cassie” in A Chorus Line, performing in New York State’s, Summer Stock. Thrilled to live in the Boston area, Betsy continued her training at the Boston Ballet School, Green Street Studio and with Jeannette Neil. In 2004 Betsy created “Gravity Dance Company” and is currently the Artistic Director. The company has performed two seasons at Salem State College main stage. This year Betsy became a proud member of the North Shore Dance Alliance and she is currently teaching Zumba at her favorite studio of all time! The Dance Place in Newburyport.

Wendy LaPointe
Wendy was a dancer and instructor with the Putnam School of Dance, Medford, MA for 16 years. She performed as a New England Patriots Cheerleader for the 1982- 1985 seasons. During that time, she taught all levels of dance for the Dancenter of Stoneham, MA from 1982 - 1995.She was a guest choreographer for the Reading, MA Cheerleading Program for 8years, and a featured choreographer for the Babson College Collegiate Cheerleading Program.Wendy is in her second year with the Dance Place at the Tannery offering classes in pre-ballet and pre-jazz.

Ramona Harvey Preston
A native of Frankfurt Germany, Ramona has been teaching classical Ballet and Technique classes for 17 years. She has trained with Aina Jansons, Tatiana Baboushkina, Jose Mateo, Denise Collins and Mimi Ferrell. During college she danced professionally for the Cambridge Civic Center Ballet Company (now the Boston Ballet II), and Ballet New England.Ramona holds degrees in Philosophy, Mathematics, and Computer Science Engineering. She is a Senior Technical Support Engineer, and resides in Newburyport.

Donna Roaf
Donna started dancing as a teenager, finding the Luigi technique early on. She studied it under Irene Weiss, a Luigi purist, for twenty years, and began to teach at The Dance Place when Weiss first opened the studio in 1984. In 1986 Donna went on to study and teach at Luigi's Jazz Centre in New York. She has taught at The Dance Place since her return in 1993.

Susan Scheuer MS, RCEPsm
Pilates Certification in equipment and mat from Physical Mind, PMA and Polestar Training. Personal Trainer Certification from ACE, Yoga Training-Yoga Fit. With 20 years in fitness instruction, design and consulting. Proprietor of Body Basics Pilates and Fitness Studio

Cheryl Fisher-Schwind
A founding member of Exit, Cheryl began her dance career in 1980 at Bradford College, graduating with a BA in Humanities. As a member of the Bradford College Dance Co., she trained with Irene Weiss, Kathryn Mickel, Luigi, Adrienne Hawkins and Christina Polos. She also studied polish laboratory theatre and Grotowski acting technique with Stephen Haley. In 1987 she co-founded Exit. She then began a 2-year certificate program in Laban Movement Analysis and Post-Jungian psychology in New York City and came back with a certificate in Movement Analysis and Psychology. Cheryl is a Nationally Certified Licensed Massage Therapist with a private practice called Body by Fisher Therapeutic Massage in Newburyport.

Robyn Silverman - Bio coming soon!

Pam Smith
Pam began her training in Ballet at the age of three. She has studied at the Joffrey School of Ballet and with the members and directors of the Royal Ballet and The Pennsylvania Ballet. She trained in Modern Dance with company members and directors of the Graham, Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Dan Wagoner, Viola Farber and Twyla Tharp dance companies. Pam has performed in both ballet and modern concerts in New York City, Washington D.C., and throughout New England, including concerts with her own company. She is a recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from the Connecticut Commission of the Arts. She appeared in the casts of James Lapines’ off-Broadway productions of Twelve Dreams and his Obie Award wining play, Photograph. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Pam has taught at Albertus Magnus College, has been an artist in residence at the University of Bridgeport and has been a faculty member at Bradford College. She has been Department Head of Dance at Interarts and at the Education Center for the Arts, high schools for the Performing Arts in Connecticut. She also headed the dance department at the Center for Creative Youth, a summer residency program at Wesleyan University for high school students talented in the arts. In Los Angeles, she was the head of the children’s school at Stanley Holden’s Dance Center. Locally she has taught at Ballet New England and The Dance Place in Newburyport and has been a guest teacher and choreographer for many studios in the North Shore area, as well as at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Scott Smith
Scott is an actor, dancer, teacher, choreographer and director. Mr. Smith is a company member of Theater in the Open based in Newburyport, MA. Scott studied theatre and dance at Emerson College where he received a BFA. He also studied Film & Television at New York Performance Works.

Edward Speck
Edward is proud and grateful to have been named Artistic Director of Theater in the Open, with whom he has been a company member for 13 years. He looks forward impatiently to another magical season of teaching at the Theater in the Open Summer Arts Workshop. He is both thrilled and honored to be a member of Exit Dance Theatre and to be teaching at The Dance Place.

Jennifer Steeves
Jen grew up and trained in Calgary, Alberta Canada. During her studio years she competed in many dance competitions in Western Canada. While she was in college she was a professional cheerleader for the Calgary Stampeders which is part of the Canadian Football League (CFL). She received a BA in Dance from the University of Calgary. After graduation Jen danced professionally for Carnival Cruise Lines in their main production shows. Jen has been teaching locally for the past 10 years and began teaching for the Dance Place in Newburyport in 2008. She has danced locally with both Forty Steps Dance and Green Glass Dance Companies and is a current member of Exit Dance Theatre.

Carolyn Toloczko
With training in the greater Boston area and a master's degree in theater and dance education from Emerson College, Carolyn has been teaching at The Dance Place for nearly 25 years. She began tthe creative movement program in 1985 and has taughtballet and jazz, also serving as the director of the Joppa Junior company from 2002 to 2006. For many years, Carolyn taught modern dance at the Mill Pond Center in Durham, N.H., where she also choreographed and performed with the Mill pond Dancers.