GRACE NOYES, director & Founder
Following her lifelong dream, Grace realized her passion for teaching dance when she founded, our sister school, Needham Dance Theatre in 1987. She nurtured and grew the school one student at a time. Her philosophy is that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn about themselves through high quality dance education. Dancers should be challenged, supported and allowed to know the unique joy that comes from the Millis Dance Theatre dance experience. With more than 35 years of dance teaching experience, Grace has taught and choreographed for the Weston Public Schools and at the prestigious Edra Toth School of Ballet, under the direction of Boston Ballet soloist Edra Toth. Grace studied ballet in New York City and as a BFA candidate at the Boston Conservatory as well as studying dance at Smith College. Grace is mom to four grown children.
Bekah Blair
Bekah’s experience includes Charles River Creative Arts Program in Dover where she teaches dance and musical theater. Bekah has choreographed award winning routines for the Dance Team at our sister school, Needham Dance Theatre and leads our Millis Dance Theatre Dance Team this year. She established and taught a wide variety of dance techniques at Master’s Dance Academy and led the competition dance team at Dana Hall School in Wellesley. Bekah holds a double major in dance and psychology. She has a Masters Degree in social work.
Bringing her positive attitude, beautiful choreographic style and decades of dance experience, we are thrilled to have her share her boundless creativity with our students.
LAUREN WARD
Lauren began dancing at the age of 5, studying at the Ballet Guild of Lehigh Valley and Kathleen Magyar School of Dance in Bethlehem, PA. At Ithaca College, Lauren studied many dance styles and graduated with minor in dance education. She is a Registered Acrobatique Instructor with a certification in AcroDance. While living and performing in NYC and Los Angeles, she continued her studies at Edge Performing Arts Center. She has completed an intensive teacher training program at DanceLife under the direction of well respected dance innovator, Rhee Gold. Lauren’s magical way with children makes her a precious staff member at Millis Dance Theatre. Along with her teaching responsibilities, Lauren and her husband are she raising three active children.
ROSE GILIO
We are thrilled to have Rose on the MDT team. She is a student at Endicott College studying Primary Education and is currently a student intern at the Chickering School in Dover. Rose is a skilled dancer who started dancing at age 3 at Erin’s School of Dance and grew to become an award wining competition dancers with Broadway Bound Dance Center. Her areas of expertise are ballet, jazz, contemporary, acro, hip hop and tap. Our well rounded, Rose is a stand out with her warm demeanor and her true love of teaching. She consistently brings out the best in her students.
TORI NOYES
Tori is a graduate of our sister school, Needham Dance Theatre where she trained since the age of four, under her mom's direction in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Pointe. Along with her dance teaching responsibilities, Tori is a school counselor at Walpole High School. Prior to her appointment at Walpole High School, she worked for several years at Wellesley High School in the special education department. Tori has taught preschool dance at the Abbott Learning Center in Wellesley. She holds a degree in psychology from Syracuse University. After graduating she traveled to Uganda, Africa to work with women and children educational issues. With a focus on school counseling, she has a master’s degree from UMass/Boston. Tori’s wide smile and enthusiasm for teaching is contagious. Children are drawn to her upbeat personality and throughly enjoy her class.
MADDIE MIGA
Maddie began dancing at Dancing Arts Center and continues her intensive training in hip hop, contemporary, ballet and pointe as a devoted member of our sister school, Needham Dance Theatre. As a senior competitor on the Needham Dance Team, Maddie competes at a high level with a rigorous schedule and with great success. She is involved with the Dance Club at Millis High School and has performed with Terpsichore Dance under the direction of Stephanie Copice. This past summer, Maddie taught hip hop and contemporary at Millis Dance Theatre’s Intermediate Dance Camp. Student feedback was that she “crushed it”. She also loves work with children as a counselor for Holliston Recreation Center. Known for her warm and relatable teaching style, Maddie has a passion for dance. We enthusiastically welcome her to our staff.
KATELYN HART
Katelyn began dancing at the age of two and has loved to dance ever since. She is currently a dance major working towards a bachelors degree at Dean College with a dance performance and choreography concentration and a minor in pre-law. Our talented Katelyn has mastered multiple styles of dance such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary Performing extensively, she has been featured in the Survivor Showcase and New Dancer Showcase. As a child growing up on Cape Cod, she studied dance at The Dance Factory in Plymouth. Katelyn’s cheerful smile and positive outlook is apparent in the classes she leads. Her wealth of dance knowledge is inspiring to her students.
Jessica Arruda
Jessica has studied ballet, jazz, hip hop and tap since she was a young child and is a graduate of Needham Dance Theatre. She has earned a B.A. in dance from the Boston area’s most respected dance programs at Dean College. With a vivacious personality and excellent training, Jessica is a natural teacher. Her classes are a happy, encouraging place for students to learn and develop their dance skills. Our busy Jessica also coaches the Needham High School Varsity Dance Team and teaches Barre Method fitness classes.
Brianna Antaya
Brianna is working with our Competition Dance Team this season as our talented choreographer. Brianna is a graduate of Roger Williams University with a double major of dance and psychology. She has taught and choreographed for children at Mendon Dance Center and Elite Academy of Dance in Shrewsbury. She has performed for Boston Contemporary Dance Festival and in the Modern Movement Dance Festival. She choreographed for and performed in the film “Bloom”, released in 2018. Brianna brings her love of children to her dance instruction. After many years of working at her grandmother’s daycare, she connects on a meaningful level with and enriches the lives of her dance students. Brianna feels being around kids is her happy place!
Sarah Fuller
Sarah started her dance training at Edge Dance Academy in Plainville, MA at the age of 6. She is accomplished in many dance styles and performed competitively, receiving her first national title in 2009. Sarah holds a BA in dance from Dean College, where she showcased her performance and choreography skills, as well as trained with world-renowned dance instructors. She graduated with many honors, including the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance Award for Academic Achievement. Sarah is on staff at International Ballet Academy in Norton. We are pleased to have Sarah bring her creativity and vast dance experience to her classes at Millis Dance Theatre.
Maddie Varga
Maddie is an alumni of our sister school, Needham Dance Theatre. After training in contemporary, ballet, pointe, hip hop and jazz, she went on to dance at several prestigious dance programs such as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Festival Ballet of Providence. Maddie has dedicated herself to the art of dance for the past 17 years. She has performed extensively with Dance Prism as a Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet soloist. Maddie is a talented teacher with her ability to guide her students with thought and creativity in every genre from graceful contemporary, exquisite ballet to a fierce hip hop.
KATHERINE DIBONA
Katherine DiBona began her training at the age of six with the Boston Ballet School, where she studied intensively in the art of Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Character, and Flamenco. She spent six years dancing in Boston Ballet’s holiday tradition of “The Nutcracker” at the Wang Theater. Miss Katherine has studied at the Royal Ballet (London, England), The Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet (St. Petersburg, Russia), New York City Ballet (NYC). Attending Elon University in North Carolina, she majored in Molecular Biology with a minor in BFA Dance. Miss Katherine is a knowledgeable and accomplished ballet teacher. This past holiday season, she choreographed a full-length presentation of “The Nutcracker”, which included over 75 local children and adults. We are please to have this creative and dedicated teacher working with our students at Needham Dance Theatre. She will surely elevate their training to the highest level.