Faculty

Karla has owned and operated the Dance Academy for the past 34 years.  During this time she has enjoyed teaching thousands of students to dance.   Karla has been awarded countless choreography awards for her clean and inventive routines.  This past season, her students received awards for Best Technique, Excellence in Tap, Jazz and Lyrical Contemporary, to name a few.  Karla's students have received dance scholarships on the regional and national level.  Many of Karla's former students have continued their dance training at prestigious colleges, including Marymount, Fordham, and Dean College.  She now has former students dancing professionally in New York, LA, and Chicago. She is extremely proud to have the pleasure of watching her former student Channing Cooke succeed on "So you think you can dance", "Dancing with the Stars" and many other shows in the industry. Karla received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Salem State College and then served on their Dance Faculty for four years. She is a former All-Star gymnast and was inducted into the Methuen High School hall of fame for this sport. Karla enjoys teaching from beginner to advanced and sharing her love of dance with all her students at the academy. 

 Lisa has been involved in dance since the age of three. She was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships throughout her years as a dance competitor.  Lisa is a graduate of the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston Teacher Training Program.  Lisa is also a graduate of Northern Essex Community College.  Lisa began teaching and choreographing at a young age and her students have received many prestigious awards and scholarships.  Her choreography was awarded numerous overall high scoring awards on the regional and national level. 

Caity is a long time member of The Dance Academy, first as a student and secondly as an instructor.  Caity has graduated from Endicott College with a B.S. in Psychology.  While at Endicott, she was a member of their dance team.  She performed with and choreographed for the team, coached an after-school dance program in Hamilton, MA, and worked as an instructor at other dance studios around MA.  Caity was also an instructor for the Universal Dance Association along with competing at their national competitions held in Orlando, Fl.  Caity's experience with children of all ages makes her classes enjoyable and educational. Caity takes a young group of dancers successfully into the competitive world of dance.  Her commitment and dedication to the students are evident in the many overall and special awards her students receive.  For 8 years, Caity was the Co-Owner of Improv Dancewear.

Jenn began dancing with Karla the first year the Dance Academy opened for business at the age of 2.  She was trained in all areas of dance and part of one of the first competition and performing dance teams at the Academy.  Jenn's love for dance grew and she decided to give back to the youth by becoming a teacher and sharing her knowledge of dance in a kind and caring manner.  Jenn is committed to helping our dancers be the best they can be.  Her students prestigious and numerous awards at regional competitions are a reflection of her dedication and commitment to our youth. Jenn graduated from Northern Essex Community College with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts and then studied accounting and economics at The University of Massachusetts Lowell.  She was the Co-Owner of Improv Dancewear for 8 years.

Laura's training began at KPDA and she went on to further her training at the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance at Dean College.  At Dean, she studied Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Pedagogoy, and Kinesiology.  She graduated a year early, earning her B.A. in Dance with a concentration in Performance & Choreography.  Laura was awarded the "Trustee's Prize for the Palladino School of Dance for the Bachelor's Degree Program" upon graduation.  We are thrilled to have Laura join the KPDA staff.