THE DIRECTORS
Lindsay Doris
Lindsay Doris began her dance training at the age of 7 in Scottsdale, AZ. She attended several dance studios across the country. It was through this experience that Lindsay was introduced to the many varieties and styles of dance that can be found between the West Coast and the East Coast. Lindsay’s dance training was unique as it included the opportunity to be a competitive dancer as well as a dancer trained in the classical forms of ballet and modern dance. This cross-section of dance
education inspired her to continue on in dance as a career. At the age of 16, she was accepted into the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) where she received her high school diploma and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance. Her experience at UNCSA filled her with a deep knowledge base of the technical and performing aspects of dance as well as the foundations to be a solid dance educator. Her experience working with the choreography of such greats as Jose Limon, Lar Lubovitch and Alwin Nikolais have inspired her to bring her own unique voice to the choreography for her students. Following her graduation from UNCSA, Lindsay continued her dance education in some of the best training facilities in New York City including The Limon School, The Paul Taylor School, The Merce Cunningham School and the Peridance Capezio Center. It was through a class at Peridance that Lindsay gained her entry into the professional dance world and became a member of the Cleo Mack Dance Project. As a company member, Lindsay performed in both New York and New Jersey for several years. It was during her final year with the company that she decided that teaching dance was her true passion and she leapt into the world of teaching full force.
Dana Millette
At the age of 2 ½, Dana was diagnosed with a brain tumor that nearly caused her to lose her life. Although most of the tumor was successfully removed, her neurologists were concerned that what remained might continue to grow and affect her coordination. To offset that possibility, her parents were urged to enroll her in a physical activity and they chose dance. Thankfully she was able to make a full recovery and she continued dancing. From a very young age it was clear to Dana and her parents that dance
was a true passion. It helped all of them to overcome the obstacles of her illness and created an outlet for Dana to express her emotions. Since beginning her dance training at the age of 3, she has had the opportunity to study various forms of dance including jazz, lyrical, broadway-style tap and the ballet syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dance. At age 17, Dana was nominated for a presitgious Papermill Playhouse Rising Star Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography in her high school's production of "The Music Man". After graduating from high school, Dana continued her dance education and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she fell in love with Modern dance and discovered her passion for choreography. While at Rutgers, she was a member of University Danceworks which gave her the opportunity to work with many well-known choreographers and tour with the company bringing dance to schools throughout NJ and NY. She then went on to study massage therapy in order to increase her knowledge of anatomy and injury prevention. Dana is proud to be a Co-Director of PMDC and enjoys bringing the love and appreciation of dance into the hearts of young children. Dana believes dance to be a gift that she can share with children of all ages and abilities which can help them gain the confidence to conquer any challenges that they may face in life. Being a dance teacher and studio director has fulfilled one of Dana's life-long dreams.
The Faculty
Rachel Baird
Originally from Canada, Rachel began dancing at a young age training extensively in ballet and contemporary. She was awarded her RAD Advanced 2 Certificate with Distinction and spent summers training with Canada's National Ballet School and Ballet Austin. At the age of 16, she was accepted to the Joffrey Ballet School Trainee Division in New York City where she became a member of the Joffrey Concert Group. She toured the US performing works by choreographers Gerald Arpino, Brian McSween, Africa Guzman and David Robertson. Rachel then moved to San Francisco and completed the prestigious 2-year Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program under the direction of Karah Abiog.
Rachel has also had the privilege of learning under Chris Hale and Calen Kurka in the Pushing Progress Professional Development Program. She has been featured in Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine and DanceSpirit Magazine for her performing and choreographic endeavours. Rachel is now a freelance professional dancer working with several New York City based choreographers. She has taught ballet for the past 6 years throughout the US and Canada and is also currently teaching dance to children at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital through their Arts for Healing Program. Rachel is thrilled to be a part of Pure Movement Dance Center's faculty!
Matt Gal
Matt Gal, originally from Scotch Plains, NJ began his dance training at age 10 and is a Pure Movement Dance Center Alumni as of 2019. Matt then attended Montclair State University for two years in which he joined and served on the executive board for the Montclair State Dance Company. In 2021, Matt transferred to Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts to earn his BFA in dance. At Rutgers, Matt is a Mason Gross Ambassador as well as part of the Mason Gross Student Governing Association. He has had the pleasure of working with numerous choreographers including Julia Ritter, Pam Tanowitz, and Kruti Shah. Outside of school, Matt is involved with Broadstreet Players and performed in their production of Heathers the Musical. Matt is so excited to continue working with Lindsay and Dana and the amazing dancers at PMDC.
Mariel Harris
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Mariel Harris hails from Vancouver, WA where she first started her training in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, contemporary, and hip hop. She has performed and trained extensively throughout the nation and abroad. At age 16, Mariel moved to NYC to become a trainee at the Joffrey Ballet School. From there, she moved to San Francisco to train under Alonzo King in the LINES training program. She graduated cum laude with a BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. While in school, Mariel had the opportunity to study abroad in Austria at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD) and at ImpulsTanz.
Some of her favorite past performance credits include works by Merce Cunningham, Bill T. Jones, Isadora Duncan, Gerald Arpino, and Pamela Pietro to name a few. Mariel has performed at major venues such as Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, Ailey Citigroup Theater, The New Victory Theater, and Skirball. Mariel currently dances for Seán Curran Company and is very excited for their upcoming NYC premiere at the BAM Harvey theater this October as part of the 2018 Next Wave Festival! Mariel is thrilled to join the PMDC team!
Corinne Hart
Corinne Hart began her dance training in Mundelein, Illinois. Ms. Hart attended summer study programs including North Carolina Dance Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, The Rock School for Dance Education, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, and Dance HUB. She received her BFA in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she performed works by Stefanie Batten Bland, Ori Flomin, and Cherylyn Lavagnino. Upon graduating, she joined Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance full time, as well as DiLorenzo & Co., WADEensemble, and the RIOULT Dance NY Repertoire Group. Ms. Hart continues to have a diverse performance career including performing in the Florence Dance Festival in Italy and at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, among various venues around NYC and upstate NY. She is presently a faculty member at 5678 Dance, Pure Movement Dance Center, and a guest artist at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Department of Dance. She has previously taught at Southern Methodist University, University of Utah, Gibney Dance, Peridance Center, Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, RIOULT Dance Center, Toscana Dance HUB, and Dancenter North. She also works extensively in the non-profit dance world with organizations such as Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, WADE Dance INC., and HOLDTIGHT Company.
Emily LeBoeuf
Emily LeBoeuf, from Basking Ridge, NJ began training with Lindsay & Dana at the age of 8, becoming a Pure Movement Dance Center Alumni in 2013. Emily then went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Media & Communication from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Beginning her dance training at age 3, Emily comes from a strong competitive background, training in ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz. She has also trained with numerous artists including, Karen Dearborn, Jeffrey Peterson, Randall Anthony Smith, & Tracey Stanfield. Emily dances professionally with Introspective Movement Project, a New Jersey- based Contemporary Jazz company, under the artistic direction of Sonia James Pennington.
Emily continues to independently choreograph in New Jersey and presents her work at various showcases, conventions, & productions across the tri-state area. Returning for her fourth season at PMDC, Miss Emily is so excited to explore new ways to train its next generation of dancers!
Hayley Meikle
Hayley Meikle is originally from Bridgewater, NJ. She began dancing at age 3 and then grew to join the Washington Rock Youth Ballet Company when she was 6 where she met Lindsay and Dana! There, she participated in many productions of The Nutcracker during her time in WRYBC. A few years later she joined a competition tap team with Dana where she found her love for tap. Hayley joined the Pure Movement family in 2017 and has loved every minute since! You can also find Hayley floating around the studio and at studio events taking pictures for our social media. She is so excited to be able to share her love of dance with the next generation of dancers!
Tessa Moody
Tessa Moody, from Columbia, NJ began her dance and gymnastics journey at the age of 3. She has trained both competitively and recreationally in hip hop, contemporary, tap, jazz, and ballet. Tessa had the opportunity to train under famous artists such as Brian and Scott Nicholson, Jose “Boy Boi” Tena, Christopher Broughton, Nick Dinicolangelo, and Katrina Endozo. She also experienced several years of training at multiple dance conventions including Monsters of Hip Hop and New York City Dance Alliance. Tessa is a graduate of Montclair State University with a degree in Business and Hospitality. She was involved in Montclair State Dance Company as an executive board member holding the positions of Event Coordinator and Dance Captain. Tessa continues her dance training as a member of Transcendence Dance Collective. She spends her time creating and performing in numerous dance projects, and she is also finally living her dream as a Wedding Manager! Tessa loves to teach and inspire others, and she is so grateful to be able to express herself and grow with dance after all these years!
Charlotte Perret
Charlotte Perret is originally from Chatham, New Jersey, and attended Pure Movement Dance Center for many years, graduating in 2020. Charlotte is currently attending Mason Gross School of the Arts and planning to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance in the spring of 2024. Through Mason Gross, she has had the honor of working with many amazing artists such as Stephanie Klemons, Gerald Casel, and many more as well as had numerous choreography and performance opportunities. Charlotte adores teaching dance and is thrilled to have joined the PMDC faculty!
Alex Ware
Alex Ware was born and raised in the Chicago Area where she received her interdisciplinary dance training from a competitive dance studio. In May of 2022, she went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from NYU with a BFA in dance as well as minors in the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology, and Social and Cultural Analysis. Most recently she has had the honor of performing repertory by Stephen Petronio as well as new works by Yin Yue and Chelsea Thedinga. She has received supplemental training from the artists of RUBBERBANDance Group, Peter Chu, Gibney Dance Company Artists, Ronald K. Brown’s Evidence, A Dance Company, David Dorfman Dance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and others. In addition to beginning her first season with CoreDance Contemporary in the fall and beginning her professional dance journey, she also has a strong passion for teaching and choreographing and wishes to continue those facets of dance throughout her career. Alex is also certified in Group Fitness Education and aims to incorporate the best elements of the fitness world into her dance classes to create longevity and strength in her dancers.