Dance – Deerfield Academy

Dance – Deerfield Academy
Dance
Deerfield’s comprehensive dance program provides training in modern, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip-hop, and contemporary dance techniques as well as instruction in the craft of choreography and improvisation. Classes are tailored to meet the needs of all experience levels from complete beginners to pre-professional dancers. There are opportunities to perform in and choreograph for dance concerts that are presented each of our three terms.
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Opportunities within Deerfield’s dance program are supplemented by an extensive series of performances and master classes by such outstanding dance companies as Alvin Ailey, Momix, Ballet Chicago and David Parsons. Additionally, each year the works of distinguished guest choreographers are commissioned for dancers in the program. There is also a coaching program that provides private and semi-private instruction for all styles of dance and for dancers of all experience levels.
Core Dance Faculty
Heather Holohan-Guarnieri
Director of Dance
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Heather Holohan-Guarnieri
Heather is overjoyed to be joining the Deerfield community as the next Director of Dance. She is coming to Deerfield from Kent School, where in addition to directing the Dance program, she was a vocal teacher, choreographer of the school’s musicals, and co-director of the annual One Acts.
As a professional performer, Heather danced and performed on and off Broadway, in several national tours, regional theaters, and dance companies. Heather attended the Millbrook School, graduated from Ithaca College with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Dance, and has a Master of Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick. She most recently completed a Professional Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Heather holds multiple certificates from the Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and this year was elected as a speaker on Embodied Cultural Knowledge at the annual CAIS Symposium for the Arts. In her spare time, Heather enjoys yoga, the beach, swimming, reading, attending live music events, and spending time with her family: partner Dr. Travis Tucker, daughter Caelyn, and son Jacob.
Carrie Towle
Dance Instructor
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Carrie Towle
grew up and did her early training in Vermont at the Brattleboro School of Dance. She studied with the Boston School of Ballet, the New York School of Ballet, and was a dance major at SUNY Purchase. She pursued her love for teaching while dancing with the New Mexico Ballet by teaching at the NMB School, as well as throughout Albuquerque. Carrie has been teaching children, teens, and adults for 35 years and has honed her pedagogy through teaching extensively in VT and MA. Her teaching credits include: Marlboro College, the Brattleboro School of Dance, the Career Center Dance Program at BUHS, the Stoneleigh Burnham School, Kelly’s Dance Academy, Vermont Academy, The Ballet School at Bement (where she was also the director), and Deerfield Academy since 2001. In addition to teaching, Carrie has choreographed extensively and loves to set work on her students. Carrie holds a MA in Counselor Education from the University of NM and resides in VT with her three children.
Meg Van Dyck
Dance Instructor
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Meg Van Dyck
has taught Dance and Pilates at Deerfield Academy, Greenfield Community College, Stoneleigh Burnham, and at many community dance schools for over 25 years. She received her B.A. in Dance from Smith College and has performed with Dodge Dance Company, Sorvino Dance Project, Chaos Theory Dance, Lori Holmes Clark Dance Company, and Luminz Dance Theater. She has also served as Artistic Director for dance companies; Quantum Dance Collective and The Giggle Water Girls. Her choreography has been featured at the Academy of Music, Iron Horse, Pearl Street, Look Park, Green River Music Festival, New England Performing Arts Center, Shea Theater, Massachusetts/Vermont Dance Festivals, and on the Fuse Music Video Television Channel.
Stephanie Kellogg
Dance Instructor
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Stephanie Kellogg
is a professional ballet dancer and Principal with the New England Ballet Theatre of Connecticut, where she has performed since 2020. She was promoted to Principal for the 2025–26 season and most recently took on the role of The Sylph in NEBT’s production of
La Sylphide
—a performance she considers one of her most meaningful to date.
Stephanie began her training at age 13 at Pioneer Valley Ballet in Easthampton, MA. Over the years, she has performed a wide range of leading roles, including The Firebird (
Firebird
), Ursula (
The Little Mermaid
), Belle (
Beauty and the Beast
), Blue Genie (
Aladdin
), Fairy Godmother (
Cinderella
), and both the Sugarplum Fairy and Snow Queen in
The Nutcracker
. Since 2011, she has also worked as a choreographer, guest artist, and teacher, sharing her passion for ballet with students ages 5 to 18. Her choreographic work includes a world premiere at Jacob’s Pillow and continues to be an outlet for creative exploration.
In addition to performing and choreographing, Stephanie offers individualized coaching to high school students preparing for summer intensives and college dance programs. She also recently launched a marketing business aimed at helping dance studios grow their audiences and promote ballet through video content on YouTube.
Stephanie became a Dance Instructor at Deerfield Academy in January 2023 where she serves as a teacher, choreographer, and private coach.
Madeleine Bonn
Dance Instructor
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Madeleine Bonn
received her training at the San Francisco Ballet School where she was a recipient of the Rosalie Hellman Merit Award for outstanding achievement. She was cast in the role of “Clara” in San Francisco Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” and went on to perform extensively with the company’s corps de ballet. Other training includes The Royal Ballet School (London, UK), Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, and Centre de Danse du Marais (Paris, France).
Madeleine was a principal dancer with Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre (Cambridge, MA) from 2004-2018, performing such roles as “The Sugar Plum Fairy” to critical acclaim in The Boston Globe, among other newspapers. She also performed alongside principal dancers of the Boston Ballet, and partnered with gold medalist Aidos Zakan, in the gala “Night of Ballet” (Mongolia); and danced featured roles at Teatrul de Balet Sibiu (Transylvania, Romania).
She served as artistic director of Amherst Ballet from 2019-2023, where she created full-length original stage productions, as well as receiving an award for her choreography from the Amherst Cultural District.
Her teaching philosophy centers around cultivating joy and positive self-esteem in every dancer, alongside world-class training, with a focus on artistry, musicality, and expressive nuance. Madeleine also received the Hoffer Prize from Oxford/UMass Amherst for her essay-writing, and is currently an online student of English Literature at the University of Oxford.
Minh Sullivan
Dance Instructor
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Minh Sullivan
is a teaching artist currently based in the Western Mass region, where she inspires her students to find confidence in authentically expressing themselves through movement, and makes space for all who wish to move their bodies. Minh holds a BFA from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and is also an alumna of Pioneer Valley Performing Arts High School where she performed with Catalyst Dance Company under the direction of Jennifer Polins. Minh has trained at The Hackworth School of Performing Arts in her hometown of Easthampton, MA, and at the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet, under Charles and Rose Flachs. She has spent summers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and with the L.A.-based company BODYTRAFFIC, and trained with Marcus Schukland, Tai Jimenez, Kurt Douglas, Brian Mcginnis, and Joy Davis. Minh has performed repertoire by Azure Barton, Bill T. Jones, Jose Limon, Dam Van Hyunh, Summation Dance Company, James Morrow, Shakia Johnson, and others. Minh believes dance is a way of life that can be used to heal, connect, challenge, and advance the human experience. She became a Deerfield Academy faculty member in 2022.
Lesley Crosby
Dance Instructor
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Lesley Crosby
has been training dancers and athletes for professional careers for over thirty years. Born in England, she attended The Northern Ballet School in the UK and earned her teaching degree from Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto, Canada.
After dancing professionally in major companies the UK, Italy, and USA she went on to teach in 5 countries including Japan, Cyprus, Canada, and Oxford and directed pre-professional ballet programs including The Portland Ballet in Maine. She has also taught at Boston Ballet and Walnut school of the Arts in MA.
In Japan, Ms. Crosby coached dancers for the Prix de Lausanne, a prestigious  international dance competition where former prize winners are now leading stars in major ballet companies.
Ms. Crosby is certified in The Franklin Method, a movement modality that using biomechanics to achieve optimal technique of movement. She is also a master yoga teacher (E-RYT 500) This certification allows her to lead training programs throughout the world and teach teachers and students how to teach. She is also a fitness enthusiast and worked at Nike world head-quarters in Oregon as a fitness trainer/yoga instructor, appearing several times on TV as their spokeswoman for yoga and wellness.
In addition to teaching dance, Ms. Crosby coaches Conditioning for Athletes in the co-curricular program and guides yoga classes for faculty, staff and students.
Karen St. Pierre
Costume Designer
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Karen St.Pierre
is the Costume Designer and Craft Artisan responsible for designing all the costumes for Deerfield’s Dance and Theatre productions. She brings to D.A. years of experience in the theatre, film, and the television industry. Karen received her honors undergraduate degree in Fiber Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. Karen is the recipient of numerous art awards including the Marie Walsh Sharpe Scholarship, The Stephen D. Paine Scholarship, Massachusetts College of Art and Design Presidents Award, Vice Magazine Rising Artist Spotlight 2002, and The L.A. Ovation Awards nomination for Best Musical in 2016. Recently Karen has worked on large-scale productions for Hollywood Studios such as Miramax and Sony Pictures as an on-set costumer. She has also designed and built for premier regional theatres on both East and West coast, advertising campaigns, Cannes Film Festival and with the Artist Earth, Wind and Fire to name a few. Karen believes that costume design is a vital art form that is a means of communication. Karen doesn’t confine herself to any particular area of art or fashion as she sees it all as inspiration. She loves the opportunity and challenge of designing for Dance and Theatre in the realm of visual art and where these ideas can transport our imaginations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are students placed in the appropriate level of math and language classes?
Before they enter Deerfield, all new students are required to take a math placement test to determine an appropriate class. Students who have already taken a language they wish to continue studying at Deerfield will take a placement test to determine what level class they should take. If the placement in either department is deemed inappropriate after the student arrives, then the teacher may suggest a change of level. Students may also request such a change if they feel they are misplaced, and should consult with their teacher and their academic advisor before contacting the Dean of Studies.
Do students have an opportunity to travel or study abroad?
Students have a variety of opportunities to travel abroad through the Center for Service and Global Citizenship travel programs that run domestic and international trips during school breaks.
Study abroad and term-away opportunities are available to students through approved, partnered-programs. Study abroad is available in 10th through 12th grade, but typically students who choose to go abroad will do so during their junior year. Read more about off-campus study opportunities
online here
Does Deerfield have an honor roll?
Yes. In order to garner Honors distinction a student must have a cumulative term average above 90.0%. High Honors requires an average of 93.0% or above. You can read more about Deerfield’s honor roll
online here
Does Deerfield offer honors, accelerated, or AP courses?
Because of its commitment to high-quality academics, Deerfield offers a wide range of rigorous courses. All of Deerfield’s classes are appropriately challenging, but courses designated as “honors,” “accelerated,” or “AP” provide an extra challenge for ambitious students.
What role do advisors play in students’ educational experience?
All students are assigned a faculty advisor by late summer before they start school. After their first year, students may choose a new advisor, or continue with their original advisor, depending on the relationships they have developed with Deerfield’s faculty. Advisors are responsible for submitting course requests and writing an advisor report every term. They are available for questions a student may have and are involved in every major academic, co-or extra-curricular decision a student makes while at Deerfield. In addition, faculty eat lunch with their advisees every Tuesday and may schedule other meetings for their advisees. Advisors are a key component of the Deerfield experience, as they provide guidance and support to students throughout their time at Deerfield.
What is the Request to Miss Classes Policy?
Students are permitted to miss a maximum of eight (8) combined class days for Pursuits of Excellence, College Visits or other reasons each academic year (no more than 6 days missed per term). Exceptions to the eight-day limit must be approved through the Academic Affairs Office. Requests must be received at least three (3) days prior to the event. Any student requesting to miss class should make sure they are aware of the 20% Rule policy (found in the
Student Handbook
under the 20% Rule), and, if their request is approved, students should be sure to inform their teacher(s) of their upcoming absence(s) and arrange to make up missed work. Please
click here
to read more about our Request to Miss Classes Policy.
How do I request my Deerfield transcript?
Alums and current students can request their Deerfield transcript online via our secure credentialing site, Parchment. More information on how to create a Parchment account and order your transcript can be found
online here
. If you have questions, please contact the Academic Affairs Office at 413-774-1470 or
[email protected]
Contact Academics
[email protected]
413-774-1470
Boyden Library
Mon–Fri, 8am–4pm
7 Boyden Lane, PO Box 87
Deerfield, MA 01342
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