Teachers

Directors, Office Manager & Teachers

Kathie Morris

Owner/Director:

Miss Kat has been the Owner/Director of Kats Dance Centre for almost 30 years. She started her dance career at the age of 2 years with Debbie Manzi Dance Studio. She has studied Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Acrobatics and Gymnastics. Miss Kat has gone to New York and Massachusetes to study and take Master Classes. She started assisting and teaching with her dance teacher at the age of 14, and had her own classes at the age of 16. By 19 years old she was the owner of her own studio. Teaching is what she loved most about dancing. She loves and enjoys sharing her passion for dance wtith others, especially children, even though she teaches all ages. KDC has grown over the years and is well known for being a very family oriented, friendly place. Miss Kat makes sure that not only do her students learn their technique and dances, but they are proud of their accomplishments, encouraged to do their best, make new friends, and have fun too! She finds that her students have more confidence in themselves and are more well-rounded when they feel good about themselves. She encourages them to follow their dreams and that "No Dream" is impossible, and they all have the ability to be and do whatever they want to be if they believe in themselves. The staff at KDC has grown as a family as some of the teachers started out as students with Miss Kat years ago, and have also fallen in love with teaching. All of Miss Kat's staff have a love for children, and some are also currently working a full time job after graduating which also involves children. Miss Kat is extremely proud of her staff and students and will continue to do the best she can to inspire and encourage the students who pass through KDC be the best they can be.

Miss Jessica Morris (Honorary Director)

(Honorary Director) Assistant Director from September 2005 to August 2008
Teacher of all levels of: Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical,

Hip-Hop, Pre-school, Acrobatics, Tiny-Tots Dance & Tumble

Miss Jessie is "Our Hero & Our Angel" she will always be in our hearts and our memories...

Miss Jessie started dancing as soon as she could walk, and performed in her first performance at the age of 19 months old. Dance was her first love, and at a very young age you could see just how graceful and easy it came to her. While at the studio with mom she would dance along with all the classes. Miss Jessie study classes in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Acro, & Hip, Hop, and Theatre. She loved the stage and also took after mom's love for teaching. Miss Jessie began as an assistant at the age of 12yrs, and started teaching her own classes at 14yrs. She was great with the students, and so creative with her students and teaching. Miss Jessie performed in theatre/musicals with the Wanskuck Players and the Northend Players. She is a singer, actress as well as a beautiful dancer. She played such rolls as "Marty" in Grease, "Lola" in Damn Yankees, "Adelaide" in Guys & Dolls, and more. Miss Jessie was the Choreographer for the Lincoln High School Variety Shows in 2004 and 2005, in Hip-hop and Girls Chorus Line. At age 16 she danced in Walt Disney and was interested in doing an internship in dance with Disney through the college she would attend after graduation. She is the heart and soul of Kats DC, she worked hard teaching her students and keeping up with her own classes every week and always did so with a smile. The students would tell her they wanted to be just like her when they grew up. She graduated (June 2005) at age 17yrs, and just 3 months later, and 2 weeks after her 18th birthday (Oct 2005) she was diagnoised with Stage IIIC Ovarian Cancer. She was more upset at the fact that she would never have children of her own, than having cancer, and said "I may have cancer, but cancer doesn't have me". After her 1st surgery she continued to dance and teach that first year and performed in the yearly performance in 14 numbers. Despite the chemo treatments, hospital visits, as well as losing her beautiful 28" of red curly hair. She graced the stage with a beautiful smile and no hair, and recieved a standing ovation from her students and fellow dancers. At this point Miss Jessie became everyone's "HERO", and an "Inspiration" to all who knew her. She set a goal for herself to dance again in Disney a year from being diagnoised, in Oct of 2006, and that she did! She continued through her battled while teaching and spending as much time as she could at the studio through the next year. During her next Performance (2007) she danced in 7 numbers, but by this time had some problems along the way. Another surgery left her with a colostomy, and 2 PCNU tubes sticking out of her lower back due to the tumors, but she smiled through it all. As she said, "the show must go on", and so she did all 7 numbers, with a nurse standing by backstage. Miss Jessie's next year did not allow her to continue dancing although she tried, but she did choreograph our openning number. She was connected to a pain pumb 24/7 for the tubes, and the chemo treatments as well as infections, while also having to be fed through IV at night while she slept. She appeared on stage in our next performance in June 2008, straight from the hospital, she danced for a minute or so in our final number on stage again with a standing ovation and tears in many eyes. She would never had stayed at the hospital and missed a show, she sat in front of the stage and smiled at every class while they were performing and encouraging them to smile and enjoy themselves. She graced the stage of Kats DC Performance in June of 2008 for the last time. Miss Jessie lost her battle with this silent cancer on August 29th 2008. Kats DC will forever miss Miss Jessie, and the students are continuing to let us know just how much they miss her, with letters, pictures, and cards they continue to this day to bring in. Miss Jessie, is and always will be the most courageous, encouraging, compassionate, and inspiring person we will ever know. She is "Our Hero" and "Our Angel" and we know she is with us always.

Miss Jessie is the inspiration and the person who started the beginning of the RI National Ovarian Cancer Coalition back in 2006.

We continue her fight for a cure and to spread the word about this silent killer. For information please go to our Link for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition in RI.

Miss Kayla Morris (Assistant Director)

Teacher of all levels of: Jazz, Tap, Acro, Pop Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical/Contemporary, Pre-School, Tiny-Tots

Beginner/Intermediate/Adv: Ballet/Pointe

Kayla is a sophomore at Johnson & Wales University in the Baking & Pastry Arts program. She has been dancing since she can remember. Although she officially starting dancing at 2 years old, there was never a time when dance wasn't the biggest part of her life. Over these past 16 years Kayla has trained in jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, hip hop, lyrical, pop jazz and acrobatics. Along with dance, she has a love for singing and acting. Kayla has been an active participant in The North End Players where she has performed in numerous musicals and cabarets over the years. She is going into her seventh year as a teacher at KDC but prior to that, assisted for 3 years. Through the years, Kayla used her talented mother and sister as an advantage; studying their every move in and out of classes, Kayla prepared herself for teaching and choreographing. Although she teaches many different genres of dance and ages, Kayla finds herself happiest while teaching her fellow company dancers, especially in jazz. Having the challenge of choreographing new, difficult dances is the most fun for her. Recently being promoted to Assistant Director of KDC, Kayla is thrilled to take on more responsibility including, the making of Kats Dance Centre's 2010 and 2011 productions. Being able to connect with inspired, passionate children and teens is the best job ever, according to Kayla. Watching them smile and succeed gives her the best feeling in the world. Being a dance teacher is one of the most rewarding, beneficial experiences anyone could have.

Miss Keri Geyer

Office Manager/Administrative Assistant
Miss Keri has 3 children of who she signed up at Kats DC back in 2003. While at Kats DC for her childrens classes she became very involved with the studio and helped out where ever she could. By 2005 Miss Keri had started helping out in the office as an assistant. By the end of this season she had taken over all of the office work and kept everything organized and running smooth. All 3 of her children are still currently taking classe at Kats DC of which her oldest has just become a teacher and her middle child an assistant to the teachers and our staff members now referred to her as "The Office Goddess". Miss Keri has many years experience being with children since she has been a pre-school teacher for many years now. So, when call us at studio it will most likely be Miss Keri on the other end of the phone.

Miss Mia Godbout

All Levels of: Ballet and Pointe

Former RI State Ballet Principle Dancer

Miss Mia is currently on leave due to the birth of her first baby. She and husband Dave have been blessed with a healthy baby boy

named Cameron. Congratulations and best wishes to you and your new family. We miss you and await your return.

Miss Talia Ricci

All Levels of: Jazz, Pop Jazz, Tap, Acrobatics, Pre-school, Tiny Tots Dance & Tumble,

Beginner/Int Levels of: Ballet, Hip-Hop, Lyrical

Talia is a sophomore at CCRI and has been dancing with Kats Dance Centre since she was 2 years old. Since then, she had fallen in love with dance. Over the17 years she has taken classes in Jazz, Tap, Acro, Ballet, Lyrical, Pop Jazz, and Hip Hop. She began assisting in class with warm ups and helping students catch up with choreography when they had missed classes at the age of 12. Then she became an Assistant Teacher at 14, taking over the class when the teachers were absent. At the age of 16 she was given her own classes to teach. Along with yearly performances with Kats Dance Centre, Talia has also performed in Walt Disney World in 2004, 2006, and 2009. She has also participated in shows with Miss Lynn's Performing Arts and the North End Players as well, musicals and cabarets, over the last 5 years. Talia has the passion for dance and has proven herself to be a good teacher. She is great with the students and they enjoy her classes. We are very happy to have her as a staff member here at KDC.

Miss Stephanie Sousa

_{Currently only Substituting}
Teacher of all levels of: Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Acrobatics Pre-school, Tiny-Tots Dance & Tumble

Beginner/Intermediate levels of: Hip-Hop

Stephanie is a 25 year old student in the Culinary Arts program at Johnson & Wales. She has been dancing at Kats DC since she was 2 years old, and teaching for Kats DC for the last 8 years. Stephanie started as an Assistant at 13yrs old, and then onto an Assistant Teacher at 15 and Teacher by 16yrs. She took to teaching quickly and most of all the students at an early age. When assisting with the littlest of students we found that Stephanie was good at calming them as they left mom to enter class. Stephanie teaches Tiny-Tots, Preschool, Acro, and Jazz which are her favorites. Over the years she has taught all the genres of dance that Kats DC offers and the students love her. Stephanie has also participated with the North End Players including Oklahoma, Guys & Dolls, Damn Yankees, and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as Cabarets over the last 7 years. Stephanie loves to dance and teach her students, and Kats DC is lucky to have her on Staff.

Miss Stephanie Clavet

Teacher of all levels of: Hip-Hop, Pop Jazz, Jazz,

Beginner/Intermediate levels of: Tap, Ballet, Pointe

Stephanie is a 25 year old student at RI College, finishing her degree in Elemenatry Special Eduction. She started dancing at the age of 9 years old with KDC training in Jazz and Tap at first and then on to Ballet, Pointe and Hip Hop. She enjoys dancing, and started to show her passion for the art of dance. Stephanie has also gone to many master classes throughout New England to learn new choreography. She became an assistant at KDC around the age of 14 and an assistant teacher at 16. By 17 years old she was teaching classes in Hip Hop and Jazz. Stephanie has a wonderful personality and is loved very much by her students. She works well with students of all ages and her love for dance shows in her teaching. We are lucky to have such a great teacher on our staff here at KDC.

Miss Dani Sousa

Teacher of beginner levels of: Jazz, Ballet, Pre-Ballet, Pre-school & Tiny Tots

Beginner/Intermediate levels of: Jazz, Hip-Hop

Dani started dancing at the age of 4 at Ann Carr dance studio. There she began taking ballet, tap and jazz classes. After doing this for 5 years, Dani took some time away from dance before returning at the age of 14 to KDC. Here, she began taking hip hop classes under the direction of her best friend Miss Jessie. In 2006, Dani joined the Kats Company Dancers and began assisting classes at the studio. Dani was also training with Miss Mia in our preballet classes to as well as . In 2008 she began teaching the pre-ballet classes

Dani continues to be part of the KDC Company dancers and takes classes in Jazz, Pop Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Hip-Hop. She has been with KDC now for 9 years.

Miss Stacy Iacono
Currently only Substituting
Teacher of all levels of: Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pre-school & Tiny Tots

After spending her cousin's entire dance recital in the aisle, trying to copy the girls on stage, Stacy's mother decided to sign her up for dance classes. She was 6 years old when she took jazz, tap and ballet. She fell on her butt my first time on stage, and has fallen many times since. The important part is that she kept getting up and kept dancing. When she was 15 years old, she asked Miss Kathie if she could come to the studio after school during the week to help out with the classes. Stacy has been teaching ever since. Her teaching areas are tap (all levels), jazz (beginner and intermediate), ballet technique (all levels), and ballet pointe (beginner and intermediate). She has tried to "retire" twice and keeps coming back. It is safe to say that her passion for dancing and teaching will continue to keep her coming back for many years to come.

Miss Shana Fox

Teacher of all levels of: Ballet, Pointe & Lyrical
Rhode Island State Ballet Alumnist

Miss Kayla-Rose Geyer

Teacher of all levels of: Acrobatics
Beginner/Intermediate levels of: Jazz, Tap, Pop Jazz, Hip Hop (Beginner/Int), Pre/Beginner Ballet
Pre-School, Tiny Tots Dance & Tumble

Kayla-Rose is a freshman at Dean College who has been dancing with KDC for ten years. She started assisting in 2006 and became an assistant teacher in 2009. Kayla-Rose was made a teacher in last years dance year. Kayla's favorite genre of dance is jazz or pointe but she loves to teach acro and jazz. Dance is, to her, a way to express herself and she wishes to convey this feeling to her own students. Her favorite thing about teaching is watching kids faces light up when they are dancing and having fun. This feeling exhilerates her so much that she plans to attend college for dance and business in the fall. The concept of dance is not what pushes her teach and dance herself, but rather the feeling of it running through her body. she wants to, in the future, show kids that dance is an escape from reality and a way to open their hearts.

Miss Donna Ricci

Teacher of : Zumba Classes

Teacher of : Beginner/Intermediate levels of: Jazz & Tap

Donna is a certified zumba teacher and has been teaching at Kats DC for a year now. She has been a student at Kats DC for over 5 years taking classes in both Jazz and Tap. Donna has performed with Kats DC in their yearly performances as well as in Disney. She was also a member of the Northend Players for 6 years performing and dancing in many shows. Donna is currently the President of the NOCC of RI which Miss Jessie and her family started (Donna being her Aunt) after she was diagnoised with Ovarian Cancer. We can't thank Donna enough for all her hard work, and her passion for this cause is just amazing.