Meet our Team
Our instructors aren’t just teachers—they’re mentors, choreographers, and champions of creativity.
The Heart and 'Sole' of Beyond The Barre
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Shaina D. Furia
Studio Owner & Director
Shaina, founder of Beyond the Barre, discovered her passion for dance early and has been teaching since age 18. A Rhode Island College graduate, her award-winning choreography has earned top honors at regional and national competitions. Dedicated to her students, Shaina continually hones her craft to bring fresh techniques and inspiration to the studio.
Michela Coleman
Teaches: Ballet, Jazz, Wiggles & Giggles
Michela has studied various styles for over 20 years, continuing her passion at Boston College and now at Beyond the Barre.
Lauren Chamberland
Teaches: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Acro, Competition Team
A former Yellow Jacket team member, Lauren has danced in Disney World and the Orange Bowl. She’s currently pursuing a degree in education at Rhode Island College, sharing her passion for dance and teaching.
Amelia Frueh
Teaches: Tap
Amelia is a former dancer of Company C Dance Club in Toledo, Ohio and alumni of the Miami University (OH) Dance Team, where she had the opportunity to compete at the NDA National Competition from 2020-2024. She is thrilled to be a part of the BTB team and share her love for dance with others!
Ashley Nicholson
Teaches: Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap
A BTB Yellow Jacket alum, Ashley was a member of the St. John’s Dance Team and won a UDA National Championship in Hip Hop in 2020. She’s excited to inspire the next generation of dancers.
Kimberly Parisella
Teaches: Adult Tap
Kim has over 25 years of dance experience and has taught for various teams. She’s also an early childhood special education teacher.
Brianna Hacker
Teaches: Ballet and Hip Hop
Bri grew up under the direction of the late Bette-Ann Monti-Rossi, dancing competitively for 15 years, and continued dancing on the Providence College Dance Team. She now teaches and choreographs throughout New England, specializing in jazz and lyrical technique.
Jess Kogut
Teaches: Competition Team
Jess minored in dance at Providence College, where she performed at basketball games and regional competitions. She is also a former dancer and choreographer for DanceWorks NYC & Boston.
Elizabeth Ward
Tap, Wiggles + Giggles, Tappin' Tots
Elizabeth has been dancing since she was 3 years old, training in tap, ballet, jazz, and contemporary. She enjoyed dancing competitively in high school and continued her training at UNH while getting a degree in genetics. Elizabeth was privileged enough to teach ballet at the Moscow Ballet in Oklahoma. Now that she is back on the east coast to stay, she is eager to continue sharing her love of dance with students of all ages!
Ashley Hendrickson
Teaches: Adult Intermediate Open
Ashley’s competitive routines have earned high awards, and she brings over 25 years of dance and 10 years of teaching experience. Outside of dance, she's a clinical pharmacist and mom of three.
Caroline Wallace
Teaches: Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Acro, Wiggles & Giggles
Caroline is a former Yellow Jacket Competition team member and Division 1 cheerleader at Holy Cross. She’s passionate about continuing Beyond the Barre's mission as a teacher.
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Cassidy Smith
Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Tap
Cassidy holds her Bachelor's Degree in Dance from Dean College where she danced on the Pom team all 4 years. Following that she danced professionally with the New England Patriots Cheerleaders. Cassidy is well versed in many different styles of dance and recently choreographed for the JWU dance team where they placed first at competition. She is looking forward to sharing her love of dance with students of all ages!
Karli Ipsen
Teaches: Buddy Bees Adaptive Dance Class, Competition Team
Karli studied dance at Providence College, where she won regional competitions and trained under renowned choreographers at Broadway Dance Center. She also teaches fourth grade after formally teaching special education.
Amanda Rouleau
Teaches: Tap, Jazz, Adult Tap
Amanda's passion for tap began early, winning awards in competition. She continued dancing in college and found her home at Beyond the Barre while taking adult classes.
Jillian Salome Rodriguez
Studio Administrative Assistant
With a background as a Senior Relationship Banker and extensive experience as a Paralegal, Jillian brings a wealth of organizational and communication expertise to her role as Administrative Assistant at Beyond the Barre. She is thrilled to contribute her skills to our team and support our mission.
Helen Rawls
Ballet, Pointe, Adult Ballet & Barre
Helen brings over 15 years of dance experience to the studio, having trained growing up in the Seattle area before earning her BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah. She currently is dancing as a trainee with Ballet Rhode Island. Her teaching style is rooted in structure and discipline, while also encouraging authenticity, curiosity, and individual expression. Helen believes that ballet should be both challenging and joyful, and she is passionate about creating a space where students can grow artistically, technically, and personally. Her goal is to help each dancer find their own voice through movement and discover the joy that ballet can offer.
Samantha Roy
Wiggles + Giggles
Samantha danced through her youth, training in various dance styles for over 18 years, and is now joyfully returning to the dance world. Outside the studio, she balances life as a marketing director and mom. You can find her teaching our youngest dancers in Wiggles & Giggles!
Adele Walden
Ballet
Adele is currently a professional dancer with Ballet RI and has been dancing for 16 years. She just graduated with a BA from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She started teaching in 2021 and she discovered that teaching, dancing, and choreographing are her passions.
Megan Desrosiers
Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Acro, Wiggles + Giggles
Megan is a former member of the yellow jacket competition team and has had over 15 years of dance experience. She has also competed at UDA nationals for her high school dance team at Mount Saint Charles Academy. With her many years of assisting dance classes, she is thrilled to be a part of the teaching team here at BTB!
Delaney Clays
Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Acro
Delaney has been dancing since the age of two and has trained in styles including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, modern, hip-hop, acro, and pointe. Outside of the dance studio, she is earning her degree in Art Education and Studio Art Ceramics. Delaney is passionate about teaching and helping her young dancers grow!