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.
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.
Michela Coleman
Teaches: Ballet, Tap, & Jazz
Michela has studied various styles for over 20 years, continuing her passion at Boston College and now at Beyond the Barre.
Amanda Rouleau
Teaches: 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.
Sarah Johnson
Teaches: Jazz, Hip Hop, Adult Advanced Open, & Competition Team
Sarah Johnson is a graduate of Rhode Island College (2022), majoring in Dance Performance and minoring in Creative Writing. She has been trained in contemporary, modern, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, and tap for 17 years. Throughout her years dancing she has worked with choreographers such as Adrienne Hawkins, Rennie Harris, and David Dorfman. Sarah has been teaching dance for 11 years, and has choreographed numerous pieces for local dance companies. She is also a company dancer at Metamorphosis Dance Company and a performer for TEN31 Productions.
Bell Truppi
Teaches: Creative Movement & Ballet, Tappin' Tots
Karli Fullerton
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.
Ashley Hendrickson
Teaches: Adult Intermediate Open & Tap
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.
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.
Lauren Chamberland
Teaches: Acro, Wiggles & Giggles, Creative Movement & Ballet, & 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.
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Ashley Nicholson
Teaches: Jazz & Hip Hop
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.
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Cassidy Smith
Teaches: Hip Hop, Jazz, 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!
Delaney Clays
Samantha Roy
Teaches: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, & Wiggles & Giggles
Teaches: Wiggles + Giggles
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!
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!
Azusa McGuirk
Teaches: Ballet
Sofia Burlingame
Teaches: Creative Movement & Ballet, Toddler Acro
Azusa has been dancing since the age of three and has over 25 years of experience in ballet. She has performed professionally as a Principal Ballet Dancer with companies including Syracuse City Ballet, Utah Metropolitan Ballet, and Roxey Ballet. With over nine years of teaching experience, Azusa is passionate about helping dancers build strong technique, confidence, and a genuine love for ballet. She is excited to share her experience and passion for dance with the students at Beyond the Barre!
Sofia has been dancing her whole life, training in a variety of styles and competing throughout her dance journey. After taking a break during college, she found her way back to dance through adult classes at Beyond the Barre, where she found a place that truly feels like home. She is so excited to share her love and passion for dance with the next generation and create a fun, positive environment where kids can build confidence and discover the joy of movement. Sofia also works as a Pre-K teacher and absolutely loves working with little ones, so she is especially excited to bring her love of dance and teaching together in the studio!
Bell has been dancing with us at Beyond the Barre for 8 and a half years! She is on the Yellow Jackets competition team and has had the opportunity to assist with our Creative Movement, Mini Bees, Jazz 1, and Ballet 1 classes over the years. She is excited to begin her first year teaching with us and is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance! Jazz is her favorite style, and she hopes to continue dancing throughout college.