FACULTY & STAFF

Hannah Bessette - Owner - voice/piano/ukulele INSTRUCTOR

Hannah Bessette—Soprano, private music instructor—voice, piano, ukulele, and choral director. A versatile musician, Hannah has worked with students in many genres including classical, pop, musical theater, choral music, and jazz.

Hannah completed a Bachelor of Science in Music Education for K-12 at Plymouth State University in 2000 and Music Teacher Certification in the state of NH, with focus on vocal and choral music. Her degree included a year long choral internship with the Plymouth College Chorale and student teaching. Hannah and her husband Bryan moved to Durham, NH in 2001, where they co-founded a campus ministry at UNH. Hannah was the Music Ministry Director at Bethel Assembly of God in Portsmouth, serving in that role 4 years.

Hannah began teaching private voice and piano lessons at Portsmouth Christian Academy in 2007. She expanded teaching to her private studio in Durham, NH in 2011 and has been teaching students ages 5 to 65 for over 10 years. She loves to help students thrive in exploring their creative expression, skill building, and confidence through singing, beginning-intermediate piano, and beginning-intermediate ukulele. She often combines singing and piano or ukulele lessons to train students how to be solo performers.

She performs locally at open mic nights, churches, and at vocal recitals singing a broad range of genres, as well as singing soprano with the Manchester Choral Society. She loves the opportunity to bring her enthusiasm for learning and crafting music, singing, and joyful personality to the students at Musical Arts.

Hannah lives in Durham with her husband of 20 yrs Bryan, and their three children, Ethan (15), Micah (12), and Libby (9). She loves to sing and harmonize with her children, get in some yoga practice several times a week, hike in the White Mountains with her husband, cook whole-food recipes while singing, crochet and sew, and laugh with friends and family.

Tiffany- Dance piano voice Instructor

Tiffany C. is a singer/dancer/songwriter/teacher. She was recently signed with Sony records as a recording artist. Her dance roots began under the instruction of company and principal ballerina of the Denver Ballet Theatre, Corinne Kuhl-Reed. She then transformed her dance skills by studying with Michelle Latimer Dance Academy as a competitive dance company member. She comes from the prestigious, Berklee College of Music. There, she was given the opportunity to enhance her musical knowledge and receive a bachelor’s in music business. While studying at Berklee, Tiffany also continued dancing for artists in Boston including Disney’s “Camp Rock” star, Matthew Finley and others. She has trained under “So You think You Can Dance” choreographer, Brian Friedman and has also sung with artists such as Earth Wind and Fire’s, Phillip Bailey, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Her songwriting landed her radio airplay in Boston, MA in 2009. Tiffany has also completed project’s that include artist development for producer/musician, Babyface. After traveling overseas to perform in Serbia and Switzerland with the Gospel ensemble at Berklee, she is currently songwriting and performing all over the New England area. She is passionate about teaching and is ecstatic to share her knowledge and talents with the students of the Musical Arts of Dover. Her burning desire, talent, energy, humility, and tenacious spirit have brought her to her current level of success as she continues to pursue her dreams to both inspire and uplift the youth at the Musical Arts of Dover.

Alexis Brown - dance instructor

Alexis has taught and performed both locally and internationally. Originally from the Greater Boston area, she received her early training at the Centre for Performing Arts in Acton, MA and the International Dance Project in Concord, MA under the tutelage of Stephania Mavrides and David Drummond studying ballet, modern, and jazz as well as benefiting from master classes taught by many internationally renowned dance educators. At Marlboro College in Vermont she focused her education on Cultural History and Dance Education expanding her pedagogical, anatomical, historical, and philosophical training as well as technique. After college she performed for many years with the internationally diverse Bermuda Civic Ballet, BalletRox in Boston (now City Ballet of Boston), and Ballet New England (formerly of Portsmouth, NH), as well as in various community theatre and concert performances throughout the Boston area. Her teaching returned her to Bermuda where she taught at the Bermuda School of Russian Ballet, as well as at the International Dance Project, Deborah Mason School of Dance in Cambridge, Brattleboro School of Dance in Vermont, Ballet New England, Alexander Children’s Theatre in Concord, MA, and numerous independent lessons throughout New England. She is currently the ballet director at MusicalArts of Exeter, NH where she has offered a wide variety of classes beyond ballet including creative dance, contemporary, jazz, dance for figure skaters, aerial silks, and conditioning for dancers and also directs the student dance company and summer dance intensives. An adamant proponent of body positivity, Alexis believes that every body can and should dance.

SAMANTHA MORALES - DANCE INSTRUCTOR

Samantha Morales is a dance educator, choreographer, and freelance performer based out of New Hampshire. She received her Master's in Dance Education from New York University specializing in the professions and higher education. Performance credits include WAXWorks, Dumbo Dance Festival, Ballet Inc. The Series, MultiPurpose Dance Project, Dance Research Forum Ireland, and Shelter: A One Billion Rising Event. She was a Jazz & Contemporary trainee at the Joffrey Ballet School where she studied under leading industry professionals. Originally from Florida, she has also danced for Universal Studios in Orlando.

Samantha is passionate about advocating for dance and brings a unique energy to her classes that pushes dancers to take risks and remain curious. Her personal teaching philosophy is that dance should foster individuality and provide a supportive environment to find ones creative voice. As an educator she values a safe environment where differences are welcome and encouraged. A goal for her students is for them to walk away with a greater awareness of themselves and others. Dance helps develop critical thinking skills and the ability to make connections to the outside world. Her overall mission is to produce active, creative, and open-minded members of the arts community.

Keith - guitar instructor

Keith has been performing in the New England area as well as studying music full time at the University of New Hampshire. He is currently enrolled in the UNH program as a Jazz performance major. Keith has been studying and teaching Jazz as well as other genres such as, Blues, Rock, Pop, Funk and Alternative. Keith Started his education in High School studying with an NYU graduate Mack Walters, as well as a Berklee Professor Dave Newsam. He enjoys playing and teaching music as often as he can.

Paul Smith - Violin Instructor

Paul is a patient teacher with a passion for music and a desire to pass on what he has learned to others. He enjoys playing music with his wife and two daughters. As a youth, he studied violin with Tibor Horn in Connecticut. As a young adult he learned traditional Irish fiddle through the instruction of Mary and JoAnn Keeley. In recent years, he has been studying bluegrass fiddle from Ellen Carlson. He is a member of the New Hampshire Fiddle Ensemble and has attended Fiddleheads Acoustic Jam Camp several years running in Contoocook NH. He is also a founding member of the Chicken Shack Bluegrass Band and the Smith Family Band (he is also the band’s chauffeur). Paul can be seen as a frequent participant of the bluegrass jams hosted by Dave Talmage at the Stone Church in Newmarket and Steve Roy at the Cara Irish Pub in Dover. Although Paul is a “fiddler” his violin foundation is solid and is at ease instructing beginning violin to students of any age. Paul is a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy with a BS in Marine Engineering and holds Chief Engineering Officer license and has served in that capacity on numerous ships around the world.

Rebecca Harglass - Piano Instructor

Rebecca is a dedicated piano instructor with experience teaching both children and adults; providing an individual approach to help each student develop his or her musical skills. She works to incorporate each student’s goals into the lesson plan, in order to make the music experience more meaningful and personal. In addition to 12 years of private lessons, Rebecca has attended the Northern Kentucky University Summer Piano Institute, the Taubman Summer Institute in Massachusetts, and the Plymouth State Summer Teacher Seminar in New Hampshire. She is active in music education activities as a teacher, judge, event chairperson, and accompanist. Rebecca has taught previously in Pittsburgh, PA and Cincinnati, OH, and enjoys working with students and their families. Current professional memberships include Music Teachers National Association, and the New Hampshire Music Teachers Association – Seacoast Chapter.

ElizabetH Feinschreiber- ACTING & THEATRE INSTRUCTOR

Elizabeth Feinschreiber is set to graduate from the University of New Hampshire in spring 2019 with her Bachelor's degree in Acting/Directing and Secondary Education in Theatre. She is on track to receive her Master's of Education with UNH the following year for Theatre Education. Elizabeth has surrounded herself with theatre since high school where she was a theatre major at The Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Pawtucket, RI. In the summers, she attended a yearly Shakespeare intensive camp at The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre where her love for Shakespeare grew. Since then, she has taught at various camps and workshops and plans to continue to help students to grow and gain new experiences in the world of theatre.

This summer she played the title role of Juliet in a regional outdoor touring production of Romeo and Juliet with theatre.unmasked. She'll finish out her summer working, writing, and performing with WildActs, UNH's only social justice theatre troupe.

Ainsley Aude Croteau - AERIAL, LYRA, & BURLESQUE INSTRUCTOR

Ainsley has been practicing Aerial Dance since 2009, starting with the Static Trapeze. She fell in love with the art instantly and within months owned her own trapeze and built her own rigging so she can dance at home. The following years, Ainsley continued to develop her skills as an aerial dancer as she learned Aerial Silks and Aerial Lyra. She has performed on stage on Trapeze, Silks, and Lyra, and was briefly the main aerialist in a small circus. Ainsley continues to learn more and more about Aerial Dance, she remained a student nine years after she began.

Nikki RAE - SECRETARY/Hoop dance instructor

Nikki has had a deep love for the arts all her life. From a very young age she knew that was where she wanted to be when she grew up; studying painting, dance,photography, sculpture and much more. It has always been her goal to attain as much knowledge she could to become a well rounded artist in her future. Nikki was apart of the National Art Honor Society and took multiple classes in the arts throughout her high school career. As her senior year came to an end she set off on her journey to get her bachelors in fine arts at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester NH. In 2009 after her daughter was born, she discovered her love for hoop dance and prop manipulation. After 1 year of studying this craft she started her prop manipulation career and spent a great deal of time in Key West as a street performer on Duval Street. She came back to the east coast to set off on her journey to become a fire performer as well as pursue her career in photography and graphic arts. Working various solo acts as well as joining multiple performance groups she became creative director/ performer of an all female fire dancer collective called “Luminous." Performing for large audiences at multiple Music Festivals and venues with some of her personal favorite musical acts she has enjoyed collaborating and creating around the east coast. Nikki uses dance and visual art as an intense form of expression that she loves to share with audiences and anyone who is willing to learn. Nikki is thrilled to be apart of the MAD team where she can continue to grow in the arts and support young artist on their creative journey.