MoCo Arts Faculty and Staff
Dance
Reagan Messer
Executive Director and Artistic Director of Dance
Danielle Fitzpatrick
Danielle Fitzpatrick, MA BC-DMT has been teaching dance and theatre to people of all ages throughout the tri-state area for more than two decades. She moved to Keene so that she could pursue a Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy at Antioch University, where she is now adjunct faculty in their graduate program. She has taught creative dance, children’s theatre, ballet, adaptive dance technique, and dance/movement therapy courses in studio settings, classrooms, preschools, workshops, and at the undergraduate and graduate level. In addition to teaching dance, Danielle is a Board-Certified dance/movement therapist specializing in using dance with elders with neurocognitive disease. Danielle serves as a Chair on the Board of the American Dance Therapy Association. At MoCo Arts, Danielle is the Director of Young Arts, where she uses her extensive knowledge of child development to support our youngest artists in dance, theatre, and camps. Danielle enjoys writing original plays to be performed by the students at MoCo Arts. When she is not sharing her love of dancing with others, Danielle enjoys raising her two daughters.
Tracy Grissom
Modern Dance
Tasha Warshaw
Taylor Remy
Audrey Douglass-Fish
Emily Alexander
Hip Hop
Emily grew up in Keene, NH where she has been dancing since the age of 4 years old. She spent the majority of her dance training learning and studying at MoCo Arts. She went on to coordinate and choreograph for the SUNY Plattsburgh Dance Corps Team where she completed her undergraduate degree from 2013-2017. Emily returned to MoCo as a teacher in 2019, and enjoys sharing her love of hip-hop and performing with her students by creating a safe and energetic learning environment for everyone. Emily completed her bachelor’s of psychology from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2017, the Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner certification in 2019, and her Masters of Education in Health Education and Promotion – Eating Disorders in 2021. Emily is grateful to be able to share her passion for dance with our community’s kids and families.
Katie Roark
Ballet
Katie (Paquin) Roark began dancing with Festival Ballet Providence at the age of 4 and continued her training as a student there, eventually becoming a member of Festival Ballet’s Junior Company. She performed many ballets with the company including Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Don Quixote and The Nutcracker. She received her BA in Psychology and Dance from Rhode Island College where she was a member of RIC’s dance company and was chosen to be the recipient of the Helen Forman Special Talent full scholarship. Katie began her professional career in 2010 with Providence Ballet Theatre and has also danced professionally with Cambridge Dance Company, Sasso and Company, and City Ballet of Boston. She has taught extensively both in Rhode Island and Boston and choreographed at Rhode Island College, Providence College, Providence Ballet, Cambridge Dance Company, and in collaboration with the New York Mandolin Ensemble. She presented her work at the 2012 Perceptions Dance Festival in New York City and the 2014 Boston Contemporary Dance Festival. She received her Masters of Education in Counseling from Providence College and is currently working in Financial Aid at a college.
Kaeleen Fallon
Kaeleen started dancing at the age of three and grew up dancing right outside of Manhattan. She trained in the Royal Academy of Dance and started performing professionally by the age of 11. Kaeleen has trained, performed, and danced with the New York City Ballet (NYCB) & the Radio City Rockettes. Additionally, she has performed in various other shows, including; 42nd Street, West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, and many more. She has been able to perform and dance on some of the most iconic stages in the world, such as; Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. Kaeleen also trained in Ballroom with Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) Pros Maks and Val Chmerkoviy, Tony Dovolani, Louis Van Amstel, and more. Kaeleen has danced, performed, and taught various styles of dance, such as; Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Precision Dance, Ballroom, Pointe, Musical Theatre, and more. Kaeleen is thrilled the be a part of the MoCo Arts team and to continue her passion to perform and dance as well as share her wisdom, knowledge, and passion with our community’s children and families.
Lucia Messer
Hip Hop
Tina Feld
Lead Costumer – Dance
Tina Feld and her family moved to Keene in 2011 and has been a part of the MoCo family as a parent since 2013. She has a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Nichols College. Tina is excited to be with MoCo in her new role because of the strong family and community atmosphere and the opportunity to help other families discover the joy of the arts.
Heather Carlson
Costuming – Dance
Katie Kendall
Costuming – Dance
Ellen Ward
Costuming – Dance
Patty Ainsworth
Volunteer Coordinator – Dance
Mary Dodson
Volunteer Coordinator – Dance
Theatre
Laura Carbonneau
Dominic DiBenedetto
Dominic DiBenedetto has been teaching at Keene Middle School since 2007, with experience teaching at high school and college levels. Dominic was recognized professionally by the New England League of Middle Schools in 2010, and he was recognized as an Outstanding Educator by Keene School District in 2019. He has been working with MoCo students since the summer of 2016 when he joined the C.A.K.E. staff. Now he directs the summer’s Musical Theater class and oversees the CIT program, in addition to performing other various leadership roles. A Masters-level educator, Dominic completed undergraduate work at Keene State College that included courses in Theater Design and Production. As an actor’s director, Dominic has been directing the Keene Middle School Drama Club since 2014, and he has experience performing in community theater for the past 25 years. You may have seen Dominic in The Lions Club productions in Keene, NH or in Vermont performing with the Springfield Community Players, Main Street Arts, and Wild Goose Players. Some of his most enjoyable roles include Amos Hart in Chicago; Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods; Charlie Brown in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; and Peter in Jesus Christ, Superstar. When not involved with theatrical endeavors, Dominic has been a fellow with the National Writing Project and a volunteer in various community service projects. He loves writing poetry and fiction, reading historical fiction novels, and working on his cooking and baking repertoire.
Hannah Trombly
Director – Elementary School Musical Theatre, Music Director – Elementary School Musical Theatre
Caitlin Dubois
Director & Music Director – Elementary School Musical Theatre
Caitlin is a music teacher at Wheelock Elementary School and studied music and elementary education at Keene State College. She previously worked at Keene Middle School and directed the drama club as well as music directed the Elementary Musical at MoCo. Although she has taken a break from her love of musical theater the past few years to spend time with her young kids, she is so excited to be back at MoCo! She loves performing, singing, and working with kids to pursue their love of performing arts.
Eric Snare
Improv Teacher, C.A.K.E. Student & Faculty Advisor
JoJo Mead
Ashley Morse
Kate Butterfield
Samaira Aldrich
Costume Design – High School Play, High School Musical Theatre, Middle/High School Play
Tracy Clark
Shannon Wakefield
Costume Design – Elementary School Musical Theatre, Theatre Games Teacher
Eliora Despres
Choreographer – Elementary School Musical Theatre, Theatre Games Teacher
Eliora wears many hats: one of her favorite hats that she gets to wear is as a choreographer for the Elementary and Middle School Musical programs at MoCo Arts. In addition to teaching at MoCo, Eliora further develops her art as a choreographer for Gardner Middle School and as a Teaching Artist at the New Hampshire Dance Institute, which helps to bring dance to 3000 children annually. In the past, Eliora dedicated herself to training in various dance styles at The Dance Center in Winchendon MA for 17 years. Additionally, Eliora was Team Captain of The Dance Center’s competitive team for two years and performed competitively around New England for six years where she gained inspiration watching thousands of other dancers perform. Eliora had the opportunity to return to The Dance Center as a Studio Assistant, where she was mentored by senior faculty and gained experience teaching Modern, Jazz, and Musical Theater dance styles. Eliora’s theatre background started here at MoCo Arts, where she participated in the High School Musical Theater Program. Eliora believes that the uplifting effects of MoCo’s programming has made a huge positive impact on her life and is overjoyed to be giving the same empowering experience to MoCo’s theatre students today. Currently, Eliora studies Elementary Education at Mount Wachusett Community College. In her free time, Eliora enjoys performing in musicals at Theater at the Mount, where she has been described as bringing “her own unique charm, identity, and amazing voice” to her roles by Kevin T. Baldwin, a member of the American Theatre Critics Association. Eliora firmly believes that dance and theatre should be accessible to all and is endlessly inspired by all of her students and the faculty here at MoCo Arts.
Maria McGovern
Choreographer – Middle School Musical Theatre, High School Musical Theatre
Maria McGovern graduated summa cum laude from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA in May 2023 with a degree in Quantitative Economics and a Ballet Certificate (earned in conjunction with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet). Maria trained at the Radomile Academy of Dance and the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, and she attended three summer intensives at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Although Maria grew up outside of Philadelphia, she has been spending her summers in Nelson since she was two. She was introduced to dance and theatre through NHDI’s Summer Intensive and MoCo Arts’ C.A.K.E. (Creative Arts at Keene) summer camp. Once she was old enough, Maria served as a CIT, counselor, and teacher in both programs, and she has spent five summers on the C.A.K.E. staff where she has adored being a dance instructor. For the past two years, Maria has choreographed the C.A.K.E. musical and taught for CupCAKE. Maria is thrilled to join the MoCo year-long staff this fall as the choreographer for the middle school and high school musicals and a rehearsal assistant for The Nutcracker!
Moses Fisher
Director – Middle School Play, Assistant Director – Middle/High School Play
Moses Fisher is an alumni of MoCo’s High School Theatre Program, and is thrilled to be returning to direct the Middle School Play! He began performing at Keene High School, where he was president of the Drama Club and the Shakespeare Club. After school, Moses was delighted to be a part of the Second Company at the Peterborough Players, building sets and appearing in their production of Our Town. He went on to study at Keene State College, where he performed in productions of Urinetown and The Winter’s Tale, as well as various vocal performances. Currently, he is a junior studying Secondary Education and English Literature. In his spare time, Moses likes to write short stories, read Cormac McCarthy novels, and ride his bike (not simultaneously).
Harmoney Brown
Production Assistant – Middle School Musical Theatre
Alexis Harvey
Production Assistant – Middle School Play
Abby Morse
Production Assistant – Elementary School Musical Theatre
Briana Tebaldi
Bri is happy to help backstage with the MoCo theatre team! You might know Bri as the Owner of Indigo Style Salon or as an instructor from Keene Beauty Academy. Bri has been a cosmetologist for 23 years, which comes in very handy in creating great hair and makeup looks for our shows. Bri was born and raised in Keene and is the mother of two boys (ages 9 and 5). You may have seen her older son in MoCo theatre productions!
Melissa Geraghty
Volunteer Coordinator
Lissa is excited to be a part of the MoCo Theatre Family! Lissa has served as a volunteer for numerous organizations including Cal Ripken Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, KHS Football, Hockey and Baseball Booster Clubs, Pop Warner Cheerleading, and was the Northern Lights Booster Club Fundraising Coordinator.
Liss works as a Community Health Care Worker and Outreach Educator and is the proud Mom to Devin, Emma, Ava. and bonus Mom to Gianna, who is part of the MoCo Theatre Family.
Young Arts
Danielle Fitzpatrick
Carin Torp
Adult/Toddler Dance, Assistant Director – Storytime Theatre
Carin Torp has a master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy from Antioch University New England and has been working with children and their families in care and/or movement capacities ever since her first babysitting jobs as a teen and also at that time doing ballet with a young child with cerebral palsy. She has a private practice as a dance and movement/mental health therapist, she teaches in the Moco Young Arts program leading a Toddler/Adult dance class and working at vacation camps and CupCAKE. She also plays the piano for the middle-grade choirs of the Grand Monadnock Youth Choirs. She has specialties in attachment and developmental issues and loves to use dance and movement and other expressive arts to deepen connections people have with themselves, their families, and the community as a whole. Carin believes that everybody is uniquely beautiful and strives to help everyone she works with to feel at home in their body; to find the joy we were all born to feel.
Administrative
Pete Smith
Pete graduated from Keene State College with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and worked as a film editor with documentarian Ken Burns on three of his Emmy Award-Winning films. His love of the arts and theatre go back to his childhood and his hometown of Windsor, CT when he performed in Windsor’s Summer Youth Theatre for 12 seasons.
He has spent the past ten years in the non-profit fundraising world with Landmark College and Marlboro College in Vermont and with the Monadnock United Way in Keene. Prior to that, Pete worked with the Colonial Theatre in Keene, The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH, and the Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford, CT, programming and marketing theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and comedy performances.
Pete most recently was the Community Relations Director at American House Senior Living in Keene. He is grateful to be back in the world of arts and performance here at MoCo, helping Transform Lives Through Movement and Creative Expression.
Pete and his beautiful wife, Heather, have been married since 2001 and have two amazing children, Alexandra, and Jack. Pete is an avid golfer and always looks forward to family vacations in Bermuda, California, and Florida.
Connie Merrifield
Chelsea Zichella
Chelsea Zichella grew up in New Hampshire and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Design from Becker College. She has worked as a freelance graphic designer in southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts, creating print and web designs for local businesses. She brings seven years of communications and marketing experience to MoCo Arts. Chelsea is inspired and motivated by MoCo’s mission and is excited to be able to bring a new visual charm to the MoCo Arts community.
Nat Zilske
Avril Miller
Front Desk
Danielle Love
Front Desk
Danielle Love first learned about MoCo as a young parent after relocating to the Monadnock Region from a lifetime of living along the coast in Machias, Maine. Starting out as a proud parent and behind-the-scenes volunteer, Danielle is grateful to be at the front desk a couple of evenings per week to greet and assist dancers, parents and community members. Having earned a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Southern University and certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Danielle’s professional path has always drawn her to “helping professions.” This includes supporting students with disabilities in the classroom, implementing welfare to work policies as an employment counselor and partnering with schools to prepare students with disabilities for life after high school. When she isn’t at the front desk Danielle can be found attending performing arts events, spending time with her family or planning her next travel adventure.