Artistic Director - Linda Mercer-Botelho
Founder and Director of the School. Linda attended the Boston Conservatory of Music Teacher Training Program in Dance, and studied in New York at the Broadway Dance Center with world renown Jazz teachers Charles Kelly, Frank Hatchett, Susan Samuels and Phil Black. She is also a graduate of the Robert Christopher Teacher Training Seminars and has attended the American Ballet Academy’s teachers Intensive held at Vassar College. Linda is now a certified "LEAP AND LEARN" teacher specializing in classes for children ages 2 1/2- 8 year old using the "Leap and Learn System" .
In 2009 Linda attended the "Dance Teacher Life Conference" once again gaining valuable insight into the continually changing world of dance education for children. Linda continues her training with world renown teachers throughout the year adding innovative techniques and choreography to the companies repertoire. Having produced, directed, and choreographed performances for the school for the past 29 years, some of the highlights include our yearly "Holiday Spectacular" , “Mary Poppins”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “Firebird”, "Hooked" The Story of Peter Pan, and most recently "Annabelle Broom The Un-Happy Witch" , "ANNIE", "Geppetto and Son", and "101 Dalmatians" - The Musical.
Having been involved in the Miss America Pageant System for the past 26 years, Linda has recently retired from her positions as choreographer and producer of the Miss Massachusetts Pageant as well as the Executive Director of the Outstanding Teen Program. Linda is looking forward to concentrating more on the Children's Community Outreach Programs offered by On Stage Theatrical Productions.
Voice/ Musical Theatre - Roger Botelho
Roger has a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of Lowell and a Masters Degree in Special Education from Bridgewater State College. After working as a music teacher in the Fall River School Department for 17 years, Roger is currently a special education teacher at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, where he is also the yearbook advisor. The former leader of the Bavarian Brothers he has performed throughout the country with the authentic Bavarian Band. Having performed the national anthem for the New England Patriots 7 times, he now enjoys performing for the elderly in area nursing homes, and with the On Stage Vocalist. Roger is the Music Director at On Stage where he gives private voice lessons, and works with all of our musical productions.
Musical Theatre II - Tracy Gendreau
Tracy is a graduate of Stonehill College and Worcester State College, with an M.S. in Communication Disorders. A Speech-Language Pathologist at the Center School in Mattapoisett, Tracy enjoys incorporating music and creative arts into her therapy with students. Her favorite theater credits include "The Sound of Music”, “A Chorus Line”, “The King and I” and “Joseph” with Little Theater. Additionally, she has performed for the New Bedford Festival Theater in Jekyll and Hyde” and with the NBFT Singers. Tracy has performed with On Stage as the Un-Happy Witch in Annabelle Broom and Grace Farrell in ANNIE, and will portray Cruella DeVil in the upcoming presentation of 101 Dalmatians.
Classical Ballet/ Pointe - James Brown
Dancer, Choreographer,Teacher,-Ballet, Modern
Originally from Indiana, James Brown is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in political science. Since moving to New England, he has been a featured soloist with many of the local ballet companies such as Festival Ballet, Cadence Dance Project, Island Moving Company, Granite State Ballet and Ballet Theater of Boston. His solo roles have included Harlequin Doll, Trepak and Spanish in Nutcracker, as well as Puss-n-Boots and the Jester in Sleeping Beauty and Jonathan and Renfield in Dracula. Besides classical repertoire, James has danced in many contemporary and modern works. A former dancer with Festival Ballet and Anna Myer and Dancers. In 2002, he founded the dance company Modern Populus along with Beth Petkus and Meghan French and now serves as it's director and choreographer. Among its achievements in 2003, in August MP performed its first full length concert and performed at On The Corner Of Arts & Vine at Waterfire.
James teaches choreographic workshops during Festival Ballets summer intensive and has created and taught programs for inner-city children both in Providence and in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Lisa Mailloux -Tap
Lisa Mailloux is the former Owner/Director of Steppin’ Out Dance Studio of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, a successful dance studio established in 1986. The studio was in operation for 21 years, with hundreds of students passing through its’ doors. Her students have gone on to dance in higher education, own studios, perform in companies, on cruise ships and in national tours. Ms. Mailloux has been a judge for several dance competitions in the New England area and continues to teach and judge on a part-time basis. Lisa is a member of Dance Masters of America (DMA) and is a past Secretary of DMA, NE Chapter #5. She was the Co-Chairperson for “United We Dance” in 2002, a performance to benefit The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and also The New England Dance Expo, a multi-faceted event, held in Massachusetts in 1998.
Lisa is a former NFL cheerleader with the New England Patriot “Spirits” and has studied with many of the leading names in dance today. She has also been the Director of the Portsmouth and Tiverton High School Color Guard/Dance Teams for a total of 13 years.
Gary Vaughan - Contemporary/Modern
Gary holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Dance Performance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Currently, Gary working with Santa Monica College for their 2010 dance performance season. From 2006 to 2008 he worked with Ballet Rox in Boston. Gary was also a member of the United States Hip Hop Team and represented the US at the International Dance Organization Hip Hop Days 2006 in Bremen, Germany as Team Captain.
