Teaching at MAMA

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Christina has dedicated many years to the students of the Monadnock Region. She has a true passion for helping students become the best they can be. Whether as a dancer, performer or other professional career. 

Miss Christina began her training at the Philadelphia Performing Arts School at the age of ten, on a full scholarship. At this prestigious school, Christina took daily classes in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, Spanish & Character Dance. Other aspects of the performing arts were also studied; acting, voice, dance history, & Labanotation. Partnering, piano and music history, as well as set design, stage makeup, costuming and choreography were also studied. After attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, she went on to dance professionally with the Pennsylvania Ballet Company, Wildflowers ll and the Delaware Opera Society, performing in Ballets and Opera's such as Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Rumpelstiltskin, Die Fleidermouse, Carmen and many others. Her summers were spent attending dance programs and taking master classes with renowned teachers such as Benjamin Harkarvy, Melissa Hayden, David Howard, Alvin Ailey, Andrew Pap & Lupe Sorano. She danced for Rudolph Nureyev when he was presented with an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the Arts. She has been teaching and choreographing for over 35 years, including the Well School, Northern Lights Dance Theatre & The New Hampshire Dance Institute. 

She is proud of the many students that have trained under her, many of which have gone on to pursue dance in higher education and to dance professionally.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR & TEACHER

Ms. Krystin Hicks is excited to be at the helm of MAMA! She will be helping parents, students and our teachers with everything from getting you started in your training at the Academy to ongoing programs, scheduling, tuit

ion, store sales and more!

Krystin is returning to her original passion of dance after a 20 year hiatus. Her home studio from 7-18 was at Ballet Austin in the heart of Texas. She was an original member of Austin Musical Theatre Program and her numerous credits there allowed her to join Actors Equity at age 18. 

 She then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC) as a  straight theatre major and Boston Conservatory as a musical theater major. 

After a dance injury and surgery she started a yoga practice for recovery. She took her first Yoga teacher training in 2006 and has taught in Austin, Boston, Maui, Ireland and beyond for the last 18 years. She also co-created, facilitated and taught the first ever 200 hr Yoga teacher training program hosted by Harvard University. Krystin is thrilled to be back in the studio and can't wait to meet you! 

TEACHER & ADMIN

 Miss Jenna is a warm & loving teacher. MAMA's Youngest students all love her dearly. She is always excited to see the dancers that she has helped through the Young Dancer Program and into our higher level programs!

AAS in Animal Science at UNH.4 year modeling career in Boston & New York with EXXCEL Model and Talent Agency. Jenna instructed students in runway workshops for modeling agencies and private clients. She has participated in Dance Movement Therapy Workshops at Antioch University, and studied Embodiment & Somatic Coaching at the Strozzi Institute. She has a Certification in Early Childhood Education & Development and is a Certified Birth Doula through Birth Arts International. Jenna trained for 10 years in Appalachian clogging, performing & competing. 

She danced at MAMA for 9 years and was a member of the MAMA Performance Company! She is super excited and looking forward to being with the students at MAMA, and is an accomplished administrator at the Academy. 

TEACHER

Miss Amanda is sweet and caring and cares so much for every student she teaches. Fun and inspiring, she will bring joy and discipline to a fun-filled class every week!

 Amanda danced for fifteen years at Monadnock Academy of Movement Arts,  studying Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Modern. She continued to take classes in Ballet and Modern while living on the seacoast of NH.

Amanda has a background in Early Childhood Education with a certificate in ECE as well as her AS in Early Childhood Education. Amanda received her yoga teacher certification in 2016. She has also attended “Raising the Barre” workshops with American Ballet Theater.

She taught preschool locally in Hancock NH for two years, as well as in El Paso Texas where she was able to bring her love of the outdoors to her class and teach an outdoor nature based childhood program for children ages 5-8.
Amanda is a homeschooling mother to three children, all of whom love training at MAMA!

TEACHER

Madeline is sensitive and caring, wanting each student she teaches to foster the love of dance much as she has.

Madeline  took her first ballet class at just two years old, laying the foundation for a lifelong passion for dance. Growing up, ballet was her primary focus until the age of fourteen, when she discovered hip-hop and instantly fell in love with its energy and freedom.

A  graduate of a performing arts high school, Madeline spent the majority of her school days immersed in dance training. She also received private instruction and attended classes at the renowned Broadway Center for Performing Arts (BCPA) in New York City, where  she participated in multiple summer intensives to refine technique.

While  hip-hop is her favorite style to teach, Madeline is also highly skilled in acro instruction. Over the past four years, she has expanded her role in the dance world, choreographing and teaching to share her passion with the next generation of dancers. Dedicated  to continuous growth, she spends her mornings training and further educating herself in the styles she loves before heading into the studio to teach.

For  Madeline, dance is the perfect balance of structure and creativity—a liberating art form that builds confidence, discipline, and self-expression. Her goal as an instructor is to inspire students, helping them develop not only as dancers but also as individuals,  empowering them to become the best versions of themselves.

TEACHER

As a dancer, Ms. Persch trained and danced with Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theater and the Royal Ballet.

She has created more than 40 works for small companies and chamber sized dance and performance groups including Colorado Studio Company and Pre-pro Professional Programs. She has worked with YAGP, the Shubert Theater, Theater-By-the Sea in Broadway musical theater productions. Her choreography has been presented in Ireland, Italy, Denmark and France including Festival Off D’Avignon. She was one of two choreographers for the MacDowell Colony Centennial Celebration, served on the rosters of both Artists-in-Residence and Arts-in Education and received the Governor’s Award for Artistic Excellence. Ms. Persch received a national award from the National Association of Science Teachers for her innovative

Alternative Educational-Arts- in-School project, 

Let’s Create Together-The Planets. 

Internationally, she was appointed to the Faculty for the Pari Center for New Learning, (Italy) funded through the World Academy of Art & Science. She is a guest teacher for the Royal Danish Ballet School, The Danish National Theater School, School of Modern Dance, and Copenhagen Dance Arts, SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance) in Germany, and Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, England, University of Bologna and the Academia Nazionale de Danza – Rome. She created new work for International Dance Day in Denmark. 

Ms. Persch has taught at colleges, universities, public and private schools and conservatories including the University of New Hampshire, Southeast Missouri State College and Trinity College for Graduate Studies in California, California State University-Long Beach; Hart School, University of Hartford; Ballet Etudes, Orange County High School of the Arts, and Saint Joseph’s Ballet. 

Ms. Persch graduated with honors BA in Asian Studies and a Masters level in Counselling Psychology through Antioch-New England Graduate School and a Master of Arts in Dance at California State University Long Beach.  She is certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum (Primary – Advanced & Partnering) and Feldenkrais based Self-Corrective Mechanisms® and Foundation in Gyrotonics.  

Jayne has been a licensed massage therapist since 1988 and teaches multiple classes for the Upledger Institute. 

Jayne Persch is the Artistic Director Emeritus of BRIAH Danse, a project based, contemporary ballet company founded in Boulder, CO -  BRIAH qualified for works from the Anthony Tudor Trust, Balanchine Trust, and the Limon Foundation – dancing The Leaves Are Fading, Romeo’s Farewell from Tudor’s full length ballet Romeo & Juliet as well as Cereus in 2019. Before COVID, the company was scheduled to continue with Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner in additional Tudor works, add repertory from the Balanchine Trust in ‘Who Cares’ and the Arpino Foundation as well as welcome new choreographers and live musicians to the company.

Ms. Persch is the creator of BRIAH Movement/Embodied Awareness© - an anatomically based approach to movement and dance. Embodied Awareness©includes Classes & Workshops for Students, Dancers, Movers as well as Certifications for Trainers & Teachers.

Jayne has resumed teaching, lecturing in dance, movement therapy, craniosacral and somatics in Colorado, California and New England and welcomes opportunities throughout the US, Canada and Europe. She is also available as a Choreographer and repetiteur, staging new and old works.

 LEAD TEACHER

 Karl’s classes provide students with a healthy balance of discipline and fun. He pushes students to be their best, while giving them space to grow as individuals, and always looks for ways to help them to celebrate their achievements and to be proud of their work. 

 After nearly 20 years dancing and teaching professionally in New York City, Karl is  thrilled to be back in his home state of New Hampshire, teaching for Monadnock  Academy of Movement Arts.  Beginning dance at the late age of 19, Karl received his training at Boston Ballet, The  American Academy of Ballet at Vassar College, and The University of New Hampshire,  where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Theatre and Dance. While  continuing his education during his career, his formative teachers were John Prinz, David  Howard, Finis Jhung, Elena Kunikova, Alphonse Poulin, Debbie Roshe, Richard Pierlon,  Tony Stevens, Steven Sophia, Jacob Brent, Mark Dendy, Jana Hicks, Val Suarez, Max Stone, and Zena Rommett.  Throughout his years a performer, Karl had the privilege of working with many inspiring  artists. Highlights include Jerry Mitchell, Matthew Broderick, Vanessa Williams, Micky  Dolenz, and Robert LePage and his Ex Machina team. Select credits include: the national  tour of Pippin (ensemble and aerial captain), NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and  eight years dancing and flying for The Metropolitan Opera.  As an instructor Karl has taught a range of dance styles: ballet, jazz, theatre dance, lyrical, contemporary, conditioning, movement for actors, and dance improvisation. He also gives master classes in ballet, jazz, dance improvisation, leap and pirouette technique,  and partnering.  

He has taught workshops for Phillips Exeter Academy, Berwick Academy, the University  of New Hampshire, and Plymouth State University. In NYC, he taught in the BFA  program at The New York Film Academy’s Musical Theatre Department for ten years;  and he was the lead dance teacher and a member of the senior faculty for nine years at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Several of his students have become  professional dancers and actors, performing in Broadway shows, national and  international tours, TV series, and major motion pictures. Karl is a member of the  Actor’s Equity Association and the American Guild of Musical Artists.  

TEACHER & FITNESS COACH

Picture & Bio Coming Soon!

 Choreographer 

Miss Riley is especially invested in giving students a true sense of the arts and dance. She works tirelessly to bring a unique and strong sense of self to the dancers at MAMA.

Her creative spirit and calm energy give students a safe, yet inspiring setting to pursue their own unique talents.

Miss Riley Anne Lynch graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Theatre and Dance, at Keene State College, specializing in choreography and performance. She spent two semesters studying at Duke University for the American Dance Festival.

 She is currently a freelance performer and the director of her own Modern Dance Company, 

Weather Makers Dance. 

She has studied with and performed the works

of Monica Bill Barnes, Heidi Henderson, Ishmael Houston Jones, Cynthia McLaughlin, Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern and many more. Studying abroad in Italy and Athens Greece with Robert Lawson, learning the many facets of show creation and the fascination for creating art based on humanity has shaped how she works. Riley began her training under the direction of Christina Ahern of Monadnock Academy of Movement Arts when she was three years old. She is a poet, a writer and an avid story teller.

She is very proud to be a part of the fabulous team of dancers, teachers and choreographers at MAMA. 

 Shawn is best at giving students the motivation needed to accomplish the difficulties of dance training. He has a unique ability to inspire confidence and help students gain an inner understanding of movement, vital in today's dance world where developing movement from within is paramount.

Shawn began his training as a young boy at the Monadnock Academy of Movement Arts taking classes in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre, Ballroom & More. 

He went on to pursue a Bachelors degree in Theatre & Dance from Keene State College and toured for 7 years with the world renowned dance company Pilobolus, acting as Dance Captain. He performed and studied with Bill Irwin, and has partnered with many notable industry leaders for stage, screen and behind the scenes work, allowing him to further his mastery of the arts in dance, theatre & film.

He continues to work under the direction of Sidi Larbi Cherkoui's Eastman Dance Company of Antwerp, Belgium as a dancer and assistant choreographer. He has worked with the Beyonce & Jay-Z, choreographing for her music videos; Spirit & APES**T, and dancing with Emma Watson, in the film Little Women. He appears in the Netflix film ANIMA, the recently released Cyrano the Musical Film, and has won numerous awards for his own dance films, including Lincoln Center & The Baryshnikov Arts Center. Assistant Choreographer for Chiroptera in Paris, France. He's currently traveling the world to dance, perform, choreograph, film and act. He loves to come home to Peterborough, NH to teach dance to the students of MAMA!