Ms. Belanger holds a M.Ed. in Education from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Psychology from the State University of New York, College at New Paltz, where she studied ballet and jazz with Ms. Diana Banks from The American Ballet Theatre, Ballet with Fred De Mayo former Principal Dancer with the Metropolitan Ballet under George Balanchine and Artistic Director of The Ulster County Ballet and modern dance with Dr. Gloria Bonali, a former student of Jose’ Limon, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. She continued her studies in New York City where she was a scholarship student and apprentice company member with the Mary Anthony Dance Theatre and was trained by Ms. Anna Sokolov in Choreography and Betram Ross, Debra Zall and Nani Chen in the Martha Graham technique. She studied Ballet at Steps with Haynes Owens and Robert Blankshine and Jazz with JoJo Smith. She also studied the modern styles of Jennifer Mueller with William Adair, Graham with Miguel Valdez Moore Debra Zall and Nani Chen, and ballet with Graciela Kozak, Ilana Supran, and Igal Perry at the Peridance Center, where she was the Foreign Student Program Director. Additional modern/contemporary dance training includes classes with Milton Myers and Joelle’ Moffet in the Horton technique, Lynn Simonson, Lori Devito and Charles Wright in the Simonson technique and June Lewis, Alan Danielson, and Janie Brendel in the Limon technique. She also took classes in the Paul Taylor technique with Carolyn Adams and Cathy McCann. She spent one year at the State University of New York, Brockport while assisting at the Brockport School of Dance, and had the opportunity to study with Garth Fagan, famed choreographer of the “Lion King” and his principal dancer Norwood Pennewell in addition to doing an intensive workshop with Mark Morris. She performed with the Mary Anthony Dance Theatre and several other independent choreographers while in New York. She was a member of the Stephen Collucchi Dance Project, under the direction of Ms. Andrea Woods, from the Bill T.
Jones/Zane Company. This group toured the public schools throughout the five boroughs performing lecture demonstrations in modern dance history and technique. She was a certified New York State teacher in dance education and instructed students in modern, ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop while directing the Creative Arts Mini-School at the Elizabeth Barrett Browning Middle School in the Bronx, NY for 7 years. Upon returning to NH she taught technique classes throughout the state at Bedford Dance Center, Portsmouth School of Ballet, Ballet New England, Steppin Out Dance Academy and Exeter School of Dance and Gymnastics in Ballet, Modern and Contemporary and worked at the Brooks School in North Andover, MA instructing and choreographing for their recreational dance program and the YMCA of Greater Manchester. She has also shown choreography at the New England Inspirational Dance Collective presented by Saving Grace Dance Ensemble in Milford, NH for the past seven seasons and the Bayside Tap Company’s Annual “Dance to Your Own Rhythm” Showcase for the past two seasons and Windhover “Artfullness” in July of 2023 She continues her studies in Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Contemporary at Southern NH Dance Theatre and with NSquared Dance Company in Manchester NH. She joined the faculty of Kathy Blake Dance Studio in 2022 and is currently teaching Ballet, Modern and Contemporary dance.
Jones/Zane Company. This group toured the public schools throughout the five boroughs performing lecture demonstrations in modern dance history and technique. She was a certified New York State teacher in dance education and instructed students in modern, ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop while directing the Creative Arts Mini-School at the Elizabeth Barrett Browning Middle School in the Bronx, NY for 7 years. Upon returning to NH she taught technique classes throughout the state at Bedford Dance Center, Portsmouth School of Ballet, Ballet New England, Steppin Out Dance Academy and Exeter School of Dance and Gymnastics in Ballet, Modern and Contemporary and worked at the Brooks School in North Andover, MA instructing and choreographing for their recreational dance program and the YMCA of Greater Manchester. She has also shown choreography at the New England Inspirational Dance Collective presented by Saving Grace Dance Ensemble in Milford, NH for the past seven seasons and the Bayside Tap Company’s Annual “Dance to Your Own Rhythm” Showcase for the past two seasons and Windhover “Artfullness” in July of 2023 She continues her studies in Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Contemporary at Southern NH Dance Theatre and with NSquared Dance Company in Manchester NH. She joined the faculty of Kathy Blake Dance Studio in 2022 and is currently teaching Ballet, Modern and Contemporary dance.