Our classes are led by qualified and compassionate dance teachers who have many years of professional training and teaching experience.  Though our faculty comes from a variety of dance backgrounds, they all share a passion for the art and are dedicated to creating a nurturing environment that cultivates curiosity and ambition in our students.

MISS TRICIA BELSANTI

Miss Tricia is the Founder and Director of On Your Toes.  Tricia has danced and trained in Pennsylvania, California, and Boston.  She trained and taught at the prestigious California Dance Theater and performed at Pepperdine University.  Tricia also performed and trained with Jeannette Neill Dance Studio and Reagle Players.  She started teaching at age 13 and hasn't stopped since.  She studied Child Psychology at Northeastern University.  Prior to opening On Your Toes, she was the director of Dancer's Workshop in Sudbury for 13 years. Miss Tricia celebrates her 13th year owning, directing, and teaching many classes at On Your Toes.  She teaches over 20 classes a week, specializing in OYT's childrens programs.

MISS REBECCA SHELTON

Miss Rebecca started dancing ballet at the young age of 4.  She started training with Judith Koeckovhen at Academy Balley Arts at 13.  At 16 she was asked to join the Massachusetts Youth Ballet by Jackie Cronsburg where she trained with Jackie Cronsburg, Carter Alexander, Jessica Wilson, Adam Ludars, Gloria Govrin, and Sandra D'Amelio on full scholarship.  In 2005 she attended Orlando Ballet School (voted best ballet school in the country by the Youth American Grande Prix) on full scholarship where she worked with Peter Stark.  She was asked by Director Fernando Bojonas to join Orlando Ballet.  She has attended American Academy of Ballet, Boston Ballet, The Kirov Academy of Ballet, and North Carolina Dance Theater.  Recently, she appeared in Moscow Ballet's commercial for Cinderella.  Currently, Rebecca dances for Dance Visions Contemporary Ballet in Boston, MA.   Miss Rebecca was promoted to the On Your Toes Ballet Director role in 2018.  She helps to oversee our Pre-Professional Ballet Program.  She also directs and choreographs many of the On Your Toes ballet performances. 

Jaime McGovern (dance Company director)

Jaime is a dancer, choreographer and teacher born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She trained at multiple local dance studios before beginning her training at Boston Youth Moves (BYM) in 2009.  The program, under the direction of Jeannette Neill and Jim Viera, helped her realize her love for dance and her desire to pursue it as a professional career.  BYM gave her multiple performance opportunities, including performances with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and performances alongside Broadway legend Chita Rivera.  In 2014, Jaime received the Dorothy Rogers Connelly Memorial Dance Scholarship, which is given to a deserving high school senior annually. She continued  her dance education at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), under the direction of Susan Jaffe, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (B.F.A.) in Contemporary Dance in 2018. While at UNCSA, Jaime performed works by Larry Keigwin, Robyn Mineko Williams, Dawn Marie Bazemore, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Charles Czarny, Shen Wei, Brenda Daniels and Sean Sullivan and several others. She received a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence scholarship, awarded to her for both excellence in dancing and academics. Jaime also attended the Boston Conservatory, Windhover Dance and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater summer programs on full scholarships, where she had the pleasure of working with Ray Mercer, Adrienne Hurd, Sidra Bell, Clarice Young and The Dusan Tynek Dance Theater among others.

After college graduation, Jaime moved to New York City.  She has performed works by David Parsons with Parsons Dance Co as well as Creators, Life, Movement Dance Company under the direction of Karen Arceneaux. Jaime is also the founder and Artistic Director of Vega Dance Project, a performing dance company based in New York City and Boston. She has always been a fitness enthusiast and is currently pursuing certifications in group fitness, personal training and cycling. 

Miss Kathlyn Morgan

Miss Kathlyn started dancing at the age of two, training at the Cathy Taylor School of dance in Auburn, MA specializing in Contemporary/Lyrical, while also training in Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theater, Modern, and Tap. She started competing around the United States at the age of six, and had the pleasure of being chosen in 2009 to represent the United States in Germany for Worlds. In 2010 she also traveled to Shanghai, China to dance and be a part of the International Cultural Dance Festival. She continued to attend various conventions and master classes while attending college at Rivier University, and also continued to take dance classes at The Savannah College of Art and Design while living in Georgia. Upon moving back home to MA, she became a judge for various regional and national competitions. She also found the opportunity to teach at On Your Toes and has continued to grow her dance career throughout the years within the studio.

Miss Minami Kikuchi

Minami’s teaching philosophy is grounded in her profound belief that dance is a universal language. She is known to create movements that resonate with genuine emotion. In her artistic endeavors, she places a strong emphasis on fostering a deep connection between the audience and performers. She strongly believes that the authentic emotions conveyed on the stage have the power to profoundly move audiences. Her dedication to pushing the boundaries of creating movements is evident through her submissions to many events, including the Modern American Dance Company's Dare to Dance Festival 2024, the American College Dance Association Adjudicated Concert 2023, and active participation in the Lindenwood University Dance Program Concerts. Minami's choreography is a testament to her commitment to creating an experience where real emotions come alive through the art of dance. She has been selected for a choreographer residency in 2024 by the Rhode Island Women Choreography Project. We are happy to welcome Minami to our OYT family starting this fall!

Miss Alicia Love

Alicia is from Saint Louis, Missouri, but currently resides in Waltham, Massachusetts. she trained at On Your Toes Dance Studio in Missouri for thirteen years and became part of their staff shortly after graduating high school. Alicia graduated in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance with a specialty in contemporary from Lindenwood University. During her time at Lindenwood, she performed at The Big Muddy Dance Festival, Detroit Dance City Festival, the American Collegiate Dance Association, and the Fall, Winter, and Spring Concerts at Lindenwood. In 2021, Alicia won two National Championships at UDA Nationals in Orlando, Florida with the Lindenwood Lion Line Dance Team. She also had the opportunity to create work in the 2021 and 2022 Winter Dance Concerts and showed her piece at St. Louis National Dance Week in 2022. After Alicia graduated from Lindenwood, she traveled to Becket, Massachusetts to work as a production intern for Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2023. During her time in Massachusetts, Alicia performed in the dance ensemble for Sullivan Rep’s Steele Pier, and Weston Friendly Society’s Curtains. She now works for Boston Ballet School as the Student Services Specialist and continues her dance journey as an apprentice with Pantos Project Dance Company located in Waltham, MA. She is excited to join On Your Toes this season!

Nicole Butterworth

Nicole has taught gymnastics & acrobatic skills since 2004. She was a former Junior Olympic coach for 7 years and coached many athletes to State, Regional & National Championships. In her youth, she was a competitive artistic & rhythmic gymnast.

Currently, Nicole is an Acro Instructor at On Your Toes. She is a certified Personal Trainer with a specialization in Youth Fitness, Functional Training & Corrective Exercises.

"My philosophy on teaching youth sports is simple- we must educate in a safe, progressive format through quality fundamentals to help athletes achieve their greatest potential in themselves and the sports they love."

Michelle Barnes

Miss Michelle Barnes is very excited to join the staff of On Your Toes this year.  Miss Michelle studied with Edmund and Irina Novak of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as well as other professionals from the major ballet companies around the country. She was a founding member of the Bangor Youth Ballet in Bangor, Maine.  She has her BA from Smith College and MA from the University of Southern California. She has taught dance in New England since 1991, and was artistic director of Miss Michelle’s Center for the Performing Arts which she founded in 2008. She has choreographed and staged many full-length ballets, including The Nutcracker Ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, Raymonda, Le Corsaire, La Fille mal gardeé, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, among numerous others.