Our Staff

Teachers

Naomi Bennett is a teacher, director and movement artist based in Cambridge, MA.  She received a degree in Collaborative Theatre and Directing from UMass Amherst, and has studied clowning, mime, and mask in Venice, Paris, and Montreal.  Miss Bennett recently completed the Professional Track program at the New England Center for Circus Arts.  Locally she has performed with And So No Sin Performance Troupe, Truthserum Productions, The Grindhouse Marionettes, The Illegitimate Theatre Company.

Kate Caffrey has been teaching theatre for 20 years.  She has worked with students from pre-school age to folks in their 80's.   In addition to teaching theatre, Kate is a professional director and has served as Artistic Director and/or Education Director of 3 local theatres. She is currently writing a textbook for beginning acting students. Kate holds a MA in theatre from Northwestern University.    When she isn't teaching, directing or writing, she enjoys having fun with her son and spouse.

Katie Dealy has taught dance and creative movement to children in the Boston/Cambridge area for many years.  She holds a Masters in Education from Simmons College and a Masters in Dance Education from George Washington University. In addition to teaching for CPP, Katie also teaches at Green Street Studios and several pre-schools. Katie likes to use props and create storydances in her energetic and imaginative classes.

Isabel Esquitin received her ballet training at Escuela Profesional de Danza Clasica in Mexico. She graduated from Universidad de las Americas-Puebla with a BSc in Actuarial Sciences and a minor in Dance. She was recipient of the Jenkins Scholarship and Telmex fellowship and performed with UDLA-danza, Sunny Savoy Dance Company and Ad-Libitum Dance Company. Isabel moved to Boston in June 2004. She has since performed with Kelly Donovan, Danny Swain, Jimena Bermejo, Caitlin Corbett, and worked for The Guidance Center and Topf Center for Dance Education.

Kara Johnson, a 2007 graduate of Mount Holyoke College, holding degrees in English and Dance.  Her dance training includes the Boston Ballet, the Jacob's Pillow Contemporary Traditions program, and The Boston Conservatory.  A ballet and modern dancer, she now dances professionally with Prometheus Dance Company in Cambridge.  She is a member of the dance faculties at Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre (Cambridge) and the Chelsea Youth Theatre.

Jafar Manselle, percussionist, has been teaching with CPP for over 10years. Jafar has played drums for most of the African dance teachers in the area. He especially enjoys his work with children.

Sarah Golden Martin attended Kenyon College in Ohio and the National Theatre Institute.  Sarah taught at the Lincoln School in Providence, RI and is currently on assistant teacher for the Huntington Theatre Company's Codman Academy collaborative.  She has also worked for Actors' Shakespeare Project and Boston Theatre Works.  Sarah will receive her Ed.M. in Arts Education from Harvard University in Spring.

Elizabeth Mochizuki (Beth) is a local ballet dancer who has enjoyed teaching in Cambridge over the last few years. Beth attended Tufts University while dancing with Festival Ballet of Rhode Island and later Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre.  She graduated from Tufts in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and has since performed leading roles with BalletRox, Boston Dance Company, Spindle City Ballet, and Anna Myer and Dancers.

Allison Stamiris has been studying percussion for 16 years abd is currently teaching in the Boston area.  Her primary focus is on the rhythms of West Africa and works with several master drummers in the local community.  She has traveled to Mali and Guinea on several occasions, and performs with Moussa Traore's drum troupe, Timinandi .

ToRenaWebb received her BS in Dance Performance and Choreography from the State University of New York at Brockport.  She did her last year studying Traditional Dance and Culture abroad in Jamaica at The Edna Manley School of Performing and Visual Arts. Currently, she teaches at educational urban outreach programs at the TOPF Center for Dance Education and Riverside Theatre Works. She is a local dancer member of Mosaic Dance Body.