Michele Furlong

Michelle is the director of the Dalton Ballet Studio. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Dance from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. She has been on the faculty of the School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet in Albany, NY, and has taught ballet classes in local schools. Raised in Dalton, she began tap classes at 4 years old with Celia Conuel at the Dalton CRA. At 7, she began her ballet training at the Cantarella School of Dance in Pittsfield. She danced the role of Clara in ABB’s production of the Nutcracker for three consecutive seasons. Starting at the age of 12, she danced with the company until college, performing as a corps dancer and soloist in such productions as Romeo and Juliet, Firebird, Petrouchka, Graduation Ball, Coppelia, Pas de Deux from Flower Festival, and Giselle.
She was a scholarship student at Jacob’s Pillow during an international ballet program which combined an intensive study of George Balanchine’s works with a composition workshop directed by Besse Schoenberg. In 1991, she was selected in a highly competitive nationwide search to tour major Russian cities through the Jacob’s Pillow Russian Exchange Program.
Upon graduating from college, she danced professionally with ABB as Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker) and Helena and Moth Fairy (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), as well as at other Jacob’s Pillow productions. She lives in Dalton with her husband Eric and their three children Olivia, Noelle, and Liam

Christianna Kavaloski

Professional dancer, educator and arts administrator. Born in Seattle WA, Christianna moved to the Boston area when her father left a career in physics research  to join the Boston Symphony Orchestra as principal French horn. She received her early dance training from Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Boston Ballet School, Alvin Ailey School and New York City Ballet’s School of American Ballet, and danced professionally for 20 years with classical and contemporary companies including Boston Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. She is an experienced educator and coach for aspiring dancers and has served on the faculties of Boston Ballet School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Albany Berkshire Ballet, Wheaton College, Dean College and Springfield College. She is proficient in multiple pedagogies, and has choreographed numerous original works. In 2005 she established her own school for pre professional students, many of whom have gone on to professional dance careers. She has provided artistic and administrative leadership for higher education and professional arts organizations and was a founding board member of Boston Dance Alliance. She is dedicated to introducing students to the joy, discipline and art of dance, helping them to reach their individual potential by developing strength,flexibility, musicality, confidence and artistic expression. Christianna holds a B.A. from the University of

Massachusetts and a M.S. from Boston University.

Kaitlyn Houghtaling

Kaitlyn has taken dance classes throughout her years at school, mainly hip-hop and modern. She then worked as a teacher’s assistant at the Dalton Ballet Studio after graduating high school before becoming a teacher herself. She received an associate’s degree in early childhood education from Berkshire Community College and is currently working on her Bachelor’s degree at MCLA. She is also a certified yoga instructor and is trained in first aid and CPR.