meet our staff!

Miss Christine

Owner/Director

Miss Christine is excited to begin her role as Owner/Director of On the Barre! She has been on staff at On the Barre for 10 years as both Office Manager and Instructor, and also was a student of On the Barre growing up. She is excited to teach numerous classes including Ballet, Lyrical, and Dance Team Choreography. Christine is a graduate from Westfield State College, where she studied Psychology and Special Education, and also was a member of the Dance Team where she sat on the Executive Board of Directors as Secretary. She is a head coach and choreographer for a local twirling competitive dance team. Miss Christine is an active member of the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston where she is a certified dance instructor and Greater Brockton Dance Teachers Associations. Outside of the studio, Miss Christine works as a Special Education Teacher.

Miss Koty

Instructor/Choreographer

Miss Koty began her dance career at the age of 2 at the former AMJ Dance Center where she studied, assisted and taught classes until her graduation from high school. She is a graduate of Bridgewater State University where she holds a bachelor's degree in Dance with a minor in Management. At BSU, she held the positions of Vice President and Choreographer for the Refined Movement dance club as well as Treasurer of the National Dance Education Organization’s student chapter and is a seasonal member of BSU’s Dance Company. She previously has run an after-school dance program at Moses Brown preparatory school for preschool through first grade. Koty has also traveled to annual conferences held by the National Dance Education Organization to further her research based on the various aspects and benefits of dance and in November of 2017 presented at this national conference! Miss Koty is an active member of the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston where she is a certified dance instructor. She is thrilled to have found a home at On the Barre and is looking forward to learning and growing along with her students in her Ballet, Tap, and Jazz classes!

Miss Steph

Instructor/Choreographer

Stephanie Stanford Shaw has been teaching throughout New England for more than 25 years. She joined Fusionworks Dance Company, a modern dance repertory company, in 1992 and served as assistant to the director for the company until September 2016. Stephanie was also the director and primary choreographer for the pre-professional junior company, Fusionworks II and was a senior member of the Fusionworks Educational Team until its cessation in 2018. Stephanie retired from her professional performing career in 2013 to concentrate on her teaching and currently teaches at several private studios throughout the region as well as conducting curriculum-based dance programs in public and private schools throughout the area. She is a member of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Artist in Residence Educational Roster. Her work, “All You Need to Know”, was chosen to represent the Rhode Island dance scene as part of the 2002 National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) conference and in 2012 her dance “Turf Wars?” was performed at “Day of Dance” presented by Dance Alliance of Rhode Island and the Massachusetts Dance Education Organization. Her formal study began with prima ballerina, Anamarie Sarazin at the Sarazin School of Dance, she then went on to perform as a principal dancer with Cumberland Company and received her BFA in dance from the Boston Conservatory. Miss Steph is excited to join the OTB staff!

Miss Lauren

Instructor / Choreographer

Miss Lauren began dancing at the age of three. She progressed into learning various styles of dance including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe and acrobatics. She also participated in both Junior and Senior Company dance teams at her childhood studio. As Lauren’s dance journey continued she began teaching with a focus in tap, jazz, pre-ballet and acrobatics. She holds a B.A. in Business Management and Marketing as well as an MBA with a concentration in Management from the College of Our Lady of the Elms. Outside of the studio Lauren works in Human Resources for a technology company. Lauren is extremely excited to join the OTB team and dance with you!