Laura Sciortino

Artistic Director/Owner

Laura began her dance training with several teachers on Cape Cod, Boston Ballet and The Hartford Ballet. Upon graduating from the prestigious Harid Conservatory on full scholarship she began her professional dance career and danced for a number of ballet companies such as Milwaukee Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Channel Islands Ballet, Configuration, and Ballet Wisconsin. She performed leading roles in such classical ballets as The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Paquita, and Sleeping Beauty. She also had the opportunity to perform leading roles in George Balanchine's Apollo and Valse Fantasie. She has also performed a broad variety of contemporary, neo-classical, and modern works by talented choreographers such as Phillip Trehet, Harrison McEldowney in Group Therapy and Dance Sport, Mark Dendy, Yves de Bouteiller, Graham Lustig, Hans Van Manen, and Micheal Smuin. Laura was described as "sleek and lovely" in DANCE EUROPE MAGAZINE for her work in Graham Lustig's Six Pianos. Her choreography has received high recognition for dance companies, dance studios, and dance competitions. She has received several choreography awards and "Critic's Choice" awards at New York City Dance Alliance, West Coast Dance Explosion, Showstoppers, and Youth America Grand Prix. Laura has taught for the Dance Teacher's Club of Boston, Virginia School of The Arts, and Festival Ballet of Providence. She continues to teach master classes and set choreography throughout the country. Her students have attended and received scholarships to Alvin Ailey, Alonzo Kings' LINES, Harid, Joffrey Ballet, School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Royal Ballet School, The Rock, and Paris Opera Ballet School and have also received numerous merit scholarships for dance in Universities world wide.

She is also the proud mother of 13 year old Henry and 11 year old Cordelia. Laura recognizes that all life’s paths are unique and no two are the same. So her goal is to help all of her students succeed by working closely with their individual needs to help them pursue their passions!

Meet the Team

Yves de Bouteiller

Associate Director of the Classical Ballet Program

Yves de Bouteiller received his training in his native France, where he studied primarily with Marie-Laure Medova in Toulouse and subsequently with Robert Bestonso, Raymond Franchetti and Rosella Hightower. In 1979, he began his professional career in Europe as a soloist and principal dancer with such companies as the Ballet du Nord in France and Maurice Bejart’s Ballet of the 20th Century in Belgium. In 1989, he became a principal dancer with the Milwaukee ballet. In 1990, Mr. de Bouteiller extended his artistic talents to choreography. In 1991, he founded Ballet Wisconsin, formerly known as "Et toi, tu danses?” In 1995, he opened the Dance Center, the official school of Ballet Wisconsin. From 2000 to 2003 Mr. de Bouteiller served as artistic director of the Channel Islands Ballet, Ventura County’s former professional ballet company. Since 2003, Mr. de Bouteiller focused his career on freelance choreography. Some of his projects included, in October 2005, the creation of a critically acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet for the Festival Ballet Providence in Rhode Island and, in October 2007, an invitation to teach company class for Alberta Ballet in Calgary, Canada. From 2008 to 2011 he served as ballet master for Festival Ballet Providence, in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2013, Mr. de Bouteiller received his « Certificat d’Aptitude aux fonctions de professeur de danse classique », the highest national diploma delivered by the French government.

Ariana Romano Harris

Director of the Acro Dance Program

Assistant to the Artistic Director

Ariana began her dance training on Cape Cod at an early age. She studied at Turning Pointe for 5 years. She has performed various roles in many ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Firebird, Cinderella, and The Sea Captain's Nutcracker. Ariana attended summer dance intensives at Bossov Ballet Theatre and American Repertory Ballet. During her 5 years at Turning Pointe, Ariana was a teacher's assistant and teacher. After graduating from Sandwich High School, Ariana attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she received a BS in Kinesiology with a concentration in Pre-medical studies. While attending UMass Amherst, Ariana studied dance in a variety of classes. During her time at UMass, she danced with Pulse Dance Company. Ariana captained the company her junior and senior years and choreographed numerous pieces for the company to perform. Each summer, while in college, Ariana returned home to teach during Turning Pointe's summer program. Ariana is Acrobatic Arts certified and has completed the Acrobatic Arts certification courses through module two.

Louisa Hopewell

Louisa began her dance training on Cape Cod and soon came to Turning Pointe Dance Studio where she studied for nine years. Louisa was also a competitive Highland dancer for five years which complemented her ballet training. Louisa attended summer intensives at Milwaukee Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Festival Ballet, and chaperoned and danced for the Gelsey Kirkland Summer Intensive. During her senior year at Falmouth High School, Louisa began teaching for Turning Pointe Dance Studio. After graduating from FHS, Louisa moved to Salt Lake City to study ballet at the University of Utah. During her time at the University Louisa had the privilege of studying under Calvin Kitten, a former soloist for Joffrey Ballet, Maggie Tesch, a long time principle at Ballet West, as well as Michael Bearden, Jay Kim, Victoria Stocki, Maureen Laird and Rory Foster. During her four years in the Ballet Department she performed various roles in Utah Ballet performances including Cinderella, choreographed by Jay Kim, Serenade, set by NYCB dancer Zippora Karz, Coppelia, choreographed by Rene Daveluy, Etudes, choreographed by Jay Kim, Sympatico choreographed by Michael Bearden, and many other contemporary and classical pieces. Louisa also performed a lead soloist role in Fokine's Les Sylphide, set and coached by Maggie Tesch. Louisa graduated this past spring with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Classical Ballet and plans to continue dancing and teaching.

Apart from her life as a ballet dancer, Louisa has taught swim lessons for Megan's Swim Program at Stoney Beach in Woods Hole. She is Wilderness First Responder certified through NOLS and loves to play the cello.

Katie Grenier

Katie Grenier is excited to return to her Turning Pointe Dance Studio family! A Massachusetts native, Katie holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance Performance & Choreography from Dean College and a Master's degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University.

Katie's dance career has allowed her to perform in both the concert and commercial dance worlds. She trained and performed with Boston-based contemporary company Urbanity Dance before moving to Las Vegas, where she danced professionally in Le Cabaret at Paris Las Vegas and as a dancer for the Vegas Golden Knights NHL team, serving as Captain during her final season. Throughout her career, Katie has had the opportunity to train with renowned choreographers, perform for thousands of audience members, and continue sharing her love of dance through teaching, choreography, and competition adjudication.

As an instructor, Katie is passionate about helping dancers build strong technique, confidence, artistry, and a genuine love for movement. She believes every dancer deserves a positive, encouraging environment where they feel challenged, supported, and celebrated for who they are. In addition to teaching dance, Katie works as a mental health counselor specializing in eating disorder treatment as she continues to pursue licensure as a therapist in MA. Katie aims to bring compassion, patience, and an understanding of each student's individual growth into every class. She is honored to be back at Turning Pointe and looks forward to dancing with all her students!

Sarah Garceau

Sarah began dancing at her local studio in grade school which took her all the way to Dean College, where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Dance in 2011. While attending Dean College, she attended the Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive in NYC in 2009. She partook in theatrical productions at Dean College and various dance shows including Dance Company and Choreographer. Sarah has taught at several different studios on the South Shore and was a member of Boston based hip hop crew, Unyted Stylz, for 7 years. While a member she competed in competitions and performed around Boston.

Julia Sykes

Julia began dance training at the age of nine, studying ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz. After high school, she earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from Long Island University, Brooklyn campus. In New York she had the opportunity to learn and perform choreography by various world renowned choreographers, including Ron K. Brown, Bill T. Jones, Jennifer Muller, Nathan Trice, and Twyla Tharp, among others. In the summer of 2014, she joined the dance team for the Mets Affiliated baseball team, The Brooklyn Cyclones. Upon moving back to her native Massachusetts, Julia began teaching at Center Stage Dance Academy (Plymouth MA), and began dancing with various companies and choreographers in the area, including Adrienne Hawkins and Project 31, among others. She has taught classes at local dance centers such as the Dance Complex in Cambridge, and taught intensives and guest choreography at local studios from the South to the North Shore of Massachusetts. Julia joined BoSoma Dance Company from 2018 - 2021, a company the Boston Globe describes as “vigorously athletic and artistically sculptural”, and “the Alvin Ailey of New England” from audience testimonials. She also taught at BoSoma School of Dance from 2019-2022. In 2021, Julia is earned her certification in Personal Training from ACE Fitness. In May 2022, she opened Studio 721 in Buzzards Bay, MA, which offers adult dance classes and dance related fitness.

Rebecca Wilson

Rebecca began dancing at the age of 3 and grew up on Cape Cod, where she was a member of a competitive dance team training in styles of ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop. A recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education with a secondary major in Psychology. During her time at UMass Amherst, she became involved in the dance department on campus. As a member of the UMass Dance Club, Rebecca choreographed and performed in several pieces since her freshman year. She became President of the UMass Dance Club after previously working on the executive board for two years. She studied ballet each semester, training with instructors including Bronwen Macarther and Thomas Vacanti, as well as being part of the Alive With Dance performance group. Rebecca choreographed numerous pieces for the UMass Dance Club in styles such as contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and ballet. Rebecca is excited to share her passion and love for dance with her students!

Isabelle Ramage

Born and raised on Cape Cod Isabelle trained with Turning Pointe Dance Studio and graduated from the Intensive Division Program in 2019. She then joined Ballet Austin’s fully endowed Butler fellowship program for their 2019/2020 season under the direction of Stephen Mills. In 2020 she danced with Ballet Idaho under direction of Garret Anderson where she additionally taught for the Young Dancer Program of the Ballet Idaho Academy. Isabelle joined Newport Contemporary Ballet (then Island Moving Company) in 2021. She was a performing company dancer for Newport Contemporary Ballet until the conclusion of the 2024 season. Isabelle has had the pleasure of performing acclaimed classical and contemporary works including Marius Petipa’s Paquita, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, Jiri Kylian’s Falling Angels, Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain, George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, and various new works. Still living and working in Newport, Isabelle is now perusing a degree in arts administration while continuing to share her love and knowledge of ballet to the students at Turning Pointe.

Tristan Marshall

Tristan Marshall, originally from Massachusetts, received his Bachelor of the Arts in Dance and a minor in Sports Sciences and Disabilities from Hofstra University. Throughout his time at Hofstra, Tristan received many accolades for his choreography. Since graduating, he has found a love for teaching & working with young students. Tristan strives to create a safe space to learn, grow & challenge each student he works with. He fuses athleticism & technique, with artistry & passion, and loves instilling this in the next generation. He has gotten to share his knowledge with many studios along the East Coast, ranging from workshops & intensives to choreographing competition dances throughout New England. Aside from teaching, he just finished dancing & choreographing for his second show with DanceWorks Boston and is in his fifth season on the competition circuit.

Erin Usawicz

Erin’s early training was at Boston Ballet with Sydelle Gomberg and later as a scholarship student with Ballet Theatre of Boston (now Jose Mateo Ballet Theater) where she graduated from their Young Dancers Program. She trained extensively with Jose Mateo, Mary McKenzie Thompson, Elena Martinson & Andrei Ustinov. Erin was invited to apprentice with the company when she was 17 years old. After apprenticing, she danced corps de ballet roles in many classics, including The Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker and Cinderella as well as many original neo-classical works. Erin also trained in NYC with Finis Jung at Broadway Dance Center, and was invited to be a guest artist with Long Island Ballet Theater for their Nutcracker season. She attended Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in photography. Erin taught as an adjunct instructor in ballet at Centenary University’s theater department for 7 years where she developed the ballet curriculum for musical theater students as well as community outreach classes for teens and adults. As a senior faculty member at North Jersey School of Dance Arts from 2007-2024, she was also heavily involved in New Jersey Civic Youth Ballet, a non-profit youth ballet company. Erin also has coached students for Youth America Grand Prix, where some have placed in the top 10 for their categories. Her students have been accepted to many prestigious schools and companies such as The Rock School, The Harid Conservatory, Butler University Ballet, Ellison Ballet, School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, New Jersey Ballet and American Repertory Ballet among others. Her philosophy is that “Ballet is for Everyone” and she aims to approach training in a way that welcomes diversity and seeks achievement in all students, no matter their level.

Ella Hayes

Born and raised on Cape Cod, Ella began her dance training at Turning Pointe Dance Studio at the age of three. As a member of the studio’s Competition Program, she gained performance experience as both a soloist and ensemble member, competing in both classical and contemporary categories while developing a strong foundation in technique, artistry, and the dedication that comes with competitive dance. During her senior year of high school, Ella joined Turning Pointe’s Pre-Professional Program, continuing her training through advanced classes, and rehearsals. She attended summer intensives with Milwaukee Ballet, American Academy of Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Broadway Dance Center, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, and Joffrey Ballet School.

Ella went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Associate of Arts in Dance from Dean College, where she served as a Dance Captain for The Collective Dance Team. She has been teaching at Turning Pointe Dance Studio since 2019 and enjoys sharing her love of dance while helping students develop confidence, strong technique, and a lifelong appreciation for movement. Ella currently works as an Assistant Manager for lululemon, where she continues to grow as a leader and mentor while supporting those around her.

Carley Peckham

Carley began her dance training at a young age and studied under the direction of Winthrop Corey. She later attended summer intensives with the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Alabama Ballet, and Carolina Ballet. She was a member of Mobile Ballet Company for eight years, where she performed in numerous classical ballets, including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Swan Lake, and George Balanchine's Serenade. She has over seven years of teaching experience and enjoys sharing her passion for ballet with her students. Carley strives to create a positive, encouraging classroom where dancers can develop strong technique, confidence, and a lifelong appreciation for dance.

Shelby Arnold

Shelby began dancing at the age of three, training at Easton School of Dance, Kaleidoscope School of Dance & Gymnastics, and later Center Stage Dance Academy in Plymouth, MA. She studied Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and Hip Hop before Pursuing her Bachelor of Arts from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City.

As she settled into life in New York City, Shelby joined a hip-hop dance club at Marymount Manhattan College, performing at local venues and discovering a deeper passion for commercial dance. What began as an appreciation for hip hop quickly grew into a true passion as she expanded her training beyond the classroom, learning from industry leaders including Luam Keflezgy, Miles Keeney, Kenichi Kasamatsu, Jared Jenkins, and many others. She performed throughout the tri-state area and participated in exclusive training intensives that further fueled her love for commercial and street dance styles. During her time in New York, Shelby also had the opportunity to teach hip hop and street movement to her peers at Marymount Manhattan College as well as local New York studios.

Since 2022, Shelby has been teaching at both Studio 721 and Center Stage Dance Academy, where she instructs dancers of all ages and experience levels in a variety of commercial dance styles, including Hip Hop, Heels, Jazz Funk, and dance fitness. Her classes focus on building strong technique, confidence, musicality, and performance quality in a fun, supportive environment.

Shelby is passionate about helping every dancer feel empowered, express themselves authentically, and leave class feeling like their own superstar.

Mairead Smelser

Mairead Smelser has trained intensively at Turning Pointe Dance Studio for the past five years and is currently a rising senior at Falmouth High School. She is a member of the Level 4 Intensive Division, a competitive classical and contemporary soloist, and has also trained in Turning Pointe's Pre-Professional Ballet Program.

Throughout her training, Mairead has had the privilege of competing at several prestigious ballet competitions, including Youth America Grand Prix, the Connecticut Classic, and Universal Ballet Competition. In 2024, she placed fifth in the Classical category at Universal Ballet Competition and earned a Platinum Award for her contemporary solo. In 2025, she and her partner placed first in the Pas de Deux category at Universal Ballet Competition and third at the Connecticut Classic.

Mairead has also been awarded scholarships to prestigious training programs, including The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. This past summer, she had the opportunity to study at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's renowned five-week Summer Intensive, where she further developed her classical training.

In 2025, Mairead represented Massachusetts with Turning Pointe Dance Studio at the Dance Excellence International Dance Festival in Los Angeles. She is also a member of the National Honor Society at Falmouth High School and has enjoyed assisting dance classes at Turning Pointe for the past three years.

Mairead's passion for dance shines through in everything she does. She is incredibly excited to share her knowledge, enthusiasm, and love of dance with the next generation of dancers during the upcoming season.

Lexi Todd-Weinstein

Lexi Todd-Weinstein has trained at Turning Pointe Dance Studio since she was two years old and is currently a rising senior at Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis, Massachusetts. She is a member of the Level 4 Intensive Division.

During her years in the competition program, Lexi has attended prestigious competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix, Universal Ballet Competition, Connecticut Classic, and Sheer Elite, where she performed as part of award-winning groups that received high scores. She also attended Dance Excellence in California in 2018 and 2022, participating in the convention's classes and performance opportunities.

In addition to her dedication to dance, Lexi is a high-achieving student in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. She is actively involved in her school community through Student Council, News Crew, the Prom Committee, and as a student researcher on a pediatric research project.

Amy Sellers

Amy has been teaching fitness classes since college when she shifted from ballet classes to dance aerobics and step. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and is certified through AAAA/ISMA in Aqua, Pilates and Group Fitness. She fell in love with teaching people 60 and above as she saw a need on Cape Cod for classes designed to keep people moving functionally, motivated to keep attending classes and challenged to do their best. Currently she teaches at several local senior fitness facilities where she continues to be inspired by people's dedications to staying fit. She still keeps her toes in dance classes too, as she is always willing to step in to substitute any dance class at Turning Pointe. Amy loves Turning Pointe, is one of its biggest cheerleaders and loves being a part of the Turning Pointe Family.