Executive Director
Lissa has been dancing professionally for fifteen years and has trained across New England including programs at Boston Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Burklyn Ballet Theatre. She holds a comprehensive certification in classical Pilates from Peak Pilates. In 2013 she graduated with a double major B.S. in Kinesiology: Exercise Science and B.A. in Theatre and Dance from the University of New Hampshire. Under direction of Larry Robertson, former Boston Ballet soloist, Lissa took the leading roles in Paquita, Scenes dan un Salon, and Echoes of the Highlands with the University of NH’s Ballet Company.
She was a principal ballerina with Northeastern Ballet Theatre since 2005 taking on leading roles such as Lucy in Dracula, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Laurencia in The Pirate and the Gypsy, the Evil Queen in Snow White, and main/title roles in Sleeping Beauty, The Snow Queen, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and The Nutcracker. She is also an accomplished choreographer and has choreographed more than ten full length musicals for Portsmouth Christian Academy.
Through the Miss NH organization Lissa became a spokesperson for her platforms (breast cancer awareness and distracted driving), volunteer, fundraiser, and advocate for many non-profit organizations across NH which won her community service awards, recognition and support from the Governor of NH on multiple occasions; a copy of her work is in the Congressional Record. Currently, Lissa is a sought after advocate, performer, and key note speaker against sexual violence after going public with her story. Be BRAVE is not only her personal mantra, but has become a movement encouraging other survivors to speak out.
Company Member
Skye Darling grew up homeschooled in the small town of Milton Mills, NH. She began playing the violin when she was six years old and dancing by age eleven. Skye received her degree from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Minor in Dance. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Violin Performance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Along with Safe Haven Ballet, Skye has danced with Northeastern Ballet Theater, the UNH Ballet Company, UNH Aerial, and in the Lila Dance festival, the Breathe Life Gala, and the Be Brave Gala. Outside of dancing, Skye has coached the UNH Youth Symphony Orchestra, performed and recorded with the UNH Symphony Orchestra, UNH Chamber Ensembles, as a soloist, and she has written, recorded, and performed violin and vocals around the seacoast. Skye loves Safe Haven Ballet for providing an exceptional mission, a safe community, and an opportunity for continued growth and she looks forward to another exciting season with the company!
Company Member
Teresa Fardella, a New Orleans native, has trained and performed with Jefferson Ballet Theater, Ballet Hysell, Loyola Ballet, and D’Project. Her most memorable performances are West Side Story, La Bayadere, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Her choreography has been shown with D’Project, Lelia Haller’s The Nutcracker, Storytellers Dance Project and OnStage Dance Company Season 18-22. Upon moving to Boston, she has performed with Tony Williams Urban Nutcracker, OnStage Dance Company, teXtmoVes, Saving Grace Dance Ensemble, and Safe Haven Ballet. Most recently, Saving Grace Dance Ensemble was given the opportunity to work on a reconstruction of José Limón’s “There is a Time.” She currently teaches ballet at Melrose Dance Academy, Arlington Dance Place, and is ballet director for In Sync Center of the Arts where she is artistic director of an annual full-length ballet.
Instructor/Company Member
Jane Hannon grew up in Salem, NH and began dancing at the age of 3. She trained throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire for 16 years at New England Civic Ballet, Northeastern Ballet Theatre and Northeast School of Ballet. She has had countless summer intensives throughout New England, American Academy of Ballet at SUNY Purchase, Charlotte Ballet and The Washington Ballet. After graduating high school, she was invited to train in the Pre-Professional Program for the 2018-2019 school year at Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. For the 2019/2020 Season, she accepted a Trainee Contract with Ballet Hartford. Since 2019, Jane has loved performing with Safe Haven Ballet in numerous ballets such as The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Cinderella. In addition to performing, she has also been professionally teaching ballet for ages one to adult for the last three years throughout New England. Jane is overjoyed to return as a Company Member and on Faculty with Safe Haven Ballet for the 2022/2023 Season!
Instructor/Company Member
In 2010, Mr. LaChance was awarded a Dowd Merit Scholarship to Ballet Chicago under directors Dan Duell and Patricia Blair. Upon graduating Indiana University, he moved to Chicago to attend Ballet Chicago’s full-year program to continue his education. Mr. LaChance began dancing professionally in 2013 and since then has performed across the country for several professional ballet companies as well as ballroom studios. Joseph’s performance highlights include: Von Rothsbart in Balanchine’s Swan Lake, the Third Regiment in Balanchine’s Stars & Stripes, Le Corsaire pas de deux, Dracula in W. Earle Smith’s Dracula and Sugar Plum Cavalier in various productions of The Nutcracker. He is currently a principal dancer with Safe Haven Ballet having starred in full length productions of Don Quixote, Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. He is one of the rehearsal directors and on staff for Safe Haven Ballet’s pre- professional school.
Company Member
Morgan Brown Sanborn is originally from Standish, Maine and is currently a freelance artist and instructor throughout New England, as well as a member of City Ballet of Boston and Director of Dirigo Conservatory of Movement. She previously performed with The Florida Ballet, North Atlantic Dance Theatre, Teatrul Balet de Sibiu of Romania, Nevada Ballet Theater, and Portland Ballet Company of Maine.
Sanborn is a 2009 magna cum laude BFA dance graduate of Point Park University. She is a graduate of the Portland Ballet of Maine CORPS program under the direction of Eugenia O’brien and Daielma Santos-Decker. Her training includes summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, Festival Ballet of Providence, Point Park University, and Boston Conservatory.
Sanborn's recent featured roles include Lilac Fairy in Gianni DiMarco’s Sleeping Beauty. Vine Soloist and Spanish Soloist in Anthony William’s Urban Nutcracker. Soloist in Gianni DiMarco’s The Gathering. Arabian Soloist in Linda MacArthur Miele’s Nutcracker, Persian Princess in Miele’s Cinderella. Carmen’s Alter Ego in Roberto Forleo’s Carmen, Christoph Garcia’s Death of the Maiden, Nikiya in La Bayadere, Mercedes in Don Quixote, Hermia in Forleo’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Glove Seller in Forleo’s GaiÌ‚teÌ Parisienne. Soloist in Linda MacArthur Miele’s Souvenir, Fairy Godmother in Roger VanFleteren’s Cinderella, Dew Drop and Sugarplum in FLB’s Nutcracker. Fokine’s Le Spectre de la Rose, Dying Swan, and Prelude in Les Sylphide, as well as Joseph Morrissey’s Suite for Strings.
Her choreography has been presented by City Ballet of Boston, Florida Ballet, Portland Ballet, Penta Project, Dean College, Franklin Performing Arts Company, Florida Ballet School and many more.
Morgan has over 20 years of teaching experience and is currently an ABT® Fellowship Instructor, who has successfully presented students for ABTNTC examinations for three consecutive years. Sanborn has completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also certified in Pilates and Progressing Ballet Technique.
Instructor/Company Member
Mykenzi has grown up dancing around the NH Lakes Region and Seacoast since the age of 3. She began her serious ballet training with Northeastern Ballet Theatre at the age of 11, performing in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella among many other productions. In addition to her dance background, Mykenzi has experience in musical theater, performing in shows such as Peter Pan, Annie, Beauty and the Beast, and The Wizard of Oz. Mykenzi received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Elon University in North Carolina, where she combined her passion for dance with her love of history. During her time at Elon, Mykenzi had the honor of being an Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellow, where she learned the foundation of leadership education. This created a new interest in mentorship within the performing arts, which Mykenzi sees exemplified well in Safe Haven Ballet. Now located in Cambridge, MA, Mykenzi is focusing on continuing her dance education and looking to pursue her masters in Museum education beginning Spring 2021. She is so happy to be back doing what she loves in her home state of New Hampshire!
Company Member
Abigail Schnurbush is a 20-year-old Sole City Dance Alumni who started her dance training by taking tap and ballet classes at a local studio in her hometown of Wakefield, New Hampshire. Abby found her love for ballet while attending Deborah Grammatic's School of Ballet in 2011-2017. Abby began training at Sole City Dance in Somersworth, NH in 2016, where she performed in various repertoires such as The Nutcracker, Cinderella (by Assaf Benchertrit), Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle. Abby studied the ABT curriculum under Jacqui Young and Deborah Grammatic. The ABT curriculum and instruction from her teachers helped drive Abby to pursue a dance career, refine technique, and develop her true passion for the arts. During the summer months, Abby dedicated most of her time performing with the Solstice Dance Company (SCD) and participating in Portland Ballet's summer intensives (2012-2017). In 2022, Abby was a guest artist in SCD's Treasure Island where she starred as the Mermaid Queen, which is one of Abby's favorite roles to date. Abby is excited to continue her training and developing her artistry with Safe Haven Ballet.
Company Member
A Native of Western MA, Danielle Quenneville began her ballet training at Pioneer Valley Ballet under the direction of Ms. Maryanne Kodzis and Mr. Thomas Vacanti. It was at this facility Danielle had the opportunity to perform leading roles such as Clara in The Nutcracker and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. Expanding her horizons, Danielle has spent summers training with various ballet schools, including The Rock School of Dance, American Ballet Theater Collegiate Summer Program, and Mercyhurst University Summer Dance Experience.
Danielle graduated with her BFA from Mercyhurst University under the direction of Ms. Tauna Hunter and Ms. C.Noelle Partusch. Danielle has performed many roles with The Mercyhurst Dancers, most notably including Peasant Pas in Giselle. During her senior year, Danielle had the opportunity to perform with SoMar Dance Works under the direction of Mark and Solvieg Santillano.
After College, she ended up moving to Richmond, VA to dance with The Stavna Ballet. Here she performed roles such as Tinkerbell from Peter Pan and the Dew Drop Fairy from The Nutcracker. She also started her teaching career and taught extensively throughout the greater Richmond area.
She is excited to be dancing with Safe Haven Ballet and continue sharing her love of dance throughout New England.
Apprentice
Mary was born and raised in Manchester New Hampshire, and has 20 years of dance training and performance experience throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She received her associates of arts in dance through Dean College’s Palladino School of dance, and is trained in many different styles. In addition to dancing with Safe Haven Ballet, Mary has danced professionally with City Ballet of Boston and has danced in many pre-professional ballet productions. Mary also teaches beginner ballet at Dance Visions Network to people ages 13 to adult in Goffstown New Hampshire. When she is not dancing Mary is a Substitute teacher at Salem High School and throughout Salem School District. Mary works in the entertainment and marketing department at Canobie Lake Park in Salem New Hampshire where she performs with the Fun Squad, and gets to hangout with her Critter friends Molly, Petey, Garett, Bruno, Dapper, Kimba Sue, and Patches. Mary is also an actress at Canobie Lake Park during the parks annual “Screeemfest” event during Halloween. Mary is one of the current title holders for the Miss Capital Area Scholarship Program (a preliminary to Miss New Hampshire and Miss America) and has volunteered many hours of service through this Miss New Hampshire Program. Her Social Impact Initiative is “Understanding ADHD,” and she is the admin of a Facebook support group for dancers with ADHD. She is so excited to be apart of Safe Haven Ballet and knows that this company will shatter the glass ceiling.
Company Apprentice
Kathleen Paul is a Ballet dancer from Mumbai, India and her journey has been an interesting one for sure; She began dancing at 16 at The Danceworx and soon progressed to the advanced level after a year. However, since ballet is almost nonexistent in India, with most confusing it for “Belly Dancing,” she started taking online classes with any company that had virtual classes like the Maryland Youth Ballet, Charm City Ballet, the lovely Kathryn Morgan, and even a class with the esteemed Evgenia Obraztsova of the Bolshoi Ballet. Later, she completed the Intermediate foundation exam of the RAD style under the Royal Academy of Dance, London at a ballet school in India. She continued online classes and was invited to Budapest by Grand Art Ballet to train as a pre-professional student following the Russian Vaganova style. There, she performed in the annual show as Raymonda in the dream solo, Paquita variations, neoclassical ballet and did a masterclass with Andras Ronai, Soloist of the Hungarian National Ballet.
Apart from ballet, Kathleen has dabbled in Belly Dancing and Neoclassical ballet. She has been part of school theatre productions, like The Merchant of Venice. She has studied under the IGCSE, Cambridge Board of London and is an Alliance Francaise B2 level holder and is proficient in French. Kathleen is also a Mural Artist, Graphic Designer and Painter and has successfully completed art examinations in India. She was one of the few selected in an All-India art competition where she had her Canva art displayed at the Brinda Miller art gallery in Mumbai. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and has studied French Literature and art in college as well. An avid baker, Kathleen has worked at bakeries in Budapest and held bake sales in India.
Trainee
Claire is thrilled to join Safe Haven Ballet as a trainee. Claire has been dancing since the age of 3 and although ballet is her first love, she has also studied tap, various musical theater styles, lyrical and contemporary dance. She has performed in local productions of the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and has competed and placed in both local and regional dance competitions as both a soloist and ensemble member. Claire has also been invited to participate in dance masterclasses at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City and with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Outside of dance, Claire enjoys writing, reading, acting, singing and playing trumpet and piano.
Trainee
Grace Clement grew up in southern Maine. When she was younger, she was heavily involved in athletics, including dance. She switched over to competitive all-star and school cheerleading. She relocated to the east coast of Florida for a few years to continue cheerleading. After winning multiple national titles, she shifted her focus to her studies. Upon graduating from the University of Maine Orono, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering.
During college, her first experience with ballet was watching “Swan Lake”, performed by Moscow Ballet Company, and was immediately enthralled. She was introduced to Lissa Curtis at the Northeast Ballet Theatre's performance of “The Nutcracker” and knew ballet was worth exploring. A couple years later, Lissa invited her to audition for Safe Haven’s first production of “Sleeping Beauty”. She was hesitant due to her lack of ballet training, but was welcomed with open arms, and the rest is history!
Currently, she is excited to continue her training and to help serve the Safe Haven community on and off the stage. Outside of ballet, she works in the firearm industry and is an active member of her local church. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Trainee
Bryana is from York, Maine and began dancing at 2.5. She has trained at various studios over the years in ballet, lyrical and contemporary dance but focusing mainly on the Vaganova ballet method. Bryana has competed in various ballet competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix in Boston, Massachusetts, Boca Raton, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee where she placed top 10 in their pre-competitive category with her ballet variation from La Fille Mal Gardee.
She has also attended summer intensives at Bossov Ballet Theatre in Pittsfield, Maine and master classes at various studios around New England. Bryana is excited for her first season at Safe Haven Ballet and looks forward to her continued ballet training as a trainee both on and off the stage.
Trainee
Madelyn’s passion for dance began at the age of 2, when she started her journey at Fusion Dance Academy in Dover, NH, under the guidance of Jaime Gagner. Her natural love for the stage was undeniable, and by the age of 4, she competed in her first solo. Madelyn’s dedication to dance expanded as she trained in various genres including jazz, tap, hip hop, and contemporary with Savana and Serena Petruzello at Zello Dance Studio in Peabody, MA.
Although she enjoys exploring different styles, ballet holds a special place in her heart. Since the age of 6, Madelyn has been part of Safe Haven Ballet, where she has honed her skills under the mentorship of Lissa Curtis. She has performed in numerous Safe Haven Ballet productions, including The Nutcracker, The Grinch, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. For the past two summers, she has dedicated her time to furthering her technique and artistry by training at Burklyn Ballet. Her commitment to dance and unwavering passion make her a bright and talented young performer.
Trainee
Avalon began dancing at the age of 3. She has trained in a variety of different styles with ballet being her primary focus. She has had the honor of performing in numerous ballets throughout Oregon and New Hampshire, including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. Avalon has participated in ballet competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix in Boston, Massachusetts and San Diego, California as well as other local dance competitions throughout New England. She has attended summer dance intensives at Eugene Ballet in Eugene, Oregon, Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA. She is excited to continue her dance education as a trainee with Safe Haven Ballet.
Trainee
Elisa Verdi is a Seacoast native, and has been dancing and moving since she could walk. She
began her dance training in Eliot, ME at the John F. Hill Grange Hall, before moving to Great Bay
Academy of Dance in Portsmouth, where she studied for 10 years. Along with ballet, Elisa has
received training in tap, jazz, modern, and Irish stepdance. She has had the honor of dancing in
“The Nutcracker” at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, and has performed in dozens of productions
throughout the Seacoast. After a serious injury sidelined her for the last five years, Elisa is so
grateful to finally be able to dance again. She holds her bachelor’s degree in Communication
from Saint Anselm College, and when she is not dancing, she is working fulltime as a journalist.
This is Elisa’s first season at Safe Haven Ballet, and she is thrilled to be able to continue her
dance training and education with such a dedicated group of people.