Meet our Faculty
Angie Caulfield received a BA in Performing Arts with a Dance Emphasis from The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. She received a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She has her Dance Masters of America certification through examination. Ms. Caulfield has been a faculty member of James Hubert Blake High School, where she taught modern, tap, jazz, hip hop, and ballet. She went on to start the Dance Program at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. The program continued to grow under her 7 year tenure there. Ms. Caulfield then took the position of Head of the Dance Department at the Academy of the Holy Cross. Currently, Ms. Caulfield is Director of ACD Dance Company, LLC.
Francesca Bove is an energetic dancer with a lot of experience working with children. She has been studying Dance since age three, training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop, and tap. Ms. Bove studied at the Olney Studio of Dance, and East Carolina University School of Dance in Greenville, North Carolina. She was a member of the Academy of Holy Cross Varsity Dance Team for four years. She is a former member of the Montgomery College Dance Company. She has performed in numerous musicals including Grease, Cinderella, Rent, A Chorus Line, High School Musical 2, and The Adventures of Toad and Frog. Her duties included both assisting with choreography for the production, chorus and performing leading roles. In addition to running the Technique and Contemporary program for ACD Dance, she also choreographs and assists with the Team Dance at AHC for the past four years. Ms. Bove is constantly continuing her own training by taking numerous classes in the area and in New York City.
Marissa Debrot is a graduate of Catholic University. She was a member of the Ballroom Dance Team and the CUA Dance Company, where she participated in competitions and performed at campus events. She has spent the past several summers teaching dance and theater in NJ, and now also teaches 1st grade.
Donna Reese earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Education from Towson State University and an Associates of Arts degree from Montgomery College. She performed as a singer, dancer and dance captain for many years with Kings Productions, including touring productions of the USO in Europe and the Middle East. As a member of Dance Masters of America for 42 years, Miss Donna served on the Board and as President of Chapter 17. Other positions she held with DMA included Examination Chairman and Membership Chairman. Miss Donna was also awarded the Betty Lou Stambaugh Member of the Year.
From 1985-2006, Miss Donna was the President, Owner and Artistic Director of Concepts in Motivation which included five dancing schools in Montgomery County and Carroll County. She also taught at James Hubert Blake High School in their Signature (Dance) program and is currently in her twentieth year at the Academy of the Holy Cross as a dance instructor and choreographer. Miss Donna was previously awarded the "Distinguished Alumni" award from the Academy of the Holy Cross, in March 2014 was awarded the "Sister Grace Shonk" award–voted on by the faculty and staff. For Academy of the Holy Cross' 2022-2023 school year, Miss Donna was awarded "Veteran Teacher of the Year".
Miss Donna’s students have performed on Broadway in such shows as The Little Mermaid, Waitress, Rent, All Shook Up, Billy Elliott, Addams Family and Porgy and Bess. Her students have also performed on Celebrity Cruise Lines and have danced with the National Ballet of Canada and Ballet West. In addition, her students have performed in the Broadway tours of Dreams Girls, Hairspray and Freaky Friday. Former student, and American fashion model, Hilary Rhoda, is perhaps best recognized for representing the brand Estee Lauder from 2009-2011 and appeared in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
From 1985-2006, Miss Donna was the President, Owner and Artistic Director of Concepts in Motivation which included five dancing schools in Montgomery County and Carroll County. She also taught at James Hubert Blake High School in their Signature (Dance) program and is currently in her twentieth year at the Academy of the Holy Cross as a dance instructor and choreographer. Miss Donna was previously awarded the "Distinguished Alumni" award from the Academy of the Holy Cross, in March 2014 was awarded the "Sister Grace Shonk" award–voted on by the faculty and staff. For Academy of the Holy Cross' 2022-2023 school year, Miss Donna was awarded "Veteran Teacher of the Year".
Miss Donna’s students have performed on Broadway in such shows as The Little Mermaid, Waitress, Rent, All Shook Up, Billy Elliott, Addams Family and Porgy and Bess. Her students have also performed on Celebrity Cruise Lines and have danced with the National Ballet of Canada and Ballet West. In addition, her students have performed in the Broadway tours of Dreams Girls, Hairspray and Freaky Friday. Former student, and American fashion model, Hilary Rhoda, is perhaps best recognized for representing the brand Estee Lauder from 2009-2011 and appeared in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Diane Robinson has been a member of the ACD Dance staff for several years as dance teacher and choreographer, and has been awarded for showmanship in competition choreography. She is a graduate of the Montgomery College Dance Program and a recipient of the Exemplary Dance Student Award. For four dance seasons she performed with their Dance company. This included both concert shows and traveling shows. Diane has completed the first level of certification under the Dance Masters of America Teacher Training School Program under several industry professionals training in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Modern and other dance styles as well as body movement. Currently, she also competes as an amateur ballroom dancer and has been recognized with honors. She assists with various other choreographers' rehearsals and classes and has worked for several years as an Assistant Dance Director and Youth Coordinator for preteens through adults.
Maya Alston majored in Information Management & Technology and Forensic Science at Syracuse University. Currently, she works as an IT security professional. Maya grew up competing for local dance studios and has won numerous awards including top team choreography and techique. She participated in Joffrey's Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center twice, performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY, was the dance captain at the Academy of the Holy Cross for two consecutive years and has taught a number of technique, tap, jazz, lyrical and contemporary classes. Maya has danced with professionals from both Hamilton and Beyonce's Coachella performance. She is excited to join the faculty of ACD Dance.
Carmen DiPippo was born and raised in Montgomery County, MD and has been a dancer since age 3, and began teaching at the young age of 14 while continuing to further her own training. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, lyrical, and contemporary for over 20 years. While growing up on the competition circuit, she also spent four years on the varsity dance team at The Academy of the Holy Cross. Carmen attended Penn State University where she was a member of Penn State Dance Company, serving as the advanced technique teacher and head choreographer of the company's select ensemble. After college, she moved back to the DC area to continue pursuing dance education and a career in the fitness industry.
Outside of being a dance professional, Carmen is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, which gives her an in-depth and highly technical approach to training her dancers. Carmen is known for her unique choreography and concepts, attention to detail, and ability to tell stories through dance. Carmen believes in the power of a positive and nurturing classroom environment, while simultaneously pushing her dancers to the next level. She continues to grow as an industry professional through classes and workshops and is looking forward to another year with ACD Dance!
Outside of being a dance professional, Carmen is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, which gives her an in-depth and highly technical approach to training her dancers. Carmen is known for her unique choreography and concepts, attention to detail, and ability to tell stories through dance. Carmen believes in the power of a positive and nurturing classroom environment, while simultaneously pushing her dancers to the next level. She continues to grow as an industry professional through classes and workshops and is looking forward to another year with ACD Dance!
Naomi is a graduate of Richard Montgomery High School and is starting her journey to become a Medical Sonographer through Montgomery College. Naomi has studied Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and HipHop since age 5 while also learning Unfundalai, Afropop, and Bollywood along the way. She has been a part of competitive dance, multiple dance conventions, and the Nutcracker. She has attended several studios in her career most recently exclusively training at ACD Dance from age 16 to high school graduation. She is now very excited and grateful to continue her dance career at ACD Dance.
Denise Sayer has decades of dance teaching experience with students as young as 2 and as young at heart as 80. She has taught for Creative Dance for Children, the City of Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village Foundation, and Ballet 106 (owner of Ballet 106 from 2001 to 2005). Primary styles of dance that she teaches are ballet, creative movement, and social dance. She has been studying dance since age four, training mainly in ballet and ballroom, but also jazz, tap, Broadway, modern, and Irish. Performance credits include solo roles in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, La Boutique Fantastic, and Coppelia. She has also performed in several musicals including Man of La Mancha, George M!, Carousel, Annie Get Your Gun, and Gypsy, often choreographing and being the dance captain in these productions. Denise currently continues her own performance dancing by competing in ballroom (smooth & rhythm). Miss Denise had been a member of ACD Dance's faculty before COVID and is delighted to make her return.