Our Faculty & Staff

Carolyn Dellinger, Founder & Artistic Director

Ballet, PBT, Pointe, PrePointe, PreBallet, Choreography

Carolyn was trained in The Balanchine Style at The Academy of Ballet Arts in Chelmsford, MA. In addition to her academic-year training, Ms Carolyn also attended several prestigious summer programs, including Briansky Saratoga, CPYB, and Chautauqua Summer Dance by invitation on Full Scholarship.  Once at Chautauqua, Ms Carolyn trained under the dance legends Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride, Mark Diamond, and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux.  She also participated in Master Classes taught by Robert Mariano, Laura Young (Boston Ballet), Elliot Feld (Elliot Feld Ballet), and Suzanne Farrell (New York City Ballet).

Ms. Carolyn began her professional career at the age of 16 when she was invited to perform with Ballet Mississippi (1996-1998).  As a dancer with Ballet Mississippi she performed Balanchine's Valse Fantaisie along with The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, and more.  From 1998-2002 Ms Carolyn danced with Utah Ballet in such Principal and Solo roles as The Snowmaiden, The Gift of the Magi, Raymonda, Pas De Quartre, Concerto Barocco, and Le Corsaire.  Utah Ballet toured extensively in the U.S. as well as internationally to Taipei, Taiwan.  While touring and performing with Utah Ballet, Ms Carolyn also cross-attended The University of Utah and completed her BFA in Ballet in 2002.

Upon returning to New England, Ms Carolyn performed with Festival Ballet Providence in Providence, RI from 2002-2007.  She performed Solo and Principal roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Balanchines' Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux; Jerome Robbins' 2 & 3 Part Interventions; and as the Gypsy in El Amour Brujo. Ms Carolyn also performed in Mihalo Djurics' Tender Delusions World Premiere at the Chamber of Music Festival on Amelia Island, Florida.

In 2007, Ms Carolyn started teaching at Festival Ballet Providence. She then became the Assistant Director and Ballet Mistress, Youth Division for Ballet Prestige in Barrington, RI (2009-2016).

In September 2016 Ms Carolyn founded American Ballet Academy in Cranston, RI.  She began to teach and train students from beginner to adult as well as provide private instruction to dancers attending competitions and training.  She became the first Certified Instructor of Progressing Ballet Technique™ in Rhode Island in 2018. She has continued her PBT training, and is currently certified at the highest level.

Katie Kelley Stamm - Rehearsal Director

Ballet, PBT, Pointe, Contemporary, Choreographer

Originally from Cranston, RI, Katie began her classical dance training at the age of five at the Festival Ballet Providence school. She performed as a member of Festival Ballet’s Junior Company under the direction of MaryAnn Mayer and Mihailo Djuric for four years and graduated from the school in 2013. During her time as a student, she performed with Festival Ballet’s professional company in the corps de ballet in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and multiple productions of The Nutcracker. She has also trained at the Harid Conservatory on full scholarship and danced with Gelsey Kirkland Ballet in NYC.

In 2013, Katie began an apprenticeship with Part of the Oath Dance Theater under the direction of Dr. Colleen Cavanaugh and Danielle Genest-Konicheva, and continued as a soloist until the company’s final performance in 2016. In 2017 she co-choreographed a brand new production of The Nutcracker for The Talent Factory in North Kingstown, RI. Ms. Katie continues to be the rehearsal director and assist in setting all of the competition numbers and productions at American Ballet Academy alongside Ms. Carolyn.  

Ms. Katie’s contemporary choreographic debut placed in the Top 12 at the YAGP Boston competition in 2018, and her choreography has also placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd at the W.B.A.C. Grand Prix in 2020. She has coached classical and contemporary dancers to go on and place in the top 10 at YAGP and the CT Classic in 2021 and 2022, as well as 1st and 2nd place winners at Revel, A.D.E, and Radix.

She is certified to teach all three levels of Progressing Ballet Technique™ and is certified in the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet curriculum by Marcia Dale Weary.

Ms. Katie is excited to continue to nurture and inspire the next generation of dancers.

Mark Harootian - Ballet, Pointe

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Mr. Harootian received his early dance training at the Performing Arts School of Worcester and the Burncoat Senior High Dance Department. During that time his main line of training was in classical ballet, but he also had extensive training in Modern and Jazz dance as well as Musical Theater. He attended the University of Utah on scholarship and graduated with a BFA in ballet, emphasis in performing and teaching. At this time, he also became a member of Utah Ballet. While he was with Utah Ballet, he performed and choreographed in many of the department’s seasonal shows while dancing leading roles, including the company’s tour to Taipei, Taiwan in 2001. Mr. Harootian also performed at Disney’s Epcot Center, the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics Medal Plaza and the Festival of White Nights in Pushkin, Russia. From 2004-2011 Mr. Harootian was a company dancer and choreographer for Festival Ballet Providence. From 2010 -2012, he was the company’s Director of Educational Outreach as well. Mr. Harootian captivated Festival Ballet Providence’s Up Close on Hope performance series audiences annually with his choreography and presented a number of notable premieres there.

Mr. Harootian was awarded the Fellowship Choreography Grant Award from the Rhode Island State Council of the Arts in 2007 and 2011. He also was awarded by the Worcester Educational Development Foundation the Distinguished Alumni & Friends of the Worcester Public Schools Achievement Award in 2014 and the Career Transition for Dancers Graduate Scholarship in 2018. In 2020, Mr. Harootian obtained a MFA degree in Dance from Montclair State University. Mr. Harootian has taught and choreographed for many establishments throughout New England, Los Angeles, Orange County, and Hong Kong. Most notably at Newport’s professional contemporary ballet company Island Moving Company, Chapman University, Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV), Pasadena Dance Theater, Elite Dance Academy of Orange County, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Red Shoe Dance Company in Hong Kong. Currently, Mr. Harootian is an adjunct professor at Dean College and Salve Regina University and a faculty member at Hanover Theater and Performing Arts Conservatory and American Ballet Academy.

Marina Van Winkle - Ballet, Pointe, Character

Ms. Van Winkle, originally from Ukraine, danced with the Kiev State Dance Classical Ensemble, appearing in both principal classical and character roles. She has taught ballet for the Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater and the Acton School of Ballet, with many of her students accepted into top ballet schools and professional companies.

With a master’s degree in Education from the Kiev State University and a master’s degree in Health Education from Middlesex Community College, Ms. Van Winkle has also completed courses for a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, focusing on Sports and Dance Medicine at the University of Rhode Island. In other academic feats, she’s taught at Harvard University for ART Students with an Annual Exchange and Presentation in Moscow, Russia.

In 2005 Ms. Van Winkle co-founded the Bolshoi Summer Intensive, USA Chapter, in Cambridge, MA. For several years she was responsible for the annual audition classes of this program based in NYC and CT under the Russian – American Foundation. Ms. Van Winkle has also had the pleasure of working with gymnastic students, helping them with choreography and technique improvement. Ms. Van Winkle has taught in many Ballet summer programs including FBP, FSPA, SSBT, Providence Ballet, Dance Theater of New England, International Ballet Academy, to name a few.

Tovah Bodner Muro - Modern

Ms Tovah, a Rhode Island native, received her early training while dancing with Festival Ballet of Rhode Island, under the direction of the late Christine Hennessey before attending The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, under scholarship as a Promising Artist, and received her BFA in dance from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She has studied Irish dance technique and history at University College, Cork in Ireland. Ms Bodner Muro has performed with Providence Ballet Theatre, The Arabella Project, RI2PN, & Passive Aggressive Novelty Company. As Artistic Director of The Robin's Egg, she has choreographed for RI2PN's 2007 concert RIPPED & 2008 concert Cheek 2 Cheek & for their summer Frazier Fests, Alive With Dance in Amherst, MA, Island Moving Company's Flight of Steps and Open for Dancing in Newport, RI. Her work was commissioned for The Theater Expansion's RI premiere of Painted Alice as well as their annual concert, Dancestravaganza. Ms Bodner Muro is a member of The Tropigals, New England’s premiere vintage dance company.

One of only a handful of public dance educators in Rhode Island, Ms Bodner Muro holds a RI teaching certificate in DANCE ED for ages PreK-12. She is the founding Chair of the Dance Department at Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing & Visual Arts, RI's only public arts high school. Ms. Bodner Muro was on the committee that wrote and implemented the DANCE GSEs for the State of RI, has served two terms as President of Rhode Island Dance Alliance, Inc, and has sat on RISCA Arts Education grant panels. She is a member of the National Dance Education Organization and is the 2022 recipient of their Professional Development Scholarship. 

In 2018 she earned her certification in Progressing Ballet Technique™ and has taught a broad range of dance techniques, PBT, dance composition, dance history, & anatomy/injury prevention throughout New England. Ms Bodner Muro’s approach to dance education focuses on artistic expression with careful attention to injury prevention and the physical and emotional well being of each student. Her students have gone on to study at The University of the Arts, Boston Conservatory, and North Carolina School for the Arts, as well professional careers with Koresh Dance, the first National Tour of Hadestown, Esperanza Spaulding, The Celtics Dancers, and various cruise ships. In 2012, Ms. Bodner Muro was named RI DANCE TEACHER OF THE YEAR. 

Josh Thake - Ballet, Pointe, Variations

A native of Attleboro, Massachusetts, Josh Thake is thrilled to be back on staff at ABA. He received comprehensive training at Brae Crest School of Ballet (Home of The State Ballet of RI) with Herci Marsden; Boston Ballet School with Cecilia Marina and Franco DeVita; and San Francisco Ballet School with Parrish Maynard, Jorge Esquivel, Jean-Yves Esquerre, Jeffrey Lyons, Pascale LeRoy, Shannon Bresnahan, and Gloria Govrin.

Mr Josh has toured to Japan and Southeast Asia with Les Ballet Grandiva (Now Les Ballets Eloelle) and all over North America, Europe, Brazil, Japan, and Thailand with Les Ballet Trockadero. Having both ballerina and danseur perspective, his professional career has given him the experience to navigate through ballet’s traditional gender norms and create an encouraging environment that allows students to shine with their natural potentials.

He has choreographed parody works for State Ballet of RI including Réchauffé Brillante, Western Hyperbole, and Fantasie Valse; as well as a Cinderella Departure for the Ball.

Mr Josh is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique™ and is looking forward to sharing his passion for the art of ballet with any and all that wish to learn and grow.

Zoe Habershaw - Jazz

Zoe, originally from North Kingstown RI, began her dance training at 8 years old and danced competitively during her high school years. After high school, Zoe moved on to receive a Bachelors of Arts degree in Health Sciences from Stonehill College. Zoe continued dancing throughout her college career at Stonehill College in Easton, MA in their dance program while continuously taking open dance classes in Boston. She will be graduating with her Master's of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as a Certificate in Sports Nutrition, from Simmons University in May 2025. Her current certificates include fitness training, barre, and Progressing Ballet Technique™. Zoe continues to dance today by participating in various auditions and classes in New England as well as teaching at various studios and expanding her knowledge with continuous dance, technique and fitness education. Zoe is a Maine Celtics Dancer and a Promotions Assistant for the Boston Celtics.

Zoe is excited to expand her dance community as a student and teacher.

Meaghan Bentley - Yoga

Ms Meaghan attended her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2016 at Thames Street Yoga in Newport, RI. Since then she has been teaching vinyasa-style yoga with an emphasis on finding a balance between strength and flexibility. Ms Meaghan is also certified in Reiki levels I and II and Progressing Ballet Technique™. Ms Meaghan became interested in the benefits of yoga for dancers when her daughter started studying ballet. Her class aims to assist dancers in the areas of strength, flexibility, stamina, breathing techniques, and focus.

Brittany Lombardi - Creative Movement, Ballet

Brittany Lombardi earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance  from the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance at Dean  College in 2013, training rigorously in Ballet,  Modern, Jazz, and Tap with focuses in Ballet Pedagogy,  Creative Movement for children, and writing for dancers. In 2021, she earned a Master’s of Education in Instructional Design.

Brittany is a certified All Grades Dance Teacher through the Rhode Island Department of Education, Level 3 Progressing Ballet/Contemporary Technique™, and is an Acrobatic Arts instructor.

As an advocate for safe training methods, Brittany encourages students to recognize how to correct errors with anatomical knowledge to achieve realistic technical goals and develop an individual aesthetic.

When she is not teaching, Brittany enjoys visiting Disney whenever she can, eating sushi and most of all, being a Mom to her two beautiful children.

Meg O’Neil

Office & Production Manager

Margaret Huggins Santoro

Wardrobe Manager

Josh Dellinger

Business Manager

Tim O’Neil

Technical Director