Meet Our Alumni
Dance
Haley Andrews '18
Dancer, choreographer and educator Haley Andrews graduated from Salve Regina with degrees in communications and dance. She was the dance program assistant and began choreographing in her sophomore year. Since then, her works have been featured in festivals including the BandChicago Dance Festival, Hubbard Street Dance, Versatility Dance Fest, MashUp Dance's International Women's Day Festival and R.I. Women's Choreography Project.
A freelance dance artist, Andrews danced with the company T2 Dance in Boulder, Colorado for two seasons and currently performs with artists throughout New England. In 2024, she performed the lead role of Clara Rockmore in Jessi Stegall's "The Theremin Vignettes" at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.
Andrews is the founder of her own project-based dance company, Andrews Movement, focused on creating queer art on queer bodies. "I want to make queer art accessible throughout and around Boston, Massachusetts and Rhode Island," she said.
An in-demand educator in the Rhode Island and Boston areas, Andrews teaches drop-in classes at Urbanity Dance in Boston, AS220 in Providence and Metamorphosis in Pawtucket. As an adjunct professor at Salve Regina, she teaches contemporary coursework and sets work on the company. "Learning in-depth and accurate dance history at Salve and understanding nuanced choreographic themes allows there to always be empathy in the room," she said.
Cayley Christoforou '15
Cayley Christoforou is the marketing director at Urbanity Dance in Boston, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making dance accessible for all. She is a choreographer for the dance programs at Salve Regina and Providence College and teaches at dance studios throughout New England.
At Urbanity, Christoforou has been able to intertwine her skills in business and the arts. "Salve made me realize my path in life of teaching, choreographing and the importance of being an advocate for the arts," she said.
Christoforou began her career at Urbanity Dance as the operations artistic manager, where she coordinated the company's shows each season, Urbanity's summer intensive program and the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival.
In her current role, Christoforou's duties include promoting Urbanity's programs within the community and overseeing the marketing of the organization. She also choreographs for Urbanity performances, serves as an instructor at the summer intensive program and teaches drop-in classes.
Christoforou's choreography has been presented at numerous festivals, including the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, Salem Arts Festival and Southern Vermont Dance Festival. Her choreography was selected as the faculty piece to represent Providence College at the American College Dance Association at Boston University, and she was featured in Dance Studio Life magazine’s contemporary and modern issue in 2017.
Marissa Masson '19
Marissa Masson is the administrative manager and co-director of the adult ensemble at Pantos Project Dance, a Massachusetts-based contemporary dance company. As co-director of the adult ensemble, a community-focused training program, she regulates communications between directors and dancers and oversees registration, programming and other administrative tasks.
Driven by her love of choreography, Masson creates works for the adult ensemble at Pantos Project Dance, as well as for Salve Regina and Providence College. Throughout her career, she has presented works at the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, WAXworks, Southern Vermont Dance Festival, BDTx and the American College Dance Festival.
Masson also teaches and choreographs at dance studios throughout New England. "I loved learning inside the studio and in the classroom," she said. "I try to bring the academic side of dance into the studio when teaching kids, especially. I still think about the skills and tools I learned at Salve when choreographing concert dance pieces as well."
Keeping movement in her career, Masson is also the Group X coordinator and personal trainer at Best Fitness, where she oversees yoga, barre, cycling and Group X classes.
Masson's journey proves that it is possible to do it all, and she encourages students to take advantage of every opportunity. "There are so many different avenues you can take with dance as a career," she said. "Explore them and make connections."
Amanda Narciso Ponte '12
Three years after graduating from Salve Regina with degrees in psychology and dance, Amanda Narciso Ponte was offered the opportunity to purchase her childhood studio, Spotlight Dance Studio in Taunton, Massachusetts. She jumped at the opportunity and Spotlight continues to be a staple in the Taunton community.
As the owner of Spotlight, Ponte has been able to pursue her passion. "I do what I love, and what I love to do is teach," she said. Spotlight seeks not only to develop well-rounded dancers but also compassionate humans. "I aim to create a supportive, empathetic and understanding environment," Ponte added.
Many of the values at Spotlight mirror those of Salve Regina's dance program. "There is a beautiful community and relationship between Spotlight and the Salve dance program," Ponte said. She invites alumni to teach at the studio, and in 2023 she returned to Salve Regina as an adjunct professor. "I keep pouring into Salve, and it keeps pouring back into me," Ponte said.
Ponte has also achieved accomplishments in pageantry. In 2013, she was crowned Miss Massachusetts and represented the commonwealth at Miss America in 2013 and 2014. She continues to be involved with the Miss America Organization through her volunteer work and has directed the Miss Massachusetts competition and production for Miss Taunton.
Casey Sheehan '14
Rhode Island native Casey Sheehan graduated from Salve Regina with degrees in business administration and dance. After joining the dance club as a first-year student, he knew he wanted to pursue dance as a career and immersed himself in every aspect of the dance program. "The first second I joined SRU Dance, I knew dance would take over my life," he said.
Determined to achieve his dream, Sheehan moved to New York and signed with an agency. He booked jobs quickly, from amusement parks to Vegas residencies. "Everything leads to something," he said. "No part of my dance journey was a waste of time."
Eventually, he was hired as a backup dancer for Lady Gaga, where he worked closely with the celebrity, including her Enigma residency in Las Vegas. The opportunity led to Sheehan working in film and TV, including appearing on Saturday Night Live. He has worked with recording artists such as Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera and Sabrina Carpenter, and toured the globe with Kim Petras.
Sheehan advises dancers to chase their goals with determination. "Your skills do not have to be perfect to work," he said. "You just have to be serious about what you do and have drive."