Faculty

• I've Got Rhythm Dance Center provides a creative and comfortable learning environment. It is our belief that each student has the ability and eagerness to learn, and with enough time, patience and encouragement, she or he can be easily inspired. Only positive motivation will be used when teaching, therefore, creating a positive self-image in students and a happy healthy atmosphere for everyone!

Meet Our Director
I've Got Rhythm Dance Center Director, Sharon (Oliver) Fernandes

Peter DaSilva
Peter, a native of New Bedford, is a graduate of Salem State College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. He has received extensive training in voice, acting, dialects, and stage combat. As a local actor, he has worked with New Bedford Festival Theatre, New Bedford Youth Repertory, and The Star Players of Bristol County. Favorite stage credits include; And Then They Came for Me, My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story, Art, The Glass Menagerie, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Since 2005, Peter has directed productions of Peggy the Pint-Sized Pirate, Recess, Toy Camp, and Though the Looking Glass for IGRDC.

Paula Lauzon
Paula Lauzon comes to us from Lisbon, Portugal. While in Portugal, she studied for our years under the Director of former Russian Ballerina, Anna Mascolo – who produced some of the finest dancers in Europe. Ms. Lauzon choreographed and performed in various high school productions such as: Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Cabaret, etc. Paula moved to this country in 1981 and continued her studies with Brun Studios of New Bedford, where she was a member of the New England Dance Ensemble. She was a ballet instructor at this studio for two years. She studied with the Dance Academy of Westport and also with Festival Ballet of Rhode Island. Presently, she teaches Ballet for Children at the new Bedford YMCA – she has been there for nine years. Ms. Lauzon will be teaching the ballet classes in which she will concentrate on the basic techniques of ballet. One particular focus will be on the child beginner. Ms. Lauzon GRADUATED Magna Cum Laude from UMass Dartmouth, with a Major in Humanities/Social Services. She is an administrative supervisor for Hawthorn Medical Associates.

Jennifer Collins
Jenn majored in dance at Dean College and comes to I’ve Got Rhythm Dance Center with over 25 years of studying and teaching dance. Her choreography for competition has received many gold medals and awards for being outstanding, unique and creative. In 2005 the competition she choreographed for, qualified to be part of the American Team Work’s Competition in Germany. Jen currently teaches at other schools and is educated in the arts of ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theater and acrobatics. She has choreographed performances for Walt Disney World and Universal Studios and has worked with the Stonehill College Dance Team for competition at the National Dance Association finals in Florida.

Jeff Mahmood
Jeff has been teaching at I’ve Got Rhythm since 2004. He began his dance training in Cheshire, Connecticut at the age of 6. He is a graduate of Roger Williams University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree of the Arts in Dance Performance. Jeff is educated in and has experience in teaching ballet, lyric, modern, tap, hip hop, and ballroom dance. He has performed at the Six Flags Great Adventure for Radio Disney in Agawam, Massachusetts, and at the Bushnell as a backup dancer for Christy Carlson Romano. Jeff is currently the director of his own Dance Company, Clashing Rhythms, which he created in 2003. He enjoys traveling and sharing his passion for dance in the form of teaching at other dance schools.

Cheryl Lintala
Cheryl has been an instructor at I’ve Got Rhythm Dance Center since 2001 and has over 25 years of studying and teaching dance. Cheryl teaches Creative Movement, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Gymnastics and started a program teaching the mentally challenged. Cheryl has participated in the Dance Masters of America Teachers Training School; the High Scope Workshops for Early Educators; and The Dance Teachers Conference in New York City and Project Motivate conference in Boston. She has performed in and choreographed numerous high school musical productions and has also choreographed, costumed and designed theatre sets for a number of productions. Cheryl free lances as a choreographer and teacher at other schools in the area.

Amanda Killam
Amanda is currently enrolled at UMass Dartmouth studying both Graphic Design and Marketing. As well as taking academic classes she is sharing her knowledge of jazz and hip hop being a captain of the UMass Dartmouth Dance Team. Amanda has been dancing since she was nine studying tap, ballet, jazz, hip hop and contemporary. She has won numerous awards for her contemporary solos at well known competitions and has taken classes with contemporary choreographers such as Lauren Adams, Derrick Yanford, and Joey Dowling.

JunnYahh
JunnYahh, a Boston born boy, began dancing at the age of fourteen and was teaching at seventeen. He has ten years of training, has danced professionally for over five years, and is thrilled to share this knowledge with the students at I've Got Rhythm! Although he is mostly known for his tricks and choreography, JunnYahh also has trained in contemporary, tap, jazz, modern ballet and lyrical. He has been a part of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, FOX's So You Think You Can Dance, NBC's America's Got Talent, and Star Player's West Side Story, and has appeared in the movies Step Up and The Jump Off. He has performed at The Essance Music Festival and has traveled the world to compete and showcase his talent. JunnYahh loves to share his passion for dance through teaching and strives to motivate himself and his students-young or aged-to succeed.

Contact us today for more information!