MEET OUR TEACHERS and staff

Founding Director of the Paula Coffey Dance Center, Paula opened the studio in the Fall of 1962. Coffey, who has taught dance for over 50 years has been a member of the Professional Dance Teachers Association; a board member of Dance Enterprises of New England; former President of the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists; former member of both the state and local Arts Council, to name a few.

Kirsten is the Co-Owner and acting Director of Coffey Dance Center. After dancing at the studio for 15 years she continued her dance education at Providence College where she graduated in 2019 as the sole recipient of the PC dance minor award. While at PC Kirsten danced for the Providence College Dance Company and also professionally for the Lowell Spinners Dance Team. She was involved with the Step Up 2 Dance National Dance Competition where her role varied from stage manager to master class assistant. She is currently a Dancer for the Boston Cannons while also holding the title of Miss Bristol County. Kirsten teaches tap, jazz and contemporary and her love of both dance and her students is what makes her classes enjoyable for all.

 Miss Kerrie grew up in Bridgewater and started dancing at the age of 3 at Paula Coffey Dance Center. She went from being a student, to assistant, to teacher - now invaluable to the dance center she teaches everything from ballet, tap, and jazz and hip hop.

Kerrie was a dancer with the Boston Celtics Dance Team and has been involved in many dance programs throughout New England.  

Miss Denise focuses on each student and loves to discover the uniqueness in each dancer and call it forth. The quote Miss Denise lives by is “Students may not remember everything I said or tried to teach them ,but they will never forget how I made them feel” Everyone is important in Miss Denise’s class.

After PCDC, Jamie continued her education at Dean College where she obtained her B.A. degree in dance performance and education, and then went on to dance with Urbanity Dance (Boston, MA). Jamie co-directed the Urbanity Summer Intensive for five years while also becoming co-artistic associate director of Urbanity’s professional company. She has also choreographed and been recognized for several of her own works at BCDF, Urbanity’s NEXT, and local dance competitions. Jamie is also a  YogaSpirit ®  200hr YTT graduate.

Jen grew up at the studio and furthered her dance education at Dean College where she was a part of the Tap Company and awarded the Gregory Hines Tap Scholarship.   Jen also took part in Break the Floor which is a week long of Tap classes ending with a show in NYC. Jen continues her studies today at Bridgewater State University where she majors in Psychology and Special Education.   

Jen is licensed to teach POUND and Generation POUND! 

 Some of you might know "Mrs. O'Connor”  as a 1st grade teacher at the Central School in East Bridgewater. 

Miss Christie grew up dancing at PCDC and has been a teacher at the studio since she was a teenager. She currently teaches  the junior all star tap team, the boys tap team and a few solo/duos.  

She absolutely loves being at the studio and watching her daughters, Jaymie and Ari, dance on the Junior Team!  

 Miss Kaeleigh is graduating Bridgewater State College with majors in Elementary Education , Dance and Special Ed. She was part of the BSU Dance Company, served on the Advisory Board and as Vice President. Kaeleigh was also a member of the National Dance Education Organization Student Chapter where she presented at the NDEO National Conference in Texas on the importance of intergrading dance into academic school curriculums. 

Miss Laura is a graduate of Dean College with an Associate degree in Performing Arts. She moved to New York City to train with the Alvin Alley American Dance Theater in June of 2012. She is a member of “The Dance to Save” company, a dance group that raises money for local charities. She was the co-director of the Burt Wood Beats show choir and offered quarterly master classes. 

Paula has been with PCDC since childhood and has been the ballet and pointe teacher for many years. Despite Paula's professional career as Vice President Hospital Operations at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, she has always managed to keep dance in her life from taking lessons with her dance troupe in Braintree to teaching ballet and pointe at  PCDC.  Paula is also proud to acknowledge her role in the filming of "Stronger" where she acted as liaison between film production and Spaulding Administration, working alongside actor Jake Gyllenhaal.