Bedford Dance Center’s instructors are committed to providing high-quality, professional, dance training. Our director and staff continue to train, perform and participate in professional development activities statewide and nationally.
Karen Pariseau
Director/Owner — Ballet & Pointe
Founder and Artistic Director of Bedford Dance Center, Karen has extensive training in ballet, jazz, and modern. She received numerous scholarships and has studied under some of the country’s most prestigious teachers such as Judith Jameson; Milton Myers, Lynn Simonson and Charles Wright at Jacob’s Pillow; with E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard of Boston School of Ballet; Suzanne Taylor, former artistic director of New Hampshire School of Ballet; Gus Giordano of Chicago-based Giordano Dance Company; and Joyce King, the Artistic Director for the Joyce King Dance Company in New York City.
Karen was a principal dancer with the NH Ballet Ensemble and has performed in various shows throughout the country including the touring of NFL Industrial, guest dancer at the St. Paul’s Nutcracker, First Night in Concord, Dance Fest NH, and Jacob’s Pillow where she was selected to perform works from “Revelations” as well as selections from the Hubbard Street Repertory.
Her choreographic credits include, “Fiddler on the Roof”, “Peter Pan”, “The Drowsy Chaperone”, and “Pippin” for Derryfield School; “Birdland” for St. Paul’s Ballet Company; Miss NH Pageants; Dean Kamen’s NH First; local productions of “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Oklahoma,” and “Wizard of Oz,” as well as a collaboration with Joyce King of NYC on the premiere performance of a “Moment of Silence” a Tribute to 9/11, which received high accolades. She has staged dozens of ballets including “Coppelia”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Cinderella” and “The Nutcracker Suite” to name a few. She has taught Master classes throughout New England including St. Paul’s in Concord, NH.
Karen provides her students the opportunity to work and study with various choreographers and guest teachers throughout the year as well as at the Summer Dance Intensive Workshop. She strives to instill her love of dance by inspiring her students to explore their own creative expression and artistic development. Her students have gone on to perform professionally with various professional dance companies, in off Broadway and Broadway productions, graduated with B.F.A’s in dance, become dance teachers, choreographers and studio owners. Karen is thrilled by their accomplishments and is so proud to now teach her former student’s children! It has always been her mission to not only teach the art of dance, but to guide, support and create amazing human beings!
She is married to Dan and is the proud mother of 2 boys, Jordan and Riley, and her dog, Gracie!
Zackary Betty
Contemporary Jazz
Zackery received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College with a concentration in Jazz; and recently received his Masters Degree is Choreography. Co-Artistic Director for NSquared Dance, a New Hampshire based contemporary dance company. NSquared Dance was founded in New York City in 2014 & Zackery has toured to Seattle, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh & Baltimore. He has set various works of choreography on the company as well as taught in various cities with NSquared. He has produced three split-bill performances in New York City and two solo tours to Portland, Maine. As a member of NSquared Dance, Zackery enjoys working side by side with his husband and being able to share many stages and performances with him!
Zackery is also a seasoned dancer with Keigwin & Company, a prestigious New York City modern dance company. Keigwin & Co. has given Zackery many performing & teaching opportunities throughout the United States and Abroad. He was fortunate enough to embark on a month-long
exchange tour to Africa thanks to The US State Department and Brooklyn Academy of Music. He has performed on stages such as the Joyce Theater, Symphony Space, and New York City Center.
Mr. Betty’s choreography credits include Lindenwood University, Portland Youth Dance, Bedford Dance Center’s Performance Troupe, Boston Arts Academy, Thornton Academy’s Dance Department, and he’s served as an artist in residence at Berwick Academy. He has also been a member and guest dancer with Tami Stronach Dance, Project 44, New Hampshire Dance Collective, Ballet Misha, & City Ballet of Boston. Zackery is also a regional representative for the New Hampshire Dance Alliance. www.nsquareddance.com
Maria Bradbury
Ballet & Pointe
Maria is a California transplant who has lived in Nashua for 15 years. She trained and danced professionally with San Jose Dance Theatre. She has taught classical ballet and point for over 20 years. By way of her husband’s military career, she has had the good fortune of living in various locales — all offering wonderful opportunities for professional growth. She has trained under master teachers David Howard, Finish Jhung, Eleanor D’Antuono and Densil Adams, and is a Dance Masters of America certified instructor. Besides her husband, Michael, Maria has a daughter, Lauren and a son, Colin.
Ashley Carrier
Ballet, Hip Hop, & Modern
Ashley Carrier graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in dance from DeSales University. She studied under exceptionally talented artists/teachers such as Trinette Singleton of Joffrey ballet, David Parsons and his company members, Sean Curran, and Eddie Taketa from the Doug Varone Company. While in college Ashley danced for a start-up modern dance company called Vada Dance Collective. She is currently a dancer in Ballet Misha; a non-profit dance company. Ashley is married to Shawn, has three wonderful step-sons, Kyle, Brandan, and Brian, and a beautiful daughter named Emma.
Mrs. Audrey Dascomb
Beginner Pointe
Mrs. Audrey Dascomb has been teaching dance for nearly 40 years and owned her own dance studio for 22 years. She earned her BFA Degree in Dance & Arts Management and was one of only 40 Registered Dance Educators worldwide. She developed, published, and sold her own curricula to dance studios nationwide. She also created a dance training program for student assistants. Many of her students have pursued dance in college and as a career. In addition to teaching dance, Audrey works as a digital marketing consultant for dance studios, schoolteachers, and fitness trainers, among others.
Audrey Dascomb
Beginner Jazz, Tap & Hip Hop
Audrey Dascomb began dancing at age 3 at her mother’s dance studio. She was a member of the performance ensemble and assisted with classes for kids and adults. For years, she performed in the Nutcracker as well as other local productions. Audrey was a member of two tap dance companies for several years – Touché Taps, directed by Shaina Schwartz, and Speaking in Taps, directed by Aaron Tolson. Beyond dance, Audrey is an accomplished martial artist, having received her 2nd degree international black belt in American Kenpo karate.
Amanda Scalingi
Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, & Hip Hop
Amanda is a former student teacher and BDC alumni of 2003. As a young dancer, Amanda spent her summers attending Burklyn Ballet Theatre where she studied under master teacher’s such as David Howard and Angela Whitehill. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. Amanda was a company member with Full Force Dance Theater, as well as Bowan McCauley Dance Theater, a contemporary dance company in Washington, D.C.
Melissa Teixeira
Acro, Hip Hop, Tap & Ensemble
Melissa Teixeira received her Bachelors Degree in Dance from Dean College, and Masters Degree in Arts Administration Drexel University. Melissa is the founder of Perceptions Contemporary Dance Company, which performed across the country from 2007 to 2016. The company performed a on prestigious stages such as Joyce SoHo, Ailey Citigroup Theatre, White Wave, Cool NY, Dumbo Dance Festival, Dance New Amsterdam (now Gibney Dance Center), Boston University, and many more. In 2011, the company was selected to perform at the prestigious 8th Annual Fashion on the Square benefit for the San Francisco Arts Commission, where Melissa’s work was restructured for the fashion runway. In 2013, the Company collaborated with the San Francisco Choral Society in the production of Not Another Carmina Burana at the Davies Symphony Hall.
Melissa performed professionally throughout New York and Boston with companies such as Bennett Dance Company, Anahata Dance, Kelly Donovan & Dancers. She was the choreographer of the off-Broadway production Rock On! The Musical. Melissa has been a guest choreographer and instructor at Providence College, Salve Regina University, and many studios and schools across the Northeast. In 2010, Melissa founded the Perceptions Dance Festival in NYC, which is dedicated to creating high-quality performance opportunities for emerging and small dance companies and independent choreographers. The Festival has presented more than 40 national and international artists from 2010-2014, providing artists with not only a stage and visibility, but career-boosting materials such as high resolution photos and video documentary. Melissa is also the co-founder of the New Hampshire Youth Dance Festival.
Melissa is a certified Acrobatic Arts M1 and Alixa Flexibility M1 and M2 instructor. In addition to dance, Melissa trained extensively in the Anya Method directly with the founder, Courtney Bauer. She spent several years teaching Anya signature group fitness classes, and private/semi-private Pilates equipment classes. Melissa also worked directly with Studio Anya as a consultant/contractor and Director, and helped to launch The Sagebook, an online program for students and trainees to study and practice the dense curriculum.
Melissa now resides in New Hampshire with her husband Adam and Penny the bulldog. She is currently a resident instructor at The Dance Inn for the Legacy Dance Company, and the Ensemble Director at Bedford Dance Center.