Heejin Thelen - Owner/Director
MHDS Owner/Director Heejin Thelen began dancing at the young age of four in South Korea. After moving to the US at eight years-old, Miss Heejin continued her dance training at numerous dance studios all over Massachusetts. Miss Heejin graduated from Plymouth State University, where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in both Business and Dance, specializing in Dance Pedagogy, which certified her to teach early childhood - adult. While in college, Miss Heejin performed with the Contemporary Dance Ensemble and the Plymouth State University Dance Team. Post graduation, Miss Heejin continued her dance training and performed all over Boston, MA with various choreographers and worked as the campaign model for Health Works and City Sports.
While at Plymouth State University, Miss Heejin discovered her true calling - teaching dance and passing on her vast knowledge to the next generation of dancers. She began teaching in college and then went on to teach classes at numerous dance studios and camps in the New England area. Wherever she taught, Miss Heejin was well-known for the upbeat, positive energy that she brought into her classroom and her undeniable passion for dance.
Miss Heejin opened Miss Heejin’s Dance Studio in November 2012 and was quickly recognized for her high-quality training, award-winning choreography, and unparalleled dedication to her students. Miss Heejin believes strongly in creating a safe and nurturing environment at her studio that will help support every dancer, regardless of their age or level, reach their individual dance goals. Miss Heejin is thrilled to continue to share her over 20 years of teaching experience with her dancers and to help motivate them to be their best self, both in and outside of the studio!
Brittany McNally - Assistant Director
Brittany McNally began dancing at the age of four on Cape Cod, MA, where she studied and trained competitively in a wide variety of genres. Brittany then went on to further her education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Psychology. While at UMass, Brittany was lucky to be the co-president of The UMass Dance Company and an executive board member of Alive with Dance, where she she fell in love with choreographing and teaching.
After graduating UMass, Brittany moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue her dreams of a professional dance career. While living in LA, Brittany trained with “Geometry,” a contemporary company under the direction of Mackenzie Martin. Brittany later moved to San Diego and was a Sirens Dancer cheering for the San Diego Seals Lacrosse Team under the direction of team coach Teran Brown.
Brittany then relocated back to Massachusetts and has been an instructor at Miss Heejin's Dance Studio ever since. Brittany is an Acrobatic Arts Certified Instructor. She is so honored and excited to have the opportunity to share her love for dance with the next generation of dancers!
Kristen Hopkins
Kristen was born and raised in Southern California, and grew up as a competitive dancer at Just Plain Dancin under the direction of Terry and Mandy Schulke. She won many awards, scholarships, and opportunities to travel and perform. She got to train and learn from many well known choreographers like Mandy Moore, Dan Karaty, DJ Guthrie, and Jackie Sleight, just to name a few. After graduating, she went on to be a member of the Orange Coast College dance team where they were undefeated in the nation that year. From there, Kristen followed her passion for performing and auditioned for the Disneyland Resort where she remained performing in parades, shows, and media events for 9 years. While working at Disneyland she was given the opportunity to perform with Nick Cannon, as well as the cast of Disney's Teen Beach Movie. For the last few years, Kristen began realizing her true passion was teaching and being involved in the dance competition industry. She has been teaching, choreographing, and judging ever since. She is so excited for this new opportunity at Miss Heejin's Dance Studio and cannot wait to get to work with all the amazing dancers there.
Danielle Carangelo
Danielle Carangelo joins Miss Heejin's Dance Studio with extensive training in Acro, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical/ Contemporary, Modern, Hip Hop &Tap. Beginning her career as a gymnast she broadened her education through the art of dance where her talents and strengths complimented one another. Throughout her dance career she was honored with many prestigious titles and overall high score placements from nationally ranked competitions and conventions. Danielle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Health Science from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Danielle was a part of a NDA nationally ranked college dance team and also had the opportunity to assistant teach college level classes under the head of the dance department, Liz Lapuh at UMass Boston. Shortly after College, Danielle moved to Los Angeles, California to enhance her training. There she had the chance to train under many top choreographers; Galen Hooks, Jojo Gomez, Brian Friedman, Antoine Troupe and Kolanie Marks just to name a few. She was also part of LA’s 1st exclusive elite training academy known as KreativMndz Dance Academy where she studied with many hiphop legends. The limits do not exist for Danielle but what she enjoys most is passing on her abundance of knowledge of dance and being a positive influence on her students dance education. She is delighted to share her talents and knowledge with you!
Melissa Wintemberg
Melissa Wintemberg fell in love with dance at the young age of 2 and started competing in all styles just four short years later. Throughout her 22-year dance career, she went on to hold numerous dance titles on a national and international level. Upon high school graduation, Melissa attended Stonehill College to pursue a business degree. During her time there, she continued her passion for dance and advanced her technical training on Stonehill College’s Stoneworks Dance Company as well as the Stonehill College Dance Team. Stonehill’s dance team traveled to NDA Nationals and was ranked highly amongst the other Division II college teams. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing in 2016, she became a Financial Analyst for the Army Labs in Natick, MA. Although she enjoys her work and supporting the mission of the armed forces, Melissa could not stay away from dance. She began teaching dance in her spare time to find a renewed adoration for the art. Teaching has allowed her to learn the other side of the curtain and discover an enthusiastic interest for inspiring and training young dancers. Melissa is delighted to share her passion of dance with her students and is excited to be a part of Miss Heejin’s Dance Studio.
Laura Jones
Laura grew up in Wellesley, MA where she started dancing at two years old. She trained in many genres of dance including; Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Jazz, Musical Theater, Contemporary, Modern, Acro, Tap and Hip Hop. Growing up, Laura competed at regional and national competitions across New England, scoring in overalls for numerous solos, duets and group dances, as well as receiving various invitational/scholarship awards. In High School she taught classes and summer camps for preschool and elementary students at her studio, KMDC. In college Laura joined the Northeastern University Dance Company, where she was a company dancer, lyrical choreographer and elected treasurer. She graduated from Northeastern with a BS in Business Administration concentrating in Marketing, and currently works at TJX in Merchandising. Laura is excited to get to share her passion for dance and appreciation for technique with her students. Laura is also an Acrobatic Arts Certified Instructor.
Cosmin Marculetiu
Mr. Cosmin Marculetiu is a native Transylvanian from Sibiu, Romania. At age 9, Cosmin was discovered in a nation-wide search for artistic talents and accepted into the Academy of Arts and Choreography in Cluj-Napoca, RO. He completed the Academy with honors, and also received certification in pedagogy and choreography. After graduating, Cosmin was engaged as a soloist with the Romanian National Ballet in Cluj-Napoca, RO and the touring company Europe Ballet. He continued his professional dance career with the Croatian National Ballet in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb. Cosmin danced in various productions and commercials produced by Zagrebacka Televizija, which was the leading television network in Croatia. In 1992 he was engaged as a soloist with the Landesbuhnen Sachsen in Radebeul (Dresden), Germany where he danced for 10 years. The Sachische Zeitung and The Morgen Post followed his dance career and published many excellent reviews and articles about his life and performances. Cosmin has established himself as a master ballet instructor in New England and the East Coast since his arrival to the USA in 2002. He was on the dance faculty of the Boston Arts Academy, and was an artistic associate at Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre, where he coached, taught, and rehearsed students and company members.
Cosmin has also received excellent reviews for his performances in various productions from the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and the Metro.
In August of 2010 Cosmin founded the International Ballet Academy of Norwell which is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serve the South Shore of Massachusetts, New England and artistic communities abroad.
Cosmin is thrilled to join MHDS and looks forward to inspiring and training the next generation of dancers.
Melinda Marculetiu
Ms. Melinda Marculetiu began her training at age 6 with The Virginia Beach Conservatory of Arts, where she was enthusiastically instructed by Betty Jean Walker, Virginia Biggs, Teresa Martinez, Silvia and Colin Worth, Richard Hicks, and others. Starting at the age of 12, Ms. Marculetiu was awarded a full merit scholarship from the Conservatory, which she diligently earned each consecutive year.
Ms. Marculetiu was invited to join the Virginia Beach Community Ballet Company as one of the founding members. As a company member, Ms. Marculetiu performed annually in the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival, local events and functions, as well as in exclusive performances at the Virginia Beach Pavilion (current site of the Virginia Beach Convention Center). Ms. Marculetiu is also very proud to have had the opportunity to perform several times each year for the U.S. Military Services at military bases in Eastern Virginia and North Carolina.
Ms. Marculetiu attended Radford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts. She was mentored by Frano Jelencic; emeritus, Dagmar Kessler, Dr. Pegeen Albig, and Dr. Mary Pat Balkus. Ms. Marculetiu performed during her undergraduate years with the Radford University Dance Theatre and the Roanoke Ballet.
Upon graduation from Radford University, Ms. Marculetiu was engaged as a professional ballet dancer with the Croation National Ballet in the capital city of Zagreb, where she performed for many years. While in Croatia, Ms. Marculetiu filmed commercials, cultural programs, and movies for Zagrebacka Televizija and the Croation National Filming Company, Jadran Film, and performed each summer in the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. In 1992, after seven seasons with the National Ballet, Ms. Marculetiu accepted a position with the Landesbuhnen Sachsen as a professional dancer. Following her move to Dresden, Germany, Ms. Marculetiu was, in addition to being a dancer, a ballet instructor, teaching all levels of ballet and choreographing many children’s performances.
In 2002, Ms. Marculetiu returned with her family to the United States, eager to serve the community and enthusiastically educate the next generations of dancers with the knowledge and experiences she gained during her career as a professional dancer and pedagogue. Ms. Marculetiu has instructed at several non-profit and private dance schools in Massachusetts and other New England states, as well as provided Master Classes and worked with Summer Intensive Ballet Programs on the East Coast as far south as Florida.
Melinda is delighted to join MHDS and looks forward to working with and training all the dancers.
Kate Knauer
Kate grew up in Rockport, Maine, where she trained extensively at Studio Red in Rockport in a variety of styles including Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, and Jazz. During her time at Studio Red, she gained valuable performance and competitive experience, regularly participating in competitions, attending conventions, and performing at places such as Disney World and Hershey Park. In high school, Kate was selected for the CLI Trainee Program under the direction of Teddy Forance, which further enriched her training.
She continued her dance education at Stonehill College, obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Performing Arts with a concentration in Dance. There, she became a member of the Stoneworks Dance Company, where she discovered a true passion for teaching and choreography, creating numerous pieces for semester performances. Kate also founded and presided over Stonehill’s first dance honors society, aimed at deepening dance education and creating connections within the local community. In her senior year, she began teaching Hip Hop at In The Wings Academy of Dance in Easton.
Kate is thrilled to bring her love and passion for dance to Miss Heejin's Dance Studio!
Christina Koleoglou
Christina began dancing at the age of three on Long Island, NY. She trained and competed in a variety of dance styles, including Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Musical Theater, Pointe, and Tap. Christina graduated from the University of Notre Dame with Bachelor’s degrees in both Mathematics and Economics. While at Notre Dame, she was a member of the Notre Dame Dance Company and the Notre Dame Pom Squad, where she served as captain. In addition to performing, she led the team’s choreography, fundraising, and community service. Since graduating, Christina has spent her time teaching at studios in Central and Eastern Massachusetts. Her teaching focuses on fostering a safe, joyful space, developing confident dancers, and challenging students to reach their full potential.
Christina is delighted to bring her experience, patience, and love of dance to the beautiful dancers at Miss Heejin’s Dance Studio!
Megan Mayfield
Megan grew up in Marlborough Mass and started dancing when she was three. She developed a love of musical theatre in high school, and continued to perform in college. During her time in university, Megan attended an opera intensive, performed in multiple show premieres, and traveled to Vietnam to compete in a choir competition with the university Chamber Singers. She graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a BA in Musical Theatre Performance and a minor in Dance. Megan had plans to pursue her masters in Theatre Education, and is working as an actor and makeup artist in the mean time. As much as she loves to perform, Megan absolutely lives to see her students nail routines and have the time of their life. She is very excited to be apart of Miss Heejin’s Dance Studio!
Guest Instructor/Choreographer - Shay Sales
Shay was born and raised in Boston, MA. She began dancing at the age of 9, training in styles such as Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, Modern, and more. Shay is an alumni of Boston Arts Academy. Her journey began with the help of her family to dance in the Boston community. Shay was soon under the influence of Isaiah “MoveLikeZay” Beasley, Jerome Johnson, and Joshua Greene from Status Quo Crew who was on TV Hit Show “Americas Best Dance Crew”. Shay started choreographing at the age 15 and became a Hip Hop teacher at 4 Star Dance Studio. Her choreography was shown on Boston Neighborhood Network (BNN) featuring Jermaine Dupri’s Artists Young Lyric and Lil Poopy. Shay’s choreography was also showcased at Prelude New England, Tremaine Dance Convention, Bring The Hype Dance Competition, and Artistic Dance Exchange(ADE) in the Boston area, winning 11x Best In Teen Competitive HipHop, 3x Best 1st Overall, and 1x Junior Hip Hop Divison Winners.
Shay’s goal is to inspire the youth, and provide a safe space for any skilled level dancer. Shay is excited to dance with you!
Guest Instructor/Choreographer - Kat Pantos
Kat Pantos received her B.S. in Dance Performance and Management from Plymouth State University. Upon graduation, Pantos toured nationally with multiple contemporary dance companies. She has worked with artists such as Robert Battle, Roni Koresh, Amanda Whitworth, & Tommy Neblett, among others. In 2012, Pantos moved to New York City with a vision to expand her artistic library and research. She founded Pantos Project Dance (PPD) and moved the professional company to Boston. PSU featured Pantos as an 'Alumni in the Arts' commissioning PPD for an evening of dance splitting the bill with Whitworths, Tributary Dance. Since the inaugural season, PPD has performed in venues across New England, PA, & New York, including Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out stage. Pantos is sought out for her educational classes and innovative choreography. PPD holds annual intensives and a pre-professional youth program, the MOVERS, composed of dancers looking for additional training and performance opportunities. In addition, Pantos choreographs commercial work for studios throughout the New England area and is an adjunct faculty member and guest choreographer at University of New Hampshire, Salve Regina University, Rhode Island College and Endicott College (spring 2024) November 2023, PPD Company will bring Rain or Shine to Endicott College as a part of their Encore series. Most recently Pantos Project has set ground in Waltham to house the professional company, the adult collective, the pre-professional youth company, and welcoming the growing artist into our studio programming. Pantos strives to inspire students to develop their own artistic abilities while continuing to advance technically and create choreography that is stimulating to the artist and audience alike.
