Archives

Cynthia (Thia) Wirling was born and grew up in Beverly, MA. She started dancing at age 5 in 2007, taking Ballet lessons at her local YMCA. She fell in love with dance as an artform, and explored different styles as she got older, including Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary and Tap. In 2015 she began competitive dance, performing at competitions such as Step Up 2 Dance, Dance Ovations, American Dance Awards, Starquest, etc. When not dancing, Thia can usually be found curled up with a pencil and her sketchbook. She is currently an Art and Design student at Northern Essex Community College, hoping to pursue a career as a concept artist or character designer. Thia is very thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Forty Steps’ 30^th Anniversary Concert, and dance alongside such talented, passionate individuals.

Kelsey grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she fell in love with dance at the age of 10. She trained primarily in ballet at the Academy of American Ballet in Redwood City, California, where she was also first exposed to modern dance. While attending the University of California at Berkeley, she pursued her love for ballet, dancing with the student-run Ballet Company at Berkeley. She also solidified her classroom training in modern dance technique, earning a minor in Dance and Performance Studies under the guidance of professors and choreographers Lisa Wymore and Amara Tabor-Smith. She moved to Boston to begin her PhD, and while she devotes most of her time to her neuroscience research, if you can’t find her in the lab, you’ll certainly find her in the dance studio. She loves to take dance classes in Boston and Cambridge, and she’s thrilled to be dancing with Forty Steps this season!

Lauren Beck is originally from Arlington, Massachusetts.  Lauren graduated with a BFA in Jazz Dance from the University of the Arts in 2008.  Lauren has performed in many venues in the Philadelphia area including the Merriam and Drake Theaters. After, graduating, Lauren continued on to the seas, working for PGT Entertainment, as a dancer,  on board the Sea Princess cruise ship. Lauren joined Forty Steps Dance in 2009, and has recently returned from a two-year sabbatical with her husband in Australia.  

Alana has been dancing since the age of two and it truly became a lifelong passion. Alana graduated from the Dance Teachers Club of Boston Training School in 2007. She holds a Certificate in Dance Education, Summa Cum Laude, and an Associate Degree in Dance, Magna Cum Laude from Northern Essex Community College. Alana also graduated from Salem State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science also in Dance, Cum Laude. Alana has been teaching multiple genres of dance since 2007. Alana loves dance because it combines the power of athletics with the creativity of art, the perfect combination! Alana is a newer member to the group and is enjoying every minute of it. Alana joined Forty Steps Dance September 2019

Johanna is originally from Massachusetts’ North Shore, she started dancing in Newburyport, MA at The Dance Place at the young age of three and didn’t want to do any other activity. Johanna was a member of the Joppa Dance Company studying and performing jazz, ballet and modern across the North Shore for several years. Johanna moved to Virginia to attend Roanoke College, after graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration, she stayed in Virginia before making the move back to Massachusetts. While in Virginia, Johanna took classes at local dance studios to maintain her skills and keep pursuing her passion. Johanna is grateful to have found Forty Steps Dance where she can dance with likeminded, talented dancers, elevating her skills to a new level. Johanna currently works in the accounting and billing field for a North Shore based company but loves spending her free time dancing.

Emma Limperis is from Methuen, MA, and has studied under various instructors and choreographers from the Boston Ballet, Urbanity Dance, and Backhausdance of California. Emma graduated with a BA in English from Endicott College in 2018, where she additionally earned a Minor in dance and performed with the Endicott Repertory Dance Ensemble. At Endicott, Emma founded and presided the school’s first student-run dance club, Endicott Dance Group (EDGE). More recently, Emma can be found teaching and choreographing in the Greater Boston area. She currently teaches at the studio where she grew up dancing, the Center for the Performing Arts in North Andover.

Alexandra (Allie) Morales grew up in DeForest, WI, beginning her dance training at the young age of three. She quickly fell in love with the art form, training in as many genres as she could. After many years of assistant teaching, performing competitively, and working with the DeForest Parks and Recreation Dance Program, she decided to expand her dance knowledge at the University of Minnesota: Twin Cities. Allie graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Health and Wellness Promotion in May 2020. While in school, she curated a dance and visual art collaboration show, fulfilled a teaching dance practicum with Ballare Teatro, choreographed works for five composition showings, and completed an arts administration internship at Lundstrum Performing Arts. She was also selected to perform in pieces by renowned choreographers, Robert Moses, Pramila Vasudevan, Eko Supriyanto, and Chris Schlichting, among numerous student-choreographed works. She was a featured soloist in Robert Moses’ “Cause” in December 2019, and the piece was chosen to compete at the American College Dance Association in March 2020. Post graduation, Allie performed professionally with Madison Contemporary Dance for two seasons and was a dance instructor near Chicago, Illinois for both recreational and competitive programs. In the fall of 2021, Allie and her husband relocated to New England, where she continues to perform and teach dance in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Allie is thrilled to be joining Forty Steps Dance for its 30th Anniversary season!