OUR FACULTY
Judy Mills Sullivan
Owner & Teacher
A native of Berkley, MA, she has danced since the age of 3, studying with Carole Miller in Taunton. She started teaching her dance classes at the age of 15 and found her true calling in life. Judy graduated with a BA in Theatre and Dance from Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. After college, she moved to NYC where she performed on the steps of Federal Hall in a Musical by Jonathan Larson called JP Morgan Saves the Nation, and also toured around the Southern US/East Coast with A Christmas Carol. She opened up SCDC in 2001 to inspire the next generation of dancers.
Recently, she has participated in ‘online school’ and has taken many interactive seminars to continue her education: business, finance, preschool dance, child behavior and development and Tap History, among others. She has completed her Certificate in Dance Entrepreneurship and her Level One Mental Health Wellness Certificate. She is currently certified by test to teach through Acrobatic Arts for Acro, the Dance Teachers Club of Boston and the American Society, Dance Masters of America in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz and continues to participate in continuing education seminars through their organizations. Last season she choreographed "Rent" for Falmouth Theater Guild. She is extremely proud to be celebrating 25 years as a business owner in Downtown Taunton.
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Jenna Carl
Teacher
Hailing from Easton, MA, Jenna has been dancing since she was four years old. Beginning her career at Dance Express in Easton, she studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Contemporary. Jenna was a part of their Competitive Dance Company and established her love for teaching dance when she served as a student demonstrator for several years. Before high school graduation, Jenna was one of three dancers out of forty to receive the highest amount of money for a scholarship audition from the Greater Brockton Dance Teachers Association.
Jenna received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Dean College School of Dance in Franklin, MA. In 2008 Jenna became a teacher at Silver City Dance Center where she fell in love with the art of teaching and expressing her creativity. Since joining SCDC, Jenna has become an experienced teacher and choreographer, along with numerous dances for the annual recital, she created and choreographed 2 large production numbers, has crafted many handmade dance props/costumes and has begun making her own "Miss Jenna Action Songs" that range from improvisation exercises to themed songs to support the developing dancer! Her favorites being her "Musical Theater Listening Activities" and "Miss Jenna's Disney Mix!"
Jenna is proud to be part of a studio that is a member of many positive dance organizations and committed to growing and evolving with every developing dancer and child. Jenna has participated in many Dance seminars and trainings for continuing education and has two years of experience as a certified ZUMBA® Fitness instructor.
Spencer Byrnes
Teacher
The start of Spencer’s dance career was in her hometown of Oxford, MA, at the age of six at Aspire Dance Center (studying hip hop in year 1, and adding musical theater, acrobatics, and jazz in year 2) dancing recreationally. In year 3, she transferred to another studio in Webster, MA at Mass Best Academy of Dance, where she started on their competition team right away, taking 12 classes - 2 hiphop, 2 acro, 2 ballet, tap, musical theater, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and a jump/leaps/turns class. After this year, she fell in love with the competition world and started competing solos, duos, trios, and all different groups. In 2021, Spencer started teaching at Mass Best Academy as a junior teacher. For two years, she trained to teach all different types of styles, and during the following year (her senior year) she taught her own class - Junior Contemporary.
Now graduated high school, Spencer is pursuing her two life long goals of studying psychology and business at Wheaton College in Norton. Spencer started teaching at Silver city in 2024 and she is extremely excited to start her second year at Silver City and can’t wait to see all of her students from last year again, and meet new dancers as well!
Colleen Hughes Trahan
Teacher
Colleen began dancing when she was two years old at Mary Flynn Murphy Dance Studio in her hometown of Somerville, MA. There she studied ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and lyrical and was part of the competition team and dance company under the direction of Kathy Kozul until she graduated high school.
Colleen received a BA from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where she continued her dance journey as part of her double major in theatre. In addition to acting, she performed as a dancer in The Tempest, Timon of Athens, and spring dance concerts and expanded her studies to include Balinese dance. Never one to stop learning, Colleen has continued to explore her passion for dance as an adult in adult tap and Irish dance classes.
Colleen first discovered her love of teaching as a student demonstrator at Mary Flynn’s, and she has worked with kids of all ages at summer schools, camps, and after-school programs. She is so excited to be teaching at SCDC and to be able to share her love of dance with the next generation of dancers.
Shelby McCarthy
Teacher
​Born on the Cape and raised in Fall River, Shelby is a native to Massachusetts! She has been dancing since age 9. She is passionate about dance history and somatic practices. She attended Bridgewater state university where she completed a minor study in dance practices and education. She is keen on proper dance anatomy and teaching her students safe and efficient ways to understand their bodies and how they move. Shelby is Early education and care certified. She has years of experience working with children ages infant to 15. Modern, lyrical and contemporary dance are her passion but she also loves and appreciates the art of Jazz, ballet, tap, hiphop and other forms of dance. She is looking forward to helping your child grow into a strong, confident, independent dancer!
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Abigail Weckesser
Assistant Teacher
Abbie has been at Silver City Dance Center since before she could remember, starting at the age of 2. She has been assisting since 2011 as a student demonstrator and has continued to assist and substitute. She is excited for this coming season.
Sallie Gmeiner
Substitute & Assistant
Dance has been Sallie’s avocation for the last 70 years. She danced throughout her childhood and college years and with various dance groups around Boston before moving to Taunton where she danced at the Carole Miller Dance Studio (with a young Judy Mills) and then at Silver City Dance Center since the first day Judy opened the studio.​
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