our team
The Mill Ballet School is home to many practicing professional dance teachers working in all style and levels. Each teacher is hired based on a number of factors, core to the values of the Mill Ballet School and its community of students.
Melissa Roxey
Founder & Director
Mrs. Roxey began her studies with the syllabi of The Royal Academy of Dancing at 5 years of age. Mrs. Roxey danced with the American Repertory Ballet as a soloist, then as a principal with the Dayton Ballet Company. Melissa has worked with choreographers including Septime Webre, Marjorie Mussman, Dermot Burke, Bill Craty, Suki Schoer, Christine Holder, Patricia Mcbride, Mark Diamond, among many more. She has served on the faculty of many ballet schools around the country and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Mill Ballet School in New Hope, PA.
Mark Roxey
Co-Founder & Director
Mr. Roxey began his formal training at Joffrey Ballet in New York City, where he was awarded a full scholarship and later graduated at the top of his class. He went on to dance professionally with Joffrey Ballet Concert Company and The Joffrey Ballet under the direction of the late Robert Joffrey. He then joined American Repertory Ballet and Dayton Ballet as a principal dancer under the direction of Dermote Burke and Marjorie Mussman. Mr. Roxey has performed in works by George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Robert Joffrey, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe, John Cranko, John Butler, Maurice Petipa, Augusta Bourniville, and many others.
Adriane Orcutt-Fraser
Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Modern
Adriane Orcutt-Fraser is a dedicated educator and choreographer with a profound passion for both the Art of Teaching and the Art of Dance. Rooted in a family of educators, Adriane is committed to fostering the health, well-being, and artistic growth of her students, whether they are recreational dancers or aspiring professionals. Adriane’s dance journey began at Budzynski Studios/Dance Theater of PA in Bucks County, PA, where she trained in ballet, pointe, and Ukrainian folk dance. During this time, she performed demi-soloist and soloist roles alongside professional dancers. Her training continued at Philadanco, where she studied Graham and Horton modern techniques under Milton Myers, Pat Thomas, and Dolores Brown, while also expanding her ballet and pointe skills. As a scholarship student, Adriane attended BalletMet and Joffrey Ballet School Summer Intensives, where she had the opportunity to study with Melinda Baker, Francesca Corkle, and other esteemed faculty. In high school, she was accepted into the BFA dance program at DeSales University, performing with university seniors and earning college credit for her studies. Adriane was also invited to train and rehearse with Danco II, Philadanco’s second company, and participated in a youth performance group that toured West Africa. After high school, Adriane attended Fordham University, where she pursued a degree in Philosophy and History. Although the university did not offer a dual major in dance at the time, Adriane was accepted into the Alvin Ailey/Fordham BFA program as a non-major. She received comprehensive training in ballet, pointe, modern, and jazz, studying and performing works by renowned choreographers including Celia Marino, Denise Vale, Ana Marie Forsythe, and Carl Paris. With extensive teaching experience, Adriane has taught ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, contemporary, and folk dance in New York, Long Island, and Pennsylvania. She currently serves on the dance faculty at PA Youth Ballet, and at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts as instructor, choreographer, and costume designer. Adriane is deeply committed to instilling a love for dance and artistic expression in all of her students, from beginners to pre-professional dancers. She resides in the Lehigh Valley with her children, all of whom are also passionate dancers and students of the arts. She is excited to strengthen the dancers of the Mill Ballet School.
Tara Jarboe
Ballet, Pointe
Tara Jarboe received her dance training at the Mill Ballet School under the direction of Mark and Melissa Roxey. Tara graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University (WFU) where she trained under Brantly Shapiro (San Francisco Ballet), Nina Lucas (Alvin Ailey), Christopher Martin (American Ballet Theater), and Christina Soriano. At WFU, she studied ballet, pointe, and various modern and jazz dance techniques, performed with the WFU dance company, and created choreography. Tara danced with the Roxey Ballet Company from 2012-2017 and taught ballet (all levels), pre-pointe, pointe (all levels), variations, contemporary, improvisation, and jazz at the Mill Ballet School. Most recently, she completed her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from New York Medical College and served as an adjunct professor in biology at Manhattanville College. She taught, choreographed for, and served as rehearsal director for the Ballet School of Stamford from 2018-2024. She is honored to be home teaching at the Mill Ballet School.
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Reggie Oliver
Hip Hop
Karen Verso
Ballet, Pointe
Reggie. O is a Dancer, Choreographer, and Teacher from Pennsylvania Who has experienced many different areas of entertaining and performing! From the stage to the Television set and even Catalogs and Magazines. Some of Reggie’s credits include dancing for Toni Braxton, Macklemore, Keke Palmer, Pitbull, Ozuna, and The Weeknd at his most recent performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show! Reggie has also danced on and been featured in a host of Award shows and music videos on Networks such as Nickelodeon, BET, VH1, and MTV just to name a few. In addition Reggie.O has also been featured in and has choreographed commercials and Promotional ads for products and companies such as Boost Mobile, Samsung, Costume Gallery Dance Catalog and Dance Apparel as well as Pastry Sneakers! It is Reggie’s Hope to one day be a Positive and Influential Staple In The Pennsylvania Dance Community and history! Reggie believes that hard work will gain you access to anything you want in this world and with his all of his experiences and many more to come there is no doubt that Reggie. O will become the influencer that he aspires to be!
Karen Verso held the title of principal dancer with New Jersey Ballet Company and BalletMet, Columbus, Ohio, and as a company member of Twyla Tharp, Ohio Ballet, Dayton Ballet, and Dennis Wayne’s Dancers performing principal and featured roles. She performed an eclectic repertoire touring extensively throughout Europe, South America, and the US. A versatile dancer, some favorite roles included: “Dark Angel” in Balanchine’s Serenade; “The Waltz” from Les Sylphides; “Black Swan” (variation), “Les Cygnets” and “Big Swans” from Swan Lake; the leading role in Cliff Keuter’s Mythical Hunters; and featured roles in Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom. She was particularly honored to have appeared as a featured “stomper” in the premiere of Twyla Tharp’s blockbuster, In the Upper Room. With her husband, Edward Verso, Karen founded and directed the Dance Center of New Jersey in the Far Hills-Bernardsville area of Somerset County, where she taught all levels for many years. Several years later, they established and directed a pre-professional performing group for the school, The Repertory Dancers, for young aspiring dancers. Karen was delighted to serve as Assistant to the Répétiteur for her husband, who restaged Jerome Robbins’ NY Export: Opus Jazz on New York City Ballet and the Joffrey Company, and Robbins’ Moves on Kansas City Ballet on behalf of the Robbins’ Rights Trust. She has also been Director of Dayton Ballet II, Associate Director of Connecticut Conservatory of Dance, and Adjunct Professor of Dance at Raritan Valley Community College. Karen began her teaching career with the New Jersey Ballet School under the direction of Carolyn Clark when she was just 16 and a soloist in the New Jersey Ballet Company. Since then, she has taught students of every level, from preschool to professional, for dance schools and intensive programs throughout the US and in NYC. Teaching and coaching dance to a new generation of dancers continues to be her passion.
Paula Brufman
Ballet, Pointe, Variations
Paula Brufman is a Mill Ballet School teaching artist who has performed and danced with American Ballet Theatre and Teatro Colón— She enjoys spending time with our Mill Ballet School students, trainees, and professionals sharing her artistry, experience, and passion for the art of ballet. She loves inspiring, teaching and illuminating learning, growth, and connection across generations of dancers.
Olivia Wojtowicz
Contemporary, Ballet
Olivia Wojtowicz (New Egypt, NJ) received her dance training at Princeton Ballet School. While there, she has performed alongside American Repertory Ballet’s professional company in “The Nutcracker,” where she debuted as Clara at age 15. She studied dance performance at Montclair State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in May 2024. Since attending Montclair, Olivia has performed in many works choreographed by the faculty and guest artists including: Tommie-Waheed Evans, Christian von Howard, Maxine Steinman, Jessica DiMauro-Marks, Michelle Manzanales, Doug Varone, Hollis Bartlett, and Nattie Trogdon. She also served as rehearsal assistant for Tommie-Waheed Evans and as a demonstrator for department auditions. During her time at Montclair, she has also studied abroad in Sweden where she took multiple styles of dance classes from Julia Ehrstrand and other faculty of the dance schools there. Since graduating, Wojtowicz has been finding different ways to share her art, including teaching and choreographing at different dance studios including RPM Dance Company and Ady Arts Center. Additionally, she is collaborating with Kierstyn Edore under Opus//The Company, as the Public Relations Associate. And coming up most recent, she has accepted a job with Roxey Ballet as an Artist/Teaching Artist with their professional dance company.
Kaitlyn MacDonald
Hip Hop & Street Jazz Choreography
Kaitlyn MacDonald is an teaching arts, administrative leader, dance educator, and marketer dedicated to amplifying accessibility and social impact through the arts. She serves as the Head of Education and Marketing for the Roxey Ballet Company in New Jersey, where she coordinates impactful regional outreach initiatives, including the literacy-and-movement program Read, Dance, and Grow. She teaches Hip Hop and Street Jazz as well as constructs choreographic pieces that resonate. An alumnus of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, Kaitlyn synthesizes her deep love for the performing arts with a robust background in strategic communications, visual storytelling, and community engagement to champion diversity and creative empowerment both on and off the stage.
Mirabel Roxey
Ballet, Composition, Trainee, Hip Hop, Contemporary
Mirabel Roxey grew up at the Mill Ballet School since she was in her mother's (Melissa Roxey) womb. She has watched throughout the years or how her parents teach, motivate, and inspire their students. Mark & Melissa Roxey have over 100 years experience in dance. Mirabel is now moving onto her next chapter by attending Charter Arts for dance and continuing her studies at Mill BalletSchool in the pre-professional company. Mirabel's ongoing love for kids and the arts has lead her to teach.She is committed to sharing what she has learned throughout the ears of soaking up every part or the school. She wants the students to feel tree to express their beautiful, diverse, and unique selves through dance. Join Mirabel as she is thrilled to continue the legacy or her parents school and serve as an inspiration to many of the students
Veronica Higgins
Ballet, Pointe
From Fergus, Ontario, Veronica Higgins began her ballet training at Hamilton Academy of Performing Arts. She then moved on to train with Northeast Academy of Dance, The Carret Dance Conservatory, Texas Ballet Theatre and Nashville Ballet. In 2019, Veronica joined the Louisville Ballet in the Studio Company, under the direction of Robert Curran, where she performed pieces such as Ronald Hynd’s “The Merry Widow”, George Balanchine's “Serenade” and Emerald’s”, and Robert Curran’s "Swan Lake”. Veronica joined Roxey Ballet in 2023 and is excited to return for her second season with the company. Recently Veronica has also been a guest teacher at Hamilton City Ballet, were she has taught ballet, pointe, repertoire and conditioning classes, and is now excited to be teaching in the Mill Ballet School.
Emanuel Chacon
Hip-Hop, Stepdance
Emanuel “Manny” Chacon is a Mill Ballet School teaching artist, dancer, choreographer, and artistic director from Wilmington, Delaware whose passion for movement began at a young age through the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira. What started as an exploration of rhythm and discipline evolved into a lifelong devotion to storytelling through dance. A tool he has uses to educate, empower, and connect communities across the world. While attending the University of Delaware, Manny pledged Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc., where he began performing and competing with his brothers regionally and nationally. Under the mentorship of industry choreographer J-Romeo, his technical foundation deepened and his creative voice began to take shape. After earning his degree in Marketing & Interactive Media in 2014, Manny balanced a career in higher education admissions at Cabrini University with evenings dedicated to refining his craft. Teaching, training, and performing with artists throughout Philadelphia’s vibrant dance scene. In 2016, Manny’s journey reached a pivotal moment when he joined the world-renowned Step Afrika!, the first professional company dedicated to the art form of stepping and one of the top African-American owned dance companies in the United States. Making history as the first Latino ever cast in the company, Manny toured across 45 states and over 15 countries, engaging in cross-cultural residencies, embassy performances, and large-scale productions that bridged rhythm, history, and identity. His time with Step Afrika! reinforced his belief that dance is a global language capable of building bridges between people and cultures. Beyond the stage, Manny has made his mark as a creator, curator, and educator. He is the founder of La Cultura Dance Collective, a company dedicated to preserving and celebrating reggaetón culture through performance, workshops, and choreography. His movement vocabulary blends Capoeira, Hip Hop, House, Afro, Dancehall, Stepping/Body Percussion, Gumboot, and Zulu, creating a vibrant fusion that embodies diversity and cultural exchange. Through La Cultura, Manny has developed programs that connect communities to the cultural roots and social messages behind popular forms of dance, making the art both accessible and meaningful. In 2024, Manny expanded his impact by becoming the Artistic Director and Curator of the Cityfest Dance Jubilee, a city-wide festival presented by the City of Wilmington, Parks and Recreation, and Cityfest Arts. Under his direction, the Jubilee has become a growing platform for local studios, independent artists, and cultural organizations to perform, collaborate, and celebrate Wilmington’s rich dance community. His leadership in this initiative has helped spotlight homegrown talent while fostering a sense of unity across genres and generations. Manny’s artistry has also taken him to major stages and media platforms. He has danced for artist such as Kid ’n Play, MC Lyte, Don Miguelo, Taylor Dayne, and more… appeared in national television commercials for Villanova University and Sheetz, and performed at prestigious venues including the White House and the Kennedy Center. Each experience reflects his versatility, seamlessly transitioning from theatrical stages to commercial sets while maintaining his commitment to authenticity and cultural integrity. Today, Manny serves as the Assistant Director of Dance for Student Performing Arts at Villanova University, where he mentors young dancers, develops programming, and continues to bridge the worlds of education and performance. Through every role he takes on (performer, teacher, or director) Manny remains driven by his mission to uplift communities, celebrate cultural diversity, and use movement as a means of connection, healing, and inspiration. Rooted in the values of culture, community, and creative excellence, Emanuel “Manny” Chacon continues to build a legacy that reminds others that dance is more than movement, it’s a reflection of life, identity, and the power of unity.