Fred Astaire Dance Studios Belmont

Earl and Jennifer Batol, owners and instructors, have collectively been with the Fred Astaire organization for over 20 years, and are currently celebrating their fifth year in business at the Belmont location.

Earl is a Gold certified instructor in American Style Smooth and Rhythm. While teaching and competing professionally, he became dance director of the successful FADS Hanover in 1998. From 1999-2002, Earl coached the MIT competitive ballroom dance team. He also briefly coached the Northeastern University team in 2002.

Jennifer started dancing at the tender age of five, and by the age of eleven, she had acquired extensive training in jazz, tap, and ballet and was performing in theatres with local dance troupes. In high school, Jenn captained the dance team, and in 1996 she received in dance degree from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. Jennifer began teaching at FADS Hanover after graduation. She is highly regarded in the region as an exceptional dancer, a compassionate teacher and a dedicated professional.

Michelle Montanez, manager and instructor, arrived at FADS
Belmont with an extensive background in dance. After beginning lessons at the age of six, she quickly realized her passion for the art. She had her first professional job at the age of sixteen dancing as a soloist in The Nutcracker with the North Star Ballet in Fairbanks, Alaska. Michelle attended the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and graduated in 2003 with a B.F.A. in dance performance. She has studied and performed a broad range of styles of dance and feels that her profession as a dance instructor "helps people to embrace dance as an accessible social and artistic endeavor that is completely rewarding to everyone who takes part."

Catherine (Casey) Baird began dance lessons at the age of seven, and by her sophomore year at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., she was the co-director of the Clark University Dance Society, a position she held for three years. Also in college, Casey began competing in regional collegiate ballroom dance competitions, where she and her partner often placed in the top five couples in their category. Upon graduation with her B.A. in psychology, Casey continued on to graduate school to obtain her M.B.A., but continued dancing throughout her studies. After five years in a career in marketing and public relations, she chose to make a career out of her passion for ballroom dance and is thrilled to be a member of the FADS Belmont family.

Christopher-Paul Muise came to FADS Belmont with a broad background in performance arts. A graduate of Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, New Hampshire, Christopher has a B.A. in directing and modern dance, and has directed, choreographed, and performed in productions for the Palace Theatre (Manchester, NH), the Wakefield Repertory Theatre (Wakefield, Mass.), the Hope Light Opera Company (Derry, NH), and Bentley College (Waltham, Mass.). Inspired by watching his sister dance in recitals, Christopher caught the performance bug as a teen and has pursued a career in the arts ever since. His dream is to run a versatile theatre/dance company where new works and new artists are prominently featured.

Lilia Wood began her ballroom dancing career as a member of the prestigious MIT Ballroom Dance Team, where she competed extensively in the collegiate ballroom dance circuit. After graduating with a degree in political science, she moved to Florida in 2005 to join the staff of the Pensacola, Florida Fred Astaire Dance Studio, where she continued to compete on a professional level in American style smooth and rhythm. As an instructor, she has helped students of all levels, ages, and abilites reach their social and competitive dancing goals.

Amy Lawrence started her ballroom dance training when she joined the MIT Ballroom Dance Team and competed extensively in the collegiate ballroom dance circuit. She was a finalist in many collegiate competitions throughout the New England region including the Harvard, Yale, Brown, Tufts, and MIT competitions. Amy is originally from Los Angeles and has trained in ballet, jazz, modern, and tap dance since she was 6 years old. She is a 2006 graduate of the Boston Conservatory where she majored in opera performance and minored in dance. Amy continues to compete at the professional level to further her passion of ballroom dance.

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Christopher Uy began his career with Fred Astaire Dance Studios at the Fort Walton Beach, Florida location in 2005, and quickly became a rising star at regional and national competitive events across the country. He has consistently placed among the top ten couples in the American Closed Bronze/Silver Rhythm, American Open Rhythm 5-Dance, and the American Rising Star Rhythm categories. Chris Uy has been trained by several world-class coaches including Tony Dovaloni, Maksim
Chmerkovskiy, Martin Lamb and Taliat Tarsinov. Chris Uy believes that dancing is a life changing experience and is passionate about helping his students discover the potential in themselves.

Forrest Burke -- Biography coming soon!