The Starline Staff

 Starline has assembled the best staff of teachers available to the Stoughton area.  At Starline, we are focused on finding the best teachers to teach your child and assist them in their growth.  

Rayna Flaherty
Academy Director

         Rayna has been with Starline since 2007 and is a graduate of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Education.  Rayna has helped develop the many programs at Starline over the past 13 years with most recently specializing in the Creative/Children's dance program.
          She initiated the Starline Dance Team which is a wonderful outlet for students to push and challenge themselves and has been recognized for countless special and overall awards at various competitions..
     Rayna has also studied and taught at numerous places along the New England area and through Philadelphia including Broadway Dance Center in NYC as well as teaching at the Creative and Performing Arts High school of Philadelphia.  
     Rayna also taught through a grant program at the Jones Preschool here in Stoughton for 10 years where she taught creative movement to preschool age children. She also taught an outreach program at the Gibbons school in Stoughton Ma.
        She is also a graduate of the  Boston Teachers Club of Boston where she received the "American Academy of Dance Award" and is a member of the Greater Brockton Dance Teacher's Association where she served as chairperson for the club's annual dance competition. 
        Overall Rayna has extensive knowledge in Dance as she has been studying it her whole life! Her mission is about hard work but to also have fun! When Rayna is not at Starline she spends her time with her family  raising her two young children. She absolutely loves children and enjoys watching their growth both through her own and her students at Starline.

Shayla Shedin
Theatre Director/ Dance Instructor

         Shayla is a former Starline student of many years. While a student at Starline, she received training in voice, musical theatre, ballet, tap and jazz dance. She studied it all! She also performed regularly with the Paris Cabaret Theatre and later sang with multiple competitive choirs, performing all across Massachusetts including at the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston. She aided in the founding of Stoughton High School's first a capella group and was the recipient of several vocal scholarships.            Upon graduating high school, she started working at Starline and found a passion for teaching. Shayla has received her associates in Theatre Arts Education and is over joyed to be a part of the Starline family after all these years. She hopes to pass on the knowledge and love for performing arts to future students that her teachers and mentors instilled in her. 

Patricia Biagini
​Dance Director

​                Patricia Biagini is a dancer, choreographer and teacher with over 30 years experience. She is trained in classical Jazz dance,theater dance, tap, ballet and Horton technique. She has studied in New York and Boston with many masters of dance such as Gus Giordano, Luigi, Frank Hatchett, Ann Reinking, Jose Mateo, Rhee and Rennie Gold, Adrienne Hawkins and Jeanette Neil to name a few. Patricia has performed on stage with Stevie Wonder, been in the  rock band  video "KISS" and in a Caribean dance show in Aruba. She has also danced with independent choreographers in Boston and New York including her own dance ensemble, "Biagini Dance Company". Patricia has been on the faculty at Plymouth State University, Concord Academy and Boston Arts Academy. She has also taught for Ailey Camp Boston, Boston/Belmont Metco program, and Summer Arts at the Cambridge School of Weston. Her musical theater choreography includes many shows, such as "Once on this Island", "Carousal", &  "Jerry's Girls",  to name of a few.  She is also on the faculty for  Summer Arts at the Cambridge School of Weston.  In 2012 Patricia was honored as Dance Teacher and Choreographer of the year from Origination Cultural Center in Boston.
        Patricia is also a certified pilates instructor as well as a licensed Zumba instructor. Patricia has been on faculty of Starline since 2013.

Paris Kampanelas
 Voice Instructor

      Ms. Kampanelas holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance and Music Education from The New England Conservatory of Music.
    Ms. K was also the K-5 Music Specialist for the Gibbons School in Stoughton for twenty years. As well as traveling to other local elementary schools in the district and directing an award winning Show Choir for Stoughton High School. Ms. Kampanelas maintained a private voice studio and taught many students who are now studying music, voice and theater in colleges across the country today. 
      In 2012 Paris was named Stoughton's 2011-2012 Elementary Teacher of the Year by The Veteran's of Foreign War/ Michael Romanuk Post 1645 and by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in recognition for promoting Citizenship Education in her classroom and school.
      Ms. Kampanelas is a member of NATS (The National Association of Teachers of Singing), NE/OSA (New England Orff- Schulwerk Association) and the Massachusetts and National Chapters of MENC (Music Educators National Conference). 

Beth Weiner
 ​Acrobatic Instructor

Dancing since the age of 2, Beth has studied gymnastics, acrobatics, jazz, tap, ballet and lyrical. Beth earned her bachelor’s degree at Springfield College with a minor in Dance.  She has her Master’s in Special Education from UMass-Boston and was  a member of the Dance Team at UMass and choreographed theatre productions for the group.   
Beth has been a dance teacher since 2002, as well as a special education teacher in the preschool and elementary settings.  Beth’s specialty is acrobatics, where she competed nationally around the United States in groups and solos. She was also a competitive gymnast in her high school years. 

Bridget Castro
Dance Instructor

Bridget is a former Starline student of 15 years. Bridget was an early member of our Dance Competition team training in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary modern, hip hop and Acro for many years. While in high school Bridget was an assistant teacher at Starline which led her to develop a passion for passing on her love and knowledge of dance with younger students. She’s been awarded several scholarships to continue her education at Dean College which she will study dance and studio management. Bridget has also danced in the Macy's Day parade and was awarded the Bette Campbell Scholarship which recognizes the highest scoring applicant through the Greater Brockton Dance Teachers Association.

Jeffery Velez
Voice, Piano, Guitar, Ukule, Bass Guitar Instructor

Multi-instrumentalist and composer, Jeffrey brings to the school a lifetime of playing experience and over ten years of dedicated study to the craft of music. Jeffrey studied Music Theory, History, and Composition at Brown University, as well as guitar performance. He began graduate studies after at Manhattan School of Music, pursuing Vocal Jazz Performance under the tutelage of Grace Parlato and Theo Bleckmann.

Jeffrey joined the Starline Academy staff in 2024. He plays and teaches regularly on six instruments, and is excited to be offering Guitar, Voice and Piano lessons at Starline. He performs internationally as both bandleader and sideman, accompanying singers, rappers, and poets in a wide variety of genres. Additionally, Jeffrey works with two choirs of young singers in Dedham as Choral Director, guiding them to reach their fullest creative potential.

Throughout his teaching career, he has worked with students of all ages, genres, and abilities, striving to help them uncover the joy in making music together and in honing their craft. Music is his life's work, and he looks forward to getting to know the community of creative students who come to Starline Academy!

Kristina Hernandez
​Dance Instructor

     Having twenty years of dance experience as a student and teacher, Kristina Hernandez began her multifaceted training at the early age of eight years old. The Dance Center, a competitive dance studio, is where she competed in national competitions throughout the East coast, winning awards for her over-all technique, captivating stage presence, and powerful performances. Her passion continued as she was accepted to attend Boston’s first and only high school for the visual and performing arts, Boston Arts Academy.   
      Kristina has worked with world-renowned faculty and guest artists. She was also awarded scholarships to the Boston Conservatory and Alvin Ailey dance Intensives. Kristina was an original member of Impact Dance, a non-profit Boston based dance organization, and for years traveled to various parts of Massachusetts and New York City performing with the company.   
          Encouraging teacher, honored choreographer, and accomplished performer, her goal is to continue to inspire those who follow her journey and motivate all. 
 

Tatum Ellis
Broadway Stars and Voice Instructor

Tatum is a musical theatre graduate of UNH. Over the past 30 years Tatum has performed in local theatres; dinner theatres (one being the Starline Room Dinner Theatre); regional theatres, on cruise ships for Royal Caribbean and Norwegian; as a member of the General Jackson Showboat in Nashville; and as Tammy Wynette on the national tour of Stand By Your Man, the Tammy Wynette Story. Tatum has filmed commercials in NYC for HGTV Dream Home, Home Depot, Glidden, and Healthy Choice. 

After many years of traveling and performing, Tatum returned to Massachusetts to pursue her passion closer to home and to set down roots. She was cast as Genevieve in the independent film “Day Job”. The movie was the Audience Award Winner for the 2019 Great Lakes International Film Festival. DCU also hired Tatum for a radio and tv advertising campaign which was renewed for 4 years. This past summer Tatum had the pleasure of music directing Little Mermaid Jr for the Starline Academy and is thrilled to now be teaching classes.

Mauricio Campos Gonzalez
​Piano Instructor

Gabriel Arsene
Piano and Vocal Instructor
Mauricio Campos González is a talented pianist and conductor from Mexico City. He studied piano for five years at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City before relocating to Boston in 2021. In Boston, he pursued further studies in piano and conducting at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Throughout his training, Mauricio received guidance from esteemed instructors, including Max Levinson and Jonathan Bass for piano, and Lawrence Isaacson and Geneviève Leclair for conducting. He has participated in masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Dimitri Toufexis, Joy Phinney, and Andrew Armstrong.

As a pianist, Mauricio attended the 2022 Harvard Chamber Music Festival in Massachusetts and the 2023 Fulton Summer Music Academy, where he studied with pianist Peter Takacs. In his role as a conductor, he attended the Conductor’s Institute of South Carolina and served as an assistant conductor for both the Turkish American Orchestra and the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra.

Additionally, Mauricio is a recipient of the Ricardo and Professor Hans Lewitus Scholarship for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he also works as a Student Advising Mentor. He is eager to share his passion for music with his students at Starline.
From Gabriel:

​"I'm Gabriel, a versatile music educator, pianist, and vocal coach with over 12 years of experience teaching students of all ages and backgrounds, both individually and in group settings. I specialize in engaging piano and voice lessons, grounded in classical, contemporary, and Brazilian music.
I hold a degree in Conducting from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and completed a specialization in Choral Conducting at EMESP – São Paulo State Music School. I also have extensive experience in music theory, choral work, and both piano and vocal pedagogy.


I'm passionate about helping students grow through joyful, personalized, and goal-oriented instruction. I believe in creating inclusive and welcoming learning environments where music becomes a tool for building confidence, creativity, and self-expression. I'm thrilled to be joining the staff at Starline Academy, and I warmly welcome you to this musical journey with me!"

Lauren Saracino
Vocal Instructor

Lauren is excited to be back on staff at Starline Academy! A graduate of Hofstra University (B.S. in Ed. - Music Education), and Bridgewater State University (M.Ed. - Educational Leadership), Lauren brings decades of experience as a music educator and arts education leader/supervisor. She has studied voice and piano at a professional level, and has a wealth of experience teaching general music, piano, choir, band, and musical theatre to children of all ages.

Lauren currently serves as the Curriculum Director of Fine and Performing Arts for the Weymouth Public School District, where she oversees all music, theatre, visual and media arts programming from PreK through post-grad. In addition, she teaches middle school piano class, is the assistant director of the Weymouth High Marching Band, and serves as the co-chair to the Arts Education Advisory Council to the MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education.

​Miss Lauren also enjoys performing in musical theatre productions in the area, and playing the ukulele. Lastly, she is also a proud Starline parent of two boys in the musical theatre program here at Starline.

Zoe Iacovelli ​
Guest Instructor

           Originally from Franklin, MA, Zoe spent the last 6 years traveling in and out of New York City working at many regional theatres as well as traveling the world performing with Disney Cruise Lines. Zoe earned her BFA in Musical Theatre in 2011 from The Hartt School of Music. As a proud member of the Actors' Equity Association, some of Zoe's favorite professional roles include Doralee in  9 to 5 , Delee in  Smokey Joe's Cafe , Elle in  Legally Blonde , Penny in  Hairspray , Lina Lamont in  Singing in the Rain , and Mayzie in Seussical . On top of her love for performing, Zoe has also found passion in teaching and sharing her love of musical theatre and dance with her students. She will be working towards her masters degree in Theatre Education from Emerson College starting in the fall of 2017.  Zoe can't wait to push our students to make bold choices and find their own passion in the world of theater just like her teachers did for her!

Dakota Mammoli
Guest Instructor

Koty has been dancing for the majority of  her life and decided to pursue teaching to spread the joy that dance gives her! She has a BA in Dance from Bridgewater State University and is certified to teach Dance through the Dance Teachers Club of Boston. She teaches with the philosophy that “you never stop learning” and is so excited to continue her journey with Starline!