Archives: Team Members

Madeline teaches Shake Your Soul®—a soulful, somatic dance practice that helps people connect with their bodies, awaken joy, and experience greater freedom of expression and self-awareness through movement.

She is a certified Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator (RSMT/E) who combines her expertise in trauma-informed care with a deep passion for supporting others in healing through the mind-body connection. Madeline is registered with ISMETA (the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association) and is currently completing the required hours toward Master-level certification as a Somatic Movement Therapist (MSMT). She is also pursuing her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a trauma concentration at Antioch University New England. Her approach draws from Polyvagal Theory, Body-Centered Gestalt Psychotherapy, and expressive arts modalities.

Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Madeline spent four years in Shanghai, China, teaching children English, dance, and drama performance. During that time, she also had the opportunity to share Shake Your Soul® at local studios. This international experience broadened her perspective on movement and performance, deepening her calling to somatic healing work.

In her practice, Madeline uses tools such as body scanning, mindful movement, journaling, and nervous system education to help clients and students reconnect with their body’s wisdom and create new pathways for healing. Whether in group classes or individual sessions, she strives to create a safe, welcoming space where people can explore their authentic selves through embodiment.

Madeline teaches Shake Your Soul® on Thursdays at Berkshire Pulse and offers remote somatic therapy sessions. She has served as an assistant for LIFE Movement’s SomaSoul® Clinical Training program for two years and will assist with the Shake Your Soul® Level 1 Teacher Training for the second time this summer, sharing her experience with the next generation of somatic practitioners. 

View Madeline’s ISMETA Profile

Melissa Elstein founded Good Energy Movement & Wellness to bring the joy of movement to students of all ages and levels in her dance and yoga classes.  As a young dancer, she trained at Balanchine’s School of American Ballet and performed with NYCB, Berlin Opera Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet. Her teachers at SAB included Stanley Williams, Madame Danilova, and Suki Schurer.  During Summer breaks, Melissa studied at Ballet West, and in NYC with Melissa Hayden, Willie Burmann, Madame Darvash, and David Howard (where she became a scholarship student).  She was accepted into the Pennsylvania Ballet Company her last year of high school. Melissa performed with that company for several years until an injury sidelined her professional ballet career. 

Shifting to academics, Melissa graduated from Barnard College and Columbia Law School. She completed Federal clerkships, before joining NYPD’s legal bureau. Her life took another turn when she trained in yoga, qigong, Pilates, Reiki, and other healing modalities. Returning to her first passion (ballet), Melissa graduated from Finis Jhung’s teacher training, performed in three of his instructional DVDs, and taught adult ballet for him at Alvin Ailey’s Extension Program. She completed children’s teacher trainings with Yogi Beans and American Ballet Theater and has taught children’s and teen ballet at the School at Steps on Broadway and as a guest teacher in the Berkshires. 

Her website:  www.Melissa-Mati.com.

Jennifer Foster-Drake, originally from Frisco, Texas, began her dance training at the age of two at The Tuzer Ballet under the direction of Pat and Tanju Tuzer. Her early training included studies at The National Ballet of Canada and summer intensives with The Kirov Academy. At the age of fifteen, Jennifer continued her pre-professional training at The Harid Conservatory.

Upon graduating with the President’s Academic Award of Achievement, Jennifer joined The Cincinnati Ballet where she performed corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles. Her repertoire included Myrtha in Giselle, the Temperament Fairy and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty, the Winter Fairy and Stepmother in Cinderella, Jennifer in Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, “The Gods” in Seventh Symphony coached by the late Frederic Franklin, and the Second Regiment Lead in George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes.

Jennifer has since performed as a principal and guest artist with companies across the United States and internationally, including Ballet Manila, Barak Ballet under the direction of Melissa Barak, and Amy Seiwert’s Imagery.

Some of Jennifer’s favorite full-length roles include Odette in Swan Lake, coached by the late Elaine Thomas, as well as title roles in Carmen, Giselle, and Cinderella. Additional favorite repertoire includes Balanchine’s The Man I Love and Fascinatin’ Rhythm from Who Cares?, as well as Valse Fantaisie. She especially valued performing original contemporary works created on her by choreographers including Darrell Grand Moultrie and Ma Cong.

Jennifer has also served as a guest choreographer for Chattanooga Ballet and Arova Contemporary Ballet.

In 2015, Jennifer founded The Dancer Project Conservatory, in the Nashville area, initially creating a free professional training space for local artists. Following several successful performance series, she expanded the organization into a full conservatory and community-centered dance school focused on making high-quality dance education and live performance more accessible to youth, adults, and underserved communities.

With over 39 years of dance training and more than 24 years of professional teaching and performance experience, Jennifer is passionate about mentoring dancers of all ages and cultivating technically strong, artistic, and confident performers while being a safe space for movement and body positivity. 

Outside of the studio, Jennifer enjoys gardening and spending time on her farm with her wife, Amanda, their children Louis and Ender, and their many animals, including horses, chickens, dogs, and their beloved pig, Confetti. She credits her family’s unwavering support in her youth instilling her love for dance, and especially Amanda’s belief in her dreams—as a guiding force throughout her artistic journey.

Photo Credit: Martin O’Connor Photography

Nic Fortenbach/Notorious Nic is 21 years old from Connecticut. Nic is a member of United Outkast Breaking Crew of CT and a member of the legendary Floorlords Crew out of Boston, MA.  He spent his 2023 to 2025 performing for the Boston Celtics Jet Blue Flight Crew at Celtics home games. He has done many other projects such as videos, performances and is active in the breaking scene. Nic is very passionate about dance and enjoys learning from his peers/mentors.