Carissa Bellando (she/her) is originally from New York and holds a MFA in Contemporary Dance from Case Western Reserve University and a BA in Theatre and Speech with a concentration in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance from Wagner College.  

Carissa performed professionally for thirteen years in Concert Dance and Musical Theatre throughout the US, Taiwan, and at sea with Norwegian Cruise Line and Aida Cruises before moving into teaching and choreographing full-time. Some of her favorite performance roles include Tumblebrutus in “Cats”, the Carpet in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”, and Die Hexe (The Witch) in “Es War Einmal” (Once Upon a Time).  

Carissa has taught and choreographed in the US and Germany for colleges, conservatories, theaters, dance companies, and numerous studios. Most recently you may have seen her choreography in “Tick Tick…Boom!” for Vermont Stage, “SpongeBob: The Musical” for Shelburne Community School and Full Circle Collaborative, and “ Little Shop of Horrors” for Essex High School as well as numerous dance studios in the Chittenden and Washington counties.