Our People
2023/2024
Lisa Valeri,
Artistic Director
Lisa Marie Valeri was born into a family on the move. Criss-crossing from California to Puerto Rico, Texas to the heartland of Ohio, Lisa always carried the dreams of a dancer. Early on, she trained at the Dayton Ballet with passionate teachers who valued all forms of dance and personal expression. At the University of Georgia, she found fertile ground for all of her interests, including dance, horticulture, Italian language and literature along with an arts community willing to give space to anyone with an idea.
Lisa moved to Nashville and later joined Epiphany, a contemporary dance company that produced concerts, tours, and video work and held a residency at Christ Church Cathedral for 15 years. In 2014 Lisa assumed the role of Epiphany’s Artistic Director, re-imagining the company as Epiphany Dance Partners when she completed the Periscope program with the Arts & Business Council of Nashville.
The re-launch won a cash award and the overwhelming support of the audience with a heartfelt message of the quest for connection through dance.
Grateful for years of experience and creation with the trust of many beautiful dancers and collaborators, Lisa is taking this season of great change and reflection to launch her own company, di Mossa. It is the synthesis of her past work, an enduring passion for beauty and meaning, and that ever-present push to keep moving.
Photo: Kisa Kavass
Ashlyn Hall
Ashlyn Hall has danced with Lisa Valeri for a decade, first in Epiphany Dance Partners and now with di Mossa. She has performed extensively in Middle TN and the Southeast at events like Nashville Fringe Festival, Celebrate Nashville, Kindling Arts Fest, the Tennessee Association of Dance Gala and Nashville Ballet's Emergence.
An alumna of Belmont University, Ashlyn earned a B.A. in Spanish with minors in Dance and Journalism. In 2015 she joined the dance faculty at Belmont and has taught ballet, jazz and modern dance; she also choreographs original work for the Belmont University Dance Company's annual production Mixed Bill and re-stages repertory by Debbie Belue and Lisa Valeri. Ashlyn has taught ballet, modern and tap at Rejoice School of Ballet, where she partnered with Gerald Watson (Nashville Ballet) to assistant direct RSB's annual classical ballets from 2015-2017 and has worked as an administrator for the non-profit. She is also currently on faculty at the Harpeth Hall dance program and recently completed a certification in Progressing Ballet Technique.
Ashlyn spent a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area curating and organizing a quarterly artist showcase for LEVYdance; expanding her teaching practice at Alonzo King LINES Ballet's community programs, Bay Area Children's Theatre, Berkeley City Ballet, and Adda Clevenger School; and performing dance theatre work with Stephanie Unger & Artists.
Photo: Martin O’Connor
Allison Hardee
Two things have been persistent passions in Allison’s life: movement and learning. She began her dance training at five years old and developed an undeniable love for the art form and its many styles at her home studio in Columbia, TN. Allison continued her growth as a dancer at Belmont University while completing her Bachelor of Arts in mathematics with minors in education and dance. She was a member of the Belmont Dance Company, giving her numerous opportunities to perform pieces created by the talented Debbie Belue and Maggie Pelton.
Allison has continued to seek opportunities to learn about herself as a mover and grow in her dance knowledge through numerous avenues: participating in the Gus Giordano Dance School summer intensive, attending educational dance conferences, becoming certified to teach beginner Horton technique through the Ailey School, and dancing around Nashville in freelance projects alongside her work with di Mossa. Most recently, Allison's curiosity took her to Calgary, AB, Canada where she was part of the year long professional training program at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks under the direction of Jamie Freeman Cormack and Ingrid Díaz Céspedes, deepening her groove and musicality as a rooted jazz artist.
In addition to her dance work, Allison loves sharing her passion for dance and learning as an instructor and choreographer. She teaches modern and jazz at Belmont University as well as ballet and tap at Rejoice School of Ballet. She has also assisted with Rejoice's annual spring production for multiple seasons, including as rehearsal director in 2024.
Photo: Tiffany Bessire
Molly Haslag
Molly Haslag began formal dance training in her hometown of Jefferson City, Missouri at the age of 4. In 2017, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Dance and a Bachelor of Social Work. Upon graduation, Molly accepted a position as a company dancer with the Dancing Wheels Company and School in Cleveland, Ohio. During her four seasons with the company, she enjoyed both national and international touring and performing works by choreographers such as Marc Brew, David Dorfman, Catherine Meredith, Dianne McIntyre, James Morrow, David Rousseve, and Mark Tomasic. Beyond her work at Dancing Wheels, Molly also danced and choreographed as a freelance artist with Levity Dance and Physical Theatre, The Cleveland Dance Project, and MorrisonDance. Outside of performing, Molly earned her Teacher Certification in Physically Integrated Dance and was a regular teacher for Dancing Wheels’ company classes, within the company’s school and outreach programming for individuals with and without disabilities, and at several studios in the Greater Cleveland area.
Since moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 2021, Molly has enjoyed doing freelance work with Satellite Dance, Found Movement Group, and additional independent projects, performing as a company dancer with di Mossa, Nashville Dance Collective, X Contemporary Dance, and Project Awake, and continuing to share her love of dance to people of all abilities as a teacher at MOVE Inclusive Dance. Outside of dance, Molly earned her Master of Social Work from Cleveland State University in 2021 and is currently employed as a Licensed Master Social Worker at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.
Photo: Mark Horning
Matthew Robinson
Matthew J. Robinson began his dance training in the Appalachian foothills of Southwest Virginia around 10 years ago. He has a diverse background of movement experience including modern, ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and 10 years of Si Lum Kung-Fu. Matthew started his professional career with The West Virginia Dance Company and Roanoke Ballet Theatre while studying to receive his BFA from Radford University (Radford, VA). After graduating, he moved to Cleveland, OH to tour with The Dancing Wheels Company around the Northeast, South, and Midwest U.S., including performances at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York and Cleveland’s own Playhouse Square. While in Cleveland, Matthew choreographed for and worked with The Cleveland Dance Project Company, held principal roles at North Pointe Ballet such as The Cavalier (Nutcracker) and The Scarecrow (Wizard of Oz), and vibed with his modern dance roots alongside MorrisonDance.
After making the leap from Ohio to Tennessee with his partner, Matthew is excited to be grooving with di Mossa as a company dancer and to continue advocating for and bringing concert dance performance, choreography, and education to Middle Tennessee and beyond.
Marisa Pace
Marisa began dancing at age 4 at a local studio in small town Minnesota. She trained in all styles recreationally until she was introduced to classical ballet at age 12 and fell in love. She attended her first summer intensive at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and couldn’t get enough so when she got home her family started exploring more training options. The following year she left home to stay with a host family and attend Master Ballet Academy’s pre professional day program in Arizona. From there her ballet adventures have taken her all over from a summer at Next Generation Ballet in Florida, to another summer in Canada at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, to some time with FM Ballet in North Dakota, to a year and a half living with another host family in North Carolina studying at the Cary Ballet Conservatory.
She graduated in 2020 and moved to Florida to dance with Tampa City Ballet during Covid before moving to Nashville and connecting with di Mossa in 2023. She has performed in many different ballets including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Dracula, Graduation Ball, excerpts from La Bayadere, and has performed in many contemporary pieces throughout the years. She has attended YAGP and competed at ADC IBC. One of her favorite performances was when she was chosen to perform her contemporary solo at the RDA MidStates gala. She is so excited to be continuing her dance career here in Nashville working with di Mossa as well as keeping up with her ballet training.
Photo: Marilyn Elezabeth Photography