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Mary Frances Massey is a dedicated dance instructor located in Memphis, TN. She started her dance journey at the age of three under the guidance of her mother, Sarah Karrant, at their family-owned studio, North Mississippi Dance Centre in Tupelo, MS. Since joining the staff at NMDC in 2001, she served as Director from 2019 until 2024, when she made her move to Memphis.

 

Mary Frances has received extensive training in ballet, tap, jazz, and other styles from numerous esteemed figures in the dance community. Some of her favorite mentors include Mira Popovich (Birmingham Southern), Frank Hatchett (Broadway Dance Centre), Luigi and Frances Roach (of Luigi’s Jazz in NYC), Chet Walker (Fosse), and Mike Weaver (Chicago).

 

She pursued her education at Mississippi State University on a vocal scholarship, majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Voice. In 2006, she earned her degree in Commercial Entertainment and Dance Pedagogy from Columbia State Community College. Soon after, she was hired by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a Lead Singer/Dancer (Girl 2) in their Broadway-style production shows. Additionally, she performed as a singer/dancer for Matt Davenport Productions in Nashville, TN. Currently, she continues to share her musical talents with her band, Massey Tate, in the North Mississippi and Memphis regions.

 

As an Arts Integration Specialist in Dance, Mary Frances is also listed on the Teaching Artist Roster for the Mississippi Arts Commission and the Tennessee Arts Commission. Since joining the Roster in 2017, she has collaborated with over thirty schools in Mississippi and Tennessee, developing unique and engaging lesson plans. Her expertise in working closely with educators to create customized lesson plans has established her as one of the most sought-after artists in both states.

 

In 2025, Mary Frances graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Human Resource Management from the University of Arkansas Grantham. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Nonprofit Management at The University of Memphis. She taught at New Ballet Ensemble and Collage Dance Collective in Memphis, but currently teaches at Germantown Performing Arts Center. Her programs offered for teachers and schools include:

Narration and Movement:

 

Putting movement to your favorite children's books- Massey developed this as a production based and learning program. To date, she has put on five productions in three different school districts."Giraffes Can't Dance", "The Indian Paintbrush" & "My Many Colored Days", "What a Wonderful World" & "Where the Wild Things Are". Massey creates the backing tracks with music and her voice narrating the book. She then choreographs movement for the students to perform. They can run anywhere from ten to thirty minutes long and are a perfect solution to your Fall/Spring plays!

Memorizing Movement and Core Curriculum:

 

*Math and Hip Hop (patent pending)- Students can work out math problems in  addition, subtraction, multiplication, division AND Algebra all while using fun and energetic movements. This gets your brain and body working!

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* ABC Yoga- learning different yoga moves to go along with the alphabet! We also practice breathing techniques and meditation.

* Habitats and All That- this segment goes into teaching the different habitats, some of the animals that live there and their life cycles. ( Can be created to fit your needs)

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*Life Cycle & Water Cycle- Movement through the different cycles of Life (plant cycles, animal cycles etc.)

Teacher & Professional Developments: 

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Can be created to fit your needs and range anywhere from one-three hours.

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Artist in Residency:

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Can range anywhere from a week to a month. (Previous AIR at King ECEC, Pontotoc Elementary, Carver Elementary, Philadelphia Elementary & Crestwood Elementary)

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