Our Team
Teachers & Staff
Celia Bassett
Owner, Director, Teacher
Celia started Irish dancing at the age of ten in Santa Fe, NM. It was an instant passion, and she continued to learn, perform, teach and compete without pause! Celia has guest-performed locally with Lunasa, Natalie MacMaster, Eileen Ivers, and Trinity Irish Dance. She competed nationally as well as in Ireland reaching Championship level and winning a National title. She has also taken a variety of other dance forms; bellydance, flatfooting, Scottish, ballet, tap and others. Celia is credited as a dancer in the western film Jane Got A Gun Starring Natalie Portman.
Celia has a degree in Anthropology (B.S) Exercise Science (A.A.S.) and certificates in Elementary Education and Montessori (early childhood). She has completed the Foundations course in Early Childhood Dance through Discover Dance. She leads a toddler classroom at Santa Fe Montessori Childcare. She enjoys uniting her passions for teaching, choreographing, child development, and working to preserve traditional forms of Irish Dance! Outside of dance, Celia is a teacher, avid hiker and knitter, and lives in Santa Fe with her young family.
Victoria Hypes-Mayfield
Teacher, Competition Program Director, Performing Company Assistant Director
Vicky started dancing in 2000 and has been an Irish dancer as long as she can remember. Her competitive career spans two continents, five countries, and three decades. Vicky has danced in multiple World and National championships and toured New Mexico with Gaelic Storm. As a dancer and dance teacher, she has a passion for competitive choreography and combining her athletic expertise in weightlifting and powerlifting with Irish dance training. Outside these activities, she loves riding down mountains on either skis or bikes and exploring Santa Fe restaurants with her husband.
Hannah McDowell
Teacher, Discover Dance Program Director
Hannah McDowell is a California native that started dancing at the age of 3. She studied jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary dance and hip hop through her teen and adult years and danced competitively in high school and through college. In 2012 she met her now husband and moved to Santa Fe where she was an Artistic Director at NDI New Mexico for the residency and north programs for 8 years. Since stepping away from her career to be a stay at home mom to her now 2.5 year old, Hannah has been enjoying working with Celia in engaging our youngest little movers in dance and creative movement.
Blake Lee Ogren
Teacher: Discover Dance, Caregiver & Tot, Irish Pearls
Blake Lee Ogren (Blake Lee Clay-McBee) is thrilled to be joining the Belisama family. She has a degree in Directing from Middlebury College and fifteen years experience as a professional actor and museum educator. Blake grew up taking ballet, ballroom, and most recently Irish dance as an adult. She is working towards completing the Foundations course in Early Childhood Dance through Discover Dance. She lives in Santa Fe with her family that includes two young sons.
Adraic Starks
Teacher, Performing Company Dance Captain
Adraic has been dancing with Belisama for 11 years. While now retired from competition, he was a Southwest Regional champion in 2016, and now focuses on performing and creating choreography. His dance background is varied with experience in ballet, contemporary, modern, and swing but Irish has been his first and longest love. He also has experience as an actor and model working in the film industry.
Madeline Alford
Teacher, Performing Company Assistant
Madeline is from Portland OR, but she now teaches middle school Spanish in Albuquerque. After dancing in her first Irish dance class at the age of 5, she worked hard to reach Open Championship level in 2008. She has competed across the USA, and Canada and has qualified for the World Irish Dance Championships as a part of an 8-hand ceili team. As an adult, she has spent many years performing and teaching Irish dance here in New Mexico. Outside of Belisama, Madeline is an avid world traveler and has been to 50+ countries!