About Us

The Dance Factory, owned by Doug Brown, is located in Coldwater, MI. Having been in business 35 years, the Dance Factory is one of Southeast Michigan's

leading dance studios.

Our instructors are highly trained and well versed in the subjects they teach. We have a long history of training our students with proper technique and terminology for all forms of dance. Apart from being life-long dancers themselves, most hold dance education from Dance Masters of America, Acrobatic Arts, Alixa Flexibility, and more. This makes for a fun, yet safe, environment for your student to learn the love and art of dance.

Doug Brown

Owner - Teacher - Choreographer

Doug Brown, affectionately known as “Mr. Doug,” opened The Dance Factory in the fall of 1991 with just 35 students and a dream. Since then, he has grown the studio into a beloved community cornerstone—where dancers of all ages and abilities feel at home.

Trained through Dance Masters of America in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and modern, Mr. Doug is especially known for his dynamic tap choreography and infectious rhythm. His talent and dedication have earned him numerous regional and national awards, with routines placing in the overalls at top competitions like Applause, Showstoppers, Precision Arts Challenge, and Kids Artistic Revue.

With over three decades of experience, Mr. Doug has inspired generations of dancers through both technical training and a culture of warmth, inclusion, and creativity. Under his leadership, The Dance Factory is more than just a studio—it’s a family.

Autumn Bregg

Teacher - Choreographer

With over 19 years of teaching experience, Autumn brings precision, passion, and a deep love for dance to every class she leads. She’s known best for her top tier lyrical, dynamic jazz, crisp pom, and hip hop routines. Autumn has trained and inspired generations of dancers—many of whom have earned top honors and overall titles.

Autumn began her teaching journey at The Dance Factory and shares her expertise with every dancer who walks in our doors. She is a graduate from Dance Masters of America’s Teacher Training School and holds certifications through Acrobatic Arts, ensuring her students receive technically sound and developmentally appropriate training.

Autumn’s passion is fueled by the joy of watching her students grow. “It’s the connection that’s made when they know they have a safe place at the studio,” she says. “Seeing the excitement in their eyes when they finally nail that trick or move—that’s the real reward.”

Teacher - Choreographer

Chelsea Norris

Chelsea has been a part of the dance world nearly her entire life, spending 13 years as a dedicated dancer—10 of those years competing. She trained at several studios, including The Dance Factory, Dance Factory 2, and Expressions Dance Centre, and performed for multiple seasons with the Marshall Community Ballet Company in The Nutcracker. From an early age, Chelsea was almost always in the studio, growing as both a performer and a leader.

She began assistant teaching at just 13 years old and earned her own classes by the age of 16. Since then, Chelsea has continued to further her dance education, graduating from Dance Masters of America in 2019, attending countless instructor workshops, and earning two certifications in Alixa Flexibility. Her experience also extends beyond The Dance Factory—she has been a guest instructor at other studios, choreographed award-winning routines, and most recently contributed her talents to The Nutcracker with the Marshall Community Ballet Company.

For Chelsea, teaching is about so much more than dance steps. She is passionate about shaping the next generation of dancers, helping them grow not only in their technique but also in life skills and confidence. To her, The Dance Factory is more than just a studio—it’s a family and a second home, and she is honored to continue sharing her love of dance with her students.

Becky Halprin

Teacher - Choreographer

With over 40 years of classical ballet training and more than two decades of teaching experience, Becky brings a deep love of movement and a passion for sharing the art of dance with every student who walks into the studio. Her teaching repertoire includes classical ballet, pointe, pre-pointe, lyrical, contemporary ballet, modern, and Rockette-style kick-line. She also draws on her background in cheerleading and drill team to create well-rounded, engaging classes that inspire dancers of all levels.

In addition to her extensive dance experience, Becky is a certified yoga instructor and a certified fitness professional through the International Fitness Association. Her approach emphasizes not only strong technique and discipline, but also body awareness, confidence, and joy in movement.

Whether she’s guiding beginners through their first plié or helping advanced students refine their artistry, Becky is committed to nurturing each dancer’s unique journey. Her classes are known for being supportive, energetic, and full of encouragement—a reflection of her belief that dance should be both empowering and fun.

Teacher - Choreographer

Rachael Halprin

With over 24 years of dance experience and 15 years of teaching, Rachael brings a passion for movement, musicality, and technical precision to every class. Trained in classical ballet with continued education in college, her teaching style is rooted in discipline, expression, and excellence.

She has worked with all levels in ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, and Rockette-style kickline, and currently focuses on lyrical, jazz, and contemporary. Rachael encourages dancers to blend strong technique with emotional expression and individuality.

Her classes are known for being technical, disciplined, and energetic—challenging students to grow while feeling supported. She strives to empower dancers to push their limits, explore their creativity, and build lasting confidence

Teacher - Choreographer

Alyssa Hammond

Alyssa brings over 15 years of dance experience, along with 6 years of teaching experience to our studio. With a deep love for precision and rhythm, tap is her specialty, but she also is known for her pom, jazz, and musical theatre numbers.

She grew up taking classes in Michigan, but namely here at the Dance Factory, with our Dance Trilogy competitive team. Alyssa also studied education in college, while continuing her dance career with Trine University.

Alyssa finds true enjoyment in making students not only better dancers, but better humans; and helping them find their passion for dance, while keeping a close eye on technique.

Her favorite accomplishments include winning national titles when she was younger, watching her dances grow and improve throughout the season, and getting to watch her first baby class take the recital stage!

Alyssa brings positivity, dedication, and a genuine love of teaching to every class, and we’re so lucky to have her be a part of our teaching staff!

Teacher - Choreographer

Shaley Bond

Shaley Bond has been trained under the direction of Mr. Doug at The Dance Factory for eight years. Before that, she spent over two years training at Frankenmuth Dance Directions, where she continued to grow her technique and performance skills. Throughout her competitive career, Shaley earned multiple national titles and top placements at major competitions including Kids Artistic Revue, Precision Arts, Applause, and StarQuest.

While hip hop is her specialty, Shaley is a firm believer in the power of being a well-rounded dancer. She brings a deep passion for contemporary and modern dance into the studio, with a strong focus on movement quality, storytelling, and technical foundation. Shaley loves helping dancers discover their unique style while building confidence, creativity, and connection through every class. She is attending Teacher Training School this summer to further her knowledge in dance education.

Teacher - Choreographer

Brighton Torres

Miss Brighton has been dancing for 18 years and is currently a student at Trine University. Dance has always been a part of her life, and her long-term goal is to one day take over the studio and keep it in the family.

Her specialty is working with the youngest dancers in the baby combo ballet and tap classes, where she loves watching her students grow and find joy in dance. While she enjoys teaching, Brighton’s favorite style to perform is contemporary. One of her most memorable dances was her senior year solo, Clown.

For Brighton, the best part of teaching is building meaningful connections with her students and their families, while helping dancers grow stronger and more confident—just as she experienced in her own dance journey.

In the future, Brighton hopes to travel abroad to share her love of dance, with dreams of performing on cruise ships. She also plans to complete her dance teacher training next year to become officially certified.

Hannah Jackson

Teacher - Choreographer

Miss Hannah has been working at The Dance Factory since 2016, first as an assistant, but has since been on the teaching staff! She currently specializes in Acro and Hip Hop, but hopes to expand her styles in the future.

She enjoys celebrating with her students when they gain new trics and skills, as well as building relationships. She hopes her dancers walk away with pride in their new abilities, a deep love for dance, and a place to be creative.

Miss Hannah is currently working through Dance Master's of America's Teachers Training School. She should graduate in 2028.

Teacher - Choreographer