Thelma grew up in Cambridge, MA, where she studied at the Bates School of Dance in Central Square. After earning her B.S. in Special Education from Lesley College in 1974, she taught in the Boston Public School system. She earned her master's in Special Education from Regis College while starting a family and relocating to Lexington, MA. After founding the Dance Inn in 1983, in the dining room of her home, Thelma eventually found her way to the rich tap scene in the Boston area, studying at the Leon Collins Studio in Brookline and meeting many of the friends and colleagues who have continued to inspire her since then. In 1997, she founded Dance Inn Productions, a nonprofit organization producing annual International Tap Day Festivals that honored master tappers with the Tapestry Award for Teaching. Among the dancers she has celebrated are Dianne Walker, Brenda Bufalino, Sarah Petronio, Buster Brown, La Vaughn Robinson, Jimmy Slyde, and Billy Siegenfeld. In addition to the books and teaching products found on this site, Thelma has also been published in the Dance Education in Practice Journal for her article "Release, Relax, Ready: A Rhythm-First, Holistic Approach to Teaching Tap Dance".