Professional and Junior Trainee Programs

Chelsea Ainsworth is a graduate of the Dance Department of The Juilliard School. After graduating she worked with Johannes Wieland in Germany, Lorena Egan, Flexicure, Amber Sloan, Bryn Cohn + Artists, Zvidance and was on the modern/ballet dance faculty at Cap21 musical theater school and Chen DanceCenter. Currently she is dancing with The Bang Group and her own co-founded and directed dance company Dual Rivet. She’s also the co-founder and Executive Director of Arts On Site, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting artists of all disciplines by offering affordable studio space and hosting events to foster and encourage community. She built and curates residencies at a retreat and residency center in the Shawangunk mountains in upstate New York. In 2020 she joined the Dance Advisory Board of Marymount Manhattan College, faculty at the Juilliard School, Marymount Manhattan and SUNY Purchase. In 2023 she joined Saint Anns as a part time dance teacher and she is thrilled to be teaching and mentoring currently at The 92nd Street Y.

Ayaka Kamei Cento, originally from Ehime, Japan, is the Interim Director of the School of Dance at 92NY’s Harkness Dance Center, where she has been a faculty member since 2021. She is committed to making the School of Dance a welcoming home where students, families, faculty, staff, and artists can experience joy, nurture creativity, and build a strong community through dance.

A New York–based dancer, educator, choreographer, and producer, Ayaka has taught and presented work throughout the United States and Japan in higher education, conservatories, public schools, and community organizations. Her teaching credits include 92NY, SUNY Purchase, Gibney Dance, Chen Dance Center, and Joffrey Ballet School.

As a performer, Ayaka has appeared on Broadway and on national and international tours of Phantom of the Opera. She has also performed with The Metropolitan Opera, Twyla Tharp Dance, MorDance, and New York Theatre Ballet. Her screen credits include a Nikon commercial, Amazon Prime’s Étoile, and The Show Must Go On on Apple TV+.

Ayaka is a graduate of Northern Ballet School in England and graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Purchase. She is a facilitator with Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) and has presented workshops and lectures at conferences and institutions, including the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and the New York State Dance Education Association (NYSDEA), as well as other regional, national, and international events.

She is also the Artistic Director of Art Couriers International, an outreach-focused performing arts organization, and co-founder of Dance Education Cafe, which fosters collaboration and dialogue among dance educators in Japan.

Photo by: Becca Vision

Elizabeth Yilmaz is a professional dancer, educator, and producer based in New York City. Elizabeth is a former member of Ballet Hispánico and a longtime dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet.

She holds a B.A. in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College and completed Harvard Business School’s Crossover Into Business program in 2024.

As a dedicated dance educator, Elizabeth is on faculty at both The 92nd Street Y (92NY) and the Joffrey Ballet Trainee Program. She is also the co-founder and producer of Art Bath NYC, an immersive, multidisciplinary salon series launched in 2022 with fellow dancer Mara Driscoll. Art Bath brings together musicians, dancers, poets, opera singers, and visual artists to create innovative performance experiences.

Notable Art Bath collaborators include the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Prototype Festival, 92NY, Fotografiska New York, and now Lincoln Center’s Festival of Firsts.