Elizabeth Buchheister is from Emmitsburg, Maryland and began performing in community musical theater at a young age. She later studied dance at various schools including The City Ballet School. Eli ...
Elizabeth Buchheister is from Emmitsburg, Maryland and began performing in community musical theater at a young age. She later studied dance at various schools including The City Ballet School. Elizabeth graduated from The Ailey School’s three year certificate program in 2023 and completed the Horton pedagogy certification. She has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Amy Hall Garner, Ronald K Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, JA Collective, and Kevin Jenkins. Elizabeth has taught at various dance schools around the NYC, DC, and Maryland areas. Her choreography has been seen at Bridge for Dance’s Uptown Rising, with Ballet Hartford, and the new opera Gracchus.
Nabarreus “Barre” Cross is a graduate of The State University of New York at Potsdam, class of 2014 majoring in Dance. Nabarreus started his career in 2005, dancing for AG Voice of Harl ...
Nabarreus “Barre” Cross is a graduate of The State University of New York at Potsdam, class of 2014 majoring in Dance. Nabarreus started his career in 2005, dancing for AG Voice of Harlem, the creator of “No Music” and “Lite Feet.” Barre is one of the first original dancers of Lite Feet and Team Lite Feet, a collection of ‘the best’ dancers around the city.
Since then Nabarreus has grown as a dancer and educator and has learned to appreciate all styles. His Duet piece Heure de Jouer, was selected and performed at the American College Dance Festival concert at Boston University. He has worked with Gina Gibney and received an ICAT certificate, The Institute for Community Action Training. In 2012, he founded and directed Project Morry’s Dance Program, which is an Organization dedicated to the needs of inner-city youth in the tristate area. He also serves as a teaching artist in his community, where he teaches youth dance technique, dance history including important history on the male dancer, as well as self-love and body awareness. He has worked for Wingspan Arts as a site director, Brooklyn Music School, The Boys Club of New York, Harlem Children’s Zone and has mentored for Project Morry’s Summer Intensive program.
Nabarreus has continued his studies at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School, where he trained in American and classical ballet. He was awarded the DTH Boys Scholarship, and merit and scholarship awards and was part of the DTH Dance Ensemble. Most recently Nabarreus has been featured in numerous film and television productions, from a principal acting role in True Crimes Investigating series to more notably in Spike Lee’s highly anticipated movie Blackkklansman as a featured dancer and college student. He also is seen dancing in The Deuce Season II, The Get Down Part II as a Zulu Nation Member, Sakshyam an international Bollywood movie, featured dancer for Alia Pierre, is a winner of the “Rock Don’t Stop” Hip Hop Film festival award and has been featured in various commercials. He was also featured in Vogue China as a dancer and model for Chi Zhang NYFW F/W ’17. Most recently, he was cast as a dancer for the Brooklyn Academy of Music Dance Africa 2021 production.
Of Haitian origin, born and raised in Switzerland, Tatiana is a professional dancer, dance instructor, dance consultant, choreographer, organizer, curator, with a Master degree as adult educator an ...
Of Haitian origin, born and raised in Switzerland, Tatiana is a professional dancer, dance instructor, dance consultant, choreographer, organizer, curator, with a Master degree as adult educator and a Bachelor in Psychology (University of Geneva). Tatiana won several competitions and is regularly invited to give workshops and judge competitions worldwide.
Very involved in the growth of the swiss hip-hop scene, she has been teaching and mentoring since 2005, had her own dance school “Le Centre Hip-Hop,” taught regular classes in several dance schools (such as “CFP Arts,” an important arts school in Geneva), and stays involved in the swiss community through JAIA & FlowFocus ( a non-profit organization providing sessions, parties, workshops and a battle). In 2012, she was one of the four founders of the first Hip-Hop dance company in Geneva called “Continuum.”
She is the director and choreographer of “Passion Fruit Dance Company” a street dance theater and educational company, which she founded in 2016. The company’s mission is to explore the human experience, address social issues such as racism, and strive to inspire young artists to share their voices, through her performances, her teaching programs (designed to provide tools to heal, to release, to build confidence or to educate on the racial issue, providing anti-racist tools) called “Passion Fruit Seeds,” and a multisensory experience within a cultural party called “Les 5 Sens.” She performed with her company in places such as at The Apollo Theater, Summerstage, Jacob’s pillow, the New Victory Theater, BAAD!, Pregones theater, LOHH, Joe’s Pub, 92Y, the Guggenheim, the Lincoln Center, Mass Moca and abroad (Canada ( MTL) and Switzerland). They also did a commercial for Credo Beauty.
Tatiana was selected as one of Dance Magazine’s 2020 “25 to Watch.” She also featured in the New Yorker magazine for the “Goings on about town” in 2021.
She had the chance to perform at the Madison Square garden and the Wells Fargo Center for the rock band Arcade Fire, In Electrogynous by Sabela Grimes performed at the University of Columbia, In Where Love lies follow a play written by Nichi Douglas performed at the Martin E. Segal Theater for the Prelude festival (NYC) and at the Public Theater Under the Radar festival (NYC). Tatiana had the opportunity to be Nichi Douglas’s dance consultant for the premiere of that play at The Shed.
Tatiana is one of the core dancer of the pioneering street dance theater company Rennie Harris Puremovement since 2016, performing throughout the United States. She is also part of the Nefer Global Movement collective since 2018, a core member of LayeRhythm Experiment Company since 2019, performing at 92Y, Jacob’s Pillow, Purdue University (online), Bridge Street Theater (online). Since 2021 she is part of the Black Dancing Bodies project with whom she recently did the “Works & Process bubble residency” performing at the New York Library.
Amongst other styles, Tatiana specializes in Hip-Hop and Housedance.
Photo Credit: Lauriane Ogay
Hip-Hop (Intermediate)
Hip-Hop (Advanced)
Elizabeth Douglas received her Masters in Dance Education from NYU; has taught in both private institutions and Arts in Education programs; in addition to her work in education Elizabeth continues ...
Elizabeth Douglas received her Masters in Dance Education from NYU; has taught in both private institutions and Arts in Education programs; in addition to her work in education Elizabeth continues to develop her own choreography.
Ballet
Pre-Pointe
Beginner Pointe
Mai Lê is a French-Vietnamese street/club dance performer, choreographer, educator, coach, dj, curator, and the Founder and Artistic Director of LayeRhythm Productions INC, a NYC-based non-profit d ...
Mai Lê is a French-Vietnamese street/club dance performer, choreographer, educator, coach, dj, curator, and the Founder and Artistic Director of LayeRhythm Productions INC, a NYC-based non-profit dedicated to highlighting freestyle voices in performance art.
In 2015, Mai Lê founded LayeRhythm, a cutting edge monthly jam session that creatively layers live musicians & vocalists with freestyle dancers. Since 2019, the project has been taking its club roots to the stage with The LayeRhythm Experiment ensemble, co-creating unique performances in partnership with live audiences at 92Y, Jacob's Pillow, Purdue University (online) and offering educational programs for aspiring freestyle artists.
As a core dancer in the pioneering street dance theater company Rennie Harris PureMovement since 2013, and in Passion Fruit Dance Company since 2016, Mai Lê has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Guggenheim Museum, LA Music Center, Apollo Theater, Dance Place DC, NJPAC, City Center New York, Kimmel Center, and more than 60 additional venues across the USA and abroad. She also toured Europe with seminal Detroit music producer Theo Parrish and his live band in 2014.
In 2021, Mai Lê was selected to be artist-in-residence at Bridge Street Theater, virtual artist-in-residence with Asian American Arts Alliance, and movement curator for Asian Cultural Council’s East West Fest.
From 2017 to 2019, Mai Lê was the Program Director of It’s Showtime NYC! (IST), a City-funded program that celebrates NYC street culture and provides performance and professional development opportunities to street and subway dancers.
As a dance educator, Mai Lê has taught house dance workshops in Brazil, Vietnam, Japan, DRC, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and throughout the US, and has held weekly classes at EXPG NYC for over 5 years.
Contact: maile@layerhythm.org / IG: @mailegrooves
Ayaka Kamei is a freelance dancer/teaching artist based in New York. She most recently concluded her two-year contract with the world tour of The Phantom of the Opera as a dancer/singer.
Following her early training at Tatewaki Hiroko Ballet School in Ehime, Japan, she graduated from Northern Ballet School in England as well as SUNY Purchase, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a President Award for Achievement in the Conservatory of Dance. She was selected to study abroad at Codarts in the Netherlands and Springboard Danse Montréal as well.
Ayaka has danced with many companies including The Metropolitan Opera, MorDance, New York Theatre Ballet, AZOTH Dance Theatre and Ayalis In Motion. She has performed works by choreographers such as Balanchine, Cunningham, Tudor, Roy Assaf, Aszure Barton, Dario Dinuzzi, John Heginbotham, Jessica Lang, Austin McCormick, Keith Michael, David Needham, Matthew Neenan, Alexei Ratmansky, Taryn Kaschock Russell and Bettijane Sills, among others.
As a teaching artist, she has had the pleasure of teaching ballet, contemporary, jazz and yoga in Japan and New York at places such as SUNY Purchase, Gibney Dance, Chen Dance Center, Dance Project of Washington Heights, Artistry Dance Project, Greenwich Dance Studio, Hariyama Ballet, Tatewaki Hiroko Ballet School, Musashino University, and more. Being a versatile dancer, she takes a contemporary approach to the traditional forms and emphasizes the importance of musicality and fluidity in the dancing body. Dancing is a source of happiness for her, and she is delighted to share it with everybody.
Photo Credit: Bohyun Yoon
Ballet (Beginner)
Ballet (Intermediate)
Student Inventor / Creative Movement
Storybook Dance
Harkness Summer Ballet Intensive
Jill Kenney is a New York-based tap dancer, teacher, and choreographer. In addition to her work at the 92Y, she is currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center and teaches children and adults thro ...
Jill Kenney is a New York-based tap dancer, teacher, and choreographer. In addition to her work at the 92Y, she is currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center and teaches children and adults throughout Long Island. Jill has also taught at NYU Steinhardt, Ballet Tech, and Steps on Broadway. She has been on the faculty of numerous tap dance festivals including The Big Apple Tap Festival, Tap Ties Dance & Fitness Festival, and the Motor City Tap Fest. As a choreographer her work has been seen in New York venues such as Symphony Space, 54 Below, 92Y Buttenweiser Hall, The NYC Choreographer’s Forum, ATDF’s Something’s Afoot, The Tank, and The Long Beach Public Library.
Jill worked with Germaine Salsberg for many years, as her tap assistant at Broadway Dance Center and as a member of her company, Les Femmes. With this company, Jill has performed at Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, The Friars Club, Brooklyn College, and Boston’s Regent Theatre. She has appeared as a dancer in numerous festivals including the Dumbo Dance Festival, Tap City, Stam-Pede, and the Tap Extravaganza. She has been a team leader for ATDF’s outdoor event Tap It Out and has performed choreography by Lynn Schwab in Rhythm in Motion. Other performance highlights include the Highline Ballroom, LG Electronics, Career Transitions of Dancers Gala at Citi Center, and Disney Cruise Lines.
Originally from Rhode Island, Jill grew up training in various forms of dance with a focus on Ballet and Tap. She has studied at the 92Y Dance Education Laboratory and holds a B.A. in Dance Performance and Education from SUNY Empire State College, as well as an A.A. in Dance from Dean Collegein Franklin, MA.
Tap (Beginner)
Tap (Advanced Beginner/Intermediate)
Tap (Intermediate/Advanced)
Tap
Alison Manning is the former Executive Director and Co-Producer of The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, working with the organization from 2008-2020 to provide meaningful residency opportunities fo ...
Alison Manning is the former Executive Director and Co-Producer of The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, working with the organization from 2008-2020 to provide meaningful residency opportunities for national and international dance and performing artists and bringing the performing arts to the Vineyard community. She is founding Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer of DanceTheYard, The Yard’s year-round professional dance company, with choreographic partner and company Co-Artistic Director Jesse Keller Jason. Jesse and Alison’s choreographic body of work has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow, Mass MOCA, The Yard, The Dance Complex, Ohio University, Triskelion Arts, among others.
Alison is a passionate Horton teacher and an avid tap and rhythm dancer and advocate. She discovered her love for the Horton technique as a scholarship student at Jacob’s Pillow, working with the great Milton Myers, and has continued studying with mentors Mr. Myers, Kristina Berger, Karen Gayle and other lauded Horton Teachers through the years. She taught the technique on Faculty at The Yard each summer, and as a guest teaching artist at NYU Steinhardt School, Wesleyan Univeristy, Peridance Capezio Center, and STEPS on Broadway. In addition to teaching, Alison dances and performs with The Bang Group and has worked for The Peggy Spina Tap Company, Xodus Dance Collective, Kinodance company among others. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Modern Dance and Minor in Art History.
Photo credit: Sally Cohn
Modern Dance Horton (Beginner/Intermediate)
Sameena Mitta is the founder and artistic director of MeenMoves, as well as of the government-funded education and outreach program, MadHops. A graduate of the professional ballet training program ...
Sameena Mitta is the founder and artistic director of MeenMoves, as well as of the government-funded education and outreach program, MadHops. A graduate of the professional ballet training program of The School of Dance in Ottawa, Mitta was a recipient of the Celia Franca Scholarship, and was awarded with distinction the Associate Diploma of the Cecchetti Society. She has spent over 15 years teaching and working as a freelance modern dancer, performing for numerous choreographers and teaching at schools throughout North America and abroad. Mitta has performed with The White Oak Dance Project in their New York Season of Past Forward, in the Czech Republic with Dagmar Spain and in New York with The Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, Kathryn Alter and Dancers, Aviva Geismar, Luis Tentindo and The Juilliard Opera Company, among many others. In 2008 she received a MA in Dance Creation at UQAM focusing on Movement Intervention for survivors of domestic violence. Mitta, with her dance-theatre company, MeenMoves, has presented works in North America, India, Japan and Europe. Esteemed festivals have selected and produced Mitta’s pieces, including the evening-length work Growing Pains, co-presented by ODD in Ottawa (2013). She has shown work at Ailey APAP2018 (NYC, 2018) and at BAM Fisher (NYC, 2018) as well as Frigid Festival (NYC, 2014), Westfest Dance Festival (NYC, 2015), 60x60 (NYC, 2015), BAX’s Winter Festival (NYC, 2016) and Dance On The Lawn (NJ, 2018). She presented her evening-length work, alternative (f)Acts, at the Martha Graham Theater (NYC, 2017). In 2015, Mitta was invited to create work through a residency at the Lake Studios in Berlin, Germany and has produced work for the Choreographer’s Collective in NYC. She has received funding from the Canadian government for her outreach programming and has sat on juries in Canada and the USA for several organizations offering funding and scholarships. She is the recipient of the choreographic fellowship at NJPAC (2018-2020) and is on faculty at the Limón Institute, Ballet Tech and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center. Mitta’s interests include arts activism and diversity in dance.
Modern Dance Limón Technique (Advanced)
Lori Ana Piazza is of Puerto-Rican descent, born and raised in New York City. She is trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, bomba, west-African dance, and specifically mambo and chacha. She began dancin ...
Lori Ana Piazza is of Puerto-Rican descent, born and raised in New York City. She is trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, bomba, west-African dance, and specifically mambo and chacha. She began dancing mambo professionally at the age of 14 with a youth dance company called Young Ambition and performed and taught all over the country. An accomplished performer by 18, Lori then joined Abakua Afro-Latin Dance Company where she was a principal dancer and performed and taught worldwide as well as performing at such stages as Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow and Museo del Barrio.
She has become an accomplished teacher having had classes at Djoniba Drum and Dance Centre, Empire Dance Studios, You Should Be Dancing, Cumbe Center for African Dance and in high schools and elementary schools in New York. Lori has also earned her BA in Psychology and Dance at Hunter College and is currently working on a Masters in Early Childhood Education.
Brazilian tap dancer and choreographer Leonardo Sandoval is renowned for blending America’s great tap tradition with Brazil’s rich rhythmic and musical heritage. A true dancer-musician, ...
Brazilian tap dancer and choreographer Leonardo Sandoval is renowned for blending America’s great tap tradition with Brazil’s rich rhythmic and musical heritage. A true dancer-musician, he is a core member of acclaimed company Dorrance Dance, and is one of Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” for 2021.
With composer Gregory Richardson, he directs Music from the Sole, a tap dance and live music company that celebrates tap’s Afro-diasporic roots, its lineage to forms like house and samba, and its unique blend of sound and movement. Leonardo’s work has been presented at venues including Jacob’s Pillow, the National Folk Festival, Lincoln Center, The Yard, and Works & Process at the Guggenheim.
Leonardo is a passionate believer in the transformational power of dance and music, and he is proud to partner with institutions like Lincoln Center Education and the National Dance Institute to engage with communities across NYC through performances, workshops.
Nicole Wong is a New York based Teaching Artist specializing in tap dance and musical theater. She is currently working at the New Victory Theater in their Education department. She has taught tap ...
Nicole Wong is a New York based Teaching Artist specializing in tap dance and musical theater. She is currently working at the New Victory Theater in their Education department. She has taught tap to kids at Rosie’s Theater Kids in New York, Walltown Children’s Theatre in Durham, NC, and JHS 189 in Flushing, Queens.
Some of Nicole’s performance and choreography highlights include ATDF’s Something’s Afoot with Jill Kenney, On Tap’s various showcases at Duke University, Singin’ in the Rain with JHS 189 at Flushing Town Hall, and Rosie’s Theater Kids Passing it On Gala with Derick Grant.
Nicole grew up in New York City and became one of the earliest members of Rosie’s Theater Kids, where she studied tap, ballet, musical theater, acting and singing. She also continued her dance training at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and American Tap Dance Foundation. She has her BA from Duke University with a major in Music and minor in Education.
Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrowis a professional dancer and teacher in New York City. She received her B.A in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College where she now serves on the Dance Advisory Board. She is ...
Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrowis a professional dancer and teacher in New York City. She received her B.A in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College where she now serves on the Dance Advisory Board. She is a former company member with Ballet Hispanico of New York.
This is Elizabeth’s eighth season dancing with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Productions at the Metropolitan Opera include Bluebeard’s Castle, Werther, Die Zauberflöte, Parsifal, Manon, La Traviata, Aida, The Magic Flute and Tannhäuser. The last five of which have been transmitted live in HD to over 70 countries across the globe. Elizabeth also manages the Met Opera Ballet Instagram page and serves on the Creative Committee, Dancers of the Met.
Elizabeth toured internationally with Angelina Ballerina, The Musical, danced at Walt Disney World, and is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artist Union. Elizabeth teaches dance throughout the United States. Most recently teaching ballet and musical theatre for Joffery Ballet, Regional Dance America, Mile Square Theatre, Marymount Girls School, the Passport to learning project in New Jersey, the National Choreography Intensive and private lessons in Manhattan, Metro-Atlanta, and virtually.
Photo Credit: Richard Calmes
Ballet (Intermediate/Advanced)
Pointe (Beginner/Intermediate)
Nicholas Van Young is a dancer, musician, choreographer, and a 2014 Bessie Award recipient. He began his professional career at age 16 under Acia Gray and Deirdre Strand with Tapestry Dance Company ...
Nicholas Van Young is a dancer, musician, choreographer, and a 2014 Bessie Award recipient. He began his professional career at age 16 under Acia Gray and Deirdre Strand with Tapestry Dance Company in Austin, Texas, eventually rising to principal dancer and resident choreographer. Since moving to New York he has performed with Manhattan Tap, RumbaTap, Dorrance Dance, and Beat the Donkey; he has toured as a drummer for Darwin Deez; and he spent almost a decade performing with STOMP, where he performed the lead role and acted as rehearsal director. Young tours both nationally and internationally teaching and performing at various tap festivals, and founded Sound Movement dance company and IFTRA, the Institute for the Rhythmic Arts. Nicholas is the Associate Artistic Director of Dorrance Dance and is thrilled to have found a home co-creating and developing ETM: Double Down, and the Guggenheim Rotunda Project, both collaborative efforts with Michelle Dorrance the company’s founder and Artistic Director.
Tap (Intermediate)
Tap (Advanced)
Body Percussion & Rhythmic Forms
Institute for the Rhythmic Arts Summer Intensive
Nathan Bugh is a swing-dancing champion, performer, and avid social dancer, active in the Lindy Hop scene since the late 1990s. He has earned numerous first-place titles in Solo Jazz, Lindy Hop, Te ...
Nathan Bugh is a swing-dancing champion, performer, and avid social dancer, active in the Lindy Hop scene since the late 1990s. He has earned numerous first-place titles in Solo Jazz, Lindy Hop, Team, Invitational, Slow Dance, and Mix/Match divisions, at events like the International Lindy Hop Championships. He was also the choreographer of the 2015 ILHC winning team, "Yeah Man.” His on-stage appearances include: Carnegie Hall (Swing Swing Swing with New York Pops), The Apollo Theater (Swingin’ Frankie’s Way), and Jacob’s Pillow (Earthbeat!, More Forever). Nathan also appears in the film, Rebel In The Rye, and in several music videos, including the Weepies, Be My Honey Pie. In 2016, he joined Caleb Teicher for "Meet Ella," an acclaimed duet incorporating Lindy Hop with other jazz/theater styles. His subsequent work with CT&Co has helped expand the possibilities for social, jazz dance in concert. Nathan learned directly from many swing-era luminaries, including Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, George Sullivan, Sugar Sullivan, Harold Cromer, and Ernest Brown. He is excited to pass on their incites, and to share his own experience and passion with the community at 92nd Street Y.
Lindy Hop: Zero 2 Hero (Beginner Swing Dancing)
Solo Jazz for Newbies (Beginner)
Lindy Hop for Social Dancing (Intermediate)
Gaby Cook is a professional swing dancer with over 15 years experience. She regularly teaches and performs at the world’s most prominent Lindy Hop events, including Herräng Dance Camp, Lindy ...
Gaby Cook is a professional swing dancer with over 15 years experience. She regularly teaches and performs at the world’s most prominent Lindy Hop events, including Herräng Dance Camp, Lindy Focus, Paris Jazz Roots, Rock That Swing Festival, Stompology. In addition to her career as a teacher, she is also a choreographer and performer of lindy hop performance material for audiences of all kinds. She is artistic director for two New York dance based companies based in the language of Swing and Vernacular Jazz: Wild Rhythm Dance Company and Gatsby Entertainment. These two companies have presented feature performances on stages like Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Series, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, 92nd St Y, Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center, The Great Gatsby Party and many appearances at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center. Learn more at gabycook.com.
Photo Credit: Jessica Keener
Martha Eddy completed her doctoral studies at Columbia University in 1998 in movement science and education; trained with Irmgrad Bartenieff and Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen; has taught in the certification programs of the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS); teaches at Columbia Univ ...
Martha Eddy completed her doctoral studies at Columbia University in 1998 in movement science and education; trained with Irmgrad Bartenieff and Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen; has taught in the certification programs of the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies (LIMS); teaches at Columbia University; in 2001, was named co-coordinator of the Riverside Church Wellness Center in New York City; research associate of the Kinesiology Department of San Francisco State University.
C.K. Edwards looks back on his humbling career and is reminded how wonderful it’s been connecting with so many artists, facilitators and masters of varied backgrounds over the past 2 decades. ...
C.K. Edwards looks back on his humbling career and is reminded how wonderful it’s been connecting with so many artists, facilitators and masters of varied backgrounds over the past 2 decades. His early love for the art of tap dance had introduced him to the world of music and theater. He has been in over 50 professional theater productions — most of which feature tap dance, spanning from dinner and community theaters, festivals and cruise ships to Off-Broadway, National Tours, Broadway, and even some television. C.K. has performed in almost every state in the US as well as 26 countries abroad. He’s played ensemble, swing, feature/soloist and lead roles with casts big and small. Some of his most awesomely challenging credits include Shuffle Along, After Midnight, and Disney’s Frozen. He and his family have recently taken a break from the touring life to live a bit of life, grow, teach and create some of our own projects.
Naomi Goldberg Haas is a dancer, master teacher, choreographer and founding artistic director of Dances For A Variable Population (DVP). With DVP, Ms. Goldberg Haas has created site-related public ...
Naomi Goldberg Haas is a dancer, master teacher, choreographer and founding artistic director of Dances For A Variable Population (DVP). With DVP, Ms. Goldberg Haas has created site-related public performances at many of NYC’s most iconic public spaces including Times Square, Washington Square Park, the Whitehall Ferry Terminal, and the High Line. She also leads DVP’s education programs, including the organization’s free community-based dance workshops that have served over 5,000 older adults at 45 senior serving organizations since 2009.
Ms. Goldberg Haas has worked in concert dance, theatre, opera and film and has collaborated with the Klezmatics, Pulitzer prize winning playwright Tony Kushner and Disney animation. She holds an MFA from Tisch Dance at NYU, and began her career with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2019, she received the Gibney award for “ART + ACTION.” The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council awarded her the 2014 President’s Award for the Performing Arts. She served on the Arts, Media and Culture Committee as appointed by the Mayor’s Office for Age Friendly NYC (2015-2018).
Naomi is a leader in the field of creative aging. She presented her work with older adults throughout NYC and across the country and has written articles about her community-based dance programs MOVEMENT SPEAKS® in the national journal Dance Education in Practice and her work has been featured in numerous other publications and news coverage from WABC News and PIX 11 TV. She has presented this work at various conferences such as National Dance Education Organization and Face to Face/NYSCA. Recently, she was awarded a 2019-2020 DANCE/USA Fellowship for Artists Addressing Social Change.dvpnyc.org
Ruth Goodman, Director of the Israeli Dance Institute, succeeded Fred Berk as Director of 92NY’s Jewish/Israeli Dance Division and Director of the Israel Folk Dance Festival. For more than 40 ...
Ruth Goodman, Director of the Israeli Dance Institute, succeeded Fred Berk as Director of 92NY’s Jewish/Israeli Dance Division and Director of the Israel Folk Dance Festival. For more than 40 years, together with Danny Uziel, she has led 92NY’s internationally recognized Wednesday night Israeli Folk Dance Session. She is the founder and director of the Parparim Ensemble of Israeli Dance and Song, is an editor of Rokdim-Nirkoda magazine, a bilingual Hebrew/English publication and an author of the article, “Israeli Folk Dance Pioneers in North America,” published in Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. Ms. Goodman has served as consultant to Broadway choreographers Danny Daniels, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Patricia Birch and is on the faculty of the American Academy of Ballet Summer School. For the video “Night on the Sea of Galilee” filmed in Israel, she wrote the narration and presents the background and development of Israeli folk dance. Ms. Goodman conducts dance programs and workshops for teachers, children and adults throughout the Americas and has participated in numerous tours to Israel where she has performed and directed Israeli music and dance. Ruth Goodman holds a Master of Arts degree in Dance Education from Columbia University Teachers College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from City College of New York.
Gloria McLean, choreographer/dancer/teacher is the director of LIFEDANCE STUDIO in NYC and Andes, New York and a founding member of the Andes Dance Collective. She was a leading dancer with the Eri ...
Gloria McLean, choreographer/dancer/teacher is the director of LIFEDANCE STUDIO in NYC and Andes, New York and a founding member of the Andes Dance Collective. She was a leading dancer with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company where she danced major roles, toured internationally and taught at the Hawkins School. Ms. McLean continues to perform and choreograph internationally, called by Jennifer Dunning of the New York Times “…an intelligent, witty, and sensuous choreographic voice.”
Modern Dance (Open Level)
Casie McManus grew up in Rochester, NY, and began her dance training under Krista Cerretto and Charlotte Buckley. In 2022, Ms. McManus graduated magna cum laude from The Ailey School/Fordham Univer ...
Casie McManus grew up in Rochester, NY, and began her dance training under Krista Cerretto and Charlotte Buckley. In 2022, Ms. McManus graduated magna cum laude from The Ailey School/Fordham University with a BFA in dance and a minor in Music. She has been lucky to perform the work of many great artists, including Mia Michaels, Esmé Boyce, Helen Simoneau, Jamar Roberts, Cameron McKinney, and Shelly Hutchinson. Since May of 2022, she has been a Teaching Artist at Dances for a Variable Population.
Marlon "International" Mills, one of New York's most well-known dance personalities in the Salsa dance community, was born in NY to parents from the Caribbean and was educated in NY & ...
Marlon "International" Mills, one of New York's most well-known dance personalities in the Salsa dance community, was born in NY to parents from the Caribbean and was educated in NY & Spain. He found his love of Salsa in 2001, after having been taken to a class by a co-worker and has not looked back since. He has trained with some of the best in the business, including Maria and Eddie Torres and has been teaching Salsa for more than 14 years. Marlon has performed Salsa for films, television, festivals, clients such as Marriott Group and American Express, and on stage for artists such as Jose Alberto El Canario, Hector Tricoche and El Gran Combo. He has also made appearances on Sesame Street as a performer and recently at Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing as an instructor and performer. Marlon has taught at prestigious universities such as NYU, Columbia Business School and Hofstra University. He currently teaches at LIU and at several dance studios. Marlon has since joined the 92Y Staff and is currently teaching all levels of Salsa. Marlon hosts weekly social dance events that feature some of the top Latin bands and artists from the NY area. Marlon is also a Teaching Artist for the Dancing Classrooms program, teaching ballroom dance to kids throughout NYC public schools. He is known for his warm smile, amazing lead and excellent teaching abilities. Through clear teaching and strong fundamentals, he takes people from having two left feet to dancing up a storm while having fun on the dance floor in a relatively short amount time. His goals are to continue teaching, dancing, traveling the world and positively impacting the lives of others. His motto — Changing lives, one dance at a time!
Salsa (Open Level)
Salsa (Beginner)
Emiko Nakagawa (she/her) is a professional tap dance artist currently based in NYC. Her early training in Jazz, Tap, and Street Style began at IVY Art Square led by Miyoko Tsuta and SEIYU. Since th ...
Emiko Nakagawa (she/her) is a professional tap dance artist currently based in NYC. Her early training in Jazz, Tap, and Street Style began at IVY Art Square led by Miyoko Tsuta and SEIYU. Since the young age of 8 she was mentored by Yukiko “Smilie” Misumi, a prominent tap dance educator in Tokyo, Japan. Emiko studied at Smilie’s internationally known school, ARTN TAPDANCE STUDIO, and received superb training that focused on tap dance history, foundations, and master routines.
Throughout her training, Emiko was offered countless opportunities to further develop her tap dance education. In 2014, she was a member of the 8th class of the Japan Tap Dance Scholarship Program. From 2015-2017, as well as 2020, she appeared in the production of “Legends of Tap” by the ARTN Company. In 2017, she performed at The Big Apple Tap Festival as a member of ARTN Company. She is also part of the NY Tap Ensemble directed by Derick K Grant, and performed as a member through his mentorship.
Emiko has had success at many international tap dance festivals, especially as an improviser. She was a winner of the Cutting Contest Woodshed Experience in 2019 and won a cutting contest at LA Tap Fest. In the tap dance contest, she won six prizes and was the champion in 2017 at “Kawasaki Tap Festival”.
Emiko came to NYC as an Independent Training Student at Broadway Dance Center in 2021 and eventually was awarded “Outstanding Student”. She is currently teaching classes at Broadway Dance Center as a tap dance educator.
Claudia Rahardjanoto was born and raised in Berlin, Germany to Chinese-Indonesian parents, and has performed and taught tap dance all over the world for over 15 years now to all ages from 6 years o ...
Claudia Rahardjanoto was born and raised in Berlin, Germany to Chinese-Indonesian parents, and has performed and taught tap dance all over the world for over 15 years now to all ages from 6 years old to 83 years old. She has extensively studied tap dance with Sam Weber, Andreas Dänel, Sven Göttlicher and Pascal Hulin. After having danced in numerous tap dance-shows all over Europe and having been on tour with several touring productions around Europe as well as the United States (Magic Of The Dance, Dancing Feet, Dancing On Common Ground), Claudia moved to New York City in 2003 to continue her dance education and pursue a career in dance in the US.
Her performance highlights include tap dancing in Michelle Dorrance’s The Blues Project at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, on "The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon" with Andrew Nemr's CPD PLUS, the world-famous Apollo Theater alongside the fabulous Miss Mable Lee, New York City’s Cotton Club with the Cotton Club Sophisticated Ladies and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, MTV's "TRL" as part of a Happy Feet-segment with Robin Williams and Elijah Wood and singing and dancing at Joe’s Pub and the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Claudia has also had the opportunity to dance with Dianne 'Lady Di' Walker, Chloe Arnold, Derick Grant, Max Pollak’s RUMBATAP, Jane Goldberg, Barbara Duffy & Company, Roxane Butterfly's WORLDBEATS, Jared Grimes' T.A.D.A.H. and many others. In 2011, Claudia has been on the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine and has been featured as one of Dance Magazine's "25 To Watch" in 2010. Currently, she is on faculty at Steps On Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center and the American Tap Dance Foundation in New York City.
Claudia has been extremely blessed and fortunate to have met and spend valuable time (on or off stage) with tap masters like the late Dr. Jimmy Slyde, Dr. Bunny Briggs, the late Dr.Henry LeTang, the late Dr. Buster Brown, the late Dr. Harold Cromer, Mable Lee, Dianne Walker, Ted Levy, Savion Glover among others and wants to thank them for all that they have shared. She is looking forward to keep sharing her love for music and the art of tap dancing with everyone through her teaching and performing.
Cynthia Reynolds performed with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company from1976 to 1993. Reynolds teaches dance at 92Y, and the Alexander Technique at The New School, at NYU, and privately.
JoDe Romano “La Chispa” was a guest teaching artist & graduate of the High School for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas where she was featured in the Houston Grand Opera’s ...
JoDe Romano “La Chispa” was a guest teaching artist & graduate of the High School for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas where she was featured in the Houston Grand Opera’s Carmen. She also performed in the Franco Zeffirelli original production of Carmen, starring Placido Domingo and Maria Benitez at the Metropolitan Opera, attended by president Clinton, which was broadcast for PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center and toured Japan with the Three Tenors. For over 20 years, Ms. Romano lived, studied, and performed Spanish dance in Spain and Japan, was soloist and choreographer for the José Greco Dance Company at The Joyce Theater, the Town Hall New York City, and toured the US and Spain. She was also a dancer in The Charo Show in Las Vegas with Jerry Lewis, Joel Grey and others, and taught a castanet workout on the Dr. Oz Show. JoDe Romano choreographed the Broadway Workshop production of Rita Hayworth-Hollywood Goddess, numerous Zarzuelas, and the mixed media dramatic presentation, Picasso’s Guernica, at The Thalia Theater in New York.
Ms. Romano has taught at Alvin Ailey and NYC public schools. Currently, Ms. Romano conducts Spanish dance and castanet classes at the 92Y Harkness Dance Center and is a graduate of the 92Y Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) program. She has been a guest teacher at Hunter College and co-developed and taught a DEL workshop at the 92Y. Ms. Romano also taught a master class and workshop at NYU for NYSDEA and at Fall for Dance at NY City Center. She teaches at Steps on Broadway, Ballet Hispánico, the Joffrey Ballet trainees, and Joffrey summer intensive NYC, along with other locations throughout the NY metropolitan area. Ms. Romano holds a teaching license from the Bureau of Provisionary School Supervision (BPSS) under the NY Department of Education. She has completed a series of instructional DVDs on castanet and flamenco movement techniques and produced and played castanets on her Spanish Classical Piano and Castanets CD.
Susan Rosenbaum, a New York native, received her early training at the New Dance Group Studio, Walnut Hill School for the Arts and at Harkness House in NYC. She studied with David Howard, Finis Jhu ...
Susan Rosenbaum, a New York native, received her early training at the New Dance Group Studio, Walnut Hill School for the Arts and at Harkness House in NYC. She studied with David Howard, Finis Jhung, Kira Guzikova, Wilhelm Burmann and Sydelle Gomberg. She earned her BFA in dance from the University of Utah, her MA in Early Childhood Education from Adelphi University and is also Montessori certified. Susan is an ABT® certified teacher, having successfully completed the ABT® Teaching Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3. She performed with Ballet West, Harkness Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and NYC Character and Ballet Company. In addition to teaching both children and adult levels at the 92Y Harkness Dance Center, Susan has also taught at the Peninsula Hotel Fitness Center and in the “Take a Chance” series at the JCC Manhattan. Susan’s teaching credits also include Central Park Dance in Scarsdale, NY, Steps on Broadway, Rutgers University, Maryland Ballet, Chautauqua Institution and Tanzwerkstatt, Bonn, Germany.
Ballet for Life
Ballet (Advanced Beginner)
Kate Stephan danced professionally as a soloist for over ten years in ballet companies including The Cincinnati Ballet, The Israel Ballet in Tel-Aviv and the Florida Ballet. She also performed on B ...
Kate Stephan danced professionally as a soloist for over ten years in ballet companies including The Cincinnati Ballet, The Israel Ballet in Tel-Aviv and the Florida Ballet. She also performed on Broadway and in the Los Angeles cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera in the principal role of "Meg" and in the ballet chorus. She is a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor, a certified Integral Yoga pre-natal teacher and a certified OM Yoga teacher. She is also an ACE certified personal trainer. In 2007, Ms. Stephan earned a Masters’ Degree in Dance Education at New York University. Ms. Stephan was the Manager of the New York City Ballet Workout, a ballet-based fitness class, for three years. As Manager for the New York City Ballet Workout, she traveled world-wide to train and certify all instructors while also teaching the Workout at New York Sports Clubs. She was also the Associate Producer and Fitness Director for NYCB Workout 2, the second video/DVD of the Workout exercise program. Ms. Stephan's teaching credits include, 92nd Street Y, Steps on Broadway, Lucy Moses School, Brown University, Providence Ballet, The Spence School, New York Sports Club and New Jersey Ballet School.
Caleb Teicher is a NYC-based dancer and choreographer specializing in musically-driven dance traditions and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Teicher began their career as a founding member of Michelle Dorrance’s critically acclaimed tap dance company, Dorrance Dance, while also fr ...
Teicher began their career as a founding member of Michelle Dorrance’s critically acclaimed tap dance company, Dorrance Dance, while also freelancing in contemporary dance (The Chase Brock Experience, The Bang Group), Lindy Hop (Syncopated City Dance Company), and musical theater (West Side Story International Tour and London).
Since founding Caleb Teicher & Company (CT&Co) in 2015, Teicher’s creative work has expanded to engagements and commissions across the US and abroad including The Joyce Theater, New York City Center, Works & Process at the Guggenheim Museum (NYC and Bilbao), Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and Lincoln Center Out of Doors. When live performance resumes, Caleb’s work will be presented in over a dozen cities across the United States.
Teicher is known for choreographic collaborations with diverse musical talents: creating full collaborations for CT&Co with world-champion beatboxer Chris Celiz and composer/pianist Conrad Tao; performing as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center; recording percussion and vocals for television with Ben Folds; and choreographing Regina Spektor’s residency on Broadway.
Caleb is the recipient of a 2019 New York City Center Choreographic Fellowship, two Bessie Awards, a 2019 Harkness Promise Award, and a 2019 NEFA National Dance Project Production Grant. Their work has been featured by The New York Times, NPR, Forbes, Vogue, Interview Magazine, on the cover of Dance Magazine and, most recently, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert alongside Regina Spektor.
Caleb continues to engage with dance communities as a teacher for international tap, swing, and jazz dance festivals.
An early pioneer of dance therapy while she performed with the Jean Erdman Theatre of Dance, Dr. Berger teaches dance therapy at New York University, where she was the Director of the Program in Da ...
An early pioneer of dance therapy while she performed with the Jean Erdman Theatre of Dance, Dr. Berger teaches dance therapy at New York University, where she was the Director of the Program in Dance Education from 1993–2002. She is also currently the Director of the Dance Therapy Program at the Harkness Dance Center of 92nd Street Y. She has created dance therapy training programs in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Sweden, and has taught dance therapy and the Movement Psychodiagnostic Inventory in France, Germany, Greece, Korea, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovenia and Taiwan. She initiated the International Panel of the ADTA in 1995. In 2009, Dr. Berger received the Charles Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters from Bard College, the ADTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, was inducted into the Dance Library of Israel Hall of Fame in 2005 and she was given the Marian Chace Award for fostering the international growth of dance therapy in 2002. Past President and charter member of the American Dance Therapy Association, Dr. Berger was Director of the Creative Arts Therapies Dept. at Bronx Psychiatric Center 1970–1990, and is a past Chair of the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapies. A former co-editor of the American Journal of Dance Therapy and editorial board member of the Journal of Dance Education, she now is on the board of Arts in Psychotherapy and the American Journal of Dance Therapy. An early student of dance therapy pioneers Marian Chace, Irmgaard Bartenieff and Rhoda Winter Russell, she studied non-verbal communication with Albert Scheflen, Martha Davis, Marion North, Judith Kestenberg and Warren Lamb, and studied dance with, among others, Alwin Nikolais and Martha Graham.
Dance Therapy Alternate Route Program 2024-2026
Tina Erfer, MS, BC-DMT, NCC, LCAT, is a Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, National Certified Counselor and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. For over thirty-four years, she has worked as a ...
Tina Erfer, MS, BC-DMT, NCC, LCAT, is a Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, National Certified Counselor and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. For over thirty-four years, she has worked as a dance/movement therapist in educational and psychiatric settings, with children and adolescents with special needs. She has served as Coordinator of the Hospital School Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She has given numerous lectures and workshops at various agencies and universities and has also provided many staff development and training sessions. Tina supervises and trains graduate students and entry-level dance/movement therapists. She has published on her dance/movement therapy work with children who have emotional challenges, and children with autism. Tina served for eight years on the Board of Directors of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA); and is also past President of the New York and New Jersey Chapters of the ADTA. She is the Coordinator of the Alternate Route Dance/Movement Therapy Training Program at the Harkness Dance Center of 92nd Street Y in New York; as well as a faculty member in this program in New York City and in Montreal, Canada. She is also on the faculty of the Dance/Movement Therapy Training Program of the Inspirees Institute of Creative Arts Therapy, in China. Tina is the recipient of the American Dance Therapy Association 2015 Exceptional Service Award.
Dance with Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: Therapeutic and Educational Approaches
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