CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FACULTY
  

Peter Brandenhoff
"I believe that proper placement and technique keeps the body healthy and can prevent many common injuries. The class work is inspired by the philosophies of Bournonville, Vaganova and Balanchine. I try to challenge the brain as well as the body, while I keep a close eye on the individual dancers’ needs. My dictum is: Turnout is a movement and dance is music visualized and above all ballet should be fun no matter what age or level of proficiency."

Dorit Koppel
This class is designed for students who master most of the ballet vocabulary and wish to work on building strength, clarity and phrasing while maintaining correct classical technique. Emphasis is put on the full expression of the torso, in its changes of weight, levels and propulsion in space.Class begins at the barre and builds from simple exercises to the more complex. Center work includes colorful segments of movements with varied tempos and rhythms. "My goal is to teach an inspiring ballet class which allows ones physicality and personality to shine through

Graciela Kozak
Graciela's classes are for dancers of all backgrounds and accentuate the prevention of injuries through correct alignment. She stresses placement, breathing, dynamics, musicality, vocabulary, use of space, and, most importantly, the joy of dancing. For more information, please visit Graciela Kozak's website.

Christie Partelow, Ballet/Pointe

Dianna Warren
Dianna believes each and every student can grow with a teacher who examines his/her individual needs. Ms. Warren’s class focuses on truly warming up the body and developing the class as it becomes more supple with musicality and keeping a positive mental focus as key elements.

Adam Barruch
Adam’s class begins with dynamic flooring sequences, warming the body while encouraging a sequential, articulated physicality. Building from the floor to standing movements aiming to stabilize and continue connection with the ground, the final phase of Mr. Barruch’s class explores the complex coordination between forceful initiations, speed and the retention of a supple and resonant expressivity.

Korhan Basaran
His Contemporary Barre work combines the strength of classical ballet with the soft length and awareness of contemporary warm-up. After the barre work, the dancer’s body will be well stretched and prepared for the day. As in the center he focuses on fluidity, alignment and danceability. These exercises will build the dancer' center stronger and the dancers will be challenged with speed, agility, urgency as well as technical strength. It is aimed to get the energy high, exploding with a sense of control that after every class the dancer will be ready to embrace the upcoming day.

Jana Hicks
Jana’s class can be described as highly physical and technical. The warm up focuses on the body as a whole and in motion, with emphasis on building strong technique as a base to support freedom in any style of dance. Her movement phrases can be fast and percussive or lyrical and fluid, but always technically challenging. Her philosophy: dancers will improve technically and grow artistically when given proper guidance and the freedom to express their unique individuality.

Derek Mitchell, Contemporary Jazz
Derek incorporates and combines raw, pedestrian, contemporary and classical jazz and ballet movements together to create the exquisite expression of the songs lyrics and mood. He allows the dancers to express their individuality and the elements of the story through unique and challenging combinations that test the abilities of a true dancer, one that speaks without words or indications. Routines are always kept for 2 weeks to allow the dancer to grow and let go within the choreography.

Brice Mousset
Direct from France, join Brice in his provocative style, a fusion of European and American contemporary. Exploring new energies and movements, Brice encourages his students to explore into the movement with organic and emotional intentions. Brice takes the dancers to work with unlimited imagination and pushes the physical boundaries of the body. Approaching the work with risk, athleticism, abandon, breath, weight, focus and intention; Brice’s choreography emphasizes a high degree of physicality and input from the dancers, encouraging them to execute the movement with specificity, focus and passion.

Tracie Stanfield, Contemporary Lyrical
Dancers will build a foundation of technique, flexibility, strength and ease of movement in Tracie’s class. Her class focuses on allowing each dancer to work to his/her fullest potential and to become a magnetic and confident performer, using technique to allow for efficient and effective communication within the choreography.

Max Stone
Max has developed his own philosophy and approach to movement and technique, thus creating a unique movement style focusing on alignment, strength, and transitional phrasing. His class will prepare and train the dancer in both lyrical and percussive disciplines, with an emphasis on movement quality and dynamics.

Kristin Sudeikis
With an intense focus on musicality, technique and moving from one's center, Kristin's class begins with a fusion of a proper dance as well as a yoga-inspired warm-up and shifts into techniques that offer dancers time to hone their technique and physicality. Ms. Sudeikis strives to create conscientious and mindful dancers while exploring both explosive and free vocabulary.

Ephrat Asherie, Breaking
In this class Ephrat will introduce you to the foundations of bboying/bgirling, including top rock, drops to the floor, basic footwork patterns, spins and freezes. Ephrat stresses the importance of having a strong breaking foundation as a means through which your personal style can emerge and develop. She emphasizes the importance of staying connected to the music and rockin the beat.

La Jon Dantzler, Hip Hop
In La Jon's classes, students are taken through a warm-up concentrating on isolations and working through a groove. He incorporates various styles in his choreography from hip hop to jazz to African to house. An eclectic selection of music will give you a better understanding of the flow, as he pushes you to grow as a dancer, artist and performer. He always says, "it's more then just a step.”

Sekou Heru, House
Sekou's method focuses on the development of stamina and high-energy movement. He teaches foundation drills designed to help the student evolve and internalize the spirit of House dance.

Archie, Waacking
Archie’s class will introduce you to Waacking, a style of dance that was birthed in the early 1970’s, underground dance scene, surfacing on the ever ground-breaking "Soul Train." Stigmatized by its roots, Waacking manages to attract a newly found respect for the art form from its participants as well as viewers and is applicable and accessible to all.

Tweetie, Hip Hop
Tweetie teaches a mixture of different hip hop street style dances including how to use the correct feeling and expression behind every move.

Cecilia Marta, World Jazz

Marnie Thomas, Graham
The material taught by Marnie Thomas will be drawn from the syllabus of the Martha Graham Technique.

Milton Myers, Horton
Class involves standing warm up, clear lines, swinging action, strengthening movements, dramatic but safe falls, unpredictable positions for turns, combinations, and jumps.

THEATER DANCE

Mary Ann Lamb
Mary Ann Lamb and Mary MacLeod's course will use principles of varying styles of dance, acting, and voice, aimed at developing craft to become true triple threat performers. Students will be challenged and encouraged to delve not only into learning movement from different choreographers, cultures, and eras, but also into learning internal character development and vocal exploration.

Mary MacLeod

ACTING FOR DANCERS

Valerie Wright
Valerie's class is designed to teach the fundamentals of theatre arts. Using improvisation, theatre games, sense memory exercises, concentration and relaxation techniques, students will work with monologues and scenes as they safely explore their imaginations, build confidence, and find inspiration in an artistically stimulating environment. My goal is to stretch the student beyond his or her expectations and to provide a challenging yet nurturing workspace where he or she can feel safe enough to create a character, examine a text or develop a scene. I have extensive performing experience and also co-founded Destination Broadway, a summer theater arts camp in NYC. I value each and every student and thoroughly understand the need for patience and encouragement as the student undergoes the process necessary to create.

Francesca Harper

Bettina Sheppard
The voice class focuses on individual attention to vocal health and technique as well as performance requirements and musical expression. The first part of class consists of exercises for proper placement of the voice, strength, flexibility, and range, while the second half applies this technique to repertoire. Exercises are designed to learn vocal freedom and the importance of body support, breath management, resonance, articulation, and musical phrasing. Many singing styles will be covered, such as theatre, jazz, and pop, with an emphasis on appropriate audition material. Students also study ensemble technique, specifically the ability to hold a musical harmony part and blend vocally in choral work. Ensemble singing is especially important for theater dancers, recording artists, and anyone singing in a group. Movement is incorporated to ensure that ensemble performers can dance and sing simultaneously. This portion of class focuses on musicianship, rhythm, pitch, blend, and how to interact with other singers.  Solo singing is also encouraged for all styles of music and all technical levels. Students work on finding appropriate material to sing and receive technical corrections as well as suggestions for practice. Each singer will study methods of finding a unique style of expression, effective performance technique, and confidence. Singers are encouraged to bring their own material, preferably 16-32 bars, but musical repertoire suggestions will be provided. Practice material and song examples will be available to study in class if needed.  Class is designed to be technically challenging to all levels in a fun and supportive atmosphere.

Anabella Lenzu
Anabella will help a dancer find inner-strength; develop & improve alignment and technique; explore and learn how to efficiently use the body and energy in a healthy way as instruments of expression. Through Ms. Lenzu’s class, you can increase flexibility and strength, overcome physical difficulties and incorrect posture, and acquire physical awareness to help prevent injuries.

Naoko Moriyama
Naoko’s class is an innovative system of exercise that incorporates other movement principles from Yoga, dance, gymnastics, swimming and Tai Chi. Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® stretch and strengthen muscles while simultaneously stimulating connective tissues in and around the joints of the body by using circularity, spiraling and undulating movement. Educate the body to utilize harmonious movements and cultivate energy flow with synchronized breathing patterns, creating a spherical and three-dimensional awareness.

Bronwen Carson
Performance Development teaches dance students the practical, artistic and technical principles of storytelling, interpretation and performance. This course is an introduction to the realities and performance requirements asked of today’s professional dancers. Through detailed, specific feedback, each student will be given the opportunity to grow and stretch their performance abilities. The course will include: Technique and movement quality, broadening of music interpretation, improvisation, audition, rehearsal, and performance focuses, performing for film and stage and character development.

Stevie Oakes
This introductory course examines the wide variety of issues and topics in dance – how we watch, decipher, view through various lenses, research, write about, relate to other art and so much more. Much of the coursework will be discussion-based in order to expand your critical thinking skills and develop a critical eye and discriminating judgment. In addition, we will develop an articulate vocabulary to analyze and assess dance performances on the stage. By viewing filmed and live performance, reading reviews and available scholarship, and exploring New York City’s resources, we will aim to expand our definition of dance. The goal of this course is to encourage you to investigate your own relationship to dance, but also cultivate a sense of openness and sensitivity to the wide variety of topics related to the performative art.