https://www.opendoorsdancefestival.com/coming-soon daily 0.75 2017-01-14 https://www.opendoorsdancefestival.com/home daily 1.0 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1572647052762-RUA3A0R3WV69IK8MBOQQ/Copy+of+December+1+%28Sunday%29_+Nolte+Classes+Resume-4.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1574180158707-YGPY5HR8PEM7U6C55H07/Awesome+choreographers+and+instructor+form+all+over+the+dance+walks+have+been+coming+to+teach+at+our+Studio%2C+Nolte+Academy%2C+for+so+many+years+now.+Important%2C+lasting%2C+instrumental+train+and+relationships+have+been+cr-3.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1574179271445-POD1YG58444VINKAADB5/Awesome+choreographers+and+instructor+form+all+over+the+dance+walks+have+been+coming+to+teach+at+our+Studio%2C+Nolte+Academy%2C+for+so+many+years+now.+Important%2C+lasting%2C+instrumental+train+and+relationships+have+been+cr.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1616505487203-G3ZYBOK620EM9DCSGESS/ODDF_fb.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571089206799-0LP8D0L7COL4JXEGZ7LM/alex-96.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571089174555-HD2OQDDKWWU839T8R8CZ/nolte-98.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571088868057-84FWV2CPM89FH88Y6TM6/alex-29.jpg Home https://www.opendoorsdancefestival.com/program-details daily 0.75 2026-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523567326655-V8NPQJ3ZOIDS18EVC2V6/OD1.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523567280268-BTCRBK3CZL1S0DSKVPIP/OD2.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523567394795-BT4CTCB93Y29AC6YP3PI/OD3.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523567354109-X13738V1L9FM6UHWT5M1/OD4.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523567370563-ELUFPT56CTZN6Q6W4851/OD5.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565641686-WDE4C59G19W1VEU1R0ON/OD6.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565863013-GOM7A74Y7OL1WN61UKF9/OD4.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565639480-78R0JT34GXFM2RU569R8/OD.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565639928-W3QCAV4TUUWMR0SS797A/OD2.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565839974-71T2B9RKBQPHG14C2SUP/OD8.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565756402-24XC19WX4AKHQBR80626/OD1.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523567453869-B0VSMS2GG9BD0HLRD6NH/OD3.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565640900-I0FGQIDZ74A7OLL3XOG1/OD5.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565642572-O2HPHAPDB6CVP4KRF354/OD9.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565826252-V1IT6QU3QD7KN3K3HI25/OD10.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565641957-SZ0NMS219M6CAJF9OQOY/OD7.jpg Program Details https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523565888041-TDFL0AQ61JPETTZUP2KL/OD11.jpg Program Details https://www.opendoorsdancefestival.com/contact-us daily 0.75 2019-02-22 https://www.opendoorsdancefestival.com/past-instructors daily 0.75 2017-12-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1513030826354-BOGCZD8HGNCM9078HOA8/staff-analia.jpg Past Instructors Analía Alegre-Femenías is a dancer, choreographer and improvisational artist whose work explores the human condition and relationships to the self and others. She obtained her BFA with High Honors from New World School of the Arts and was awarded the Dean’s Fellowship for her MFA in choreography from the University of Iowa. Ms. Alegre-Femenías has performed works by Robert Battle, Bill Young, David Dorfman, Donald McKayle, Charlotte Adams, José Limón and Jennifer Kayle. Her work has been presented at Joyce Soho, Judson Church and 100 Grand in New York City as well as in Iowa, Chicago, New Hampshire, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico. In 2013 she created New Territory Dance Company as an extension ofDance Knots Project, a program that connects and brings artists from the United States to the Caribbean. Currently she is dancing with Impact Dance Company of Fort Collins, Colorado and has embarked on a new endeavor as a Life Coach teaching non-movers how to navigate life creatively with joy and authenticity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1486680065113-WPWVILWB6BHMMCTP5WLL/kaitlyngililand.jpg Past Instructors Kaitlyn Gilliland began her dance training at the Minnesota Dance Theatre and continued her studies at the School of American Ballet, where she received the Mae L. Wien Award for outstanding promise in 2004. From 2006 to 2011, Ms. Gilliland danced with the New York City Ballet, performing corps, soloist, and principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Eliot Feld, Douglas Lee, Peter Martins, Angelin Preljocaj, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon. She was the New York City Ballet’s Janice Levin Dancer Honoree in 2010. Since leaving the New York City Ballet, Ms. Gilliland has appeared on stage and on film with BalletNext, BalletCollective, Ballet Tech, Emery LeCrone Dance, Intermezzo Dance Company, Minnesota Dance Theatre, New Chamber Ballet, Pontus Lidberg Dance, Trainor Dance, and Twyla Tharp Dance, performing repertory by Charles Askegard, Constantine Baecher, Mauro Bigonzetti, Gemma Bond, Eliot Feld, Marcelo Gomes, Adam Hendrickson, Gabrielle Lamb, Pontus Lidberg, Brian Reeder, Jillian Pena, Troy Schumacher, Claudia Schreier, Michele Wiles, and Twyla Tharp, among others. She originated the role of “Clara” in A Nutcracker: Part 1 (The Workshop) produced in collaboration with Designated Movement and JV Squad. In February, she presented #loveyoumeanit, an original work created in conversation with Will Rawls for Danspace’s 2015 Platform Series “Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Streets.” Ms. Gilliland served on the faculty of the School of American Ballet from 2012 to 2015 and as an instructor for The New York City Public School for Dance (The Ballet Tech School) for one year. In May of 2015, she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University with a degree in Psychology. www.kaitlyngilliland.com   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1513030626761-WDIKN4OGTXUCTFPLSD98/micheldaara-76+%281%29.jpg Past Instructors Michel Kouakou is a choreographer and dancer originally from the Ivory Coast. He is the founder and director of Daara Dance. Michel received his MFA in Dance from Hollins University. He is the recipient of the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance (2012), a Jerome Foundation Fellowship for research in dance (2012), winner of a New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fellowship (2008), and winner of the U.S. Japan Fellowship (2008) to conduct six months of research in Tokyo and Kyoto. In 2008 he was nominated for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative and in 2010 and was a finalist in The A.W.A.R.D. Show in New York City and Los Angeles. Mr. Kouakou moved to New York in 2004 and subsequently to Los Angeles, where he was a lecturer at UCLA from 2009-2016. Michel is now an Assistant professor at the University of Minnesota The Twins City. He maintains an active touring and teaching schedule across the globe and continues to pursue his long-term goal of building an “artistic bridge” between his origins in the Ivory Coast and the US. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1486669404686-U33QH6759VVDN961XBIL/Oscar-Ramos.jpg Past Instructors Oscar Ramos comes from Cidra, Puerto Rico where he began his training at the conservatory of Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, later beginning his professional career with the company in 2000. In 2002 Ramos was awarded Ballet Dancer of the Year for his work with the company. In 2003, Ramos moved to New York City to train at the Ailey School Fellowship under Denise Jefferson and Francisco Martinez. From 2004 to 2006, Ramos danced for Hubbard Street 2 under the direction of Julie Nakagawa dancing works by Robert Battle, Edwaard Liang, Christian Spuck, and Alex Ketley. In 2007, Ramos joined Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in New York City creating original works with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Schecter, Jacopo Godani, Alexander Ekman, and Stijn Celis. He also appeared with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in the 2011 Hollywood Motion Picture The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. In 2012, Ramos joined the world renowned Batsheva Dance Company under the direction of Ohad Naharin. Throughout his time with Batsheva, Ramos participated in Naharin's latest original creations The Hole and Last Work. Teaching and choreographing internationally, Ramos pulls from his diverse experiences; culminating in a fusion of styles from ballet and jazz, to gaga, Ohad Naharin's original movement language. Ramos continues to share his movement experiences creating works for schools and companies world wide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1485455119195-THQME8CUN7VNMUFXGAZ0/darwinblack.jpg Past Instructors Darwin Black of Newark, New Jersey, started his dancing at the age of 16. He graduated from Newark Arts High School under the direction of Ronnie D. Carney and Kim Richardson. Mr. Black furthered his training under Nancy Turano with the New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble. After a year of training at Alvin Ailey American Dance as a Fellowship Student under the Oprah Winfrey Scholarship, he began his professional career with the Miami Contemporary Dance Company, performing repertory by Ray Sullivan. Darwin later joined The Sacramento Ballet, performing ballets by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Trey McIntyre and Matthew Neenan, to name a few. After three years with The Sacramento Ballet, he joined Pascal Rioult Dance Theater, dancing and touring throughout the United States. Mr. Black danced as a freelance artist for Alaska Dance Theatre, Lustig Dance Theatre, Montgomery Ballet and Nimbus Dance Works, and he toured throughout Europe with Momix. darwinblack.weebly.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1485455186167-WAAZZ3D6ZQBAICDUX26F/lloydknight.jpg Past Instructors Lloyd Knight was born in England and reared in Miami. He has a BFA from the New World School of the Arts under Artistic Director Daniel Lewis. Lloyd joined the Martha Graham Company in 2005, was promoted to soloist in 2009, and promoted to Principal in 2014. He has had ballets choreographed on him by Nacho Duato twice, Andonis Foniadakis, Larry Keigwin, Doug Varone, Lar Lubovitch, Klye Abraham, Liz Gerring, Michelle Dorrance, Anne Bogart, Pontus Linberg and Mats Ek. Dance Magazine named Lloyd as one of the Top 25 Dancers to Watch in 2010. He partnered with New York City Ballet Principal Wendy Whelan in Ms. Graham's Moon Duet, and also is partnering American Ballet Theatre's Misty Copeland in a Graham duet from Letter to the World. Most recently he was selected as Best Performer of 2015 by Dance Magazine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1492114674003-FH42Q0X4DCJX4QC24VE0/image-asset.jpeg Past Instructors Born in Chicago, Illinois, Joseph Kudra began his training at the age of nine at the American Dance Center under the direction of Jack and Kathleen Villari. He has worked with River North Chicago Dance Company, DanceWorks Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, and most recently Cedar LakeContemporary Ballet. Kudra has performed works by choreographers such as Robert Battle, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Alexander Ekman, Andonis Foniadakias, Emanuel Gat, Johan Inger, Alex Ketley, Jiri Kylian, Crystal Pite, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Hofesh Shechter, Jo Stromgren, Christian Spuck, and Edgar Zendejas. Joseph joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1487784311849-ECWCV5QUF0DYDXOE7NHL/jenna-riegel.jpg Past Instructors Jenna Riegel, a native of Fairfield, Iowa, has been a New York-based dancer, performer and teacher since 2007. Currently a member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Jenna has also had the honor of performing with Daara Dance (choreographer Michel Kouakou), Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, Tania Isaac Dance, and Bill Young/Colleen Thomas & Company. Jenna currently tours nationally and internationally as a company member of David Dorfman Dance, Alexandra/Beller Dances and johannes weiland. She has performed in New York City venues such as Danspace at St. Marks Church, Dance Theater Workshop, Aaron Davis Hall, Joyce SoHo, Dance New Amsterdam, Movement Research, Henry Street Settlement/Abrons Arts Center, John Ryan Theater, Symphony Space and The Duo Theater. Jenna has taught Master Classes in Modern Technique in New York at Dance New Amsterdam, The Joffrey Ballet School and 100 Grand Dance. In addition, she has taught classes at Connecticut College, University of Maryland and the University of Iowa and at festivals around the world such as the New York University’s Tisch Summer Dance Festival, the Open Look Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Annual Dance Conference and Performance Festival in Bytom, Poland and the Dance Isadora Festival in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Jenna is also a certified Stott Pilates instructor and has been teaching Pilates for more than seven years. Jenna holds an M.F.A. in Dance Performance from the University of Iowa and a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Maharishi University of Management https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1513030937783-8OMOJPG6OOCY562PT01I/Cournay+Headshot+3.jpeg Past Instructors Brandon Cournay is originally from Walled Lake, MI and received his BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School. As a freelance artist, Brandon has performed with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Mark Morris Dance Group, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, The Chase Brock Experience, Schoen Movement Company and Morphoses. TV/Film/industrial credits include: PBS’ Great Performances, Musical Chairs (HBO), Puma, Sesame Street, and Target. He has been the Associate Choreographer/Movement Director for I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk, starring Kristin Chenoweth, My Fair Lady (Bay Street Theatre), The Wildness (Off-Broadway), Coriolanus (Off-Broadway). In addition, Brandon is a proud member of the Joyce Theatre’s Young Leaders Circle and is the Executive Artistic Director of Dance Device Lab. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1485455309600-HQB2NOTTQMUBCBM46PYM/Joanna+Kotze+by+Ted+Roeder.jpg Past Instructors Joanna Kotze received the 2013 New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award for Outstanding Emerging Choreographer. Her choreography has been presented at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Baryshnikov Arts Center, American Dance Institute (ADI), Danspace Project, Bard College’s Fisher Center, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, New York Live Arts Studio Series, Dance New Amsterdam, Movement Research at the Judson Church, Roulette, Dixon Place, 92nd Street Y, WAXworks, Lu Magnus gallery, Soho20 gallery, Show Room Gowanus gallery, Industry City and the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts (WI). Joanna recently created new works on Toronto Dance Theatre, Zenon Dance, Ririe-Woodbury and James Sewell Ballet as well as on students at Eugene Lang College (The New School), Barnard, Purchase College, Southern Utah University and Miami University (OH). Joanna has received support from the Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Jerome Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) BUILD, Brooklyn Arts Council, Yellowhouse, and two Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants. She was a 2013-2015 Movement Research Artist-in-Residence and a recipient of a 2014 Process Space residency through Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC). She has had residencies at The Camargo Foundation, Jacob’s Pillow, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Djerassi and the Bogliasco Foundation. Joanna was a 2011-2012 Fellow for Ailey’s New Directions Choreography Lab, a 2011 Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space resident and has worked in residence at Mount Tremper Arts. She was the Fall 2012 boo-koo space grant recipient at Gibney Dance Center and has participated in Sarah Maxfield’s One-Shot, a web-based solo performance relay. She danced with Wally Cardona from 2000-2010, performing throughout NYC (including twice at BAM's Next Wave Festival) the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico. She has also worked extensively for Kimberly Bartosik/daela and Netta Yerushalmy Sam Kim. Since moving to New York, she has also danced for Sam Kim, Sarah Skaggs, Christopher Williams, the Metropolitan Opera ballet, Daniel Charon, Nina Winthrop (including a solo role in an opera performed at the National Theater in Belgrade and at BAM's Next Wave Festival), Mimi Garrard Dance Theater, and Company Appels. Joanna is on faculty at Movement Research and Gibney Dance in New York City. She has taught at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Eugene Lang College - The New School for Liberal Arts, Long Island University and the American Dance Festival. She has studied Klein technique with Barbara Mahler since 2003, is originally from South Africa and has a BA in Architecture from Miami University (’98). www.joannakotze.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1487784219122-FLHML5BA0XEKPL24ZGHX/louiemarin.jpg Past Instructors Louie Marin began his training at Independence High School in San Jose, CA; where he trained with Gary Masters and performed with the Jose Limon Dance Company. He then moved to Miami, FL where he attended the University of Florida New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis, on full scholarship. He received his B.F.A. with High Honors in 2005. Mr. Marin was a scholarship student of the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and Jennifer Muller/The Works School. He has performed with Dance Now! Miami, Freddik Bratcher and Co., Sasha Soreff Dance Theater, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater, Paskal Rekoert/Flexicurve, and Graham II. Louie has taught regionally and nationally and is known for classes that explore the power, breath and speed of Dorfman technique and the demands of her repertory. Louis is also a certified Pilates Mat and Apparatus Instructor. He received his certification from The Lab in Brooklyn, NY, under the direction of Master teacher Lawson Harris. He loves sharing his passion for Pilates; especially with other dancers. He is the resident Pilates Instructor for NJ SummerDance at Kean University in Union, NJ, and has taught Pilates at the Brandeis Institute of Music and Arts (BIMA) in Waltham, MA. Louis believes that Pilates is the Technique to the Technique; there must be a balance of strength and flexibility in order to achieve maximum stability and grace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1485455847163-W51HRIELRHO1II7S77TP/omarroman.jpg Past Instructors Omar Roman De Jesus (Bayamón, PR) began his formal training at the Julian E. Blanco School in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mr. Roman was a member of Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico from 2006-2011. During this period, he won the Championship Cup and Gold Medal at the National Dance Competition in Puerto Rico. He received scholarship to the Ailey School in 2011 and currently, he is in his third season with Parsons Dance. Mr. Roman has presented his choreography at Peridance Capezio Center, Joe's Pub, Ailey Citigroup Theater, Baruch Performing Arts Center and the 14 Street Y. In 2013, Mr. Roman's piece "(Des)pair" received the audience award at the Dance Gallery Festival. Following this, the piece was commissioned by "Instituto de Cultura de Puerto Rico.” Mr. Roman’s work has been produced by Roschman Dance, Harlem Arts Festival and recently won acommission for the Steps Repertory Ensemble as part of Reverb Dance Festival. www.omarromandejesus.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1492114764417-IHBD434G2NPC6QF4X3X5/emilyschoen.jpg Past Instructors Emily Schoen is a Wisconsin-born, New York City-based dancer and choreographer. As a choreographer, she has received the Gibney Dance boo-koo grant for emerging artist in NYC, an emerging artist residency from the Catskill Mountain Foundation, and was recently nominated for a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship by METdance in Houston. She has choreographed for Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Long Island Dance Projects, Mid-Pacific Institute in Hawaii, Skidmore University, the Hartt School in Connecticut, and Marymount Manhattan through (M)mix. Her company, Schoen Movement Company, is a three-time invitee to Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Festival. Emily conceived and created Schoen Movement Company’s dance film series: Ten Tiny Dances, viewable online. As a dancer, Emily has worked with Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion, the Metropolitan Opera in works by Doug Varone and Mark Morris, performed in the Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour, and is a current member of Keigwin + Company. Dance Magazine chose Emily as one of their “Top 25 to Watch” in 2011. Schoenmovementcompany.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1513030303129-ICROOWW0CASG22WUI5GR/Grace-Snider.jpg Past Instructors Grace Snider began her ballet training at age six at the School of Colorado Ballet in Denver. She continued her training at the American Ballet School in San Diego before being accepted in Houston Ballet Academy on full scholarship in 1990. After two years of training in the academy, Grace was invited to join Houston Ballet by Ben Stevenson at age 16; making her the youngest company dancer in Houston Ballet's 50-year history. In 1997, Grace joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, where she danced for two seasons before retiring from her performing career in 1999. Grace began teaching ballet at Pittsburgh Youth Ballet under the direction of Jean Gedeon. She then moved to Iowa and accepted a teaching position with the University of Iowa Dance Forum in 2001. Grace was promoted to lead instructor for advanced levels in 2002, and then to Director of UI Youth Ballet program in 2003. She joined the Nolte Academy of Dance in 2007, bringing her impeccable training and proven ability to bring ballet students along to the highest classical standards. In addition to her position on the Nolte faculty, Grace has worked as a rehearsal assistant with the Balanchine Trust, and Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and enjoys guest teaching engagements with the Houston Ballet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1513030332201-8T5UBKSY78OXRYCZFX12/yue.jpg Past Instructors Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Yin Yue trained rigorously in technically demanding and highly structured Chinese folk dance and classical ballet technique at the Shanghai Dance School. She earned her undergraduate degree at Shanghai Normal University, equipping her with performance credits that spanned festivals and showcases throughout China. After graduating with an MFA in dance from NYU's Tisch School of The Arts, Yin quickly gained recognition as an unique and exceptional talent among her peers. Yin created an innovative contemporary dance technique FoCo (Folk-Contemporary) Technique that soon caught the attention of the dance world. Yin Yue is currently a 2016 Artist In Residence at 92Y Dance Center, providing her and her company a rehearsal platform for creating new thought-provoking choreographic works. Yin Yue has created work on companies like Hubbard Street 2, Ballet X, Northwest Dance Project, New Dialect, and most recently, Italy-based company Balletto Teatro di Torino. She was recipient of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2015 International Commissioning Project, BalletX 2015 Choreographic Fellowship, and Northwest Dance Project’s 5th Annual Pretty Creatives International Choreographic Competition in 2013. She was also selected as Emerging Choreographer of 2015 Springboard Danse Montreal, as well as finalist at The A.W.A.R.D Show 2010! presented by New York Joyce Theater Foundation. Her work has been recognized and presented by organizations and festivals such as Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Schrittmach 2016 Festival in Aachen, Germany, New York International Fringe Festival, DanceNOW[NYC] at Joe's Pub, Peridance Capezio Theater, New York Live Arts, Dixon Place, La MaMa Moves International Festival and many more. Yin Yue also currently holds the position of Artistic Director and residency choreographer at Jiangxi Zhongshan Dance School. Founded in 1996 and located in Nanchang in Jiangxi province in China, the school is the only private-run educational organization ranked among top Chinese professional dance schools. Its curriculum includes a 6-year Chinese dance and ballet program. https://www.opendoorsdancefestival.com/feature daily 0.75 2019-11-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1572614683147-QX9L0QNG1RDOO8CHN41D/nolte-106.jpg Feature https://www.opendoorsdancefestival.com/festivalinstructors daily 0.75 2025-06-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/bb7c7639-847e-433c-a8c4-6b85eaf41a7f/Meredith+Dincolo+Headshot.jpeg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/c2166e4b-06a9-42d2-be90-9c0b7fc7d539/Patti+Etylar+Headshot.jpg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/d795c375-ff09-400d-8229-7ffc03999f19/CARMON+HEADSHOT+1+%281%29.jpg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/33eae2b0-6c27-49fa-ae14-e899236697e6/Gabrielle+Sprauve+Headshot.jpeg Instructors - Make it stand out Photo by Mark Mann https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/2d080258-c6ef-4ea6-97bf-27c7e9afe438/Chris+Bloom+Headshot.JPG Instructors - Make it stand out Photo by Paula Lobo @paulalobo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/0a83b1d0-70eb-4917-894c-a1e5f58311e4/jose_m_edited.jpg.jpg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/41812396-e058-4c40-9f1a-666391b5c26e/Paul+Amrani+Headshot+ODDF+2025.jpeg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/4f620167-f315-437b-9696-71d71da85998/AB_ZackHeadshots2275.jpg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1523555505279-BAQ4EAFLYC0F01O6LKLE/Marjorie+Thompson+PNBS2.10+329.JPG Instructors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1621434661578-H4KL0SK8E8EBJ2NYPOOP/440px-WEBDebraAustin.jpg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/05252d9d-05a5-4b0c-8bb8-81528c947425/lapena.jpg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/ec05650b-7ec5-4705-abb3-222517171782/Yoshito.S-+Picture+by+Salt.jpeg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/df30cfc1-dec8-46db-bc67-ebcff42e4c7f/image1.jpeg Instructors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1521742179774-7WHF2TUERUX1XPBL60NB/Analia_dance.jpg Instructors Analia Alegre-Femenias Weber is a dancer, improvisational artists and choreographer who hails from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She obtained her BFA in dance from New World School of the Arts and her MFA in choreography from University of Iowa. As a dancer and an architect of movement Analía looks for opportunities to bring dance to reinvented spaces for audiences to witness the endless possibilities of how art can transform the world around us. Her choreographic work has been presented in renowned spaces like 100 Grand and Judson Church in New York City as well as in Chicago, Tennessee, Miami, New Hampshire, Minneapolis, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Throughout her career Analía has performed for Robert Battle, Bill Young, Donald McKayle, David Dorfman, Jennifer Kayle, Charlotte Adams among others. She resides in Fort Collins, Colorado where she dances with Impact Dance Company. Outside of dance Analía teaches Pilates to anybody that is looking to move better and is the owner and designer of Zochil Jewelry. She is honored to be back at Open Doors Dance Festival for another summer filled with dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1531249762589-JAZKVX498GIIKB98CCCW/Star_3.JPG Instructors Star Dixon is an assistant director, choreographer, and original principal dancer of world renowned tap company, MADD Rhythms. She has taught and performed at the most distinguished tap festivals in the country including The L.A. Tap Fest, DC Tap Fest, Motorcity Tap Fest, Chicago Human Rhythm Project's Rhythm World, Jazz City in New Orleans, and MADD Rhythms own Chicago Tap Summit. Internationally, she's taught and performed in Poland, Japan, and Brazil several times. She's been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine twice (Artist on the rise & Speed Demon), The Chicago Reader, and independent film "The Rise & Fall of Miss Thang" starring Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards. Outside of MADD Rhythms, she's performed as a guest with such companies as Michelle Dorrance's Dorrance Dance, Chloe Arnold's Syncopated Ladies, Lane Alexander's Bam, and Jason Samuel Smith's ACGI. Star is currently on staff at numerous dance studios, schools, and a teen program to keep youth off the street called After School Matters. You can find her videos on YouTube under dance13star. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1531855965417-13VOUREXIEVMP27BPX35/Eddie+headshot.jpg Instructors Eduard Forehand is beginning his second year at the University of Iowa as an MFA candidate in choreography this fall. Through the past 20 years, he has collaborated and performed as a company member with Richmond Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theater, Augusta Ballet, Ballet Montana, Dayton Ballet and Louisville Ballet. He began training at a young age in his home town of Miami, FL and later continued his studies at Nutmeg Conservatory. Forehand’s choreographic works have been performed by Louisville Ballet as well as the University of Iowa Department of Dance. He has had the pleasure of teaching throughout the United States, as a full-time faculty member and summer intensive instructor. Eduard is also certified through the American Ballet Theater National Training Curriculum in pre-primary through level 3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1485455186167-WAAZZ3D6ZQBAICDUX26F/lloydknight.jpg Instructors Lloyd Knight was born in England and reared in Miami. He has a BFA from the New World School of the Arts under Artistic Director Daniel Lewis. Lloyd joined the Martha Graham Company in 2005, was promoted to soloist in 2009, and promoted to Principal in 2014. He has had ballets choreographed on him by Nacho Duato twice, Andonis Foniadakis, Larry Keigwin, Doug Varone, Lar Lubovitch, Klye Abraham, Liz Gerring, Michelle Dorrance, Anne Bogart, Pontus Linberg and Mats Ek. Dance Magazine named Lloyd as one of the Top 25 Dancers to Watch in 2010. He partnered with New York City Ballet Principal Wendy Whelan in Ms. Graham's Moon Duet, and also is partnering American Ballet Theatre's Misty Copeland in a Graham duet from Letter to the World. Most recently he was selected as Best Performer of 2015 by Dance Magazine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571094158841-IL6JNHLBCTBRRTB1ZE5Q/locklear1.jpg Instructors Marlayna Locklear hails from Milwaukee, WI. She began her training at the age of 12 at city ballet theatre and went on to graduate from Milwaukee High School of the Arts and University of the Arts In Philadelphia, PA with a BFA in Ballet and Jazz. Marlayna was one of the founding members of The Milwaukee Dance Connection and has gone on to dance with Eleone Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dallas Black Dance Theatre II , Deeply Rooted and Dayton Contemporary Dance company where she served as the company jazz and contemporary instructor as well as resident choreographer for DCDC II. She has performed works by Christopher Huggins, Dwight Rhoden, Ron Brown, Donald Byrd, Diane McIntyre and Ray Mercer to name a few. She also has worked with members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Momix, Martha Graham Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Milwaukee Ballet, Philadanco, Koresh, Full Circle Dance Company and members of seasons 1 & 2 of So you think you can dance. Marlayna is a freelance artist and teaches and choreographs at Universities around the nation. She is also the founder and director of Indurance Dance Intensive. She most recently finished filming the James Franco Film "Blood Heist" and studying abroad in Italy with VIVO Ballet. Marlayna will head to Bulgaria in the Spring to work with South African choreographer Fana Tshabalala on the INDUMBA project. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1499889417843-NXV37JN7YN7SYH6K1HDR/image-asset.jpeg Instructors Grace Snider began her ballet training at age six at the School of Colorado Ballet in Denver. She continued her training at the American Ballet School in San Diego before being accepted in Houston Ballet Academy on full scholarship in 1990. After two years of training in the academy, Grace was invited to join Houston Ballet by Ben Stevenson at age 16; making her the youngest company dancer in Houston Ballet's 50-year history. In 1997, Grace joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, where she danced for two seasons before retiring from her performing career in 1999. Grace began teaching ballet at Pittsburgh Youth Ballet under the direction of Jean Gedeon. She then moved to Iowa and accepted a teaching position with the University of Iowa Dance Forum in 2001. Grace was promoted to lead instructor for advanced levels in 2002, and then to Director of UI Youth Ballet program in 2003. She joined the Nolte Academy of Dance in 2007, bringing her impeccable training and proven ability to bring ballet students along to the highest classical standards. In addition to her position on the Nolte faculty, Grace has worked as a rehearsal assistant with the Balanchine Trust, and Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and enjoys guest teaching engagements with the Houston Ballet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1494279831192-D0PT4VCC3OM7XKPUAT8H/image-asset.jpeg Instructors Michel Kouakou is a choreographer and dancer originally from the Ivory Coast. He is the founder and director of Daara Dance. Michel received his MFA in Dance from Hollins University. He is the recipient of the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Dance (2012), a Jerome Foundation Fellowship for research in dance (2012), winner of a New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fellowship (2008), and winner of the U.S. Japan Fellowship (2008) to conduct six months of research in Tokyo and Kyoto. In 2008 he was nominated for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative and in 2010 and was a finalist in The A.W.A.R.D. Show in New York City and Los Angeles. Mr. Kouakou moved to New York in 2004 and subsequently to Los Angeles, where he was a lecturer at UCLA from 2009-2016. Michel is now an Assistant professor at the University of Minnesota The Twins City. He maintains an active touring and teaching schedule across the globe and continues to pursue his long-term goal of building an “artistic bridge” between his origins in the Ivory Coast and the US. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1521567410791-FRU2AUISKRCBD64TNLCU/Marjorie+Thompson+Summer2017C+0079.jpg Instructors Marjorie Thompson trained at the School of American Ballet and while still a student, had the honor of traveling with New York City Ballet to perform Stars and Stripes for JFK’s 1st inaugural anniversary. At 15 she became a member of the company under Balanchine’s direction and danced with New York City Ballet at the opening of the State Theatre at Lincoln Center. The opening ballet was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, restaged for the new theatre. In addition to US, Canadian and European tours, performing in the premiers of Variations, Pas de Deux and Divertissement, Metastaseis and Pithoprakta, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Harlequinade and Don Quixote, and over 40 ballets a season from the vast Balanchine repertoire, Marjorie performed in televised broadcasts of Balanchine’s Four Temperaments and the film version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While still in her teens, Mr. Balanchine invited Marjorie to teach Company class for New York City Ballet. She went on to serve on the faculty of the School of American Ballet, Eliot Feld Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet and at the Grand Theatre in Geneva Switzerland, direct the School of Minnesota Dance Theatre, and direct the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. Before moving to Seattle and joining the faculty of Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Marjorie received certification in Pilates in 1995. In 1996 she joined the faculty of Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 1997, she added on to her faculty responsibilities and became PNB’s Director of Therapy and Conditioning. In 1998, PNB opened its Pilates facility to subscribers and trustees, and PNBConditioning under Marjorie’s direction became an ongoing arm of PNB, offering supplemental Pilates training to the Dancers, Professional Division Students, Summer Course students, PNB School students and the public. Marjorie created and produced two videos for PNB: danceWorks! starring Kari Anderson and featuring Ariana Lallone, Jeff Stanton and Maria Chapman; and Patricia Barker on Pointe Shoes. Marjorie continues to be fascinated by ballet technique and besotted with Balanchine’s vision, teachings and choreography. “Ballet is significant and the greatest honor in my life has been to spend my career sharing what Mr. Balanchine taught me.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571093213947-KXFBB2GUXURLYLYI4B92/LesliePeck.jpg Instructors Leslie Peck is an Associate Professor at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts. She was trained by the legendary dancer Andre Eglevsky and at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. At the age of 17, Peck joined the New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine. She went on to dance soloist roles with the Pennsylvania Ballet and later became a principal dancer with Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet International in London and Richmond Ballet where she also served as Ballet Mistress for 16 years. She is a recognized authority on Balanchine ballets and one of the few dancers authorized to stage Balanchine ballets by the Balanchine Trust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571093687195-YV77AQQA5FNIKK3VBR38/Daniel.jpg Instructors Daniel was born in Spain in 1996. He graduated in 2014 from the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de Madrid and then followed a summer course with the San Francisco Ballet. In 2014, he joined the San Francisco Ballet as a trainee. There he danced Giselle, Don Quixote and Romeo and Juliet of Helgi Tomasson in the corps de ballet. Daniel worked with many choreographers, including William Forsythe, Tina leBlanc and Jeffrey Lyons. Since the 2016-17 season, he has been dancing with Ballet Vlaanderen in Belgium. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571093890191-A9XNBZRTGZNP9NYPUV3Y/Christian.jpg Instructors Christian Denice's professional dance experience includes Odyssey Dance Theatre, River North Dance Chicago, Company E, Montgomery Ballet, BODYTRAFFIC and Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal. Christian teaches and choreographs nationally and internationally, and is currently on faculty at the Joffrey Academy Trainee Program and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago HSPro program. He has created new works for Odyssey Dance Theatre, River North Dance Chicago in collaboration with Frank Chaves, LEVELdance Chicago, DanceWorks Chicago, Interlochen Center for the Arts, METdance too, the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, Visceral Dance Chicago, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Western Michigan University, METdance Houston, Modern America Dance Company, Modas Dance, SALT II and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. Christian is the 2015-2016 winner of the University of South Florida's Echo Choreographic Competition and the 2016 winner of the Joffrey Academy's Winning Works Choreographic competition. Christian was recently one of the guest choreographers for both DanceWorks Chicago's ChoreoLab and the Barton Movement's AXIS Connect in Los Angeles this past summer. Christian currently dances for Chicago based project company the Cambrians. In April 2016, Christian directed and choreographed a short dance film entitled "the watchers" filmed by Salt Lake City-based videographer Bryce Johnson. Recently, Christian traveled to Athens, Greece to restage the work Kosmos by Andonis Foniadakis on the dancers of the Greek National School of Dance. He is a certified Power Vinyasa yoga instructor and teaches for CorePower Yoga. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1531427849816-TBE7SRPJY3Z3PXKGFBVQ/CHAN_Headshot.jpg Instructors Kara Chan is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and received her training from Pro Arte Centre. Well versed in classical and modern styles, Kara went on to earn her BFA in dance from The Juilliard School. While there, she performed masterpiece repertory works by Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins, José Limon, and Murray Louis. Currently, she performs and tours with Twyla Tharp Dance, among other companies. She has performed as a guest artist with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and Mark Morris Dance Group. Kara has also performed with the Merce Cunningham Trust, Pam Tanowitz Dance, Keigwin + Co, Janis Brenner & Dancers, Kathryn Posin Dance Company, Gleich Dances, Trainor Dance and MorDance. She is an alumna of The School at Jacob’s Pillow and Springboard Danse Montreal. Kara teaches in Long Island and New Jersey and is on faculty at Tate Academy and New York Music & Arts. www.karachandance.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571094190562-9LCH2ZD92ZKRZAUGDIQA/Ashleigh.jpg Instructors Ashleigh Wilson is a ballet and contemporary dancer who was born in Gauteng province, South Africa. Upon graduation from Martin Schönbergs Ballet Theatre Afrikan Academy, she joined Dresden Semperoper Ballet and danced in Swan Lake, Coppelia, La Bayadere and in company premières of William Forsythe and George Balanchine. She moved to Berlin to dance with the MDR Deutsches Fernsehballet (Germany's TV Ballet) touring extensively across Europe and appearing in front of millions of people. In 2013, she moved to London to work for Peter Schaufuss as a soloist for the Danish tour of his Ballet, Satisfaction. In 2014 she was original cast in Inala: a Zulu Ballet, which was choreographed by Rambert Ballet's Artistic Director, Mark Baldwin. Inala, a live collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, toured extensively over two years throughout the UK, Russia and for the royal family. In 2016, she joined International Arts Collective (formerly London Contemporary Ballet Theatre) performing in world premieres in London and Paris. She most recently performed with the LA Ballet Collective in California and will return to London for the Grammy nominated production of Inala in 2019. She also currently sits on the judging panel of Youth American Grand Prix. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1516657353049-7T9VU8OFLTJYUZZ598W0/greg+dolbashian.jpg Instructors Born and raised in New York City, Gregory Dolbashian made his professional stage debut at the age of eight with the Glimmerglass Opera Company and in the Philip Glass/Robert Wilson world tour of Einstein on the Beach. Gregory received his dance training at the Alvin Ailey School, before graduating cum laude from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. Awards include the Bessie Schoenberg Residency at The Yard, winner of Northwest Dance Project’s Pretty Creatives Competition and the Hubbard Street 2 International Choreographic Competition, second place in Ballet Austin’s New American Talent competition, and the audience prize at DanceNOW at Joe’s Pub in 2014 and again in 2017. Company commissions include Atlanta Ballet, TU Dance in Minnesota, Zenon Dance Company, Ballet Austin, LA Contemporary Dance Company, Hubbard Street 2, City Dance Ensemble in D.C., Dark Circles Contemporary Dance in Dallas, and Northwest Dance Project in Portland, Oregon. Gregory has also received commissions from ADF as a featured choreographer in the Footprints Program and has also created multiple works for principals and soloists at American Ballet Theatre, including Jeffrey Cirio, Daniil Simkin, and Hee Seo, all premiering at the Joyce Theater and Great Mountains Music Festival in Soul, Korea. College commissions include SUNY Purchase, Fordham/Ailey, LIU, NYU Tisch, and the Juilliard School. He debuted his own company, the DASH Ensemble, in December 2010 at Joyce SoHo. The company has gone on to perform at the Skirball Center, New York Live Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, Riverside Theater, Dance at Bryant Park, Summer Stage Central Park, the Joyce Theater, the Agnes Varis Lab for Performance at Gibney 890, the Dimenna Center for Music at Baryshnikov Arts Center, the Sheen Center, NYU’s Jack Crystal Theater, and the Guggenheim Works and Process Series. The company has also been on tour throughout various cities in the U. S. and abroad, including Pennsylvania presented by DanceNOW, North Carolina presented by UNC Wilmington, and most recently California competing in The McCallum Choreographic Competition. The DASH also premiered DAYWALKING, a film at New York’s Tribeca Cinemas in collaboration with fashion film director Charlie Wan. Gregory also teaches workshops and intensives all over the country at universities, companies, and competitive studios. As a soloist and performer, Gregory’s solo work was presented at American Dance Festival in his one man show Awkward Magic. In addition to his choreography, Gregory, alongside Loni Landon, is the co-founder of The Playground, a choreographic initiative that was recognized as one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch in 2013. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1521567047128-8JLEP3Z30RLDQM47T7C1/Doug+Gillespie+ECHO14.JPG Instructors Douglas Gillespie is a Brooklyn-based Artist, passionate in the making, teaching and embodying of dance as an art form. Gillespie is an avid dance maker, choreographing group works for Moving Current Dance Collective, Doug Varone DEVICES, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance. He has also created his own student commissions for Hillsborough Community College, Cleveland State University, University of Florida, and Santa Fe College; two of these works have premiered at American College Dance Association. In 2015 Gillespie created his first solo project Echo for Assembly Dance Theatre in Taipei, Taiwan. This project had its U.S. debut in 2016. Gillespie is an originating member and has been a creative contributor throughout Kate Weare Company’s first decade, currently serving as Guest Artist. In this role, he teaches on behalf of the company and assists on commissions. Gillespie also teaches at colleges and dance centers around the world, most recently at The Juilliard School, NYU Tisch Summer Program, Mark Morris Dance Group, and National Taiwan University of the Arts. He is on faculty at Gibney Dance Center in New York. Gillespie has performed in Punchdrunk Emursive’s Sleep No More and Third Rail Projects’ Then She Fell. Gillespie was born in San Diego, California, raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and received his BFA in Dance from Florida State University in 2005. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1519320282612-310E3T2VNS9G3FP84U9I/marin.jpg Instructors Louie Marin began his training at Independence High School in San Jose, CA; where he trained with Gary Masters and performed with the Jose Limon Dance Company. He then moved to Miami, FL where he attended the University of Florida New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis, on full scholarship. He received his B.F.A. with High Honors in 2005. Mr. Marin was a scholarship student of the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and Jennifer Muller/The Works School. He has performed with Dance Now! Miami, Freddik Bratcher and Co., Sasha Soreff Dance Theater, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater, Paskal Rekoert/ Flexicurve, and Graham II. Louie has taught regionally and nationally and is known for classes that explore the power, breath and speed of Dorfman technique and the demands of her repertory. Louie is also a certified Pilates Mat and Apparatus Instructor. He received his certification from The Lab in Brooklyn, NY, under the direction of Master teacher Lawson Harris. He loves sharing his passion for Pilates; especially with other dancers. He is the resident Pilates Instructor for NJ SummerDance at Kean University in Union, NJ, and has taught Pilates at the Brandeis Institute of Music and Arts (BIMA) in Waltham, MA. Louie believes that Pilates is the Technique to the Technique; there must be a balance of strength and flexibility in order to achieve maximum stability and grace. Mr. Marin joined Carolyn Dorfman Dance in 2009. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571093286202-SSGQRSTJKKNOMHYLXBUV/jaclyn.jpg Instructors Jaclyn was named “25 to Watch” in 2015 by Dance Magazine, trained at the Walnut Hill School and received her BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she was the recipient of the Tisch Achievement Scholarship in Dance and is a former dancer of Keigwin + Company Her choreography has been seen in numerous venues including SummerStage Main Stage in Central Park and DRA’s Dancin’ Downtown at The Joyce Theater, where she received The Choreography Award in 2012 and 2013. Jaclyn is a three time finalist for the Capezio A.C.E. Awards. She choreographed and performed in a commercial for ALDO Shoes produced by Refinery29, as well as a music video for Vienna Teng and an ASL music video produced by Deaf Professional Arts Network for AT&T’s Feel the Music Campaign. DanceSpirit magazine recognized Jaclyn as one of the dance world’s thirteen “Hottest Young Choreographers.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1521566013956-66CDSK2ONOQDM1QLQQDA/BCournay1.jpeg Instructors Brandon Cournay is originally from Walled Lake, Michigan and received his BFA from The Juilliard School. As a freelance artist, Cournay has performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and with the Mark Morris Dance Group, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, The Chase Brock Experience, Schoen Movement Company, Dance Heginbotham, and Morphoses. TV/Film/industrial credits include PBS’ Great Performances, Musical Chairs (HBO), Puma, Sesame Street, and Target. He has been the Associate Choreographer for My Fair Lady (Bay Street), The Wildness (Off-Broadway), Coriolanus (Off-Broadway), and I Am Anne Hutchinson/I Am Harvey Milk. After dancing with the company for seven years, Cournay continued on to become Associate Artistic Director of KEIGWIN + COMPANY. He joined MMDG as an apprentice in 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1516657069002-NMIBLFZZL5QPCSJQHL2G/autumneckman2.jpg Instructors Autumn Eckman received her ballet training from the Houston Ballet Academy. In her performance career, Autumn had the privilege to work for companies including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Lucky Plush Productions, Ron De Jesus Dance and the State Street Ballet. From 2009-2014 she served as Assistant Artistic Director of Giordano Dance Chicago and Director of its second company, Giordano II. As Giordano’s Resident Choreographer, she created nine original works for the company including JOLT which was recognized by Dance Magazine as a top choreographic pick of 2012. Autumn has also served as Artist-In-Residence for State Street Ballet and choreographed for companies and organizations including DanceWorks Chicago, Visceral Dance Chicago, Big Muddy Dance Co., Wylliams-Henry Dance Company, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Kalamazoo Michigan’s Aesthetic Research and Education Program, Western Michigan University, Stephens College, Washington & Lee University, Grand Valley State University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (2013 Choreographic Fellowship recipient). Autumn is currently an artistic collaborator of The Cambrians- a global dance production network based out of Chicago. She is an Iowa Arts Fellow at the University of Iowa where she received an MFA in Choreography and is currently a Visiting Professor of Dance at the University of Arizona. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1525107629036-0C2GVOCFNZ0V6POJCDCG/Ramona+Kelley.jpg Instructors Ramona Kelley is from Berkeley, CA where she began her training at Berkeley Ballet Theater. She went on to earn a BFA in dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she performed in works by William Forsyth and Ronald K Brown. Ramona danced the principal role of ‘Betsy’ in the touring production of Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away and went on to dance with the Tharp company creating new roles in addition to performing repertory works. She is a principal guest artist with Oakland Ballet where she has danced works by Graham Lustig, Jose Limon, and Robert Moses. Ramona has also performed with Minnesota Dance Theatre, Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, Claudia Schreier and Co, Post:Ballet, Sidra Bell, and Phantom of the Opera (25th Anniversary Tour) among others. She has has taught master classes in Tharp technique across the country and is on the summer ballet faculty at NYU’s Tisch Dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1525728252340-MSQAT4R3XU23B8HJMC6B/Joseph-Kudra-360x360-1.jpg Instructors Born in Chicago, Illinois. Joseph Kudra began his training at the age of nine at the American Dance Center under the direction of Jack and Kathleen Villari. He has worked with River North Chicago Dance Company, DanceWorks Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, BODYTRAFFIC, Ate9 Dance Company, and most recently with Aszure Barton & Artists. Kudra has performed works by choreographers such as Danielle Agami, Aszure Barton, Robert Battle, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Alexander Ekman, Andonis Foniadakias, Emanuel Gat, Johan Inger, Jiri Kylian, Anton Lachky, Arthur Pita, Crystal Pite, Victor Quijada, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Hofesh Shechter, Richard Siegel, and Jo Stromgren. Joseph joined Eastman - Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and the Royal Ballet Flanders in 2017. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1531260124466-QW9W663FGV2RG871FBQG/Michelle_2.jpg Instructors Michelle May has been dancing since she was four years old. She was a part of Reich’s “Tap Music Project,” Gregg Russell’s “Tap Sounds Underground,” and is now a principle dancer in Jason Janas’s newly- formed tap company, “Co.MMIT.” She has performed with Janas at the Capezio A.C.E Awards, performed with Co.MMIT in Dancerpalooza’s “25 Live” show, and most recently joined Janas in Stockholm for the Stockholm Tap Festival. There, she performed in the faculty concert, assisted in classes, and was the winner of the 2018 All-styles battle. Michelle was selected as a National YoungArts Finalist in the dance category for tap in 2014 and was a 2015 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts semifinalist. Recently, Michelle was part of the 2017 Tap Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow under the direction of Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and Michelle Dorrance. She also had the opportunity to teach at Detroit Tap Festival in the summer of 2017. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5862cd8a03596e2893fd1186/1571094450790-WF0C2BD5NA0KYMP2OH05/jennifer3.jpg Instructors Jennifer has been teaching ballet for twenty years. A native of St. Louis, Jennifer moved to New York City at age 15 to study on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet. She trained with renowned teachers Stanley Williams, Kay Mazzo, Suki Schorer, Susie Pilarre, Antonina Tumkovsky, Elise Reiman, Helene Dudin, Richard Rapp, Olga Kostritsky, Andre Kramrevsky, Peter Martins, Violette Verdy, Jock Soto, Adam Luders, and Darci Kistler. She performed in ballets by George Balanchine and August Bournonville, and originated roles in works by Christopher Wheeldon and Damian Woetzel. Jennifer also trained with David Howard, Willy Burmann, and Nancy Bielski while in NYC and spent summers training on full scholarship with the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Kansas City Ballet. Jennifer was a professional ballerina for a decade. As a member of the Pennsylvania Ballet she performed in Swan Lake, Coppelia, the Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, as well as Balanchine’s the Four Temperaments, Serenade, and Who Cares?. Upon returning home to St. Louis, Jennifer was invited to join the Saint Louis Ballet. As a principal with SLB, she performed lead roles in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Allegro Brillante, Valse Fantaisie, and Divertimento No. 15. She also performed principal roles in Dennis Nahat’s Brahams Quintet, Francis Patrelle’s Swan Lake and Rhapsody in Blue and originated numerous roles in ballets by Gen Horiuchi. She was featured as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop Fairy, lead Marzipan and Spanish lead in The Nutcracker, the title role in Giselle, and as Aurora in the Sleeping Beauty. Jennifer has been a guest artist with Stamford City Ballet, Montana Ballet and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. She has taught ballet at numerous schools in the Philadelphia area, as well as at Montana Ballet, Yellowstone Ballet, Saint Louis Ballet School, Grand Center Arts Academy, Washington University, and Webster University. Jennifer is a commissioned choreographer and is the director and co-founder of the nonprofit, Ballet Initiative. She is a career consultant for aspiring professional ballet dancers. She is currently a candidate for a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance through Hollins University. Jennifer is a grant recipient of Career Transition for Dancers as well as a fellowship recipient of Hollins University. 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