Valerie

Valerie began her dancing career at a young age, and trained at NWSOD until her graduation in 2018.

She then attended SUNY Geneseo, for her undergraduate degree, and is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Special Education at Hunter College.

Valerie also works as a dual language teacher, and teaches young dancers at NWSOD on the weekends. Valerie is affectionately known as “the child whisperer” as her gentle and nurturing manner creates a warm and inviting environment for children of all ages.

NWSOD FACULTY

Danielle

Danielle started her dance training at WTDA at the age of 3. She studied Ballet and Jazz for over 15 years with Broadway veteran Kathi-Jo Hubner, and 10 years under Mary Ann Strilka. She has also trained under Josef Woodson (Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey) and had the privilege to work with Broadway aerial trainer Bobby Tailor. Danielle's list of talent has expanded over the years to genres such as Tap, Modern, Lyrical, Street Jazz, Hip Hop, Aerial Arts and Pointe. Danielle has competed in various dance competitions in the tri-state area, performed in several off-Broadway productions of the Nutcracker, and performed with artist “In The Rush” for his MTV music video. Danielle has been the cornerstone of the NWSOD pre-school department for over 13 years, and continues to share her love of dance with our youngest performers. 2.

Liz

(AEA/AGMA/SDC Associate Director/Choreographer). Performance: “West Side Story”, off-Broadway “Shafrika, the White Girl", Romeo et Juliette” and “The First Emperor,” (Metropolitan Opera.) Choreo. credits: Assist. Director/Choreographer toTricia Brouk, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change", Assist. Choreo.-TVLand Awards opening number starring Liza Minnelli, Erotic Broadway at the Triad and choreographer for the Tennessee Williams play "Now the Cats with Jeweled Claws," Off-Broadway at La Mama in NYC. She was the choreographer for a new musical in workshop based on Pink's album "Misunderstood", and is a part of the NYC Jazz Choreography Project at Alvin Ailey and the Cool New York Festival in Brooklyn. She recently choreographed "The Wizard of Oz", "Oliver" and "Footloose" for the Ohana Arts Program in Oahu, HI. Last May, Liz Co-Directed and Choreographed a new musical which had a successful Off-Broadway run about the 80's fitness craze, "Spandex, the Musical".

Erin

Erin hails from New Orleans, LA where she began her training at the Giacobbe Academy of Dance at the age of three. Her studies also included summers at the Rock School in Philadelphia, and the Boston Ballet School. Erin began her professional performing career with the Delta Festival Ballet and appeared as Marzipan, Spanish, and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, a Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, the Evil Queen in Snow White, as well as soloist roles in original works. She went on to dance as a Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the New York Spectacular. Erin can be seen dancing in A Very Murray Christmas on Netflix and The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD broadcast of Susan Stroman's The Merry Widow. Erin currently dances for The Metropolitan Opera and has appeared in productions of The Merry Widow (choreography by Susan Stroman), Die Fledermaus (choreography by Stephen Mear), and Rigoletto (choreography by Stephen Hoggett). She also appears in guest performances, and special events through out NYC such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Bobby

Bobby's work is most recently represented on Broadway in the Revival of PIPPIN as well as the new musical CHAPLIN. For Chaplin he was the tightrope trainer, for Pippin he served as the lead aerial trainer for Patina Miller, Andrea Martin and Charlotte D'Amboise for the Boston production at A.R.T under the direction of Dianne Paulus and circus choreographer Gypsy Snider. Personal career highlights include dancing with Kirstie Alley on QVC, and working with the band PHISH at Madison Square Garden flying 60 feet in a harness on New Years eve. He also trained and designed the circus elements for the new Broadway bound musical CHIX 6 and ZORRO the musical (coming fall 2013). He's the Director of Espana Streb Trapeze Academy at the STREB lab for Action Mechanics. As a Designer and coach he's created aerial acts for 22 productions

Priscilla

A Graduate from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Priscilla has been dancing since the age of 5. At an early age she started growing as an artist and developing her own aesthetic, which would lead her to dancing for the Harlem Globetrotters early in her teenage years to being featured in ad campaigns for company's such as Nike, Adidas, Y-3, Macy's, T-Mobile, 16 Handles. She has already shared the stage with prestigious artists from around the world, and Artist such as Kat Deluna, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ryan Leslie, Beyoncé, casted for Rihanna and has danced on stages such as the US OPEN and live at MTV Music Video Awards.

Jace

Jace brings an impressive professional resume of performance experience on Broadway, off Broadway and with National ballet companies. On Broadway: West Side Story (Tio/Pepe), Disney’s Aladdin (Featured Ensemble/ Swing) National Tour: West Side Story 1st Nat’l (Tio), Guys and Dolls (Liver Lips Louis), An American in Paris. Off Broadway: Susan Stroman’s Merry Widow (New York Metropolitan Opera), Aida (New York Metropolitan Opera), Broadway Bound Can Can (Valentine LeDessose), "Peter Pan Live!" (Transport Group, NYC), and was the Opening Act for "A Night with Ben Vareen". Ballet Companies include: Ballet Austin, Ballet Memphis, Dance, Northeast Youth Ballet, Roxey Ballet, Ballet NY, Ballet Verite, and MorDance. He holds a B.F.A. in Dance and Vocal Performance from West Texas A&M University and studied at the School of American Ballet.

Brianna

Brianna received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Dance from Manhattanville College in 2017. She has studied with choreographers such as Shawn Garnier, Peter Pucci, Marta Renzi, Shawn Bible, and Lawrence Goldhuber. Brianna was a featured dancer in a choreography documentary presented at The Jacob Burns Film Center in titled “Swag and Bach”. During her time at Manhattanville she choreographed two contemporary pieces for the Spring Dance Concerts in 2015 and 2016. This past spring she presented her senior thesis, “Setting Fire” the piece was an experimental contemporary piece that incorporated digital media. She has trained with dancers from the hit show “So You Think You Can Dance” through conventions such as Tremaine, Excel in Motion and Kids Artistic Revue. Through the years she has studied jazz, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, ballet, African jazz, and lyrical. Brianna has taught a variety of styles including tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop and lyrical for a range of ages, since 2015. Through her years of teaching, she has presented original choreography at Dancefest Stamford, DRA’s Stars of Tomorrow, and Broadway Dance Centers AIM Invitational. She has completed Broadway Dance Centers Teacher training and continues to expand her teaching knowledge.

Bill

Bill has been teaching gymnastics for 13 years. He’s dedicated 6 days a week for the last 4 years to teaching Acro and Gymnastics to kids, as well as competing on s team while in high school. Bill has won numerous awards as well as making the team in the Empire State games. Outside of gymnastics, Bill is busy taking care of his newborn daughter, and always learning new ways to teach skills to his students. Bill is looking forward to teaching our young acrobats, and excited about being on the NWSOD team.

Kelly

Kelly began her early training at the School of Performing Arts/Fineline Theatre Arts in New Milford, Connecticut under the direction of Arlene Begelman and later Elizabeth Parkinson, Scott Wise, and Mary Ann Lamb. She spent summers dancing at North Carolina School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Peridance, and The Ballet Theatre of Maryland. Following studying ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she attended the Lines Ballet Training Program in San Francisco. In 2013 she joined The Ballet Theatre of Maryland. Currently, Kelly works as a freelance dancer, performs with Mooney Cooley Dance, and teaches in New York and Connecticut.

Marie

Marie Zvosec is a graduate of the Dancers’ Studio at Oberlin, the North Carolina School of the Arts, The Juilliard School (B.F.A.), and Sarah Lawrence College (M.F.A.). She has been seen performing with, among many others, Buglisi Dance Theatre, TAKE Dance, Hilary Easton + Company, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Juri Onuki, Doug Elkins + Friends, Bennyroyce Dance, Mary Seidman and Dancers, Regina Nejman and Company, Shannon Gillan and Elisabeth Motley’s DOORKNOB Company, Elizabeth Keen, and with the Metropolitan Opera in productions by Zhang Yimou and Mark Morris. Choreographic commissions include pieces for Brooklyn Opera Works, Adelphi University, Bennyroyce Dance (where she is Artistic Associate), Springboard Danse Montréal, Ohio Dance Theatre, Blackbird/Oiseau Noir Dance, Moxie Contemporary Ballet, and Randolph College. She was a Fellow at BAM’s Professional Development Program and was a full scholarship awardee for Teaching Artist Training at National Dance Institute. She served as Chair of Dance at Brooklyn Music School, Chair of the Dance Department at Randolph College, was Director of the Helen McGehee Visiting Artist in Dance Program, and is a faculty member at Adelphi University.

Valerie

Valerie began her dancing career at a young age, and trained at NWSOD until her graduation in 2018. She then attended SUNY Geneseo, for her undergraduate degree, and is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Special Education at Hunter College. Valerie also works as a dual language teacher, and teaches young dancers at NWSOD on the weekends. Valerie is affectionately known as “the child whisperer” as her gentle and nurturing manner creates a warm and inviting environment for children of all ages.