faculty
Our Faculty is comprised of graduates from some of the finest theater and dance departments in the U.S. and most create and perform professionally. They are selected for their unique understanding of the developmental stages of children and how that translates into the training of a young dancer, actor, choreographer or playwright. BAX faculty members are provided with ongoing professional development to hone their skills, share their experiences and insure continuity of the BAX educational experience.
XAN BURLEY (In-house Teacher), a native of Youngstown, OH and current Brooklyn resident, graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in Dance and English. She enjoys continued work with Elizabeth Dishman/Coriolis, Shannon Gillen and Guests, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance and Donnell Oakley. Her choreography with husband Alex Springer has been shown at Triskelion Arts, BAX, Dixon Place, and will be featured in DanceNOW’s Joe’s Pub Festival and Movement Research at Judson Church in the fall. Xan is the Producer of WAXworks and teaches at the 92nd Street Y and Cora School for Dance in addition to BAX.
ERIN CAIRNS CELLA (In-house Teacher) started dancing at the Hatboro, PA YMCA at age 3, and has most recently performed for Rebecca Davis, Esther Palmer, Colleen Hooper, and Tanya Calamoneri/Company SoGoNo. She has shown work at various venues throughout Philadelphia and New York and holds an MFA in Dance, Choreography, and Performance from Temple University. She is also certified to teach both Vinyasa and Hatha yoga and has been teaching yoga and dance based classes to the youngest of dancers, ages 18 months to three years old. Erin has also been teaching dance and movement based classes to children and teens for the past 9 years throughout the tri-state area. She currently teaches Mommy and Me Yoga along with Kids Yoga at Bamboo Moves Yoga Studio, and has developed a curriculum focusing on instilling a sense of body awareness for little movers and shakers.
DONNA COSTELLO (In-house Teacher, Youthworks Director, DPW I Director, BAXco Co-Director, BNS) is a project-based dance artist and educator living in Brooklyn, NY. She consistently finds herself immersed in process rich work that challenges the lines of dance, theater, performance and the conventions that surround the art forms. She has built deep relationships dancing for Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance (founding member), jill sigman / thinkdance, Mollie O’Brien and Jimena Paz over the past decade. She has had the pleasure of performing for Stephan Koplowitz, Naomi Goldberg Haas, Pele Bauch, Kelly Bartnik, the Human Company, Barbara Mahler and many others. In 2010, she taught and performed throughout Germany with the program Dancing to Connect for Aviva Geismar’s Drastic Action and in 2009 her performance in Carrie Ahern’s SeNSATE was a favorite pick by writer Eva Yaa Asantewa. Donna has been on faculty at Poly Prep, Queesnborough Community College and is a teaching artist for Lincoln Center Institute, She has taught as a guest artist for Dance New Amsterdam, for the Liz Gerring Company during their 09-10 Season, in residence with Cora Dance and jill sigman/thinkdance; and most recently acted as rehearsal assistant for Rebecca Davis. She has worked as a teaching artist for BAX since 1999.
JOSÉ JOAQUÍN GARCÍA (PS 24 and BNS), director, composer, actor, singer, writer, is the Artistic Director of Rubí Theater Company. “Mi Rey”, a song he wrote and performed with members of Rubí, was featured on acclaimed recording artist Dan Zanes’ CD “Family Dance” on Festival Five records. Rubí’s production of Martín Espada’s IMAGINE THE ANGELS OF BREAD has been performed at sold-out runs at New WORLD Theater in Amherst, Massachusetts as well as the 2nd NYC Hip-Hop Theater Festival. Members of Rubí, under the direction of Mr. García were recently in Rotterdam, The Netherlands where they led theater workshops and created an original musical production that was performed by young people from all over the world. Mr. García was the production director of Urban Youth Theater at Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Arts center for 6 years. There he directed A WOMAN WHO OUTSHONE THE SUN, RAKSHA’S CHILD, the hip-hop musical THE MINOTAUR (collaborating with PopMaster Fabel and Crazy Legs of Rock Steady Crew as well as bilingual rap pioneers Latin Empire) and additionally the critically acclaimed EL BRONX REMEMBERED by Nicholasa Mohr. Other plays he has directed for Rubí have been performed at the Northeast Conference of Teachers of Foreign Languages in Manhattan; the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Lorain, Ohio; INTAR; Dixon Place; Hunter College and many other locations. Mr. García was a member of Pregones Theater Company for six years and has also performed with The New Group; Repertorio Español; Joseph Papp Public Theater’s Latino Playwrights Workshop, among others. He appeared in and understudied Rubén Blades on Broadway in Paul Simon’s THE CAPEMAN. Mr. García teaches acting, collective creation and empowerment through theater for young people with the arts organizations Brooklyn Arts Exchange, City Lore and Henry Street Settlement’s Youth Employment Program at various schools in New York City. He has been a resident teaching artist at Brooklyn Arts Exchange since 1993.
JOIE GOLOMB (In-house Teacher) Joie received her teaching certification and the Outstanding Senior award in Theatre Education from Emerson College. Growing up, she pursued her interest in dance, music and theatre through years of training and performance with numerous organizations including the American Repertory Ballet Company and McCarter Theatre. However, she soon discovered her true passion for directing and choreography, and her enthusiasm for teaching, arts administration and collaborating with children. Joie was an ensemble member of TADA! Youth Theater and worked with TADA! as a Teaching Artist, as well as with the New Victory Theatre. In Spring 2011, she was the Education Intern at BAX. Joie has taught and directed plays for schools in both Boston and in the NYC area. She ran the Drama Department at Crane Lake Camp in the Berkshires for five summers and at the Ocean Beach Youth Group day camp on Fire Island–directing numerous productions and educating young people in theatre arts. She is very excited to collaborate with the students in the Dance, Act, Sing class, as together they explore the world of musical theatre!
ANDREW JANNETTI (In-house Teacher, Summer Program Director) has been dancing, choreographing, and teaching in NYC since he graduated from Montclair State University in 1976. His choreographic work has been presented in many venues in NYC including DTW, St. Marks’s Danspace, 92nd Street Y, Alvin Ailey Center, The Duke, DIA, BAX, Cunningham Studio, DUMBO Dance Festival, CoolNY Festival, ADG Festival, NY International Dance Festival, Philadelphia Fringe, as well as various venues throughout the U.S. and Europe, including the prestigious Edinburgh Festival. He has received grants from NYSCA, NJSCA, MCAF, Meet The Composers, the Field, and Harkness Center. He received a BAXten Award for his strong commitment to Dance Education and a PASEtter Award from the Partnership for After School Education for his work with after school arts programming for NYC youth. He was the co-director of Children’s Dance Project of Manhattan as well Summerstage, a music and theater workshop for children in Rockland County, NY. He taught at Staten Island Academy for 6 years where he developed the entire dance program for Pre- K thru 12th grade and an integrated arts curriculum for grades 1- 4. His lesson designs have been published in national magazines. He is currently employed by the NYC Board of Education as a part time dance educator at PS 79 in Whitestone, Queens. In addition, he teaches modern dance to young students at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange and directs all of their school break programs. His classes for adults include modern/jazz dance, aqua aerobics, stretch and tone, and his own special brand of cardio-conditioning, Rhythmic Fitness, which he teaches throughout the New York metropolitan area. He will be graduating with Masters in Dance Education from the Steinhardt School at NYU in December 2011.
DANA KAPLAN-ANGLE (Playspace Facilitator) Dana is a teaching artist, improviser, and babysitter based in Brooklyn, NY. Dana is a member of The Story Pirates, an arts education organzation that leads writing workshops in schools and performs children’s stories to promote literacy, self-confidence, and creativity. She is also a member of Funkle Todd, an all female long-form improv group that prioritizes thighs, stockings, and flocking. She works for artist Stephanie Diamond and has taught creative drama, storytelling and improvisation to youth ages 6-16. Originally from the greatest city on earth (Philadelphia, PA), Dana earned her B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University in 2010.
PAUL LEOPOLD (In-house Teacher) Paul is an actor, director and teaching artist with a passion for sharing the joy of theatre with people of all ages and backgrounds. He is thrilled to continue being a part of the BAX family after working as an education intern in the fall of 2010 and a group leader/program assistant for the 2011 Summer Program.
Paul has a BFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University. Additionally, he has studied with theatre collectives SITI Company, Double Edge Theatre and Irondale Ensemble Project. In 2009, Paul spent a semester in Johannesburg, South Africa studying community-based applied theatre and traditional storytelling. Paul is the director of Descent, a group of collaborative artists dedicated to the creation of groundbreaking theatrical events that stimulate your senses, get your blood pumping and ignite your imagination.
PENE MCCOURTY (BAXco Co-Director, BAXco Guest Choreographer) is an arts administrator, educator and interdisciplinary performing artist who uses movement as her base. She has worked with several locally and nationally known dance performance companies and community arts organizations. As a performer and teacher she was a member of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Marlies Yearby’s Movin’ Spirits Dance Theater and Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group. As an educator, Pene has created, taught and facilitated movement, dance and theater workshops in numerous schools, senior centers and universities within the New York City area and beyond for the past 13 years. She is a trainer for the National Center for Creative Aging and was the Performance Director of Elders Share the Arts creating/directing Continuum Dance Collective-a cross-generational performance and teaching collaborative. As an art maker, her work has been presented at St. Mark’s Church, Joyce Soho, Chicago’s Links Hall, Towson University and San Francisco State University. She has also worked collaboratively with percussionist Leon Parker, writer Suhier Hammad and composer Tigger Benford. Pene is currently the Director of School Settlement Association.
SHELLEY MCPHERSON (In-house Teacher) is originally from Canada. She received her Honours B.A. in Theater from Queens University in Canada, B. Ed from The University of Toronto, and her M.A. in Theater from Northwestern University. In New York, Shelley has taught theatre at Making Books Sing, Enter Stage Write and at BAX. Regionally, she has taught at The University of Southern Indiana and the Canadian performing arts secondary school, Cawthra Park, and has taught dozens of workshops for groups including professional dancers, figure skaters, models, and theatre companies in Canada and the U.S. Shelley has performed at New York theatres including Women’s Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, HERE, Queens Theatre in the Park and The Workshop Theatre Company and at regional theatres including The New Harmony Theatre, East Lynne Theatre Company, and Shadow Lawn Theatre. Feature films include principal roles in Fall Before Paradise and The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek and she appeared in many episodes of Guiding Light. As a singer, Shelley performs regularly at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre and at the Young Centre in Toronto. You can hear her on the CD “Toronto Sings the Breithaupt Brothers Songbook”.
TARA O’CON (DPW III Guest Artist) Tara makes work that focuses on the visceral experience of both mover and observer. She is a contributing member of Third Rail Projects, and also performs regularly for mvworks among various other freelance projects that come along. O’Con’s own work has been shown in showcases around NYC, including Dance Theater Workshop’s Fresh Tracks series. In recent years, her work was commissioned and presented by both Danspace Project and The Chocolate Factory Theater.
CATEY OTT (In-house Teacher) is the director of Catey Ott Dance Company and has a MFA and BFA from UW-Milwaukee. She has performed with Soundance, Allyson Green, Heidi Latsky, Sean Curran, Bill Young, Gotham Group Dance, Carrie Ahern, Angela Jones, Shannon Hummel, Chris Farris, and others in NYC. Her work has been presented at Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church in 2003 and 2007, as well as at Hatch, WAX, BAX, DUMBO Dance Festival, Cool NY Dance Festival, 92nd Street Y, Dixon Place, and others. She has been teaching ages 3-adult since she was 16 in Milwaukee and continues to teach all ages in dance, Pilates, yoga, creative movement, choreography, and fitness in NYC. www.cateyott.com
BECKY PEARL (In-house Teacher) received a Bachelor of the Arts in Dance and Dance Education from Connecticut College, where she studied with many inspiring teachers, such as Dan Wagoner, Eddie Taketa and L’Ana Burton. At Connecticut College, she also studied Chinese and Israeli folk dance and traveled to China and Israel to perform and engage in a cultural dance exchange. Originally from Katonah, New York, she moved to Brooklyn to pursue her dream of dancing and teaching dance to children. Becky has had the pleasure of performing with Barbara Mahler, Jeremy Nelson, Jeff Rebudal, Heidi Latsky, Curt Haworth, and Christina Suarez at various venues throughout New York City. She is thrilled to be teaching classes in Creative Movement, Modern and Ballet for her fourth year at BAX. Currently, Becky enjoys practicing yoga, learning to surf, and teaching at a preschool in Brooklyn Heights.
DREW PETERSEN (In-house Teacher) has been teaching and performing for children for over 5 years. Originally from Philadelphia, he is currently pursuing M.A. in Educational Theatre at N.Y.U. and began working at BAX this past summer. He has taught with Curio Theatre Company, Flatbush Development Corporation, People’s Light and Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon and Hedgerow Theatre. Further, he has worked and performed with Puppetry in Practice, Wissahickon Arts Center, The Mederia School, Central High School and The Pathway School. He has co-written adaptations of Alice in Wonderland and The Nutcracker which were produced by Curio Theatre Company in the last 2 seasons and has composed music for over 10 theatre productions in the last 3 years. Recent projects include an adaptation of The Little Prince as well as original music for a one man production of A Christmas Carol which is being produced in Philadelphia this December/January.
COURTNEY SCHEEL (In-house Teacher and Education Assistant) is originally from the Seattle area. She moved to New York to attend Sarah Lawrence College where she received a BA in Anthropology and Dance. She is a certified yoga teacher through YogaWorks, and taught art and movement classes for children at the Rubin Museum of Art before coming to BAX. She continues to be inspired from her work with Philippa Kaye Company in Humorphous at the Prospect Park Zoo and her collaboration with dancer, choreographer, and art educator Prachi Dalal. Courtney is also the Education Assistant at BAX.
AMY BETH SCHNEIDER (In-house Teacher) has been a part of the BAX faculty since 2004. She teaches creative movement, modern dance, and tumbling. Amy Beth founded and directed Thread Dance Theater from 2002-2008, which is best known for its Brooklyn Dance Sampler. She graduated from Oberlin College and studied for four consecutive summers at the American Dance Festival prior to moving to New York City in 2000. She is an alumnus of the NC Triangle area’s Choreo Collective, where she had the opportunity to choreograph for and perform with numerous North Carolina based dance artists. In NYC she has collaborated and performed with Heather Mims, Annie Sailer, playwrights Susan Melinda Dunlap and Lisa Barri, and Dance Consort:Mezzacappa/Gabrian. She is also certified as a yoga teacher with YogaWorks and is an M.F.A. candidate in Writing at Sarah Lawrence College.
JULES SKLOOT (In-house Teacher, DPW II Director, DPW II Guest Artist) is originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Jules Skloot is a dancer, a choreographer, and a teacher based in Brooklyn, NY. Jules received a BA from Hampshire College with a concentration in choreography, performance, and community dance studies, and an MFA in dance from Sarah Lawrence College. Jules has had the honor of getting to teach, dance, and create with people of many different ages and experiences. As a teacher, Jules values the knowledge, art, and creativity that already exists within people, and works to provide space, encouragement, and learning opportunities for people of any age to express themselves and connect to each other through the practice of art. Jules has choreographed and performed in New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, California, and throughout the Pacific Northwest, and recently received a 2009 Outer/Space creative residency from Dance Theater Workshop in NYC.
ELLYNNE SKOVE (In-house Teacher) has been working with children for over 25 years. She is a licensed dance/movement therapist, an Orff music educator, and teaches yoga and movement for babies and children as well as expecting mothers. Ellynne studied Dynamic Anatomy with the late Nancy Topf for 15 years focusing on developmental movement from inutero to standing. She brings her passion for this innate movement blueprint to her work. Currently she is doing graduate work in pre and perinatal psychology. She maintains a private practice in somatic therapies for people of all ages, and offers conscious parenting programs. Ellynne has performed with The Lake Ivan Performance Group, Meredith Monk, Nancy Topf, and others as well as creating her own work. She is the mother of choreographer and dancer, EmmaGrace, 23 (a BAX graduate), and Jackson, 9. Additionally Ellynne created all of the painted floorcloths at BAX. For more information on Ellynne, visit www.gogobabies.net and TrueNorthWellness.com.
LEIGH STEIN (In-house Teacher) is a writer, director, teaching artist, and classically trained vocalist. For ten years, she has taught private voice lessons and group acting classes for children and young adults. She has studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, Second City, the Piven Theatre Workshop, and with Keith Johnstone. In addition to teaching Act, Dance, Sing! at BAX, she works in children’s book publishing and is a published novelist and poet.
HELEN STYRING TOCCI (In-house Teacher, DPW III Director) is passionate about creating space for people of all ages to explore their unique creativity and discover the innate strength and wisdom that lives in every body. With over 15 years of experience as a professional dancer, vocalist and movement teacher in NYC, Helen is the co-founder of Varoom Group Dance Collective and her multi-disciplinary performance works with collaborator Nicki Calia Marshall have been presented at venues throughout the city and beyond including BAX, Joyce Soho, Judson Church and DTW. Helen and Nicki Calia were the recipients of a BAX space grant in 2008. Helen is a certified yoga instructor and teaches privately throughout the city. She has recently completed her training in CircusYoga with Kevin and Erin O’Keefe and travels nationally teaching workshops and sharing this innovative new practice.Helen is a dynamic facilitator and is well-loved for her joyful approach to community building and art-making. She has been on the dance faculty of the Brooklyn Friend’s School since 2001, and it has been one of the great joys of her life to create and explore with the BAX community for the past 10 years.
DIANE TOMASI (In-house Teacher) began her teaching in 2001 and has taught ongoing classes, and workshops in and around the US, including New York, Alaska, and Massachusetts as well as the UK. Her teaching repertoire includes gymnastics and tumbling, modern, ballet, and contact improvisation. Diane is also a dancer, aerialist, thai massage practitioner, and choreographer. Diane graduated from Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance. Diane moved to New York in 2006. www.dianetomasi.com
JANET WERTHER (In-house teacher) has an MFA in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College under the direction of Sara Rudner. She has performed in New York City and regionally with Anne Burnidge, Missy Pfhol-Smith/BIODANCE and David Appel among others. Her choreography has been presented at the Dance/NOW RAW, The Flea, Movement Research, and Danspace Project. She self produced her first full length concert at Triskelion Arts in January 2011. Janet has taught dance and creative movement at studios and public schools throughout New York State. Several evenings a week, you can also find her smiling at the BAX front desk! www.janetwerther.com
EMILY WEXLER (DPW II Guest Artist) works to find multiple ways of comprehending the world through dance. She has been fortunate to show stuff in places like Paris, France and Vienna, Austria and Brussels, Belgium, and then also places somewhat closer to her home in Brooklyn. She’s from jersey. She’s a twin. She is working on a project which questions the nature of matter and mattering that’ll be shown in its longest capacity in Spring 2012. She is forever grateful to the people that lend themselves to her ideas and process. She loves working with students of all ages and interests and has had to honor to teach as a Guest Artist at places like Hollins University, University of Memphis, Dickinson College, and the University City Arts League. Emily also dances for lots of other great artists and teaches Senior Citizens the love of drawing an arc through space.
PHOTO CREDITS:
Erin Cairns Cella by BAXstaff | Donna Costello by Kamau Mucoki | José Joaquín García by BAXstaff | Andrew Jannetti by BAXstaff | Dana Kaplan-Angle by BAXstaff | Shelley McPherson by BAXstaff | Catey Ott by BAXstaff | Becky Pearl by BAXstaff | Drew Petersen by BAXstaff | Amy Beth Schneider by Aaron Sandler | Jules Skloot by BAXstaff | Ellynne Skove by BAXstaff | Leigh Stein by BAXstaff | Helen Tocci by BAXstaff | Diane Tomasi by BAXstaff.
