DANCES WE DANCE
ACQUA
2024 NEW YORK FALL SEASON
(Third Season)
FOUNDERS
Betty Jones, Fritz Lüdin
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Francesca Todesco
CHOREOGRAPHY
Isadora Duncan
Doris Humphrey
Rae Ballard
Catherine Gallant
Hannah Howell
Francesca Todesco
HUMPHREY STAGING BY
Gail Corbin
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Gustave Whinnery
STAGE MANAGER
Maggie Cass
PUBLICIST
Michelle Tabnick, PR
SPECIAL GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Annmaria Mazzini
DWD COMPANY DANCERS
Kathleen Caragine, Colleen Edwards, Rosy Gentle,
Margherita Tisato, Francesca Todesco
GUEST DANCERS
Lauren Naslund & Lana Hankinson (Rae Ballard Thoughts in Motion)
Jada Alfred, Autumn Rodrique, Alana Averett, Marley Poku-Kankam; Gwen Appenfeller, Jewel Cameron, Nicole Conway, Kelsey Holley, Camille Rivkah Nemoz, Christina Satono, Kristal Walters, Caroline Yamada
WITH A SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY
Annmaria Mazzini
CHOREOGRAPHERS & COMPANY BIOS
ISADORA DUNCAN (1877-1927), born in San Francisco, revolutionized dance with her groundbreaking approach to movement and expression. Rejecting the rigid structure of classical ballet, she shed traditional costumes like ballet slippers and corsets, opting instead for simplicity and natural movement that echoed the rhythms of nature. Duncan sought to develop a dance vocabulary that would illuminate the human spirit and its connection to the world around us. She was among the first choreographers to create dances set to music that wasn’t composed specifically for dance, drawing from composers like Chopin, Brahms, Schubert, and Scriabin. Her bold, unrestrained style shocked American audiences, who found her bare limbs and unconventional approach daring. Unfazed by controversy, Duncan set off for Europe, and later Russia, where her boundless spirit inspired visual artists, poets, and choreographers.
DORIS HUMPHREY (1895-1958) is renowned for her groundbreaking choreography and her innate sense of musical ability and form. She began her career early, opening her own dance school in Chicago in 1913 at the age of 18. In 1917, she joined the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts in California. Denishawn, the dynamic duo of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, recognized Humphrey’s talents and she became one of their primary teachers and performers touring with the company throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. It was here she met Charles Weidman who became her partner in dance.
Humphrey and Charles Weidman left the Denishawn School in 1928 and started the Humphrey-Weidman Company in New York City. Humphrey developed a new style of dance around the principles she called “fall and recovery,” utilizing the body’s potential to travel between the polarities of balance and imbalance. She elevated dance to a theater art believing in its power to communicate and her need to express the human condition with all its complexity and range of thought. Her work also reflected current events and concerns, capturing the American spirit.
Jose Limón’s apprenticeship with Humphrey-Weidman lasted over 10 years, during which time he was increasingly featured in their concert work. He left the Humphrey/Weidman Group in 1940 to start his own dance company and in 1945 invited his mentor, Doris Humphrey, to become the artistic director of the Limón Dance Company. While serving in this capacity with Limón, Humphrey choreographed the masterpieces “Day on Earth,” “Night Spell,” and “Ruins and Visions.” Her various works reflect her mastery of the intricacies of large groups and emphasis in dynamic phrasing. Humphrey’s book, The Art of Making Dances, in which she shared her observations and theories on dance and composition, was published after her death and is still used as a guide for all choreographers. dorishumphreyfoundation.org
DANCES WE DANCE/PERFORMING ENSEMBLE (DWD) was formed in 2020 under the artistic direction of Francesca Todesco, carrying forward a rich legacy originally established by legendary dancers, teachers, and choreographers Betty Jones and Fritz Ludin in New York in 1970. Betty and Fritz’s mission of nurturing new generations of dancers led to over 50 years of dedicated teaching and choreographing around the world. Upon their retirement in 2019, they entrusted Francesca with the leadership of the organization, ensuring the continuation of their vision.
DWD's mission encompasses training dancers in presenting repertory works, commissioning new choreography, and providing educational workshops and classes. Since its season debut in 2022, DWD has offered classes and workshops in New York, London, and Greece and performed at the 2023 Battery Dance Festival. This season marks Dances We Dance's third New York season. www.danceswedance.org
FRANCESCA TODESCO (Artistic Director, DWD) is a New York-based dancer and educator, with extensive training in the Sokolow, Humphrey-Limón, and Duncan techniques, bringing a wealth of experience in both performance and education. She credits her training to esteemed teachers such as Jim May (recipient of the Martha Hill Award for lifetime achievement), Catherine Gallant, Loretta Thomas, Betty Jones, Fritz Ludin, Gail Corbin, and Debra Carr. Francesca joined Catherine Gallant/DANCE & Dances by Isadora in 2000, and since then has performed and taught Isadora Duncan’s works internationally. She has collaborated with numerous choreographers and companies in New York City, including Deborah Carr Theatre Dance Ensemble and Rae Ballard’s Thoughts in Motion. From 2003 to 2019, Francesca danced with the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble and continues to assist with archives and the reconstruction of Ms. Sokolow’s repertory. In addition, Francesca has organized a series of workshops focused on Historical Modern Dance, inviting master teachers to share their knowledge. She also ran her children’s program, Every Little Movement, in Hoboken for over 10 years. An internationally sought-after teacher and coach, Francesca has recently worked with groups in London, Paris, and Athens. In addition to directing DWD, she teaches Isadora Duncan exploration classes to adults in Manhattan and regularly offers workshops in Paris and Athens.
GAIL CORBIN is a leading exponent and master teacher/director in the technique and repertory of American Modern Dance pioneers, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. Her longtime association with Ernestine Stodelle, an original member of the Humphrey/Weidman Company, began with Ernestine’s reconstructions of two of Doris Humphrey’s early works - “Two Ecstatic Themes” and “Air for the G String” for the Jose Limon Company. Gail assisted her in these early Humphrey reconstructions and served as a model for the solo roles. She also was a featured performer and soloist for Deborah Carr Theatre Dance Ensemble under the artistic direction of Beatrice Seckler, dancing the repertory of Charles Weidman. Gail has taught and directed Humphrey/Weidman technique and repertory, as well as performance skills and pedagogy, for decades. The demand for her skills as master teacher has brought her to universities, dance companies and individual performers throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia and is a featured dancer in two films - “The Technique of Doris Humphrey” and “Charles Weidman- On his Own”. Gail is the Director of Education at the Doris Humphrey Foundation/Institute and teaches modern dance at New Haven Ballet where she also taught children, developing a unique modern technique for young children emphasizing rhythmic coordination and musicality. She is a frequent guest teacher for the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble in NYC. Gail recently staged and directed the Limon Dance Company in "Air for the G String" as part of their 75th anniversary celebration and “Two Ecstatic Themes” as part of their Joyce performance series. Recent guest artist residencies have included Kenyon College, Ohio, University of Michigan and Goucher College. She is a graduate of the Hartford Conservatory of Music.
THOUGHTS IN MOTION AND RAE BALLARD Rae Ballard’s choreography has been described by Jennifer Dunning in The New York Times as having “the quality of a short story.” This choreography and related scripts written by Ms. Ballard for dance/theater works have provided the artistic direction for Thoughts in Motion, a non-profit company which was founded in the 1980s. The company has performed at venues throughout New York City and Westchester County. Internationally Ms. Ballard’s choreography has also been performed in Finland, Brazil and Italy. Ms. Ballard has danced with many modern dance companies, including Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project, and she has performed the works of Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman and Jose Limon. In addition to her work as artistic director of Thoughts in Motion, Ms. Ballard teaches dance and movement to a variety of age groups and was selected by Arts Westchester for its Artist Roster for over 10 years.
CATHERINE GALLANT is the director and co-founder (with Patricia Adams in 1989) of Dances by Isadora which performs, teaches, and collaborates with dancers throughout the world. She began her study of the technique of Isadora Duncan with Julia Levien, (a student of Anna and Irma Duncan) in 1982. She is a founding member of the Duncan Archive, an online repository for the Duncan legacy. duncanarchive.org. Catherine is the US performer of Jerome Bel’s Isadora Duncan, part of his dancer series. Ms. Gallant is a retired NYCDOE dance educator. She taught at PS 89 in Manhattan from 1998-2023. She and her students were featured in the Emmy-nominated PBS documentary, PS DANCE! She is currently on the faculty of Hunter College and the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) Catherine creates new works for stage and film with her company Catherine Gallant/DANCE, recently performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory and holds an MFA in Dance from Temple University.
HANNAH HOWELL (she/her, Bloomfield, NJ) began dancing at Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts at the age of three. While there, she was a member of the Performance Workshop Ensemble and worked with Chalvar Montiero, Christopher Huggins, and Christian Von Howard. During her summers, Hannah trained at Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, The Ailey School, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance. She is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program where she had the opportunity to perform works by Janice Rosario, Chuck Wilt, Mark Caserta, Ethan Colangelo, Martha Graham, and Jose Limon. In addition to her major in Dance, she also pursued a minor in American Studies and seeks to find creative ways to merge the two disciplines. Recently, Hannah presented work in Battery Dance Festival's Young Choreographers Program at Rockefeller Park and she looks forward to continuing to develop her choreographic voice.
ANNMARIA MAZZINI is a New York City based dancer, choreographer, and educator. From Allentown, PA, she earned a BFA in Dance at Southern Methodist University while performing in musical productions during the summers. As a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, she performed and taught all over the world for sixteen years and remains on the faculty at the Taylor School as a traveling teaching artist and répétiteur of Taylor masterworks. She has also danced in works by Martita Goshen, Amy Marshall, Kim Gibilisco, Patrick Corbin, Orion Duckstein, and Parisa Khobdeh. A current member of Margie Gillis’ Legacy Project, she recently performed in Montreal, Ottawa, and the Windhover Center for the Arts. Her own choreography has been presented at the Battery Dance Festival, the Gledhill Arts Collective, the Steffi Nossen Company, at Carnegie Hall with pianist Elaine Chau, and in the short film The Pink Pony. Her essay, “Why I Choreograph” was featured in Dance Magazine, and her photo graces the cover of Jordan Matter’s book Dancers Among Us. Annmaria is also a prolific jewelry maker and is the creator of Dancing Amulets.
DANCERS BIOS
DANCES WE DANCE/PERFORMING ENSEMBLE
KATHLEEN CARAGINE is a New York City based modern/contemporary dancer who began her dance training at the age of three in Danbury, Connecticut. Her training continued at Hofstra University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Exercise Science. Currently, she is teaching dance and Pilates in Connecticut and NYC/Brooklyn. Kathleen has had the pleasure to perform works throughout NYC and abroad by Isadora Duncan, Doris Humphrey, Ted Shawn, Catherine Gallant, Rae Ballard, Annmaria Mazzini and Francesca Todesco. She is currently a member of Dances We Dance under the direction of Artistic Director Francesca Todesco.
COLLEEN EDWARDS (she/her) is a dancer and teaching artist based in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Hofstra University where she studied Dance and English Literature and has since had the opportunity to perform across NYC and abroad, as well as on live national television. She joined Dances We Dance in 2020 and has since had the pleasure of performing works by Isadora Duncan, Ted Shawn, Doris Humphrey, Francesca Todesco, Catherine Gallant, Rae Ballard, and Annmaria Mazzini, while learning and exploring the technique and works of early American modern dance pioneers under the artistic direction of Francesca Todesco. She is also an active company member with Mark Bankin Dance Theatre and performs with The NeoPolitical Cowgirls. As a teaching artist, Colleen shares her love of movement with the students at WR Arts and the School at Peridance.
ROSY GENTLE Originally from Spokane Washington, Rosy began studying dance at the age of three and received a BA in dance and environmental studies from the University of Washington. She has studied ballet, modern dance and most recently Argentine tango. Since moving to New York, she has danced with Moving Visions Dance, Dances by Isadora, Rae Ballard, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Heidi Latsky Dance, Cross Move Lab, Studio Apartment, SMUSH gallery, and Mark Bankin. She has also performed internationally in Athens, Paris, and Berlin. As a member of Dances We Dance under the direction of Francesca Todesco, Rosy has studied the movement of Isadora Duncan and had the opportunity to assist in teaching Duncan technique and repertoire at the Duncan Dance Research Center in Greece; she looks forward to more opportunities in the future!
MARGHERITA TISATO started studying dance in Italy at the age of 8. Her background is in Humphrey-Limón, contemporary and dance-therapy. She counts in her roster of practices a variety of movement techniques including dance and yoga, but also Butoh, somatic movement, and recently the exploration of body suspension. In New York since 2006, she is a principal dancer with Sokolow Theater/Dance Ensemble, Dances We Dance, and the Vangeline Theater. Margherita has also presented her own work in New York and abroad. She is a teacher for the New York Butoh Institute and teaches butoh workshops internationally. Margherita lives in Brooklyn, teaching yoga and mindful movement in studios, jails, and substance abuse recovery facilities and coaching individuals in finding embodiment and recovering from PTSD. She is on faculty at The Interdependence Project, teaching mindfulness and meditation teacher trainings. In 2019 she joined forces with some chosen family to start Templenewyork, a space dedicated to community and the exploration of bodily potential through education, Shibari, and suspension. www.margheritatisato.com
GUEST DANCERS
RAE BALLARD’S THOUGHTS IN MOTION
LAUREN NASLUND began her modern dance studies in Chicago with Frances Allis. She holds degrees in biology from the University of Chicago and Harvard. She danced in Cambridge, MA with the Performing Arts Ensemble and the Massachusetts Dance Ensemble before moving to New York to work with the theater/dance company Plath/Taucher Productions. In New York, Lauren has studied with Ruth Currier (in whose studio she met Rae Ballard), Betty Jones and Fritz Ludin, Risa Steinberg, Janet Pannetta, Katiti King, and many others. Lauren also danced with Andrew Jannetti & Dancers, and performed the work of Charles Weidman and Doris Humphrey with Deborah Carr's Theatre Dance Ensemble, and under the direction of Gail Corbin. She was a member of Anna Sokolow's Players' Project from 1989 through 2003. She has worked with its successor, the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, since its founding in 2004 and is now its Associate Artistic Director. Lauren has been dancing with Rae Ballard since 1992.
LANA HANKINSON Born and raised in Marietta, Georgia, Lana Hankinson is currently a freelance artist performing, working, and teaching (under ABT® Certification) in New York City. In early years, she studied at Anne Burton Avery’s Academy Dance Company and then in the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre’s Conservatory Program under the direction of Maniya Barredo and Andrea Pell. Hankinson graduated Summa Cum Laude from Adelphi University as recipient of the Jeff and Tina Bolton Scholarship and Ruth St. Denis Prize, under the tutelage of Frank Augustyn.
WATER STUDY DANCERS
GWEN APPENFELLER (they/them) is a gender-queer dance artist trying to find their way in a crumbling capitalistic cis-gender society. Their environmental activism work exploring plastic has been shown at the Tank’s Trashfest 2023, in January 2024 at both Green Space (Fertile Ground Performance Series) and Spoke the Hub (Winter Follies ‘24), and at Triskelion Arts during the WAXworks February 2024 show. Their work exploring gender in heavily binary dance forms was shown at Arts on Site as part of 7MPR’s Pride Showcase in July 2024. Much of their inspiration comes from growing up in the Midwest, constantly exploring nature as a child, and always being underestimated when they were growing up. Professionally Gwen currently dances in their own work and with Alexandra Bilodeau. Instagram: @gwen.ith
Originally from Atlanta, JEWEL CAMERON is a New York based dancer and choreographer. Jewel studied dance at Oberlin College, where she received the Distinction in Dance award. Jewel has performed and had work showcased at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Trinity College’s Performance Lab, the Ohio 5 Dance Conference, and Oberlin’s Warner Theater.
NICOLE CONWAY started dancing in her hometown of Springfield, IL at Dance Arts Studio. She later joined the Springfield Ballet Company where she was a member through high school. Nicole attended Purdue University and earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering with a minor in dance in 2022. She now works as a water resources engineer in New York City and specializes in coastal engineering. Nicole is excited to be a part of a project that combines her interests in water and dance.
A North Carolina native, KELSEY E HOLLEY trained at the American Dance Festival before moving to Philadelphia to attend the School of Dance at the University of the Arts. Upon receiving a BFA in Dance in 2015, as well as additional training from Alonzo King Lines Ballet and the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Kelsey went on to dance for Royal Caribbean International, followed by a world tour of the Broadway Musical West Side Story and Disney's The Lion King musical in the Netherlands. Months prior to the pandemic, Kelsey relocated back to Philadelphia to pursue a Master of Science degree from the College of Public Health at Temple University. When she is not dancing, she works as a recreation therapist serving pediatric clients in inpatient care and young adult clients in a virtual intensive outpatient program. I am honored to share the stage with these passionate artists. Thank you Dances We Dance for the opportunity!
CAMILLE RIVKAH NEMOZ is a dancer from France and Belgium and speaks several languages. She trained in ballet, contemporary and lyrical jazz in Europe and is also Pilates certified in mat and reformer. She graduated from the Martha Graham School and works at the school while working with companies like Tomoko Aoki Dance Company. Next year, she would like to pursue her Graham studies at the Martha graham School to deepen her knowledge.
CHRISTINA SATONO is a passionate dancer, choreographer, and teacher with a love for many dance styles, including contemporary, modern, ballet, jazz, tap, whacking, breaking, and hip-hop. Originally from VA, she trained in gymnastics and dance from a young age, and her love for the performing arts grew further through color guard and contemporary dance. She regularly attends intensive trainings at the Martha Graham School, training in Graham technique as well as ballet and modern masterclasses. Christina has choreographed and performed as a soloist for some of the top winter guards along the east coast, including Stonewall Independent, George Mason University winter guard, Étude winter guard, and has toured with the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps. Through these impactful experiences, she has had the opportunity to travel across the country, receive international recognition, choreograph and perform solos and partner work, and instruct clinics for young performers. As both a dancer and an early childhood educator, Christina particularly loves teaching little ones and fostering their love for dance as they learn about the world around us. She is eager to pursue performance opportunities in her new home city of NYC and is thrilled to be a part of Dances We Dance.
KRISTAL NICOLE WALTERS (Dancer) is a dancer/choreographer with a BA in Dance from Hunter College. Her training includes Graham and Nikolais technique, among other modern contemporary styles, under the instruction of Blakeley White-McGuire and Alberto Del Saz. Over the course of her dance career, she has preformed works from a multitude of established choreographers including Pedro Ruiz, Francesca Dominguez, and Davalois Fearon. With 7 years of teaching experience, both competitive and recreational, Kristal is dedicated to inspiring young dancers to explore their creativity, technique, and individuality. @kristal.nicole
CAROLINE YAMADA is originally from Portland, Oregon, and came to New York to further her training at The Ailey School. Upon graduating she has worked with many different companies throughout the city, but currently works for Lori Belilove & The Isadora Duncan Dance Company. Besides performing, Yamada has found a passion for teaching dance and fitness. Currently teaching dance throughout NYC and NJ with a focus on Creative Movement and Ballet for younger dancers and is a Lead Teacher at Pure Barre in Park Ridge, NJ.
HANNAH HOWELL DANCERS
JADA ALFRED was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She began her dance training at a young age at Odyssey Academy of Dance, where she was a member of the Tri-Parish Ballet. Jada was also a member of B.C. Fields Dance Company from 2014 to 2016. In 2015, she began training at The Dancer’s Workshop Baton Rouge and became a member of The Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre for 4 years. Jada has attended several summer intensive programs, including Nashville Ballet and The Ailey School, and participated in YAGP workshops at Houston Ballet in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, she had the opportunity to be a guest artist at the Reach program at the Kennedy Center under the direction of choreographer Roxi Victorian. While attending the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, Jada had the opportunity to perform choreography by Janice Rosario (2019), Chuck Wilt (2021), and Mark Caserta (2022). Jada graduated from the Fordham/Ailey BFA program in 2023, double majoring in English and Dance, and was a member of the English National Honor Society. She is currently working at Fordham University as an International Student Coordinator. Jada owns a photography business and plays the bass guitar for a Brooklyn-based rock band and other local artists.
ALANA AVERETT (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based dancer, educator, and marketing expert with a passion for blending creative expression and strategic communication. She holds dual B.A. degrees in Dance Performance & Choreography and Psychology from the University of South Carolina, where she collaborated with renowned artists including Jacoby Pruitt, Shane Larson, Pablo Rubacalba, André Megerdichian, Eduard Forehand, and Dr. Stephanie Milling. After recently relocating to New York City, Alana completed Gibney's 6-month Independent Training Program (with a Contemporary Focus). She is currently a freelance artist, continuing to investigate post-modern contemporary dance.
MARLEY POKU-KANKAM started dance classes at Miss Donna’s School of Dance and then transitioned to a career in Ballet at Charlotte Ballet Academy. After graduating high school, she continued training at the Alvin Ailey/Fordham BFA program in New York City. She recently graduated in May 2023 with a BFA in Dance and Business Administration. She has spent multiple summers working for the Vail Dance Festival and also choreographed various pieces over the last few years premiering them around NYC at Battery Dance Festival and other shows. In early January 2024, she debuted in a commercial role as a dancer in an Ulta Beauty Commercial as they rolled out new products and recently starred in a Netflix promo for the new season of Umbrella Academy. Now, Marley is in a dance company in New York, Pangea Dance Collective, and continues to perform around NYC and choreograph.
AUTUMN J. RODRIGUE is a Miami-native, but is currently based in New York, NY. She began her training with Miami City Ballet, where she discovered her love for all things Balanchine. As her love for dance grew, she continued her training at New World School of the Arts, and then went on to become a Presidential Scholarship recipient at California Institute of the Arts (graduate of the class of 2024). While at CalArts, she also spent a year in South Korea furthering her education under the direction of Shin Chang-ho at Korea National University of the Arts. Autumn has performed works by Robert Battle, Paul Taylor, Micaela Taylor, Donald Byrd, Mike Tyus and Luca Renzi.
BEHIND THE SCENES
MAGGIE CASS (Stage Manager) Originally from upstate New York, Maggie attended and graduated from Hofstra University in 2017 with a BA in Dance and Political Science. After graduating, she worked on various political campaigns and government administrations across Long Island. Now residing in Brooklyn, NY, she works as a Senior Project Coordinator for a strategic communications firm. Maggie is very excited for the opportunity to stage manage for such a beautiful show with Dances We Dance.
New York City based IVANA DRAZIC (Costumes) has worked with numerous choreographers and dancers since moving to NYC from Belgrade, Serbia in 2009, including Catherine Gallant/DANCE and Dances by Isadora, the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, Moving Visions, Francesca Todesco’s Every Little Movement and Dances We Dance, to name a few. Ivana allows fabric to guide her in the process of bringing her vision to life.
CECILIA "CC" MILBRANDT (Dancer & Assisting manager) is a dedicated dancer and dance educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up in Granby, Connecticut, CC explored various dance styles but found her true passion in modern dance during her training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) high school program. She holds a BFA in Dance with a minor in Arts Management from George Mason University, where she had the privilege of performing works by notable choreographers like Christopher d'Amboise, Larry Keigwin, and Hope Boykin. Recently, CC relocated to New York after an inspiring journey in Kigali, Rwanda, where she developed and taught a creative movement curriculum at SOLA (School of Leadership Afghanistan). She is currently an understudy with Dances We Dance and assist the company with administrative work.
