NEW YORK
NEW YORK
Artistic Director Francesca Todesco brings her 30+ year experience in dance performance and education to form Dances We Dance, a company of dancers whose purpose is presenting new works as well as repertory pieces. The company is available and genuinely welcomes collaborations with guest choreographers to set original and established pieces on our dancers for our seasonal performances.
Francesca's dance background is deeply ingrained in American Modern Dance, from Isadora Duncan to Anna Sokolow, Humphrey/Limón and others. For this reason a substantial effort is dedicated to supporting and presenting these important works.
DWD offers classes and workshops in New York and abroad. Visit out Education page for our current schedule. We also welcome guest teachers to share their journeys and experiences.
photo: Leopoldo Rosati - New York 2018 rehearsal Polonaise Militare (Duncan)
THE COMPANY
FRANCESCA TODESCO Artistic Director
Francesca is of Swiss Italian origin and studied dance in Switzerland, Germany, and the US. She has been a dancer with Catherine Gallant/DANCE and a member of Dances by Isadora (DbI) since 2000, exploring the repertory of Isadora Duncan. She continues expanding her knowledge in the Duncan style by researching and creating new dance studies in this subject, as well as recreating and performing repertory dances. Francesca was a dancer for the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble from 2003 to 2019, where she later became managing director; currently she helps with the reconstruction of Ms. Sokolow’s repertory, and she is responsible for the archival documentation of the company.
Over the years Francesca has performed in repertoire by Isadora Duncan, Jose Limón, Charles Weidman and Anna Sokolow. She has been a guest dancer with Rae Ballard’s Thoughts in Motion and other New York based dance companies. For over 10 years Francesca ran her own children program in Hoboken, NJ Every Little Movement, where she created many works for children; she also conceived a program, Historical Dance Series which hosted dance workshops taught by Master Teachers in the American Modern Dance. This program has featured International Masters such as Betty Jones, Fritz Ludin, Gail Corbin, Debra Carr, Jim May, Catherine Gallant, among others. Francesca continues her teachings and explorations by offering weekly dance in NYC, classes at the MMDC for DbI and travels abroad for master workshops and repertory work. She is very proud to have started her own company, Dances We Dance, in 2020. The company debuted its season premiere in June 2022 at the Theater at St. Jeans in New York City with works by Isadora Duncan, Francesca Todesco and Catherine Gallant. Ms Todesco is an internationally sought after teacher and coach recently working with Barbara Kane and the Isadora Duncan Dance Group in London and Athens.
MARGHERITA TISATO Dancer
Margherita 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
KATHLEEN CARAGINE Dancer
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, under the direction of Rachel List with a minor in Exercise Science. Currently, she is teaching dance and Pilates in Connecticut, Brooklyn and Long Island. Kathleen has had the pleasure to perform works by Isadora Duncan, Ted Shawn, Catherine Gallant, Rae Ballard and Francesca Todesco. She is currently a member of Dances We Dance under the direction of Artistic Director Francesca Todesco.
COLLEEN EDWARDS Dancer
Colleen Edwards (she/her/hers) is a dancer based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2017, she received a BA in Dance with a minor in English Literature from Hofstra University. She has since performed at venues across NYC and the tri-state area, as well as on national television. Colleen joined Dances We Dance in 2020 where she has had the pleasure of working with Catherine Gallant, Rae Ballard, and Mark Bankin, while learning and exploring the technique of Isadora Duncan under the artistic direction of Francesca Todesco.
ROSY GENTLE Dancer
Rosy Gentle has been dancing most of her life. Originally from Spokane, WA she began studying dance at the age of three and received a BA in dance and environmental studies from the University of Washington. 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 been a member of Dances We Dance since 2020.
NATHANIEL LANASA Musical Director
Fascinated with the intersection of storytelling, speech, and movement, pianist Nathaniel LaNasa partners with singers, dancers, and ensembles in music spanning five centuries. A consummate collaborator, Nate has been praised for his “stormy lyricism” (New York Times) as well as his “poise and elegance” (Feast of Music). Winner of the 2019 Joy In Singing International Art Song Competition with baritone Gregory Feldmann, the duo makes their Carnegie debut in February 2020. Nate also performs regularly with vocalist Lucy Dhegrae, most recently at Resonant Bodies Festival and Albany’s American Music Festival. NYC credits include Alice Tully Hall, MoMA, and (le) Poisson Rouge. “The magic,” Nate says, “lies in expanding the space of our shared inspiration. For me, it’s all about dancing with the tension and flow of musical dialogue.” Nathaniel-lanasa.com
MAGGIE CASS Director of Operations/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 support Dances We Dance.
IVANA DRAZIC Costume Designer
New York City based Montessori Teacher by day and Costume Designer by night. She has worked with numerous choreographers and dancers since moving to NYC from Belgrade, Serbia in 2009; Catherine Gallant/DANCE and Dances by Isadora, 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 to the process of bringing her vision to life. www.freebirdmontessori.com