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 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. 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, among others. For over 10 years Francesca had 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 hosts dance workshops taught by Master Teachers in the American Modern Dance. This program has featured International Masters as Betty Jones, Fritz Ludin, Gail Corbin, Debra Carr, Jim May, Catherine Gallant and Loretta Thomas, 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 workshop 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 also collaborating internationally with Barbara Kane and the Isadora Duncan Dance Group, which is teaching and performing in Athens, Greece at the end of March 2023.
MARGHERITA TISATO Dancer
Margherita started studying dance in Italy at the age of 8. Her background is in Humphrey-Limon, 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, and works with Dances by Isadora, Francesca Todesco et al. Margherita was a principal dancer with the Vangeline Theater from 2008 until 2017, and has 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. www.margheritatisato.com
KAORI Dancer
Born and raised in Japan, KaoRi started dancing and modeling from her early age. She studied ballet at Russia Ballet Institute Tokyo. Later while studying in Paris, she was awarded "The Coca-Cola Scholarship for Young Excellent Artist" by Coca-Cola, USA and studied at The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City.
After dancing for many projects nationally and internationally, she founded her own dance school and company in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo and has been teaching original method which she have developed through her own experiences. www.kaori-dance.com
KATHLEEN CARAGINE Dancer
Kathleen, a New York City based modern/contemporary dancer began her dance training at the age of three in Danbury, Connecticut. She trained in Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Ballet/Pointe at Just Dance School of Performing Arts. Her training continued at Hofstra University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, under the direction of Rachel List, and a minor in Exercise Science in 2017. During her time at Hofstra she studied Modern and Ballet and worked with faculty and guests artists Amy Marshall, Heather Waldon, Bill Young, Sean Curran, Karla Wolfangle and Rachel List. Kathleen was also on the Executive Board of Hofstra's largest student run club on campus, Danceworks Productions, where she choreographed for two consecutive semesters and was asked back as a guest choreographer in 2019.
Upon graduating and moving to NYC, she was a company member in Long2, with the Vanessa Long Dance Company and MiXers, an urban contemporary company at Brickhouse NYC. Kathleen is currently performing and choreographing in many showcases throughout the area and teaching dance at Just Dance School of Performing Arts is Connecticut.
COLLEEN EDWARDS Dancer
Colleen Edwards is a freelance dancer and choreographer from Montauk, NY residing in Brooklyn, NY. In 2017, she graduated with a BA in Dance and minor in English from Hofstra University where she had the pleasure of working with Doug Varone, Igal Perry, Sean Curran, Dyane Harvey-Salaam, Heather Walden, and many others. During her time there, she choreographed multiple works and continues to choreograph post graduation, with her work being shown most recently at Dance Astoria this past June and the Craft in January. Upon graduating, she has also performed in multiple contemporary showcases, as well as on television on Live! with Kelly and Ryan. She is presently performing with the Neo-political Cowgirls and is beyond excited to join Dances we Dance!
ROSY GENTLE Dancer
Born in Spokane Washington, Rosy began her dance training at a young age focusing on ballet, modern dance, and Irish step dance. She later went on to study dance and environmental studies at the University of Washington. Since moving to New York she has performed with The Edward Morgan Ballet, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Heidi Latsky Dance in On Display performances throughout the city, and has become a certified yoga teacher. She is overjoyed to begin her study of the Isadora Duncan technique.
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
