JENN

EISENBERG

CHELSEA

KOENIG

LY

BEDAÑA

Ly Bedaña (Music Teaching Artist) 

is a classical pianist and recent New York City transplant.  She is a musician with the National Dance Institute, an international award-winning NYC-based arts education organization.  She has played for numerous universities, venues and theaters on both the West and East coasts ranging from California State University San Marcos to the House of Blues.  In addition to being the music director for several opera and musical theater productions across the country, she expanded her breadth to include collaborations with dance while working for BalletMet in Columbus, OH.  While in Columbus, she served eight years as the Music Director for Momentum, an NDI affiliate program, working with over 5,000 children in that time.  As Ly transitions to life in the big city, she is excited to use and share her love of music with BOLD Arts’ empowering program.

BRYCE

COLBY

VAEW-SORN

Bryce Colby Vaewsorn (Dance Teaching Artist) is super excited to be teaching with BOLD Arts! Born and raised in Northern California, Bryce graduated from the University of California, Irvine where he studied musical theatre & choreography. As a performer, Bryce has worked Off B’way at The York Theatre Company, The Argyle Theatre, Mill Mountain Theatre, Abilene Opera, and more. Some of his recent show credits at these theatres have included Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, and creating new works. A career highlight for him was dancing in Pixar Play Parade at Disneyland while in college.

As a teaching artist, Bryce has been teaching students of all ages for almost a decade. He has coached high school competition dancers, trained college students studying performing arts, and curated recitals for toddlers and younger children. He has worked as an assistant to instructors at Broadway Dance Center as well as teaching ballet, jazz, tap, theatre styles, contemporary, and hip hop at various dance studios and private lessons in the the Tri-State area.

Bryce is currently a working actor-singer-dancer and teaching artist in NYC. He hopes to inspire curiosity in young minds through art and spark each student’s own creative spirit and unique imagination. 

ANNAMARIA
DIAMANT

Annamaria Diamant 

(Dance Teaching Artist) 

Annamaria Diamant earned her BA in Theatre Arts from the University of South Florida and MA in Arts Administration from Baruch College. She began her career as an instructor with Texas based company MA Dance, and served as an instructional staff member for the Capital One Bowl Halftime Show. She is a former company member of Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company (SCDC, formerly Fuzion Dance Artists).

Annamaria has performed in contemporary works by Julia Ehrstrand and Jennifer Archibald. Additionally, she’s presented choreographic works for CBGDance, Sans Limites, Your Move: New Jersey Modern Dance Festival, J CHEN PROJECT’s TRANSLATE and Jeniffer Muller’s HATCH series. In 2016 she was named one of SCDC’s Emerging Choreographers and returned in 2018 as a SCDC Artist in Residence. In 2019 she was a finalist for J CHEN PROJECT’s T3 Choreography Competition. 

Annamaria is a passionate and skilled teaching artist working with educational organizations WR Arts, Williamsburg Movement and Art Center and Garden Street School of the Performing Arts. She is delighted to join the BOLD team and can’t wait to share her enthusiasm with her students and peers! 

GABBIE

FRIED

Gabbie Fried (Dance Teaching Artist) 

is ecstatic to join the team at BOLD Arts! Gabbie is a Kansas City native with a BFA in Drama and a BS in Psychology from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is also an Athletics and Fitness Associations of America (AFAA) certified group fitness instructor. Gabbie has worked regionally at Tri Arts Sharon Playhouse, Hangar Theatre, Cortland Repertory Theatre, Kansas City’s Starlight Theatre, and Music Theatre Kansas City. While performing at many of these theaters, Gabbie was also choreographing and assistant directing. At the Hangar Theatre, Gabbie was a member of the lab company as a choreographer and an actor, where she learned how to be a dance captain with professionals on the mainstage and assisted her peers with choreography in their "Kid Stuff" shows. There she also was the assistant director for 50 children ages seven to sixteen in their production of “Bye Bye Birdie Jr."

Gabbie’s love for teaching and creating has spanned many years from choreographing middle school choir shows to professional cabarets in New York. Her teaching experience in New York City includes TADA! Youth Theater’s summer theater camps and Broadway Dance Center's Teen Training Program, where she helped kids grow and develop their technique. Gabbie is currently a working actor in NYC, teaching Hebrew School, fitness, and dance. Gabbie hopes to inspire change in the world through her art and teaching, and inspire everyone no matter their age to find the magic and spark they have within them.

LARA M.

FRIEDMAN-KATS

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Lara M. Friedman-Kats 

(Dance Teaching Artist), born and raised in Central NJ, began her dance training at Kaye-Lynn Dance Studio in Edison. In 2008, Lara received the NJ Governor’s Award for Excellence in Dance. Lara is a proud BFA and Dance Education graduate of Towson University’s Dance Department in Maryland. In 2011, she won the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) regional competition for Art of the Solo and went on to compete and place nationally. She also received the Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education Award in 2013 from Towson University. Lara has performed with Dissonance Dance Theatre (DC), Deep Vision Dance Company (Baltimore), Deviated Theatre (DC), Carolyn Dorfman Dance (audience dancer “Interior Designs”- NY/NJ), Mish-Mash Productions (NYC), Nikki Manx Dance Project (NJ), and Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre/Sean McLeod Dance Experience (NYC). While in Maryland, she had performed works by Alvin Ailey, Enoch and Kimmie Chan, Runquiao Du, Linda-Denise Fisher Harrell, Nicole Martinell, Troy Powell, Shawn Short and Prentice Whitlow. She also had her work adjudicated at the American College Dance Festival Association (now ACDF). Lara was the permanent dance substitute at Academy for Performing Arts in Scotch Plains from 2014-2015 and continues to teach both dance and fitness throughout studios, schools, and gyms in NJ. She is in her 5th season with Carolyn Dorfman Dance. 

DUFFTIN

GARCIA

Dufftin Garcia (Dance Teaching Artist) 

received a Magna Cum Laude Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Lehman College, City University of New York and is a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School.

In 1988 he joined National Dance Institute (NDI) as part of NDI’s In-School Program and also began professional dance training on a scholarship to The Elliot Feld Ballet.  He performed in every NDI Event of the Year until his graduation in 1992. Representing NDI, Dufftin performed for Phil Donahue’s 25th Anniversary Celebration and The 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Kennedy Center.

Dufftin received The Van Lier Scholarship to The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and represented the United States at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland with Awakening Dance Theatre Company.  He appeared with the late Gregory Hines on NBC’s “Name Your Adventure,” worked with Reuben Edwards’ Underground Dance Project and performed with Freestyle recording artist Cynthia. In 2006 he choreographed the contempory musical comedy “Move It And It’s Yours” presented at The Passage Theatre in Trenton.

A NDI Alumni, he gives back to the program as an NDI Master Teacher, choreographer and is a member of their board of directors. In 1997 he was Associate Director to Jacques d’Amboise, NDI’s founder for NDI’s first International Residency in Israel and Palestine.  He also assisted Jacques in a collaborative project with Emeritus Seymour Papert and Marvin Minsky at The Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003. In 2004, Dufftin was Associate Director to Mr. d’Amboise for NDI’s Cultural Exchange Residency Program in Shanghai, China and is currently part of the training team in the development of the NDI/China Project, Dancing Into The Future.

Dufftin served 13 years as Artistic Director of Trenton Education Dance Institute,  TEDI, an associate program of NDI.

CLAUDIA

GOVANTES

Claudia Govantes (Music Teaching Artist) 

is an award winning musician from Cuba based in New York City. She graduated as a piano and choral conducting teacher from Amadeo Roldan Conservatory of Music in Havana, Cuba in 2003.

Claudia has been teaching piano and voice for more than 14 years. Also, she was choir conductor at Theological Seminary of Baptist Church of Havana. Govantes was first soprano singer of important ensembles such as National Choir of Cuba, Entrevoces Choir and Ensemble Vocal Luna. As a member of those choirs, Claudia made concert tours in countries like Colombia, Spain, Ecuador, Venezuela, Germany and United States.

In 2011, the National choir of Cuba, won the First Prize at International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf in Germany. Claudia has been part of records such as "El canto quiere ser luz" (Singing wants to be light) and "Oh Yes!" by National Choir of Cuba, "Apunte" by Ensemble Vocal Luna, "Pedro Bermudez, Música en la catedral de Guatemala" (Pedro Bermudez, Music in the Cathedral of Guatemala) by Ars Longa de la Habana and so on.

Nowadays, Govantes is part of All Souls Choir and Musica Viva NY. Furthermore, she offers music classes in several public schools in Manhattan as part of Afro Latin Jazz Alliance directed by Arturo O'Farrill. Also, she is piano accompanist of National Dance Institute.

MARIA
HANLEY

Maria Hanley (Dance Teaching Artist) 

is a passionate advocate for early childhood education. Maria specializes in teaching ages 0 months to 6 years. She currently teaches in Cleveland, Ohio at The Mandel Jewish Community Center, Hudson Conservatory of Ballet, and Solon Chabad Preschool.

Over the past 10 years, Maria has established and executed creative dance programs at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, The Mark Morris Dance Group, and Dancewave Center. She taught a variety of creative dance and infant/toddler programs in New York City, including at the 92nd Street YMCA’s Parenting Center and New York City Ballet.

Maria shares creative ideas and strategies for young dancers on her blog, Maria’s Movers (mariasmovers.com), which unites a community of teachers who are inspiring our youngest dance artists every day. She also designs curriculum and workshops for early childhood teachers.

Maria holds a Master’s Degree in Dance Education from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from Slippery Rock University. She has been a regular presenter at the Dance Teacher Summit.

ABBIE
HIXSON

Abbie Leigh Hixson (Dance Teaching Artist) grew up and started her dancing carrier in Dublin, New Hampshire. She graduated Keene State College in New Hampshire with a BA in Theater and Dance specializing in dance performance and choreography. While in school, Abbie performed in various productions such as The Tempest, Spring Awakening, and Little Women. She had the opportunity to attend the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina where she was apart of a repertory piece choreographed by Abby Zibikowski. Abbie has had the pleasure of learning from such artists as Adele Myers, Yanira Castro, Jennifer Nugent, Pamela Pietro, and Rodger Belman. After recently moving to New York Abbie is now an assistant teacher with the National Dance Institute. Abbie has always love working with children and is so excited to grow as a dancer and educator with NDI.

Abbie is wicked excited to be joining the BOLD family and spreading her love for dance and movement with others!

KATIE
HUFF

Katie Huff (Dance Teaching Artist) 

Katie is excited to be joining the BOLD arts team! As a dancer, Katie has had the pleasure of performing around the country in national tours, on television, and in NYC. Most recently she was the assistant choreographer for the Broadway National Tour production of “Hello Dolly!”. She has served as the associate choreographer for productions at Goodspeed Opera House, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and was the associate director for the 2016 Young Arts Presidential Scholars Performance at the Kennedy Center. Katie is also an assistant teaching artist for The National Dance Institute. She received her BFA from the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

LUIZA
KARNAS

Luiza Karnas (Dance Teaching Artist) 

Luiza Karnas (she/her) is a dance artist and educator originally from Brazil. She received her M.F.A in Performance and Choreography from SUNY The College at Brockport, NY, and graduated from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS (Brazil) with a degree in Dance Education. A tap enthusiast by heart, Karnas has presented choreographic works at renowned venues in NYC, including Dixon Place, Triskelion Arts, Center for Performance Research, Symphony Space, Spoke the Hub, and more. She is also a leading tap dance performer and collaborator of kamrDANCE company.

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An advocate of dance education, Karnas is an experienced Teaching Artist, and has worked for well-known dance programs such as WR Arts, Notes in Motion, Breaking Ground Dance Center, Downstage Studio, Brooklyn Independent School, and Garden House School. She is also a veteran in virtual dance teaching and is a Teaching Artist for Virtual Babysitters Club.

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Karnas is thrilled to be part of the BOLD team and to continue sharing her passion for dance.

MARY
KENNEDY

Mary Kennedy (Dance Teaching Artist) 

Originally from Southern California, Mary graduated from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles where she studied Dance, Theatre and Communication Studies. Currently, she teaches for National Dance Institute in NYC and has served as an NDI Teaching Artist for 20 years. Part of her summer’s are spent outdoors teaching dance as a Guest Artist with SPACC (Summer Performing Arts Conservatory Camp) in Central Idaho. Kennedy is excited to move & groove with BOLD Online! 

MARK
KROSS

Mark Kross (Music Teaching Artist) 

is a pianist/composer/educator/bandleader recently returned to NYC (the Motherland) after spending several decades as part of the Boston jazz and youth theatre scene. He has worked with children of all ages, in many situations: as Head of Music at the Middlesex School, as Music Director for the Stoneham (MA) Theatre Resident Youth Ensemble and Summer Youth Program, as founder and director of Stonehm cReaTeS (a community arts center), as guest artist at the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria and Le Val D’Oule Etage Musicale (France), and as a studio and classroom teacher, band director, and music 

director in countless other schools, theatre companies, and 

workshops. Among his activities since his return have been the 

creation of Jazz WaHi, a neighborhood resource for jazz 

performance and education in Washington Heights, and his work 

with the inspiring teachers and students of the National Dance 

Institute. Mark holds a BA in Music from SUNY Binghamton and a MM in Afro- American Studies from the New England 

Conservatory, and has recorded six or seven CD’s, all of which can be enjoyed at www.markkross.com.

DANA

PANEPINTO

Dana Panepinto (Dance Teaching Artist) 

is so excited to join the team of BOLD Arts, a company that gives students a full exposure to all the Arts through dance! Dana is a teaching artist with an MFA in Theatre Performance, emphasis on Movement from the University of Florida and a BFA from the University of Southern Mississippi in Theatre, minoring in Dance and studying Visual Arts. Throughout graduate school, Dana taught theatre and movement classes to major and non-major undergraduate students.

A native of New Orleans, she considers herself a New Yorker after 13 years of city living. Prior to moving to New York City, she worked regionally in musicals and plays with The Hippodrome State Theatre, Tulane Shakespeare, Southern Rep, and Carey Dinner Theatre to name a few. Throughout her time in New York, Dana has balanced teaching Theatre, Dance, and Visual Art with performing in such classics as Macbeth, Trojan Women, A Winter’s Tale and The Man that Came to Dinner as well as other contemporary and original productions.

Teaching the arts has become her greatest pleasure starting with working with the award winning Stages of Learning, bringing sequential theatre training to public school students, in her early years of training. Dana has a passion for teaching all the arts and continues to discover how to incorporate theatre, dance, visual art, and music in her work with children. She currently works for the renowned Nation Dance Institute, as well as Wingspan Arts, Artsconnection’s Broadway Junior and LeAp (Learning through Expanded Arts Programing). Dana has worked with a diverse population of students in the public school system in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens, including leading Professional Developments with classroom teachers and Parent Workshops. The most exciting part of her work has been when working with eager performers to create something that has never existed before, writing original scripts, lyrics, choreography, and thinking up costumes and sets. The arts all together on one stage! She will be adding the Brooklyn Children’s Theatre to her resume this summer, creating new musicals with children in need.

MICHELLE
PHILLIPS

Michelle Phillips (Dance Teaching Artist) graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance.  She has gone on to perform both nationally and internationally with Spectrum Dance Theater, toured the world as dance captain for Royal Caribbean International and has had the pleasure of dancing as a Radio City Rockette.

Michelle joined the faculty of National Dance Institute in 2009 and serves as a Master Teacher and choreographer in public schools across New York City.  She is highly active with NDI’s DREAM (Dancers Realize Excellence Through Arts And Movement), an inclusive dance program that provides children with disabilities the opportunity to perform. 

In addition to dance, Michelle has been teaching Pilates since 2000.  She is Adjunct Faculty for Fletcher Pilates®, Pilates Method Alliance Certified and a certified Gyrotonic® teacher.
Michelle maintains her inspiration through nightly dance concerts performed by her 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.

ANGEL

REED

Angel Reed (Dance Teaching Artist) 

has spent over a decade performing in musicals including: A USO tour over Sea’s,  the Broadway National Tour ofSaturday Night Fever, West Side Story at 5th Avenue Theater, Chicago at Hudson Theater in LA, and finally an ensemble role in Rock of Ages both off and on Broadway. Her cast of Rock of Ages received a 09' Tony nomination for Best Musical, they performed in numerous live telecasts including the 09' Tony Awards, Reed also received an Astaire nomination for Best Female dancer in a musical. Currently Reed works full time as a Choreographer for National Dance Institute in NYC, Broadway For All (Summer Conservatory), and is the Executive Producer and creator of an Off Broadway Rock Theatrical Experience.

ESTHER

SANCHEZ

Esther Sanchez 

(Dance Teaching Artist) 

A kid at heart, Esther has always had a passion for teaching children. Esther recently graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with her B.A. in Dance, and a concentration in teaching. Since then she has taught at various dance and movement classes around the city such as My Gym, Broadway Bound Kids and many other children enrichment programs! Esther's vivacious and whimsical personality allows children to feel inspired, and she hopes that with her they feel uninhibited to use their imaginations and be themselves!

KALA

SEIDENBERG

Kala Seidenberg (Dance Teaching Artist) 

is a Brooklyn-based dancer, dance educator, and choreographer. She received her early dance training at Academy of Dance Arts and Columbia City Jazz Company in Columbia, South Carolina. She earned degrees from Emory University in Dance and Movement Studies as well as Educational Studies. After graduation, she started her professional career dancing for Atlanta-based, modern dance companies and choreographers including Staibdance, Catellier Dance Projects, and Emily Christianson. She also taught dance for the arts non-profit, Moving in the Spirit as well as at the Marcus Jewish Community Center. She relocated to New York City in 2014, and has since enjoyed teaching and creating with the smallest of dancers at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, as well as in various public schools with New York City Ballet’s in-school residency program, Ballet Tales. Her choreographic work has been presented by Dance Truck (in a truck!), Spelman College (on a stage!), Emory University, and Waxworks. She currently performs with NYC based contemporary dance company, Falcon Dance. 

ELIANA

SLURZBERG

Eliana Slurzberg (Dance Teaching Artist) 

is a proud, native New Yorker. Raised on the Upper West Side, she was introduced to dance in elementary school through National Dance Institute. It was with this program that she fell in love with movement. Eliana continued training with NDI, as well the Martha Graham School, and later her performing arts high school, Talent Unlimited. She followed her passion for dance and attended SUNY Brockport, graduating with dual degrees in Dance and Early Childhood Education. Shortly after college, Eliana danced with multiple companies throughout the Rochester area. She happily still performs at annual Fringe Festivals. However, the last four years she has developed a true love for teaching. Her story comes full circle, as she is now a teaching artist with National Dance Institute. Eliana is incredibly passionate and committed to making the arts accessible to all children. She strives to help children develop into confident and conscious individuals becoming the best versions of themselves everyday. 

ERIC
STUCKY

Eric Stucky (Dance Teaching Artist) 

from Portland, Oregon received his Bachelor of Arts in Dance under the direction of Katie Langan with a minor in Arts Management from Marymount Manhattan College, performing works by David Parker, Randy James, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish and Megan Williams. Stucky spent six months in 2019 training in Israel at Dance Jerusalem, performing works by Noa Zuk and Roni Chadash at The Suzanne Dellal Center and trained with Batsheva Dance Company and Vertigo Dance Company. Stucky is a company member for Jennifer Muller/ The Works and is also a teaching artist across the greater New York Area. Stucky’s choreography has been showcased in person and on film across the world in various film festivals and live events which you can see here and on Germany’s Super Talent.  Stucky is also a certified May O’Donnell Technique Instructor and is super excited to begin as a Bold Pop Teaching Artist this year. 

Photo Credit- Steven Pisano for JMTW