Jacob's Pillow Dance

Stephanie Saland

Ballet Program Master Class Artist

Stephanie Saland was born in Brooklyn, and entered The School of American Ballet at age 15. Three years later she was invited by George Balanchine to join the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and, in a 21-year career with NYCB,...

Ronald K. Brown

Contemporary Program Guest Artist Choreographer

Ronald K. Brown is the founder and artistic director of Evidence DanceCompany, based in Brooklyn, New York. Brown's choreography is in high demand. He has set works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Cleo Parker Robinson Ensemble, Dayton...

Ashley Wheater

Ballet Program Faculty • June 19-26

Born in Scotland and raised in England, Ashley Wheater was trained at The Royal Ballet School. Wheater began his professional career with The Royal Ballet and danced with the London Festival Ballet, The Australian Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet and San...

Stanton Welch

Ballet Program Guest Gala Choreographer • June 13-19

In 2003, Stanton Welch assumed leadership of Houston Ballet, America's  fourth-largest classical ballet company. Since he took the helm of the company, Welch has revitalized Houston Ballet, bringing in new dancers, commissioning new works and attracting a top-flight artistic staff....

Timothy Kasper

Yoga Instructor and Assistant to the Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Director

Timothy Kasper is an actor, choreographer, dancer, director, singer, and  teacher. He has collaborated on more than 50 musical productions, nationally and internationally. As a facilitator and teacher, he has privately coached a wide range of performing artists and athletes...

Nina Ananiashvili

Ballet Program Master Class Faculty

Nina Ananiashvili and The State Ballet of Georgia will perform at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival June 23-27....

Rennie Harris

Cultural Traditions Program Director

Lorenzo "Rennie" Harris, raised in an African-American community in North  Philadelphia, has taught workshops and classes at universities nationwide since the age of 15. He is a powerful spokesperson for the significance of "street" origins in any dance style. In...

Carla Maxwell

Contemporary Program Faculty

Carla Maxwell joined the Limón Dance Company in 1965. She soon became a  principal dancer and, in 1975, served as Assistant Artistic Director under Ruth Currier. Maxwell was appointed Artistic Director in 1978, and during her tenure the Company has...

Mr. Wiggles

Cultural Traditions Program Technique Faculty

Mr. Wiggles is a proud member of three major forces in hip-hop and funk  styles culture; the "Rock Steady Crew", the "Electric Boogaloos", and "Zulu Nation". He started his career as a dancer by battling throughout the tough streets of...

Steve Marzullo

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Music Director

Steve Marzullo received his training at the Manhattan School of Music. His  New York credits include: musical director for Once On This Island, Working (Actors' Fund) and Having It Almost (NYMF); associate conductor for Mamma Mia, Seussical, Grease (1st revival),...

Sarah Reich

Assistant to Harold Cromer

Sarah Reich has assisted tap legend Harold Cromer for the past five years at  festivals such as Tap City, St. Louis Tap Festival, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and Los Angeles Tap Festival. She has studied with Alfred Desio, Cyd Glover,...

Pedro Ruiz

Ballet Faculty for Contemporary Program

Pedro Ruiz trained in his native Cuba and in Venezuela. While a principal  dancer with Ballet Hispanico, Ruiz choreographed three celebrated ballets, and subsequently has choreographed for other companies, including The Joffrey. He teaches master classes regularly at Alvin Ailey...

Marjory Smarth

Cultural Traditions Program Faculty

Marjory Smarth was born in November of 1969 on the island of Haiti. She  moved to the upper west side of New York City by 1974. Though she was already familiar with the native dances of her culture, in the...

Annie-B Parson

Choreographers Lab Program Co-Director

Annie-B Parson started Big Dance Theater in 1991 with its first performances at Dance Theater Workshop. Her subsequent choreography with Big Dance has appeared in venues including: The American Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow, Spoleto Festival, MCA/Chicago, The Walker Arts Center,...

Lainie Sakakura

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Guest Artist Choreographer

Lainie Sakakura trained with the San Francisco Ballet for 8 years before  joining Ballet Hispanico and then transitioning to her greatest love, musicals. She has performed on Broadway in Chita Rivera-The Dancer's Life, Flower Drum Song (revival), The King and...

Anthony "Ynot" DeNaro

Cultural Traditions Program Faculty

Anthony DeNaro, a.k.a. Bboy Ynot, is a member of the legendary dancetroupe known as the "Rock Steady Crew". He is most known for his rhythmic approach to the dance which has earned him respect from pioneers such as Crazy Legs...

Paul Lazar

Choreographers Lab Program Co-Director

Paul Lazar founded Big Dance Theater in 1991 with Annie-B Parson. His  workwith the company includes conceiving, directing and/or performing in such works as PLAN B, Mac Wellman's Antigone, CSC's Another Telepathic Thing, Shunkin, Mac Wellman's Girl Gone as well...

Russ Nyberg

Russ Nyberg is a freelance drummer/percussionist based in New York City. He has performed in over 30 local musical theater productions in the Seattle and New York metropolitan areas. He has also toured the U.S., Canada and internationally with Chicago...

Cachet Ivey

Cultural Traditions Program Faculty

Cachet Ivey, an independent artist and accomplished performer, teaches and performs West African dance all over Philadelphia, devoting time and energy to the youth in her community. Currently, she teaches open community classes at the Hawthorne Cultural Center. Prior to...

Molly Hickok

Choreographers Lab Program Performance Coach for Dancers

Molly Hickok is a founding member of Big Dance Theater. She has appearedas an actor/dancer in 14 of its works, including The Other Here, Plan B, Mac Wellman's Antigone, A Simple Heart and Shunkin, in New York City, at City...

Ray Hesselink

Tap Program Faculty

Ray Hesselink is a Director/Choreographer living and working in New York City. Hesselink has presented choreography at various festivals and venues around New York City, most recently at the New York Musical Theater Festival and Tap City. As a performer,...

Gustavo Côrtes

Samba Scholar • June 27- July 6

Gustavo Côrtes has directed the Brazilian folk dance group Sarandeiros since  1997 and has toured the group around the world, including performances in Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, and Spain. He is also a...

Jerry Leake

Jerry Leake is co-founder of the acclaimed world-music ensemble Natraj. He also performs with Club d'Elf, R.A.R.E, and the Agbekor Society. He is featured on dozens of CDs and has released several recordings of his own music including "Cubist" which has...

Moncell Durden

Cultural Traditions Program Faculty

Moncell "ill Kozby" Durden is a Philadelphia-based choreographer, dancer, educator and dance historian. Michael Jackson, the Lockers, early 20th century musical films, and Mop-Top Crew, a pioneering dance ensemble from New York City, all inspired him in 1988 to embark...

Paul Arslanian

Tap Program Music Director

Paul Arslanian is a professional pianist, composer, and dance accompanist.  In 1979, Arslanian co-founded the Jazz Tap Ensemble and, as music director, worked with Honi Coles, Foster Johnson, Cookie Cook, Eddie Brown, Harold and Fayard Nicholas, and many other tap...

Virginia Johnson

Ballet Master Class Faculty

Virginia Johnson, a founding member and principal dancer with Dance Theatre  of Harlem, became Artistic Director of the company in January 2010. She is the former editor in chief of Pointe magazine. Johnson joined Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969...

Banu Ogan

Contemporary Traditions Program Technique Faculty

Banu Ogan was born in Ankara, Turkey and grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where she studied ballet with Lila Higgins and won a National Society of Arts and Letters Career Award in Dance. In 1991, she graduated with a bachelor's...

Tasha Lawson

Tap Program Faculty

Tasha Lawson is Artistic Director of Tri-Tone Productions, a dance company offering interdisciplinary solo and ensemble performance works in the mediums of Body Percussion, Tap, and Contemporary Dance. Lawson's body percussion technique, transcribing tap vocabulary into body rhythms, is taught...

Felix Ventouras

Music Director

Felix Ventouras' music has been performed at the Meyerson Symphony Center,  The McKinney Avenue Contemporary, and Mercyhurst College, and premiered at the Music Festival of the Hamptons, the National Arts Club, Clark Studio Theater at Lincoln Center, and the Joyce...

Juliana Macedo

Samba Program Faculty • June 27-July 10

Juliana Macedo has been performing with Mimulus Dance Company for the   past twenty years and has performed in each of the company's shows. In 2004, she was honored as Best Female Dancer by SESC/SATED for her role in De...

Dennis Marshall

Ballet Program Faculty • June 14-17

Dennis Marshall trained on scholarship at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, the School of American Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet School, The Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, and The Royal Ballet School in London. Upon graduation from...

Karole Armitage

Ballet Program Faculty and Gala Guest Choreographer

Karole Armitage is director of the New York-based Armitage Gone! Dance  Company. After dancing in George Balanchine's Geneva Ballet (1973-1975) and with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company (1976-1981), she developed a unique choreographic style. Christened by Vanity Fair as 'Punk...

Harold Cromer

Tap Program Guest Artist

Harold Cromer began his career as a tap dancer on roller skates at the Hudson  Guild. As a teenager, Cromer landed a role in Cole Porter's Du Barry was a Lady with Bert Lahr, Ethel Merman, and Betty Grable. He...

Alexandra Koltun

Ballet Program Master Class Faculty • June 20

Alexandra Koltun graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Russia and  joined the Kirov Ballet where she appeared in many lead roles, including tours to Europe, Japan, Korea and the U.S. After defecting in 1991, she joined Boston Ballet...

Aszure Barton

Contemporary Traditions Program Guest Choreographer

Aszure Barton has forever danced and made dances. She was born in  Edmonton, Alberta, and received her formal dance training at the National Ballet School in Toronto where, as a student, she helped originate the ongoing Stephen Godfrey Choreographic Showcase....

Janet Panetta

Ballet Faculty for Contemporary Program

After training with Antony Tudor, Margaret Craske and Alfredo Corvino, Janet Panetta danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Performing in modern and post modern companies, she was called "one of the best performers in fifty years"...

Tero Saarinen

Contemporary Traditions Program Guest Artist Choreographer

Tero Saarinen, artistic director, dancer, choreographer, dancer-choreographer, began his career as a dancer with the Finnish National Ballet in 1985, where he soon attracted attention as a soloist. Despite his success, he left the ballet in 1992 to seek new...

Hofesh Shechter

Contemporary Program Guest Artist Choreographer

Hofesh Shechter is one of the United Kingdom's most exciting artists,  recognized as both a choreographer and composer. Born in Jerusalem, Hofesh graduated from Jerusalem Academy for Dance and Music before joining Batsheva Dance Company. After his choreographic debut, Fragments,...

Helen Pickett

Contemporary Traditions Program Guest Choreographer

Helen Pickett studied dance at the San Francisco Ballet School. While in  school, she performed with the San Francisco Ballet under the direction of Michael Smuin and Lew Christensen, and later, Helgi Tomasson. For more than a decade, she performed...

Kee-Juan Han

Ballet Program Faculty

Kee-Juan Han is School Director of The Washington School of Ballet. From 1993 to 2003, he directed The School of Ballet Arizona. His dance career began in his native Singapore, where he began his training at age 10 with Florrie...

Arturo Fernandez

Contemporary Traditions Program Repertory Faculty

Arturo Fernandez has been the ballet master of Alonzo King's LINES Ballet  since 1992. His career in dance includes work as a professional dancer, choreographer and master teacher. He received his training at the United States International University under the...

Adam Sklute

Ballet Program Faculty

Adam Sklute is Artistic Director of Ballet West following a 25-year career as a dancer with The Joffrey Ballet which began under Robert Joffrey. He served as Assistant Ballet Master/Artistic Coordinator prior to his appointment at Ballet West in 2007....

Stacey Calvert

Contemporary Traditions Program Ballet Faculty

Stacey Calvert began her ballet training at the Calvert-Brodie School of Dance, studying with her mother and godmother. In 1980, she entered the School of American Ballet and joined the corps de ballet of the New York City Ballet (NYCB) in...

Viktor Plotnikov

Ballet Program Gala Choreographer

Viktor Plotnikov was born in Kharkov City, Ukraine, and began his training at the age of 11 at the Kiev-Ukraine School and continued at the St. Petersburg Ballet Academy. From 1987 to 1990, he was a soloist with Donetsk...

Didy Veldman

Contemporary Program Guest Artist Choreographer

Dutch choreographer Didy Veldman trained in numerous techniques at Scapino Academy in Amsterdam. Following her training, she danced with Scapino Ballet, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, and Rambert Dance Company; working with choreographers such as Jirí Kylián, Mats Ek,...

Jomar Mesquita

Samba Program Director • June 27-July 10

Artistic director, choreographer, teacher and dancer, Brazilian Jomar Mesquita has  directed the Mimulus Cultural Association, Mimulus Dance Company and Mimulus Dance School since 1990, and is a ballroom professor at FAMEC University in Curitiba. His innovative movement vocabulary for ballroom...

Spence Ford

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Guest Artist Choreographer

Spence Ford is delighted to be part of historic Jacob's Pillow Dance, working  with longtime friend and colleague Chet Walker. Originally from Richmond, VA, she enjoyed an 18-year performing career in New York City before she embarked on her second...

Rodrigo Torino

Samba Program Music Director • June 27-July 10

Rodrigo Torino is a guitarist and composer who devotes his career to Brazilian   music. With a degree in music from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, he has worked as a guitarist in folk music, música popular brasileira, choro,...

Leonardo Brasilino Rodrigues da Cunha

Samba Program Musician • June 27-July 10

Bass trombonist Leonardo Brasilino began playing at age eleven in the bands  of Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais. He furthered his training at the Centro de Formação Artística-Palácio das Artes and the Escola de Música da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,...

Gustavo Galvão Ariz Grieco

Samba Program Musician • June 27-July 10

Drummer Gustavo Grieco has a degree in percussion from the Escola de Música   da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and has played professionally for more than fifteen years. He is an expert in Brazilian music, particularly samba. Some of...

Stijn Celis

Contemporary Program Guest Artist Choreographer • July 11-17

Choreographer and set designer Stijn Celis grew up in Zaire (now the  Democratic Republic of the Congo). When his family moved to Belgium, he began his dance training at the Koninklijke Balletschool in Antwerp. As a dancer, he performed...

Francisco Martinez

Ballet Technique for Contemporary Program • July 17-24

Francisco Martinez was a dancer with Compania Nacional de Danza (Spain) and Ballet Royal de Wallonie (Belgium) performing diverse works, including those of Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine, George Balanchine, Jirí Kylián and Nacho Duato. He was rehearsal director for Ballet...

Andrea Miller

Contemporary Program Guest Artist Choreographer • July 25-31

Born in Salt Lake City, Andrea Miller received her BFA in Dance from The   Juilliard School in 2004. Upon graduation, Miller joined Ohad Naharin's Ensemble Batsheva in Israel. She has performed as a guest dancer with Cedar Lake Contemporary...

KT Niehoff

Modern Technique for Contemporary Program • July 11-17

KT Niehoff was a 2010 artist-in-residence with Seattle's ACT Theatre, a 2006   Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography Fellow and Seattle Magazine's 2007 Dance Artist of the Year. She co-founded/directed Velocity Dance Center in Seattle from 1996-2006. In 1998,...

Lawrence Rhodes

Ballet Technique for Contemporary Program • July 11-15

Lawrence Rhodes directs The Juilliard School Dance Division.  He began his career with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and three years later became a principal dancer with The Joffrey Ballet. In 1964, he began dancing with the newly-formed Harkness...

Ami Shulman

Modern Technique for Contemporary Program • July 24-30

Ami Shulman is a performer, educator and rehearsal director based in   Montréal. Shulman trained in South Africa in the performing arts and danced with Vuyani Dance Theatre and the State Theatre Opera before being awarded the Amanda Holmes Prize,...

Patricia Wilcox

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Guest Artist Choreographer • August 1-7

Director, choreographer, and teacher Patricia Wilcox's work spans concerts,   musicals, plays, symphonies, television, opera, motion capture, ice dance teams, and the Olympics. Her choreographic credits include the current national tour and PBS special of Bowfire, A Swell Party...

Bill Hastings

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Guest Artist Choreographer • August 14-22

Bill Hastings is a veteran Broadway artist, appearing in over fifty musicals and plays including Broadway and national touring productions of The Most Happy Fella, A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Rags, Bob Fosse's Dancin' and Sweet Charity. He has choreographed for US,...

Brad Musgrove

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Guest Artist Choreographer • August 7-14

Brad Musgrove has enjoyed an accomplished career on Broadway and has appeared in the original casts of three Tony Award-winning shows. His most recent success was as Carmen Ghia in the mega-hit The Producers. Musgrove was featured in the dance...

Teri Ralston

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Guest Artist Vocal Coach • TBA

Teri Ralston recently moved back to New York. Since her return, she hasperformed in a workshop of Natural Woman with director Michael Blakemore, appeared in Hats, Unbeatable, Bajour at the York Theatre, and Marcie in the Galaxy with Transport Group....

Ric Ryder

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Vocal Coach • August 1-22

Ric Ryder performed on Broadway in The Music Man, Grease, and Blood  Brothers, among others. He appeared Off-Broadway in A New Brain, The Jazz Singer, Chess, and Gifts of the Magi. Ryder can be heard singing on voiceovers in television...

Aaron Russell

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Musician • August 1-22

Aaron Russell is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a graduate   of West Virginia University. An experienced musician in musical theatre, Russell has worked as a percussionist on the U.S. national tours of Broadway musicals such as Evita with...

Dana Moore

Guest Performer

A Broadway veteran, Dana Moore most recently appeared on Broadway as   Hunyak (Not Guilty) in Chicago. Moore is featured on the DVD of Broadway's Fosse. Other Broadway shows include A Chorus Line (Sheila), The Will Rogers Follies (Z's Favorite),...

Dianne Walker

Tap Program Director • June 25-July 8

Dianne Walker is a pioneer in the resurgence of tap dancing, and has been   dubbed "The Ella Fitzgerald of tap dance." She performed in the original Black and Blue production in Paris as well as its Tony Award-winning production...

Derick K. Grant

Tap Program Faculty • June 25-July 1

Derick K. Grant has worked as performer, choreographer, and director for over   three decades. Under the direction of two time Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe, he was an original company member and Dance Captain for Bring in 'da...

Tony Fabre

Contemporary Program Guest Artist Choreographer • July 22-29

Born in Nantes, France, Tony Fabre began his professional career with the   Karlsruhe Ballet before becoming a soloist with Maurice Bejart's Ballet du XXeme Siécle and then a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and the Basler Ballet. Fabre...

Igal Perry

Ballet Technique for Contemporary Program • July 15-20

Igal Perry, Founder and Artistic Director of Peridance Capezio Center and   Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (established 1983/1984), is a renowned choreographer, ballet master, and dance educator. Perry's ballet class introduces a fresh and open approach to the study of...

Pamela Pribisco

Ballet Technique and Alignment for Contemporary Program • July 9-13

Pamela Pribisco was a principal dancer with the Cleveland Ballet for ten years.   She served as Ballet Mistress for the Cleveland Ballet, American Ballroom Theater, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, for which she choreographed and staged numerous...

John Levis

Contemporary Program Music Director • July 9-29

John Levis is a composer, pianist and synthesist who has been involved with the Philadelphia dance community since 1971. A graduate of University of the Arts, he has worked with Philadelphia schools and companies, including University of the Arts, where...

Chet Walker

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Director • July 30-August 20

Chet Walker has performed on Broadway since the age of sixteen.  He appeared most prominently in the Bob Fosse musicals The Pajama Game, Pippin, Dancin' and Sweet Charity. As a director and choreographer, he has staged Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Singin'...

Emanuel Abruzzo

Assistant to Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Director • July 30-August 20

Born and raised in Argentina, Emanuel Abruzzo started dancing at the age of  four. Thanks to numerous awards and scholarships, he was able to learn from some of Argentina's best teachers. Abruzzo has worked with Julio Bocca's Ballet Sub-16, Les...

Rick Hip-Flores

Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program Music Director • July 30-August 20

Rick Hip-Flores has been the pianist in such Broadway orchestras as Billy   Elliot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. As musical director and conductor he has worked on 'S Wonderful at Pittsburgh...