I began my career at four years old taking classical ballet classes and entered the Westchester Ballet Company as a mouse in Cinderella at the age of six! From there I graduated to rat, coachman, and on and on until I was quite comfortable onstage dancing in most of the traditional classical ballets.
Continuing my dance career through high school, I then received a Bachelors of Arts degree in my double majors of Dance and Creative Writing at Kirkland/Hamilton college where I met the dynamic and electrifying Rhett Dennis who became my Jazz mentor at the time. Through him I worked with Luigi and then Fred Benjamin, Lynn Simonson, and many, many more of the Jazz greats of the time. Thanks to their brilliant inspiration, I was able to switch gears to become a professional Jazz dancer for stage, TV and film. Having studied acting, I also had the amazing fortune to work with some phenomenal film directors such as Federico Fellini, Lindsay Kemp, John Cassavetes, and more.
Continuing my dance career through high school, I then received a Bachelors of Arts degree in my double majors of Dance and Creative Writing at Kirkland/Hamilton college where I met the dynamic and electrifying Rhett Dennis who became my Jazz mentor at the time. Through him I worked with Luigi and then Fred Benjamin, Lynn Simonson, and many, many more of the Jazz greats of the time. Thanks to their brilliant inspiration, I was able to switch gears to become a professional Jazz dancer for stage, TV and film. Having studied acting, I also had the amazing fortune to work with some phenomenal film directors such as Federico Fellini, Lindsay Kemp, John Cassavetes, and more.
Teaching
In tandem with my performing career, which took me all over the United States and Europe, I began to teach at Steps Studio and Broadway Dance Center where I soon became one of New York’s leading Jazz teachers. I then began getting a lot of work giving Master Classes throughout the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Japan and was a regular summer teacher at North Carolina School of the Arts for many years.
When I moved to Miami in the mid-90’s, I taught at New World School of the Arts, Miami City Ballet, In Motion Dance Center, and at the Florida Dance Festival in addition to several other renowned studios in the area. I created the only performing arts center on Miami Beach, the Performing Arts Network with Ilisa Rosal where classes included dance, voice, and drama.
After living in Florida for several years, I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina where I lived from 2002 to 2012, teaching advanced and professional level Jazz classes at Porton de Sanchez, as well as at the Conservatory for career students at the Reina Reech Studios. I also coached several prominent actors and singers preparing roles for stage and screen, including the great Argentine actresses, Rita Cortese and Soledad Silviera. I now live in Berlin, Germany where I teach Master Classes in "The Jazz Laboratory" and give workshops in "Body Activation."
www.bodyactivation.blogspot.com
When I moved to Miami in the mid-90’s, I taught at New World School of the Arts, Miami City Ballet, In Motion Dance Center, and at the Florida Dance Festival in addition to several other renowned studios in the area. I created the only performing arts center on Miami Beach, the Performing Arts Network with Ilisa Rosal where classes included dance, voice, and drama.
After living in Florida for several years, I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina where I lived from 2002 to 2012, teaching advanced and professional level Jazz classes at Porton de Sanchez, as well as at the Conservatory for career students at the Reina Reech Studios. I also coached several prominent actors and singers preparing roles for stage and screen, including the great Argentine actresses, Rita Cortese and Soledad Silviera. I now live in Berlin, Germany where I teach Master Classes in "The Jazz Laboratory" and give workshops in "Body Activation."
www.bodyactivation.blogspot.com
In the late 1980’s and early 90’s I created Mode Enterprises with my partner Darrel Greene, mounting high concept fashion shows for New York and European designers using both models and dancers. We then created a second production company called New York Live Productions concentrating on industrials for clients such as MTV, Self Magazine, Marite & Francois Girbeaud, the NY Fashion and Footwear Show, and more.
During this time I was simultaneously creating productions for most of the major nightclubs in NYC and was the former Cat Club’s resident choreographer, creating original shows every week for a company of eight dancers. During this period I choreographed for many video artists such as Jodi Watley, Joe Satriani, Tanya Tucker, and many more. I have choreographed commercials for Proctor and Gamble, Quaker Oats, Bacardi Rum, Roberto Jeans Canada, French Toast Clothes for Children, Upton’s department store, DiDi Jeans Venezuela; television shows such as David Frankel’s “Grapevine” (Dir, The Devil Wears Prada), the musical “Rockbound” at the Southstreet Theatre in NY, and numerous dance productions for companies throughout the US and Europe. In Argentina I created and directed the tango ballet, “Eurydice Ascending” for the 2009 Cambalache Festival in Buenos Aires.
During this time I was simultaneously creating productions for most of the major nightclubs in NYC and was the former Cat Club’s resident choreographer, creating original shows every week for a company of eight dancers. During this period I choreographed for many video artists such as Jodi Watley, Joe Satriani, Tanya Tucker, and many more. I have choreographed commercials for Proctor and Gamble, Quaker Oats, Bacardi Rum, Roberto Jeans Canada, French Toast Clothes for Children, Upton’s department store, DiDi Jeans Venezuela; television shows such as David Frankel’s “Grapevine” (Dir, The Devil Wears Prada), the musical “Rockbound” at the Southstreet Theatre in NY, and numerous dance productions for companies throughout the US and Europe. In Argentina I created and directed the tango ballet, “Eurydice Ascending” for the 2009 Cambalache Festival in Buenos Aires.
Additional Projects
I have additionally created two animated multi-media series, one for adults called FLY by Night and one for children called Mitzi and the Muscletones, which are currently in pre-production.
