Faculty Bios: Children and Teens
- Wayne Daniels
- John Eirich
- Maria Hanley
- Joy Havens
- John Heginbotham
- Lindsay Hilscher
- Jennifer Jones
- Sharyn Korey
- David Leventhal
- Sarah Marcus
- Ashley Matthews
- Judith Nelson
- Maya Ogunusi
- Elisa Osborne
- Francine Ott
- Dawn Quigley
- Mireille Obert
- Derek Roland
- Mary Seidman
- Ashley Tuttle
- Joy Voelker
- Jane Vorburger
- William Wade
Wayne Daniels
Wayne has over ten years experience teaching dance classes in public and private schools. His dance style is a combination of his extensive training in ballet, jazz, modern, West African, Indian Kathak, and Afro-Caribbean dance.
John Eirich
John Eirich was raised in Orlando, Florida where he studied ballet and jazz at Southern Ballet Theatre. He earned his BFA in Dance from New World School of the Arts where he performed works by Donald McKayle, Jose Limón, Michael Uthoff, and was a student at Jacob's Pillow Contemporary Traditions Program in 2005. John has performed with the Freddick Bratcher Company, Miami Contemporary Dance Company, the Florida Grand Opera and the Mark Morris Dance Group. He has also worked with the Amy Marshall Dance Company and was a member of Taylor 2 from 2006 - 2010. John has been a member of TAKE Dance since 2007, and joined Dusan Tynek Dance Theatre in 2010.
Maria Hanley
Maria has a B.A. from Slippery Rock University. She recently earned her Masters in Dance Education and her K-12 certification from New York University. Maria is a movement teacher for York Avenue Preschool, and My Gym NYC. She is also a teaching artist for New York City Ballet, teaching 3rd graders in the Ballet Bridges program.
Joy Havens
Joy Havens has taught professional, pre-professional, children and adult students in a variety of settings. Currently on the faculty of Lydia Johnson Dance, she has also taught at the Jordan College Academy of Dance (Indpls, In), Girard College (Phila, Pa), the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership and assisted with the student company of the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. As a member of the New York Baroque Dance Company she has assisted with residencies in baroque technique and reconstruction at Cornell University and C. W. Post Long Island. Through the outreach program of Miro Dance Theatre she helped facilitate cultural exchange activities between students of Girard College and the Khmer Arts Ensemble in Phnom Penh. Joy has also worked with special needs children in Thane, India. She received her early training as a scholarship student at the Jordan College Academy of Dance. At the age of 15 she joined Dance Kaleidoscope as an apprentice under the direction of David Hochoy. As a student at the Ohio State University Joy received the Special Projects Fund for Exceptional Creativity through the pARTners for the Arts and her choreography was selected to represent OSU at the American College Dance Festival. Her choreography has been presented in NYC at CRS (Center for Remembering and Sharing). Joy’s performing highlights include dancing on the grand stage of the Metropolitan Opera in Orfeo ed Euridice, directed by Mark Morris, completing a nine city tour of India with Thresh, appearing with the New York Baroque Dance Company at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, premiering Already Seen in the inaugural Filament festival at EMPAC with Miro Dance Theatre, and on silver screens around the world through the Met: Live in HD series.
John Heginbotham
John Heginbotham has danced with MMDG since 1993. Raised in Anchorage, AK, he is a graduate of The Juilliard School (B.F.A. ‘93) and has performed in the companies of Susan Marshall, John Jasperse, Ben Munisteri, and Pilobolus Dance Theater (guest artist). Heginbotham recently completed a choreographic residency at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, where he was the recipient of a 2010 Jerome Robbins Foundation New Essential Works (NEW) Fellowship Grant. Heginbotham is a founding teacher of Dance for PD, a program initiated by MMDG and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group. For more information, please visit www.johnheginbotham.com.
Lindsay Hilscher
Lindsay Hilscher holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase. She is currently a member of KOREresponse with choreography by Rachel Korenstein. Recently, she taught with KOREresponse at The Door, a youth development center, in their summer intensive dance program. Lindsay has participated in the work/study and assistant teaching programs at MMDG since 2009.
Jennifer Jones
Jennifer Jones was raised in Lakeland, FL. She received her Master of Fine Arts from New York University in 2008 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in Ballet Performance from the University of South Florida in 2006. Her choreography has been selected as a representative of USF at the American College Dance Festival for the Southeastern Division, as well as chosen to be performed in the Celebrazione Festival in Milan, Italy. She has danced in works by Mark Morris, Jose Limón, Jessica Lang, Ronald K. Brown, Chris Yon, Deborah Jowitt, and Jim Martin, among others. She was a member of the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company and has performed with the Mark Morris Dance Group. She is currently a guest artist with Skybetter and Associates.
Sharyn Korey
Sharyn Korey is from Croton-on-Hudson, NY. She trained for a year as a scholarship student at the Rock School in Philadelphia before moving to Virginia to perform with the Richmond Ballet in Coppelia, Serenade, The Nutcracker, The Scarlett Letter and original works. At Middlebury College, she made guest appearances with the Middlebury Dance Company while pursuing a degree in International Studies. After graduating, she came to NYC and began teaching dance to children while performing with Murray Spalding Mandalas, Dance Visions, and Sydney Mosley Dances. In addition to teaching and performing, she is also the co-creator and producer of NACHMO, an annual month-long choreography challenge open to all.
David Leventhal
David Leventhal was a member of the Mark Morris Dance Group from 1997-2010. During that time, he appeared in more than 40 of Mark Morris' dances, and performed principal roles in The Hard Nut, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, and Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, on Motifs of Shakespeare. He received a 2010 New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) for his performance work with MMDG. He still makes appearances with MMDG as a guest artist. He has taught technique and repertory classes for students of all ages at schools and universities in the U.S. and abroad, including UCLA, University of Michigan, Harvard University, The Juilliard School, University of Washington, University of Illinois, American Dance Festival and the Governor's School for the Arts (Virginia) among others. David is the program manager and one of the founding teachers of MMDG's Dance for PD® program, a collaboration with the Brooklyn Parkinson Group that offers weekly classes for people with Parkinson's at the company's studios in Brooklyn, fosters similar classes in more than 40 communities around the world, and presents regular training workshops for teachers interested in leading Dance for PD® classes. Raised in Newton, Mass., he attended Brown University where he received a B.A. in English Literature.
Sarah Marcus
Sarah Marcus is the School Director at the Mark Morris Dance Group. She teaches technique for students of all ages as well as in the Dance for PD program. She received her B.S. from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. She danced for several seasons with the Oakland Ballet Company, Liss Fain Dance, as well as freelanced for several Bay Area choreographers. She was Artistic Director at Berkeley Ballet Theater, a pre-professional ballet school, from 2005–2009.
Ashley Matthews
Ashley Matthews is originally from Pittsburgh, PA where she began training at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. She received her B.A. in Individualized Study with a concentration in Dance and Performance Studies in 2009 from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. While attending NYU, Ashley participated in the work-study program at the School at the Mark Morris Dance Center. Since graduating, she has danced with the Mariana Bekerman Dance Company and choreographer Emery LeCrone and is currently a member of the company KOREresponse with choreography by Rachel Korenstein. She is also a Pilates instructor certified by the Kane School of Core Integration.
Judith Nelson
Judith danced with the Jose Limon Dance Company and The David Gordon Pick-Up Company, among others, in addition to touring across the U.S. and Europe both as a solo artist and in musical theatre. Her work in children’s dance includes numerous school residencies for pre-school to grade 12, and teaching for a wide variety of community arts programs. Judith also teaches at a number of colleges and universities, most recently as Director of Dance at Auburn University. She holds an M.F.A. from the University of Arizona and a B.F.A. from the University of Utah.
Mireille Obert
Originally from Rome, Italy, Mireille studied ballet, modern, music, rhythm, and theater at the Maurice Bejart School in Belgium. She danced with the Mark Morris Dance Group from 1988 - 2001.
Maya Ogunusi
Maya was awarded a B.F.A in Dance from SUNY Purchase. She received her formal training at Dance Theatre of Harlem and The Ailey School. She has also taught and choreographed for children at Movement of the Children Dancenter in Queens.
Elisa Osborne
Elisa Osborne is from Venezuela and has danced with the Mark Morris Dance Group, Connecticut Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, Lexington Ballet, Ian Spencer Bell Dance Circle and others. Elisa attended La Escuela de Ballet Teresa Carreno in Caracas, Venezuela prior to training at the North Carolina School of the Arts where she received her High School Diploma and B.F.A. Elisa has danced with Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre since its inception in 2003.
Francine Ott
Francine Elizabeth Ott, a native of New Orleans, began her formal training at 15 with the TKD Dance Academy under the direction of Tanis K. Dasher and Michelle Gibson. She received her B.F.A in Dance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and studied at many dance intensives, including the American Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow, where she received scholarships. She has worked and danced with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company, Karen Arceneaux/Genesis Dance Company, Brian Green, Tony Kundu, and Kwame A. Ross, among others. She has taught for the Howard University Summer Dance Intensive, USD Repertory Workshop, Family Dynamics After-School Program, the Beacon Center, the Better Brooklyn Community Center, and at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn. Her choreography has been showcased with Camille A. Brown and dancers at Joyce Soho, E-Moves 10-9/Harlem Stage, Universal Dance Movement at Aaron Davis Hall, Black Expressions: Dance at Dance Place in Washington, D.C. 2008, This Woman’s Work 2007, Herbert Von King Park/Summerstage, The Harlem School of the Arts Theater, A Story of Her Steps/Bric Studios, Passions Dance Project ’06, Dance Harlem ’06-‘08, Dixon Place, International Association of Blacks in Dance, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Mulberry Street Theatre. Ms. Ott has been featured in the July 2011 issue of Dance Magazine in the article, “When Words Hurt,” and the February 2011 issue of SHAPE Magazine, in “Confidence Queens.” She is currently a member of Camille A. Brown and Dancers and has assisted Ms. Brown in works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Urban Bush Women and LaGuardia High School).
Dawn Quigley
Dawn received an M.A. in Dance Education from Antioch University’s McGregor School and began her teaching career at Stivers’ School for the Performing Arts, the Dayton Ballet School, and Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH. Currently, Dawn is a member of Anabella Lenzu’s DanceDrama in addition to showcasing her own choreography.
Derek Roland
Derek Roland, originally from Rochester NY, began his dance training at the age of 16, and was inspired by Master classes with tap dancers Savion Glover, Ted Levy, and Van “The Man” Porter. He earned a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from Niagara University. He has taught at Steps on Broadway, New Dance Group and Broadway Dance Center and at universities and studios across the U.S. His choreography has been featured at venues such as Vital Theater Company, 59E59 Theaters, Emerging Artists Theatre, and New World Stages.
Mary Seidman
Mary has extensive experience teaching dance to children in the tristate area and operated her own modern dance school for eight years. Her dance company, Mary Seidman and Dancers, performs at venues such as Jacob’s Pillow, BAM, Symphony Space, and St. Mark’s Church.
Ashley Tuttle
Ashley Tuttle was invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join American Ballet Theatre at the age of 16. Her career spanned 17 years with Ballet Theater reaching the rank of Principal dancer. Ms. Tuttle is known for her pure classicism and vivid characterizations. Her performances prove memorable and enriching. Ms. Tuttle’s repertoire at A.B.T. included such roles as Juliet in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, the title roles in Giselle, Nikiya in Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadere, Odette/Odile in Kevin McKenzie’s Swan Lake. Her repertoire ranged from works by George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Jiri Kylian, Mark Morris, Agnes De Mille, Antony Tudor and William Forsythe to name a few. Ms. Tuttle has danced numerous Twyla Tharp works including In the Upper Room, Brief Fling, Sinatra Suite and Push Comes to Shove. While maintaining her career with A.B.T., Ms. Tuttle joined the acclaimed Twlya Tharp Dance Company in 2000. During her time with T.T.D., Ms. Tharp created the hit Broadway show Movin’ Out and the role of Judy on Ms. Tuttle. Her interpretation of this role earned her both TONY Award and Fred Astaire Dance Award nominations. Ms. Tuttle was most recently seen in Twyla Tharp‘s hit Broadway show Come Fly Away in the role of Besty. Ms. Tuttle continues to dance as a guest artist throughout the world.
Joy Voelker
Joy Voelker grew up moving around the Midwest before landing in Michigan where she attended high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy as a dance major. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. Currently Joy works as a freelance artist and has performed with companies such as 360º Dance Company, Lane & Co, CorbinDances, Artichoke Dance Company and children's programs at the Metropolitan Playhouse. Joy's teaching experience ranges from Mommy and Me classes starting as early as nine months, to classes for adults. In addition to various dance techniques she has taught children's gymnastics and music.
Jane Vorburger
Jane joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT) at age 16 and spent five years performing as a principal, soloist, and corps de ballet. She went on to study contact improvisation and choreography at Oberlin College and earned her M.F.A. degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She teaches children’s ballet and composition classes in addition to outreach programs in New York public schools for ABT, Mark Morris Dance Group, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
William Wade
William works as a composer, lyricist, pianist, arranger, coach, and conductor. His compositions include: musicals, ballets, and chamber as well as concert music. Broadway credits include Fosse, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, and The Look of Love. He has taught at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Eckerd College, and the Professional Musical Theatre Workshop at Manhattan School of Music. William holds a B.A. in Music Composition from University of South Florida and is an alumnus of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.