Dance Faculty
Cathy Appel
Courses: Dance/Movement Therapy: Fundamentals
B.A., Sarah Lawrence College. M.F.A., Vermont College. M.F.A., Warren Wilson College. M.S.W. and M.S., Hunter College. Licensed social worker and licensed creative arts therapist. Founder and director, Creative and Movement Arts Psychotherapy Program, Behavioral Medicine Department of ICD, rehabilitation clinic in New York City. Trained at American Ballet Theatre School with Leone Fokine; performed with Pennsylvania Ballet and later with own modern dance company and Dance Junction. Has taught workshops and classes at School of Visual Arts, Goddard College, NYU, SLC, and for several medical organizations. Poems published in journals, textbooks, and anthologies. Co-editor of American Journal of Dance Therapy (2003-2007); senior editor and author of two chapters in second revised edition of dance therapy textbook, Dance Movement Therapy: A Healing Art (editor, F. Levy; 2005). Credentials Committee, American Dance Therapy Association (2007-present). SLC, 2008-
Susan Rethorst
Courses: Improvisation—Beginning and Improvisation A and B, Composition A, B, Viola Farber Artist-in-Residence: Spring 2009
Has steadily created dances in New York City since 1975. Since 1995, has been dividing time between New York City and Europe, where she developed postgraduate courses for Dansens Hus in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Firkin Crane in Cork, Ireland. In collaboration with three others, inaugurated a Master of Choreography for the Amsterdam School of the Arts. Work has been presented both nationally and internationally; recipient of many grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Creative Artists Public Service Program, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Among the first to receive a Bessie Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1985. Viola Farber Artist-in-Residence at Sarah Lawrence College, 2008-2009. SLC, 2008-
Donna Uchizono
Courses: Improvisation—Beginning and Improvisation A and B, Composition A, B, Performance Project: Fall 2008
Artistic director of Donna Uchizono Company, a New York-based company established in 1990. It has been presented throughout the U.S., Europe, and South America. Since her choreographic debut in 1988, rapidly emerged from the “downtown scene” as a choreographer known for her spicy movement, wit, and rich invention. Hailed by Ms. Magazine’s end-of-the-century issue as “a choreographer making great leaps forward into the 21st century.” Numerous collaborative projects, including collaboration with visual artist David Hammons and composers Fred Frith, Tom Cora, “Butch” Morris, Guy Yarden, and James Lo. Recently created a new work for Mikhail Baryshnikov and was the choreographer for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel’s The Long Christmas Ride Home. Guggenheim Fellow and Bessie Award winner. Work has been supported by the Rockefeller, Jerome, and Greenwall Foundations; National Dance Project; NEA; NYSCA; Herb Alpert Award; Creative Capital; National Performance Network; Harkness; and New York Foundation for the Arts, among others. Active member of the dance community and member of the artist advisory board at Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church, where she was the founding member and first chair. SLC, 2008-
Sara Rudner
Director, Program in Dance
Courses: Composition A, B, Dance Making, Senior Seminar
B.A., Barnard College. M.F.A., Bennington College. Dancer and choreographer; founder and director, Sara Rudner Performance Ensemble; recipient of Bessie Award and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts; works for theatre and opera include the production of Caryl Churchill’s The Striker at the Public Theater in New York City, The Greeks at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Peter Sellar’s production of Messiaen’s opera St. Francois D’Assise (co-produced by the Salzburg Festival and the Paris Opera Bastille), the Santa Fe Opera’s recent production of Berlioz’s Beatrice and Benedict, Strauss’ The Egyptian Helena, and Berg’s Wozzeck. Recent choreographic projects include Heartbeat/mb (Mikhail Baryshnikov), Dancing-on-View, and Once Again. SLC, 1999-
Patty Bradshaw
Courses: Yoga
B.M., University of Massachusetts. Certified yoga union instructor and Kinetic Awareness instructor. Has taught at the New School, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; workshops at NYU, The Kitchen, hospitals, and various schools and studios in New York and Greece. Dancer, choreographer, and maker of puppet theatre. Work shown at St Ann’s Warehouse in 2005 and 2006. SLC, 2000-
Roxane Butterfly
Freestyle tap dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Creator of the multicultural al-l women’s production BeauteeZ’n the Beat. Dance credits include performances at the Joyce Theater with Jazz Tap Ensemble, New Victory Theater with Urban Tap, Le Theatre de Surenes, Las Vegas New York-New York Hotel with MADhattan, with choreography presented at Symphony Space, Jacob’s Pillow, Taegu International Dance Festival (Korea), Dance Salad (Houston Wortham Center), Montreal Jazz Festival, Ninth Improvisation Festival at Saint Mark’s Church, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and others. Music credits include the Nice Jazz Festival, Duke Ellington Sacred Concert, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Toulon Jazz Festival. Teaching credits include Maxim’s, Stephens College, and the University of Virginia. NYFA Fellow Choreographer. Recipient of an Outstanding Creative Achievement Award (Bessie). SLC, 2002-
William Catanzaro
Courses: Music for Dancers
Composer and multi-instrumentalist; recognition and funding from NEA, The Samuels S. Feld Fund, New York State Council on the Arts, Harkness Foundation, NYU Humanaties Council, NYU Service/Learning Fund; commissions include choreographers Anna Sokolow, Steve Paxton, Viola Farber, Milton Myers; work presented nationally and internationally with the New Danish Dance Theater, TanzFabrik Berlin, Amsterdam Theatreschool, Cyprus Festival, Teatro San Martin, The Alvin Ailey School, Philadanco, Player’s Project, Dallas Black Theater, Jacob’s Pillow, DTW and others. Former accompanist and teacher of music for dancers at The Juilliard School, Mary- mount Manhattan College, Limon School, Martha Graham School, New York University; current faculty at The Alvin Ailey School, Steps on Broadway; Music Director for the Young Dancemakers Company. SLC, 2003-
Jane Cox
Lighting Designer
Courses: Lighting Design and Stagecraft for Dance
M.F.A., New York University. Based in New York City, with long term collaborations with choreographers Doug Varone, David Dorfman, and Monica Bill Barnes. Other dance and music designs include several for Eliot Feld, Bang on a Can, and Minnesota Opera. Recent theatre includes Broadway; Brooklyn Academy of Music; Playwrights Horizons; NYSF/Public Theatre; Guthrie Theatre; CenterStage; Arena Stage; McCarter; National Theatre London; and Project Theatre Dublin. Recipient of an NEA/TCG grant 2001-2003. SLC, 2006-
Emily Devine
Courses: First-Year Studies in Dance, Modern and Postmodern Practice, Improvisation—Beginning and Improvisation A and B
B.A., Connecticut College. Trained with Jose Limón, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and Viola Farber; performed with Dan Wagoner and Dancers, Nancy Lewis, Mirjam Berns, Cork (Ireland) National Ballet; choreographer, Dance Alliance of New Haven, Roxanne Dance Foundation, Swamp Gravy, and independent productions; recipient of choreography grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts; teaches dance and movement workshops throughout the U.S. and in Canada, France, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand. SLC, 1988-
Rujeko Dumbutshena
Courses: African Dance
Originally from Zimbabwe, she has been teaching and performing throughout the U.S., Canada, and Australia since 1994. She has performed at venues including the Getty Museum, Lincoln Center, and the Sydney Opera House. She is co-founder and artistic director of the Panjea Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing African and Western cultures together through cultural exchange tours, music and dance conferences, and workshops. SLC, 2005-
Josh Epstein
Courses: Lighting Design and Stagecraft for Dance
M.F.A., New York University. Has been lighting dance and theatre professionally in New York for over a decade. Worked with choreographers including Doug Varone, David Dorfman, Allyson Green, Wil Swanson, Amanda Loulaki, Edisa Weeks, and Kara Tatelbaum at venues such as the Joyce, Danspace at St. Mark’s, the 92nd St. Y’s Harkness Dance Proj-ect, Symphony Space, and Joyce SoHo. Work has also been seen internationally in Bucharest, Romania, and Lisbon, Portugal. Recipient of the 2004-2006 NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Designers. SLC, 2007-
Barbara Forbes
Courses: Ballet, Feldenkrais: Awareness Through Movement®
Royal Academy of Dancing, London. Institute of Choreology, London. Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, Cecchetti Method. Previously faculty of National Ballet School of Canada, Alvin Ailey School, New York University, and Finis Jhung Studio. Ballet mistress and teacher, Joffrey Ballet, New Orleans Ballet, and Chamber Ballet USA. Currently Feldenkrais practitioner at Feldenkrais Learning Center, New York City. SLC, 2000-
Maia Claire Garrison
Courses: FreeStyle
Also known as MaiaClaire, began her performance career as a child acrobat with the Big Apple Circus. Upon graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, she toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean with the dance theatre group Urban Bush Women. In 1995 she founded M’Zawa Danz, presenting her work at venues such as Aaron Davis Hall, Central Park SummerStage, Danspace Project, Dance Theatre Workshop, Jacob’s Pillow, The Kitchen, Knitting Factory, SOTA (Garth Fagan Dance/Rochester), and Symphony Space. Awarded three consecutive production grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts and highlighted on the WB11 News and WABC’s New York Viewshosted by Roz Abrams. Currently working as both a project coordinator and teaching artist for the Joyce Theater’s Education Program directed by Joanne Robinson Hill. SLC, 2007-
Peggy Gould
Courses: Anatomy in Action, Anatomy Seminar
B.F.A., M.F.A., New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Teacher of Alexander Technique; assistant to Irene Dowd; private practice in New York City. Other teaching affiliations: Dance Ireland, IMDT, SUNY Purchase (summer), Jacob’s Pillow. Performances: Sara Rudner, Anneke Hansen, Patricia Hoffbauer and George Emilio Sanchez, David Gordon, Ann Carlson, Charles Moulton, Neo Labos, T.W.E.E.D., Tony Kushner, Paula Josa-Jones. Choreography presented by Dixon Place, The Field, P.S. 122, BACA Downtown (all New York City); Big Range Dance Festival (Houston); Proctor’s Theatre (Schenectady). SLC, 1999-
Dan Hurlin
on leave fall semester
Courses: Invention, Projects, Puppet Central, Composition A, B, Dance Making
B.A., Sarah Lawrence College. Performances in New York at Dance Theater Workshop, P.S. 122, La MaMa E.T.C., Danspace, The Kitchen, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and at alternative presenters throughout the U.S. and the U.K.; recipient of a Village Voice OBIE Award in 1990 for solo adaptation of Nathanael West’s A Cool Million and the 2000 New York Dance and Performance (a.k.a. “Bessie”) Award for Everyday Uses for Sight, Nos. 3 & 7; recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and of grants from Creative Capital, the Rockefeller Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Mary Cary Flagler Charitable Trust, and the New England Foundation for the Arts; 2002-2003 Guggenheim fellowship. Recipient of the Alpert Award in the Arts for Theater, 2004. Former teacher at Bowdoin, Bennington, Barnard, and Princeton. SLC, 1997-
La Meira
Courses: Flamenco Dance
La Meira (a.k.a. Meira Goldberg), Dance – B.A., University of California, Los Angeles. M.F.A. and Ed.D., Temple University. Studied piano, guitar, and choral singing, and trained in Flamenco with Roberto Amaral and Carmen Mora in Los Angeles. Performed with many giants of Flamenco in the U.S. and Spain; featured in the companies of Carlota Santana, Fred Darsow, Pasion y Arte, and Ballet Flamenco La Rosa. Winner of choreography grants from the NY State Council for the Arts and Pew Charitable Trust. She has taught at Times Circle Studios, New York University, Bryn Mawr, Temple University, and Flamenco Festival International at the University of New Mexico, as well as numerous residencies at companies and universities throughout the U.S. Her research on the history and culture of Flamenco has appeared in a number of journals and magazines, and she recently presented a concert of her own work, called “Al Compas del Flamenco” at the Casa de la Cultura in Boston.
Merceditas Mañago-Alexander
Courses: Modern and Postmodern Practice, Ballet
B.A., State University of New York-Empire State. Dancer, Doug Varone and Dancers, Pepatian, Elisa Monte Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico, and independent choreographers like Sara Rudner and Joyce S. Lim. Recipient of the Outstanding Student Artist Award from the University of the Philippines’ Presidents’ Committee on Culture and the Arts. Current faculty member: the Ailey School; guest faculty member, 92nd Street Y, Marymount Manhattan College, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Performing Arts. Participant/teacher, 2004 Bates Festival-Young Dancers Workshop; solo works: Free Range Arts, Dixon Place, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, and Danspace Project/St. Mark’s Church. SLC, 2002-
Liz Rodgers
Courses: Dance Training Conference
B.F.A., University of California-Santa Barbara. New York State licensed massage therapist. Trained in a variety of touch techniques including Craniosacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation. Pilates trainer/movement educator in private practice in New York City and on staff of Bodywork, Westport, CT. Apprentice of Irene Dowd assisting in anatomy, visual assessment, and dancer’s clinic classes. Adjunct professor of anatomy and kinesiology at Manhattanville College, NY. Taught movement classes at Mary Anthony Dance Studio, New York City, and Irene Dowd’s “Spirals” at Movement Research. Performed with Beverly Blossom, Mimi Garrard, Mary Anthony, Bertram Rose, and Sophie Maslow. SLC, 2007-
Keith S. Sabado
Courses: Modern and Postmodern Practice
Was born in Seattle and moved to New York City in 1978. From 1980-1984 he performed with several New York modern dance companies, among them the companies of Pearl Lang, Pauline Koner, Hannah Kahn, Jim Self, and Rosalind Newman. From 1984 to 1994, he was a member of the Mark Morris Dance Group, and in 1988 he received a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) for his work with that group. From 1994 to 1997, and again in 2001, he was a soloist with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project, and also served as rehearsal director. In 2000, he was invited to perform with the Lucinda Childs Dance Company during its 25th anniversary year. Most recently, he has performed with Richard Daniels, Johannes Wieland, Christopher Williams, Paradigm, and Yvonne Rainer. He has also danced leading roles in opera productions directed by Peter Sellars and Martha Clarke. Keith teaches ballet, modern dance, and Pilates and has taught master classes and workshops all over the world, as well as open classes to professional dancers in New York City.
Tony Schultz
Courses: Dance and Tech/Media
B.A., Sarah Lawrence College. M.A., City College of New York. Currently finishing Ph.D. at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Scientist, writer, educator, and performer. Conducting research in computer vision for applications in human movement analysis; has worked with culture makers interested in developing experimental and computationally based methodologies; collaborated with musicians Derrick Carlomagno and Damian Quinones, worked with dancers Christopher Williams and Kristin Sloan of New York City Ballet, and consulted for architects Maggie Peng and Dana Karwas. Studied dance both inside and outside of the academy, most notably with Luis Demalsy (aka B-Boy Mach3) and Angele M’Paria (aka B-Girl Angel). In 2007, participated in the We-B-Girlz 25th Anniversary Breakin’ event at Lincoln Center as the manager of London’s Flowzaic Crew; guest taught dance with Laurel Dugan at the Dalton School and performed with Mare Hieronimus in TUNDRA at the CoolNY dance festival. Currently working on a project with performance artist Otis Houston (aka Black Cherokee); a dance blogger, writer, and performer on thewinger.com. SLC, 2006-
Vicky Shick
A performer, choreographer, and teacher. Member of the Trisha Brown Dance Company for six years, during which time she received a Bessie for performance. Worked and collaborated with many other choreographers, artists, and musicians. Regularly presents her own work in New York City and has received a Bessie for choreography. Most recent piece was shown at Dance Theatre Workshop in February 2007. In New York, she teaches at the Trisha Brown studio, Movement Research, and Hunter College. SLC, 2007-
Rose Anne Thom
Courses: Dance History, Labanotation/Repertory, Teaching Conference, Aspects of World Dance, Social Conscience in Modern Dance
B.A., McGill University. Writer, critic for Dance Magazine, Collier’s Encyclopedia, Society of Dance History Scholars; oral historian for the Dance Collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and the School of American Ballet; consultant, New York State Council on the Arts Dance Program; guest faculty, Princeton University, 2003; former teacher at SUNY Purchase, Southern Methodist University, American Ballet Theater School. Labanotator and reconstructor. SLC, 1975-
Kathy Westwater
Courses: Improvisation—Beginning and Improvisation A and B, Contact Improvisation, Dance Making
B.A., College of William and Mary. M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College. Choreographer and dancer. Choreography presented at Dance Theater Workshop, Brooklyn Museum of Art, and PS 122, among others, and archived in the Franklin Furnace Archive and the Walker Arts Center Mediatheque Archive. Recipient of awards from New York Foundation for the Arts and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program and commissions from Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church, and SummerStage’s Dance Festival. Previously guest teacher at Bennington College, 92nd Street Y, and Trisha Brown Studio. Published writings include an interview with Merce Cunningham in the Movement Research Journal Millennial Issue, “Technology and the Body,” which she guest edited. SLC, 2001-