ADFA ALUMNI

Ashley is a 2021 graduate of ADFA. Her pre-professional training also included being a member of Jason Janas’ “Co.mitt’ed”, Chloe Arnold’s “Soul Talk”, and representing the United States as a member of the “American Tap Company” while competing in Reisa, Germany at the IDO National Tap Dance Championships. Ashley is a student of the Marymount Manhattan College dance program in NYC. She is a member of Nick Dinicolangelo’s “Hands Down Tap Project,” Caroline-Lewis Jones’ “Unbound Dance Company,” and tours with Radix Dance Convention as an assistant to Jason Janas.

Cierra’s dance education started at ADFA until she was 18. She attended the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase where she worked with Alexandra Damiani, Manuel Vignoulle, Blakely White-McGuire, Sarah Mettin, and Nejla Yatkins. She continued her studies abroad at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Upon graduating, Cierra moved to NY dancing with Double Take Dance Co. and Durang Dance. Over the pandemic, she moved to Greenwich, CT whrere she manages a LYMBR studio for stretch therapy and dances for MiXt Dance Co. under Megal Williams and Teresa Perez-Ceccon, specializing in Simonson technique.

Allie London, 2018 ADFA Company Member graduated from ECU’s dance program with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography. She loves working with dancers of all ages while sharing the knowledge she has gained since she started dancing at the age of 5. Allie grew up as a competition dancer and trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap and hip hop and has competed with all of these styles. It’s very important to her that she creates a learning environment that can push dancers in a healthy and exciting way.

ADFA Company Member, Kanon, graduated from East Carolina University with her BFA in Dance Performance, Magna Cum Laude. Kanon founded looseKANONdance, a contemporary boutique company in 2017. Her dance company completed two separate choreographic residencies with Nimbus Dance WorksBrown Dance Company for over a decade. looseKANONdance has shown work at some of the most notable NYC venues including Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Peridance KnJ Theater, Martha Graham Studio Theater, and Center for Performance Research. Kanon was selected as an Eryc Taylor New Choreographers Grant Awardee. Most recently, Kanon produced looseKANONdance’s sold out show, P L A S T I C, that received rave reviews and was notably featured by Playbill.

A 12 year ADFA Company Member, MacKenzie is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in media and video production. While at Marymount she was acknowledged for her work in her concentration and was honored as a Gold Key nominee, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She was a recipient a NYCDAF college scholarship and has received awards from Charlotte Ballet for technique and choreography. MacKenzie has had the privilege to study and work with Twyla Tharp, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, Alberto Del Saz, Nancy Lushington, and Laura Glen. Post graduation, MacKenzie has had many opportunities to work as a producer and editor for virtual galas in NYC. MacKenzie now spends her time dancing as a member of Baran Dance Company in Charlotte. ADFA is thrilled to have MacKenzie back in her home studio sharing her passion and knowledge as a dance instructor.

Maddy, an 8 year ADFA Company Member, attended Elon University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Dance Science and Exercise Science. She keeps herself very busy traveling and participating in tap intensives such as Tap Kids in Vermont, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and North Carolina Tap Ensemble in Chapel Hill. In 2021 Maddie was accepted as an Education Intern with Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte, NC. She is now working full time for Blumenthal as a Customer Service Agent.

We love following Maddy’s amazing journey and are proud to have been a small part of it.

An ADFA Company Member alumni, Hannah graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. In her time at UNCSA, under the leadership of Susan Jaffe, she performed in a diverse repertoire including works by Martha Graham, Trisha Brown, Kira Blazek, Kelly Maxner and Marius Petipa. As a student she spent her summers training at rigorous summer intensives including the Kyoto International Dance Festival Workshop in Japan, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Ballet Austin, and the American Dance Festival. She is currently working at the Dance Place in DC and she teaches ballet at a local VA studio. Hannah has been a member of Gin Dance Company since 2017.

A 15 year ADFA Company Member, Kaitlyn earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography and Performance with Dance Education concentration fro the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also earned her Professional Educator’s License enabling her to reach dance at K-12 schools. During her tie at UNCG, Kaitlyn worked as a research assistant and helped Dr. Teresa Helland complete her book, Leaping into Dance Literacy through The Language of Dance, which will support educators in the teaching of Language of Dance by providing activity ideas and lesson plans. She also completed her certification in the Language of Dance Foundations 1 & 2 courses through the Language of Dance Center, and will continue to pursue her interest in Language by Dance by completing the LOD Master Practitioner A, B, and C courses. Currently, Kaitlyn is a Secondary Dance Teacher at Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte and is working with Dr. Teresa Helland with developing a chapter to be published in the Handbook of Dance Education Research edited by Overby, Lepczyk, and Green.

Melody was an ADFA Company Member for 8 years. She attended Visual Performing Arts Center, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude while also earning her Associate Degree in Science. To refine her technique and further her studies, Melody attended Boston Conservatory at Berklee under the direction of Cathy Young and Tommy Neblett. She supplemented her training by attending summer workshops, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Bates Dance Festival, Bodytraffic, Countertechnique’s One Body One Career in Amsterdam, and Springboard Danse Montréal. In December 2019, Melody completed her BFA at Boston Conservatory at Berklee while dancing with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Professional Program (2019-2020). Melody also received her Royal Academy of Dance Teacher Certification in 2020. In her recent years of work, Melody has had the opportunity to study and perform works by William Forsythe, Doug Varone, Kyle Abraham, José Limón, Fernando Melo, Adam Barruch, Rena Butler, Jonathan Alsberry, and Ryan Mason. Most recently, Melody performed with Aszure Barton & Artists in opera Tannhauser at LA Opera.

An 8 year ADFA Company Member, Rebecca Klaft is a graduate from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in dance. Rebecca had a concentration in modern dance and continues to pursue this passion. She has continued to grow her knowledge in dance by going to advanced education workshops like One Body One Career with Countertechnique, and wants to be persistent in strengthening her skills and understanding of her art form. Rebecca has also stepped into pursing other job experiences to widen her knowledge on the business world. She has many interests and tries to acknowledge them to keep growing in all areas of work life. Rebecca has a love for helping others and likes the customer aspect of getting to do so. She hopes to continue in expanding both her business jobs and dance world.

A 13 year ADFA Company Member, Amelia Atteberry is a freelance contemporary dancer based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from North Carolina, Amelia began their formal dance training in the high school contemporary dance program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). After continuing into the college program, they graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2019. While at UNCSA, they performed pieces by Robyn Mineko Williams, Larry Keigwin, Shen Wei and Martha Graham. Amelia has continued their dance training by attending international dance workshops including the One Body, One Career CounterTechnique intensive, the B12 summer dance workshop, the ImPulsTanz international dance festival and the Kyoto International Dance Workshop Festival. Since moving to NYC they have performed works with JKing Dance Company, Dance Visions NY and Catherine Tharin.

Will began his dance career at ADFA when he was just a little boy. Throughout school, he participated in sports while also attending dance class. As he grew into his dance technique, he realized that dance was becoming a priority. He became an ADFA Company member and began competing at events such as NUVO and NYCDA. These experiences exposed him to a world of opportunities. In 2020 Will was accepted into the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and began a full time high school curriculum that propelled him into the professional world of dance. Will is currently a Junior at UNCSA and plans a career in dance after graduation.