Faculty
Past and Present
Rosie Lanziero
Founder/director Rosie Lanziero is a working professional artist. She has been involved in the performing arts her entire life, with Broadway, film, commercial, studio session, theater and professional dance credits under her belt. She a graduate of the Harkness Dance Education Laboratory and holds a degree in Arts Education and Clinical Counseling (pending). Rosie’s style of teaching comes directly from her love of life and artistic expression. She has a pure, honest and uninhibited creative energy which cannot help but be passed on to her faculty and students.
“When I see them embracing the entire creative process – feeling it in their bodies, writing about it, singing it, asking for more, that’s when I know they are getting it, that it belongs to them and will stay with them throughout their lifetimes.” RL
Mary-Angela Granberry
“Mary-Angela Granberry is a contemporary and commercial dance artist and instructor. Originally from Illinois, she received her formal training at Faubourg School of Ballet under the direction of Watmora Casey and Tatiana Mazur, and has trained in commercial hip hop and contemporary styles with top choreographers in Los Angeles and New York City. Ms. Granberry’s professional credits include The Tonight Show, Avon Cosmetics, Creme of Nature, Beyoncé on Oprah’s 24th Season special, Lollapalooza Music Festival, Google/YouTube, Sexy Hair, music videos, and national tour with Fetty Wap dancing with RGF recording artist, Inas X. As a concert dancer, Ms. Granberry has had the opportunity to perform and showcase works by Ellenore Scott (ELSCO Dance), Aszure Barton, Breton Tyner-Bryan, Randy Duncan, Kidd Pivot, and ChuThis. Most recently, Mary-Angela has appeared in a social media campaign for Segura Viudas with Lion Babe, debuted her acting skills in two commercial ads for tampon company Lola, and had the pleasure of working an immersive theater premiere event in L.A. for the TNT show, “I Am The Night”.
As an instructor, Ms. Granberry has coached and choreographed top placing dancers at Youth America Grand Prix’s NYC finals, IDTA (IL Dance Team Association- High School), and at such institutions as Visceral Dance Center, Peridance, Mark Morris Dance School (assistant), The Ailey Extension (assistant) and master classes in Chicago, Michigan, and the NYC Tri-state area. She has had the opportunity to learn from such teachers and choreographers as Finis Jhung, Yanis Marshall, Randy Duncan, Luam, Peter Chu, and Barton Movement (Charissa, Cherice, Aszure Barton), to name a few. Recently, she has discovered a love for fitness dance and teaching dance movement to adults at Equinox and London-born studio, At Your Beat in Downtown Brooklyn.
Mary-Angela aims to spread her joy, love, knowledge, and passion for dance to all she gets than chance to meet and teach. Her motto is “Anyone can dance once you allow yourself the freedom to just move”.
Juan Michael Porter II
Fairul Zahid
Scott Willits
Jayson Vasquez
Jayson “Mighty Mouse” Vasquez was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He started his dance career in the subways of Time Square train station dancing for money. From the streets to the professional dance world, Mouse has worked with the likes of Tyler Perry and Rennie Harris. His Film/TV credits include Good Morning America 25th anniversary, USA Net Work commercial “Show Us Your Character”, and VH1 Hip Hop Honor Awards Dancing for Grand Master Caz. He has also danced for modern theater companies such as Eleo Pomare Dance Company, Louis Johnson Dance Company, and has also Co-choreographed on the Joan Miller Dance Company. Mouse is also a Ballet Hispanico alumni. Currently, Mouse is teaching master classes that educate students about the true essence of hip hop dance, culture, and history.
Kendra Ross
Kendra Ross is a dancer and teaching artist from Detroit, MI. She started her dance career as a Afro-Cuban folklore dancer with Danys ‘La Mora’ Perez with whom she was an honorary member of the children’s company Adian Mode. She received a BFA from Ailey/Fordham University in Dance where she performed the works of Sean Curran, Alvin Ailey, Nathan Trice, and Jacquline Buglisi. She has worked with Oyu Oro, Andrea E. Woods/ Souloworks, Genesis Dance Company, Vissi Dance Theater, Ase Dance Theater Collective, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, and Sonic Leroy and Motionsickness with Monstah Black. Kendra is currently a company member of Urban Bush Women and MBDance. Kendra has been teaching dance in the New York public schools since 2007. Kendra has studied many different styles of dance, so her classes focus on understanding the history, cultural contexts, and idiosyncrasies of those various styles while also recognizing the influences from other genres. Kendra specializes in teaching Hip Hop, Afro-Cuban, Pilates, Contemporary dance.
Spex
Raymond “Spex” Abbiw began developing his style by going to various clubs in the Hip Hop underground dance movement. Through practice and persistence, Spex began to excel in free styling at clubs and parties. In the pursuit of taking his natural dance ability to the professional level, Spex studied with Robin Dunn at Broadway Dance Center and later become her assistant. Since then he has appeared on MTV and has danced for Mariah Carey, Joe, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and many others. In more recent years, Spex has toured Japan and has performed as member of Dance Fusion at Club Vinyl, Central Park Summerstage and others.
Spex breaks down authentic Hip Hop dances from the underground club scene. He covers movement from the 80’s, 90’s and the present. He uses elements of popping, locking, and party dances such as the Reebok, the Biz Mark, the Wop, the Patty Duke and others in his warm up and choreography. Routines are intricate and challenging and ALOT of fun!
Danita Shaheen
Danita Shaheen is a dancer and choreographer who has always drawn inspiration from a wide variety of artistic mediums. She was classically trained in Balanchine technique under the direction of former New York City Ballet soloist David Otto and the Capital Ballet Company. Shaheen has done intensive training with the Boston Ballet, River North Dance Company, Burklyn Ballet, Bates Dance Festival, and Parsons Dance. She graduated magna cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College’s BFA program and has been performing professionally in New York since 2006. During that time she has had the honor of working with Jacobs/Campbell Dance, Ariel Rivka Dance, Dance Cat-alyst, Gehring Dancetheatre, Banana Peel Dance, Tamara Saari Dance, Ryan McNally, Remi Harris, MAD About Dance , H.T. Chen and Dancers, AERA, Beth Soll & Company, Andrea Gise and Dancers, Laura Ward/ Octavia Cup Dance Theatre, and Nina Buisson Contemporary Move. Danita’s own works, including collaborations with various choreographers and artists, have been seen throughout the metropolitan region. Shaheen is a founding member and head choreographer for Dance Riot Rep., a local contemporary dance company. She is also the founder and President of the Alternative Arts Association, a multimedia arts organization and registered 501c3. www.alternativearts.org
Lisa Larson
Josh Kolberg
Joshua recently returned to New York City after dancing on the 2015 National tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other professional credits include Grand Rapids Ballet, the Orlando Ballet, Ballet West, Central Florida Ballet, and Florida Dance Theatre. He also danced with the Walt Disney Company for several years, where he was fortunate enough to dance in various special events for the Disney Parks, and Disney cruise Lines where he danced along side Grammy and Academy Award winner, Jennifer Hudson.
Gierre Godley
Sarah Foster
Jovonna Parks
JOVONNA PARKS is a native of Philadelphia where she began her dance training. The Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center is where she began her intense formal training in ballet, Horton, and Graham techniques. She attended the Ailey/Fordham BFA under the direction of Ana Marie Forsythe and graduated in 2012 with her BFA in dance. While in college JoVonna was a member of Ballet Hispanico’s second company BHdos. Upon graduation she was invited to work with John-Mark Owen Presents – in his premiere of Requiem. She has attended summer intensives including Dance Theater Harlem: Masters and Mentors, Pennsylvania Governor’s School of the Arts and Jacob’s Pillow. She has had the pleasure of working with and performing works by Camille A. Brown, Ronald K. Brown, Donald McKayle, Hofesh Shector, Didy Veldman, Robert Battle and many others. In addition to dancing JoVonna currently teaches at Brighton Ballet Theatre: School of Russian American Ballet at Kingsbourgh and has taught for Jovonna Brooklyn Dance Project, Centerstage East Brunswick and Ballet Inc.
Stephanie Fittro
Timothy Edwards
Tyler Clark
Lauren Blue
Anna Noble
Xavier Townsend
J. Ryan Carroll
J Ryan Carroll had the privilege of training closely under the tutelage of: David Howard, Hilary Cartwright, Peter Schabel, Dame Sonia Arova, Haynes Owens, Laura Alonso, Graciela Kozak, Alexandre Proia, Antoinette Peloso and Diana Laurenson.
At 19 years old he apprenticed with Laura Alonso’s Clasico de la Havana in Havana, Cuba. He went on to dance with Wes Chapman’s Alabama Ballet as a company member, American Repertory Ballet dancing soloist and principal roles, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico as a Principal Soloist in San Juan and with Les Ballets Grandiva as a company member (male roles). He has been a guest artist with Alabama Dance Theater, North West Florida Ballet, Portland Ballet, Mobile Ballet, Western Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico, CoDa21 in San Juan, and Ajkun Ballet Theater in New York City, to name a few. The Ministry of Culture of Puerto Rico invited him to be the Premiere Guest Artist at the 2010 International Dance Festival in San Juan where he danced the Rose in Fokine’s famous “Le Spectre de la Rose” and the Young Man in Roland Petit’s “Le Jeune Homme et la Mort” in the Festival’s Gala performance.
Some of J Ryan’s favorite roles include: Oberon in Katia Garza’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Marius in Les Miserable, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Franz in Coppelia, Cerventes in Don Quixote, Hilarion in Giselle, Cavalier in Nutcracker, Moor in Fokine’s Petruschka, Prince in Cinderella, Twyla Tharp’s Baker’s Dozen, Poet in Jose Pares’ Poeme, Claudius in Hamlet, Alberto Mendez’s Pasion, Dracula in Dracula, Siegfried and Rothbart in Swan Lake, King Triton in Katia Garza’s The Little Mermaid and Tootles in Septime Webre’s Peter Pan.
Theater Credits Include:
Molina in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” with Stephanie Pope and Robert Montano in a tribute for Hal Prince, John Kander and Chita Rivera at the 2018 Chita Awards -restaged and directed by Lloyd Culbreath and produced by ADM21, “The Producers” – Eldorado Theater (Carmen Ghia), “The Producers” – National Tour (Carmen Ghia, Roger u/s performed – Nigel West dir., Lauren Kadel chor. – w/ Susan Stroman original staging/ choreo), National and International Tours: “Fosse”(worked with Ann Reinking, Ben Vereen, Ruthie Henshal), “Pippin”(Utah Shakespeare Festival – Marc Robin dir./chor.), “Pop Goes Broadway” staring Deborah Gibson(Eddie Bennet chor.), “Wizard of Oz” (1st National Tour, performed Madison Square Garden – Dance Captain/ Swing/ Emerald City Guard u/s, performed – Nigel West dir., Leigh Constantine chor., Lauren Kadel assoc. chor & 2nd National Tour – Dance Consultant) “Dr. Dolittle Worshop”( dir. Glenn Casale, Rob Ashford chor., JoAnn Hunter assoc. chor.), “The Merry Widow” (Pritschitsch – Birmingham Opera), “Alls Well That Ends Well” (Ensemble – Utah Shakespeare Festival), and various workshops.
J Ryan has taught ballet based on the David Howard method and Hilary Cartwright’s Yoga Narada throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Indonesia. He has been ballet master for Tracie Stanfield’s Synthesis Dance Project and a company teacher for Ajkun Ballet Theater. He has been on faculty for Broadway Connection and at summer programs for American Academy of Ballet, Synthesis Dance Project, Western Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico, Ajkun Ballet Theater, Alabama Dance Theater, Northwest Florida Ballet, Mobile Ballet, Seiskaya Ballet, International Dance Festival in New York City and Joffrey Ballet (NYC). In 2007, J Ryan was invited to adjudicate for the South African Dance Championships in Durban, South Africa. While in South Africa he taught Cape Town City Ballet II. In 2015, he received invitation to guest teach at the Jakarta Intercultural School in Jakarta, Indonesia. While there he also taught for the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools Dance Exchange. In the summer of 2016, he had the pleasure to adjudicate and teach in Mazatlan, Mexico at Danza Sinaloa Concurso Internacional. He has adjudicated and taught master classes for Dance Educators of America, Dance Masters of America, World Dance Pageant, Starpower, Platinum National Dance Competition and World Dance Championships. He is on guest faculty at Ballet Arts, Broadway Dance Center and Peridance Capezio Center in New York City. TV/ Film/ Voice Over Credits: J Ryan can currently be seen as Jack in the Bollywood biopic film titled “Sanju” out in movie theaters world wide and Brandon in “190 Lorimer “ (Episode Gabe in 4B) on www.pleasantlysurprised.tv He was very honored to be part of and choreograph for Israel Rodriguez’s documentary about the life of Katia Garza titled, “Katia Garza: My Life in Dance.” Other credits include: Casting Director in “Greek Honey Show” (pilot – in post production), Fashion Director in “Love in NY” (Chinese TV), and the voice of John Pickard in “The Bachelors of Broken Hill Farm” a documentary about the life, career and relationship of John Pickard and Frank Provo (in post production).
Ashley Blaire Fitzgerald
Kristina Zaidner
Kristina Zaidner is a graduate of New World School of the Arts High School in Miami, FL and The BFA Dance Program of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Fordham University in New York City. Kristina was most recently performing as a member of the ballet company of the Metropolitan Opera as well as project based companies RudduR Dance under the direction of Christopher Rudd and Arch Dance under the direction of Jennifer Archibald among others. Ms. Zaidner has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Jose Limón, Desmond Richardson, Ron K Brown, Darrell Moultrie, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Thang Dao, and Carolyn Dorfman among many others.
Kristina is currently a Modern dance teacher in the Professional Division of The Ailey School, a teaching artist for Arts in Education programs, the dance coordinator for Unity Stage – a youth musical theater program, and teaches master class series throughout New York City. Ms. Zaidner was the permanent demonstrator for Dudley Williams’ Graham technique class at The Ailey School and aims to preserve Mr. Williams’ philosophy of speaking through movement.
Robert Taylor Jr.
Robert Taylor Jr. is an American entertainer whose goal is to inspire and spread love and peace to people of all ages through music and dance. He was born and raised in Coney Island and developed a love for music and dance as a young child. He went to John Dewey High School and trained under the late John Goring in the styles of Modern, Ballet, Afro Caribbean, and Jazz. During this time, Robert’s first Hip-Hop teacher, also a student of John Goring, was Eddie Morales. He graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Musical Theatre, where he studied the Graham, Horton, and Limon techinques, as well as acting, theater, and other styles of dance. He also performed in several musicals, including New Girl In Town and The Boyfriend.
Later, Robert went on to study with teachers such as Brian Green, The Amountboyz, Jared Grimes, Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie, Eric Jenkins, Jamie Jackson, Future, Eric Negron, and Spex. He performed for Michael Jackson, in 2002 with a singing/dancing group called Uneti.
Robert was selected as one of the nation’s top 20 contestants for Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance, and made it to the top 16. Other credits include American Idol Season 3, So You Think You Can Dance Season 2, MTV’s ‘Say What? Karaoke, Kat Deluna’s Whine Up music video, and the national tour of Hairspray as a singer/dancer/actor in 2008. He has performed for Michael Jackson at Webster Hall for the Sony Music protest party, and danced for L.L. Cool J at Carnegie Hall for the CBS Network Rundown (choreographed by Gio Hubela from Iconic). He also performed with Rihanna as a recording artist/entertainer for the Peace and Love festival in Sweden in 2012. Robert recently performed in Rihanna’s Budweiser commercial with fellow faculty member Anthony Rue II aka AntBoogie. This past summer, he was a part of America’s Got Talent as a finalist with The Mothmen. Recently he worked with Sarah O’Gleby for a Target industrial in which John Legend was the character of The Rat King.
Robert’s latest accomplishment was being in the original Broadway cast of the Tony Award winning musical SpongeBob SquarePants.