Modern Faculty

Elizabeth Koeppen-Kalosieh

Elizabeth Koeppen-Kalosieh, former Associate Artistic Director of Parsons Dance, was born and raised in Virginia Beach, VA, where she began her training with Judith Hatcher and Darlene Kelly. She continued her education at SUNY Purchase where she received her B.F.A. under the instruction of Gayle Young, Larry Clarke, Kevin Wynn, Rosanna Seravalli and Betti-Jane Sills. Teaching credits for The Parsons Dance Company include SUNY Purchase, The Juilliard School, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, The 92nd Street Y, the New Arts Festival, Baltimore School of the Arts, Peridance and Dancespace. Ms. Koeppen has staged works by Mr. Parsons on numerous companies including the Milwaukee Ballet, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Repertory Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Louisville Ballet and Roland Petit’s Ballet National de Marseille. She would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support. Ms. Koeppen joined The Parsons Dance Company in 1989, and joined the NJDTE modern faculty in 2015.

Jessica Sgambelluri

Jessica Sgambelluri is a BFA graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she was selected to perform Alwin Nikolais’ works in China’s Yang Liping International Dance Festival. Upon graduating, she joined Graham 2, where she was the recipient of the Pearl Lang Award. Since then, she has danced for Caterina Rago Dance Company, ARIM Dance, TED Talks Live, and Odyssey Dance Theatre. She currently dances with The Metropolitan Opera, Limón Dance Company, and Buglisi Dance Theatre. Jessica has been a part of Jacqulyn Buglisi’s “Moss” anthology since it’s creation in 2016 and has assisted in the development process during residencies with UCSB and Marymount. She is a part-time faculty member at Peridance Capezio Center and the Martha Graham School.

Bradley Shelver

Bradley Shelver (South Africa) trained at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg and at The Ailey School in New York. He has danced with the Ailey II, Elisa Monte Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, The Francesca Harper Project, Limón Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theater (UK) and in projects with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co., Lar Lubovich Dance, The Universal Ballet, Radio City Music Hall, and in productions with the Mark Morris Dance Group. He currently dances as a principal with the The Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Mr. Shelver is an international touring solo artist and has choreographed works for companies in the USA, Israel, Sweden, Denmark, South Africa and Italy, including; Richmond Ballet, Ailey II, Ballet Austin, Lustig Dance Theater, Compania Rio Danca, New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, Cape Dance Company, Cedar Lake 2, Sobers & Godley Dance, as well as creating works for the Royal Danish, Royal Swedish Ballet Schools, Joffrey Ballet School, The Ailey School, Boston Conservatory, and Long Island University.

He is the founder of Bradley Shelver Contemporary Dance Theater. From 2013-2016, he was the Artistic Director of the STEPS Repertory Ensemble and the Production Director for Steps on Broadway. He is currently the Artistic Director of The Brooklyn Dance Festival Company. Mr Shelver is on the faculty of schools and universities worldwide including ABT/JKO, Limòn Institute, Royal Danish and Royal Swedish Ballet Schools, Ateballeto, Mathew Bourne’s “Adventures in Motion Pictures”, The Ailey School, La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts, Joffrey Ballet School, Bikuratim (Israel), Centro Coregrafico (Brazil) , DAR Jazz Academy (Russia) among others. He is a certified ballet teacher with the ABT National Training Curriculum. He was co-producer and curator for the annual REVERBdance Festival from 2010-2016 and has written a monthly column for Dance Spirit Magazine. His book, “Performance Through the Dance Technique of Lester Horton” is available worldwide.

Michelle Fleet

A native of the Bronx, New York, Michelle Fleet began dancing at the age of four under the tutelage of Lee Aca Thompson, she continued her training at Ballet Hispánico, while attending Talent Unlimited H.S. Michelle Fleet earned her B.F.A from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College. Ms. Fleet joined Taylor 2 in 1999 and made her debut with the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 2002. During her 18 year tenure with the Paul Taylor Dance Company Ms. Fleet performed in 72 works in over 90 various roles choreographed by Mr. Taylor. Recognized for her versatility, musicality, strength and sensitivity to movement, Michelle Fleet is described in the New York Times by Gia Kourlas as “Strong and musically sensitive, dances as if movement is melting off her body.” Ms. Fleet has been featured in commissioned works by Larry Keigwin, Doug Elkins, Doug Varone, Brian Arias, Margie Gillis, Pam Tanowitz and Kyle Abraham. She has also performed in works by Bill T. Jones, Merce Cunningham, Kevin Wynn and Corbin Dances. In 2019 Ms. Fleet was honored as a Bronx Dance Icon, she has been highlighted in Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, Self, Elle, TimeOut and other notable publications. In 2006 Ms. Fleet earned her M.B.A in Business administration from NYIT. As an entrepreneur Ms. Fleet is founder and CEO of Suri & Caya Fiber Art Designs. Ms. Fleet is also a co-founder of the Asbury Park Dance Festival.

Patrick Coker

Patrick Coker (Chester, VA) was awarded the American Ballet Theatre’s National Trainee Scholarship from 2008 to 2010. In May 2014 Coker graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, where he apprenticed with Ailey II in his final year. After graduation, he danced for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and went on to join Jessica Lang Dance. He has also performed with The Mark Morris Dance Group in The Hard Nut and L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, Hope Boykin Dance, and LA-based BODYTRAFFIC. He was one of Jessica Lang’s rehearsal associates in the creation of her ballet EN for the Ailey company in 2018. Mr. Coker joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2019. Follow him on instagram: @pcoke.

Justin Dominic

Justin Dominic , a native of Newark, NJ, began his formal dance training at Newark Arts High School. In addition, he was a fellowship student at the Ailey School and attended summers at the American Ballet Theater and Joffrey Ballet School. On a full scholarship, Justin received his B.F.A from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he performed with the Limon Company and works by Mark Morris, Lar Lubovitch, Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine, Donald McKayle, and Larry Keigwin.

After graduating, Justin joined Lustig Dance Theater as a founding member and, later, went on to dance with LaneCoArts, Dance Iquail, Keigwin + Co, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, and Carolyn Dorfman Dance. He also performed with the Mark Morris Group in Hard Nut and the Met Opera Ballet in Aida, Les Troyens, and Orfeo ed Euridice. Justin has worked closely with choreographers and teachers Doug Varone, Alexei Ratmansky, Francesca Harper, Ronald K. Brown, Carolyn Adams, Didy Veldman, Sean Sullivan, and Francesca Harper. Highly devoted to educating the next generation of artists, he teaches contemporary dance, ballet, and the Dancing Classrooms ballroom curriculum in various locations around the United States and abroad.

As a recipient of the Advanced Opportunity Fellowship, Justin received his M.F.A in dance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While finishing graduate school, he directed, choreographed, and produced his first screendance and short-film “unapologetic me: BLACK | GAY | MAN.” Justin is glad to return to the Met Opera Ballet for the 2018/19 production of Marnie.

Michael Trusnovec

Hailed by the New York Times as “one of the world’s most luminous dancers,” Michael Trusnovec grew up dancing on Long Island, graduated from the Long Island High School for the Performing Arts, and earned a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University.

For over two decades, Michael was a Principal Dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, creating over 25 roles with, and appearing in more than 70 dances choreographed by Mr. Taylor. He premiered new works by Larry Keigwin, Doug Elkins, Doug Varone, Lila York, Margie Gillis and Pam Tanowitz, and was featured in the company’s presentation of Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels. Additionally, Mr. Trusnovec was Associate Rehearsal Director, was featured in the 2004 PBS Great Performances: Acts of Ardor and the 2013 Paul Taylor in Paris, and continues to serve as the Director of Worldwide Licensing and as a repetiteur of Mr. Taylor’s dances.

Among his honors are a 2018 Dance Magazine Award, the “Positano Premia La Danza” Dancer of the Year 2016, a 2006 Bessie Award, and in 1992 he was a YoungArts awardee and Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Michael serves on the Board of Directors of Dance Films Association, is a cocurator for the 2020 Dance on Camera at Lincoln Center. He is a National Reviewer and Dance Mentor for YoungArts, and is a co-founder of the Asbury Park Dance Festival. Mr. Trusnovec recently appeared as a Guest Artist with New York City Ballet’s presentation of George Balanchine’s Episodes during their Winter 2020 Season at Lincoln Center.

Cara McManus

Cara trained in her hometown of Falmouth, MA before earning a BFA in Dance and a BA in Comparative Literature from Fordham University and the Ailey School. Post-graduation, she danced with Graham 2 for a year before joining the Martha Graham Dance Company, where she performed in NYC Seasons and on tours for four years. She has also danced with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and with Joshua Beamish’s MOVE/THECOMPANY, as well as being featured in the film The White Wolf by director Sue de Beer. She has taught the Graham technique at Peridance and New Jersey City University, and currently dances with the Caterina Rago Dance Company and teaches at the Graham School.

Maddie Parrish

Maddie Parrish is a dancer, educator, and fitness instructor based in NYC. Favorite credits: Parsons Dance US and International Tours, Crystal Pite’s Polaris (US Premiere) at NY City Center Finding Neverland Broadway National Tour (Peter Pan/Ensemble. Additionally, Maddie has performed works by Sonya Tayeh, Trey McIntyre, and Paul Taylor. She received her BFA in Dance Performance from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Belinda McGuire

Belinda McGuire is an American-Canadian dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Belinda

McGuire Dance Projects, based in Brooklyn. Her choreography has been supported by the Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation, Brooklyn Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and presented across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A former student of the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, she completed her formal education at The Juilliard School.

Established in 2007, Belinda McGuire Dance Projects (BMDP) supports the research, development, production, and presentation of international and collaborative multidisciplinary dance performance as a means to stimulate the conscientious capacity of wide-ranging publics through exposure to creative experimentation and artistic excellence. Through BMDP, Belinda has commissioned and performed in world premieres by Kate Alton, Sylvain Émard, Andrea Miller, Sharon Moore, Idan Sharabi, Doug Varone, and Emio Greco | Pieter C. Scholten. In 2013, she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance in The Heist Project. Additionally, Belinda has performed as a company member for Doug Varone and Dancers, Gallim Dance, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY and The José Limón Dance Company, appearing on stages across Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United States.

Formal residencies for Belinda McGuire Dance Projects include Centre de Création O Vertigo, Éspace Marie Chouinard, International Choreographic Arts Centre Amsterdam, James Sewell Ballet Company, National Ballet of Canada’s Choreographic Workshop, New Dialect, New York State & Province of Quebec Artist-in-Residence Exchange Program, ODC San Francisco, Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, Springboard Danse Montréal and the Bessie Schönberg Residency at the Yard in Martha’s Vineyard. She has taught and choreographed as a guest artist for Brooklyn Ballet, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal, The Juilliard School, The Limón Institute, Marymount Manhattan College, Canada’s National Ballet School, New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and State University of New York at Purchase.

Elizabeth Roxas

Elizabeth Roxas was born in Manila and became the youngest member of Ballet Philippines. After receiving scholarships to Joffrey, Graham and The Ailey School, she danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ohad Naharin and Joyce Trisler Dance Company before joining Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where she was a principal dancer from 1984-1997. She was the first Filipina ever to dance with that Company. The New York Times described her as “a cool, still, lyrical center of the Ailey storm.” While dancing, Roxas worked with many of the most significant choreographers, including, Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Jerome Robbins, Talley Beatty, Lar Lubovitch, John Butler, Ulysses Dove and Judith Jamison. Roxas performed in the Emmy award-winning PBS specials “Two by Dove” and Judith Jamison’s “A Hymn for Alvin Ailey” among others, and was featured in a 1997 Dance Magazine cover article and named by Avenue Magazine as one of the 500 most influential Asian-Americans. After leaving Ailey as a dancer, Roxas was asked to perform on Broadway in The King and I as Eliza and went back to concert dancing and made several guest appearances in the United States and abroad as well as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has worked with Anna Deveare Smith at the Graduate School of New York University and was Movement Coordinator for Ms. Smith’s last show “Let Me Down Easy” and has choreographed in regional theaters and off Broadway. She has taught at Tisch School of the Arts through CAP21 and was guest faculty at Harvard University in 2010. She is involved on an ongoing basis in restaging ballets of Alvin Ailey works and is an integral part of the Ailey legacy. At the Ailey School, as part of the faculty, she has taught the Actor’s Studio Class and regularly teaches the Horton Technique.

She is married to Robert Z. Dobrish, a prominent matrimonial attorney in Manhattan.

Kate Skarpetowska

Kate Skarpetowska started dancing at age 13 in her native city of Warsaw, Poland. Two years later, she was cast in a first-ever Polish musical entitled METRO. Directed and choreographed by Janusz Jozefowicz with music by Janusz Stoklosa, the show was an instant hit at the Dramatic Theater in Warsaw. On April 16th, 1992, the show had its Broadway premiere at The Minskoff Theater where now 15-year-old Skarpetowska was the youngest cast member. After the show closed, Skarpetowska enrolled in the NYC High School of Performing Arts, graduating in 1995, and then went on to study at the prestigious Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. After graduating with a BFA in Dance, she immediately joined Parsons Dance Company, where from 1999 until 2006 she performed lead roles in the company’s repertory, including the iconic Caught. From 2006 until 2008, Skarpetowska was a guest member of The Battleworks Dance Company, founded by her former colleague at Parsons Dance and the present artistic director of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Robert Battle. In 2007, she was one of two featured dancers during the Glimmerglass Opera Festival, and in 2008 she toured Italy with Why Be Extraordinary If You Can Be Yourself, a show by Daniel Ezralow. In 2009, she co-designed and co-directed Romeo and Juliet for The Gunter Theater in Greenville, SC. Since 2007, she has been working for The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, performing at many reputable venues such as New York City’s City Center, Washington DC’s Kennedy Center and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater. Skarpetowska has also appeared as a guest artist with Buglisi Dance Theater since 2009. She has had the privilege of working as a repetiteur and assistant to the choreographer for Lar Lubovitch, David Parsons and Robert Battle, setting works on AAADT, Introdans, Company C, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, SUNY Purchase, and The Juilliard School. Her own choreography has been performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater II, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Parsons Dance, Buglisi Dance Theater, Hubbard Street 2, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Big Muddy Dance Company, Patricia Kenny Dance Collection, Ailey/Fordham, Marymount Manhattan College, George Mason University, Ohio University, Kansas University and New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble. Skarpetowska is also a freelance teacher holding workshops throughout the world. She resides in New York City.

Nancy Lushington

NANCY LUSHINGTON graduated with departmental honors in dance from Adelphi University. She danced as a soloist with the May O’Donnell Concert Dance Company for over 15 years. She has performed professionally with the Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Theater Dance Collection, The Asolo Opera, and Verlezza Dance, as well as in Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” at the Kennedy Center. She has appeared on television in May O’Donnell’s Dance Energies, Mass, and was a featured dancer in a national commercial choreographed by Lynne Taylor Corbett. She is one of the few dancers who set Ms. O’Donnell’s works both in the US and abroad. She has choreographed over 30 works for colleges, universities and regional companies. Ms. Lushington teaches internationally annually in Cyprus, Graz Austria and at Bolzano Danza in Italy. She has also taught Master Classes in Ferrara, Barcelona, London and throughout the United States. She has served on the faculty at Adelphi University, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and The New York School for Film and Television, Stephens College and was the Artistic Director of the Dance In Education Fund, Inc for 19 years. She is currently Assistant Professor of Dance at Marymount Manhattan College, and Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the O’Donnell Green Foundation for Music and Dance.

Fabrice Lamego

Fabrice Lamego joined Elisa Monte Dance 1998 as a dancer and has served as Rehearsal Director and Assistant to the Director for the company. Fabrice has won acclaim for his technical and artistic proficiency and for the energy and sheer joy that infuses his performances. An alumnus of the Alvin Ailey School, which he attended on a French government scholarship, Fabrice also won First Prize in the 1996 National Competition of Dance in Paris. Fabrice has taught dance in New York; New Jersey; Barbados; Bratislava, Slovak Republic; Lyon, France; Paris, France; London, UK; and Guadeloupe French West Indies. Fabrice has danced in Russia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Singapore, The Philippines, Barbados, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Brazil, London, and through out the United States. Fabrice has created a work for the Elisa Monte Dance Company as well as works for the Ailey School, and his works Requiem and L’Envol are in the NJDTE Repertory. He is currently the director of Pilates Pour Tous Studio.