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CityDance Ensemble, Inc. Staff
Paul Gordon
Emerson, Artistic Director &
Co-Founder
Paul Gordon Emerson moved to Washington for what was supposed to
be a brief stopover while waiting for his first posting in the U.S.
Foreign Service. He ended up serving as Legislative Director to the
late Thomas M. Foglietta (D-PA) for seven years and liaison to the
House Armed Services Committee. Mr. Emerson has worked on more than
20 federal campaigns, including races for the White House, Senate,
and House of Representatives. He is a published author on defense
and foreign policy, and is a former radio broadcaster, having served
as a news director, disk jockey, and sports announcer for several
radio stations in Ohio. Mr. Emerson has traveled nationally as a professional photographer, specializing in industrial photography. He has worked as a journeyman in construction and design and dabbles in bronze as a sculptor. He served as Executive Director for CityDance
Ensemble from 1996-2004 and has been Artistic Director since 2000.
During his tenure with CityDance Ensemble, the company has been named
a “Top 25 To Watch” worldwide by Dance Magazine, won
the 2003 DC Mayors Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and
the 2005 DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts,
created one of the largest and most successful education outreach
programs in the region, launched CityDance FilmWORKS, and opened
the CityDance Centers at Strathmore and Mt. Vernon
Square. In 2006, Mr. Emerson received the Pola Nirenska Award for
Artistic Excellence in Dance. His God children Aidan and Nathan are his real pride and joy. (top)
Email: pemerson@mac.com
Phone: 202.347.3909
Alexandra Nowakowski, Executive Director
Alexandra Nowakowski is responsible for CityDance Ensemble’s
overall business and financial operations including strategic planning,
business development, fundraising, and marketing, working closely
with the Artistic Director and the Board to ensure that the organization's
artistic and programmatic goals are supported by a viable strategic
and operational plan. After ten years of professional experience
in the for-profit sector, Alexe made the transition to providing
professional services to the dance community. As former Vice President
of Product Development for MarketResearch.com and a Sales Operations
manager for WorldCom (now Verizon), Alexe
uses her broad business background to implement the best-practices
of financial, operational and marketing strategies for CityDance.
(top)
Email: alexe@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
Lorraine Audéoud Spiegler,
Director of Studio Education
Lorraine Spiegler has 25 years of experience in the dance field
as an educator, director, and choreographer.
Ms. Spiegler holds a B.A. in Dance cum laude (1979) as well as
Masters in Dance and Arts Management
(1991) from American University. She began her studies at the Washington
School of Ballet under the
direction of Mary Day. Ms. Spiegler is the co-founder of The Washington
Ballet’s DanceDC Program and
served as the organization’s first Director of Education
and Outreach from 1999-2001.
Ms. Spiegler returns to the U.S. after working at the Escola Americana
do Rio de Janeiro as a Dance
and Language Specialist. She has completed numerous Brazilian projects,
among them serving as a
choreographer-in-residence for Richard Cragun’s Ballet DeAnima,
co-creating the Goucher College
international study abroad course “History and Practice of
Brazilian Dance,” and functioning as a dance
education advisor for Centro de Movimento Deborah Colker. (top)
Email: lorraine@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Christopher K. Morgan,
Rehearsal Director
Christopher is a choreographer, performer, and arts facilitator who divides his time between New York and Washington, DC. His work stems from a belief in the urgency of art in an increasingly isolating, commercial, and digital world. Said to be "charming and poignant" by The New York Times, he has been presented in Germany, Lithuania, Ireland, Poland, Hong Kong, and throughout the U.S. In addition to his work for CityDance Ensemble, Christopher creates work through New York based pick up dance company Muse, which he founded in 2005. Christopher is also the Director of the Dance Omi International Dance Collective, an annual 3-week collaborative residency for professional dancer/ choreographers. Teaching credits include Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Shawbrook (Ireland), Iwanson Schule (Munich), Stephens College, Western Kentucky University, and lectures for the Alliance of Artist Communities, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, New York City Ballet’s Education Department, and Dance Theater Workshop. He recently served on an NEA funding panel. Performing credits include David Gordon, Fabulous Beast Dance Theater (Ireland/UK), Malashock Dance & Co., Verb Ballets, Selfish Shellfish (Germany), as a soloist with the Washington National, Houston Grand, San Diego and New York City Operas, and continued work as a Guest Artist for the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.
This season, Christopher is also a panelist for the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Classics in Context series, joining some of DC's other leading players in the arts and political spectrum to respond to work created onstage at the Shakespeare Theatre Company.
(top)
Email: christopher@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
Letitia Hays,
Director of Operations
Letitia Hays began her formal dance training locally at the Suitland Center for Visual and Performing Arts. Continuing on to pursue her love of dance though academia, Ms. Hays delved into a myriad of dance studies, finally focusing on Dance Ethnography at Florida International University in Miami where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and Religious Studies. Ms. Hays returned to the DC metro area to accept a fellowship from American University where she graduated with a Masters in Choreography and Performance and a Certificate in Arts Management. A little luck from the cosmos brought Ms. Hays to CityDance, where a semester internship while finishing her Masters blossomed into an abounding year of growth with the company. During her tenure, Ms. Hays has undertaken many roles with CityDance, including Project and Business Management, managing the CityDance Center at Strathmore, and most recently Director of Operations for CityDance Ensemble, Inc. (top)
Email: letitia@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
Betsy Lundgren,
Director of Marketing
Betsy Lundgren grew up in Wisconsin where she studied dance, piano, voice,
and theatre while performing with Wisconsin Dance Ensemble, Performing Arts
for Children, and several other dance and theatre companies. She attended the
University of Wisconsin – Madison where she earned a B.A. in Journalism
and Communication Arts. While in college, Betsy began dancing with Jazzworks
Dance Company and remained a member of the company for five years. Betsy returned
to the University of Wisconsin – Madison
to pursue a M.A. in Business through the Bolz Center for Arts Administration.
Before moving to Washington, D.C., she worked in the marketing department of
the Madison Symphony Orchestra. She joined CityDance in June 2006 and is happy
to be working with the company as the Director of Marketing. (top)
Email: betsy@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
Asanga Domask,
Director of Finance
Asanga Domask grew up in Sri Lanka, where she devoted most of her
childhood to the art of traditional Sri Lankan dance. She has performed
in numerous national dance competitions in Sri Lanka and has won
various awards in these events. In 1993, Ms. Domask moved to the
United States to attend Mary Baldwin College in Virginia where
she earned a B.A. in Economics. After completing her degree, she
began working at the World Wildlife Fund as a financial analyst.
In April 2003, she left the financial field to pursue a M.A. in
Dance at American University. Over the years, Ms. Domask has worked
with many renowned choreographers including Vladimir Angelov and
Peter Dimuro, and has choreographed and performed in many events
in the greater DC area. She has also taught Sri Lankan dance as
a guest artist at the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and at the National
Teen Institute Conference, and also teaches Early Childhood Dance
at the CityDance Center. She was the Assistant Manager before assuming
her current position as Manager for CityDance Center at Strathmore.
(top)
Email: asanga@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
Marla Moffet, Director of Individual Giving & Major Gifts
A native of the Washington, DC area, Marla is amazed at how dance continues to open her world. It all started one summer when she donned a wool kilt, laced up her gillies, and performed the Sword Dance at the Virginia Scottish Games. Now, over twenty years later, Marla has competed at Highland games across the country, studied in Scotland with world-renowned teachers Jesse Stuart Haggarty and Christine Lacey, and taught these traditional steps to children in the U.S. and France. Marla graduated from Rice University, where she pursued a double major in art/art history and French. She later became Director of Development & Operations for the French-American Cultural Foundation, an American nonprofit organization located at the Embassy of France in Washington. She worked closely with the Foundation's President and the Embassy's Cultural Attaché to secure funding for its activities and to support its world-class artists. Marla is delighted to have the opportunity to serve in a similar capacity with CityDance Ensemble, while enjoying her involvement in the dance community. (top)
Email: marla@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
Johanna Seltzer, Interim Director of School Administration
Biography to come. (top)
Email: johanna@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Kate Jordan, Outreach Manager
Kate is a Washington, DC and Philadelphia-based dance artist who holds an MFA in Dance from the State University of New York at Brockport where she focused on Dance Education and Performance. She currently dances for the CityDance Ensemble Studio Company, Bosma Dance, and Deviated Theatre in DC. In Philadelphia she has danced with MERGE Dance/Meghan Durham, 7Dance Company, At Marah Dance Theatre, and Gwendolyn Bye's Dancefusion in Philadelphia. She recently had the privilege of touring solo work by choreographer Tara Madsen in Greece and Italy. Kate has also been on faculty to DeSales University, Messiah Dance Works, Jeanne Ruddy Dance and CityDance Center at Strathmore. (www.katejordan.net)
(top)
Email: katej@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Michelle Sarson, Manager, The Madeira School
Biography to come. (top)
Phone: 301.581.5204
Dina Ghandour, Marketing & Development
Associate
Originally from Palestine, Dina grew up in the United Arab
Emirates where her interest in dance began with traditional Arabic
Folk Dance. She later joined a hip hop troupe, performing in cities
including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In 2007, Dina graduated from Duquesne
University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she earned her Bachelors
Degree in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Studio
Art and a certificate in International Business Administration. While
in Pittsburgh, Dina was highly involved in both Duquesne University's
theater and musical theater companies as a performer, choreographer,
dancer, singer, and board member. Upon moving to Washington, DC,
Dina joined City Dance as marketing intern in June 2007. Dina began
her position as Marketing and Development Associate in August 2007
and is excited to be involved with CityDance Ensemble. (top)
Email: dina@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
Brittany Kneussl , Assistant Manager, CityDance Center at Strathmore
Brittany Lea Kneussl grew up in Kingsville, Maryland. Her love for dance began at the age of two at a local studio, and this passion has remained with her throughout her life. She continued her dance education at George Mason University where she received her B.F.A. in Dance and was awarded the honor of Overall Outstanding Achievement in the Major. Her summers were spent in New York City studying on scholarship at the Tisch School of the Arts Summer Dance Program and The Paul Taylor Intensive. Brittany has worked with choreographers such as Lar Lubovitch, Doug Varone, David Parsons, Danny Bureaczski, Kate Skarpetowska, and local choreographers Susan Shields and Dan Joyce. After studying dance in New York City, Brittany came back to the Washington, DC area to pursue her dream of teaching dance. She joined the CityDance staff in 2006 as a DREAM outreach and In-studio teacher and has since become the Assistant Manager of CityDance Centers and the Summer Camp Manager. (top)
Email: brittany@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Kelli Thompson, Outreach Program Manager
Kelli Thompson was raised in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, where her passion and love for dance were discovered and nurtured at Dance Dynamics. She continued her education at Towson University, where she graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance, and received the Jim Snyder Award for Technical Excellence. During her time at Towson, Kelli performed both soloist and corps roles in pieces choreographed by Paul Taylor, Jawole Willa Jo Zolar, Dana Tai Soon Burgess, and Nai Ni Chen, as well as various other local choreographers. Upon graduating, Kelli taught in various studios, served on the Acces to Arts committee in NJ, and worked as a Program Intern and Dance Facilitator for Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care in Washington D.C. She recently joined the CityDance staff as a Program Administrator for Outreach, and is looking forward to her work in the DC Arts community. (top)
Email: kelli@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Liz Gahl, Program Assistant, CityDance Center at Strathmore
Elizabeth Gahl is a graduate of Georgetown University with a B.A. in Psychology with minors in Theology and Pre-Medicine. As a scholarship student at the Washington School of Ballet, she frequently danced with the Washington Ballet Company in soloist and corps de ballet roles and performed principal roles in school productions. Awards and recognitions include the Lisa Gardiner Scholarship Award from the Washington School of Ballet, the Grand Prix Award at the Philadelphia Regional Competition of Youth America Grand Prix in 2002, and WUSA-TV's Amazing Kids in 2001. Ms. Gahl's choreography has been performed at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater and Millennium Stage, the Youth America Grand Prix Competition, and the Peabody Institute's Spring Showcase at Friedberg Hall. She is thrilled to be a part of the CityDance team working to share and celebrate our love of dance. (top)
Email: liz@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Kate McDonald, Outreach Program Assistant
Biography to come. (top)
Email: katem@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Susan Burt, Registrar & Conservatory Liasion
Susan Burt holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Toronto and taught for 15 years as a teacher before moving on to executive management positions with different corporate companies. During this time she acquired her intermediate/advanced accounting degree from the University of New York. In 2001 she retired as the Director of Risk Management for Premcor Oil Company and moved with her husband to San Francisco. There she developed the pastoral care program for Grace Cathedral and directed their homeless and outreach/inreach programs in the city and state prison system. In October 2007, Susan moved to Washington, DC, where she now works for CityDance Ensemble at CityDance Center at Strathmore as Registrar and Conservatory Liaison. (top)
Email: susan@citydance.net
Phone: 301.581.5204
Rebecca Taylor, Production Manager
Rebecca Ann Taylor is proud to be joining CityDance as production manager. She also works with local theatre companies such as Woolly Mammoth, Signature, Theater J, and Shakespeare Theatre. After a summer with American Dance Festival at the turn of the century, she is glad to be with a dance company again! (top)
Email: rebecca@citydance.net
Phone: 202.347.3909
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