TEAM
Alexeya Eyma-Manderson, Grantmaking Manager
Alexeya EM is an interdisciplinary performing artist and energy worker dedicated to raising the collective consciousness through her life and artistry. Her art exists at the intersection of music, choreography, leadership development, performance/event curation, mysticism, and energy work/healing arts. Through the themes of multidimensional expression, divinity, sacred sensuality, black liberation, and the divine feminine, Alexeya creates space for art and experiences that propel communal contemplation and transcendance.
She received a BA in Dance Studies from the University of South Florida with an emphasis on research in Leadership Studies. After which, she danced professionally for Gibney Dance Company and worked as a freelance choreographer, creative director and performance coach in both commercial and concert dance. In 2016, Alexeya founded LEAD: Leadership for Emerging Artist Development, an immersive training program providing emerging artists with tools to cultivate an inclusive leadership presence. She has conducted leadership seminars for NYU School of Professional Studies, MOVE|NYC|, and Gibney Dance Center, amongst others.
Alexeya has been releasing music as an independent recording artist since 2017. Her recent EP ‘ISIS’ explores the themes of cultivating the supreme divine feminine essence through embodied practice. She resides in New York City.
Brinda Guha, Senior Producing Coordinator
Brinda Guha identifies as a non-disabled, caste-privileged, cisgender and queer South-Asian American, and is a Bessie-nominated Kathak dancer for over 20 years. During training and performing for years in the Kathak (Malabika Guha) & Manipuri (Kalavati+ Bimbavati Devi) dance disciplines, as well as Flamenco (Carmen de las Cuevas; Dionisia Garcia) and Contemporary Fusion vocabularies, she co-founded Kalamandir Dance Company in 2010. She's choreographed for many national stages and self-produced original feature-length dance productions which earned her artist residencies at Dixon Place (2018) and Dancewave (2019) to continue to develop work. Now, she is represented by CESD Talent Agency and is pursuing artistic direction, performance and arts education. She trains in Kathak, Manipuri and Contemporary. Her dream of having art meet activism was realized when she created WISE FRUIT NYC, a seasonal live arts installment (est 2017) dedicated to the feminine divine and honoring select women-led organizations, and she is the lead researcher and curator of NCCAkron’s How People Move People Podcast, Season 4. For her day job, she works as the Senior Producing Coordinator for dance service organization based in the values of JEI: Dance/NYC.
Candace Thompson-Zachery, Co-Executive Director
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, now local to Brooklyn, NY, operates between the spheres of dance, cultural production and fitness and wellness, with a focus on the Contemporary Caribbean. She has had an established career as a performer, choreographer, fitness professional, cultural producer, teaching artist, community facilitator and Caribbean dance specialist. In addition to her work in these areas, she leads ContempoCaribe, an ongoing choreography and performance project and is the founder of Dance Caribbean COLLECTIVE, an organisational platform for Caribbean dance in the diaspora that spearheads the New Traditions Festival in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Adelphi University's BFA program for Dance, and has presented, performed and taught at major venues including: Queen's Hall (T&T), John F. Kennedy Center, New York Live Arts, Brooklyn Museum, and The Ohio State University. She was an inaugural member of the Dancing While Black Fellowship Cohort 2015/2016, was an awardee of Adelphi University's 2017 - 10 Under 10 program, and a Dixon Place Artist-in-Residence for fall 2017. As a cultural producer and strategist, Candace has worked with the Dance and Performance Institute of Trinidad and Tobago, WIADCA (NY), Sydnie L. Mosley Dances, Renegade Performance Group, and curator Claire Tancons, for the 2019 Sharjah Biennial. Ms. Thompson-Zachery holds an M.A. in Performance Curation from the ICCP program at Wesleyan University and a certificate from the Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy at UPenn. with National Arts Strategies. Of tantamount importance to her is the vital role dance plays in our communities and she is eager to see dance artists of various styles, practices and traditions thrive in New York City.
Hastings Hill, Senior Manager of Communications
Originally from Memphis, TN, now based in Harlem, Hastings discovered her love of dance at the age of three. As a dancer, she has trained and performed in a variety of disciplines—a highlight being performing in the 2012 London Olympics Closing Ceremony.
In college, she shifted her focus to arts administration and has since worked with a number of companies and organizations including Broadway Dance Center, New Ballet Ensemble & School, Scarabeus Aerial Theatre, Summer Stages Dance at Concord Academy, found movement group, and The PULSE on Tour.
Prior to joining Dance/NYC, she served as the Communications & Membership Manager of St. George's Society of New York where she oversaw communications, fundraising and development strategies for the 252-year-old nonprofit.
Hastings holds a M.A. in Cultural and Creative Industries from King's College London and a B.A. in Human Development in the Arts from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Outside of work, she enjoys travel, food, DIY-ing and a newfound love of anime.
Madalyn Rupprecht, Communications Coordinator
Madalyn Rupprecht (she/they) is a movement-based artist and arts administrator born in Baltimore and now based in Brooklyn. They identify as a white, nondisabled, queer, gender-nonconforming person.
As a performer, Madalyn has performed works by Abby Zbikowski, Alwin Nikolais, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Kathleen Kelley, and Martha Graham, among others. She has performed at the 92nd Street Y; Jacob's Pillow; and The Joyce Theater, and has been selected to present their work at NYU Tisch School of the Arts; Montclair State University; Bridge for Dance's Uptown Rising Performance Series; the Post/Future Performance Festival; and Bailar al Sol International Dance Festival in Puerto Rico. Most recently she was in residence at MOtiVE Brooklyn.
As a dance administrator & marketer, Madalyn has worked with Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Michelle Tabnick PR, Proteo Media + Performance, Eryc Taylor Dance, and Sarah Rose Nordgren. In addition to her work with Dance/NYC, she is currently the Company Manager of Kyle Marshall Choreography. Madalyn graduated magna cum laude from Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Journalism.
Melike Konur, Individual Giving and Cultivation Manager
Melike Konur (she/her/hers) is a passionate artist and arts advocate who considers Leesburg, Virginia, and Istanbul, Turkey, both as her home. She holds a BA in Dance from Point Park University, which paved the way for her ten-year career as a self-managed and producing artist on international performing arts stages.
Currently, Melike serves as a Parent Artist in Residence at BAX. Her personal artistic practice encompasses the conscious liberation of the soul and celebrates the transcendent beauty of the multiracial Black experience through visual poetry.
As a multidisciplinary musical and movement-based artist, Melike possesses a captivating ethereal spirit that she infuses into her creations and relationships. With experience in both the commercial and nonprofit arts sectors, she shines brightest as a vocalist and host in the realms of burlesque and off-Broadway theater.
Melike's skills in administration, leadership, and advocacy have brought her to the vibrant city of New York, where she earned her MA in Arts Management from The New School with honors. She has immersed herself in the lively performing arts scene through collaborations with renowned organizations such as A.I.M by Kyle Abraham and Pentacle, which ultimately led her to join the Dance/NYC team.
Emerging as a force in the industry, Melike is determined to shape the future of the performing arts world for generations to come. She hopes that her multidimensionality will prove to be an asset in dismantling colonial systems and ushering in collective remembrance and the ritual of art as a powerful galvanizing force and catalyst for positive social change.
Melinda Wang, Research and Advocacy Manager
Melinda Wang comes to Dance/NYC with a wide array of experiences in social justice facilitation, social change-driven research, and advocacy and organizing. Through this work, Melinda saw the power of the arts to bring people together, move communities to action, and envision better worlds. As the Research and Advocacy Manager at Dance/NYC, Melinda is excited to build for dance workers so that dance workers can build for New York.
Outside of Dance/NYC, Melinda works with the MinKwon Center for Community Action to conduct equitable research, political education, and community outreach for New York's largest AAPI civic engagement coalition. Prior to these experiences, Melinda served as the Data and Training Coordinator at the New York Civic Engagement Role. There, Melinda bolstered the work of organizers across the state through civic engagement training, data analysis, and coalition building.
Melinda holds a B.A. in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration from Yale University. Melinda is from Southern California and enjoys good food, reading, and public parks.
Monica Steffey, Operations Manager
Monica (she/they) is a Brooklyn based dancer, choreographer, educator, and community activist. They identify as a non-disabled, queer, white, femme. Having graduated Summa Cum Laude from Skidmore College in 2019, with a Bachelor of Science in Dance, Monica has spent the past five years as a freelance dancer and performance artist, sharing their craft internationally from Hungary to Ghana. As an educator, they've had the privilege of leading workshops across the tri-state area at institutions such as Gibney Dance Center and Mignolo Arts Center.
In 2020 Monica founded Wet Hairy Women to bring together a group of artists seeking to uncover and redefine raw truths of womanhood through movement and art. Since then, Monica has worked with over 200 women and allies who have participated in her annual art activist project, No Shave Wovember. Collectively, Monica has created and produced over 13 bodies of work, including their first evening length immersive dance theater production, UNTAMED.
Amidst the challenges of the global pandemic, Monica took on a role leading the largest vaccination effort and COVID-19 relief program in the NYC Metropolitan area under the T2 Program of New York Health and Hospitals. Their commitment extends beyond the stage, working to create avenues and platforms for artists to explore the nuances of bodily autonomy and gender fluidity through inclusive radical feminism and dance-making.
Nadia Khayrallah, Programs Assistant
Nadia Khayrallah is a Lebanese-American dance artist, educator, writer, administrator, and (dis)content creator rooted equally in history and fantasy, form and groove, esoterica and common sense.
Nadia graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Dance and Psychology. Since then, they have presented choreographic work through Arab American National Museum, Time & Space Limited, Little Island NYC, Dixon Place, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Queens College Arts Festival, Screendance Miami, YallaPunk, New York Arab Festival, and Queens Pride, among other venues. Nadia completed artist residencies at Chez Bushwick and Leimay Foundation, co-directed music videos for the artists Zahed Sultan and Alethea, and movement-directed three New York Fashion Week presentations for the designer Tara Babylon. They have performed as a company member with Gotham Dance Theater, Jonah Bokaer Choreography, and Artists by Any Other Name. Nadia is a teaching artist with Dancewave and Dancing Classrooms, working with K-12 students throughout the city. They have published writing with thINKingDANCE, Dance Enthusiast, the Huffington Post, Sukoon Magazine, and Reductress.
Nadia spent three years on Dance/NYC’s Junior Committee, during which they co-organized the “Labor of Love?” Town Hall and the “Words We Use to Talk About Race” discussion at both the Dance/NYC Symposium and the Arts Administrators of Color Convening in DC. They look forward to reconnecting with Dance/NYC’s work as Programs Assistant.
Rithika Ashok, Grantmaking Assistant
Rithika Ashok (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist and arts administrator originally from Northern Virginia and currently residing in NYC. She has been trained in the Indian classical art form of Bharatanatyam for over 20 years, and is well-versed in a multitude of Western styles. In addition to her formal training in these art forms, Rithika is self-trained and teaches several Indian folk forms, including Bhangra, Garba and Chau.
Her art exists at a crossroads between a multitude of styles and her multidisciplinary work gives way to many creative and original movements that blend the myriad of dance forms she has practiced. Rithika is pursuing her professional artistic career within NYC, with performances at Dixon Place and other venues that showcase her Indian classical and folk training alongside many Western styles.
Within arts administration, Rithika is passionate about creating equitable and accessible arts spaces that present diverse forms of movement-based work, with a focus on South Asian dance forms. Prior to joining Dance/NYC, Rithika worked at The Juilliard School and other Indian dance companies.
She holds a B.S. and Minor in Dance from the College of William and Mary and is currently pursuing her M.A. in Arts Administration at Columbia University.
Sara Roer, Co-Executive Director
Sara Roer (she/her/hers) hails from Waccamaw land colonially known as Wilmington, North Carolina and transplanted to Lenapehoking aka NYC in 2005 after asking to be left there on visits to grandparents for at least a decade. She currently identifies as an extroverted, non-disabled, cisgender, white queer femme.
Her "slash life" mosaic of activity has been driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure, with dance performance and arts administration as deeply rooted constants. In both the dance and administrative realms, Sara insists on collaboration for building sustainable, impactful, long term work. In this vein, she has stayed the course with Emily Berry/b3w Performance Group for over 20 years and Keith A Thompson/danceTactics Performance Group for over 16 years (earning a New York Times mention, "eloquent," in her inaugural season). She co-founded This Body collective with longtime friend and co-conspirator Diane Tomasi over 6 years ago. She has been training in and practicing traditional Thai Bodywork for over 16 years, starting with mentor Al Turner II. She was at artistic and administrative home BAX|Brooklyn Arts Exchange in various roles for over 14 years before stepping into this Director role with DanceNYC and looks forward to cultivating roots here for years to come.
Vicki Capote, Co-Executive Director
Vicki Capote is a multidisciplinary artist and fundraiser committed to building a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive arts ecosystem. She was born and raised in New York City and has more than 15 years of experience as a singer, actor, and stage manager in the performing arts field. Vicki is passionate about utilizing art as a vehicle for social change, civic engagement, and self-actualization. Prior to joining Dance/NYC, she worked as the Development Manager at A Blade of Grass, where she advocated and secured resources for socially engaged artists nationwide. Vicki has also worked as the Director of Development & Communications at ARTs East New York, where she co-created initiatives for community-centered placemaking and emerging socially engaged artists.
She holds a B.A. in Arts Management and Applied Performance from Hampshire College and is an alum of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institutes' Innovative Cultural Advocacy Fellowship. Outside of work, Vicki enjoys hiking, crafting, and drawing.
Consultants
Carrie Blake, Senior Consultant & Research Director, Webb Mgmt
Carrie Blake is a management consultant, researcher, project manager and administrator dedicated to the cultural sector. Since 2006, she has been a senior member of the Webb Mgmt team. In that role, she has directed research and analysis on more than 250 studies and plans. Her recent research with Dance/NYC focused on New York City’s vast fiscally sponsored arts landscape and informed the City’s first ever cultural plan.
Before joining the firm, Carrie was the Associate Producer for the Office of Arts & Cultural Programming at Montclair State University (NJ) where she played a pivotal role in the establishment of Peak Performances, an ambitious new presenting, producing and commissioning program. Collaborating with innovative experimental artists from across the nation and around the world, Carrie coordinated regional, national and world premieres while establishing identity, presence, structure and policy for MSU’s new venture.
Prior to MSU, Carrie developed and managed fundraising events and campaigns for both The Drama League, a New York City-based nonprofit committed to developing artists and audiences for the American theatre, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (Madison, WI). She also worked in marketing for the Madison Civic Center as management prepared for expansion to what is now the Overture Center.
Carrie is a proud alumna of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business where she completed several consulting projects, including business planning and market research for arts organizations. Her graduate research focused on the university arts presenters’ multifarious existence within university and community contexts.
James H. Monroe, Designer/Strategist Consultant
Monroe&Co;
Monroe&Co is a New York City-based strategy and design studio that creates branding, websites, and print publications for non-profits, arts organizations, and growing businesses. Principal James Monroe has 15 years of experience designing and leading design projects. He is passionate about helping others learn and grow while remaining mindful of society and the environment. He believes it is important that even organizations with limited resources have access to effective communication design.
Maleni Palacios Delgado, Advocacy Coordinator and Operations Consultant
Maleni is deeply passionate about the examination of economic policy and applying innovative, entrepreneurial practices to foster sustainable and inclusive work environments. She has invaluable experience working with Fortune 500 firms, education and arts service non-profit organizations, as well as social startups. Building on her strong relationships with banking executives, Maleni is a trusted partner, who has worked closely with them to evaluate and determine the most effective strategies, processes, and systems. Her methodology factors in regulatory, social, and economic demands to help reshape the financial services landscape.
In addition to her banking work, Maleni serves as Advocacy Coordinator and Operations Consultant for Dance/NYC, the premier arts service organization for dance workers and dance makers in the metropolitan New York City area. She has stewarded strategic advisory groups on behalf of the organization, administered 5 funds, distributing $4.2M to the dance field, and supported internal processes to advance the organization’s resilience and thriving.
Maleni has also served as an employee-resource group leader for Latinx and Women affinity groups, serving as a resource to 300+ employees. By soundboarding shared standpoints and lived experiences, she champions for improved workplaces and strives to develop and implement inclusive company policies that address long-standing, historical exclusion.
Currently, her focus lies on continuing her education as an incoming MBA Candidate at Columbia Business School. She will work to expand her present skillset and address the gap between public and private sector intersectionality. Maleni envisions strong public-private partnerships to: increase socioeconomic inclusion within Black and brown community members, meet the demands of a robust 21st century economy, and ultimately contribute to rebuilding the public’s trust in American institutions.
Maleni is attending Columbia Business School as a Perelman Scholar, Forté Fellow and Consortium Member.
Michelle Tabnick, Public Relations Consultant
Michelle Tabnick PR is a full-service public relations firm specializing in the arts. The company creates PR strategies with the goals of promoting the client's brand image, building ticket sales, and reaching target audiences, with specific focus on integrated marketing campaigns. Photo credit: Christopher Duggan
michelle@michelletabnickpr.com
646-765-4773
Milena Luna, Executive Consultant
Milena Luna is a Nonprofit Consultant and Life Coach, with 15 years of non-profit management experience, leading and collaborating in the areas of: operations, human resources, event planning, community building, facilities management, and accounting. As former interim Co-Executive Director at Dance/NYC, Leadership team member at Ekklesia New York, and founder of her own coaching and consulting business, Milena Luna has established success in building and mentoring individuals, teams, and organizations to maximize business value through bold conscious leadership, creativity, and collaboration. She thrives on helping people connect to their purpose and values, own their unique gifts and talents, and take courageous action to impact their own lives and their direct communities. Milena Luna is a Latina of Colombian heritage, a resilient New Yorker, a heart-centered creative, and an explorer of world culture. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and has a bachelor's degree in Management of Musical Enterprises from Baruch College.
NPOC Services , Bookkeeping Consultant
Non-Profit Operations and Consulting (NPOC) Services is based just outside of Boston, MA and serves nonprofit organizations across the nation. They provide operations support and project management exclusively to non-profit organizations. NPOC provides a concierge based, “one-stop-shop” operations support service that is cost-effective because it affords the Non-Profit Client access to staffing support and nonprofit expertise without having to commit to the costs of staff recruitment and retention. NPOC provides both short-term support services for interim periods as well
as long-term support services in all areas of non-profit operations: bookkeeping & audit support, administrative support, central receptionist and mail handling, technology systems management and development, infrastructure and policy development, CRM management, donor gift entry management, benefits and HR administration, and communications support.
Rila Group , Data Analytics Consultant
Rila Group is committed to providing exceptional research and analytics services to businesses and non-profit organizations. Our skills and experience help us deliver insight and impact for clients through a wide range of flexible support models, providing ad hoc and ongoing analytics solutions. In partnership with our clients we can identify and capture the most value and meaningful insights from data and turn it into competitive advantages. As a fully technology agnostic firm we are able to work with our clients' preferred technologies and platforms. We strive to be the first choice for any company interested in gathering and utilizing data related to their operations.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Dance/NYC provides equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, political belief or activity, or status as a veteran. The policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, transfer, termination, layoff, compensation benefits, social and recreational programs, and all other conditions and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. It is the policy of Dance/NYC to comply with all the relevant and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Dance/NYC does not discriminate against any qualified Employees or job applicants with respect to any terms, privileges, or conditions of employment because of a person’s physical or mental disability. Dance/NYC makes reasonable accommodation wherever necessary for all Employees or applicants with disabilities, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the duties and assignments connected with the job and provided that any accommodations made do not require significant difficulty or expense.
Photography: Jo Chiang Photography: www.picturedbyjochiang.com
