Rivertown Dance Academy
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FACULTY

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​Jessica Horgan

Founding Executive Director, Teen Repertory Director; Ballet, Jazz, Modern
Jessica holds a BA in dance & sociology from the University of Maryland where she studied with Sara Pearson, Patrik Widrig, Alvin Mayes, Adriane Fang, & Gesel Mason, as well as a diverse faculty abroad at MADE in France. Jessica has worked for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dance New Amsterdam, Peridance and the Y Dance Academy as Co-Director. Since moving to NYC, she has danced with Faye Driscoll, Julie B. Johnson, Reject Dance Theatre,  Ground Grippers, and Becky Radway Dance Projects. Jessica is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher. She is proud to fulfill the mission of accessibility for all to pursue excellence in dance education at Rivertown Dance Academy.

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Erica Moshman

Director of Development & Donor Relations; Youth Repertory Director; Ballet, Modern
Erica Moshman is a dance artist, performer and facilitator. Erica's focus is in inclusive dance practice and community work. She is a co-founder of Parable Dance & Artistic Director of Parable NY, and has performed with Becky Radway Dance Projects, Heidi Latsky Dance Company, Evolve Dance Inc. Suse Tietjen/ Tanzorchester Suse Tietjen, Bahar Fattahi, and Jill Moshman, among others. Erica is also the Managing Editor of The Dancer-Citizen online journal. She holds a BA in dance and anthropology from Connecticut College (USA) and an MA in dance anthropology from the University of Roehampton (UK).

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Gianna Bartolini

Ballet
​Gianna Vasquez Bartolini began her training at Berrend Dance Center in Olney, MD, before pursuing her BFA in Concert Dance at SUNY Purchase, Conservatory of Dance. She also studied during this time at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet school in Carlisle, PA. After ballet freelancing and performing in guest artist roles, Gianna shifted artistic paths, and received a scholarship to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where she received a certificate in Integrated Music Theatre. She is currently working as a musical theatre artist in the NYC Metro Area. Gianna has also been teaching in the Tristate and DC Metro Areas for 10 years, mostly ballet, jazz, and contemporary styles. Her teaching philosophy is to teach dance in a way that inspires students to grow as people and artists, and to inspire perseverance, self-discipline, and respect for themselves and others alongside technique and artistry. She emphasizes a healthy approach to technique, and is eager to teach anyone ready to learn!

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Sidney Choothesa

Hip Hop
Sidney Choothesa is a dance instructor, choreographer, and performer originally from Bridgeport, CT. She grew up training at CT Dance Conservatory where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, and hip hop. Sidney continued her dance training in Sacred Heart University’s Dance Company’s Professional Track. While in the dance program at SHU, Sidney was able to work closely with professionals such as Mike Esperanza, along with BARE dance company, Phil Orsano, Jesse Obremski, Matthew Westerby, Tiffanie Carson, and McClaine Timmerman. Through the SHU dance program she was also able to travel to Italy to dance and perform for the World Dance Movement where she won two scholarships from Michele Assaf and Desmond Richardson. Sidney also gained the opportunity to be a featured dancer in two musicals put on by SHU’s Theater Arts Program which are, “In the Heights” and “Hair”. After college, she taught at Sacred Heart University for the dance program and choreographed numerous pieces. Sidney is currently a dance instructor and choreographer for CT Dance Conservatory and a company member for “Matthew Westerby Company” where she continues to perform in numerous shows based in New York City.

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Whitney Janis

Jazz
Whitney Janis (New York, NY) is a dancer, instructor and arts enthusiast. She received her
professional training from The Ailey School in 2018 and completed summer intensives at Ailey, San Francisco Conservatory and Elisa Monte Dance (now EMERGE125). She also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Whitney has performed with American Liberty Ballet, ARIM Dance, Artists By Any Other Name, Avoir Motion, Bugge Ballet, Dance Visions NY, NYC Dance Arts, Dance Entropy and VashtiDance Theater in venues throughout New York City and in Virginia, North Carolina and Australia. She has worked with choreographers Souleymane Badolo, Bassam Abou Diab, Valerie Mae Browne, Michael Buoni, Ari Mayzick, Nicole Bugge and Beth Jucovy among others. Her choreography has been presented in venues throughout NYC and in Australia.

In addition to working with Rivertown Dance Academy, Whitney is on faculty at the Brooklyn- based Purelements school and is an Ailey Arts-in-Education Teaching Artist. Whitney is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum, and completed Ailey’s Horton Teacher Training Workshop in all levels.

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Luiza Karnas

Tap, Early Childhood Dance
​Luiza Karnas is a dance artist and educator in the NYC and Westchester area. Originally from Brazil, she received her M.F.A in Performance and Choreography from SUNY The College at Brockport, NY, and graduated from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS (Brazil) with a degree in Dance Education. An advocate of dance education, Karnas has 10+ years of experience as a Teaching Artist with a focus on early childhood education, tap dance, hip hop, and creative movement. Karnas is thrilled to be part of the RDA team and to continue sharing her passion for dance.

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​Kristin Licata

Ballet, Pointe
Kristin Licata holds a BFA in dance from the Fordham/Ailey program & is an ABT© Certified Teacher in Primary through Level 3 through the ABT® National Training Curriculum.  After graduation she worked with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II, Yuka Kawazu/Danse En L’air, Felice Lesser Dance Theatre, Regina Nejman and Company, Tamara Saari Dance, Vabang! and Vox Lumiere.  Kristin is a freelance dancer in New York City working with Ariel Rivka Dance, Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn, Matthew Westerby Company,and Valerie Green/Dance Entropy.  Kristin is also a dance teacher on faculty at Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn and is the advisor to CBTB's Junior Company, and Elite Performing Arts Center in NJ.  She is a teaching artist through the NYC public school system.

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​Alex Martin

Tap, Theatre Jazz, Early Childhood Dance
Alex Martin is a dancer, choreographer and educator with a BFA in Dance from Wayne State University. Originally from Michigan, she relocated to NYC post-graduation and has worked with numerous companies, including The American Tap Dance Foundation, Evolve Dance, John Zullo/Raw Movement, and Nicholas Leichter Dance. Alex was an Administrative Assistant with Dorrance Dance for several years and has worked with The American Tap Dance Foundation for over 15 years. Recently, she completed a three month residency through the 92Y’s Young Leaders Series in collaboration with Dorrance Dance. Currently, Alex devotes her time teaching over 40 classes per week throughout New York, including movement classes at two Special Education schools. 
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Jill Moshman

Early Childhood Dance
Jill Moshman is a choreographer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist. She holds a BA from Middlebury College in Vermont, USA and an MA from Bath Spa University in Bath, UK. Her work is primarily grounded in movement, while seeking to explore the intersections between dance, film, text, and visual media, and the diverse ways in which movement can be captured for an audience. www.jillmoshman.com  ​

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Rachel Shaver

Jazz, Contemporary
Rachel hails from Chesterfield, Virginia. Her performance career began at King's Dominion Theme Park, while she was studying Dance at Thomas Dale High School Specialty Center for Performing Arts. She obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the Conservatory at Shenandoah University. Upon graduating, she joined Christopher K. Morgan and Artists (CKM&A) as Company Apprentice, and later Company Dancer. Her solo work, Antlers, was commissioned by VelocityDC Dance Festival, the 34th Annual Choreographer's Showcase, and by CKM&A to be performed at Brighton Dance Festival, as well as other D.C. dance festivals. Since moving to New York she has worked with local choreographers in showcases such as APAP, and One Condition, and has recently added virtual performances to her repertoire. Outside of RDA, her love for movement keeps her busy as a certified personal trainer, and a cycling instructor. She enjoys listening to Taylor Swift, and taking her dog Willow to the park. ​

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​Matthew Westerby

Modern
Matthew is a dancer, choreographer and dance educator originally from the U.K. He trained at the Laban Centre, London, and graduated with a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre. His subsequent work as a performer in the U.K. included work with Thomas Small, Transitions, Stuart Hopps/The King’s Consort & Celia Grannum. After moving to New York in 2005 he danced with notable choreographers including Nai-Ni Chen, Risa Jaroslow, Dusan Tynek, Bronwen MacArthur, Peter Kyle and Sue Hogan. He founded Matthew Westerby Company in 2009, creating numerous choreographic works and initiating a variety of dance education and community outreach programs. He has been choreographer-in-residence for Hudson Guild Theatre Company since 2012 working with producer Jim Furlong on projects spanning the worlds of dance, opera, music and circus arts. He also works as a freelance choreographer and has previously made work for Evolve Dance West (AZ), Brass City Ballet (CT), Naugatuck Valley Community College (CT), Dancewave, and Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn. Matthew works as a dance educator for all ages in New York City public schools, in dance training programs and is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University (CT) teaching dance technique, choreography and dance history. He lives in Manhattan with his husband Steven and their pit bull mix rescue, Macy Grey.
Office hours by appointment   |   914.631.4302 |   dance@rivertowndanceacademy.org

15 N. Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591


© Rivertown Dance Academy 2023   |   a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
  • Home
  • About
    • Curriculum
    • Faculty
    • Policies
    • Performing Ensembles
    • ​Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
    • Birthday Parties
  • Schedule
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Calendar
  • Events
    • RDA Festival 2023
    • Drink & Dance
    • Frost Fest 2023
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Judy Dinges Scholarship Fund
    • Friends of RDA
    • Sponsors
    • Grants
  • Financial Aid
  • Contact Us