Jeannette Neill
Jeannette Neill is an enduring and moving force in the Boston dance and cultural community. She is the founder and artistic director of The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in Boston, one of the oldest and most respected studios in New England and that has served as a supportive and encouraging training ground for aspiring dancers since 1979. She is co-founder and Executive Director of Boston Youth Moves, as well as one of the Artistic Directors of the Boston Summer Dance Festival, 2001-2007. Ms. Neill has an extensive teaching background. In addition to her work at Boston Youth Moves and her own studio, she has taught at the Boston Conservatory, Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts and residencies at many New England universities, including Harvard and Boston University. She is an internationally respected educator, dancer and choreographer whose work has taken her around the globe to The Milan Opera Company in Palermo, Italy, Danschuset in Goteborg, Sweden, the Jazz / Tap Festival in Monterey, Mexico, the AIC Studio in Tokyo, Japan and Broadway Dance Center in New York City.
As a choreographer, Jeannette Neill has choreographed for ABC television’s Spencer for Hire, and for numerous industrial film and business theatre presentations, including Digital, IBM, Skyr, Bose, Hasbro and Citicorp. Jeannette has been a guest artist in numerous stage productions including New Directions in Tap, starring Gregory Hines, with JAZZDANCE: The Danny Buraczeski Dance Company, and featured in Pal Joey under the direction of Thommie Walsh at the Huntington Theater.
Ms. Neill was also the first person in the performing arts ever to be recognized by the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston when, in 2000, they honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Most recently, Boston Dance Alliance presented her with their 2009 Dance Champion Award.
J. Allen Collier
J. Allen Collier is a native of the Mississippi Delta, which he left in 1978 in order to pursue his musical career at Berklee College of Music. After playing the nightclub circuit as a pianist/singer, both nationally and internationally, he began to devote more time and training to dance. In 1985 he took over management of the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, where he was also on the faculty. In 1989 he became a full partner in the company.
That same year Allen produced Rhythms of Hope, a dance benefit for the AIDS Action Committee. The program was hosted by Broadway star Ann Reinking and sponsored by John Hancock Financial Services. The evening of commissioned works by guest choreographers featured more than seventy dancers representing over thirty Boston-based companies.
Allen is the founder and creative director of ACE Entertainment, an entertainment production company specializing in casting dancers and choreographers for live industrial presentations, film, and video.
In the realm of business theatre, he has choreographed several national presentations for Spalding. In 1995, ACE Entertainment was contracted to present to the Board of Directors of the Sara Lee Corporation (the parent company of Champion Sportswear) the prototype apparel line manufactured by Champion for the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and park personnel. Allen has also written and produced three live corporate cabaret shows for EMC Corporation as well as industrial presentations for Champion/Jogbra in San Diego, Atlanta, Chicago, Charleston and Cancun. He has produced and directed five industrial presentations for PUMA N.A., including shows in Las Vegas and Scottsdale. Other ACE Entertainment clients include YM Magazine, Hasbro, Reebok, Digital Equipment, ABC-TV, Atlantic Records and AETNA Insurance Company. Allen has also served in production capacity for several shows for the Norwegian and Cunard Cruise lines.
In 1991, Allen was named one of the “Hot Choreographers in Film and Video” by Point of View Magazine, along with Michelle Assaf, Lynn Taylor-Corbett and Margo Sappington.
Allen is the founder and Artistic Director of the Boston Summer Dance Festival.
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Rachal Aronson
Rachal has been dancing since the age of three. For over ten years, Rachal has danced at The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, where she has taught and now serves on the faculty of the Children’s Dance Program. In addition to extensive study in Boston and New York, Rachal has had intensive training with renowned teacher, Lynn Simonson, in the Simonson Technique, an anatomically aware approach to movement. Rachal has performed in Boston and New York with Greenglass Dance Theater, and has performed with ACE Entertainment. She also dances with Boston based company, Jazz Inc. Rachal serves as founding Camp Director at the Tony Williams Dance Center, where she helps create, implement and oversee an extensive dance program. She has taught dance at Simmons College, Harvard University’s Mainly Jazz Company and the Cambridge Public Schools. In addition to the JNDS Children’s Program, Rachal currently teaches ages four to adult in the Boston area, including the Tony Williams Dance Center and Dean College School of Dance. Rachal holds a master’s in public policy from Tufts University.
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Lillian Carter
Lillian Carter is creator and artistic director for the performance group Greenglass Dance Theater. She has received critical acclaim for her work as a performer, teacher and choreographer throughout New England and New York. She continues to teach locally at the Boston Conservatory, and the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio. Lillian provides dance workshops and master classes for many local studios and institutions. She has been a guest choreographer at Regis College, Merrimack College, Bradford College and the Walnut Hill School Summer Theater Program. She developed and presented a dance performance and education series sponsored by Borders Books that was presented at the World Trade Center in Manhattan, Downtown Crossing in Boston, and throughout Long Island, New York. Lillian serves as a volunteer member for the Board of Directors of Boston Youth Moves, a non-profit youth dance education program sponsored by The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio. She received a B.F.A. in Choreography from the Boston Conservatory in 1990.
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Sue Casey-Murray
Sue received her BFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Upon graduation, Sue worked as a guest teacher and choreographer for the University Dancers. During a stay in New York City, Sue worked as an assistant to choreographer Michelle Assaf and danced in two music videos. Sue has been teaching throughout New England for fifteen years. She joined the faculty of The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in 1985. She has also worked extensively with ACE Entertainment and the Jeannette Neill Dancers. Sue was on the faculty of the first Boston Summer Dance Festival which originated in 1996. She began teaching in Boston Youth Moves at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in 1996.
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Michelle Chassé
Michelle Chassé trained with the Boston Ballet School and was on scholarship at the School of American Ballet in New York City. She graduated cum laude with a BFA in Dance from the Boston Conservatory was a featured ballet dancer in a VH1 video starring Michael Crawford, and has been a featured jazz dancer and model for numerous television commercials and industrials. She was a dancer/singer and dance captain on board the S. S. Norway of Norwegian Cruise Lines, where she staged and choreographed pieces for Meet Me in St. Louis, and for their Vegas-style revue. Currently she is the leading female dancer for the Boston-based ACE Entertainment, a company specializing in film, stage and corporate entertainment productions nationwide. She is on the dance faculties of the Boston Conservatory (where she serves as both dance instructor and Musical Theatre Coordinator), the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, and Boston Youth Moves.
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Kristen Corkum
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Tommy Coye
Tommy Coye, Dancer/Choreographer, has performed all over the world. His past credits include: The Blue Angel supper club in New York City; Harrah’s Casino, Atlantic City; Alhambra Casino, Aruba; Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Carribbean Cruise Lines. He has performed and choreographed for countless business theatre productions including Sara Lee Corp. (Chicago), EMC Corp. (Phoenix, Boca Raton and St. Thomas), and Champion/Jogbra (San Diego, Boston, Vermont and Cancun).
Tommy has also performed in the Far East, touring such exotic places as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. His musical theatre credits include A Chorus Line, Evita and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Presently, Tommy is the Associate Director of ACE Entertainment, a Boston-based entertainment production company that specializes in casting dancers and choreographers for film, video and business theatre. His responsibilities with ACE include casting, choreographing and performing. Tommy is also an Artistic Director of the Boston Summer Dance Festival.
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Joshua Green
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Khary Green
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Elena Greenspan
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Stephanie Heroux
Stephanie Heroux began dancing at age six in Central Massachusetts. She has studied extensively across New England and New York. She holds a B.A. from Boston University in English Literature and Business Administration. While a student at Boston University, Stephanie she was a frequent performer and choreographer for Dance Theatre Group, BU’s largest and most versatile student-run dance company. She was accepted to The School at Jacob’s Pillow’s elite Musical Theatre Program, studying with Jazz Master Matt Mattox and Chet Walker of Fosse fame. Stephanie has performed with the The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and ACE Entertainment, as well as the works of local choreographers Bill McLaughlin and Lori LoTurco. As a dancer and dance captain aboard the Sovereign of the Seas for Royal Caribbean International, her cast was chosen to debut a new evening-length production show and two signature performance pieces that were subsequently installed fleet-wide. She also participated in the launching of their land-based, corporate productions, performing for Vacation.com’s largest annual convention in Disney World.
In 2005 Stephanie founded Jazz Inc. The company, specializing in concert jazz dance, musical theatre, and corporate theatre, performs regularly at 28 degrees in the South End. Jazz Inc. has also performed for Hilton Hotels and Saks. In addition, Stephanie’s choreography has received acclaim from The Boston Globe and The Harvard Crimson. She has choreographed productions of Fiddler on the Roof, The Wiz, and Fame. Stephanie regularly teaches company class and choreographs for Harvard University’s Mainly Jazz Company. She has also taught master classes and workshops for Suskind Young at Arts, Brandeis University, and The Boston Ballet School. Currently, Stephanie is on the faculty of the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, the Jeannette Neill Children’s Dance Program, and the Ballet Arts Center of Winchester.
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Liza Hostetler
Liza Hostetler-Ingalls graduated magna cum laude from Emerson College in 2005 with degrees in Musical Theatre, Philosophy, and Dance. She has been associated with the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio since 2000, working with Sybil Huggins, Didi Ilunga, Ricardo Foster, Jr. and Kelly Peters in dance styles including hip-hop, tap, and jazz. She has also studied jazz, ballet, and theatrical and improvisational movement with Marlena Yanetti, Lorraine Chapman, and Elizabeth Waterhouse. Currently, Hostetler-Ingalls works as assistant choreographer for Boston-based hip hop group Unyted Stylz Crew, a collaborative effort founded by Ricardo Foster, Jr. Liza is also co-founder and choreographer for the Movement Workshop Group, a dance/movement theater company which is dedicated to collaboration and innovation in the genre of visual theater. This company, founded in 2005 along with New York-based director Leslie Guyton, performs original modern dance theatre work in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. (www.movementworkshopgroup.org for more info)
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Deanna Jackson
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Ian McKenzie
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Bill McLaughlin
Bill McLaughlin has performed with Impulse Dance Company, Concert Dance Company of Boston, Prometheus Dance Theatre, Marcus Schulkind, Granite State Ballet, The Dance Prism, and The Dance Collective. He is currently on the faculty of The Boston Conservatory, The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio and the Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts. Bill has also appeared in and/or choreographed live video industrials for such companies as Trak Skis, Honeywell Bull, Parachute Clothing, Frank Xavier Hair, David Nicholas Makeup, Cyrk Sportswear, and Dae Woo. As a dancer for ACE Entertainment, Billy has performed both nationally and internationally for such companies as Party Lite, EMC, and PUMA N.A.
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Kunle Oladehin
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Lisa Sanchez
Lisa Sanchez has been teaching and choreographing since 1989. She is a graduate of the Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston, where she was the recipient of the New Image Scholarship and the Elsa Kemp award for teaching aptitude. Lisa has been a guest teacher at the Walnut Hill summer dance program and the Dance Collective Intergenerational Summer Outreach Company, which she also co-directed. She has long enjoyed her association with The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, performing with ACE Entertainment and teaching for Boston Youth Moves. Whether teaching future dancers "as old as two and a half or as young as eighty," she strives for her classes to move with energy, imagination and strong technique.
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Nikki Sell
Nicole Sell grew up in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where she started dancing at the local studio at the age of three. As a teen, she spent her summers studying dance at the Ballet/Aspen program in Colorado and at the Dupree Studios in Los Angeles. She completed her high school years at the Idyllwild School of Music and Performing Arts in California and graduated Valedictorian of her class. She then studied at The Boston Conservatory, earning a BFA in Dance and graduating Summa Cum Laude and Salutatorian of her class. Ms. Sell has performed regionally and internationally with Prometheus Dance, ACE Entertainment, Impulse, and Boston Dance Company, and has also danced a leading role in an industrial video for Spalding sports equipment and a TV commercial for W.B. Mason, for which she was also the choreographer. She is currently on faculty at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, Boston Youth Moves, Walnut Hill School, and The Boston Conservatory
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Suzanne Sigasi
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Judea Stonez
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Jim Viera
As a professional dancer, Jim Viera has toured nationally as a principal dancer with Jazzdance: The Danny Buraczeski Dance Company, and the Marcus Schulkind Dance Company. He has been on the faculties of the Boston Conservatory and Harvard University, and is Artistic Director of Boston Youth Moves, a pre-professional teen dance program he founded. As a choreographer for ACE Entertainment, Mr. Viera has choreographed opening numbers for Rita Moreno, Gregory Hines, Grace Jones and Harry Connick, Jr., industrial films for Digital Equipment, and live industrial presentations for Intellution, Champion/Jogbra, PUMA, Jordan’s Furniture and EMC Corporation. Mr. Viera has also been on the faculties of The Boston Summer Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow and the Harvard Summer Dance Festival.
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Static Noyze
Static Noyze Dance Class: The Static Noyze Dance Company class at Jeannette Neill Dance Studio is a hip-hop dance class showcasing the many hip-hop styles of the members within the company. A different company member teaches each week, creating a weekly class that varies in style, choreography, and interpretation. Visit the Static Noyze website (www.StaticNoyze.com/events) to find a weekly schedule of instructors.About Static Noyze: Static Noyze Dance Company is dedicated to creating innovative and stimulating theatrical performances with a focus on the contemporary styles of hip-hop dance. Founded in April of 2006, the company is based in Boston, MA and hopes to contribute to the community through workshops, showcases, and other events.
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