Board of Directors for New York State Dance Education Association

Abigail Agresta-Stratton, MA, RDE (President)
Location: Long Island
Work Environment: West Islip High School (a public high school)
Area of Expertise/Interest: NYS Certified Dance Educator concentrating on facilitating student choreographic works; safe dance education practices; preparation and certification of dance educators.

Margaret Bary, MFA, CMA (Director of Communications)
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Work Environment: Brooklyn Friends School (Preschool-12th grade Independent School).
Area of Expertise/Interest: Dance educator with expertise working with preschool and elementary aged students.

Barry Blumenfeld, MA, RDE (Director of Website)
Location: New York City
Work Environment: Friends Seminary (Private k-12 school), adjunct professor New York University, 92nd Street Y Dance Education Lab faculty
Area of Expertise/Interest: Creative movement with a focus on “dance literacy”, tap, modern and yoga.

Patricia Cohen, MA RDE (Advisory Council)
Location: New York City area
Work environment: NYU/Steinhardt graduate dance education program; Iona College liberal arts non-major dance curriculum.
Area of Expertise/Interest: Dance Educator with focus on building bridges between post-secondary and private sector dance educators

Deborah Damast (Director of Mentorship)
Location: New York City
Work Environment: Master Teacher and Artistic Advisor of the Dance Education Program at NYU Steinhardt, Lower and Middle School Dance Teacher at Little Red Schoolhouse (NYS Independent School), DEL Faculty, and PD facilitator NYCDOE.
Areas of Expertise/Interest: Choreographic development and inquiry, Pedagogic practice in K-12, Higher Education, and Private Sector, Community service based programming, Ugandan danc

Jacqueline Davis MA, CMA, K-12 Dance and PE Certification (Treasurer)
Location: Rochester area
Work Environment:: Department of Dance at The College at Brockport, SUNY; NY State DanceForce member
Area of Expertise/Interest: Current interest is collaborative projects with visiting artists

Sheila M. Dollas, Founder & Director Moving Miracles, Inc., RDE, Arts In Healthcare, Reiki Certification (Director of NHSDA)
Location: Buffalo, NY
Work Environment: Private Studio  Moving Miracles, Inc.-  Dance Company.  Dedicated to serving individuals of all abilities with concentration on those with developmental disabilities. Emphasis on collaborations with WNY University College Interns, Performing Arts Organizations and Advocacy.
Area of Expertise/Interest:  Arts In Healthcare Initiative- Serving Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo & Roswell Park Cancer Institute of Buffalo (Pediatric Unit). Facilitate therapeutic dance/movement sessions. Concentration in  Energy Work and Reiki Certification.

Diana Domoracki-Kisto, CMA, MEd, BFA, BS
Location: Staten Island, New York
Work Environment: Retired Dance Educator 26 years, NYC Dept. Education. Currently co-forum leadership with K-12 NDEO Forum.
Area of Expertise/Interest: Middle School dance education; curriculum development K-12; teacher training/professional development.

Jeanne Fornarola MA, NYS Teaching Certificate in Dance
Location: Buffalo, NY
Work Environment: State University at Buffalo Department of Theater and Dance; BA, BFA Dance - - Instructs courses in ballet, dance history, teaching methods, creative movement, and research in dance
Area of Expertise/Interest: Transitions from the studio setting to a college dance program; writing for dance.

Traci Hinton Peterson, MA, SBL, SDL (Director of Scholarships)
Location: New York City area
Work Environment: New York City Department of Education, The Albert Shanker School for Visual and Performing Arts, Long Island City, Queens, New York
Area of Expertise/Interest: Educational Leadership and Administration, Dance Educator, Choreographer

Kathleen Isaac, MA
Location: Manhattan
Work Environment: Arnhold Distinguished Lecturer in Dance Education, Hunter College;
Dance Education Laboratory of the 92nd Street Y; New York City Department of Education
Area of Expertise/Interest: NYCDOE Certified Dance Educator concentrating on building community, development of safe technique in young dancers and building creative, choreographaphic, performance, assessment and mentoring skills in young dancers. Reiki Master Certification.

Rebecca McArthur, MFA Candidate  (Secretary)
Location: Brockport
Work Environment: Graduate Teaching Assistant - State University of New York, College at Brockport
Area of Expertise/Interest: Interested in teaching Higher Education in the future, and exploring a variety of approaches to a choreographic process. I have a passion for the individual student and his/her own way of absorbing information on a personal level.

Elsa Posey, RDE
Location: Northport, Long Island
Work Environment:: Posey School private school of dance, integrated with art, music, theatre; Dance Education Services of L.I. not for profit promoting dance performance; National Registry of Dance Educators national accreditation for dance educators.
Area of Expertise/Interest: Dance Educator with focus on national issues concerning dance education in the arts; accreditation for dance educators; dance science and medicine; teaching ballet creatively and correctly to children through adults.

Dafna Soltes Stein, BA, CMA, RDE
Location: Long Island area
Work Environment: Director of Kinesthetic Intelligence Plus, Inc. - The design and implementation of school based arts in education residencies for K-12 learners that integrate dance, drama and oral storytelling skills with academic goals in literacy, social studies and character education.
Area of Expertise/Interest: Creating school arts partnerships that enable school administrators, teachers and parents to gain understanding and commitment to student learning in and through the arts.

Anne Harris Wilcox, MFA
Location: Rochester, NY
Work Environment: Rochester City School District, School of the Arts Guest Artist/Choreographer; adjunct professor Nazareth College; adjunct professor University of Rochester; Director of Present Tense Dance, regional contemporary dance company since 199; Rochester Contemporary Dance Collective (founding member)
Area of Expertise/Interest: NYS Certified Dance Educator concentrating on inter-disciplinary arts education; arts integration, choreographic development, and creative movement.