Teacher Bios

Raphaël Boumaïla: Raphaël Boumaïla is a professional dancer associated with the Limón Dance Company since 1994. He studies Yoga with Sri Dharma Mittra and has completed the certification program for Dharma Yoga level I/II. He is now happy to share his experience with all.

Mestre Carioca: was born Carlos da Silva Borge in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1986. Carioca trained in Bom Jesus and Vila Velha, Brazil, with his first teacher, Mestre Bom Jesus. In 1990 Carioca went to Vitoria to train under the very skilled and respected master Capixaba of the ABADA-Capoeira group. Carioca started teaching Capoeria in 1990 as a graduado. In Brazil from 1991-1996, he gained his reputation as a capoeirista teaching at several Brazilian gyms including the well known club of CEG (Garoto Sports Center). In 1992 Carioca was involved in a program for street children with the Espiritossantense Institute of the Well-Being for Minors Organization (IESBEM) where the use of Capoeira as a pedagogical, artistic, and cultural resourse rescued many children from the hardships of streets in Vittoria, ES. In 1996 Carioca taught capoeira at public schools and communities thru the state department of Culture in ES, Brazil.

Brian Carey Chung, artistic director of COLLECTIVE BODY DANCE LAB, was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He has created works for Santa Barbara Ballet, Cedar Lake Ensemble II, and Luna Negra Dance Theater, and was assistant choreographer to Karole Armitage on the 2008 Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park production of HAIR. His dance career includes the companies of Lines Contemporary Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico of New York, and Armitage Gone! Dance where he also served as rehearsal director. Brian has taught master classes internationally, and at the University of Hawaii, Stanford University and New York University, and was on the ballet faculties of Lines Ballet’s San Francisco Dance Center and Peridance Center. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing (May 2008) from New York University where he also served as an adjunct professor. His company’s debut performances will be at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, November 20 and 21, 2009.

Giada Matteini Ferrone was born in Florence and is based in New York City. She believes in cultural exchange, artistic expression and in dance as an essential tool in the health of adults and development of children. She is an international Master teacher with an extensive background as Ballet Mistress, choreographer, producer and performer. Ms. Ferrone has invested the past 10 years in creating her own, unique ballet training program, which combines her early European training with her most recent American experiences. This training program is curriculum based and produces dancers with clean, unaffected technique and strong work ethics. Her choreography has been presented at Purchase University, Saint Mark's Church, Hofstra University, Theatre of the Riverside Church, Rose Theatre at Lincoln Center, Peridance and the Construction Company.  Ms. Ferrone is an adjunct dance professor at both Tisch School of the Arts in NYC and Hofstra University in Hempstead and guest teaches in Festival and Colleges across Europe.

I want to offer my most sincere thanks for being the most incredible and inspiring ballet teacher around. You have moved me and really energized me with hope, confidence and joy. Truly, you do move people literally and figuratively. I will always honor the memory of our class together, and will certainly always honor you.
Michael Nguyen, Tisch Festival, NYC, June 2007

Cindi Green Hart taught ballet to professional dancers in NYC for 20 years.  Her students included dancers from the companies of Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, the Joffrey Ballet and many others.  Cindi’s teaching style is greatly influenced by Maggie Black, the Royal Ballet School, Irene Dowd, Elizabeth Rodgers and many great Pilates and yoga instructors.  Her diverse performing career includes the ballet companies of Radio City and London’s Royal Opera House, Theatre Dance Collection, Jaqlynn Villamil, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.  Cindi taught at her own studio in NYC, Tisch School at NYU, University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee, Milwaukee Ballet School, Eglevsky Ballet, Jacob’s Pillow and the American Dance Festival.  She currently teaches at the Academy of Ballet Etudes in Norwalk, CT.

Kenny Larson: Kenny Larson began his career with the National Ballet of Canada, where he worked with such dance legends as Erik Bruhn, Rudolph Nureyev, and Peter Schaufuss. Following a period in Europe with the Dutch National ballet, he was Principal Dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for several years. He has been featured as an international guest artist with companies and at galas throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Russia. After retiring to concentrate on a growing passion for teaching, Kenny was guest teacher for many companies and schools. Currently based in New York, Kenny has gained recognition for his distinctive class structure and personal approach to students. Kenny's class is for the intermediate ballet dancer who has a strong grasp of basic vocabulary and technique and is looking for a relaxed but focused class. The class includes a short, basic barre and more complex center combinations that focus on footwork and transitions between movements. The class includes combinations that are long enough for the dancer to focus on enjoying the musicality of the movement. Kenny provides gentle personal attention and corrections throughout. Classes are $15. A 10 class card is available for $125, which is good for 2 months, and a 5 class card is available for $70.

Rochelle Rice, MA, is the President of In Fitness & In Health and the creator of the Plus-Size Exercise Technique. She danced with The San Francisco Jazz Dance Company and Jazzdance: The Danny Buraczeski Dance Company.

In researching fitness programs for women of size, it became evident that there was a lack of program design and availability of certified trainers specializing in larger women. With her history of bulimia, Rice’s interest in Plus-Size Exercise came through her concerns about the inordinate stress put on thinness in our society, rather than fitness. Providing a safe environment where women could exercise physically while feeling secure emotionally, became Rice’s passion. Designing a fitness technique where women of size could achieve a level fitness was the base of her graduate work.

For more information, visit www.RochelleRice.com.

Jaclynn Villamil is a ballet teacher, choreographer and Certified Movement Analyst.    She is currently co-director and ballet mistress of the Second Avenue Dance Company for the Department of Dance at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.  She has been on the faculty of the American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow, and Guest Artist for Doug Varone and Dancers Summer Workshop 2001-2009.  She is the recipient of Choreography Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and CAPS in New York State. Jaclynn served as an Editing Advisor/Mentor for The Joyce SoHo Residency Program, and was a founding member of the Board of Directors for Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE.  Ms. Villamil rendered service as a Dance Program Panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts from 2001 to 2006.  She graduated with a BA from SUNY Empire State College in June 2008.  

Christine Wright: Christine teaches a professional level ballet class. Emphasizing principles of functional anatomy and movement flow in combination with musicality and aesthetic expression, it is a class equally effective for all disciplines of dance. Though frequented by a multi level of dancers ranging from professional ballet and modern dancers to modern dancers not as familiarized with ballet technique, Christine provides a lot of individualized attention at the level needed creating a relaxed, positive and focused atmosphere for work. The barre is simple, slow and thorough while the center emphasizes musicality and flow. Classes are $16. In addition, there is a 10 class card available for $150, which is good for 2 months.