Interesting Women Dancers
ANDREA BLESSO
Andrea Blesso si an Arts Leader with over twenty years of experience creating and directing interdisciplinary programs that have supported approx. 8 0 0 individual artists. Throughout her artistic career, Andrea has performed with each of the elements- underwater, 18ft in the air, spinning fire fans, and in the mountains of Portugal, on tour with Snappy Dance Theater, Bennett Dance Company, Falling Flight Project, Partners for Youth with Disabilities, and Annie Kloppenberg & Dancers. among others. Andrea currently plays many roles int h e arts ecosystem of New England: Director of Dance &Interdisciplinary Arts at Boston Center for the Arts. Board member for Boston Dance Alliance. ANIKAYA Dance Theater. Arts Wayland, EgoArt, Inc, and Sonia Plumb Dance Company, Model and Collaborator for artist, Judith Larsen, and Dance Curator for multiple arts organizations across New England. andreablesso.com
ANN FONTE
Ann Fonte has had the very g o o d fortune of dancingpractically her entire life;
mostly thanks to Wendy from Peter Pan and her mom, Shirley. Ann began her
dance training at herlocal dance school, Daurice's School of Dance, but eventually
told Shirley that she "just wanted to just do ballet" and therefore began studying
at the Boston Ballet. Ann has danced with several dance companies and
choreographers over the years such as: Dinosaur Dance. Susan Rose and
Danceworks, Dance Collective, Brian Crabtree, Audra Carabetta and Ruth Benson
Levin to name a few. In addition to dancing in theincredibly fun and entertaining
works of Lynn Modell, Ann also can be seen performing with her long-time friend
and collaborator, Peter DiMuro/Public Displays of Motion. Ann holds a BA in Liberal
Studies with a concentration in Holistic Health and Wellness (2020) from Lesley
University and is a certified GYROTONIC ® and GYROKINESIS ® trainer at Smart
Body Movement in Brookline Village.
AMY JILL
Amy trained at the State Ballet of Rhode Island under the direction of Herci Marsden and Ana Marsden Fox, Festival Ballet Providence, Alvin Ailey Extension, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre and Liz Lapuh at UMassBoston. She had the pleasure of performing as a company member previously with Contrapose Dance who presented works by Gianni Di Marco, Sydney Skybetter, Marcus Schulkind, Nicole Pierce (Ego Art, Inc.), The Bang Group,
Heidi Rood of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Courtney Peix. She also danced as a company member for Mariah Steele of Quicksilver Dance. She has had the opportunities toperform at the ICA alongside David Parker and the Bang Group and at the Montreal Fringe Festival under Mariah Steele. She continues to dance for Boston-based companies Lorraine Chapman Company, Rosewoods Collaborative and Lynn Modell. When she's not dancing or twerking, she is a movement and strength coach in the Boston area. After receiving her certificate from the American Academy of Personal
Training and a certification with FRC* as a mobility specialist, she now spends her time rehabilitating clients of all ages and walks of life.
RUTH BENSON LEVIN
Ruth Benson Levin has been teaching, choreographing, and performing
dance around the Boston area for over 40 years. She andLynn met when
they were only 17 as dance maiors at Adelphi University and they've been
collaborating ever since. One of Ruth's latest adventures has been creating
and performing with Lynn int h e i r many "Duets for a Lifetime." Known for
their short, funny, portable dances,l o o k for them in a driveway or city park
near you.
LYNN MODELL
Lynn Modell is a dancer/choreographer/teacher known for deft use of humor which imbues both her teaching and choreography. After graduation from Adelphi University, Lynn moved to Boston where she founded Kineticompany with three other Adelphi alumnae. She also danced with several companies in Boston including Benita Bike's DanceArt Company, Susan Rose and Danceworks, and Boston Dance Collective. Aftert e a c h i n g ballet and jazz at Boston University, Lynn taught dancetechnique and choreography at Brookline High School for 27 years, serving for 13 years as Chair of Performing Arts. She received the Outstanding
Teacher of the Year award at Brookline High School in 2000 and the Dance Educator of the Year award from the Massachusetts Association of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance in 2004. She now teaches dance to adults in Brookline.
LONNIE STANTON
Lonnie Anela O'kalani Neff Stanton is a proud native Hawaiian raised in rural Northern California and based in Boston. She has completed her 200h o u r
yoga certification through Yogaworks (2011) and is a freelance dancer currently performing with Jean Appolon Expressions, Peter DiMuro/ Public Displays of Motion, Lynn Modell, and Continuum Dance. Lonnie is passionate about sharing dance in unconventional, often outdoor spaces where a broad audience can be reached. She choreographed auditory movement maps for the American Repertory Theater's: Arboretum Experience (2021) and was awarded the Live Arts Boston Grant in 2022 for her collaborative AR project: Emotive Land. Lonnie is on faculty at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, The Harvard Dance Center, and Deborah Mason School of Dance. Bringing dance education into public schools through Notes in Motion, New York City Ballet,and Boston Ballet has been especially rewarding to Lonnie.
NORA STEPHENS
Nora Stephens has been choreographing, performing and teaching dance since taking Lvnn's Modern Technigue and Choreography classes at Brookline Highchool in the late '90s. She recently returned to Boston after 20 years dancing in NYC. Mexico City, and Rio d e Janeiro. Her dance works have been presented in NYC at Danspace Project, CPR. Movement Research at the Judson Church, Gibney. Dixon Place, The Chocolate Factory Theater and with AUNTS among others. Currently, Nora is collaborating with performer Mackenzie Skeens and visual artist Kate Holcomb Hale on work to be shown at the DanforthMuseum. As a performer, Nora has had the good fortune of working with JulietteM a p p , Beth Soll, Emily Wexler. Deborah Hazler (Vienna) and Kim Brandt. Passionate about danceeducation. Nora teaches movement, yoga and performance to students of all ages and is currently the Theater Arts and Dance Specialist at Cambridge Montessori School with students ages 2-14. It is with huge joy and gratitude Nora has to be reconnected, dancing and in process with Lynn again! Vimeo: vimeo.com/norastephens and Instagram: @norasstephens
CLASSESDance Again! Modern Dance for Adults
Did you take dance classes when you were younger? Do you like the feeling of moving to music? Get back in touch with expressing your creative self through dance. |
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CHOREOGRAPHY
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