Karen E. Gersch's love of circus and art began as a child, inspired by the small tented shows that passed through the rural areas of her home in Rockland County, NY. She won a fine arts scholarship to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn when she was 16. Minoring in theatre, she pioneered the school's first independent study program in order to learn mime and juggling. A prolific artist, Karen received a BFA with Honors from Pratt in 1973. She then studied ballet with Diana Byer of New York Theatre Ballet, and circus arts with Moscow Circus acrobat Nina Krasavina.

Karen was the first Producing Clown of Great Adventure Amusement Park in NJ and was a solo performer for the private parties Warner Bros. Records threw their recording artists. At the height of Jim Henson's award willing HBO Show "Fragglerock", she played Merkle, an acrobatic fraggle.

A founding member of both the Big Apple Circus and Vermont's Circus Smirkus, Karen has toured with one-ring and three-ring shows throughout the U.S., Canada, and France. In 1981, she co-founded Acrobrats, Inc.- a non-profit physical arts theatre co. specializing in educational and family shows. For the past 28 years, Acrobrats has developed a myriad of successful programs for young people's concerts with philharmonic orchestras, medieval festivals, and school and library assemblies. They have been featured on t.v., in film and on MTV music videos.

Karen is presently the Artistic Director and Ringmistress of the CIRCUSundays Series- an acclaimed circus variety show now in its 13th season aboard the historic Waterfront Museum Showboat Barge in Red Hook. Since its founding in 2001, she has been the principal acrobatics trainer and chorographer for Amazing grace Circus!, based in Nyack, NY.

She is excited at the prospect of inspiring a new generation of young folk through circus and physical comedy skills, and to helping Lakey & Rick Peña launch their dream studio!

Stephanie began her life in dance at the age of 3. She studied at the Joffrey School in their prestigious trainee program, was on scholarship for a summer at The Dance Theater of Harlem and gained the mentorship of Madame Gabriela Taub- Darvash who has trained numerous dance professionals of note. She attended Laguardia High School for the Performing Arts when she placed second in NFAA’s National Arts and Talent Search as the only representative from NYC. 

Stephanie worked in video and toured with music groups such as PM Dawn, Monie Love, En Vogue, and Salt-n- Pepa. She’s honored to have been a member of Donald Byrd/ The Group for 10 years, as well as one of the original company members of Complexions. She has assisted in the re-staging of Mr. Byrd’s, Dance at the Gym, and had the honor of restaging Mr. Byrd’s Burlesque, on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has served as choreographic assistant to Mr. Byrd for a work on the Cincinnati Ballet and works regularly with the Spectrum Dance Theater either as a coach or in the capacity of reconstructing old works of Mr. Byrd.

Stephanie is an ACE certified personal trainer and has had the pleasure and the honor of working with Lakey Evans- Pena over the years both as a colleague in dance and as an employee of hers with FitBodies. For one year she served on faculty for Dance Theater of Harlem for their Dancing Through Barriers program and as a substitute for their children’s ballet classes.

She served on Broadway as the Dance Captain for Oprah Winfrey’s, The Color Purple, as Associate Choreographer for the First National Tour of The Color Purple, and was a part of Disney’s, The Lion King on Broadway. She looks forward to participating in this wonderful vehicle of possibility and growth for all involved but really looks forward to the kiddies!!

Singer/Songwriter /Lyricist Nicky Guiland, a graduate of The New School University's prestigious Jazz Program, was introduced to singing at 12, after years of dance training. Nicole began singing to "try something new", where her curiosity lead to attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia's H.S. of Music and Art and the Performing Arts. 

Shortly after college, Nicky teamed up with fellow New School and LaGuardia alum Casey Benjamin to form HEAVy, a Soul/Jazz fusion band. As a part of the duo, Nicky has released 2 albums ("HEAVy First Sessions" and "Jazzmoney"). Her music has been featured on a number of compilations and in the movie "Three Can Play that Game" and has toured extensively, supporting acts N.E.R.D., Jill Scott and Q-Tip, internationally.

Nicky, the solo artist is a frequent featured vocalist with Jazz drummer, Joe Chambers Quartet, where her vocals can be heard on his 2006 release "The Outlaw" and his 2010 release, TBA. Nicky is currently in studio with her band recording her 3rd album and preparing for a Fall release.

Musical/Vocal Expression: Incorporating movement, creative thought and basic music theory/appreciation to encourage and guide self expression

Savannah has been moving & grooving since the age of three. Recently relocating from her home state of Michigan, she has been performing with the New York City Jazz Choreography Project  and enjoying every minute of it. While continuing her professional goals she's also pursuing her other passion in teaching.  Savannah has taught and danced all over the State of Michigan and is happy to be continuing in  NYC.

Joseph holds a BFA in Dance Arts from the University of Michigan and has trained at The Joffrey ballet School, and the Ailey School.He Has danced with Ailey II, Donalyd Byrd/The Group, Pomo Funk, Shadow box Children's theater, and Disney (Tokyo and Florida).

Josef has taught both children and adults all over the world in all dance techniques. Here in NYC, he was a performing arts instructor for Ailey's Art in Education program, the NYC Board of Education, and is currently an adjunct professor at Queensboro Community College.

Lindsey Springer discovered her love for dance at the age of two. She trained in classical ballet, jazz, hip hop and cheer.  As an adult she discovered a natural ability and love for working with children. Lindsey has worked in multiple childcare settings including several years as a Para educator for children with a broad range of severe mental and physical disabilities as well as a primary care provider for several local families. She is thrilled to be revisiting her love of dance and combining it with her teaching talent as a faculty member of the Williamsburg Movement & Arts Center. 

Cristina Dodd aka “Miragem” has been playing capoeira and participating in performances and events all over the U.S. and in Canada and Brazil for over twelve years; most recently at the Mixed Martial Arts World Expo in NY.   She currently hones her own skills at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with Grupo Capoeira Luanda under Mestre Jelon Vieira and Professor Tiba Vieira.

She has taught children at Alvin Ailey and Kipp Amp Academy, the unique capoeira themed charter school.  And she currently teaches in public and private schools in Brooklyn as well as a capoeira music class for adults.  She has a four-year-old son named Salvador and thoroughly enjoys working with children.

Joi A. Favor, hailing from New York City, NY is an alumni of The University of the Arts where she received her BFA in Dance and minor in Theatre. Ms. Favor has trained with distinguished companies such as : Dance Theater of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet,and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.Her company experience includes, Movement for the Urban Village, Young Jean Lee Theater Company, Danzare Internationale, Ken Robertson's Workshop,as well as Michael Thomas's Motion Theatre Lab. She has had the privilege of working as the principle choreographer and dance instructor at The Dalton School, and Peridance.

From the tender age of 5, Jenna has either been in front of a camera or on stage- a born performer. She began her studies with dance (ballet, jazz, tap) and from there expressed an interest in acting and film-making. Embracing the H.S. Drama Club culture, Jenna was featured in her high school performances, went on to study at the Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, and wrote/performed improv sketches and short films. 

She studied film and theatre, minoring in voice-over acting and musical theatre at the Academy of Art University of San Francisco. She was a featured performer in a number of AAU’s Theatre productions and wrote, filmed, and edited numerous short films. Gaining a wealth of knowledge and training while attending college, she made her move to NYC and here she is! Currently working on her first short film feature  (shooting in September) she is excited to be a part of the WMAAC team.

Pianist Bathsheba Marcus has performed throughout the United States in chamber music and solo recitals. A native New Yorker, Bathsheba began studying both piano and violin at a young age.  She attended LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and continued her music studies at New York University receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music with honors.  She continued her studies at the State University of Stony Brook where she received her Masters of Music in 2004 and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts.  Bathsheba’s primary teachers include Edward Edson, Jeanne Golan, Marc Peloquin, and Gilbert Kalish. She has also worked with Leon Fleisher, Ani Kavafian, and Eugene Drucker and Philip Setzer of the Emerson Quartet, among others.  

In addition to performing, Bathsheba is a dedicated educator and enjoys teaching students of all ages and levels. While hard work is important, she also believes that studying music should be fun and tailors her approach to the individual goals of each student. In addition to WMAAC, she is currently on the piano faculty of Bloomingdale School of Music and the Spence School and maintains a private studio in her home in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. When she isn’t teaching or practicing, Bathsheba enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family especially her energetic twin boys.

Gabriela Alvarez Castañeda. Originally from Guatemala, Gabriela has studied dance since the age of 3, always supported and encouraged by her parents and family.  She became a ballet teacher on 2004 taught by the prima ballerina Reyna Silva.  Her teaching emphasis was on the methodology for Formal and Non Formal Classic Dance Method of maistre Tulio de la Rosa from México.  Her main teachers were Ana Asturias, Sonia Júarez, Richard Devaux, Tulio de la Rosa and Reyna Silva. She was a professional dancer of the Guatemalan Institute of Tourism Ballet, the Guatemala City Choreographic Workshop and the Contemporary and Folk Dance Company: Guatemala Identity.  Her latest experience was as a teacher in the Guatemala City Ballet School where she teach for 6 years and as a choreographer in the Guatemala City Dance Company.  She was co-creator of the Certification Program in Performing Arts for the Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala and founder of the Association for Research, Education and Performing Arts and the Cultural Center La Banqueta with an interdisciplinary group of professional artists and social activists.  During her last year in Guatemala she owned and managed the Cultural Center Las Gardenias with two partners who were also dancers and founders of the place.  She came to New York City because of love and she is proud of it because she thinks love and family is what makes her stronger and had got her here to follow a new path in the dance education career.  She recently attended the Intensive Workshop for Teacher Training at the National Dance Institute of New York, NDI, and participated as choreographer in the theater production "Una Mariposa en la Luna" from ICAL (Latin American Arts and Cultural Institute) directed by Jimena Ladino in Hackensack, New Jersey.   She is currently a Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) permanent student.  She describes the WMAAC as her lucky charm in her professional path now in New York and is very excited of been part of it's great team.

My LOVE for dance began at the early age of 3 years old. Born and raised in Brooklyn I was always surrounded by international rhythmic beats and it was only natural to move and groove to the beats of Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Reggaeton, Cumbia, etc. Helping manage a 35 year old family business and starting my own business there wasn’t much time to dance, but I was still looking for a hobby to keep my mind active with the dance world because that’s what I LOVE to do. After experiencing my 1^st ZUMBA class I knew this was for me. Thru the practice of Zumba I began to see the pds shed, my stamina grow, but most important a joy and a new look at dance. It’s also changed the way I looked at exercise ! I’m so excited to bring this amazing class and experience to Williamsburg  Movement & Arts Center & I hope everyone would have the same life changing experience I did!

Dr. Aimee Cox has been dancing and recording people's stories since a very young age. She began her dance training at 5 years old and started interviewing family members and neighbors as inspiration for oral history narratives, short stories and novellas in her early teens. From middle school through high school, she studied classical ballet on scholarship at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music's (CCM) professional program affiliated with the Cincinnati Ballet. While an undergrad at Vassar College, she spent a year continuing her professional dance training in New York City: one semester studying on scholarship at the Dance Theater of Harlem and another as a scholarship student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.

Upon graduating from Vassar College in three years with honors, Aimee was invited to join Ailey II/The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble. During her two-year tenure at Ailey II Aimee toured nationally and internationally performing works by Alvin Ailey, Eleo Pomare, Kathy Posin, Nathan Trice and Ronald K. Brown, and taught master classes in community, university and dance school settings.

In 1998, Aimee began doctoral studies in cultural anthropology at the University of Michigan. It was here that she was able to cohesively integrate her engagements in dance, community organizing and anthropology in an arts activist curriculum that she shared with young people in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Detroit. After completing her doctoral coursework, she moved to Detroit and became the director of a homeless shelter for young women. While the director of the homeless shelter, Aimee developed innovative programs that challenged traditional social work models of youth education and self-care. In 2005, Aimee made three separate visits to Seoul, Korea to lecture and lead workshops on these groundbreaking arts education programs. The shelter residents helped expand and deepen the curriculum through their own interests in art and social change. The result was BlackLight. The BlackLight Project now operates out of Detroit and Newark and soon...Brooklyn!

Aimee is currently an assistant professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Rutgers University Newark. She is also a certified Stott Pilates Mat II Instructor.

Aimee is dancing for joy to be working with her former colleague and dear, dear friend Lakey in a space that is full of light, creativity and community love!