Artist, academic leader, and educator, Cristina Goletti is the Dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts at the University of Northern Colorado. Previous appointments include Chair of the Theatre and Dance Department at the University of Texas at El Paso, and Chair of the Arts Department at Universidad De Las Americas Puebla, Mexico. Cristina served as president of World Dance Alliance USA and is currently on the board of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and Colorado Humanities. From 2007-2014 she co-directed Legitimate Bodies Dance Company and I.F. O.N.L.Y. Dance Festival in Ireland. Legitimate Bodies Dance Company has toured to some of the most important venues and festival in Europe and Mexico like Aerowaves at The Robin Howard Theatre London, Dance House Limassol, Auditorium Theatre Rome, the European Parliament in Brussels, Tanzmesse Dusseldorf, the Dublin Absolute Festival, the Black Box at the National School of Contemporary Dance in Mexico City and Casa de la Cultura in Tijuana. Cristina’s research interests lie in dance pedagogy, interdisciplinary performance practices and leadership studies. She has presented her creative and scholarly work at several conferences and universities in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America. Her awards include “DanceWEB European Scholarship”, several awards from the NEA, The Irish Arts Council, Culture Ireland and the European Cultural Foundation. She holds an MFA in Dance & Choreography from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a secondary emphasis in Somatic Studies and a Postgraduate Diploma from the London Contemporary Dance School.

Originally from Texas, Darryl Pilate begins his eighteenth year in dance education as the Dance and Theatre Specialist for Baltimore County Public Schools. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance with a minor in Health Administration from Texas State University and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Woman's University. He studied various dance artists in genres such as ballet, jazz, Hawkins technique, hip-hop, and contemporary. Darryl Pilate has taught at several middle and high schools, choreographing a wide range of dance styles. He has been a member of the National Dance Education Organization since 2017. Darryl is the Artistic Director for Light Switch Dance Theatre. He is currently President of the Maryland Dance Education Association (2024-2026) and e-Communications Advisor (2023-2026) for the National Dance Education Organization.

Christine Rudy-Reed (MA) is an educator, professional learning leader, and dance artist dedicated to equity, access, and inclusion in arts education. Christine serves educators as Director of the Southern Counties California Arts Project, a regional site of The California Arts Project, at San Diego State University. There, she leads professional learning and teacher leadership development for TK-12 through university arts educators in Southern California and across the state. Prior to The California Arts Project, Christine served students and educators in Ohio, Illinois, and California as a dance educator, magnet arts resource teacher, program director, and arts-focused schools specialist. Christine has taught since 2009 in public TK-12 settings; has built new dance programs from the ground up in Ohio and Illinois; and has supported schools and districts in developing, implementing, and sustaining high-quality arts education programming. Christine is an active member of the arts and arts education non-profit sector. She currently serves on the PK-12 Mentorship Committee for the National Dance Education Organization and previously served on the NDEO Development Committee. She is also a founding board member and former Board Secretary of the Illinois Dance Education Organization, as well as a founding board member of Prismatic Movement.

Catherine (Kayt) MacMaster is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and scholar whose work explores how dance, American studies, and gender and women’s studies converge in shaping the American imagination. Her research traces how movement practices encoded cultural identity and power throughout the long 19th century, illuminating the body as a site of both historical memory and resistance. These questions inform her current pedagogical approach, where she centers inclusive, anatomy-informed, and trauma-conscious practices in ballet and contemporary dance education. MacMaster is committed to fostering psychologically safe, equitable learning environments that support all students, particularly those historically marginalized in Western concert dance. As Assistant Professor and Director of Dance at Alma College, a small liberal arts institution, she leads a program that balances rigorous technique, interdisciplinary scholarship, and community engagement. Her choreography has been presented nationally and internationally, and her embodied research includes West African dance, Afro-Cuban folkloric dance, and Argentine tango. She has trained with artists including Cynthia Oliver and Danys “La Mora” Pérez, and conducted fieldwork in Ghana. With experience in curriculum development, mentorship, and arts advocacy, MacMaster brings a collaborative, student-centered ethos to leadership. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Maria Haralambis, M.Ed., NASM CES, FMT, Ph.D.(C) is a Professor, Social Media Manager, Pre-Pro Ballet Teacher, & CEO of The Dance Scientist, L.L.C. You can see her in the November 2023 Dance Magazine in the section “What Dancers Can Learn from Sports Performance Training.” She serves 8 roles in boards & committees across organizations including HDC, IADMS, & NDEO. Over the past 13 years, she’s taught both Pre-Pro and recreational ballet students. Her students have won awards and scholarships & some dance professionally. She teaches at two studios, is a Social Media Manager for several dance studios, teaches a Dance Kinesiology course, and is a professor for an online course on NDEO’s platform. However, where she’s made the most impact on her students is her blend of anatomy in her instruction, even from a young age. She believes anatomy is a crucial part of dancers’ education that should be embedded from their first class. In 2023, she guest wrote a blog for NDEO on this. She believes anatomy can be taught in fun and simple ways, such as coloring pages, anatomy apps, rich imagery, and skeleton models. You can learn more about by following her on Instagram - @the.dancescientist.

Abigail F. Agresta-Stratton, earned an MA in Dance Education from NYU’s Steinhardt School and is a Registered Dance Educator. Abigail has taught dance in public and private schools and studios for over thirty years, creating and implementing multi-faceted dance curricula. Abigail is a graduate of Dance Education Laboratory and has been a member of the NYCDOE’s Blueprint Writing Committee, Project Manager of the NYCDOE Dance Curriculum Planning Committee, a scorer for the NYS Dance Content Specialty Test, Chair of the NYC Dance Educators /UFT, Secretary of the NYSDEA, and President of NYSDEA. Abigail has served as the moderator of the NDEO’s K–12 Forum. In October 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Service Award by NYSDEA for her dedication to the advancement of dance education. In August 2013, Abigail was honored at the Dance Teacher Magazine Summit as the 2013 K–12 Awardee and was recognized for her commitment and accomplishments in dance education and advocacy for dance. In 2018, Abigail was recognized by the Executive Director of NDEO, and in 2021 she was also acknowledged by NDEO's President. Abigail is NDEO’s Advisory Council Chair of Mentorship and is the Co-Lead Facilitator of the PK-12 Mentorship Committee.

Reign Capers (she/her) is a Contemporary dance artist, educator, and researcher currently pursuing her MFA at SUNY Brockport. A proud South Carolina native, Reign’s work explores authenticity, love, and embodied liberation through the lens of queer theory, dance studies, and philosophy. Her research centers expressive gender variability in concert dance, advocating for more inclusive choreographic and pedagogical practices that affirm the full identities of BIPOC and queer dancers. As a leader and artist, Reign is committed to justice, empathy, and innovation. She envisions NDEO as a space for transformation, where education traditions meet radical artistry. As a Graduate Representative, she is passionate about uplifting student voices and fostering a dance world where everyone is empowered to move with truth and freedom.

Aliyah Spears (she/her) is a college student working on her BFA in Dance and Dance Education K-12 Certification at Oakland University in Metro-Detroit. She previously attended the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, a gifted and talented program, where she had the opportunity to study dance and choreography extensively as well as participate in a two-year student teaching experience. She is an advocate for dance education in the state of Michigan and has been a Michigan Dance Council and National Dance Educators Organization member for several years. Aliyah was the president of her high school’s chapter of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts, graduating with high honors, and is a current member of the OU chapter. Her teaching experience ranges greatly, teaching in a dance studio for seven years. In addition to this, Aliyah spends her summers teaching inner-city elementary students at the Saginaw Public School District the art and culture of Hip Hop dance. When she is not dancing or teaching, Aliyah dedicates her time to the non-profit 501(c)(3) Social “U,” which she is the Assistant Director of. This organization provides social interaction opportunities for adults with cognitive and intellectual disabilities.