Adia Edmondson (she/her) is a Dancer, Arts Administrator, and Pilates Instructor based in New York City. Adia is currently pursuing a Master’s degree (MA) in Teaching Dance in the Professions: Dances of the African Diaspora at New York University. She previously studied a Bachelor’s degree (BA) in Dance and Theatre at Manhattanville University and a Master’s degree (MS) in Arts Administration and Museum Leadership at Drexel University. Outside of her love for dance, Adia is passionate about community service, outreach coordination, and cultural appreciation. She has previously engaged in full-time service with Americorps (CityYear NYC and The DREAM Program Philadelphia), as well as other community-centered programming in arts and/or education spaces. Outside of the classroom, Adia teaches classical Pilates with a contemporary lens at various studios in New York City and volunteers at Groove With Me, a free dance studio for girls in East Harlem. 

Dymond Davis (she/her) brings a rich background in dance education, leadership, and arts administration. She earned her BA in Dance Studies with a minor in Business Management from Texas Woman’s University, where she served as Competition Director at Texas Galaxy Cheer and Dance, Co-Coordinator of Community Movers—a student organization focused on community engagement through dance—and Administrative Assistant for the TWU Pioneer Pride Dance Team and mascot Oakley. Dymond is currently pursuing her Master’s in Arts Policy and Administration at The Ohio State University, focusing on equity, access, and sustainability in the arts. She has taught dance in studios, schools, and community programs, and is passionate about supporting inclusive arts programming and strengthening dance infrastructure in higher education.

Samantha Guzman (she/her) is a first-generation college graduate and Latina artist from Los Angeles, California. She recently earned her B.A. in Dance from the University of Oregon. During her time in college, she developed her artistic voice through performance, choreography, pedagogy, research, arts administration, and entrepreneurship. These diverse experiences helped her cultivate a unique creative identity that she hopes to use to uplift her community. Her work explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and empowerment, with a focus on creating safe spaces for marginalized voices. Samantha is passionate about arts advocacy and expanding access to dance in underserved communities. In her post-graduate journey, she is honored to serve as a 2025 conference intern for the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and to present her research, Echando Raíces: Culture and Belonging in Dance, at the 2025 NDEO Conference in Detroit, Michigan.

Katerina “Kat” Zakonova (they/them) is a dance education M.A. student at NYU Steinhardt, with a concentration in ballet pedagogy. They are certified in the American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum through Level 5. Kat trained in ballet at the professional level under Tatiana Pali and Alyona Yakovleva-Randall of the Indiana Ballet Conservatory (IN) and Vera Altunina of the International Ballet Academy (WA), performed lead roles in biannual performances, and received recognition for their classical and contemporary performances at ballet competitions such as YAGP, ADC|IBC, and WBAC. As an educator and scholar, Kat has presented and published research in undergraduate writing studies, and is now interested in documenting and improving the experiences and outcomes of injured students in pre-professional ballet training programs. They are a research intern at NDEO. Photo Credit: Jason Lavengood

Kayleigh Becker (she/her) is a dance educator located in Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up a competitive dancer and heavily involved in theater, she went on to earn her B.A. in Dance with a focus in Education from the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. During that time she had the opportunities to stage manage for faculty and professional dance concerts, present works at NCDEO and ACDA, and get hands-on experience in multiple school settings. Kayleigh Becker has continued her journey for pedagogic excellence by becoming a multi-certified educator - including Acrobatic Arts and PBT - and constantly seeking out professional development opportunities. Kayleigh is in her fifth year as a K-12 dance educator, moving from a private independent school working with grades 4-8 to a Title I public middle school serving grades 6-8. Additionally, she has taught in studios and as a guest teacher for 10 years, coached a marching band dance team, and works on the production teams of middle and high school theater productions in multiple capacities. She is currently pursuing a MS in Performing Arts Leadership and Management from Shenandoah University with hopes to continue teaching, but move into more curriculum development and training for future dance educators.

Sydnie Ysseldyke is a dancer, educator, choreographer, and marketing student from Michigan. She has been dancing since she was 2 and a half. She started her dance career dancing for Body Language Dance Company and during her time their danced competitively as well as taken master classes with Anthony Morigerato, Jasen Janes, Billy Bell, Markus Shields, Rachel Segal, Suzy Hall, and various other professional dancers and teachers. She also preformed with Tap 24/7 in their show TapSpeak and attended the Checctti Summer School. While in high school she competed with her high school’s Varsity Dance Team. During her time on the dance team she was a captain, an NDA All-American Nominee, won the NDA Herkie Leadership Award, and preformed in both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando with Varsity Spirit in their Varsity Spirit Spectacular. She is currently a student at Central Michigan University Majoring in Marketing and minoring in Dance. She has been very active during her time at CMU both on stage and off. She served as the Vice President of Philanthropy for her sorority, a Leadership Safari Guide for the Leadership Safari Conference, served as the Director of Recruitment Operations for the Panhellenic Council, was a Marketing Intern for Action Water Sports, and a Coach for CMU’s Gym School. She also preformed with Masashi Action Machine during the University Theater Dance Company Concert, choreographed for the Student Choreography Showcase, and helped with costumes for CMU’s production of Young Frankenstein. Sydnie is working for NDEO as a Marketing Intern and plans to continue working in Marketing and continuing her love of dance. 

Nadia Ureña is an active Philly based performer, choreographer, and researcher who aims to intersect dance studies with black feminism, media theory, existential philosophy, video games, and memes. As a performer, Nadia worked with professional artists such as Orion Duckstein, Charles Anderson, Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner, Xiang Xu, The Megan Flynn Dance Company, and Teresa VanDenend Sorge. She has performed at The Cincinnati Fringe Festival, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, 30/30/30 in NYC, KYLD’s Inhale Series, the American Dancers Guild 2024, and Wax Works in NYC. As a scholar, Nadia is interested in questioning and reimagining how dance composition courses in higher ed could refocus into emphasizing a development of choreographic process instead of choreographic products. She served as a panelist at the 2023 NDEO Conference about teaching undergraduate students about labor rights. Nadia recently earned an MFA in Dance at Temple University. At Temple, she was a Graduate Fellow and recipient of the 2024 Katherine Dunham Award for Creative Dance Research. She received a B.A. in Dance and Media & Communications from Muhlenberg College and spent a semester abroad at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy.

Elizabeth Sterling is an educator, performer, choreographer, and yoga instructor originally from Maryland. Elizabeth began dancing at the age of 5, training in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and modern, with recent training in hip-hop, musical theater, and pom styles. She has long had a passion for dance education, having taught dance at private studios for over 6 years and in 2022 developed and facilitated a Dance Summer Camp for the Department of Parks and Recreation in D.C. Elizabeth attended and co-presented at her first NDEO National Conference in Atlanta, GA in 2022. In 2023, Elizabeth conducted research on sustainability in dance, in which she received an Undergraduate Research Impact Award and was a poster presenter at the NDEO National Conference in Denver, CO. She has also interned with Flair Dance Company in 2022 in Administration & Event Planning, as well as in 2023 with Joffrey Ballet School as a NYC Resident Assistant. Elizabeth is currently teaching yoga classes, alongside substitute teaching, and will be teaching Dance and Physical Education full-time in Anne Arundel County Public Schools for the 24-25 school year.

Rachel Keller is a recent graduate of James Madison University where she graduated with a BA in Dance and Media Arts and Design with a concentration in creative advertising. At JMU, she worked with choreographers such as Norbert de la Cruz, Monique Haley, and Lucinda Childs. Rachel also collaborated and performed alongside Eisenhower Dance Detroit in the New Dance show at JMU. With her concentration in creative advertising, Rachel also gained knowledge and experience about journalism, media law, digital video/ cinema, and web design/ UX. She also placed in the top 3 for her concentration with her senior capstone project. Currently, Rachel is working as a Marketing Intern for NDEO and is planning to audition for companies in the Richmond, VA area. 

Bri'Asha Aldridge is a 21 year old artist from Baltimore, Maryland. Bri’Asha has been dancing since age 3 in liturgical, ballet, modern, hip-hop, and African styles. She has always been a natural born leader, serving as dance captain for her middle school hip hop dance team and choreographer for her high school senior class closing performance before the pandemic. In 2018, Bri'Asha traveled to Trinidad and Tobago as a missionary ministering in various churches and teaching dance to young children. In December of 2024, Aldridge will graduate from Towson University with her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with a Pre-K-12 concentration. She is currently the president for the Towson NHSDA Chapter. Bri’Asha currently serves as an assistant director for the Maryland Academy of Dance Ministry and Ensemble competition team. She has received numerous scholarship awards for summer programs through attending the International Association for Blacks in Dance Annual Conference. In July 2023, Bri’Asha completed a Rehearsal Swing contract with Norwegian Cruise Line under the direction of Amanda Gaudette and Steven Jeudy. She/Her/Hers

Marissa Finkelstein is a dance artist, educator, and choreographer originally from New Jersey. As a third year MFA in Dance candidate at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Marissa’s thesis research focuses on intergenerational choreography. At UNCG, Marissa is a Graduate Assistant and Instructor of Record, where she teaches courses in jazz, tap, dance appreciation, and contemporary. Marissa is a Minerva Scholar and Greensboro Graduate Scholar at UNCG, and she is pursuing her K-12 licensure. As an arts advocate and arts administrator, Marissa has worked with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, and Get Empowered. Most recently, she worked as the Executive Assistant Intern at the National Dance Education Organization. Marissa’s research has been presented at the NDEO’s National Conference and UNCG’s Graduate Forums. Marissa received her BA in Dance and Business with a concentration in Arts Administration from Muhlenberg College. She/Her/Hers

ElleAnna is a Detroit-based performer and choreographer. A recent graduate from the University of Michigan, she received a BFA in Dance and a BA in Communication & Media Studies. Additionally, ElleAnna serves as the Director of Programming for We Are Queens, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on empowering college-aged dancers towards sustainable trajectories through leadership training, professional development, and community-building. Inspired by the rise of tech in artistic spaces, specifically Screendance, ElleAnna’s media background informs her passion for the performing arts. She’s excited to intersect these two worlds through marketing and creative expression at NDEO. She/Her/Hers

Alicea “Ali” Chludzinski is a recent graduate of Slippery Rock University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance with a concentration in performance and choreography as well as a minor in Film and Media Studies. Throughout her time at SRU, Ali developed a passion for screendance and studied Gene Kelly’s impact on choreography and cinematography in the Hollywood Movie Musical. She prides herself on being awarded the Outstanding Dance Service Award in 2023 and being selected as SRU’s Student Employee of the Year in 2022 for her work for the Department of Dance as an office assistant, student ambassador, and the student social media coordinator. She started dancing at age 2 at Spotlight Dance Studio by Stacey Kabasinski Inc. and has experience in performing and teaching various styles of dance. Currently, Ali is working as a Marketing Intern for the National Dance Education Organization and is enjoying dancing with Seiche Dance Collective in Erie, PA. She/Her/Hers.

Originally from New Jersey, Sophia Perone began her dance training and choreographic journey at Washington Rock Dance. She is continuing her studies at Johns Hopkins University and The Peabody Institute, where she is currently obtaining a B.A. in Political Science and a B.F.A. in Dance. Sophia has performed choreographic works by Danielle Agami, Sorah Yang, Diedre Dawkins, Yoshito Sakuraba, Christian Denice, Mike Esperanza, Madi Hicks, Stephanie Zaletel, danah bella, Kelly Hirina, and Christopher Pennix. She has also choreographed works that have been performed at Baltimore Theater Project, The Peabody Institute, and Palm Springs International Dance Festival. Sophia believes that dance is not simply a performing art, but a segue into political discourse, social work, societal development, community building, and cultural preservation. She/Her/Hers