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