Jon Lehrer Dance Company actively promotes and values equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism on an institutional and individual level. All those working within JLDC are committed to creating an environment free of prejudice, discrimination, and marginalization throughout all of our work. This includes, but is not limited to, the company’s hiring practices, choreography and performance, education and outreach initiatives, community interaction, and governance. The professional dance artists of JLDC work collaboratively towards a common creative goal, while maintaining and developing their own artistic and individual voice. JLDC operates with integrity at all levels, respecting and honoring ideas, opinions, feedback, and dialogue from all.
The Dancers
Photos by Kiesha Stephens
Mahalia Brookes is originally from the US Virgin Islands where she started her training at Caribbean Dance School. After moving to Florida, she continued her training at All American Dance Factory and All American Classical Ballet School. She has competed in the NAACP ACT-SO national convention where she worked closely with choreographer Anthony Burrell. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Marymount Manhattan College. She has performed works by Earl Mosley, Jessica Lang, Anthony Morigerato, John Heginbotham, Sidra Bell, and Pascal Rioult.
This is Mahalia's fourth season with JLDC.
This is Mahalia's fourth season with JLDC.
Cristiana Cavallo (Associate Director) is from Utica, NY and began dancing at the age of 3. She received her training at the Dancenter and at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute School of Dance. Cristiana graduated in 2014 from the University at Buffalo with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Sociology. As a UB student, she was a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company, performed in several musicals, choreographed for many student productions and acted as Director of Dancer’s Workshop. She attended numerous summer programs, including NYSSSA, Thodos Dance Chicago Intensive, and Steps Summer Study. During her senior year, Cristiana was chosen for the Jon Lehrer Dance Observership, allowing her to train with the company and gain valuable insight into the professional world of dance. In 2019, Cristiana was invited to choreograph as part of the Barn Dance Project at the Theater at Woodshill, curated by Caitlyn Schrader. She is also the interim Executive Director of JUNTOS Collective. Cristiana has been with JLDC for 12 years, becoming an integral part of the company's success both on and off the stage.
Kristen Hedberg was born and raised in Richmond, VA. She earned her BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she was dual-enrolled with The Martha Graham School during her senior year. Kristen was a member of the RIOULT Repertory Dancers, under the direction of Pascal Rioult, Joyce Herring and Charis Haines. Other professional credits include: Curet Performance Project, Faustine Lavie Dance Project, and Susie McHugh + Dancers, among others. This is Kristen's fourth season with JLDC.
Michael Miller (Rehearsal Director) grew up on Long Island, New York. He started dancing at the age of eight and focused on ballet and modern dance primarily at Peconic Ballet Theatre. Michael then received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from James Madison University. He studied under Rubèn Graciani, Matt Pardo, Fran Kirmser, and Ryan Corriston. Miller was involved in student and faculty pieces throughout his four years at JMU. While at JMU, he performed in the pre-professional Virginia Repertory Dance Company, under the direction of Matt Pardo, and was awarded the Excellence in Performance Award his senior year. Miller had the pleasure to work in multiple residencies with choreographers such as Abraham in Motion (A.I.M) directed by Kyle Abraham, Rubèn Graciani, and Ryan Corriston. Miller also performed in original works choreographed by Omàr Roman De Jesùs, Xiang Xu, and Ricky Ruiz. This is Michael’s fourth season with JLDC.
Riccardo Passera is from Milan, Italy and draws on his heritage that spans across the Atlantic Ocean, from Italy to the Caribbean. He started dancing Caribbean dances at the age of 10 at Ratz Mataz school and later continued his ballet, modern and contemporary training with The Ballet School, AreaDance Nuova and New Style Dance. During this time Riccardo performed works by Lino Villa, which toured Italy with New Style Project Dance Company. He also performed choreography by Mattia Cuda while he was an apprentice with MAADE Ensemble. At the age of 18, Riccardo moved to New York City to train at The Ailey School, where he was a member of the Ailey Student Performance Group from 2022 to 2024, performing Alvin Ailey’s works across the tri-state area under the direction of Freddie Moore. During his time at Ailey, he performed Bird Lives by Alvin Ailey, an excerpt of Festa Barocca by Mauro Bigonzetti and Mr. Ailey’s Memoria for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons at New York City Center. Between Italy and New York, Riccardo has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as Clifton Brown, Amy Hall Garner, Ronald K. Brown, Darrell Moultrie, Brice Mousset, Norbert De La Cruz, Johan King Silverhult, Attila Joey Csiki and Rita Pivano. This is Riccardo’s second season with JLDC.
Austin Shaffer, an Ohio native, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Slippery Rock University with a concentration in Performance and Choreography. He has performed works by Bill T. Jones, Brian Brooks, Helen Simoneau, Joshua Manculich, Hanna Brictson, Cameron McKinney, Ursula Payne, and Bill Evans. He has performed and presented his works at the Koresh Artist Showcase, American College Dance Association Conference Gala, Cleveland Dance Festival, Whirlwind Dance Company, El Colegio del Cuerpo (Cartagena, Colombia), and Columbus Arts Festival. Austin just finished his second season as a main company dancer for Whirlwind Dance, a contemporary dance company in Columbus, Ohio. This is Austin’s first season with JLDC.
Mitchell Takeda was born in Taiwan and raised in Sacramento, CA.
.He graduated from Ball State University in May 2024 with a BFA in
Musical Theatre and was part of the Honors College. Mitchell was
introduced to JLDC during the Fall Semester of 2022 when the
company visited Ball State for a three-day masterclass series. Since then,
he has always dreamed to dance with the company and perform with
them one day. He participated in the JLDC Winter Intensive in January 2024, and joined the company as an apprentice in June 2024. Mitchell is excited to now be in his second season as a full company member with JLDC.
.He graduated from Ball State University in May 2024 with a BFA in
Musical Theatre and was part of the Honors College. Mitchell was
introduced to JLDC during the Fall Semester of 2022 when the
company visited Ball State for a three-day masterclass series. Since then,
he has always dreamed to dance with the company and perform with
them one day. He participated in the JLDC Winter Intensive in January 2024, and joined the company as an apprentice in June 2024. Mitchell is excited to now be in his second season as a full company member with JLDC.
Apprentices
Aidan Acosta is originally from Queens, NY, and just graduated Adelphi University with his BFA in dance. During his Junior year, he studied abroad at the London Contemporary Dance School. Aidan has had the opportunity to perform works by Take Ueyama, Omar Román De Jesús, Murray Louis, Megan King, Orion Duckstein, Frank Augustyn, and many others. In addition to his dancing, Aidan occasionally acts as an extra on movies and TV shows. Aidan was introduced to JLDC in the winter of 2023, spent his senior year at Adelphi as a JLDC Trainee and is excited to join the company for his first season as an Apprentice.
Bella Crews graduated from The Boston Conservatory May 2025, with her B.F.A. in commercialdance. She first found her passion for dance at the young age of three years old with her first ballet and tap class at her local dance studio in Orlando, Florida. Crews has performed at Universal Studios, Disney Springs, and other events in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts. Since attending the Conservatory, Crews has participated in multiple music videos, Berklee ensemble performances, and extracurricular activities within the community. Crews has trained in Ballet, Modern, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Heels, Contemporary, etc. With a strong need to constantly learn more and grow, Crews is always looking for opportunities that are outside her comfort zone. From Broadway, to an artist tour, to a modern company. She wants to do it all. Bella Crews is eager to get started on this new journey of the industry and can't wait to see ya out there!
Maddie McKnight is an alumni of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from Montclair State University with a Minor in Business. At Montclair State University, she performed in works by Camille A. Brown, Leslie Kraus, Cameron McKinney, Christian von Howard, among others, and received the Dance Scholar and Choreographic Excellence Award in 2025. McKnight is currently in the process of developing choreographic repertoire, honing her voice as an emerging creator. McKnight has shown choreographic work at the Koresh Dance Company Artist Showcase, Eisenhower Dance Detroit NewDanceFest, Montclair State University Dancemakers, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), and Montclair Dance Festival. This is Maddie's first season as a JLDC Apprentice.
Caroline Murray was born in New Albany Indiana, and later relocated to Jacksonville Florida, to attend Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, where she majored in dance. She began her professional dance training at Montclair State University in Montclair New Jersey, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Sports Nutrition in May 2025. While at the University, she has had the privilege of performing works by Kyle Abraham, Stephanie Martinez, Leslie Kraus, Andre Tyson, Brice Mousset, Cameron McKinney, Christian von Howard, and Jessie DiMauro Marks. In addition to concert performances, Murray has participated in various other performances such as the Koresh Artistic Showcase, Steffi Nesson Choreography Showcase, Dancing Beyond, Montclair Dance Festival, and Brickhouse.
Mikaela Papasodero is originally from Boston, MA and received her training from The Gold School. She graduated Cum Laude from The University of Hartford with a BFA in Dance. While there she had the opportunity to perform works by Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Doris Humphrey, Bryan Arias, Manuel Vignouelle and many more. She has worked professionally with Amirov Dance Theater, Spark Movement Collective(under the direction of Michelle Ulerich), Rioult Repertory Project (Rioult Dance Company) and American Liberty Ballet. She has also performed works by Jere Hunt, Charles Scheland and Lauren Curley. Her own choreography has been presented at Versatility Dance Festival in Boulder CO and Washington DC, Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, Rioult In-House Artist Showcase, Making Moves Dance Festival and NUVU Festival. This is Mikaela's second season as an Apprentice with JLDC.
Leah Schinsing is originally from Upstate NY, where she completed most of her early dance training at Sandy Stramonine School of Dance (now Legacy Dance Academy). She continued her training at Adelphi University, where she earned her BFA in dance. Leah is currently is a Soloist with Salvatore LaRussa Dance Theatre, and danced with Ballet For Young Audiences for their 2024 Nutcracker. While in school, Leah had the pleasure of performing works by Mark Morris, Murray Louis, Orion Duckstein, and many others, as well as multiple excerpts from Paul Taylor’s repertory. Leah’s dance film “A Pigment of Your Imagination” has been shown at dance film festivals internationally. This is Leah’s second season as an Apprentice with JLDC.
Kellye Smith is a performer, choreographer, and teacher from Richmond, Virginia. In 2023, she graduated cum laude from James Madison University with a BA in Dance, and received her PreK-12 dance teaching license. While at JMU, Smith had the pleasure of being a member of the program’s pre-professional company, and performed works by Tiffanie Carson, Floyd McLean Jr, Ricky Ruiz, Xiang Xu, Monique Haley, and numerous JMU faculty. She debuted her own choreography numerous times, was chosen to show work on JMU’s Mainstage, and received the School of Theatre and Dance Outstanding Choreography Award. In her senior year, Smith was the head artistic director of Mozaic Dance Team, an award winning hip hop team on JMU’s campus. Since graduating, she has apprenticed for Lucinda Childs Dance Company, performed original works by Brian Brooks, Tamisha Guy, Monique Haley, and Kelly Hirina, and was an Artistic Director for a Richmond-based hip hop team. Her passions stem from a deep love of dance and the community that it brings her. She plans to put her heart and soul into every endeavor she chooses. This is Kellye's second season as an Apprentice with JLDC.
Jared Stern is a New York native and alumni of the Long Island High School for the Arts. He earned his BFA in dance from Adelphi University under the direction of Frank Augustyn and Orion Duckstein. Following graduation, Jared spent three seasons with Graham 2 where he had the opportunity to perform principal roles of Graham’s most famous repertoire across New York City. Other professional credits include the Eglevsky Ballet, Caterina Rago Dance, Paul Taylor Outreach Ensemble, and the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company among others. Outside of his performance career, Jared also tours nationally as a dance educator and competitive dance adjudicator for Legacy Dance Championships, StarQuest Dance Competition, and Kids Artistic Review. This is Jared’s first season as a JLDC Apprentice.
Louie Williams was born in Austin, Texas and received his training at the Dance Institute Performance Academy under Linda Holland. His training focused on Vaganova Ballet technique, Contemporary dance, and a personal study of Improvisation. Complemented by a strong musical background that nurtured his interest in interdisciplinary connections between mediums, this led Louis to the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, of which he graduated in 2024. During his university studies, Louie trained extensively under Moncell Durden, Tiffany Bong, Patrick Corbin, and Saleemah Knight. He performed works by acclaimed choreographers including Kyle Abraham, Christopher Wheeldon, Hope Boykin, Dwight Rhoden, Doug Varone, Micaela Taylor, Amy O’Neal, and Saleemah Knight. Louie has also honed his improvisational skills in House, Locking, and Waaking, valuing the emotional elements of social dance as a cultural pillar. Louie is thrilled to be in his first year as a JLDC Apprentice.
Trainees
Nanda Gremo is a Taiwanese American dancer, born in New York and grew
up in Beijing, where she trained in ballet, modern, tap, and contemporary.
She is currently receiving her BFA from the Ailey School, and has worked with choreographers such as Hope Boykin, Tamisha Guy, Vivake Khamsingsavath, Pedro Ruiz, Danielle Diniz, Kimberly Bartosik, and Earl Mosley. She has had additional training from the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, Peridance, and Bird College London. She is a first year Trainee with JLDC.
up in Beijing, where she trained in ballet, modern, tap, and contemporary.
She is currently receiving her BFA from the Ailey School, and has worked with choreographers such as Hope Boykin, Tamisha Guy, Vivake Khamsingsavath, Pedro Ruiz, Danielle Diniz, Kimberly Bartosik, and Earl Mosley. She has had additional training from the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, Peridance, and Bird College London. She is a first year Trainee with JLDC.
Kaitlyn Hennings is originally from Dallas, TX, where she trained and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (BTWHSPVA) under the direction of Kate Walker. Kaitlyn is entering her senior year in the Ailey/Fordham BFA Dance Program under the direction of Melanie Person and Tracy Inman. During her studies, Kaitlyn has performed works by Aszure Barton, Peter Chu, Christopher Huggins, Take Ueyama, and many others, as well as the repertory of choreographers such as Robert Battle, José Limón, and Paul Taylor. Throughout her summers, Kaitlyn has attended programs at Perry Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, The Ailey School, and with companies such as Doug Varone and Dancers, Parsons Dance, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Bruce Wood Dance, and NobleMotion Dance. Kaitlyn is excited to be joining JLDC as a Trainee this year!
Nova Persio is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance at Marymount Manhattan College, concentrating in Modern and Choreography. She began her training at The Grier School, an international boarding school in Pennsylvania, under the direction of Jocelyn Hrzic and Danielle Bower. While at Grier, Nova had the opportunity to perform works by guest choreographers such as Darrell Moultrie, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Melissa Rector. Since relocating to New York City in 2022, Nova has performed in pieces by artists including Dolly Sfeir, Mike Esperanza, Raja Feather Kelly, Dylan Pearce, and Tamisha Guy. She has participated in intensives with Gibney, The Martha Graham School, and Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts. Recently, she performed in From Scratch/Laid Bare, an evening-length work by Carly Shraga, presented at Arts On Site in February 2025. This summer, Nova
is looking forward to traveling to Berlin to study floorwork at b12’s Workshop Festival as well as joining
JLDC as a Trainee!
is looking forward to traveling to Berlin to study floorwork at b12’s Workshop Festival as well as joining
JLDC as a Trainee!
My name is Grace Robinson and I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia where I first started dancing at age two. I attended Dancemakers of Atlanta, a technique focused competitive studio, where I trained primarily in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, and Contemporary dance styles. While there, I worked with and performed works by choreographers such as Jamal White, Tiare Keeno, Al Blackstone, Wendall Gray, Amber Jackson, Terrance Martin, Shonica Gooden, and many more. I also choreographed a filmed creative work on myself and Anthony Burrell. In addition to my primary training at DMA, I attended both the Complexions and Body Traffic intensives on full ride scholarships and the STEPS summer intensive on a partial scholarship. I’m currently entering my senior year in the Ailey/Fordham BFA Dance Program under the direction of Melanie Person and Tracy Inman. So far, I’ve worked with and performed works by choreographers such as Christopher Huggins, Hope Boykin, Tamisha Guy, Janice Rosario, and many more. I’m beyond excited to be joining JLDC as a Trainee this year!
