Cristiana Cavallo (Rehearsal Director) is from Utica, NY and began dancing at the age of 3. She received her training from local and guest artists 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 for three years and performed in several musicals. She has choreographed for many student productions and was the 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. Most recently, Cristiana was invited to choreograph as part of the Barn Dance Project at the Theater at Woodshill, curated by Caitlyn Schrader. Cristiana has been with JLDC for 6 years, becoming an integral part of the company's success both on and off the stage.
James Jeffery started his training at the age of 16 in his hometown of Tempe, AZ under the direction of Lisa Eardley Brame. He later went on to graduate with a BFA In Dance from the University of Arizona. There he studied with Sam Watson, Amy Earnst, Doug Nielsen, Michael Williams, Susan Quinn, Liz George, and Melissa Lowe. After college, James had the opportunity to travel the world with Royal Caribbean Cruises while performing in their productions. Working for Spirit Productions, under the direction of Emma Rogers, he has been able to perform around the US, Canada and Japan. James is currently freelancing in NYC and has been able to work with choreographers Joey Mckneely, Richard Hines, Jona Biddle, Guy Amir and Brian Thomas. James is excited to now be performing with Jon Lehrer Dance.
Katharine Larson has been dancing professionally since 2012. She is currently a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company, performing and touring internationally. Katharine was previously a 7-year company member of Eisenhower Dance Detroit, performing, teaching, and touring world-wide. She grew up dancing under Sheryl Rowland in Kingwood, TX. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Chemistry and was the recipient of the Gertrude Shurr Modern Dance and Costume Manager Triple-Threat awards. Katharine has performed works by Jon Lehrer, Ann Reinking, Mia Michaels, Laurie Eisenhower, Edgar Zendejas, Joshua Manculich, Ron De Jesus, Jamey Hampton, Gina Patterson, Harrison McEldowney, James Clouser, Sam Watson, Ronn Stewart, Jessica Miller-Tomlinson and Ahmad Simmons. She has also performed with Thodos in their New Dances Concert and with Artifact Dance Project on a tour throughout China. Previous training includes the Juilliard School, LINES Ballet and Northwest Dance Project.
Aoi Ohno started dancing when she was 3 years old in Kanazawa, Japan. She graduated from Tokyo Visual Arts Vocational School, after which she joined the dance company RAKUDO. Upon moving to New York City, Aoi began training exclusively at the The Ailey school, working with many renown teachers and choreographers including Ray Mercer and Darrel Moultrie. Since graduating from the Ailey School, Aoi has worked with Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Impact Movement Collective, Albano Ballet, Arch Ballet, and Ballet Nepantla. Aoi is now extremely excited to be a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Mamiko Nakatsugawa is originally from Miyagi, Japan where she started dancing at 9 years old. Mamiko moved to New York in 2015 to attend SUNY Fredonia, where she earned her degree in 2019. During this time, she spent her summers at many prestigious training programs in NYC, including Broadway Dance Center Professional Summer Semester, Paul Taylor Dance Company Summer Intensive, Gibney Dance Company Summer Intensive, Gaga New York Winter Intensive, and Module 19. As a professional, Mamiko has worked with Matthew Westerby Dance Company as an apprentice,, performing “ReNew 3” with the company in 2018. She has performed in many musical theatre productions in Japan and United States, including Anne of Green Gables (Japan tour ensemble), Cabaret (Kit Kat Girls), and South Pacific (Liat). It is with great excitement that Mamiko is now a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Richard Sayama is originally from Honolulu, Hawai’i. He attended Marymount Manhattan College where he double majored, earning his B.F.A in Modern Dance and B.A in Business Arts & Management. As a professional, Richard has worked with Alison Cook Beatty Dance, H.T Chen & Dancers, and Rock Dance Collective. He has had the pleasure of performing works by Paul Taylor, José Limón, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, Alison Cook Beatty, Elisabeth Motley, H.T. Chen, and Maria Torres. Richard is honored and excited to be a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Nathan Rommel is from Kansas City, MO and attended Hope College where he received his degree in Dance Performance, Upon graduation, Nathan moved to Chicago, where he performed with GIordano II having the pleasure of working with choreographers Ray Mercer and Peter Chu. Most recently, Nathnan performed with Odyssey Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah and as a soloisy in Chicago Repertory Ballet's production of Macbeth, choreographed by Wade Schaaf. Nathan is beyond excited to now be in NYC with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Patrick Piras is from Udine, Italy and began his dance training at the age of 6 focusing on professional ballroom dancing for three years until a sudden injury 3 years later made him stop. At age 14 Patrick started dancing again thanks to Arianna Zanello, who invited him to attend her school, Filodanza, and later became his mentor. He then focused his study in ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary dance and received scholarships to several summer intensives in Italy. Patrick came NYC to attend The Ailey School in 2013 where he graduated as a Scholarship Student. He has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Matthew Rushing, Ronnie Favors, Tracy Inman, Martin Lofsnes, Amy Hall, Darshan Bhuller, Nathan Trice, Nicholas Villenueve, Nai Ni Chen, Sheena Annalise and Christopher Rudd. He has performed “Memoria” with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theather at New York City Center in December 2014 and “Concurrence” representing the Ailey School in the Ailey Spirit Gala at David H. Koch Theather in June 2016. Patrick performed with 360° Dance Company, as a guest artist with Nai Ni Chen, Arch Contemporary Ballet, and is a faculty member at The Ailey School. Patrick is thrilled to be a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
James Jeffery started his training at the age of 16 in his hometown of Tempe, AZ under the direction of Lisa Eardley Brame. He later went on to graduate with a BFA In Dance from the University of Arizona. There he studied with Sam Watson, Amy Earnst, Doug Nielsen, Michael Williams, Susan Quinn, Liz George, and Melissa Lowe. After college, James had the opportunity to travel the world with Royal Caribbean Cruises while performing in their productions. Working for Spirit Productions, under the direction of Emma Rogers, he has been able to perform around the US, Canada and Japan. James is currently freelancing in NYC and has been able to work with choreographers Joey Mckneely, Richard Hines, Jona Biddle, Guy Amir and Brian Thomas. James is excited to now be performing with Jon Lehrer Dance.
Katharine Larson has been dancing professionally since 2012. She is currently a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company, performing and touring internationally. Katharine was previously a 7-year company member of Eisenhower Dance Detroit, performing, teaching, and touring world-wide. She grew up dancing under Sheryl Rowland in Kingwood, TX. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Chemistry and was the recipient of the Gertrude Shurr Modern Dance and Costume Manager Triple-Threat awards. Katharine has performed works by Jon Lehrer, Ann Reinking, Mia Michaels, Laurie Eisenhower, Edgar Zendejas, Joshua Manculich, Ron De Jesus, Jamey Hampton, Gina Patterson, Harrison McEldowney, James Clouser, Sam Watson, Ronn Stewart, Jessica Miller-Tomlinson and Ahmad Simmons. She has also performed with Thodos in their New Dances Concert and with Artifact Dance Project on a tour throughout China. Previous training includes the Juilliard School, LINES Ballet and Northwest Dance Project.
Aoi Ohno started dancing when she was 3 years old in Kanazawa, Japan. She graduated from Tokyo Visual Arts Vocational School, after which she joined the dance company RAKUDO. Upon moving to New York City, Aoi began training exclusively at the The Ailey school, working with many renown teachers and choreographers including Ray Mercer and Darrel Moultrie. Since graduating from the Ailey School, Aoi has worked with Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Impact Movement Collective, Albano Ballet, Arch Ballet, and Ballet Nepantla. Aoi is now extremely excited to be a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Mamiko Nakatsugawa is originally from Miyagi, Japan where she started dancing at 9 years old. Mamiko moved to New York in 2015 to attend SUNY Fredonia, where she earned her degree in 2019. During this time, she spent her summers at many prestigious training programs in NYC, including Broadway Dance Center Professional Summer Semester, Paul Taylor Dance Company Summer Intensive, Gibney Dance Company Summer Intensive, Gaga New York Winter Intensive, and Module 19. As a professional, Mamiko has worked with Matthew Westerby Dance Company as an apprentice,, performing “ReNew 3” with the company in 2018. She has performed in many musical theatre productions in Japan and United States, including Anne of Green Gables (Japan tour ensemble), Cabaret (Kit Kat Girls), and South Pacific (Liat). It is with great excitement that Mamiko is now a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Richard Sayama is originally from Honolulu, Hawai’i. He attended Marymount Manhattan College where he double majored, earning his B.F.A in Modern Dance and B.A in Business Arts & Management. As a professional, Richard has worked with Alison Cook Beatty Dance, H.T Chen & Dancers, and Rock Dance Collective. He has had the pleasure of performing works by Paul Taylor, José Limón, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, Alison Cook Beatty, Elisabeth Motley, H.T. Chen, and Maria Torres. Richard is honored and excited to be a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Nathan Rommel is from Kansas City, MO and attended Hope College where he received his degree in Dance Performance, Upon graduation, Nathan moved to Chicago, where he performed with GIordano II having the pleasure of working with choreographers Ray Mercer and Peter Chu. Most recently, Nathnan performed with Odyssey Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah and as a soloisy in Chicago Repertory Ballet's production of Macbeth, choreographed by Wade Schaaf. Nathan is beyond excited to now be in NYC with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Patrick Piras is from Udine, Italy and began his dance training at the age of 6 focusing on professional ballroom dancing for three years until a sudden injury 3 years later made him stop. At age 14 Patrick started dancing again thanks to Arianna Zanello, who invited him to attend her school, Filodanza, and later became his mentor. He then focused his study in ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary dance and received scholarships to several summer intensives in Italy. Patrick came NYC to attend The Ailey School in 2013 where he graduated as a Scholarship Student. He has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Matthew Rushing, Ronnie Favors, Tracy Inman, Martin Lofsnes, Amy Hall, Darshan Bhuller, Nathan Trice, Nicholas Villenueve, Nai Ni Chen, Sheena Annalise and Christopher Rudd. He has performed “Memoria” with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theather at New York City Center in December 2014 and “Concurrence” representing the Ailey School in the Ailey Spirit Gala at David H. Koch Theather in June 2016. Patrick performed with 360° Dance Company, as a guest artist with Nai Ni Chen, Arch Contemporary Ballet, and is a faculty member at The Ailey School. Patrick is thrilled to be a company member with Jon Lehrer Dance Company.