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
Ricardo G. Barrett is originally from Jamaica and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Arts Academy. He was also a three year member of The Jamaica Junior Theatre Company and The Company Dance Theatre. He continued his training there until he left for the Martha Graham School as a member of Graham 2. He was a member of the second Company for three years, and an Apprentice with the Martha Graham Company for 2 years. He is also a member of Alison Chase Performance, Buglisi Dance Theatre, and Dzul Dance. Ricardo is a trained actor, dance teacher, singer and still explores different forms and styles of artistic expression. This is Ricardo's fourth season with JLDC.
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 Mosely, Jessica Lang, Anthony Morigerato, John Heginbotham, Sidra Bell, and Pascal Rioult. This is Mahalia's third 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 11 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 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 third 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 first season with JLDC.
Leah Suskind was born and raised in Randolph, NJ. In May 2022, she graduated summa cum laude from New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in dance. While at NYU, Leah had the opportunity to perform works by Yin Yue, Stephen Petronio, Jaclyn Walsh, and Molissa Fenley. In the fall of 2022, Leah participated in the inaugural GibneyPro Training Program where she got to work with artists such as Rena Butler, Maleek Washington, Laja Field, and Elia Mrak. Throughout her summers, Leah has attended programs at Jacob’s Pillow, Orsolina 28, the Juilliard School, and with companies such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, GALLIM, Parsons Dance, the Rockettes, and the Martha Graham Company. Leah’s most recent choreographic work, “VII”, was recently selected to perform at the Spring 2023 JCE Jazz Dance Project as well as the 2023 Hartford Dance Festival. She was also the fellowship recipient of the 2021 DM.Connect Choreographer Competition. Leah was an apprentice with JLDC for two years and she is excited to be in her second season as a full JLDC member.
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 a full company member with JLDC.
Apprentices
Kate Carpenter has her BA in acting with a minor in dance from Salisbury University where they met Jon during a Jon Lehrer Dance Company residency. Kate has also studied at the Steps On Broadway Conservatory program. Kate’s most recent credits are Cabaret at The Studio Theatre TDS (Texas) The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Milton Theatre (Choreographer & U/S Magenta and Columbia) and The Queens Ball, A Bridgerton Experience through Netflix and Fever productions (Lady In Waiting). This is Kate's first season as an apprentice with JLDC.
Julia Charkales was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. After being offered an Artistic Achievement Scholarship for the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration in Modern Dance. While training there with Garfield Lemonius, Jason McDole, Rocker Verastique, and Crystal Frazier she further cultivated her style, adapting to various settings on and off the stage; performing works by Martha Graham, Aszure Barton, and Kiesha Lalama. Her reputation became one notoriously featured in pieces where Groove, Freestyle, and personality were required. After graduation she brought her conservatory training to New York City where she met Sun Kim who introduced her to Popping. Since then Julia officially joined Sun Kim Dance Theatre, and Pocket Fuel Groovers where she continues to cultivate her movement and perform at venues such as New Victory Theater, Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, and The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. This is Julia’s first year apprenticing for Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
Kirsten Coco was born and raised outside of Boston, MA and was educated at Donna Coco’s Performance Plus, where her passion for movement and performance began. This passion eventually led her to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she received her BFA in Dance. During her time at Tisch, she also studied dance abroad in Berlin, Germany. Since graduating, Kirsten’s performance credits include: Company dancer with Groundworks Dance Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, Company dancer with Z Artists Group in New York City, Company Dancer with Chutzpah Dance in New York City, performer for Antonio Brown’s “Inside,” David Shimotakahara’s “Jigsaw,” and the Aditya Birla Awards in Mumbai, India. She has also performed Yin Yue’s “In Company,” Jeremy Nelson’s “Unfurled” at Radio City Music Hall, and with the Scottish Ballet Dance Exchange at the Joyce Theatre. Kirsten has been featured in the Dance Spirit Magazine “Audition Wear” photo shoot and article, and has made appearances in several dance films and festivals in New York City. This is Kirsten's second season as an apprentice with JLDC.
Jade Connor is from Alberta, Canada and began her professional dance training at The Edge School in Alberta in their Pre-Professional Program, where she developed her ballet training, aending both the Youth American Grand Prix and World Ballet Arts Competitions. During her training, she had the chance to participate in diverse summer intensives, including programs at The Ailey School, American Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, before embarking on her full-time training at The Ailey School. In the spring of 2023, Jade graduated from The Ailey School’s Professional Division Scholarship Program, where she further honed her skills as a dancer and artist in various styles, including Ballet, Horton, and Graham. While attending the Ailey School, Jade was invited to join the Ailey Student Performance Group (ASPG), where she showcased her talents in various pieces by Alvin Ailey, including excerpts from Revelations, The Lark Ascending, and segments from Night Creatures. Jade also participated in The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre's Opening Night Gala, delivering a captivating excerpt from "Festa Barocca," choreographed by Mauro Bigonzetti and restaged by Clifton Brown. Jade has also performed works by Darrell Moultrie, Levi Marsman, Freddie Moore, Brice Mousset, and Rebecca Margolick. In each performance, Jade consistently strives for personal excellence, nurturing her growth as an artist and a dancer. She aspires to continue sharing the art and beauty of life through dance. This is Jade's first year apprenticing for Jon Lehrer Dance Company.
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 first season as an apprentice with JLDC.
Madelyn Sarver is originally from Roanoke, Virginia and holds a BFA in Dance and
a minor in Psychology from Adelphi University. At Adelphi, Madelyn worked with choreographers Larry Keigwin, Winston Dynamite Brown, and Orion Duckstein, among others. She had the pleasure of performing two masterworks: Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom and Mark Morris’s Gloria. Upon moving to Manhattan post graduation, she has danced for ThingsezIsee’m Dance/Theater, The Heraclitus Project, Nanm Dance Company, and Alison Cook Beatty Dance. Madelyn is a
current member of the Taylor Outreach Ensemble at the Taylor School. She is a certified Pilates Instructor, using her passion for movement to bring an increased sense of joy, health, and body awareness to clients. Madelyn is looking forward to her first season as an apprentice with JLDC.
a minor in Psychology from Adelphi University. At Adelphi, Madelyn worked with choreographers Larry Keigwin, Winston Dynamite Brown, and Orion Duckstein, among others. She had the pleasure of performing two masterworks: Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom and Mark Morris’s Gloria. Upon moving to Manhattan post graduation, she has danced for ThingsezIsee’m Dance/Theater, The Heraclitus Project, Nanm Dance Company, and Alison Cook Beatty Dance. Madelyn is a
current member of the Taylor Outreach Ensemble at the Taylor School. She is a certified Pilates Instructor, using her passion for movement to bring an increased sense of joy, health, and body awareness to clients. Madelyn is looking forward to her first 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. 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, and one of her most recent choreographic endeavors was a full length production of “The Oresteia” with Gallery Players in Brooklyn. This is Leah’s first 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 first season as an apprentice with JLDC.
Trainees
Aidan Acosta is originally from Queens, NY, and is currently in his last year of undergrad at Adelphi University for his BFA in dance. During his Junior year he studied abroad at 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 and is excited to join the company for his first season as a trainee.