Staff
Hanne Larsen
Co-Founder and Artistic Director
BA (Hons – Music/Theatre), AISTD (Ballet), AATOD (Jazz), AMusA, LMusA
Hanne is the owner and principal-in-absentia of Sydney-based dance school, The Jazz Factory. She has brought her extensive training in classical ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern dance, theatrical dance, character dance, hip hop and gymnastics, as well as theatre and music, to thousands of students over a twenty year teaching career. Having established her own school, The Jazz Factory in 1993, she has seen it grow into one of Sydney’s premier dance schools with over 500 students, offering classes in jazz, ballet, contemporary and hip hop for students aged three through to adults. Students are continually placed at State and National dance competitions and former students are have qualified for many college dance courses and have danced professionally within Australia and internationally for such companies as Sydney Dance Company, Australian Dance Theatre, Bondi Ballet, TasDance and Compania Nacional de Danza in Madrid, Spain.
Hanne will be overseeing the artistic programming of Downtown Dance Factory as well as teaching the Jazz/Hip Hop Fusion and ballet streams, and a majority of the preschool classes.
Melanie Zrihen
Co-Founder and Business Director
MBA (University of Toronto, Canada), BComm (McGill, Montreal, Canada)
Melanie has extensive experience in management, marketing and operations, having spent the better part of her career as a management consultant with global management consultancy, A.T. Kearney, New York. Prior to this she worked in both advertising and investment banking in her native Canada. She has also provided consulting services in Internet marketing and operations to small New York City businesses, such as The Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. and Tribeca Language, both based in the downtown area.
Melanie also has long-term experience in the dance school environment, having studied ballet at the Mount Royal Ballet Company in Montreal for thirteen years and she looks forward to bringing her love of dance to her role as Business Director of Downtown Dance Factory!
Tech
Downtown Dance Factory is excited to welcome Tech to our staff to teach our Street Hip Hop and Boys' Program classes. Tech has been featured in music videos by Beyonce, Shaggy and Sting, has toured with Salt-N-Pepa, Ginuwine and Ray J and can be seen in MTV's "Making the Band 4" assisting famed choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson. In addition to his impeccable hip hop credentials, Tech also brings his expertise in martial arts and his professional personal training credentials to the classroom to ensure a safe, fun-filled class.
Renuka Hines
Renuka Hines is a professional dancer and dance teacher here in NYC. She graduated from Columbia University with both a BA in Dance and a New York State teaching certificate in elementary education. In 2008 Renuka received the Louis Sudler Prize for the Arts and was also nominated for the ACDFA/Dance Magazine award for Best Student Performer. Currently, Renuka is a performer with David Dorfman Dance, a nationally and internationally touring modern dance company, as well as other NYC companies. On tour and in New York she teaches dance classes to students of all ages. Renuka is passionate about both working with children and the art of dance and is happy to be joining the Downtown Dance Factory Family.
Andrea Leith
Andrea, a native of St. Charles, IL, has been dancing and performing since she was in elementary school. She received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005. Since then she has performed with Royal Caribbean International on the Grandeur of the Seas, and Jump Rhythm Jazz Project in Chicago, IL. Since moving to New York City, Andrea has been dancing on the giant piano at FAO Schwarz and has received her Personal Training Certification from National Academy of Sports Medicine. She also has started her own jazz company, Undefined Dance, with the talented Vicki Burns. In addition to performing, Andrea has been teaching since high school and has choreographed for six musicals. She loves working with young children, and is always amazed at how creative and imaginative kids can be!
