Hanne is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of DDF.  In addition to overseeing DDF’s artistic programming, she also teaches all the jazz companies and the invitational jazz program.  Hanne holds a degree in theater and music, and diplomas in ballet teaching, jazz teaching and studio management, recently adding certifications in Acrobatic Arts and Giordano Jazz Technique.

Hanne lives in Tribeca where she has raised her four children, all of whom have danced at DDF.   She cherishes her DDF community and loves nothing more than seeing all her “ddf children” growing up and dancing through the years!

Melanie is the Business Director and Co-Founder of Downtown Dance Factory. She has lived and worked in Tribeca for over 20 years, and absolutely loves the community around her, both in the neighborhood and more importantly, at Downtown Dance Factory. Melanie grew up dancing at the Mount Royal Ballet School in Montreal, Canada. These days, you’ll often see her inside the studios enjoying the learning and happiness she witnesses daily among DDF dancers and faculty alike. When not circulating among the studios, Melanie manages the Downtown Dance Factory faculty and team and oversees all facets of Downtown Dance Factory, including client care, communications and operations.

Originally from Redondo Beach, California, Aidan is a graduate of the USC Kaufman School with a BFA in Dance. He has danced for fourteen years, training in ballet, hip-hop, tap, lyrical, jazz, contemporary, modern, and more. He has performed pieces by the likes of Ohad Naharin, Jiří Kylián, and Justin Peck, as well as getting the chance to perform in new works created by Yue Yin, Dani Rowe, and other esteemed choreographers. Happy to be in New York, Aidan is excited to share his passion for dance with the next generation of artists.

Al Blackstone is an Emmy-winning director, choreographer, and educator. His passion for bringing people together to experience something meaningful drives him to make dances, tell stories, and encourage joyful connection. Inspired by generations of dance educators before him, Al’s dance classes are known around the world for their positive energy and unifying structure. Al is also the co-founder of MOMEN NYC, an NYC-based brand focused on providing memorable experiences for adult dancers, deepening their love of dance and strengthening their sense of togetherness. To simplify- Al (short for Albert) loves dancing and the way it can bring out the best in us. Al resides in Queens with his husband Abraham and has kept a journal since he’s 12.

Alyssa Myers (she/her) is a choreographer, dancer, and educator passionate about creating inclusive and collaborative learning environments. Originally from Yuma, Arizona, she trained at Yuma Ballet Academy and earned her BFA in Dance from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. As the founder and Artistic Director of (All)Ways Dance Company, Alyssa creates work that blends performance, exploration, and dialogue. In the classroom, she emphasizes creativity, curiosity, and connection, encouraging students to discover their unique voices through movement while building strong technical foundations and confidence that support them both in and out of the studio.

Arizona native Aspen Waddell is excited to join the DDF team!  Her credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Good Morning America, Gwen Stefani, L’Oréal Paris, New York Fashion Week, Cadillac, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Neiman Marcus, and more. She is on faculty at both Broadway Dance Center and Joffrey Ballet School and made her professional choreography debut at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, with work performed by the Joffrey Ballet School. Passionate about dance education, Aspen is dedicated to inspiring dancers of all ages. Her high-energy, motivating approach leaves dancers feeling confident, inspired, and proud of what they accomplished.

Aurora Vaughan (she/they) began dancing in the Bay Area, CA at age three. She is a proud graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned a BFA in Dance through the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and a minor in Performance Science (biology, psychology, business) through the Marshall School of Business. While in school, they danced works by Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Barak Marshall, and Francesca Harper, to name a few. Aurora is currently a freelance dance artist in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as a dance teacher and certified IMX Pilates instructor.

Billy Griffin (He/Him) is a NYC based artist with a BFA from NYU/Tisch School Of The Arts. Select choreography credits include Shakespeare In The Park/The Public’s As You Like It, the Off-Broadway and National Tour of Friends! The Musical Parody, as well as work for the Hudson Valley Dance Festival featuring So You Think You Can Dance winner Ricky Ubeda, Broadway Bares and The Red Bucket Follies for BC/EFA, The Drama League Gala At The Plaza Hotel (honoring Steve Martin), Hershey Park,The National YoungArts Foundation, The Joffrey Ballet School, CLI Conservatory, Fordham/Ailey, and Pace University. Associate/Assistant credits include work with Sonya Tayeh, Josh Bergasse, Andy Blankenbuhler and Al Blackstone. Billy is on faculty at both Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center and is an adjunct professor at NYU.  IG: @sillybillygriffin

Bridget Bailey, originally from Wayne, PA, is a NYC based dancer, singer, and actress. She graduated summa cum laude from Pace University NYC with a BFA in Commercial Dance where she trained under the direction of Rhonda Miller, Scott Jovovich, and Lauren Gaul. Past professional credits: Cats (Fulton Theatre),  RWS Global inaugural cast of “&Company” (Holland America Cruise Line),  A Chorus Line, Legally Blonde, An American In Paris, and more. Also, she has worked closely with Josh Prince’s choreographer/dance organization called Dance Lab New York Connect. Bridget is dedicated to nurturing creativity and building confidence through dance!

Originally from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Cassidy Hagel grew up dancing on her home studio’s competition team. She continued her dance education at Pace University, where she earned her BFA in Commercial Dance and graduated summa cum laude. Throughout her time at Pace she worked with educators such as Lauren Gaul and Scott Jovovich as well as working with industry professionals Al Blackstone and Karla Puno Garcia. Past professional credits include the Broadway National Tours of Billy Elliot and Matilda the Musical. Cassidy hopes to inspire dancers of all ages to be themselves and let their passion for dance shine through.

Chryssa is from Southern California where she began dancing at Murrieta Dance Project under the influence of Erin Babbs, Will Johnston, and Lisa Ebeyer. She graduated in 2021 with a BFA from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. There she performed works by William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Barak Marshall, Alejandro Cerrudo, and others. Recent professional opportunities include dancing/assisting for choreographers, but not limited to, Andrew Winghart, Tessandra Chavez, and Zoe Scofield. Chryssa has over two years experience teaching young dancers and is excited to continue to share her passion for training and performance on the East Coast.

Emily Dail is an NYC-based dancer with a huge passion for movement and community. Originally from Charleston, SC, Emily moved to NYC to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional dancer. Emily received her BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College, and worked with several choreographers including Peter Chu. Most recently, Emily had the honor of assisting Chelsea Thedinga for the work, Indefinitely Now, set on the Joffrey NYC Jazz and Contemporary Trainees. Emily has also assisted several choreographers and workshops including Stacey Tookey’s NYC Protege, choreography workshopping with Al Blackstone and Lucy Vallely for CLI Intensives and various studio works. Emily feels so lucky to be living her dream in NYC, and hopes to inspire her students to go after their dreams. 

With over eight years of teaching experience coupled with a recent Bachelor of Fine Arts centered in Dance Pedagogy, Gina is not only capable of a wide range of teaching styles and circumstances; she is passionate. From tots to teens, she has worked to embed a love and passion for dance into each artist she meets. Gina has the portfolio to prove her specialties. Beyond her esteemed schooling, Gina has been a featured dance captain in companies performing Something Rotten!, Titanic the Musical, Footloose, and more! 

Hannah Tanner moved to New York in 2015 where she received her BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University. She spent four years training under some of the most respected dance educators and choreographers in the business. This exposure sparked a passion for performance as well as teaching. She currently enjoys teaching students of all ages, helping them grow as dancers and as people. Hannah is also a certified personal trainer and loves incorporating this knowledge into her classes to help her students become stronger more self-aware dancers.

India Dobbie grew up in NYC and is a proud alumna of both Downtown Dance Factory and LaGuardia High School.  In 2022, she graduated from the University of Southern California with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Education. India is a YoungArts National Winner in Jazz Dance and was an inaugural winner of the “Awakenings” Scholarship from the Ailey School.  She has worked as a Choreographic Assistant at The Juilliard School, Barnard College, and Festival Ballet Providence.  India moved back to NYC after graduating and is excited to see where dancing, choreographing, and teaching take her!

Izzy Pereira is a professional dancer based in NYC. She graduated Summa Cum Laude at Pace University with a BFA in commercial dance. Izzy has had various performance opportunities across the United States and Canada, as well as professional experience behind the camera. Some of the choreographers she has worked with include; Tyce Diorio, Marinda Davis, Nijawwon Matthews, Jillian Meyers, Jess Hendricks, Tiler Peck,  Jeremy Arnold and more. She was recently recognized as an emerging Young choreographer from the Young Choreographers Festival NYC in 2024. Izzy is so excited for this season with DDF 🙂

Jenavieve Adams grew up dancing at her mother’s dance studio in Arizona and began assisting from a young age. She started teaching and choreographing for the studio by the time she was 15. Jenavieve moved to New York in 2018 and received a BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University. At Pace, she worked closely with some of the most well respected dance educators and choreographers in the industry, while taking courses in Jazz and Ballet pedagogy, which equipped her with the skill set to most effectively teach children from ages 3-18. Jenavieve loves to work with the younger age groups as she believes those are the formative years for introducing artistic exploration and creative play into children’s lives, potentially determining their future careers, relationships, and interests.

Jessica began dancing at three, and continued on to study at the New Jersey School of Ballet, School of American Ballet, and LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. Jessica joined the New York City Ballet as an apprentice in 2002, and quickly became a member of the corps de ballet. During her six seasons with the company, Jessica toured extensively and danced roles in over fifty ballets. In addition to her 13-year career as a dance educator, Jessica has worked as a preschool teacher and is currently employed as a licensed psychotherapist.

Kaleena makes sound-focused dance and performance work, rooted in tap dance technique and deep listening modalities.

One of DANCE Magazine’s 25 to Watch, she has received a McKnight Fellowship for Dance and a Sage People’s Choice Award, and has presented work in many venues in Minneapolis, as well as at Arts on Site, Center for Performance Research and Symphony Space in New York.

Kaleena has a BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, a Deep Listening certification from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is currently pursuing an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Katie Drablos is a Dallas native who after graduating from SMU with a BFA in Dance Performance, moved to the Big Apple in 2009. Her first job was as a Radio City Rockette and she has kept dancing, teaching and choreographing her way through the city ever since. She worked as Al Blackstone’s Associate Choreographer on productions of Oklahoma, Hairspray, Pippin, and The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes. She also performed in his original works in NYC; Happy We’ll Be and Freddie Falls in Love. Katie teaches weekly at Steps on Broadway. She is a cancer survivor and soulful storyteller.

Originally from Fishers, Indiana, Kelley began her dance training at the age of three and went on to study various styles of dance through high school. She attended the University of South Florida where she earned her BFA in Modern Dance, along with a BA in Communications. Kelley also studied abroad in Paris, France under the tutorage of Michael Foley. Some highlights of her performing career include dancing at the Colt’s Half Time show, Kings Island and Walt Disney World. Kelley is also a graduate of the Broadway Dance Center’s professional semester program. Kelley began working and choreographing for local studios in high school and fell in love with teaching.

Victor “Kid Glyde” Alicea’s credo is “If you can conceive it, you can achieve it”. Hailing from Queens, NY, he received his initial training from his father Glyde and Kid Freeze. Both were original members of the New York City B-Boy Crew, The Dynamic Rockers. Today Kid Glyde serves as the President of The Dynamic Rockers, having inherited and then revived this iconic group. Kid Glyde is the founder of the Kids Breaking League (KBL) for which he hosts and organizes the KBL season and tournaments. He remains a prominent and inspirational b-boy in the hip-hop community and continues to take b-boying culture to the next level.

Kristi’s originally from Allentown, PA but has called NYC home for the past 16 years. She graduated from the NYU Tisch School. Kristi has been fortunate enough to have a career in the concert dance and  musical theater world, along with working with wonderful choreographers such as Al Blackstone, Richard Stafford, Katie Drablos, and Chip Abbott. She’s currently a company member of Woman in Motion. When not performing, Kristi is a show supervisor for RWS Entertainment as well as an adjunct professor at Molloy College’s theater program, CAP 21. She choreographs and teaches at studios across the tristate area.

Leah Joy Faircloth is a New York based dancer, singer, and actress. She started her dance training in Raleigh, NC, at CC and Company Dance Complex. Leah received a BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University, with performance, choreography, and pedagogy concentrations. Leah has appeared in “Dexter”, on Showtime, “Spirited”, on Apple TV, and “IF” premiering late 2023 on Paramount Plus. Most recently, she had the opportunity to work with Roxana Baldovin, in the newest Cheetos commercial. She is thrilled to be teaching at DDF and is endlessly inspired by the artists within.

Lizzy is from Rochester, NY where she trained at Pittsford Dance Studio for fifteen years. She moved to NYC for her BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University. There she worked with countless industry professionals such as Rhonda Miller, Lauren Gaul, Scott Jovovich, Al Blackstone, Mandy Moore and many others. Some of Lizzy’s favorite credits include: Holidaze (V Star & Cirque Du Soleil), “Our Favorite Son” from The Will Rogers Follies for American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (Tommy Tune Choreo, Directed by Josh Bergasse), and “Annette” in Saturday Night Fever. When not dancing or teaching, Lizzy is running her activewear brand (Daughter Lessons) or spending time with friends.

Madison Hicks holds a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School and an MFA in Choreography from California Institute of the Arts. She has had choreographic residencies at Orsolina28, Jacob’s Pillow, DanceLabNY, 14thStreetY, and Chez Bushwick. Madison has been commissioned by companies and universities including Vitacca Ballet, The Juilliard School, Ballet Arkansas, Avant Chamber Ballet, Water Street Dance Milwaukee, Loyola Marymount, The Fordham Ailey BFA program, Peabody University, and others. She is the Associate Choreographer for Manhattan Concert Production’s Children of Eden at Lincoln Center. Madison is the Director and Founder of Moving Forward and is on faculty at 24Seven Dance Convention.

Rae-Ann Thomas is a NY based dancer and choreographer. After moving to New York she began to present work at many festivals and showcases throughout the city. She has worked with choreographers such as Mike Esperanza, Bo Park, Neil Schwartz, and Erica Sobol to name a few. She has been teaching for several years as well as judging for many dance competitions and conventions. Rae-Ann currently teaches at Brickhouse NYC and Broadway Dance Center. Teaching both adults and children allows her to share her knowledge with movers of all ages. Her passion for community makes her classroom experience unique and inclusive.

Savannah Joy Cobb is a graduate of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.  In 2016 her short dance film, Àme was an official selection of the Philadelphia Screendance Festival. Some of her credits include the Hudson Valley Dance Festival, Good Morning America, Phish at Madison Square Garden, Associate Choreographer for an episode of ‘Evil’ on Paramount Plus, as well as Associate Choreographer for Kellen Stancil for Broadway Bares. Savannah is also on Faculty at Steps on Broadway and Ballet Academy East. Savannah recently completed her training in The Raising the Barre for Mental Health Dance Teacher workshop series.

Sydney is a summa cum laude graduate of Pace University’s Commercial Dance BFA program and recipient of the departmental award for Excellence in Commercial Dance. She trained under Rhonda Miller, Scott Jovovich, Lauren Gaul, as well as Al Blackstone, Marinda Davis, and Mandy Moore. At Pace, Sydney also worked with DLNY under the direction of Josh Prince. Professionally, she has trained with the Radio City Rockettes and assisted Andy Blankenbuehler, Jenny Laroche, and Karla Garcia on projects including SMASH, Nine, Broadway Bares, and Jacob’s Pillow. Sydney is also recognized as an emerging choreographer from the 2024 Young Choreographers Festival.

Downtown Dance Factory’s dedicated Teaching Assistants are trained in all genres of dance, and provide support for our youngest dancers as well as technical guidance for our more experienced students.

Our 2025-26 Teaching Assistants include:

Amelia Dole, Beth Windes, Emma McWilliams, Giselle Almaraz, Kya Story, Lucy Johnson, Rinto Fujito, Sammi O’Connnor, Sophia Aste, Taryn Kamauu, Willa Besner, and other DDF teaching faculty.

Colette Starker, a San Francisco native, has been a valuable member of the DDF team since 2014. Colette is a former professional dancer who started dancing at the age of 5. She has performed in many different countries, including England, Spain, and Japan, as well as 3 Super Bowls as part of the San Francisco 49ers Cheerleaders. Along with her dance experience, Colette has an extensive retail and apparel product development/production background. Her management skills and dance background enable her to provide quality customer service to DDF families.

From a young age Pamela has involved herself in the arts. She studied ballet as well as danced with her high school dance team. She has a BA in Communication from UC San Diego, a BFA in Painting with High Distinction from California College of the Arts, and a MFA in Photography from Hunter College. She has worked in various places including the International Documentary Association and BMG: The New Music Company. Pamela has taught visual art at Hunter College & Parsons School of Design. She feels privileged to see smiling dancers day after day, and is thankful for all the amazing people she has had the opportunity to meet.

Aidan Tyssee, a native of Redondo Beach, California, honed his dance abilities through rigorous training and performances across various genres. During his studies at the USC Kaufman School of Dance, he grew increasingly passionate for arts administration, leading him to pursue a career in this field. Upon graduation, he moved to NYC, co-founding (All)Ways Dance Company as its Producer. Since then, he has collaborated with numerous production and arts administration organizations within the city. Currently, Aidan is delighted to serve as a Party Manager and Client Care Team member at Downtown Dance Factory, where he uses his skills to celebrate dance with all ages!

Willa grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey where she discovered her love for dance at the age of 3. Willa continued her dance training through high school and then at James Madison University, earning a B.A. in dance in 2024. While dancing at James Madison University, Willa choreographed and produced dance shows, learning and loving the important work required to have a successful dance program. Now, Willa is pursuing her career in dance as a teacher and an administrator. Willa is excited to share her love of dance with the Downtown Dance Factory community.

Anne is a proud DDF alum and student at Barnard College of Columbia University. She was a member of Dance Lab’s inaugural youth company and now dances with Jamal Jackson Dance Company, where she has performed in New York City and Austin, TX. She’s excited to return to DDF, building on her customer service and technical experience and contributing to DDF’s vibrant community!

Natalie is a proud alumna of DDF and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Barnard College. She began dancing at the age of five during DDF’s inaugural year and has since participated in 13 years of classes and recitals. Natalie is thrilled to return to her DDF family and looks forward to building meaningful connections within the community of dancers, staff, and parents.