After School Staff Bios

Amy is a performer, choreographer, and dance teacher originally from Southern Oregon. She has a wide-ranging background, including intensive Cecchetti ballet training from a young age, a decade of modern jazz in the Luigi tradition under master teacher Tracey Durbin, and performer and choreographer experience ranging from musical theater to post-modern dance. Working in dance education since 2013, Amy has taught a wide range of classes, privates, and workshops at studios across NYC. She currently teaches for the Ariel Rivka Dance Education Program, The School at Mark Morris Dance Center, and NJ-based Moving Youth Dance Company. Nationally she has taught at American Dance Festival’s Scripps Studios Youth Camps (Durham, NC), New Ballet Ensemble & School (Memphis, TN), and LINES Ballet Outreach Programs (San Francisco, CA), and internationally at Ru Sahne Sanatları Bale ve Müzik Okulu (İstanbul, Turkey), and Çıplakayaklar Dans Akademisi (İstanbul, Turkey).

Asia is originally from Trabuco Canyon, CA and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program with a major in Dance and a minor in Mathematics. She has per formed internationally at the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Rudolfinum Concert Hall in the Czech Republic and danced with Awaken Dance Theater, VISIONS Contemporary Ballet, BHdos (the 2nd company of Ballet Hispánico), and Alison Cook-Beatty Dance. She has performed works by choreographers Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Michelle Manzanales, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Jacqulyn Buglisi among others. She has also taught dance outreach in Nicaragua, NYC, virtually with JUNTOS Collective, and internationally with Ariel Rivka Dance. Asia is currently on the ballet faculty of Dance Project of Washington Heights and teaching faculty with Ariel Rivka Dance Education Program.

Ofelia i s of Middle Eastern and South American descent and has been raised with Arabic and Latin rhythms and dance forms. Ofelia has studied with dance masters such as Yousery Sharif, Amira Mor, Dalia Carrera and the legendary Serena. She has performed in special events including children’s charities, women’s conferences, weddings, school events, Egyptian and South American workshops.

Ofelia is also a visual artist who honed her craft at the French Fashion Academy Art and Design School. Formerly an instructor in our DLI Spanish program, we are fortunate that in addition to being a Kids Club regular, she will continue teaching a Design Studio class in Fashion Sketching. Ofelia currently works as head teacher with preschool children in a daycare setting and teaches evening classes to adults in Belly Dancing.