NYUNITED NYU'S ALL-UNIVERSITY VARIETY SHOW
FOR THE NYU STUDENT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND
08.08.2020 | 7:30 PM EDT Link to watch: bit.ly/nyunited Link to Donate: bit.ly/donatenyunited
WELCOME TO NYUNITED
Thank you for joining us this evening. What you are about to experience is a demonstration of what NYU students can create with hard work, dedication, perseverance, and unity in less than a month. Artists are living in a time filled with an infinite amount of questions; we wonder when we will collaborate in person again, sit in the same venue to enjoy a show together, how our industries will evolve, and how our world will change after this year. However, isn’t uncertainty the very environment that fosters creativity and innovation? A real creative is someone always ready to take on a challenge, adapt to the given situation, and accept an endless amount of possibilities. A real creative is also a curious individual who searches for a new opportunity or explores an artistic impulse. Yet most importantly, a real creative is someone who uses their art to evoke a certain emotion or send some sort of message. Tonight, NYUnited features 100 of the most real creatives on campus who came together to raise money for the NYU Student Emergency Relief Fund. 100% of all donations will go directly and immediately to NYU students in need. Thank you again for supporting our artists and the NYU community. Our gratitude is truly immeasurable. Enjoy the show, The NYUnited Creative Team
NYUNITED CREATIVE TEAM Producers: Sasha Cohen & Zac Geinzer Artistic Director: Alex Bentzien Director: Evan Miller Music Director: Brenna Rodriguez
TALENT
Aliyah Abeni-Taylor, Shreya Agrawal, Ana Aguirre, Alina Alam, Amelia Annen, Denise Anthony, Natasha Arya, Megan Badilla, Tanya Bagnato, Sam Barnett, Gemma Bouck, Blake Carey, Julia Chambers, Elijah Chavez, Nicole Chiarella, Casey Cole, Ashley Cortes, Estela Cruz, Abigail Marie Curran, Angela Daudu, Mayuranki De, Katarina Demos, Saanvi Dhingra, Lucas Ebeling, Sophia Edwards, William Farnham, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Chloe Finder, Noah Friend, Ruth Geye, Anisha Gosh, Maanav Goyal, Daniela Goytizolo, Jessica Guo, Casey Hall-Landers, Phoebe Halper, Benny He, Karen Herwono, Noah Hogan, Shuen Hui, Rena Ikenishi, Cameron Jacobson, Evan Jacobson, Sarina Johnson, Aamir Juman, Heidi Kafer, Dylan Kalaydjian, Kam Kampton, Marie Kessel, John Keville, Fletcher Kim, Hiya Kishore, Daniella Kittrell, Yasmine Kocan, Lauren Koo, Samyukta Kumaran, Rachel LaFond, Luke Larson, Paula Leon, Amy Li, Chelsea Li, Kathy Li, Chris Lin, Kira Lukasik, Nora Lullo, Jessica Makower, Kianairy Marrero, Charles Meng, Nikkie Mondesir, Lauren Montes, Keith Morris, Divya Nelakonda, Kelsey Niu, TV Nomad, Jenn Nunez, Paige O'Connor, Ritika Paripati, Haley Peters, Luisa Portugal, Deepali Puria, Sasha Lynn Roberts, Liv Rocklin, Talia Rubenstein, Nick Salem, Wyatt Sarkisian, Cole Sebastian, Olivia Serafini, Carson Smith, Hannah Smith, Sanam Thakur, Farbin Towhid, Niko Trusko, Grant Tucker, Katrina Villarreal, Sasha West, Tony Wang, Paul de la Barre Ward, Denzel Washington, Andrew Watts, Margaret Wiss, Michelle Yoon, Alice Zelenko, Mingda Zhang, Iris Zhao, Weilai Claire Zhao, Friends with Dads, Mass Transit, NYU Figure Skating, NYU Nasha, and NYU Cheer
EDITORS
Alex Dekelbaum, Dylan Kalaydjian, Roie Karni, Jess Makower, Evan Miller, and Tristan Mogari
HOUSE BAND
Blake Carey, Lucas Ebeling, Will Farnham, Evan Jacobson, Aamir Juman, Yasmine Kocan, Brenna Rodriguez, Talia Rubenstein, Hannah Smith, Grant Tucker, and Denzel Washington
NYUnited Lineup "Passionate Fire" Written & Performed by Ashley Cortes Featuring the House Band "The New York City Song" Written & Performed by Liv Rocklin "An Artist in Action" with Cameron Jacobson "Spooky" Written & Performed by TV Nomad Featuring Charles Meng, Sasha West, & the House Band "Liberated" Created by Tony Wang Featuring Abigail Marie Curran "God Particle" By Marie Kessel "Single Petal of a Rose" Featuring Noah Hogan "Let Me Tell You About Myself" Written & Performed by Paula Leon Gambetta
NYUnited Lineup "We are NYUnited" Starring NYU Cheer
"This Light" Choreographed & Performed by Abigail Marie Curran "Somewhere Only We Know" Performed by Nick Salem Featuring the House Band "NYUnited" Written & Performed by Kira Lukasik, Nora Lullo, & Wyatt Sarkisian "Her" Written & Performed by Gem Bouck "Zoom Commercial with Zoomitha Zoom" Written & Performed by Paige O'Connor "Zoom Crush" Performed by Friends with Dads "How You Like That?" Performed by Chelsea Li
NYUnited Lineup "Ten Past" Written & Performed by Chloe Finder Featuring the House Band "Animal Style" By Dylan Kalayadjian NYUÂ Figure Skating "requiem" Composed by Mingda Zhang Choreographed & Performed by Casey Hall-Landers "Plants" Created by Farbin Towhid "Best Part" Performed by Chris Lin & Nikkie Mondesir "I Wish I Could Go Back to College" Written & Performed by Paul de la Barre Ward NYU Nasha "As If We Never Said Goodbye" Performed by Julia Chambers Featuring the House Band
NYUnited Lineup "More Than This" Written & Performed by Angela Daudu Featuring the House Band Art by Denise Anthony "Viva" Choreographed & Performed by Tanya Bagnato and Andrew Fitzpatrick "Living Room Lights" Written by Zac Geinzer & Brenna Rodriguez Performed by Ashley Cortes, Angela Daudu, Maanav Goyal, Fletcher Kim, Chris Lin, & TV Nomad Featuring the House Band Art by Cameron Jacobson
NYUnited Creative Team
Alexandra Bentzien (Artistic Director) hails from White Plains “Just Outside the City,” New York. Alex is a rising sophomore studying film and literature, specifically how art reflects and reacts to social and cultural change over time. In the past, Alex has worked within various creative disciplines, from spoken word poetry to classical piano to criticism and short film, yet this is her first time bringing it all together as the Artistic Director for NYUnited 2020! Alex would like to thank the entire NYUnited company for their infinite enthusiasm and inventing an efficient way to say goodbye on Zoom calls. Sasha Cohen (Producer) is a Gallatin sophomore studying producing and promotion for the arts. From Chicago, Illinois, Sasha has always appreciated a variety of artistic disciplines from writing to dance, which is why she is very passionate about NYUnited; she is proud to collaborate with over 100 student artists to create an experience that showcases NYU's immense talent and gives back to the university community. Sasha would like to thank her family — whose kindness, patience, and support make her the driven individual she is today — in addition to her NYUnited creative team members. Without Alex Bentzien, Zac Geinzer, Evan Miller, and Brenna Rodriguez, NYUnited would not be the inspirational, impactful, and innovative show that it is today. Zac Geinzer (Producer) is a Gallatin student from Las Vegas. He has written music for awardwinning short films and plays in addition to having performed in many clubs and venues. Zac has music directed for an NYU theater organization and is involved in Gallatin’s student-run venture capital organization. He is thrilled with the community response to the show and is proud of the creative team and artists. Evan Miller (Director & Lead Editor) is a Tisch sophomore from Armonk, NY, which is just outside of NYC. He has a passion for filmmaking and photography while consistently maintaining an entreupnreiuai spirit. Evan is beyond thankful to have worked with a global network of artists in the NYU community to create something special in such an unprecedented summer time. Brenna Rodriguez (Music Director) is a pianist and songwriter studying Music Business. Originally studying jazz in college, Brenna has served in a variety of roles, such as music directing musicals, playing in ensembles and bands, gigging across NYC, and collaborating with artists in the studio. To hear Brenna's original music, follow Brenna Rodriguez on SoundCloud.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Denise Anthony (Liberal Studies 2024) is an artist who enjoys painting and drawing as well as experimenting with various types of mediums. She was born in Long Island, New York, but has lived in Ocala, Florida for most of her life. She likes to create portraits, landscapes as well as still lifes, and is inspired to create detailed and intricate pieces of art. One of her favorite activities is to attend art galleries and admire various types of artwork. Denise is looking forward to meeting many new artists that share her passion, and would like to thank NYUnited for choosing her artwork to be in the show. You can view Denise’s artwork at @denise.n.anthony on Instagram. Tanya Bagnato (Tisch 2024) is a global performing artist who is dedicated to sharing the unique expression of movement, sound, and emotion. She has been featured for her tap dancing on PBS TV and in major publications such as “Dance Teacher Magazine,” “The Financial Times,” and “The Chacott World Report.” She has also performed on stage at iconic venues including New York City Center, Birdland Jazz Club, and The Duke on 42nd Street, among others. Her outstanding performance last summer in the world premiere of Jason E. Bernard’s groundbreaking “Love Suite” is now part of the permanent digital collection of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library. To view her work and latest projects you can visit her website at www.tanyabagnato.com or follow her @bagnato_tanya on Instagram. Gemma Bouck (Steinhardt 2024) is a singer/songwriter from San Francisco, California. This year, she’ll be attending Steinhardt with a major in Music Theory and Composition. Gemma’s dream is to turn her passion for writing music into a career by performing for others. She’s excited to move to New York City to learn more and make new friends. To listen to more of her music, head to @gembouck on Instagram. Julia Chambers (Tisch 2022) is thrilled to be a part of the NYUnited Variety show this year. She is a rising third-year in the drama program at Tisch School of the Arts and is majoring in musical theatre. Julia is from a beautiful small town called Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada. For her, coming to New York and getting accepted to NYU for musical theatre was an absolute dream. She has been very passionate about singing since she was a little girl, but did not find theatre until she started high school. Julia would like to thank her family and friends for their endless support, her drama professors for helping ignite the fire in her, the NYUnited team for this amazing opportunity, and the music team for making it all happen. For more about Julia, follow @jewels2828 on Instagram. Elijah Chavez (Steinhardt 2023) is a multi-media, interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersectionality of queer identities and spaces. He studies Studio Art and Public Policy at NYU. Born and raised from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Elijah hopes his studies will cultivate his passion of art and social justice. Elijah also attended the Oxbow School, a semester visual art program in Napa, California in Fall of 2018 that is influential in his practice. To see more of his work, follow @lijahcantdraw on Instagram and Twitter.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Ashley Cortes (Steinhardt 2022) is a contemporary R&B singer-songwriter and eclectically commercial top-line songwriter hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been a two-time performer at Carnegie Hall, a featured artist and voice-over actor for interactive children’s story Pacha’s Pajamas, and an opening act for Filipino icons like Ariel Rivera, Freddie Aguilar, and Manny Pacquiao. As a Filipina-American, her mission is to bring people together by creating engaging experiences while promoting inclusivity, diversity, and representation of the Asian and Asian-American communities. She is excited to join the NYU family as an incoming Music Business graduate student in the fall. For more of Ashley’s content, follow @ashleymcortes on Instagram. Abigail Marie Curran (Tisch 2023) is a dancer and choreographer from Williamsburg, Virginia. She found her love for dance at the young age of 8; after being put in her first ballet class ever, she told her mom that it was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Abigail would like to thank her family for always supporting her dreams and all of her fellow NYU artists who never stop inspiring her. For more funky moves and positivity, follow @abigail_curran on Instagram. Angela Daudu (Gallatin 2024) is a first-year student from Nigeria, currently living in Canada. For her concentration, she plans to study “Lyricism as a Means of Socio-Economic Influence.” Angela has been heavily involved with performance arts all her life, performing in various plays, musicals, and showcases while also sharing her own music online. Additionally, she loves anything that has to do with uplifting one’s voice and advocating for what she believes in. Angela is so excited to experience the unending opportunities that NYU presents and is looking forward to meeting new people. Connect with her through her Instagram handles: @angela_daudu & @angeladmusic. Lucas Ebeling (Steinhardt 2020) is a musician from the Philadelphia suburb of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a musical household and started playing the drums at 10 years old. Aside from his passion for music, he loves nature, animals, and most people. Lucas would like to thank all his friends, family, mentors, and teachers for helping him become a more complete musician and person. To find out more about Lucas, follow @lucas_ebeling on Instagram and visit his website lucasebeling.com. Sophia Edwards (Tisch 2024) is a visual artist from Atlanta, Georgia studying emerging media as an Interactive Media Arts major. Her love for the arts comes from watching cartoons as a kid and she hopes to pursue this passion for animation through her career. Sophia is also grateful for her friends and family who give her continuous support, and is excited to see where her journey at NYU takes her. For more of Sophia’s work, follow @picklesxnickles on Instagram. Will Farnham (Steinhardt 2021) is a musician, arranger, and composer in Steinhardt's Jazz Studies and Music Education program. Primarily a violinist, Will enjoys studying different genres of music as well as arranging acapella/choral music for a wide variety of groups within NYU. Will is very excited to be in the house band as the violinist for NYUnited! For more of Will's music, follow @Willfarnham on Instagram.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Andrew Fitzpatrick (Tisch 2023) is a dancer studying for a BFA in dance performance. Born and raised in Webster, New York, he found his love for dance when he stepped into the dance studio for the first time at age 3. Andrew would like to thank his parents for always being by his side and supporting him every step of the way! He is very excited to meet and work with so many new people from all around the world this fall. For more of Andrew Fitzpatrick, follow @andrew_michael08 on Instagram. Chloe Finder (Steinhardt 2022) is a musician and songwriter from Charlottesville, Virginia who is studying Music Education. Chloe has always loved expressing themselves through music, and they are pursuing a teaching career in order to help others do the same! Chloe would like to thank all of their music teachers throughout the years as well as their various collaborators, who have been a great source of creativity, support, and general goofing off. Chloe can be found at @littleketzele on Instagram. Maanav Goyal (Tisch 2023) is an actor and creative whose work focuses on the representations of the modern-minority as well as the various intersections people live in. From Clarksburg, Maryland, he enjoys spending his time making music, writing, and trying new things. He'd like to thank the NYUnited team for giving him this opportunity as well as his family for putting up with him during this quarantine. Follow him @maanavlink. Casey Hall-Landers (Tisch 2022) is a dancer specializing in performance art informed by intellectual, political, and social investigation. Casey aims to create work that reflects social injustice and aids in the increased visibility of disenfranchised peoples. Special thanks go out to their San Diego family and friends. Follow Casey @caseyhalllanders on Instagram to stay up to date on her new projects. Benny He (CAS 2024) takes photos as a hobby. Coming from Houston, Texas, his interest in photography started when he took pictures for his school’s yearbook and created an Instagram account to have a place for his peers to see their high school memories. Benny would like to thank his fellow students from SJS who supported his account and spread his work. For more of Benny's photos, follow @bhephotosandstuff on Instagram. Noah Hogan (Steinhardt 2024) is a guitarist from Ann Arbor, Michigan, heading to NYU to study Jazz Performance. He fell in love with music at a young age and was inspired to pick up the guitar by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix — though he had to start on ukulele, as he was too small to hold a guitar at the time. Since then, Noah’s passion for music has only grown and he is looking forward to working with the musicians of NYU and New York. To hear more of Noah’s playing, follow @noahhoganmusic on Instagram.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Evan Jacobson (Steinhardt 2022) is a jazz saxophonist exploring the intersection between music and computer science. He has a passion for sharing his music with the world on social media, especially Tik Tok (@evanjacobsonn). Evan credits his development as a musician to his family and his private teachers, who each had a unique influence on the way that he approaches playing the saxophone. Heidi Kafer (Tisch 2024) is a multi award-winning director/cinematographer concentrating on creating the experience of what it's like to think out of a character's mind, making the invisible, visible. Hailing from Jupiter, Florida, she developed a passion for filmmaking at 6 years old, from studying the use of light and shadow in visual art, and how that affects an image. Heidi would like to thank her high school film teachers who not only constantly built her up but never held back much-needed criticism, improving her filmmaking drastically. She cannot wait to collaborate with numerous other talented NYU artists this fall. For more of Heidi's films and photos, follow @heidikafer on Instagram and “Heidi Kafer” on YouTube. Dylan Kalaydjian (Tisch 2023) is a filmmaker focused on making original, goofy, and heartfelt content. Hailing from the "Great White North" Canada, Dylan fell in love with movies at a young age, is a HUGE Succession fan, and loves the 2007 Andy Samberg movie “Hot Rod.” He is excited to get back to work this fall in New York City. To get in contact with Dylan or for more information, check out his Instagram @canadiandylan. Kam Kampton (Tisch 2024) is from Queens, New York and is excited to begin at NYU this fall majoring in Dramatic Writing, likely with an eventual focus on playwriting. He is interested in a multitude of other artistic pursuits including drawing, music, and acting, but is a dreadful dancer. You can follow his various exploits at @two.headed.deer on Instagram. Marie Kessel (Gallatin 2020) is a current senior studying art law and minoring in French. She was born and raised in Queens, New York, and spent her undergraduate years working as a set designer for the Gallatin Mainstage, creating and curating the Bronfman Art Showcase, and being Vice President of Gallatin's Cookies and Coloring Club. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, painting and reading. John Keville (Tisch 2023) is a filmmaker who focuses on people who feel out of place. Growing up in a small Maryland suburb, John turned towards experimental filmmaking to articulate the caged mentality of his environment. John would like to thank Vera Madey for her help in writing, acting, and scoring this short film. To see more work by John, follow his Instagram: @JohnMichaelKeville. Hiya Kishore (Gallatin 2023) is an artist exploring the grandeur of human nature through surrealism, such as the dichotomies of good and evil as well as greatness and perspective. She has been developing her style for over twelve years, but is still partial to the basics of pencil and ink. To see more of her art, please check out her Instagram @hiya.kishore.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Paula Leon (Tisch 2021) is an actor who has taken on stand up comedy and comedic writing. Raised by Peruvian parents who emigrated to Canada, where she was born. At the age of 11, Paula’s whole family moved to Switzerland where she graduated high school. Moving around has made her find the light in every situation and she always loved making people laugh, which she realised often happened when she met new people... which was also very often. She would like to thank her family and friends for where she is today! Check out her Instagram @Paulita_chatita and Youtube Channel: Paula Johanson. Chelsea Li (Steinhardt 2022) is a rising junior majoring in MCC who considers dance as one of her main hobbies. Since starting an Instagram page to share her passion in high school, she has been mostly self-taught and is very grateful to have found a dance community at NYU (Synchronic Dance Team and K-Nesis) To see more of Chelsea's work, check out @dance.cl on Instagram. Chris Lin (Steinhardt 2023) is a Music Technology major from Atlanta, Georgia. In preschool, Chris claimed he wanted to be a rockstar when he grew up. He has been playing guitar since he was seven years old and singing casually since he was a child. Chris would like to thank all of his friends and family for supporting his music throughout the years. To find more of Chris, follow him on Instagram at chrislin___. Nora Lullo (Tisch 2023) comes from the lovely state of Illinois and is majoring in drama at the Atlantic studio. She can't wait for the day she gets to return to NYU and is so excited to keep meeting and collaborating with her fellow classmates – even if that means virtually! Nora is so grateful for everyone who helped put this show together and welcomes you to follow her Instagram: @lullonora! Jess Makower (Tisch 2020) is currently a Freelance Video Editor. Recently, she has worked as a Post Production Assistant at Saturday Night Live and as a Video Editor for Ovation Solutions. During quarantine Jess has edited two music videos: the debut music video for Queer Pop Musician COROOK (@hicorook), and Black Lives Matter Activist and Rapper King K Da Plug. For more about Jess Follow her on Instagram @jessmakower. Charles Meng (Tisch 2021) is a dancer concentrating in Film and Television, and minoring in producing. Outside of his major, Charles is an avid dancer striving to improve his craft, heavily involved with K-Pop, Urban, and Hip-hop choreography. From the small town of Voorhees, NJ, he gives thanks to the numerous people he has danced with in the many K-Pop dance covers and urban dance competitions he has been in (shout out to K-Nesis, Clear, and Synchronic Dance Team). Make sure to follow @_charlesmeng_ to see more of his dance covers and other content! Nikkie Mondesir (Gallatin 2022) studies the interrelationship between business management and recorded music. Coming from Massachusetts, her passion for the music industry began with piano lessons at the age of six. Her interest grew with choir directing, a&r work, music production, film scoring, and entertainment law studies. For more music content, follow @thekidnik on Instagram.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Keith Morris (Steinhardt 2021) is a theatre artist and mask/costume designer from Boston, MA. In the years since his arrival at NYU, Keith has served on the prop team for Be More Chill (Broadway), as a designer for several NYU productions, and most recently co-created and directed a new musical, Gallathea (@gallatheamusical on Instagram). When he’s not in the rehearsal room, Keith can be found in the costume shop at NYU Steinhardt, where he assists in the wardrobing for every Steinhardt based performance. Keith sends his thanks to his father, partner Craig, and all his colleagues at Steinhardt for their endless support in his development. TV Nomad (Gallatin 2020) is a singer/songwriter who was born and raised in San Francisco, California, concentrating in music and black studies. TV Nomad first began creating music in high school with her fellow musician friends and has continued to develop voice and sound ever since. She would like to thank Krishna Canning, who helped produce her music and is excited to announce her first EP releasing this Fall. For more information on TV Nomad, follow @tv.nomad_ on Instagram. Paige O’Connor (Tisch 2021) is a rising senior at the New Studio On Broadway in the Tisch Drama Department. She has had a life-long love for all things comedy and has recently entered the world of sketch writing by starting her comedy IG page (@all_the_worlds_a_paige) while quarantining in her hometown of Boston, MA. Paige would like to thank her family, friends, and the community of NYU artists who came together to make this event possible! Luisa Portugal (CAS 2023) is a pre-med student majoring in psychology. While living in the beautiful landscapes of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she developed a passion for oil painting nature scenes and later found inspiration through the places she has traveled to. For more of Luisa’s work, you can check out her Instagram at @luisarportugal. Deepali Puria (LS 2023) is planning to major in Politics and minor in Psychology and English. While originally born in New York, Deepali spent most of her life living in Nashville, TN. Her interest in art first started because of her mom's passion for it. Her favorite medium to work with is acrylic paint. Deepali would like to thank her family, friends, and the teachers who have helped her grow as an artist over the years. To check out more of Deepali's art, follow @deepali.puria.art on Instagram. Sasha Lynn Roberts (Tisch 2024) is a visual artist majoring in Interactive Media Arts, concentrating in design principles and software engineering. She has been featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art three times and is excited to see what more she can accomplish in NYU. You can see more of her work on her Instagram; @lynn.dream. Liv Rocklin (Steinhardt 2022) is a stand up and musical comedian studying Educational Theatre. She grew up just outside of Chicago, Illinois, which allowed her to start doing comedy at 5 years old and be in a show at The Second City during her senior year of high school. Liv won NYU’s Ultraviolet Live talent show in 2019 and later that year released “The New York City Song” on all music platforms. In November of 2019 Liv filmed and released a self produced hour comedy special on YouTube called “Level 7 Blonde.” She is the executive producer of Friends With Dads (NYU’s variety comedy group), a member of Astor Place Riots (NYU’s stand up group), and a producer for Lamplighters, NYU’s theatre group for young audiences. She would like to thank all of her teachers who inspired her to both teach and perform since day 1.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Talia Rubenstein (Steinhardt 2020) is a guitarist, composer, and songwriter based in Boston and NYC. Talia has studied with guitarists Adam Rogers, Peter Bernstein, Brad Shepik, and John Scofield, and composer Alan Ferber. She has performed as a solo artist, bandleader, and sideman at venues including the Blue Note, The Banff Center for the Arts, the Duc Des Lombards, and the Belize Int’l Jazz Festival. For more, follow @taliarmusic on Instagram. Nick Salem (Tisch 2022) is an actor studying at the Meisner Studio. In his first year of college, he taught himself guitar, and soon after began songwriting. Inspired by such artists as Nick Drake, Dave Van Ronk, and Karen Dalton as well as the music of his home-state, the songs Nick produces find their home in the folk genre. Nick would like to thank his parents and siblings for their steadfast foundation of support. Wyatt Sarkisian (Tisch 2023) is a writer and actor from Los Angeles, CA. Wyatt is majoring in Dramatic Writing with intended minors in Film and Psychology. Most recently, he has taken a plunge into the world of sketch comedy, and has quite a few sketches up on his instagram: @wyattsark. Wyatt is pumped that he got to collaborate with his friends Kira and Nora for NYUnited. The recent quarantine has made Wyatt specifically thankful for all of the other actors and writers in his community who have pushed forward and transitioned to creating meaningful content in the digital space. Farbin Towhid (Tisch 2024) is a visual artist from Allen, TX. She started drawing in 2017 and likes to experiment with new techniques in each piece. Farbin is thankful for her friends and family who have encouraged her artistic pursuits, and is looking forward to meeting other creatives at NYU in the fall. To see more of Farbin's art, visit @farbinadora on Instagram. Grant Tucker (Steinhardt 2023) is a saxophonist, pianist, and composer in the jazz studies program here at NYU. Growing up just outside of New York City, he was able to be inspired by some of the greatest art at a young age. Grant would like to thank his teachers for getting him to where he is today. For more about Grant, follow @grantt18 on Instagram. Katrina Villarreal (Tisch 2023) is a New York City-based filmmaker and animator. Fascinated with stop motion from an early age, Katrina likes to implement animation in her films any time she gets the chance, often mixing live action and stop motion together. Her passion is to create films that expose the raw and true nature of all life’s existence. Her deepest desire is to show the world that we are all equal, despite being different species, race, gender, etc. She is very grateful to her family, friends, and dog Ralfy for being a constant support and inspiration in her life. Follow Katrina on Instagram @ralfy_studios or check out her website: ralfystudios.com. Sasha West (Tisch 2023) is an incoming first-year student majoring in dance. Coming from Atlanta, Georgia, she continues to explore the boundaries of contemporary and ballet dance with the assistance of world-renowned companies and choreographers. Sasha would like to thank her dance instructors, family, and friends for pushing her to be the artist she is today and aspires to be in the future.
NYUnited Artist Bios
Tony Wang (Tisch 2023) is studying photography at Tisch School of the Arts. His works spread emotions that hit you right to the bone. He creates both photos and film. Tony wishes to use both mediums to express himself and to make the ordinary beautiful. Paul de la Barre Ward (Tisch 2023) is a filmmaker and actor studying Film and Television Production. He comes from Northern Virginia, where he first began making backyard Star Wars movies in third grade and performing onstage in twelfth grade. Paul is also a cast member of Friends With Dads — NYU's only Variety Sketch Comedy group — which recently began holding online benefit shows for charitable organizations in NYC. Paul would like to thank his sister Claire for patiently helping him shoot his submission to NYUnited. On Instagram, you can follow Paul @the_too_tall_paul and Friends With Dads @friendswithdadsnyu. Denzel Washington (Steinhardt 2023) is a jazz studies major concentrating in performance. Coming from Princeton, New Jersey, he built up a passion for playing jazz after being inspired by his elementary band director, Steve Kramer, and his high school band director, Joseph Bongiovi. They made him appreciate playing and listening to jazz every day. He is very excited that he gets the chance to connect with artists who go to NYU. Margaret Wiss (Tisch 2020) is an interdisciplinary choreographer/dancer. Her work seeks to be shaped by each environment and the individuals who contribute to its development. She values the vitality of collaboration. In May, she graduated with an MFA in Dance from Tisch! During quarantine, she has been documenting a daily movement exploration, in the photo series up in the air. In the series, she highlights the tender absence of others but also the expansion and abundance of the natural world. The project will be completed when the pandemic is over. She is grateful for her family and friends during this time. You can follow her and her indefinite photo project on Instagram: @wiss.co. Mingda Zhang (Gallatin 2021) is a "practical theorist" in music study. Hailing from Newport, New Jersey, he has always been interested in intertexuality, or interplay, among other artistic forms. Mingda would like to thank the families and friends, especially to Nina Katchadourian and Mikhail Iampolski from the comparative literature department, who showed him support throughout his academic journey. Weilai Claire Zhao (CAS 2024) is a photographer based in the vigorous city of Wuhan. She intends to major in sociology and journalism. She created four digital photo albums with themes of urban development and migration; in Humans of Wuhan, she stories and faces marginalized groups such as construction workers, street vendors, bringing them to our collective focal point. Weilai could not be more excited to work with other NYU artists this fall and explore the city of New York. For more of Weilai's photos, follow @call_me_future on Instagram.
NYUnited Club Bios
Friends with Dads is NYU’s only Variety Comedy Group, founded in 2016. We write and perform all types of comedy, from musical sketches to political pieces to stand up. The group performs shows every month around NYU’s campus and currently online. Friends with Dads has been invited to be a part of many comedy festivals at NYU and around the country, such as NYC SketchFest at the PIT and The Delaware Improv and Sketch Comedy O’Festival (DISCO). The comedy group has also worked with charities such as Association to Benefit Children and viBe Theatre Experience to raise money during our recent virtual shows. For more information about Friends with Dads, follow @friendwithdadsnyu on Instagram. Members include: Amelia Annen (Tisch 2021), Sam Barnett (Tisch 2022), Noah Friend (Tisch 2020), Ruth Geye (Tisch 2020), Lauren Koo (Tisch 2023), Luke Larson (CAS 2020), Lauren Montes (Tisch 2021), Liv Rocklin (Steinhardt 2022), Cole Sebastian (Tisch 2022), Niko Trusko (Tisch 2020), Paul Ward (Tisch 2023), and Alice Zelenko (Tisch 2023). NYU Cheer features two teams: the Bobcats Squad and the Violets Squad. The Bobcats Squad is approximately 15 members and performers at NYU basketball home games, attends university events, and does charity events around NYC like the MS Walk. This year, the Bobcats Squad was asked to be appear in "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." The Violets Squad is a competition team with approximately 20 members. The team trains all year to attend the National Cheerleading Association’s College Championship in Daytona Beach, FL. Members include: Aliyah Abeni-Taylor (Gallatin 2022), Megan Badilla (Tandon 2023), Nicole Chiarella (2023), Estela Cruz (2023), Daniela Goytizolo (Tisch 2022), Shuen Hui (SPS 2021), Sarina Johnson (Stern 2023), Daniella Kittrell (CAS 2022), and Kianairy Marrero (CAS 2023) The NYU Figure Skating Team was formed and had its first competitive season in 2010. This past season, the group had 20 members on its competitive team, and qualified for the Intercollegiate National Championship for the very first time. NYU Figure Skating’s members come from a variety of skating backgrounds and levels, from international competitors to beginners, and everywhere in between. The team practices at Chelsea Piers several times a week and has a full team practice once a week in addition to competing at three Eastern Sectional competitions every season. NYU Figure Skating would like to thank its coach Stacie for constantly pushing us to be our best! For more information about the team, follow NYU Figure Skating at @nyufigureskating. Members include: Ana Aguirre (CAS 2022), Alina Alam (LS 2023), Casey Cole (CAS 2020), Katarina Demos (Steinhardt 2023), Jessica Guo (Stern 2023), Phoebe Halper (CAS 2021), Rena Ikenishi (Gallatin 2023), Rachel LaFond (Tisch 2020), Amy Li (Stern 2021), Jenny Li (Tisch 2022), Kathy Li (Steinhardt 2020), Kelsey Niu (Stern 2020), Jenn Nunez (Steinhardt 2022), Haley Peters (CAS 2021), Olivia Serafini (Steinhardt 2023), Carson Smith (Tisch 2023), Michelle Yoon (CAS 2022), Adrienne Yu (College of Dentistry 2022), and Iris Zhao (LS 2023) NYU Nasha is New York University's Premiere all-girls, South Asian Fusion Dance Team. The team competes on the Desi dance circuit across the country and also participates in New York City's arts culture. Their dance styles include Classical Indian dance forms as well as contemporary, hip hop, and Bollywood. Members include: Shreya Agrawal (CAS 2022), Natasha Arya (Stern 2023), Mayuranki De (CAS 2021), Saanvi Dhingra (Stern 2023), Anisha Ghosh (Stern 2022), Samyukta Kumaran (CAS 2023), Divya Nelakonda (Tisch 2023), Ritika Paripati (Stern 2022), and Sanam Thakur (Stern 2023)
WHERE ARE OUR ARTISTS?
Special Thanks To Jen Birge Adrienne Brown Eddie Carlson Aaron Cedolia Alex Dekelbaum Angie DeSocio Josh Finkel Karen Herwono Shenese Jones Roie Karni Fletcher Kim
Autumn Kovach Tatiana Lafleur Rossi Osorio Dori Paulino Alex Manges Keith Miller Tristan Mogari Eena Singh Amanda Wicks Mass Transit Gallatin Events
Who Truly Made This Show Possible.
Follow @nyunited2020 on Instagram for more updates about our show!