2019 Winter Dance Gala!

Bringing Dance to Life! VDA proudly serves its members, cheering on their art and creating opportunities to feature their forms. Vda sends a free weekly e-newsletter to announce events throughout the state of Vermont, as events are always open to the public. Sign up at the bottom of this page to be included, and look for our emails! Dance Alliance members are featured here on our website, with tabs to view their upcoming events and drop-in friendly classes and workshops. More dance in more places, more of the time! We hope you will join us!

Up until recently, Annie's dance education and performing experience was primarily in ballet, studying and dancing in New York and Massachusetts. A recent transplant to Brattleboro, she continues to hold onto her ballet roots while exploring other movement styles, dancing with contemporary choreographer Cyndal Ellis of SoBo Dance as well as with other local choreographers of both ballet and modern.

Danielle Tekut received a BA in dance from Smith College and is currently pursuing her MSW from the Smith College School for Social Work. Her work explores the narratives we hold/embody through solo, duet, and improvisation forms. She is a member of and creative collaborator within ERGO movement.

Born and raised in France, Elizabeth studied ballet, Russian character and modern dance in Paris. In the 80’s, she moved to New York City and study with Merce Cunningham, Viola Farber, Maggy Black. After 15 years hiatus to raise a family and work as a physical therapist, she returned to her former passion. Since, she danced with the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble in Hanover, NH and What’s Written Within in Edgartown, MA. She choreographed most of her work with the latter with productions for Built on Stilts, the Yard and the Hebrew Center in Martha’s Vineyard, and for the 2019 Vermont Dance Alliance Winter Gala . She is a passionate of baroque dance and performed with Ken Pierce Baroque group in Boston MA. My choreographies are the result of a close collaboration with the dancers. With them, and depending on their skills and abilities, I shape an initial concept into a finished product by using simple step phrases and modifying their patterns, directions, timing and speed, resulting in a multilayered composition. My motto? "Everyone can dance"

Choreographer and dancer Hanna Satterlee grew up in East Montpelier, Vermont and has spent many years traveling through dance, both nationally and internationally. Hanna holds a Masters in Fine Arts/Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College (VT/WA) and has produced her own choreographic and dance installation work, and has performed with professional companies in Vienna Austria, Stolzenhagen Germany, Baltimore, Manhattan, Brooklyn, San Francisco and throughout the state of Vermont. Now based in Burlington Vermont, Hanna is the current director of the Vermont Dance Alliance, with a strong belief that the culture of dance will continue to flourish and expand throughout the edges of our beautiful state. In addition, Hanna teaches and performs on freelance basis. Join her for GARDEN DANCES this July and August at the Horsford Nursery in Charlotte VT! More info under the events tab on this website.

I am a native Vermonter who is passionate about all aspects of dance. I currently teach classes at Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio in Montpelier - ballet, contemporary ballet, and modern. In addition to teaching, I am always developing my own choreography.

Jessie Owens is the founder of Ergo Movement, a collaborative performance project based in Burlington, Vermont. She holds a BA in Dance from Smith College, where she attended as an Ada Comstock, or non-traditional scholar. She is the current Vice President of the Vermont Dance Alliance, where she is working to support dance in all of its forms.

Kim has been dancing on and off since the age of 2. She has performed throughout VT with the Spielpalast Cabaret, Rue Mevlana and Ergo Movement.

Nicole Dagesse is a Vermont native whose rural upbringing in the forests and fields is a direct inspiration for her movement style and choreographic desires. Combining her training in Modern Dance, Contact Improvisation, and Aerial Dance, Nicole approaches each new site with inquisitive play and rigorous movement research. Nicole earned her BFA in Dance and BS in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she was immersed in the creativity of the local dance scene. Nicole cites Wire Monkey Dance as a major influence in her work. It was while playing on the scaffolding that her 3-dimensional movement patterns began to develop, and her love of partnering work took flight. After several years dancing in the Boston area, Nicole felt it was time to continue her dance education as an artist and teacher, and moved to Boulder, Co. to pursue an MFA in Site Dance and Somatic Practices. The rugged terrain and the endless blue skies provided the perfect opportunity to hone her voice as a site artist. The grounding and balancing study of the Alexander Technique was a necessary complement to her physically demanding work, and Nicole was increasingly interested...

Toni Nagy is a hip hop, modern, and belly dancer. She started dancing in the club scene of Boston and New York City in the mid 90's - house dance and hip hop. She then attended Sarah Lawrence College where she majored in philosophy and dance. Toni spent her 20's continuing her study of dance at some of the most acclaimed institutions in New York City including Peridance, Broadway Dancer Center, Steps, and 180 Broadway. She got to learn from some of the best teachers this country has to offer and has taken that knowledge to Brattleboro Vermont. Toni is the proud owner of SoBo studio with her business partner Cyndal Ellis. Toni has performed her own choreography throughout the Vermont area, including the Vermont Dance festival for the past 4 years. Toni's choreography is a blend of all the styles she has been exposed to including her own personal flair. Toni's work is often driven by messages of social consciousness and political activism.

Founder and Artistic Director of Erb Dance Company, Danielle Erb, was born and raised in Plattsburgh, NY. She started dancing at her mother's dance studio at the age of three, under the instruction of Philip Cole, Olga Bega, and Patty Cross. She later trained at Guibord's School of dance under the instruction of Debbie Guibord, Kathy Koester, and Alice Shoenbek. Danielle focused on the Cole Technique developed by Philip Cole, and continued her training with him in Montreal and at SUNY Plattsburgh. In 2001, Danielle began her training in the dance program at the University at Buffalo. She studied there for three years before transferring to Fordham University, where she trained at the Ailey School, as well as Steps on Broadway. Upon graduation, Danielle lived and worked in the Boston Area for six years, where she taught and choreographed for a variety of dance programs and musical productions. She relocated back to Plattsburgh to raise her family in 2012, and in 2015, joined Bryce Dance Company in Burlington, VT, where she danced prior to choreographer Heather Bryce's relocation to New York City in 2016. Danielle founded Erb Dance Company in 2017, and...

SoBo is a community dance center committed to keeping dance accessible, non-competitive, and a vital part of our social fabric. SoBo hosts daytime and evening classes focused mostly on adults, with some options for children. Participants of all levels, abilities, and ages are welcome! SoBo offers flexible payment options, scholarship and work study opportunities, and maintains a family friendly environment. Our playroom is always open for children to explore while parent’s dance, with free supervision provided during select classes. SoBo is home to Adventures with Super Bee, presenting dance performances for kids in kid friendly spaces, and Change the Channel, an improv and sketch comedy troupe. Cyndal Ellis is Co-Director of SoBo Studio. She teaches fusion belly dance, modern dance, and Dunham Technique at SoBo and at schools throughout southern VT. In 2017, Cyndal received a Certification through the Institute for Dunham Technique Certification. She holds a B.A. in anthropology and dance from Smith College. She has over 20 years of dance experience. She has taught at Jacob’s Pillow, Smith College, Landmark College, and grade schools throughout New England. She was a member of The Sovereign Collective with which she performed and taught nationally. She was also one of the co-directors of Firekeeper Productions...

The Highland Center for the Arts’ mission is to develop and operate a welcoming venue for assembly, artistic expression, entertainment, education, and refreshment. We aim to achieve balanced, year-round schedules of locally and nationally-sourced performances, exhibitions, and events suited to serving the residents and artist of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. We are committed to collaborating with other arts organizations and with local schools. Our Center features a state of the art main theatre with multiple thrust stage configurations and seating for up to 250 people, a 100-seat performance and cinema space, a full-service café, an art gallery, and outdoor terraces.

Lake Champlain Chocolates has been crafting specialty chocolates in Burlington, Vermont for over 35 years. Visit one of the company’s three Vermont retail stores in Burlington and Waterbury or order online to enjoy hand crafted confections such as truffles, sea salt caramels, organic chocolate bars, and more!

River Arts is a community art center in the heart of downtown Morrisville. A gathering place where people of all ages and backgrounds explore their creativity through classes, camps, exhibits, and performances. With a mission to enrich the community ... through the arts!

The Skinny Pancake is on a mission to change the world by building a safer, healthier and more delicious food shed while creating everyday enjoyment that is fun and affordable.