Philosophy
As a teacher I give priority to the specific needs of the individual student.
By combining contemporary modern dance, essential core strengthening and improvisation I impart a strong technical foundation as well as encourage dancers to discover and develop their own individual voice.  My goal is to facilitate a heightened awareness of the physical self in movement and to inspire new movement ideas by focusing on the connections between the physical body & mind and current cultural & temporal issues.  I create safe environments in which students are encouraged to take risks while exploring spontaneity, originality, and inspiration.

Biography
I have been teaching contemporary dance technique, dance improvisation, composition, and body/mind practices for over 15 years.  Raised in New York City by a ballet dancer and opera singer, I received my early dance training on scholarship at the New York School of Ballet.  Later I earned a BA degree in Theater and Dance from University of the Pacific and my MFA at California Institute of the Arts.  In between and since I have studied dance and been influenced by teachers Lori Bryhni, Jeremy Nelson, Rebecca Bobele, David Dorfman, Joe Goode, Donna Uchizono, Rebecca Hilton, and Jess Curtis

While at UOP I also studied Dance and Music Therapy which lead me to Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis and Body-Mind Centering.  I have also studied Anatomy and Applied Kinesiology with Jean-Claude West and Irene Dowd, Alexander Technique & Klein Technique, and have been a certified Pilates and Gyrotonic™ teacher for 10 and 7 years, respectively.

My teaching experiences include Hunter College (CUNY), California State Summer School for the Arts, California Institute of the Arts, Dance New Amsterdam, Pasadena Dance Theater, Roco Dance and Fitness, and Shawl-Anderson Dance Center.  Commissions as a guest artist and teacher include University of the Pacific, Modesto Junior College, Columbia Community College, CDEA, and ACDF. 

Currently I am on the Dance Faculty at ODC School in San Francisco.  I also maintain my studio, Core Contact, offering Body/Mind classes, workshops, and private training, as well as Modern dance for pre-teens and Creative Movement for young children.