Silvana Cardell is a Philadelphia-based award-winning choreographer, dancer, and educator. She is the Artistic Director at Cardell Dance Theater and the Director of the Dance Program at Georgian Court University. Prior to working at GCU, she worked as faculty for the School of Dance at The University of the Arts.
You can learn more about Silvana at cardelldancetheater.com
Paula Meninato is an Argentine-born American artist, activist, and public speaker. She has an MA from Plymouth College of Art in Plymouth, UK and graduated from Tyler School of Art with a BFA, a Full-Tuition Merit Presidential Scholarship, and the Dean’s Grant for Student Research. She has curated art events at Tate Modern, Philadelphia City Hall, and The School District of Philadelphia. Her first solo exhibition was at The Embassy of Argentina in Washington, DC. Meninato has given 300+ speaking engagements around the world, including Barcelona, Berlin, London, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Vienna.
Learn more about Paula at paulameninato.com
Olivia Jenna Brown is a dancer/choreographer and dance educator who loves sharing the joy of movement with students of all ages. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Dance from Bennington College. Originally from NYC, Olivia trained at the Ailey School, where she studied Ballet, Limon, Graham, Jazz, and Horton techniques. She holds a BA in Dance from Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. Her pedagogy is informed by extensive studies in movement development with the Laban Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. She aims to foster integrated neuromotor development and empower children to express themselves through creative movement.
Loren Groenendaal is a dance teaching artist who holds degrees in Dance: a BA in Dance from Oberlin College and an MFA from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a Certified Movement Analyst in Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies. As an educator of educators, she has provided mentorship to junior colleagues at Cardell Dance Studio, The Arts League, Koresh Kids Dance, and the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies and has taught Dance Pedagogy at Temple University. As an administrator, she has been the Program Coordinator for Mascher Space Cooperative as well as serving on their board and led many programs through Vervet Dance, Dissolving Doors, and Free Fleet. Most of her artistic work is through Vervet Dance which is based in Philadelphia and has performed in Canada, Mexico and many places in between. This creative work often references patterns in the natural world, investigates the community-building possibilities of live art, the spectrums between improvisation and composition and ritual and performance, and blurs the distinctions between dance, visual arts, music, and sometimes even comedy. For youth her teaching is focused on creative dance education, supporting young dancers to become improvisers and choreographers while also building their skills in coordination, collaboration, strength, agility, flexibility, and balance through predominately creative movement and modern dance with some influence from ballet, hip hop, and folk dances from around the world. Loren’s movement vocabulary in her choreography and adult class has similar influences as well as traditional Balinese dance and Contact Improvisation. Loren is a certified Trauma-Informed Practice Teaching Artist through Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation and she also has a strong history of holding space for learning differences with a particular interest in supporting neurodivergent children and adults.
Esmeralda Luciano is a dancer, performer, and educator currently pursuing her MFA in Dance at Temple University. She holds a BA in Dance from Georgian Court University, where she trained in ballet, modern, floorwork, improvisation, and Kathak. Esmeralda has performed in works by Silvana Cardell, Meghan Mazerick, Marianela Boan, Gabriel Mata, and Bethany Formica. Her teaching blends strong technical foundations with expressive intention, and she is passionate about fostering creativity, individuality, and artistic voice in her students.
Nicole Sabella is a dance artist, educator, and certified wellness coach based in Philadelphia and New York City. From 2014 to 2024, she was a core member of the Mark Morris Dance Group, performing in over 35 works and originating roles in 13 world premieres. Nicole earned her BFA from the University of the Arts, where she studied with Zane Booker and Silvana Cardell, and danced with SLJ Arts Initiative from 2006 to 2011. She has taught for New York City Ballet’s Education Department and The School at MMDG, and has led workshops for Joffrey Ballet School, University of the Arts, Princeton University Ballet, Peridance, and Muhlenberg College. Nicole is also the founder of *The Nourished Dancer*, a coaching platform supporting dancers’ well-being through nutrition and mindset practices.
Alex Brazinski (He/Him) is a licensed acupuncturist and movement practitioner who teaches a combination of acrobatics, contemporary floorwork, and mobility in Philadelphia.
Alex spent most of his 20s pursuing movement-based practices such as acrobatics, floorwork, yoga, and martial arts. Alex has studied intensively under Tom Weksler through Movement Archery and Zen Acrobatics and now teaches acrobatics and floorwork classes at Urban Movement Arts in Philadelphia and Cardell Dance Studio. He performed as a dancer/acrobat with the Des Moines Metropolitan Opera in its production of The Love of Three Oranges in 2023. Alex premiered his first evening-length performance, “Where There is Hope, There is Light” at Cannonball Festival 2024 accompanied by musician Noah Julian.
Tamar is a professional dancer, teacher, and movement lover originally from Lynchburg, Virginia. She graduated from University of the Arts in 2013 with a BFA in Modern Dance Performance. After graduating she relocated to Israel-Palestine where she performed with Kolben Dance Company and with various independent choreographers such as Ella Ben Aharon, Smadar Goshen, Shlomi Bitton, Shlomit Fundaminsky, Iris Erez, and Mami Shimazaki. She has been practicing & teaching Gyrokinesis & Gyrotonic for the last 10 years. She is currently working on a project with Cardell Dance Theatre and teaches Modern Dance and Contact Improvisation in the Philadelphia area.