BOARD MEMBERS

Nahisha McCoy was first introduced to Cora by Artistic Director Shannon Hummel. She signed her son up for classes, and the rest is history. Nahisha began volunteering with the Walkover process that Cora offered to the schools nearby and then joined the Cora advisory committee for two years. Nahisha was then selected to become a board member. Nahisha now serves on the board and does so because she believes in Cora's mission and what they do for the youth in the community. That is why she wanted to be the Co-Board president. From there, she became the Red Hook West Resident Association Vice President to speak on behalf of her community and be on the ground where changes are made that affect the community. Nahisha is a local leader, peacemaker, published author, and community advocate, and she has lived in the Red Hook community for 25 years.

Denise Purvis, PhD, MFA, BA, is a professional dancer, choreographer, and dance educator with over twenty years of experience. Denise’s professional experience includes directing her own dance company, Shifting Velocity Dance, performing at domestic and international dance festivals, and dancing with Richmond dance company, Starr Foster Dance Project. Purvis currently serves as dance department head at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts & Technology and teaches yoga at Virginia Commonwealth University. An avid dance scholar and writer, she has presented research in several international conferences, and published internationally, with articles in the Journal of Dance Education and the Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices. Current research interests include somatic practice as post-structuralist and process philosophy in praxis, as well as 4E cognition in the dance classroom. Her certification in the Bill Evans Method of Dance Pedagogy enriches her classes by providing a strong foundation for fully integrated, efficient, and healthy movement. She serves on the National Dance Education Organization’s committees for Action and Accountability and Strategic Planning. Past experience includes serving as dance education specialist at Southern Utah University, and directing the dance program for the Chesterfield County Specialty Center for the Arts at Thomas Dale High School in Chester, VA.

Shyda Hoque has worked as a licensed real estate agent in New York State. Community and Art are her two passions and when asked to be on the board of Cora she went to her childhood days of dance growing up in Dallas, Texas. Dance and theatre were the foundation of her childhood and is grateful to contribute a small part to an organization that allows youth to dance.  She joined the board of Cora Dance in Red Hook, Brooklyn in 2020 and serves as its treasurer. She was a teaching artist at the Children's Museum of Arts in NYC and worked at a national broadcast company out of college.  She has served on the Litwing of the Lark Playwright Center and is a Park Food Slope Coop Member.  Serving on the board of Cora has helped her find work at the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City that helps with youth and violence prevention.  She graduated from Saint Edward's University in Austin, Texas with a BA degree in English Writing and Rhetoric.  

Pat Bennett-Wilhelm, a resident of Clifton Forge for most of her life, is honored to be one of the first Board members of Cora Dance Alleghany. She has had a lifelong love of dance as a student, teacher, and ballet company member. When Cora came to Clifton Forge, Pat knew that she had to take part somehow someway.

As an undergraduate from Radford University and then on to Virginia Tech for her MA in Education, Pat has been an educator in many settings - public schools and private schools with all ages of students, and now she is with the University of Virginia assisting preschool educators across Virginia with incorporating best teaching practices in their programs.

Another great love of Pat's is traveling. She has traveled across the USA and abroad. She passed this love of travel to two of her favorite travel companions, her two adult children.

Kelsey Kramer, originally from Virginia, is a Brooklyn-based performance artist, choreographer and leader in the social impact space. As a dancer, Kelsey has worked with choreographers and artists LuisaInnesFree Dance, Emily Kohl Mattingley, KIT District, Eric Gotshall, and Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance. As a maker, Kelsey is half of JACKS––a moving, making duo with collaborator Lexie Thrash building performance and film work for venues and non-traditional performance spaces in New York City, Washington, D.C., Berkshire County, MA, Montreal and Spain. Kelsey’s own work has been presented at SITUATIONS Gallery, Abrons Arts Center, Cora Studio Theater, Dogtown Dance Theater in Virginia, and internationally in China as part of the Sichuan Dance Project. Currently, Kelsey is a Program Manager at Meta where she works on the social impact team building products for and partnerships with nonprofits. She’s been a dancer with Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance since 2016 and a member of Cora’s Board of Directors since 2020.

Carolyn Hall is a Brooklyn-based, Bessie award winning dancer/performer, coastal marine ecologist, and science communications instructor. She is a freelancer for all of these and currently works/creates with a wide variety of fun people and places including Genspace, Carrie Ahern Dance, the American Fisheries Society, Exact Communication, and suisoco/Maho Ogawa. Carolyn combines this mix of interests to create interactive projects that aim to make complex, data-rich issues around water and climate change more understandable, embodied, and memorable through artistic and public engagement.

Born and raised in the Alleghany Highlands, Kim is an educational leader and an avid patron of the arts. Professionally, she is honored to be the first superintendent of the newly-formed Alleghany Highlands Public Schools. As an educator, she is particularly passionate about student enrichment, career planning, and professional growth for teachers. Kim holds degrees in education, psychology, sociology, human resources, and health care administration at various levels. Kim was a dancer and competitive public speaker in her youth, and in the community, she is also a proud member of the Alleghany Highlands Arts Council board. Kim and husband Justin have two children, one of whom is a Cora Dance Alleghany dance student.

Scott Pfaffman is a long time Red Hook resident. His daughter Phoebe Pfaffman attended Cora classes and performed in numerous youth company productions.

Scott helped renovate the prior home of Cora, AKA, the "Raccoon Lodge" and then with Severn built the current home for Cora at 358 Van Brunt. He is married to Molly Blieden and is the proud father of Max Pfaffman who dances as a goalie.

Jacqui Painter is a native of Red Hook, Brooklyn where she an active community leader and advocate. She is the District Leader for Assembly District 51, the founder of Red Hook Relief, and the current Artistic Director of Red Hook Art Project. This is Jacqui’s first year on the Board of Directors of Cora Dance.