Shannon Hummel [email] Artistic Director
Katie Dean [email] [bio] Education Manager/ Dancer
Sarah Burke [bio] Teacher/ Dancer
Xan Burley [bio] Teacher/Dancer
Courtney Cooke [bio] Teacher
Jolene Festa[bio] Teacher
Sarah Folland [bio] Teacher
Tessa Wright [bio] Teacher
Shannon Hummel
Shannon Hummel is a choreographer, arts educator and the Artistic Director of Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance and Cora School for Dance. Beyond pursuit of her artistic vision, Hummel is driven to create access to the arts for all people, believing that everyone should have high-quality arts experiences through performance and education. Hence, her professional work both as choreographer and educator has been experienced as much in school gymnasiums, church basements and public parks as on the formal stages of major theaters and universities across the country.
A teacher and choreographer in rural Virginia since 1989, Hummel completed
a degree in dance in 1996 from James Madison University and relocated to
NYC. There, established the professional company, Shannon Hummel/Cora
Dance in 2001. She has been commissioned across the nation by such
institutions as Dance Theater Workshop/NY State Dance Force (NY), Dixon
Place/Mondo Cane! Commissioning Program (NYC), University of
Maryland/College Park (MD), Marlboro College/Vermont Performance Lab (VT), Rhode Island College (RI), among many others. Hummel’s choreography has been presented by over 30 NYC venues including the 92nd Street Y, The
Brooklyn Museum of Art, Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace Project, La MaMa, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, among many others. Her work has been widely acclaimed by many critics, called “finely wrought, poignant and
sophisticated,” and “as vivid and true as a Eudora Welty story” (The New
York Times); “quivers with subtle emotions like the writing of Virginia
Woolf” (The Village Voice). Growing up in an isolated rural community,
bringing Cora’s work to under-served areas as well as prestigious venues
became of equal importance to Hummel early on. Hence, in 2002, Hummel and
Cora developed “The Crossroads Project.” Crossroads created accessible
performing arts experiences for those living in isolated rural areas with
little or no exposure to dance. Since its inception, Hummel and her
company have worked with over 2000 “non-dancers,” in small communities in
KY, OK, VA, WV, VT and NY.
A career arts educator as well as choreographer, Hummel has been on the
faculty of a plethora of NYC dance education organizations, teaching
through social service programs, public and private schools, formal dance
studios, colleges, universities and even city parks. Most notably, Hummel
was a faculty member at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange for 11 years, assisting
in the development of many of their award winning programs and since 2002
she has been the Dance and Movement Specialist at the Poly Prep Lower
School in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She has been a professor at James Madison
University (VA) and Queensborough College (NY) and has taught and lectured
at such notable institutions as The American Dance Festival (NY
Intensive), ACDFA (Mid-Atlantic Region), Dance Theater Workshop (NY),
Rutgers University (NJ), The College of William & Mary (VA), Marlboro
College (VT), Henrico Center for the Performing Arts (VA), among many
others. In 2009, Hummel established The Cora Studio in Red Hook Brooklyn
as a home-base for her teaching philosophy, choreography and community
outreach. Offering professional dance training to youth and adults
regardless of their ability to pay, to date, Cora has served over 400
students through their studio and in-school programs.
Hummel has received numerous honors throughout her career. Most recently,
she was nominated to the Brooklyn Community Foundation as a “Brooklyn Do
Gooder” for her establishment of The Cora Studio. Her work has received
significant support from BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange’s Artist-in-Residence
Program; Vermont Performance Lab’s Artist-in-Residence program; The
Department of Cultural Affairs, Copper-Beech Foundation, New York State
Council on the Arts, among others. She curates, speaks, and sits on guest
panels at numerous venues throughout the country. She is wife to actor
Greg McFadden and mother to a lively boy named Henry.
SARAH BURKE
Sarah Burke (Teacher/ Dancer) received her BA in Dance as well as a minor in French and a Pre-Concentration in Physical Therapy from James Madison University in May of 2010. She student co-directed the ensemble for new dance majors, which included teaching and choreographing. During this time, Sarah also held residencies with St. Catherine’s School and zMullins Dance Collective in Richmond, Virginia. Upon graduation, she received the Choreography Award. In August of 2010, Sarah moved to New York from her home in Richmond.
XAN BURLEY
Xan Burley (Teacher/Dancer) , a native of Youngstown, OH graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007 with degrees in Dance and English. She joined Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance as a performer in 2008 and as a teacher in 2009. In addition, she enjoys continued work with Elizabeth Dishman/Coriolis and Shannon Gillen and Guests and has worked on projects with artists Nancy Bannon, Daniel Charon, Doorknob Company, and Leyya Tawil/Dance Elixir, among others. Her work with husband Alex Springer has been presented at various festivals and venues in NYC, Michigan, and Chicago and they are recipients of a 2011/12 BAX Space Grant. Together they have taught master classes in partnering, technique and improvisation at Albion College, Grand Valley State University, the University of Michigan, Emory University, Ballet Western Reserve Summer Workshop, and the MOVE Festival. They also create dances for the camera and received the silver award in DFA’s 48-Hour Challenge for their film daylighting. Xan is the Producer of WAXworks and is also on faculty at the 92nd Street Y and Brooklyn Arts Exchange/BAX. For more information go to www.alexandanceperformance.com.
COURTNEY COOKE
KATIE DEAN
Katie Dean (Dancer/Education Manager) is a dancer and choreographer originally from Virginia, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. Since moving to New York, she has danced for Courtney Cooke, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance, Rebekah Windmiller, and Inimois Dance. Her own choreography has been shown at theaters, galleries, and tiny corners on the East Coast. Katie Dean is currently a member of Inimois Dance headed by Megan Harrold. This is her second year with Shannon Hummel/ Cora Dance. www.katiedeandance.com
Jolene Festa
Jolene Festa has been teaching yoga since 2002, and she completed her 500-hour training in Ishta yoga under Yoga Master Alan Finger. Jolene has taught all levels- from restorative to power- she tailors each class to the students and their individual needs. Besides teaching at Brooklyn Boulders, Jolene is currently the yoga instructor for a private school in Manhattan and is the co-founder of the Red Hook Boaters.
SARAH FOLLAND
Sarah Folland (Teacher) Originally from Massachusetts, where she began her dance training in classical and neo-classical ballet. At 15 she moved to New York to study at the School of American Ballet. Upon high school graduation, she joined the Miami City Ballet, performing the works of George Balanchine, Jimmy Gamonet, Edward Villella, and Paul Taylor. After leaving the company, she studied modern dance, primarily with Jennifer Muller and members of her company, performing the works of Young Soon Kim, Leda Meredith, and Rebecca Ashley.
After “retiring” from the professional dance world, Sarah earned a B.A. in psychology from the Columbia University, and a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from NYU. She studied and performed Afro-Brazilian dance/samba with Quenia Riberio, and Haitian dance with Carolyn Webb and Julio Jean. She fell in love with Middle Eastern dance (belly dance), studying extensively with Dorit, Ranya Renee, Dalia Carella, Yousry Sharif and Nourhan Sharif. She was a professional belly dancer for a number of years, performing at parties, restaurants, clubs, and hookah bars. When the late nights of a belly dancer began to conflict with motherhood and her full time job as a pediatric occupational therapist, Sarah happily stumbled upon the Zumba dance fitness world. She is very enthusiastic about Zumba, and her high energy classes reflect this passion.
Tessa Wright
Tessa Wright (teacher) has been involved in ballet, African dance and yoga for over 18 years. She passionately studies a variety of techniques and integrates this awareness into class. Tessa received her certification in 2009 at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York under the teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda. Tessa is experienced with working with dancers, office employees, and beginners to utilize the benefits of this ancient art form. Weather one on one or in a group setting, Tessa strives to make every student feel comfortable as though the class is catered to them. Students have plenty of room to fully stretch and ambiance is kept to a minimum allowing the student to focus within. Class includes a warm up, strength building postures, gentle stretching, deep relaxation, breathing practices and meditation.
