Meet Cora’s Team

The Co-Directors

shannon hummel
(SHE/HER)

FoundER, PROFESSIONAL COMPANY director

Shannon Hummel is the Founder and Director of the Professional Company Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance (SH/CD). She is a choreographer, educator, and nationally recognized advocate for equitable access to dance. As the Founder of Cora Dance, Hummel has spent nearly 30 years creating emotionally resonant choreography, founding two schools for dance, and developing equity-driven education programs. Her professional company, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance, is known for bringing elegant, accessible performance into community spaces where dance is often limited, while also being presented at major venues such as BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Brooklyn Museum, New York Live Arts (NYLA), among others. Described by The New York Times as “poignant, funny, and remarkably assured and perceptive,” “a rare gem,” and “vivid and true,” as well as being a Top 10 Critics Pick for Dance, she has received numerous accolades, including a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award Citation for Service to the Field of Dance in 2019 and being named an Extraordinary Woman of Brooklyn by District Attorney Charles Hynes in 2011. She has taught and developed dance programs across the country—from major universities like James Madison University (her alma mater, where she was named Distinguished Alumni of the School of Theatre and Dance in 2000) to youth studios. She spent a decade shaping young artists and programming at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Poly Prep Country Day School and Queensborough College in NYC and has been a guest speaker and panelist for organizations such as the American Dance Festival NY-Intensive, American College Dance Association, Movement Research, New York Live Arts, BAX, and the Poverty Studies Program at Washington & Lee University among others. In 2009, she founded Cora Dance Brooklyn, followed by Cora Dance Alleghany in 2020—youth arts centers modeled after the inclusive creative practices inherent in her work as a choreographer and dedicated to providing high-quality, pay-what-you-can dance education in communities facing barriers to access. Under her artistic leadership, Cora has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, among other support. Hummel primarily splits her creative time between Clifton Forge, VA; Richmond, VA; and Brooklyn, NY.

NIKKI ASSANTI
(SHE/HER)

Education Director

Nikki Assanti is the Cora Dance Education Director. As a choreographer, performing artist, arts educator and administrator, yoga instructor, she brings a unique combination of talents to her leadership within the organization. Nikki dances for Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance's (SH/CD) professional company and is the lead teacher and director for all education, production, and administrative work for CDB. Assanti is the Founder and Choreographer of Nikki and the Noise (N+N), a Brooklyn-based dance company in residence at Cora Dance. Her choreographic work with N+N has been shown in NYC venues such as Arts on Site, Center for Performance Research, The Cherry Lane Theatre, Creative Cultural Center at St. Veronica’s Church, Gallim Dance, Green Space, Movement Research, Open Arts Studio, Triskelion Arts, and Union Street Dance among others. She was awarded a week-long choreographic residency with N+N by SH/CD in partnership with The Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge, VA. In 2019, Assanti was invited back to her Alma Mater, University of Florida, with N+N for an Alumni Guest Artist residency. Assanti has additionally performed in works by JACKS, Joanna Mendl Shaw, Raja Feather Kelly, and was a teaching artist on faculty at Open Arts Studio from 2022 - 2024. She has been a guest artist and speaker at multiple universities including University of Florida and University of Southern Maine, and was Choreographer-in-Residence at the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Florida in 2015. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Florida, and is a 200 hour registered yoga instructor. Nikki has held many roles over 9 years at Cora in administration, productions, performance, and teaching and is proud to serve as the Education Director for the 2026–2027 Season. 

The Team

hans bilger
(he/him)

SH/CD company COMPOSER

Hans Bilger is a musician, composer, recording engineer, and evolutionary biologist who serves as Composer-in-Residence at Cora Dance. A musician since childhood, he grew up performing American folk and country gospel in a family band with his classical singer mother and science writer father, developing an artistic practice that blends intuition with rigor. A classically trained double bassist, he studied with members of the Staatskapelle Berlin and Ornette Coleman's band. Bilger's compositions draw on his work as both performer and producer. His debut solo album, Meridian, was released by Good Child Music in 2019, and his collaboration with composer Eli Greenhoe, Orchids, was released by Adhyâropa Records in 2025. Trained as a recording engineer at Yale University's Fred Plaut Recording Studio, he has contributed to productions for ECM Records and artists including Doug Weiss and Kit Downes. Recordings by his production company, Two Fields Sound, have been featured on Apple Music's Best New Songs. In addition to his musical career, Bilger holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Texas at Austin, where his research explored the musicality of birdsong and the evolution of the voice box. He currently serves as a Visiting Scientist at Berlin's Museum für Naturkunde and the University of Texas at Austin. Hans is in his 10th seasons working with SH/CD.

Taylor Black
(She/Her)

SH/CD Dancer

Taylor Black is a Richmond-based dancer, teacher, choreographer, and bodyworker. She received a BFA in dance and choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University in the spring of 2019, and continued her education later to become a fully licensed teacher for the State of Virginia, a certified EBAS (Elemental Body Alignment System) teacher, and certified Thai Bodywork practitioner. She is both the Dance Department Chair of the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology (ARGS) in Petersburg, Virginia, and Co-Director of Compass Contemporary, a pre-professional dance company for middle and high school students. In recent years Taylor has performed and choreographed professionally with local companies KARAR Dance Company, RADAR, and PS Project, and is excited to join Cora Dance as a company member this season.

Valentine Divine
(She/her)

Administration & Marketing Associate

Valentine Divine was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She is currently in her second year at Mountain Gateway Community College and plans to transfer to a four-year university to study Psychology or Early Childhood Education. After enjoying two years of dance training with Cora, Val shifted to a behind-the-scenes role in the summer of 2025 as the CDA Intern supporting Cora Dance Alleghany with administrative operations, marketing, programming, and community engagement. During this internship, she also aided in select administrative and marketing projects for Cora Dance Brooklyn. Stepping into her role as the Administration & Marketing Associate, Val continues to support Cora Dance Alleghany while helping manage administrative and marketing operations for both Cora Dance Alleghany and Cora Dance Brooklyn. She is excited to continue growing professionally and contributing to the success of Cora Dance as a whole.

josÉ joaquÍn garcÍa
(he/him)

CDB faculty

José Joaquín García was born and raised in Alphabet City on Manhattan's Lower East Side, where he discovered his passion for singing and developed the commanding stage presence that has become his hallmark. Since 1986, he has been a singing actor with Pregones Theatre Company, performing in original musical theater productions. He also appeared on Broadway in Paul Simon's The Capeman alongside Marc Anthony and Ednita Nazario, understudying the role originated by Rubén Blades. A remarkably versatile vocalist, José moves effortlessly among rock, rhythm and blues, Latin music, and the European classical repertoire in which he is formally trained. He has appeared as a tenor soloist with the Lehman College Orchestra and the Boricua College Chorus in works by Mozart, Handel, and Mendelssohn, and performed Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe with San Francisco's Zaccho Dance Theatre. José is co-founder and lead vocalist of Rubi, Brooklyn's premier rock-and-roll neoyorquino band. Through Rubi Theatre Company, he has collaborated frequently with Dan Zanes, including on Catch That Train, winner of the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children, and ¡Nueva York!, recipient of the 2008 Independent Music Award for Best Children's Music Album. He also appears on the Smithsonian Folkways Lead Belly tribute recording. José is in his fourth year as a faculty member with Cora Dance.

Brynn Hawkins
(She/Her)

sh/cd Apprentice Dancer

Brynn Hawkins is a performer and an aspiring choreographer. She has trained in dance from a young age, focusing on the styles of Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, and Contemporary. In 2023, she began attending The Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts and Technology to further her education in Dance. Over the years, she has worked with many choreographers and dancers from her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, all the way to Florence, Italy. She has used dance as an outlet for her self-expression and creativity, telling stories through her movement. In the future, she plans on attending Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue both a career in dance and nursing. She is extremely grateful to be working with SH/CD this year and is excited for the opportunity. 

ross honaker
(he/they)

SH/CD dancer

Ross Honaker, an Appalachian native of Lewisburg, WV, began studying dance in high school with a local youth performance group like CYC. This experience was pivotal in the pursuit of his passions and spurred him to complete first a BFA in Dance and Choreography at Virginia Commonwealth University and then an AAS in Massage Therapy at Queensborough Community College. Before adding the focus of healthcare, Ross developed his dance career in NYC where he studied and performed with world class artists and companies including Doug Varone and Dancers, David Dorfman Dance, and the Limón Company. He also enjoyed a short international dance career with Arch8, an Amsterdam-based company. With the pandemic Ross came back to his roots in Appalachia, opened a massage therapy clinic, and is thrilled to share his love of dance through teaching and performing throughout these beautiful mountains we call home! This is his second season as part of Cora Dance.

Brianna Keller
(SHE/Her)

General Manager/CDA Faculty

Brianna Keller is a versatile dancer, choreographer, and educator from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. She earned her BFA in Dance from Shenandoah University in 2025 and completed her MS in Arts Management & Leadership in 2026. While trained across multiple dance genres, Brianna’s primary artistic passions are contemporary and modern dance. She has continued to expand her artistry through intensive training opportunities, including the Peridance Blueprint Summer Intensive in New York City. During her time at Shenandoah, Brianna performed on an international tour throughout Greece, sharing dance performances with small villages across the country. She currently just completed her first season as a company dancer with Arte In Movimento Dance Company in Winchester, Virginia. In addition to performing, Brianna is passionate about arts education and shares her love of dance by teaching. She looks forward to continuing her artistic and professional growth in the coming year as part of Cora Dance.

Caylin Kern
(SHE/HER)

CDA teaching assistant

Caylin Kern is a student, dancer, pianist, and homeschooler. She is 13 years old and has lived in Clifton Forge, Virginia, her whole life. She has been taking dance lessons since she was 6. In addition to her dancing with the Cora Dance Alleghany Team for the past 3 years, she recently earned her ballet pointe shoes with The Shenandoah Academy of Dance. She takes pride in assisting the team in helping younger students learn to love the passion of dance. She also enjoys hiking, stargazing, fishing, performing, spending time with family, and going to church. 

Sarah McCullough
(SHE/HER)

SH/CD Collaborating Guest Artist

Sarah McCullough is a Minneapolis-based dance artist and educator in contemporary forms. She is a highly collaborative artist who is passionate about aliveness in performance, and seeks to perform works that center humanity, vulnerability, and play. Originally from Virginia, Sarah attended James Madison University as a Madison Achievement Scholar, and earned her BA in Dance and Mathematics. Since joining Minneapolis’ dance community in 2018, she has had the pleasure of performing works choreographed by Alexandra Bodnarchuk, Berit Ahlgren, Carl Flink, Elayna Waxse, Helen Hatch, Mathew Janczewski, Taja Will, and more. She is currently in her 2nd season as a member of ARENA DANCES, a professional Minneapolis-based repertory company led by Mathew Janczewski. Sarah began working with Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance in company management and as a collaborating dance artist in 2024 and is excited to be in her third season working with SH/CD as a collaborating guest artist.

Natalia McNair
(ShE/Her)

Apprentice Dancer

Natalia McNair is a passionate and dedicated dancer with 13 years of experience. She is a dance major at Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts and Technology. She currently dances with Chesterfield Dance Center in their pre-professional and competition dance company, dELIRIUM. She is an assistant teacher there aswell. She loves to dance and can't wait to see what comes next!

Jasmine Reitze
(She/Her)

CDB Programs & Community Engagement Manager

Jasmine Reitze is the Programs & Community Engagement Manager for Cora Dance Brooklyn (CDB). She hails from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and brings a background in dance, education, administration, and social justice to her work. Jasmine holds a BA in Peace and Social Justice with a minor in Sociology from Berea College, where she combined her studies with community-based work. Dance has shaped Jasmine's life from an early age and she is thrilled to support Cora's mission of making dance welcoming and accessible to all.

TYLER RENFROE
(HE/HIM)

CDB production MANAGER

Tyler Renfroe is a dancer, production manager, and certified yoga instructor from Bradenton, Florida. He earned his B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Florida in 2019 before moving to Brooklyn to pursue a career in performance and arts production. As a performer, Tyler has danced with Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Digital Movement Dance, and Nikki & the Noise, and has worked with choreographers including Juel D. Lane, Joanna Mendel Shaw, Dante Puleio, Jennifer Archibald, Elizabeth Johnson, and Trent D. Williams Jr. Alongside his performing career, he has built an extensive background in technical production and stage management, working with Rush Johnston, Kaleid Dance Collective, Nikki & the Noise, Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX), Kinetics With Karley, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, and the University of Florida School of Theatre and Dance. Since 2023, Tyler has served as Production Manager for Cora Dance and Brooklyn Arts Exchange, while also working as BAX's Facilities Associate. He is a certified 200-hour yoga instructor and teaches at CorePower Yoga.

Tallulah Schemmel
(She/They)

sh/cd Apprentice Dancer

Tallulah Schemmel is currently a dance student at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology. She is an emerging dancer and choreographer who intends to pursue a career in dance after high school. She has trained rigorously in ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, and pointe. Her experiences and collaborations with many different artists and choreographers throughout her dance student career have significantly shaped who she is. She is so excited to be working with SH/CD this year! 

Amanda Self
(She/Her)

CDA Programs & Community Engagement Manager

Amanda Self is an emerging dance artist, scholar, and writer from Orlando, Florida. She recently completed her BFA in Dance at the University of Florida, where she additionally pursued a concentration in creative writing, studying under poets such as Ange Mlinko and Michael Hofmann. Amanda specializes in interdisciplinary storytelling through dance, film, and writing. Her self-produced film “in the dream, i think i was wearing a striped shirt” was recently selected for the 2026 ACDA National Screendance Concert Gala, which features spoken word she wrote and performed herself. 

Amanda is thrilled to start her professional career at Cora Dance, an organization whose mission resonates with her own. As a lifelong dancer, she is passionate about expanding access to dance training. Alongside her admiration for Cora’s philanthropic approach to tuition, she deeply reveres the artistry exhibited by Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance. She believes this is the perfect place to begin her professional life, both creatively and administratively.

Ammara Shafqat
(She/Her)

SH/CD DANCER & Company Liaison

Ammara Shafqat is a dance educator, performer, and arts administrator from Harrisonburg, VA. She has worked professionally throughout Virginia and NYC. She holds a BA in Dance from James Madison University and has been performing with the professional company, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance, since 2022. She tours internationally as a company manager and assistant with The Blanket and historic post-modern dance icon Lucinda Childs and her company. She has served in many roles at Cora Dance, including Programs Manager and Youth Company Director for both Cora Dance Brooklyn and Cora Dance Alleghany, as well as serving as CDA Director for two seasons. Now, in her 6th season working with Cora, she is proud to serve as the SH/CD Company Liaison, supporting the experience of the professional company artists, and continuing to dance with SH/CD.

FAITH shull
(she/her)

CDA Teaching assistant

Faith Shull is proud to be one of the first dancers for Cora Dance Alleghany. It’s her second home! She has danced a total of 11 years and loves Cora! She is a 8th grader at Covington Middle School and loves to teach the younger classes. She hopes they find a love of dance like she has. Besides dance, Faith loves running and serving the nursery at her church! She loves Cora dance because she loves meeting and making friends that are different from her and when they come together and dance as one it’s the best! She looks forward to dancing with Cora for many many more years!

Tiffany shull
(she/her)

CDA lead volunteer & parent liaison

Tiffany Shull was born and raised in Alleghany County. Tiffany is the proud mom of her twins, Jack and Faith, and has been married to her husband Richard for 19 years. She is an active Cross Country, Swim, and Dance mom! Tiffany’s family is her world. She graduated from Alleghany High School, went to work in retail management, and now works in the paper industry, where she has spent the last 15 years. Tiffany was introduced to Cora Dance in 2021 and fell in love with the program. She knew Cora Dance Alleghany became a place she wanted to be a part of with dance being open to every child no matter their family’s circumstances. She is excited for her 4th year at CDA!

CYNTHIA THOMPSON
(SHE/HER)

sh/cd dancer

Cynthia Thompson is Professor Emerita of Dance at James Madison University (JMU), where she spent 38 years shaping generations of dancers, choreographers, and educators. During her tenure, she served as Assistant Director of the School of Theatre and Dance, Dance Program Coordinator, and Artistic Director of the Contemporary Dance Ensemble (CDE), creating more than 30 works for students while mentoring emerging choreographers. Her contributions to JMU were recognized with the university-wide Carl L. Harter Teaching Award, the College of Visual and Performing Arts Madison Scholar Award, and the Distinguished Service Award. An accomplished performer and choreographer, Thompson has toured nationally and internationally to critical acclaim as an independent artist and as co-founder, performer, and choreographer of the thompson & trammell dance company. Since 1999, she has been a guest artist with Cora Dance, performing as a featured soloist on tour and at venues throughout New York City, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Earlier in her career, Thompson performed as a soloist with Ballet South, Chattanooga Ballet, and, while pursuing her graduate studies, the M.M. Colbert Modern Ballet Company. She also served on the faculty of the Wisconsin School of Ballet and later spent more than a decade teaching at the Mid-Atlantic Summer Dance Intensive. She earned her M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was twice invited to return as a distinguished alumna performer. In retirement, Thompson is proud to be working again with SH/CD and continuing her commitment to community engagement through social justice work with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Waynesboro.

keon washington
(he/him)

sh/cd dancer, education mentor

Keon Washington is a New York City native who has been dancing, performing, teaching, and choreographing for 13 years. After discovering his passion for dance, he trained in hip hop and other styles with renowned New York City artists Robert Cecil Brooks III, Amanda Pope, and the late Maurice C. Dean. As his interests expanded beyond performance, he apprenticed with mentor Amanda Pope as a teaching assistant at Lower Manhattan Arts Academy, Harlem School of the Arts, Amanda Pope Dance Company, and Chimera Concept, developing his skills as an educator and choreographer. He has since taught at Harlem School of the Arts, Aubrey Lynch-Extra Essential Arts (AL-EEArts), and other community arts programs. Keon joined Cora Dance as a teaching artist in 2016 and danced with Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance from 2016–2018. In 2021, he became Cora's first Associate Director, working alongside Shannon Hummel to help rebuild the organization following the COVID-19 pandemic, restore balanced programming, and establish a new model of artistic leadership through the creation of Cora's Artistic Associates. In 2023, he transitioned into the role of Artistic Associate, returned to the professional company, and began engaging as an Education Mentor to Cora faculty on both campuses. Keon is now in his 11th season with Cora Dance.