Alumni Update

Josh Bergasse, DanceBreak 2003, choreographed BC/EFA's Gypsy of the Year opening number for 2007 and 2008 (Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre). The 2007 number was from West Side Story and included dancers from the original B'way cast .Josh is seen here in a photo with Chita Rivera and Arthur Laurents. He also choreographed Carousel and The World Goes Round for the Barrington Stage. Last fall he choreographed Solo Pido - Bianca Marroquin in concert! (Mexico City).

Andy Blankenbeuhler, DanceBreak 2002, won a 2008 Tony Award for his choreography in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical In the Heights (also the Lucille Lortel, Callaway, Outer Critics and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Choreography). His work on the Broadway show 9-5 was also nominated for a 2009 Tony Award. He has staged concert work for Elton John and Bette Midler and appeared last summer as a guest choreographer on the popular TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Andy recently completed work on The Wiz at City Center and is preparing for the new musical Bring It On.

Anne Marie De Angelo, 2006, In 2008-09 Anne Marie had new pieces of choreography,"La Noche" and "A Tribute to Broadway" for Ballet de Monterrey that were performed at the Joyce Theater as well as a revival of "THE BELL WITCH " for the Nashville Ballet.

A collaborative piece with Mr. Wiggles premiered at theSadler's Wells Theatre in London on May 2, 2009 - which she also Directed.

Coming up she will be directing "Thank You, Gregory: A Tribute to Tap Legends " which premieres in the fall in Philadelphia, featuring tap wizard, Jason Samuels Smith. and on Nov. 2nd, at City Center:she will direct and produce Career Transitions For Dancers gala benefit "America Dances! Celebrating our Sparkling Heritage: Broadway, TV & Film."

Kelly Devine, DanceBreak 2007, was the choreographer of Rock of Ages on Broadway as well as the associate choreographer of the Tony award winning musical Jersey Boys and the upcoming Broadway musical Memphis. Recently, Kelly choreographed Peter and the Starcatchers for Disney Theatricals at the La Jolla Playouse. Also at La Jolla , Kelly choreographed Private Fittings and associate choreographed Zhivago and The Wiz.

Lorin Latarro, DanceBreak 2008, is currently choreographing Cy Coleman's The Best Is Yet To Come at the Rubicon Theater in association with Roundabout Theater. Lorin is also the Associate Choreographer for the upcoming Broadway musical based on Greenday's American Idiot, directed by Michael Mayer. Immediately following DanceBreak, she choreographed How To Succeed In Business... for White Plains Performing Arts Center. Lorin also directed and choreographed two Broadway By The Year's at Town Hall as well as numbers for Broadway Bares, Gypsy of the Year and The Jerusalem Syndrome for The NYMF Festival. Lorin also produced, directed and choreographed Kickin It- a benefit for Ovarian Cancer Awareness and her dear friend, Broadway hairdresser, Natasha Steinhagen.

Lainie Sakakura, 2003, is on her way back to NYC. After a few years in California. She is returning to the Broadway scene with her two beautiful little girls in tow.

Wendy Seyb,2008, met the Tony Award winning director John Rando at the reception following DanceBreak and within a week he contacted her regarding 2 projects he had coming up that fall. One was the New Jersey premiere of The Toxic Avenger. That show enjoyed had a great run at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick; and now is currently having a great run Off-Broadway at New World Stages.

The next Rando/Seyb collaboration was Harry Connick Jr's The Happy Elf which premiered last November at First Stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In between both those shows, John also brought Wendy on board for a workshop with Theatreworks USA called Click Clack Moo; which just completed a mini-tour and is coming to the Lucille Lortel Theeater this summer. To quote Wendy.." I have been kept very busy this past year with a fantastic director on some amazing shows."

Lisa Stevens, DanceBreak 2006, is choreographing the Broadway bound First Wives Club, which will do it's out of town run this July/August at the Old Globe in San Diego. After that it's Disney's High School Musical 2 in the U.K. The world world premier was held in Atlanta at the Fox Theater last November.

Shea Sullivan, DanceBreak 2008, has been very busy on many exciting projects since DanceBreak. She did the choreography for the movie The Big Gay Musical which premiered worldwide in July 2009, a production of The Frog and the Witch in NYC, and is currently at work on Dames at Sea for Bay Street Theatre.

Shea choreographed for 3 events for BC/EFA this past year: for Gypsy of the Year, Shea choreographed the number to represent the show Spamalot, the Easter Bonnet "touring company" presentation number, and a big number for Broadway Bares 19.

Coming up.... several NYMF shows,including Rrrrrred with singing artist Katie Thompson, Andy Warhol was Right an all danced musical, before she moves on to a production of A Christmas Carol at the Fords Theatre. She is also at work on the Broadway Bound musical Pageant!

Matt Williams, DanceBreak 2004, most recently choreographed on Broadway for Will Ferrell's, Tony nominated, You're Welcome America, directed by Adam McKay. Matt also recently made his his Off-Broadway debut as choreographer with Paul Scott Goodman's Rooms, directed by Scott Schwartz. In the fall, Matt will reunite with Scott to stage Seance on a Wet Afternoon, the first opera composed by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin). Matt self-produced his first full length dance play, Ward 9, at the 2008 New York Musical Theater Festival, for which he received the festival’s award for Best Choreography. He also produced, along with his wife Jennifer, a baby girl...Chloe Rose Williams..in April of this year.