PEOPLE

FOUNDER + OWNER

Mira Cook (she/her) founded NY Community Ballet in 2015 with the goal of providing an affordable class for herself and the New York dance community.  She has been a member of Battery Dance, Indelible Dance, John Passafiume and Dancers, Liss Fain Dance SF, & City Ballet of San Diego. With Battery Dance, Mira led movement workshops in 42 countries world wide, taught in NYC public schools and performed across the city.  She is featured in the documentary “Moving Stories”, chronicling Battery's tours to Korea, Romania, Jordan and India, currently streaming on Amazon.  Mira lives in Austin, where she teaches at The University of Texas at Austin and for Austin Community Ballet.  She creates music for dance and has released several albums which can be heard on her bandcamp page.

Mira’s class focuses on body alignment, musicality and ease of movement, pairing rigorous combinations with generous use of breath and individual interpretation.

TEACHER + MANAGING DIRECTOR

Robin Cantrell (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, and educator with over two decades of professional experience. She has performed with companies including City Ballet of San Diego, Rioult, Rebecca Kelly Ballet, and as a longtime member of Battery Dance, where she performed, taught, and presented her choreography in over 60 countries. She is featured in the award-winning documentary Moving Stories, highlighting the company’s cultural diplomacy work.

Robin currently dances with Pigeonwing Dance and is the Artistic Director of Indelible Dance, a Brooklyn-based company known for immersive performance and award-winning dance films. She also teaches Dancing to Connect teacher training programs at Vassar College and Pace University, mentoring the next generation of teaching artists. In addition, she is co-founder of Constant John Productions, creating dance & music-driven films, and curates and produces 12×12, an ongoing performance series showcasing solo dance works in an intimate setting.

Robin is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, and holds a BFA in Ballet Performance from the University of Utah as a Willem F. Christensen Scholarship recipient.

Robin is both an administrator and teacher at NY Community Ballet, where she is dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive space for dancers of all levels.

Robin’s teaching integrates her extensive professional background with mindfulness-based practices, encouraging students to move with awareness, freedom, and confidence. Her classes focus on cultivating a love of dance, self-acceptance, joy, and expansive, playful movement.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Sarah Housepian (she/her) is a New York-based artist originally from Southern California. She holds a BA in Dance from California State University, Fullerton, where she performed works by José Limón and Colin Conner. On the West Coast, she collaborated with Fuse Dance Company, BARE Dance Company (CA), and Vision’s Dance Theater.

Since relocating to NYC, Sarah has worked with Brian Brooks Moving Company, Battery Dance Company, Mike Esperanza’s BARE Dance Company, Yin Yue’s YY Dance Company, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, Erica Essner Performance Co-Op, Indelible Dance, 10 Hairy Legs, NOW Dance Project, Robert Mark Dance, Shawn Bible Dance Company, Gabrielle Lamb, Spark Movement Collective, Dolly Sfeir, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Tsai-Hsi Hung, Christopher Núñez, Damani Pompey, Saeed Hani, Tadej Brdnik, and Julia Ehrstrand. She has also performed in original works by Korzo Theater artists Faizah Grootens and Rutkay Özpınar.

Her work as a performer and educator has taken her internationally, touring, performing, and leading workshops in Germany, France, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, São Tomé and Príncipe, Spain, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Honduras, Mexico, and Canada.

TEACHER + MANAGING DIRECTOR

Tiffany Mangulabnan (she/her) is a Filipino dancer, choreographer, teacher, and founding co-director of konverjdans. Born and raised in Manila, she was a principal dancer with the Philippine Ballet Theatre before she moved to NYC, where she performed with companies like BalletNext, Emery LeCrone DANCE, Claudia Schreier & Co., Gleich Dances, Indelible Dance, and several others. She currently dances with Gabrielle Lamb’s Pigeonwing Dance as well as with The Metropolitan Opera. She has been praised for delivering “the most intense moment [of a piece]” (The New York Times) and showing “more depth of character with each performance” (Broadway World).

Tiffany has choreographed works for konverjdans, Carolina Ballet, Sonder Space, Woman in Motion, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, and Indelible Dance, among other schools and companies. Her work has been presented at New York Live Arts, Mark Morris Dance Center, Triskelion Arts, Battery Dance Festival, CounterPointe, and Carolina Ballet’s Choreographer Spotlight Series. She also teaches ballet at Peridance Center.

Tiffany’s class, while technically challenging, places strong emphasis on full breadth and extension of movement, freedom of expression within the framework of technique, and thoughtful form, placement and initiation as the essential foundation for movement.

TEACHER

Billy Blanken (he/him) started his professional career with the Amy Marshall Dance Company before joining Les Ballets Grandiva. His credits include:  Mobile Ballet, CoDa 21 of San Juan, Catherine Gallant Dance, Atlantic City Ballet, Northwest Florida Ballet, Ajkun Ballet Theatre, isadoraNOW, Project in Motion, and many others. In 2016 he founded Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre for which he is Artistic Director. 

Billy has taught at Peridance, the Jakarta Intercultural School, the Rioult Dance Center, the National School in Tirana, Albania, Gibney Dance, Logrea Dance Academy, and others.

Billy uses a mindful approach to ballet technique with a focus on body awareness, kinesthetic learning, musicality and movement dynamics. He nurtures specific ballet qualities including classicism, aplomb, and use of épaulement to create resilience suitable for recreational to professional dancers. The class is thorough but uncomplicated—with emphasis on creating efficient movement patterns.

TEACHER

After almost two decades of dancing throughout North America (Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, The Metropolitan Opera, "An American in Paris" 1st Nat’l Tour) Brian (he/him) is loving the chance to share nuggets of his ballet wisdom with the dancers of NYCommunity Ballet! 

Originally from Kernersville, NC, Brian received his training at NC School of the Arts (now University of NCSA) and Houston Ballet II, and recently furthered his education at Columbia a University's School of General Studies (BA in Psychology). He can still be spotted doing the occasional pedestrian roles with The Metropolitan Opera, but otherwise Brian is currently exploring how to serve fellow artists and dance at large from behind the scenes.

A dancer known for his clean, easy quality, Brian’s class reflects his love of ballet technique without imposing it — rooted in classical vocabulary, leaning neoclassical, and leaving each dancer free to take what they need from class that day.

TEACHER

Allegra (she/her) is a native New Yorker and a Bessie Award-winning dancer based in Brooklyn. She trained at Manhattan Youth Ballet and the School of American Ballet, performing in numerous productions with New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. She furthered her contemporary training at prestigious programs including the Nederlands Dans Theater Summer Intensive, Springboard Danse Montréal, and b12 Berlin. Allegra has been a member of Gabrielle Lamb’s Pigeonwing Dance since 2022 and is also a dancer at the Metropolitan Opera. She toured nationally with Barlett Sher’s Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, choreographed by Hofesh Shechter, and has performed with Konverjdans, Trainor Dance, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and the Little Orchestra Society, among others. 

Allegra's ballet class emphasizes dynamic musicality and artistic expression. Contrasting precision and technicality, informed by her Balanchine training, with fluid, sweeping movements inspired by her contemporary background, Allegra works hard to ensure that her barre combinations prepare dancers to approach center with both confidence and abandon.

TEACHER

Gabrielle (she/her) choreographer and 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, is based in NYC, where she directs Pigeonwing Dance.  Her work has also been presented by the American Ballet Theatre Incubator, the New York Choreographic Institute, BalletX, the Juilliard School, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet Collective, Whim W’HIM, Jacob’s Pillow, and Dance on Camera at Lincoln Center. She has won fellowships and competitions at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Milwaukee Ballet, and the Banff Centre, as well as the S&R Foundation's Washington Award and a Princess Grace Award. A native of Savannah, GA, she trained at the Boston Ballet School and was a longtime soloist at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, later performing with Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and Pontus Lidberg Dance in NYC. She has been praised by DANCE Magazine as “a dancer of stunning clarity who illuminates the smallest details—qualities she brings to the dances she makes, too". 

In addition to her ballet and contemporary dance background, she is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner® and an Ilan Lev Practitioner in training, holding additional certification in the MUNZ BARRE® method of ballet pedagogy. These practices have profoundly influenced her movement vocabulary and transformed her understanding of dance.

Gabrielle's ballet class emphasizes coordination of the upper and lower body as the basis for holistic and connected movement.  From the beginning of the barre, rhythm and alignment create the base for healthy and efficient center work. Dancers are challenged to make interpretive choices regarding musicality, phrasing, and focus.  

TEACHER

JoVonna Parks (she/her) is a native of Philadelphia, where she began her intense formal training in ballet, Horton and Graham techniques. She attended Ailey/Fordham under the direction of Ana Marie Forsythe and graduated with her BFA in dance in 2012. She has had the pleasure of working with and performing works by Camille A. Brown, Ronald K. Brown, Donald McKayle, Hofesh Shector, Robert Battle, Jill Echo, Ty Jones and The Classical Theatre of Harlem, and many others. JoVonna performed with Elisa Monte Dance under the direction of both Elisa Monte and Tiffany Rea-Fisher from 2014-2019. She is currently a freelance dance artist in NYC with Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, ClyMove, and konverjdans, and has been a guest artist with Ballet Vero Beach.

JoVonna teaches ballet, modern and contemporary techniques in the greater NYC and New Jersey area. Her own creations have been performed by ClyMove as well as at Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company: Solo Suites, and at the all-female collaborative choreography festival CounterPointe in 2019, 2022 and 2023.

 JoVonna’s class focuses on efficiency and alignment and is technically challenging but still leaves room for experimentation with musicality and artistry.

TEACHER

Sabrina (she/her) was born in Vicenza, Italy. After her initial training, she was admitted to the prestigious Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo. Right after graduation, she was awarded third prize at the International Dance Competition in Spoleto, Italy. Sabrina danced with the English National Ballet, Stadttheater Koblenz in Germany, and Les Ballets Grandiva.

In 2011, Sabrina joined Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, where she performed leading roles worldwide until 2019. Her repertoire includes Esmeralda, Giselle, Les Sylphides, Swan Lake (Swan Queen), and The Dying Swan, among others.

Sabrina now focuses on teaching, bringing her extensive stage experience into the studio. After serving as a faculty member for two years at the American Youth Dance Theatre, she currently teaches at New York Community Ballet. In addition to her work as a dancer and educator, Sabrina is a creative costume designer. Since 2021, she has been designing and creating costumes for Sheep Meadow Dance Theatre, contributing to numerous productions with her distinctive artistic vision.

Sabrina’s class is technically demanding, with a strong emphasis on musicality, precise footwork and artistic sensitivity. 

TEACHER

Amy Saunder (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based artist born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. She trained in classical ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (high school program) and began her professional career with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, performing George Balanchine's works at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As a freelance dancer in NYC, she has performed with Eugene Ballet, Indelible Dance, Traverse City Dance Project, MorDance, Movement Headquarters, Gleich Dances, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Ballet Vero Beach, and Ballet Next, and appeared in works by Brendan Fernandes at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Noguchi Museum. She currently performs and teaches internationally with Battery Dance and dances with Pigeonwing Dance.

In 2016, she co-founded konverjdans (converge/dance), a Brooklyn-based, women-led dance company with Tiffany Mangulabnan and Jordan Miller, and in 2024 she co-founded the video production company Nine Mile Productions with Joe Raffanti, collaborating with artists and small businesses to tell creative stories.

Amy aims to teach a fun ballet class focusing on breath, spine mobility, and expansive movement.

TEACHER

Michelle Thompson Ulerich (she/her) is currently a professor at SUNY Purchase in New York. She received her training from San Francisco Ballet, and danced for 14 years with Ballet Austin. She performed in works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Ulysses Dove, Stephen Mills, Sidra Bell, Greg Dolbashian, Nelly van Bommel, Amy Seiwert, James Gregg, Gina Patterson, Thang Dao, Jennifer Hart, and more. During her time in Texas she earned her undergraduate degree from St. Edward’s University, and began her choreographic career with an emphasis on site specific and immersive dance experiences.

Michelle was the Artistic Director of New York based Spark Movement Collective from April 2020-April 2024. Michelle grew this company for 4 years, and was awarded grants by The Flushing Town Hall for programming for children and The Queens Council on the Arts for her work Armenian Voices. She is currently a freelance choreographer in New York, and has recently shown work at The Mark O’Donnell Theater, Pageant, Green Space, Dixon Place, and Art On Site.

Michelle teaches at Peridance, NY Community Ballet, and Steps on Broadway. She also teaches yoga, and she is a mother of three.

Michelle’s class focuses on technique, musicality, coordination, and artistry. The combinations at the barre help to prepare dancers for a technical and fun center with epic adagios, sweeping turns across the floor, and vibrant jumps. Michelle aims to encourage and coach all dancers who step into her classroom and to create an environment where everyone feels welcome. She hopes dancers walk away from her class with a renewed sense of joy and love for ballet.