Deborah Mason Dudley: Founder and Artistic Director

Deborah Mason Dudley, Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, Boston Dance Alliance Champion, profiled in The Story Exchange, in partnership with the New York Times 2014, takes her passion and commitment to the class and community. She inspires young dancers, setting high standards for creative excellence and physical prowess. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center, formally known as Deborah Mason School of Dance, which has served as a training ground for dancers since 1975. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Cambridge Youth Dance Program, a non-profit dance and performing arts program for serious dancers. Her credits include a leading role in the musical Cinderella in SummerStock, touring New York City, Chicago, Kansas City, and Boston. Deborah has worked with some of the finest dancers such as Brenda Buffalino of the American Tap Dance Foundation, Leon Collins, Sue Ronson, the Nicholas Brothers, Gregory Hines, Nina Pillar, and Luigi. Having served the Community for 47 years, she was commissioned by Mayor Reeves to serve on the Board for the Arts in Cambridge. She has been honored with the Key to the City of Cambridge and has been cited from the city of Boston for her continued success. Deborah has been honored by Mayor Sheila Russell and Hillary Clinton for her dedication to young women’s development, received the Galluccio Award for her commitment to youth sports, and was cited by the United States Senate in Washington, DC for providing a high quality arts education for decades. Deborah was nominated for Coca Cola Company’s Distinguished Teachers in the Arts award program, as well as Energizer’s “Keep Going” Hall of Fame. The studio was awarded Boston.com A-List's Best Dance Class, 2011-2017. Deborah’s expertise in training continues to produce accomplished dancers and the studio’s outstanding faculty is the tradition of excellence that is synonymous with the name Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center.

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Ian Berg: Tap 

Ian Berg is a young, up and coming tap dancer out of Chicago, Illinois. Ian has been dancing for the last 14 years and is well versed in many different dance forms. He trained in ballet for 4 years at the Joffrey Academy in Chicago and he is also a trained percussionist and has experience in music composition and theory. In 2007 he traveled to China with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project to perform in Beijing. Since 2010 Ian has been a company member with the renowned M.A.D.D. Rhythms and has performed in numerous shows with them including “JUBA! Masters of American Tap” December 2012 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and in “Super Dancer Born Tonight” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Ian has his B.F.A. in “Contemporary Dance Performance” from the Boston Conservatory and is a Jacob’s Pillow Alumni.

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Jacquelyn Berkowitz: Creative Dance, Pre-Ballet

Jacquelyn Berkowitz began studying ballet, tap, and jazz at the age of four in Central NJ. She then went on to study ballet at Princeton Ballet School Official School of American Repertory Ballet. In high school Jacquelyn had the opportunity to study modern dance and ballet with Cleo Mack and Stuart Longway. Jacquelyn earned a BA in dance and a minor in elementary education from Ursinus College, completing honors research in how movement affects learning specifically in 2nd grade math curriculums. While at Ursinus College, Jacquelyn studied dance under the direction of Cathy Young, Chris Aiken, Aviva Giesmar, Ruth Audrien, Sally Rousse, and Bill Young.  In 2010 Jacquelyn danced the role of “Trio Dancer” in the American Dance Masterpiece, Swing Concerto, choreographed by Danny Buraczeski.  Jacquelyn performed and participated at the American College Dance Festival Association where she performed in the student choreographed adjudicated concert. Jacquelyn won the 2011 Dance Department award from Ursinus College for excellence in performance, technique,and academic achievement.  Jacquelyn recently completed her Masters in Creative Arts and Learning and Early Childhood Education from Lesley University.

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Jeffrey Bird: Adult Advanced Tap

Jeffrey Bird, Jr. is a Boston based tap dancer, actor, and historian originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre and History from Butler University and a Masters Degree in US History from IUPUI. Jeffrey began dancing in 2004 and trained with Gregg Russell, Ryan Lohoff, Mark Goodman, Cory Finn, and Julie Sizemore. Since graduating from high school, Jeffrey has had the opportunity to train closely with Jenefer Miller, Suzy Guarino-Hall, and Cindy Hsu, and has benefited from classes with Sarah Reich, Ryan Johnson, Barbara Duffy, Sam Weber, Ray Heselink, and many others. Jeffrey joined the Circle City Tap Company in 2015 and served as the Artistic Director and Pre-Professional Company Director from 2018-2022. Jeffrey is also a professional dancer and Choreographer with Tap24.7 out of Phoenix, Arizona. Faculty credits include: Circle City Tap Festival, Tapapalooza Phoenix, Tapapalooza Seattle, Tapapalooza Detroit, and as an Affiliate Professor of Dance at Emerson College. In the fall of 2022, Jeffrey co-founded Fourth Dimension Tap Company in Boston with Isla Niezgoda and serves as the Artistic Director of the company. Jeffrey believes that a full and rich tap education must include more than just technique, but also music theory and tap history. Much of his training and passion for these two aspects of tap he credits to his mentor Jenefer Miller.

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Abby Cohen: Contemporary

Abby Cohen was 8 years old when she began her dance journey at DMPAC and continued through high school as a soloist for the CYDP Dance Co until graduation in 2020. She is a recent graduate of Brown University where she worked with

Shura Baryshnikov, studying Contemporary, Release and Counter Techniques, and Contact Improvisation. Early in her undergraduate career, she had the opportunity to work with and study modern repertory pieces by Robert Battle and

David Parsons with Julie Strandberg. She also worked and performed as a community participant with Bill T Jones/Arie Zand Company in What Problem? in the fall of 2022. 

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Adrienne Hawkins: Advanced Jazz (CYDP Dance Company)

Adrienne Hawkins is Artistic Director of Impulse Dance Company and Co-Artistic Director of Bass-Line Motion. She received her BA in Education from Arizona State and MFA in Dance at Connecticut College, on a full scholarship. While at Connecticut College she assisted Daniel Nagrin for five years at the American Dance Festival, and then taught at ADF for three years, two in North Carolina and one in Tokyo, Japan. Adrienne has also taught at a number of summer festivals such as The Harvard Summer Festival, Northwest Florida Summer Festival, Yantra Summer Festival, Dancing Arts Summer Festival, Citi-Center Summer Festival, and Sankofa Dance Project. Adrienne has taught extensively throughout the world in such places as Iceland, Ireland, Australia, Europe and Japan. She has toured her two one-woman shows, “A Day in the Night” and “Reality Check,” for a number of years to such places as Denmark, Ireland and Iceland. She was a Massachusetts Choreography Fellowship recipient numerous times and has choreographed over 100 pieces. Besides the pieces created for Impulse Dance Company and Bass-Line Motion, she has also choreographed for the Icelandic Ballet, Ballet Plus, Portland Ballet, Northwest Florida Ballet, and Bosoma Dance Co. She has choreographed rock musicals, commercials, and music videos and has worked in trade show productions. She is proud to have been an opening act for such notables as Miles Davis, Al Green, and Cab Calloway. In addition to her artistic work she has a number of organizational positions, Artistic Director of the Joy of Movement Center for thirteen years, for which she opened a branch in New York with Dennis Wayne & Dancers Inc. and Impulse Dance “The Studio” which was opened in the heart of Boston. She has served on the board of Directors of McCormick Center for the Arts, Volunteer Lawyers for the Art, The Piano Guild, The Boston Dance Alliance, and The Brookline Community Center for the Arts. She has been on the staff of Boston University, The Boston Conservatory, University of the Arts, Stonehill College, Dean College, The Joy of Movement Center, The Dance Complex, Jeanette Neill Dance Studio, The Dance Inn, The Dancing Arts Center, Codman Academy Charter School, Boston Ballet, Harvard University, UMass Amherst and Boston. Adrienne Hawkins has mentors she has been privileged to study with: Daniel Nagrin, Fred Benjamin, Consuelo Atlas, Clay Taliaferro, Walter Nicks, Kathy Grant, Thelma Hill, Mary Barnett, Lenore Lattimore and Chuck Davis. 

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Zabelle Margosian: Ballet (CYDP Dance Company)

Zabelle Margosian (associate ballet mistress) began her dance training at the age of four in her hometown of Belmont, MA. In 1974, she began studying with Mme. Ana Roje, protege to the Russian master, Nicholas Legat. While studying intensively, she performed with the Boston Ballet and with the modern company, Dance for the New World. Zabelle performed with the Concert Touring Company in Yugoslavia, which led her to join the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb.

Upon her return to the US, she joined the Copley Square Ballet in Boston and became a featured dancer. From 1986 to 1994, Zabelle served as director of the Ana Roje School of Ballet as well as ballet mistress for the Copley Square Ballet’s production of Scrooge. In 1999, she served as ballet mistress for the Bermuda Civic Ballet’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Since 1980, Zabelle’s extensive teaching experience includes all levels of classes from beginner to professional levels at Brandeis University, Boston College, in Scotland, Bermuda, New Hampshire, Cambridge, Worcester, Newton, and the Skating Club of Boston. She has attended teaching seminars in the Russian technique of classical ballet in Jackson, MI, Boston, and the Nicholas Legat School in Sussex, England. 

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Kirsten McKinney: Musical Theater

Kirsten McKinney currently is the Director of Theater at the St. Pauls School, in Concord NH.  Before that, she was a Director of Dance for the Kincaid School in Houston, Texas, and prior on the Theater Faculty at The Walnut Hill School for the Arts for over two decades. Kirsten is an award-winning choreographer, having choreographed over 200 musicals mostly in and around the Boston area. She was the resident choreographer for SpeakEasy Stage Company for 12 seasons and has taught for Boston College, Emerson College, and The Boston Conservatory. She has been a guest artist in various schools nationwide and internationally. Kirsten also holds a Tony Award nomination for Excellence in Theater Education.

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Luke Nonas-Hunter: Tap 

Luke Nonas-Hunter was born and raised in New York City, where he began tap dancing at the American Tap Dance Foundation under the tutelage of Courtney Runft and later Susan Hebach. Upon moving to Boston for college, he joined local Boston tap dance company, Subject:Matter, as an apprentice. Since then, Luke has graduated from The School at Jacob's Pillow and joined the music collective Pistachio Groove as a tap dancer and choreographer. Luke would like to thank all the incredible teachers and mentors who helped him along the way including but not limited to Ian Berg,

Dianne Walker, Tamii Sakurai, and Claudia Rahardjanoto.

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Jenny Oliver: Modern (CYDP Dance Company)

Jenny Oliver has spent the past decade navigating a dance career in performance, teaching and research. A Magna Cum Laude graduate with a BA degree in Dance from Dean College and having received the Excellence in Achievement Award from the School at Jacob’s Pillow, Jenny has used her years of extensive training in Ballet, Modern (specifically Horton), Jazz, Tap (specifically Hoofin') and Haitian Folkoric Dance, to create interesting choreographies and develop integrated teaching practices. She has trained at the Garth Fagan Summer Movement Institute and recently completed the Horton Pedagogy Program at the Alvin Ailey School in NY. She is currently on Faculty at Emerson College, Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center, and The Dance Complex teaching Modern Dance. At Esh Circus Arts, she is teaching Dance for the Professional Preparatory Program and is a Guest Artist at Tufts University, teaching Haitian Folkloric Dance. She was the Assistant Artistic Director and Principal Soloist for Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE), The Dance Captain/

Co- Choreographer for the Boston Tap Company (BTC), collaborating with Sean C Fielder (of the National Tour “Noise Funk”), has performed in Brenda Bufalino and Josh Hilberman's Clara’s Dream: A Jazz Nutcracker, danced for Nailah Randall-Bellinger’s company Roots Uprising, performed with Tezz Yancey, Danny Swain and choreographies created by Adrienne Hawkins, Director of Impulse Dance Company. She’s worked in Residency with Brigette Dunn Korpela, Lane Gifford and Reggie Wilson and has taught for the Alvin Ailey Summer Camp Boston and Boston Ballet’s ECI Dept. She has also taught in Haiti and helped to establish a dance studio in Delmass 33, Art Locus Studio. She has been recognized by the International Dance Council CID and scouted by RAW, an LA-based talent showcase company.

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Jeryl Palana Pilapil-Brown: Contemporary, Hip Hop (CYDP Dance Company)

Jeryl Palana Pilapil-Brown is a Filipino- American choreographer, dancer and educator in Boston. Since graduating from Dean College with her B.A. as a dancer major, she has traveled throughout the states and abroad to Canada, London, Barcelona and Japan to immerse herself in various dance styles; the main ones being contemporary, floorwork, street styles and heels. Jeryl now dedicates her time teaching and sharing with students of all ages throughout New England. She aims to bring diverse groups of people together through her choreographic works and organizing events, such as The Hip Hop Dance Festival.

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Lonnie Stanton: Ballet

Lonnie is a Northern California native, based in Boston.  She graduated with honors from the Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Dance. She performs regularly with Jean Appolon Dance Expressions and Prometheus Dance.

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Dianne "Lady Di" Walker: Artist in Residence (CYDP Dance Company)

Dianne Walker is considered a pioneer in the resurgence of tap dancing. Her 28 year career spans Broadway, television, film and international dance concerts. Throughout the world of tap, she has been dubbed the "Ella Fitzgerald" of Tap Dance. The Boston Herald called her "America's First Lady of Tap" and in Dallas, "The Ballerina of Tap". Savion Glover and his contemporaries affectionately call her "Aunt Dianne" in acknowledgment of her unique place as mentor, teacher and confidante. In appreciation of her personal style and elegance as a performer, as well as her eloquent and passionate commitment to the art of tap dance, her mentors and peers always refer to her as "Lady Di". In 2006, Dianne's lifetime achievements were honored in Flint, Michigan. In 2005, she also received lifetime achievement recognition from the Vancouver Tap Dance Society. 2004, Walker received the Hoofers Award from Tap City NYC and was also presented with an award at the L.A Tap Dance Festival in memory of Gregory Hines. Dianne Walker is the first woman to receive the "Living Treasure in American Dance Award" from Oklahoma City University. She has also received numerous awards over the years for excellence in teaching.

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Leslie Woodies: Ballet (CYDP Dance Company)

Leslie Woodies is a former Soloist with the BOSTON BALLET COMPANY, under the direction of Artistic Director and Founder, E. Virginia Williams, where, thru nearly 15 years, she danced a vast range of roles from Corps thru Principle in: Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Copellia, Swan Lake Act 2, Les Sylphides, Graduation Ball, Gaite Parisienne, 12 Balanchine ballets, and 4 Agnes de Mille ballets, including: 17 Boston Ballet Premieres, and 27 World Premieres. She toured the U.S. and Europe with DANCERS, sponsored by Joanne Woodward; and was a Principle Guest Artist with the NEW YORK DANCE THEATER at the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival in New York City.

Leslie had the honor of playing “Cassie” in the landmark, Pulitzer Prize winning, New York Shakespeare Festival Touring Productions of A CHORUS LINE, Directed by Michael Bennett. She covered Natalia Makarova, Kitty Carlisle and Dina Merrill in the Tony Award winning Broadway Production of ON YOUR TOES Directed by Mr. George Abbott. Played “Flo” in the Los Angeles premiere of DROOD with author Rupert Holmes, George Rose and Karen Morrow; and created the role of “Kathleen”, opposite John Cullum in DRUMWRIGHT!, Directed by John Cullum with Choreography by Lynne Taylor Corbett. ‘George’s House’ for PBS; ‘The Kennedy Center Honors’ for CBS; ‘Echoes’, directed by Arthur Seidleman; ‘Jolly’, for Small and Large Productions; ‘A Chorus Line - the Movie’ directed by Sir Richard Attenborough; live-action representative for ‘Aladdin’ for Walt Disney Studios; “Ma Bender” in ‘Bender’, co-starring with Bruce Davison, James Karen, Buck Taylor and Linda Purl, winner Best Ensemble at the Tall Grass Film Festival. The I LOVE NEW YORK Industrials for United Airlines and Coca-Cola, in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Monte Carlo; Her own ‘Reach Out and Touch Someone’ TV commercial for AT&T/New England Telephone; Live, runway and print modeling, and voice-over work. Listed in WHO’S WHO IN ENTERTAINMENT, Leslie received DRAMA-LOGUE and ROBBY Awards for Best Choreography. Her work includes shows for: Paramount, Lifetime, the Disney Channel, Walt Disney World, the Premiere of the California Music Theater, the opening of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza; Industrials and Concert pieces. In addition to eleven years on the Faculty of the Dance Program at Harvard University, Office for the Arts, Leslie was honored to accept an appointment to Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as Visiting Lecturer on Dramatic Arts, teaching the first credit course on ‘Dance in Musical Theater’, with Special Guests: Bebe Neuwirth and Donna McKechnie. Frequent Guest Lecturer at Harvard for Professor Carol Oja’s course - “American Musicals and American Culture”, in the Department of Music and History of American Civilization. Recipient of the George Dennett Distinguished Career Award from Needham High School; Full Time Faculty at Boston Conservatory under Director Yasuko Tokunaga; Guest Presenter at the Emerson College EVVY Awards. Leslie has taught and coached for the Boston Ballet Company, and every branch of the Boston Ballet School and its’ Summer Programs, and National Adjudicator for the Summer Intensives. She was Associate Artistic Director of Tony William’s Urban Nutcracker; Senior Faculty at South Shore Ballet Theatre; Adjunct Faculty Emerson College. Currently: Director of ‘What the Dickens!’, for Deborah Mason’s CYDP Dance Company, the annual Holiday dance version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at John Hancock Hall, Boston.

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Jada Wooten: Tap  

Jada Wooten has danced since the age of two at companies such as at Alvin Ailey, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and Complexions, training in ballet, pointe, jazz, hip hop, tap, modern, mande, lyrical, contemporary, and liturgical. A graduate of Brown University, Jada double majored in Education Studies and Theater and Performance Studies on the dance track, and is now working on her masters at Harvard University in Education. At Brown, Jada served as a teaching assistant for Beginning Modern, Mande Dance, and Dance Composition. She was also a member of Dance Extension, a company led by Fusionworks Dance Center Owner Julie Adams Strandberg. Jada was a 2022 Royce Fellow, facilitating dance and educational programming at community schools and centers in Michigan, and she was a 2023 Artists and Scientists as Partners apprentice, assisting with dance and theater programming at the Hattie Ide Chaffee Nursing Home in East Providence, Rhode Island. Jada was also a 2023 Mystic Seaport Museum intern, creating after school lesson plans that used the visual arts and dance to tell diverse maritime histories. Jada is happy to be teaching jazz and tap at Fusionworks Dance Center since her first job at her hometown studio, Ann Arbor Dance Classics, was assistant teaching jazz; and her most recent job at her hometown studio was teaching a ballet-tap combo class. When she is not in class or on stage, Jada likes to spend time with family and friends, read, puzzle, cook, travel, babysit, drink tea, and of course watch Michigan sports.

Go Blue!

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