2026 Modern Dance Intensive

June 8-12th, 2026

from 2:30-5:30 pm

at Peridance Center in NYC
(126 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10003)

SCHEDULE

•   MONDAY JUNE 8TH :

o 2:30-4:00 PM | CLASS #1 Teacher Alberto del Saz (Nikolais Technique and Repertory)

o 4:00-5:30 PM | CLASS #2 Teacher Jim May (Sokolow Technique and Repertory)

•  TUESDAY JUNE 9TH: 

o 2:30-4:00 PM | CLASS #3 Teacher Anabella Lenzu (Dance Composition)

o 4:00-5:30 PM | CLASS #4 teacher Janis Brenner (Improvisation)

• WEDNESDAY JUNE 10TH: 

o 2:30-4:00 PM | CLASS #5 Teacher: Dina Denis (Joan Miller Technique and Repertory)

o 4:00-5:30 PM | CLASS #6 Teacher: Ara Fitzgerald (Improvisation - Daniel Nagrin)

• THURSDAY JUNE 11TH: 

            o 1-2:30 PM | CLASS #7 Teacher Dian Dong ("East meets West in American Modern Dance" exploring the works of H.T. Chen)

o 2:30-4:00 PM | CLASS #8 Teacher Francesca Todesco (Isadora Duncan Technique & Repertory)

o 4:00-5:30 PM | CLASS #9 Teacher Gloria McLean (Hawkins Technique)

• FRIDAY JUNE 12TH: 

         o 1-2:30 PM | CLASS #10 Teacher Elizabeth Keen (Dance Composition)

o 2:30-4:00 PM | CLASS #11 Teacher Maxine Steinman (Elio Pomare Technique and Repertory)

o 4:00-5:30 PM | CLASS #12 Teacher Sue Bernhard (Limon Technique)

Class Description & Bios

Nikolais Technique and Repertory with Alberto del Saz

Dancers will study the modern techniques and methods of American modern dance pioneers Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis. 

The Nikolais/Louis technique and philosophy, grounded in what we call the 'Big Four': Shape, Space, Time, and Motion, offer unique benefits. These elements are the fundamental building blocks of the Nikolais/Louis approach. This technique emphasizes the development of basic modern dance concepts and techniques, including increasing the student's strength, control, rhythmic awareness, dynamic range, focus, and directives. These skills not only enhance dance performance but also contribute to overall physical and mental well-being.
The class will start by exploring floor work with a series of exercises to warm up, fine-tune the body, increase flexibility, and explore the range of movement at the floor level. It will then continue with a standing series, where more exploration will further the knowledge and understanding of movement; clear focus, intention, and execution are paramount. Finally, dancers will continue across the floor, creating movement patterns, running, leaping, and jumping, embodying the essence of movement. Classes will also feature structured improvisations, a platform where students can organically create movement, fostering a robust sense of creativity and inspiration. This aspect of the class is designed to ignite your imagination and push the boundaries of your dance expression.

Alberto del Saz is the Artistic Director at The Nikolais/Louis Foundation for Dance. His leadership is instrumental in keeping the Nikolais/Louis repertory vibrant and active. Alberto del Saz's unique journey into the world of the arts began with a passion for ice skating. His early dedication and talent led him to become the Spanish National Champion in figure skating in 1980. This success paved the way for his debut with Holiday on Ice International. His transition to dance, a crucial part of his diverse and unique artistic development, was received at the Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab under the guidance of esteemed teachers such as Hanya Holm, Alwin Nikolais, Murray Louis, Claudia Gitelman, Tandy Beal, Beverly Blossom, and others. Alberto del Saz's influence in the dance community transcends borders, reaching far beyond his native Spain. His debut as a lead soloist with the Nikolais Dance Theater in 1985 marked the beginning of a global journey. As a member of this internationally acclaimed company, he has toured virtually every continent, sharing his artistry and passion for dance with diverse audiences. Mr. Del Saz has appeared for President Reagan at the Kennedy Center Honors in a CBS telecast featuring the Nikolais Dance Theater and on PBS's American Masters series in "Nik and Murray," an award-winning documentary film by Christian Blackwood. He has also represented the United States State Department on a tour of India. He appeared at the Paris Opera Garnier in a Homage to Alwin Nikolais and at the Next Wave Festival with Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane Dance Company. In 1990, he went to Japan, where he appeared as a guest artist in "V", a project by Mr. Ushio Amagatsu, Artistic Director of Sankai Juku. He has also performed at "Men Brazil." Mr. Del Saz has appeared as a guest solo artist in works by Hanya Holm, Claudia Gitelman, Maureen Fleming, Sara Pearson, Cleo Parker Robinson, Beth Corning, and others. Alberto del Saz's influence in the dance world is not only as a performer but also as a custodian of the art form. His significant contribution is his role as the Reconstruction Director of the Nikolais/Louis repertory. He has staged this iconic repertoire with universities and professional dance companies worldwide, ensuring that the legacy of Nikolais and Louis is not only preserved but also continues to inspire and influence the global dance community. NYSCA has funded Mr. Del Saz's work in collaboration with the Ice Theater of New York. He has choreographed for bronze medalist figure skater Nicole Bobek and Olympic bronze and World Professional Champion Phillipe Candeloro. His Skating work has appeared on Ice Wars, Grand Slam, and the Professional World Championships, televised on CBS, FOX, and ABC networks, as well as the official opening of the Rockefeller Center sponsored by Champions on Ice. With an impressive tenure of 42 years at the Nikolais/Louis Foundation, Alberto del Saz's commitment to preserving the Nikolais/Louis technique, repertory, and legacy is unwavering. His current focus is on passing on his knowledge and experience through dedicated teaching and directing, ensuring that the Nikolais/Louis technique continues to inspire and influence the dance community.

Sokolow Technique and Repertory with Jim May

Jim May was a devoted disciple of Anna Sokolow for 35 years and co-artistic director of her company, Players’ Project, since 1990. He founded the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble in 2004 to expand the art of dance, working toward a progressive new style of theatre/dance.
May danced in New York for over 40 years, performing with the Limón Company under Jose Limón’s and Carla Maxwell’s direction, the Ruth Currier Company, and Daniel Lewis’ company. Mr. May embraced the distinct styles of both Ms. Sokolow and Mr. Limón. He won a 1996 Fulbright Scholarship to Mexico City to extend his studies of his two mentors and their roles in the relationship between modern dance in the US and Mexico. He has taught on the faculties of SUNY Purchase, Juilliard School of Music, Princeton University, and the Limón Institute. In 1992, Washington University granted him the Marcus Award for Teaching Excellence. He taught extensively in Taiwan, where he founded the company Dance Forum Taipei, and in Mexico at Central de Investigacion Corografica. He has taught at schools in Italy, France, Germany, Korea, Canada, South America, Switzerland and the United States, and was granted a Fulbright award to teach in Chile. His choreography has been performed by Dance Conduit, Dance Forum Taipei, Thoughts in Motion, and the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble. He has danced on Broadway, with the Eliot Feld Ballet Company, and extensively as a guest artist. In 1999 Mr. May received a Bessie Award for lifetime achievement. In 2024 he received the Martha Hill Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The Sokolow style/technique is a unique blend of professional dance & theater that often includes voice in the demanding warm-up. Knowledge of painting, poetry, literature, and culture is essential to take one beyond pure dance. Led by Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble founder and director Jim May, this one week workshop is a unique opportunity to challenge creativity, go beyond academia, and explore one’s voice in the artistic community.

Dance Composition/ Choreography with Anabella Lenzu

This masterclass will give you the tools to create your own original dances, exploring the elements of composition for the stage. We will examine the creative process by learning how to take risks, transition from thinking to feeling to making artistic choices. Through short in-class assignments, students will investigate both form and content in choreography. Participants will create solo studies based on choreographic problems. We look not only at what you dance but also ask the question “Why do you dance?” Dance is the expressive medium of our heart, mind, and soul.

Originally from Argentina, Anabella Lenzu is a dancer, choreographer, scholar & educator with 35 years of experience working in Argentina, Chile, Italy, and the USA. Lenzu directs her own company, Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama which since 2006 has presented 400 performances, created 15 choreographic works and performed at 100 venues, presenting thought provoking and historically conscious dance-theater in NYC. As a choreographer, she has been commissioned all over the world for opera, TV programs, theatre productions, and by many dance companies. She has produced and directed several award-winning short dance films and screened her work in over 200 festivals both nationally and internationally. In 2023, Anabella received the National Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Independent Sector by NDEO (National Dance Education Organization) and in 2022, the Innovative Dance Educator Award by NYSDEA (New York State Dance Education Association), acknowledging her work as a dance educator who develops innovative pedagogy in the dance field, groundbreaking teachings that have a significant impact on dance, as well as an established record of exemplary leadership on the state and national level in USA. Lenzu has written for various dance and arts magazines, and published two books: Unveiling Motion and Emotion (2013) and Teaching and Learning Dance through Meaningful Gestures (2025)
www.AnabellaLenzu.com

Improvisation with Janis Brenner

Janis Brenner will teach  an Interdisciplinary workshop open to all Dancers, Teachers, Musicians, Vocalists, Actors, Writers, Therapists, and anyone who wants to expand their creative thinking. We will explore the process of integrating movement, voice and speaking by delving into the mind/body connection, sensations and experiences through physical and vocal warm-up, and structured improvisation. We’ll be involved in “Serious Play!” with solo as well as group structures, looking at how the art forms of Theatre, Voice, Movement influence and enhance one another to create unique artistic statements. These workshops are a synthesis of Janis’s many years working with such artists as Meredith Monk, Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais, and the development of her own, unique teaching, performing and choreographic aesthetic over the last 40 years.

Janis Brenner is an award-winning dancer/choreographer/singer/educator/collagist and Artistic Director of Janis Brenner & Dancers. She has toured in 36 countries and received “Best Performance” and Critics' Choice Award at the United Solo Theatre Festival Off-Broadway for the interdisciplinary, one-woman show Inheritance: A Litany, NY “Bessie" Award in Meredith Monk’s work, Lester Horton Award for Choreography in L.A., grants from Fund for US Artists at Int'l Festivals, Asian Cultural Council, Trust for Mutual Understanding, O'Donnell Green Music & Dance Foundation, US State Department, US Embassy for tours to Moscow, Bosnia, Jakarta and Dakar, and a commission for The Memory Project from the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her work has been commissioned/restaged on more than fifty companies and colleges worldwide. Was with Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble from 1990 - 2005, 2014, recording on ECM Records, and Murray Louis Dance Company working with Rudolf Nureyev, Placido Domingo, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Joe Papp, Bat Sheva Dance Company, and Alwin Nikolais. On faculty at The Juilliard School from 2009-2021. Currently at Marymount Manhattan College and Steps Conservatory. Teaches improvisation, composition, voice and JB repertory worldwide. Second solo show, She Remembers her Amnesia received critical acclaim and is currently touring, as is Inheritance: A Litany. Ms. Brenner has had three gallery exhibits of her mixed-media collage work in NYC. 
www.janisbrenner.com

Technique & Repertory from Joan Miller with Dina Denis

Company member Dina Denis will teach SECTIONS FROM the repertory piece, "GO FER B'ROQUE", a celebration of dynamics, suspensions; a jubilant play with the classical and random everyday movement. Experience Joan Miller's zany sense of humor, slightly off-beat point of view and eclectic sense of dance. "On your mark, get set, go Baroque". (Sections from repertory courtesy of Sheila Kaminsky). 
Joan Miller created her unique varied repertory for over 40 years. She had received numerous grants in support of her work and has been awarded and honored by numerous organizations, most recently the ADG lifetime achievement award. She danced with the companies of Jose Limon, Anna Sokolow, Ruth Currier, Rudy Perez, Rod Rodgers, and in the early 1960's Judson Church Dance Programs. Joan Earned a BA in dance from Brooklyn College, an MA from Teachers College Columbia and a professional diploma from Juilliard.  She was the founder/director of the dance program at Lehman College where she created the BA and BFA dance degree.

Dina Denis  is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher from Queens, NY. She holds a BA in Dance from Hofstra University and an MA in Dance Education from New York University. Dina is a K-12 New York State certified dance educator who has taught in public and private schools, colleges as well as various studio and community settings. Dina is the founder and artistic director of the modern dance company, Dance Into Light, Inc.(www.dinadenisdance.org). Dina is also co-owner of Here and Now Yoga, Wellness & Arts Collective, in Floral Park, NY.  Dina began performing with Joan Miller’s Dance Players in 2002 until Joan’s final performance in 2007. Dina also worked with Ms. Miller as her administrative assistant. Dina had the pleasure of closely working with Joan and her Dance Players on creating original works and restaging repertory pieces. She also represented Joan Miller’s Dance Players by teaching and performing in community engagement programs. Dina has had the pleasure of dancing throughout her professional career with: Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama, Yana Schnitzler's Human Kinetics Movement Arts, Robin Becker Dance, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Joan Miller's Dance Players, Sheila Kaminsky, Martial Roumain, Abdel Salaam, Dr. Glory Van Scott, Joan Peters, and Val Suarez.

Improvisation - Daniel Nagrin with Ara Fitzgerald

In the tradition of ADG honoring dance legends, Ara is thrilled to share basic techniques of the Workgroup, directed by Daniel Nagrin, as well as elements of composition inherent in movement creation in the moment. All level of dancers are welcome. We are led by our personal movement vocabularies into spontaneous interaction with others. Improvisation is an art of its own but as a training tool it can elevate technique to the communicative language we seek in performance. 

Ara Fitzgerald is a choreographer, improvisor, writer, performer and educator. Known for solos with original text, she revels in collaborations with photographer/filmmaker, Peter Cunningham, composer, Wall Matthews, Clare Byrne, Paris based choreographer, Martha Moore, and the honor to perform reconstructions of work by renowned dancer/clown, Lotte Goslar.  She was a member of Daniel Nagrin’s improvisation company, The Workgroup, The Entourage Music and Theatre Ensemble, performed with Pat Catterson, Jamie Cunningham, created dances for her own company and contributed choreography to theater productions on and off Broadway. A graduate of Connecticut College (BA) and Wesleyan University (MALS), she taught at Connecticut College, The O’Neill Theater Center’s National Theater Institute, Hartman Conservatory and Trinity Square Conservatory before serving until 2017 as a director of dance and theater at Manhattanville College. When she told her grandmother, a retired vaudevillian band leader, that she was going to pursue modern dance, her grandmother replied, “A modern dancer is just a vaudevillian with an education.” Ara also serves on the board of The Mystic Paper Beasts. She and Stuart Pimsler edited and complied Martha Myers’ memoir, Don’t Sit Down. Ara’s pieces and drawings make a leap from stage to page, in her new book, Slow Dancing Is Easy, Scripts for Solo Performer. https://www.arafitzgerald.com/

Daniel Nagrin (1917-2008), one of the great modern dance solo dance artists, was a master teacher, choreographer, and a seminal figure in dance improvisation whose book, “Dance and the Specific Image: Improvisation” was published by The University of Pittsburgh Press in 1994.  He directed the Workgroup, an improvisational dance company in the 1970’s whose methods are as relevant today as they ever were. 

"East meets West in American Modern Dance" exploring the works of H.T. Chen with Dian Dong

The distinguishing characteristics of early American modern dance share similar qualities to the
martial arts, such as the use of weighted movement, asymmetry, and dissonance.
Choreographer, H.T. Chen was born in Shanghai, China, raised in Taiwan where he attended the University of Chinese Culture, received a BFA from the Juilliard Dance Division, and a masters in Dance Education from NYU.
His wife and longtime company dancer, Dian Dong, will lead a warm-up based on principles of
Yin Yang and planal organization. The class will learn a phrase from one of H.T. Chen’s
signature works, then develop their own movement phrase using these principles.
Dian Dong is a graduate of the Juilliard School, a co-founder of Chen Dance Center, and was
recently appointed as the new Artistic Director of H.T. Chen & Dancers. In 2021, she helped develop a K-12 DEL curriculum for the NYC DOE titled “TRACING FOOTSTEPS – Into the Heart of Chinatown – Hidden Voices”.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Dian Dong studied with Shirley Ubell, Vladimir Doukodovsky, Alfredo Corvino and Doris Rudko. She has worked with Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project, Kathryn Posin, Janet Soares, Lance Westergard, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Lincoln Center Institute, the ADF 25th Anniversary Repertory Co, Walter Nicks, and the national tour of The King & I. She has taught at NYU School of Ed., Montclair State College, the Center for Modern Dance Ed. and Chen Dance Center. Ms. Dong organizes and designs the education programs for H.T. Chen & Dancers homebased and residency programs. She has participated in the Kennedy Center’s Capacity Building Program led by Michael Kaiser, and attended the Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders - Arts at Stanford Graduate Business School. She and H.T. Chen are the proud recipients of the 2012 Mid-Career Award from the Martha Hill Dance Fund.

Isadora Duncan Technique & Repertory with Francesca Todesco

This open-level class introduces participants to the essential principles of Isadora Duncan’s technique through guided exploration of breath, weight, musicality, and natural movement. Rooted in lineage-based training and historical context, the class offers structured movement studies alongside creative investigation, allowing dancers of varied backgrounds and experience levels to work at their own depth. Emphasis is placed on freedom within form, expressive clarity, and the embodied relationship between movement and music. Open to all movers interested in modern dance, the class invites participants to experience Duncan’s work as a living, inclusive practice.

Francesca Todesco is a dancer, educator, and choreographer with extensive training in the Sokolow, Humphrey–Limón, and Isadora Duncan techniques. An internationally sought-after teacher of Duncan technique and repertory, she leads workshops and master classes worldwide, focusing on musicality, natural movement, and historical context. She credits her training to distinguished mentors including Jim May, Catherine Gallant, Loretta Thomas, Betty Jones, Fritz Ludin, and Gail Corbin. Francesca danced for over 16 years with the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, where she deepened her understanding of performance as an expressive and ethical art form. A dedicated advocate for modern dance preservation, she is a member of the American Dance Guild, serves on the Isadora Duncan Archive Committee, and is part of the Planning Committee of the Duncan Legacy Project, organizing the 2027 Isadora Duncan International Symposium in Paris. Through her own company,Dances We Dance, she nurtures a new generation of Duncan dancers while continuing to create and present new work. www.danceswedance.org

 “Flow, Form and Feeling”: Erick Hawkins Technique with Gloria McLean

Gloria McLean will offer a Master Class in Hawkins Technique designed to introduce the principles of movement that are the basis of Hawkins Technique and can apply to all dancing and which also inspire her work LIFEDANCE: pelvic integration, breath, dynamic kinesiology, momentum, flow, and musicality through creative invention.  Floorwork, standing, and combinations across the floor.  Open to all - advanced beginner through professional level.  

Gloria McLean is a choreographer, dancer, and teacher, and the artistic director of LIFEDANCE offering workshops and performances. She is based in NYC and Andes, NY at Squid Farm a center for dance and sculpture shared with her life partner Ken Hiratsuka. Gloria became well-known as a leading dancer and rehearsal director for the renowned Erick Hawkins Dance Company from 1982 through 1993, when she left to focus on LIFEDANCE.  Critically acclaimed for her roles, she is a major exponent of this important Modern Dance Legacy.  She is equally recognized for her own choreography with LIFEDANCE/Gloria McLean & Dancers which has been presented in US and internationally, and was called by NYTimes critic Jennifer Dunning  “… “An intelligent, witty and sensuous choreographic voice.”   LIFEDANCE is a creative movement practice that builds on the Hawkins Technique as a base for somatics, technique, composition and performance. McLean has been President of the American Dance Guild since 2012 supporting our mission of offering a “window to the past” and a “doorway to the future” of dance.  

www.gloriamcleandance.com    www.vimeo.com/gloriamclean

Dance Composition with Elizabeth Keen

“The Craft of Choreography” workshop will focus on how to develop  personal movement material into a satisfying whole. Students are encouraged to bring to the class a short movement phrase that they care about -  length 7-10 counts. 

Elizabeth Keen a veteran dancer and choreographer. As a dancer, she appeared with the companies of Paul Taylor and Helen Tamiris/Daniel Nagrin.  She choreographed for her own group, The Elizabeth Keen Dance Company, which toured nationally under the auspices of the Dance Touring and the Artists in the Schools programs as well as many seasons in NYC.  She has also choreographed for opera and theater Credits include: ANIMAL FARM, TEMPEST, WINTER’S TALE (National Theatre, London); LA TRAVIATA, CARMEN (Glyndebourne); CARMEN (The Met); FIERY ANGEL (LA Opera and L’Opera Bastille); GUYS and DOLLS (Goodman Theater) and A COMEDY of ERRORS, (NY Shakespeare Festival). She has taught at Sarah Lawrence College, Princeton University, the Juilliard School as well as for The José Limón Summer Dance Workshop and Perry Mansfield in Steamboat Springs, CO. She is a graduate of Barnard College and the Sarah Lawrence Master’s degree program. Currently she is Adjunct Faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and Ailey/Fordham. She also performs and choreographs with Dances for a Variable Population, which provides classes for older adults.

Elio Pomare Technique and Repertory with Maxine Steinman

This dynamic workshop class honors the profound impact of choreographer Eleo Pomare, with whom I had the privilege of dancing for 12 years. We will begin with a brief discussion about Eleo Pomare, followed by a class that explores Eleo Pomare's stylistic movement through warm-up sequences and selected phrases from his repertory.  Open to all levels and backgrounds, this workshop offers an accessible way to experience the depth of Pomare’s artistry. Eleo Pomare’s immense influence on the dance community and my own practice is something I am eager to share, with the goal of keeping his legacy alive and inspiring a new generation of dancers and educators.

Maxine Steinman has showcased her choreography at festivals and theaters across the US, including Joyce Soho, The 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Festival, Westfest Dance Festival, American Dance Guild Festival, Battery Dance Festival, among others. She has choreographed and performed in Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Italy, France, Germany, Lebanon, and Cyprus. Jack Anderson and Jennifer Dunning of the NY Times have described her work as "ingenious" and "a jewel. " She received multiple grants from the O'Donnell-Green Foundation for Music and Dance, Dance New Jersey and the New Jersey State Council for the Arts. Maxine has created works for and taught at Montclair State University, Hofstra University, Marymount Manhattan College, the Ailey School, Centro Andaluz de Danza, Institut del Teatre and the University of Colima. She holds a BFA in Dance (Adelphi University), an MA in Dance Education (Teachers College, Columbia University), and an MFA in Dance/Performance (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee). A former soloist for Eleo Pomare for 12 years, she has also performed with the José Limón Dance Company in the LINKs program and most recently for the 80th Anniversary intergenerational performance of Chaconne, along with other NY dance companies. Maxine is Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for the BFA Dance Division at Montclair State University.

Humphrey/Limon Technique with Sue Bernhard

Together we will explore the movement principles that form the basis of the Humphrey/Limon technique: weight, breath, fall and recovery, opposition, succession, and rhythm as tools to further our potential as expressive, dynamic, creative and enlivened movers, in an atmosphere of joy and discovery. 

A former member of the Jose Limon Dance Company, Sue Bernhard has taught internationally. She is on faculty at Purchase College Conservatory of Dance and rotating faculty of the Jose Limon Institute. She has set Limon works in workshops and colleges and has also taught at the Juilliard School, Marymount Manhattan College, Hunter College and LIU. She has found Limon technique to be an ongoing source of inspiration, exploration and growth. Sue is Artistic Director of Sue Bernhard Dance works. Her choreography has been shown internationally and in many venues in NYC. She has created video dance pieces in collaboration with award-winning videographer Penny Ward. As an active member of the American Dance Guild, she enjoys helping to create performance and learning opportunities in the dance community.