Francesca Flanagan has been a dance teacher, choreographer and company director for over twenty five years. She has choreographed over 35 musicals for KJK Productions and several Broadway Star Benefits presented in the New York area with such stars as Alan Menken, Craig Schulman and Gay Willis. She has traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East as a dancer and master teacher and performed and choreographed locally for KJK’s Children’s Theatre and Main Stage Productions. As a choreographer her favorite shows include: 42nd Street, Peter Pan, West Side Story, Evita, Bye Bye Birdie, A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, Annie, Guys and Dolls, Funny Girl and My Fair Lady to name a few. As a teaching artist with City Center’s Educational Out Reach Program, she has taught postperformance workshops with members of the Paul Taylor Dance Company in NYC schools and is currently on staff at Rye High School teaching dance as part of the Performing Arts Program. In conjunction with Blind Brook High School, Francesca was recently nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for her production number Anything Goes. She holds a BA in Sociology from Iona College and thirty credits in career related courses from SUNY Purchase. Continuing her professional development, Francesca completed an intensive workshop at City Center and mentoring program called “Stage to Classroom” designed to integrate dance into the academic classroom as well as Broadway Dance Center’s Teachers Only Workshops.

Bonnie Kennedy (New York Dance Manager) has been teaching, studying, choreographing and performing for years in New York and Connecticut. She has studied and worked with excellent tap and jazz teachers such as Francesca Flanagan, Joan McGrath and Gail Smith as well as master classes with renowned teachers. She has choreographed and performed with the Wilton Play Shop, Connecticut Play Makers, New Canaan Summer Theatre and the Darien Players. In addition, Bonnie was a trainer and office manager for Curves for Women, office manager for Kennedy Security Services, Inc. and shipping manager for Avon for over ten years.

Lamont Davis is a talented star on the rise whose energy and enthusiasm capture the heart and soul of his students. Lamont started singing and dancing before he was 10, performing all over the tri-sate area with his two brothers. At the early age of 17, He began teaching career at the YMCA in Yonkers, NY and soon after joined The Heavenly Bodies Dance Studio putting his extensive training in action teaching Hip Hop. Lamont was also an outstanding member of the AMAS Musical Theatre Co. for 16 years earning him the title of "Triple Threat"! Lamont has an infectious sense of joy that he infuses into whatever group he is working with. His history and devotion to his craft are as rich as his talent. His training includes Modern, Jazz, Tap, African and Hip Hop.

Christian Claessens danced with the Dutch National Ballet, the Pittsburgh Ballet Company and the Kansas City Ballet Company. He was the director of teh Scarsdale Ballet Studio for 15 years and Director of the Purchase Youth Ballet at SUNY. Mr. Claessens has been teaching in all the major Ballet Schools in Westchester and it a sought after master teacher. Many of his former students have gone on to professional careers currently dancing with the New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre. We are thrilled to have such an extraordinary teacher join our current ballet masters.

Roman Baca started dancing in Albuquerque, NM at La Mesa Dance Academy.  His love and talent grew rapidly, and he was soon appearing in production by the New Mexico Ballet Company and the University of New Mexico, where he also majored in Dance.  A few years later, he moved to Connecticut to study with the Nutmeg Conservatory.  As a member of the Nutmeg Ballet he performed many roles in ballets such as Le Corsaire and Les Sylphides.  He was dancing as a guest artist with Nutmeg, the Connecticut Dance Theatre and many other small companies.  He joined the staff of the Nutmeg Conservatory and the Connecticut Dance Theatre before he decided to enter the United States Marine Corps.  His time with the Marines culminated in a combat deployment to Fallujah, Iraq.

Master Class Series Master Classes will be taught by a variety of distinguished teachers/choreographers from the metropolitan area.  Working with various Artistic Directors, performers and organizations, throughout the United States, we are dedicated to bringing the joy of dance to every student as well as the opportunity of working with the most gifted teaching artists today.