Company Dancer, Choreographer, & Faculty Member:
Gregory Kollarus is a proud alumnus of the Long Island High School For Arts (LIHSA) dance Program. While attending LIHSA, he also attended the Martha Graham Teen Program. After graduation, Gregory attended the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City for two years, and spent 7 weeks at the Summer Intensives at Joffrey Midwest. Gregory also graduated from The William Esper Studio where he studied the acting technique of Sanford Meisner. Gregory currently performs with independent choreographers, and is one of the founders of Logos Dance Collective. He has Choreographed Allegory Of The Cave/Echolocation/Flutter with Barbra Montero with original music by Dmitri Tymoczko. He was also one of the creators of The Missing Shade Of You alongside his cofounders Barbra Montero, Patra Jongjitirat, and Theresa Duhon. He also created his own jazz piece called Falling Into The Current that has recently appeared in New York City. Gregory is proud to be teaching dance alongside his mentor Jamie Chandler-Torns at The Studio For The Performing Arts in Commack, Long Island. He has been seen in theatrical productions of West Side Story at the John Engeman Theater, Carrie The Musical, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. Other credits include appearances at City Center for the Dance Rocks: Electrifying Evening of Entertainment performing Peter Pucci’s Willing & Able, and performances of Hoopla at Joyce Soho. He also appeared in competition winning performances XYZ NYC at The Tank performing Ghost In The Underground, and Static/Sensation. Gregory values innovation in the arts and enjoys collaborating with others who are similarly willing to risk making inroads into uncharted territories.
Gregory Kollarus is a proud alumnus of the Long Island High School For Arts (LIHSA) dance Program. While attending LIHSA, he also attended the Martha Graham Teen Program. After graduation, Gregory attended the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City for two years, and spent 7 weeks at the Summer Intensives at Joffrey Midwest. Gregory also graduated from The William Esper Studio where he studied the acting technique of Sanford Meisner. Gregory currently performs with independent choreographers, and is one of the founders of Logos Dance Collective. He has Choreographed Allegory Of The Cave/Echolocation/Flutter with Barbra Montero with original music by Dmitri Tymoczko. He was also one of the creators of The Missing Shade Of You alongside his cofounders Barbra Montero, Patra Jongjitirat, and Theresa Duhon. He also created his own jazz piece called Falling Into The Current that has recently appeared in New York City. Gregory is proud to be teaching dance alongside his mentor Jamie Chandler-Torns at The Studio For The Performing Arts in Commack, Long Island. He has been seen in theatrical productions of West Side Story at the John Engeman Theater, Carrie The Musical, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. Other credits include appearances at City Center for the Dance Rocks: Electrifying Evening of Entertainment performing Peter Pucci’s Willing & Able, and performances of Hoopla at Joyce Soho. He also appeared in competition winning performances XYZ NYC at The Tank performing Ghost In The Underground, and Static/Sensation. Gregory values innovation in the arts and enjoys collaborating with others who are similarly willing to risk making inroads into uncharted territories.
Company Dancer & Faculty Member:
Originally from Saitama, Japan, Kana Takahashi is a NYC based dancer and actor. She received her certificate in dance from the Ailey School in 2012. Her recent theatre credits include Lilt in South Pacific at MAC and West Virginia Public Theatre, Miss Saigon (BroadwayWorld Denver's best dramatic musical 2014), Oklahoma!, Hair, Six Strings Sonics, and The Magic Flute. As a dancer, Kana has performed for the John Cage Centennial Festival, ALDEN MOVES Dance Theater, Bullish Dance Theatre, Ailey Citigroup Theater, MuSE, and Azul Dance Theatre, among others. Kanatakahashidance.com
Originally from Saitama, Japan, Kana Takahashi is a NYC based dancer and actor. She received her certificate in dance from the Ailey School in 2012. Her recent theatre credits include Lilt in South Pacific at MAC and West Virginia Public Theatre, Miss Saigon (BroadwayWorld Denver's best dramatic musical 2014), Oklahoma!, Hair, Six Strings Sonics, and The Magic Flute. As a dancer, Kana has performed for the John Cage Centennial Festival, ALDEN MOVES Dance Theater, Bullish Dance Theatre, Ailey Citigroup Theater, MuSE, and Azul Dance Theatre, among others. Kanatakahashidance.com
Company Dancer & Faculty Member:
Sophia Andreyev resides in New York City as a dancer and freelance theater maker. She graduated from Mercyhurst University with one of the first two BFA's in Dance conferred by the school. There she performed extensively in leading roles in both recognized works, such as full-length classical pieces and an excerpt of José Limon’s Waldstein Sonata, and in original pieces created by her faculty, peers, and various guest artists. She performed past graduation both internationally and in her home state of Vermont. At Mercyhurst, Sophia discovered her love of choreographing and mixed-media performance. She is currently performing, creating short screendance pieces, teaching, and is working toward forming her own dance company.
Sophia Andreyev resides in New York City as a dancer and freelance theater maker. She graduated from Mercyhurst University with one of the first two BFA's in Dance conferred by the school. There she performed extensively in leading roles in both recognized works, such as full-length classical pieces and an excerpt of José Limon’s Waldstein Sonata, and in original pieces created by her faculty, peers, and various guest artists. She performed past graduation both internationally and in her home state of Vermont. At Mercyhurst, Sophia discovered her love of choreographing and mixed-media performance. She is currently performing, creating short screendance pieces, teaching, and is working toward forming her own dance company.
Company Dancer
Sarah Elaz is a dancer and choreographer from North Andover, Massachusetts. She earned dual degrees in Dance and Physics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and was awarded the Chancellor’s Talent Scholarship for dance. She moved to New York City after participating in Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company’s 5-month Dance Journey program, where she trained intensively with the company in Israel. Sarah is currently a dancer in the multimedia play SHE: A Choreoplay, which has been performed at New York Live Arts, Brooklyn Museum, HERE Arts Center, New York Ethical Society, and at colleges throughout the United States. Sarah is also the resident choreographer for the Brooklyn pop-band Jimmy & The Band. She has been featured in several music videos and live concerts for bands like KITTEN, the James Brown Dance Party, and Miss Dukes & The Package. Sarah has performed works with VashtiDance Theater, Heath in Progress, Mollet Contemporary Ballet, and Danza Organica. She hopes to continue dancing and choreographing in collaboration with the amazing dance, music, and art communities in Brooklyn and beyond.
Sarah Elaz is a dancer and choreographer from North Andover, Massachusetts. She earned dual degrees in Dance and Physics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and was awarded the Chancellor’s Talent Scholarship for dance. She moved to New York City after participating in Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company’s 5-month Dance Journey program, where she trained intensively with the company in Israel. Sarah is currently a dancer in the multimedia play SHE: A Choreoplay, which has been performed at New York Live Arts, Brooklyn Museum, HERE Arts Center, New York Ethical Society, and at colleges throughout the United States. Sarah is also the resident choreographer for the Brooklyn pop-band Jimmy & The Band. She has been featured in several music videos and live concerts for bands like KITTEN, the James Brown Dance Party, and Miss Dukes & The Package. Sarah has performed works with VashtiDance Theater, Heath in Progress, Mollet Contemporary Ballet, and Danza Organica. She hopes to continue dancing and choreographing in collaboration with the amazing dance, music, and art communities in Brooklyn and beyond.
Company Dancer & Faculty Member
Tori Hey was born in Sioux City, Iowa and raised in Chester, New Jersey. She began her dance training at age three in a variety of styles, but gravitated towards classical ballet as she grew older. As a young student, Tori trained under world-renowned teachers such as, Alexandra Wells, Ernesta Corvino, Linda Kent, Francesca Harper, and Talin Kenar. Tori has spent several summers training at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Summer Program, and she was a member of the inaugural Complexions Pre-Professional Program. Tori holds a BFA in Dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, and has had the opportunity to dance professionally with Arch Ballet, as well as tour with companies such as the American Swiss Ballet and Ballets with a Twist. She also had the opportunity to work as a movement artist under the direction of Francesca Harper in artist Nick Cave’s installation “The Let Go” at the Park Ave Armory in New York. Tori has performed in venues such as The Joyce Theater and Jazz at Lincoln Center. She is also an ABT Certified Teacher. At The Ailey School, Tori was a recipient of the Agnes Varis Scholarship and the Ailey Artistic Scholarship. Tori now resides in Brooklyn as a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer. Tori joined Alden Moves Dance Theater for the 2020/2021 season and performed in “Frost” and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker Reimagined!
Tori Hey was born in Sioux City, Iowa and raised in Chester, New Jersey. She began her dance training at age three in a variety of styles, but gravitated towards classical ballet as she grew older. As a young student, Tori trained under world-renowned teachers such as, Alexandra Wells, Ernesta Corvino, Linda Kent, Francesca Harper, and Talin Kenar. Tori has spent several summers training at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Summer Program, and she was a member of the inaugural Complexions Pre-Professional Program. Tori holds a BFA in Dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, and has had the opportunity to dance professionally with Arch Ballet, as well as tour with companies such as the American Swiss Ballet and Ballets with a Twist. She also had the opportunity to work as a movement artist under the direction of Francesca Harper in artist Nick Cave’s installation “The Let Go” at the Park Ave Armory in New York. Tori has performed in venues such as The Joyce Theater and Jazz at Lincoln Center. She is also an ABT Certified Teacher. At The Ailey School, Tori was a recipient of the Agnes Varis Scholarship and the Ailey Artistic Scholarship. Tori now resides in Brooklyn as a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer. Tori joined Alden Moves Dance Theater for the 2020/2021 season and performed in “Frost” and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker Reimagined!
Company Dancer & Faculty Member
Olivia Passarelli attended Montclair State University as part of the Honors Program and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance Performance, and a minor in public and professional writing, in 2020. While at Montclair, Passarelli has had the privilege of performing works by Martha Graham, Bill T. Jones, Joshua Manculich, Stacey Tookey, Christian von Howard, Earl Mosely, Nancy Lushington, and others. Since graduating, she has performed with Sonia Plumb Dance Company, as well as in various dance films. Passarelli has attended intensives at the Paul Taylor School, the Martha Graham School, Gallim, the Ailey School, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She made her choreographic debut in 2019, and has since had her work performed at Alexander Kassar Theater, alongside Martha Graham and Ohad Naharin; along with being selected for ACDA 2020. Most recently she was awarded 1st Place in Salt Contemporary Dance Company’s, Shape Choreography Festival.
Olivia Passarelli attended Montclair State University as part of the Honors Program and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance Performance, and a minor in public and professional writing, in 2020. While at Montclair, Passarelli has had the privilege of performing works by Martha Graham, Bill T. Jones, Joshua Manculich, Stacey Tookey, Christian von Howard, Earl Mosely, Nancy Lushington, and others. Since graduating, she has performed with Sonia Plumb Dance Company, as well as in various dance films. Passarelli has attended intensives at the Paul Taylor School, the Martha Graham School, Gallim, the Ailey School, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She made her choreographic debut in 2019, and has since had her work performed at Alexander Kassar Theater, alongside Martha Graham and Ohad Naharin; along with being selected for ACDA 2020. Most recently she was awarded 1st Place in Salt Contemporary Dance Company’s, Shape Choreography Festival.
Company Dancer & Faculty Member
Jalyn Gill recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from Montclair State University where she received a BFA in Dance. Jalyn has performed in works by Earl Mosley, Martha Graham, Christian vonHoward, and Ohad Naharin. She’s been dancing since the age of five and trained in dance schools such as Edge School of the Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Mark Morris Dance Group. Jalyn also had the opportunity to travel abroad to Stockholm, Sweden to participate in an intensive with DOCH University and Balletakadimen.
Jalyn Gill recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from Montclair State University where she received a BFA in Dance. Jalyn has performed in works by Earl Mosley, Martha Graham, Christian vonHoward, and Ohad Naharin. She’s been dancing since the age of five and trained in dance schools such as Edge School of the Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Mark Morris Dance Group. Jalyn also had the opportunity to travel abroad to Stockholm, Sweden to participate in an intensive with DOCH University and Balletakadimen.