Teachers
BOLD Benefits of Learning Dance
Introduction to BOLD Ballroom Dance for persons with disabilities
Saturday 20th 3:00pm-4:00pm
BOLD Benefits of Learning Dance Inc (BOLD) is a nonprofit organization that serves the disabilities community of Central Indiana by welcoming all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to experience the therapeutic benefits of ballroom dance. Through learning partnership dancing, BOLD empowers its participants to discover within themselves the abilities they truly possess, maximizing their potential for wellness and contributing to their quality of life.
BOLD’s mission is to provide physical and recreational therapy, social interaction, and music engagement to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities or impairments through 1) instruction in ballroom dance movements and techniques, 2) engagement in regular opportunities to practice dance through organized social dancing sessions, and 3) performances of choreographed group dance formations at dance workshops and events, all of which has the potential to improve the health and wellness of BOLD participants.
Robert Burden
House
Saturday 19th 4:15pm-5:30pM
Robert Burden is a native Philadelphian. He received his BFA in jazz dance from the University of the Arts in 1988 having studied with LaVaughn Robinson and Germaine Ingram two of Philadelphia’s tap masters. Mr. Burden had been mentored by Mr. Robinson from 1983 to 2008 and continued to receive advice from him until his passing in 2008.
Mr. Burden is currently the Artistic Director of Tap Team Two & Company, Inc. and Professor of Practice in Contemporary Dance at Indiana University. Tap Team Two & Company is based in Philadelphia and tours the country for Young Audiences. Through Young Audiences Tap Team Two has traveled nationally, working for eighteen of the thirty-two Young Audiences organizations. In 2000 Tap Team Two and Company was awarded The Artist of The Year, the highest honor in the Young Audiences organization. With the company Mr. Burden has created 7 shows “Cyndi-Ella”, “With or Without Shoes”, An Evening of Tap”, “The Fifth Anniversary Concert”, “Steppin Through the Strings” (a collaboration with John Blake Jr.), “Winter Rhythms” (a company collaborative) and “Feet Talk”. In 1992, Mr. Burden completed the work Cyndi –Ella, a tap ballet of the fairytale Cinderella funded by the IPAP award from the Community Education Center, which received rave reviews, and began the company Tap Team Two & Company. Inc. Mr. Burden has been one of the spearheads for National Tap Dance Day in Philadelphia since 1996. Mr. Burden has performed as a solo artist in the Next Move Concert Series “Fifteen minutes at the Annenberg Center.
His performing and teaching skills have taken him abroad to Istanbul, Turkey, Taipei, Taiwan Holland, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic. Mr. Burden has had the pleasure of teaching the Czech Tap Champions from Prague and being a fly squad member of Riverdance, for which he studied in the Netherlands with the European Company and performed in Berlin, Germany. All of Mr. Burdens’ experiences have allowed him to start a long-term mentoring projects. He has completed a three-year project that went from 2001- 2004 called The New Orleans/ Philadelphia Cultural Exchange Program, which gave children from New Orleans and children from Philadelphia the opportunity to experience each other’s culture and study with some of the Masters of Tap Dance such as, Diane Walker, LaVaughn Robinson, Buster Brown, Jimmy Slyde and many more. This project allows Mr. Burden to achieve his artistic mission of keeping tap dance alive and growing through to the next generation.
Sean Aaron Carmon
Ballet
Sunday 20th 11:15am-12:30pm
Sean Aaron Carmon, a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Dance program, was a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, performing principal roles — including Mikhail Baryshnikov’s original role in Pas de Duke — and featured works by Judith Jamison, Ulysses Dove, Wayne McGregor, Robert Battle and more. He has danced as a guest artist with companies worldwide and appeared on Conan, Good Morning America, LIVE with Regis and Kelly, and PBS’s Lincoln Center at the Movies. On Broadway and national tours, he has performed in La Cage aux Folles, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Kinky Boots and Ragtime. A celebrated choreographer, he has received awards from the Palm Desert Choreography Festival, YAGP and Joffrey Ballet’s Winning Works. Mr. Carmon now serves as Rehearsal Director for Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis while continuing to choreograph and educate internationally.
Lalah Ayan
Saucy stilettos
Sunday 20th 3:15pm-4:30Pm
Lalah Ayan is the founder and lead instructor of Saucy Stilettos, a movement experience built to empower women through dance, confidence, and unapologetic self-expression. With a background in performance, choreography, and creative direction, Lalah brings a dynamic energy to every room she steps into. Her teaching style blends foundational heels technique with raw, sultry storytelling—inviting students of all levels to step into their power and move with intention.
Through Saucy Stilettos, Lalah has cultivated a safe, inclusive space for anyone ready to tap into their feminine fire and find joy in their body. Whether you’re brand new to heels or rediscovering your flow, this class is your permission slip to be bold, be sexy, and be seen.
When she’s not teaching, Lalah is curating performances, mentoring artists, and dancing through life with rhythm and purpose. Her mission? To help women embrace their sensuality, build their confidence, and always keep it a little bit saucy.
Jennifer Lott
Countertechnique
Saturday 19th 4:15pm-5:30pm
Jennifer McQuiston Lott is an Associate Professor at USC Kaufman. She teaches contemporary dance, partnering and composition, with a focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration. She is the co-founder of the Traverse City Dance Project, a seasonal company based in Traverse City, MI, now celebrating its 13th season. Lott earned her BFA in Ballet Performance from Indiana University, and her MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, where she was awarded a full Graduate Fellowship.
As a performer, Lott’s company credits include Gibney Dance, Groundworks Dancetheater, Armitage Gone! Dance, Inlet Dance Theatre, Collective Body Dance Lab, Eglevsky Ballet, and others. Her choreographic works and short dance films have been presented across the US and internationally. She was a featured performer in the official Son Lux videos Undone (dir. David Terry Fine) and You Don’t Know Me (dir. Nathan Johnson/The Made Shop).
With the onset of the global pandemic in 2020, she developed & curated the Traverse City Dance Project’s No-Distance Festival, a 5-month series of virtual collaborations & online events involving and raising funds to support over 35 music, video and dance artists worldwide. She currently directs the Traverse City Dance Project’s Compositions Lab, which sponsors the creation of new works by choreographers and composers, with an emphasis on under-represented and midwest-based artists. She has served on the summer faculty of Interlochen School for the Arts and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and regularly teaches classes and workshops nationally and internationally.
Joshua Manculich
Contemporary Partnering & Improvisation
Saturday 19th 2:45pm-4:00pm
(BA, Point Park University, MFA, The Ohio State) – born in Windber, PA – started his dance training at the age of fourteen. In 2021, Joshua founded WhirlWind Dance, a professional contemporary company based in Columbus, OH. He had the pleasure of performing with Thodos Dance Chicago, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Pursuit Productions, Jaxon Movement Arts, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, and The Pillow Project. Brought up in a small-town, he is thankful for the numerous inspiring mentors and creative artists that guided his pursuits as a dancer, choreographer, and person. Josh’s choreographic work exists in conceptual frameworks, and his choreography has been toured internationally and presented nationally by emerging contemporary dance companies, ballet companies, and universities. Josh was nominated for a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship by The Big Muddy Dance Company for which he eventually created “Lyra” through support of the Princess Grace Foundation. Some of his choreographic adventures include a longstanding relationship and building of community with organizations like: Ballet Austin II, The Big Muddy Dance Company, Collage Dance Collective, DanceWorks Chicago, Eisenhower Dance, Houston Contemporary, and Santa Barbara Dance Theater. Currently, Josh is earning his M.ED. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Ohio University and is thrilled to be representing artists and their important work within the mental health profession.
RJ Bhangra Academy
Bhangra 101
Saturday 19th 12:15pM-1:30pM
Founded in 2018, RJ Bhangra Academy is passionate about sharing the vibrant energy and rich traditions of Bhangra, a lively folk dance from Punjab, India. Known for their dynamic teaching style and love for the culture, RJ Bhangra Academy welcomes dancers of all backgrounds and experience levels.
In this class, you’ll learn fundamental Bhangra steps, powerful movements, and joyful choreography designed to make you move, sweat, and smile. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dancer, this session is all about celebrating music, community, and self-expression. Get ready for an unforgettable experience filled with energy, rhythm, and fun!
King Koi Roi
Waving (for all levels)
Sunday 20th 3:15pm-4:30pm
King Koi Roi, also known as Cuong Tran, is a prominent street dancer from Indiana, recognized for his expertise in styles like popping, animation, tutting, and waving. With over 11 years of experience, he is a key member of the local dance community, participating in numerous competitions both nationally and internationally.
Ronne Stone
Cultural dance of west africa
saturday 19th 12:15PM-1:30PM
Ronne Stone is a seasoned dance artist and educator with over 31 years of experience in African and traditional dance. Her journey began in 1993 at the Orlando School of Cultural Dance and expanded through her work with Kuumba Dance Company in Tampa and Adefua Dance Company in Seattle. She has trained extensively with West African dance masters, shaping her unique blend of performance, cultural storytelling, and education.
Deeply committed to community building, Ronne has led a vibrant community dance class for 24 years, fostering intergenerational connections through movement. Her educational work spans all ages, including 24 years with the Iibada Dance Company, where she developed impactful programs for preschoolers and high school students alike.
Ronne holds a Fine Arts degree from Indiana University, where she also led workshops and served as the lead instructor for the African-American Dance Conference. Her choreography includes notable works such as *The Water Carriers* (Butler University) and *Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea* (Phoenix Theatre). She has collaborated with numerous organizations such as Arts for Learning, serving as a teaching artist for the latter for 14 years.
Currently, Ronne is an adjunct professor at Butler University and teaches art at Believe High School and Rooted High School. She continues to partner with arts and education organizations to inspire, educate, and uplift communities through dance, culture, and the arts.
Roberta Wong
Ballet & Dance for 50+
Saturday 19th 11:00am-12:00pm
