Ballet Tech to Present 30th Anniversary Kids Dance at the Joyce

Ballet Tech will return to The Joyce Theater for the 30th anniversary of its Kids Dance student performance troupe, May 30–June 2. Honoring the global diversity of cultures and heritages, this iteration of Kids Dance, devised by Ballet Tech artistic director Dionne Figgins, takes audiences around the globe as it features Ballet, African, Horton, Chinese Traditional Dance, and Latin Foundational styles of movement in a true celebration of dance and culture. 

Kids Dance was founded in 1994. This year’s performance features dances rooted in traditions from Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. It reflects Figgins’ vision for accessible and inclusive dance education, which she has passionately worked to realize since she was appointed Artistic Director in August 2021.

Dionne Figgins says, “Kids Dance is an exhilarating opportunity not just for students but equally for their teachers, and of course, audiences: we're lucky enough to witness these incredible kids translate the rigor and play with which they've been developing their artistry, expression, and form in the studio to the stage. These performances are an expression to us of who they are, where they are from, and who they're becoming, as global citizens and as performers. So we're equally excited to give them the chance, this year, to communicate that in multiple dance genres from across the world—to show the breadth of diversity of our student body, as well as what our students’ futures in dance can be when exposed to a multitude of styles of movement.”

Figgins, with input from the graduating class of 2024, choreographed the opening and closing dances of “Homeland,” the centerpiece of the 2024 Kids Dance production, with individual movements journeying through dance traditions and vocabularies from four continents. Other dance artists choreographing movements for “Homeland” are Karisma Jay and Men Ca, Brian Reeder, Ximena Salgado and Ballet Tech alumna Kathy Xia; the dance features costume design by Michael Krass and Vernon Ross. Every year, the performance also showcases a classic of the Kids Dance repertoire; this year's revival is Founder and former Artistic Director Eliot Feld’s 1999 work, “Apple Pie.” The upcoming performances will also feature a special guest appearance by award-winning Ballet Tech alumna Tamisha A. Guy. 

Kids Dance provides students with the opportunity to learn choreography and develop performance skills—activities that are essential to the development of a professional dancer—putting their education into practice in their acclaimed programs for families and young audiences. They perform annually at The Joyce Theater, another institution Feld founded, with Cora Cahan.

About the Choreographers

Dionne Figgins

(Choreographer; Artistic Director of Ballet Tech) was born in Memphis, TN and grew up in Washington DC, training at Jones-Haywood School of Ballet and the Dance Institute of Washington. She briefly attended Goucher College, where she was cast as the lead Russian girl in Balanchine’s Serenade by NYCB soloist Zippora Karz. Ms. Karz encouraged Ms. Figgins to audition for Dance Theatre of Harlem and in 2000, Ms. Figgins joined DTH’s corps de ballet. With DTH, Figgins performed leading roles in Agon, Serenade, Four Temperaments, Concerto Barocco, Return, South African Suite, and Dougla. Ms. Figgins has also performed with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Forces of Nature Dance Company.  In 2004, Ms. Figgins turned her sights to Broadway during a hiatus at Dance Theatre of Harlem, and was eventually cast in the original Broadway company of Hot Feet.  She has also appeared in the original casts of Memphis the Musical (2010 Tony winner for Best Musical), Motown: the Musical (Diana Ross understudy and dance captain) and served as assistant choreographer for Leap of Faith on Broadway.  Ms. Figgins’ work in the musical Smokey Joe’s Cafe has garnered her an Ovation Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Chita Rivera Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in an Off-Broadway Musical, and a Chita Rivera Award for Best Ensemble in an Off-Broadway Musical.  She is the co-founder of Broadway Serves, an affiliate organization of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and an active member of the Tony Nominating Committee.  

Eliot Feld

(Choreographer; Founder and Former Artistic Director of Ballet Tech) was born in Brooklyn, New York and studied dance at the School of American Ballet, New Dance Group, High School of Performing Arts, and with Richard Thomas. At age eleven he danced with the New York City Ballet as the "Child Prince" in Balanchine's original production of The Nutcracker as well as with the companies of Donald McKayle, Pearl Lang, Sophie Maslow and Mary Anthony. At sixteen he joined the Broadway cast of West Side Story and appeared as Baby John in the movie version, and later danced on Broadway in I Can Get It for You Wholesale and Fiddler on the Roof. Mr. Feld danced with American Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Company and Feld Ballets/NY. Eliot Feld has choreographed 149 ballets since 1967, creating dances for American Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Company, Royal Danish Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, John Curry Skating Company, The Juilliard School, The National Ballet of Canada, Royal Swedish Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, London Festival Ballet, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Richmond Ballet, New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, Ballet Tech, and Kids Dance, among others.

Karisma Jay

(Choreographer), True to her name, Brooklyn-native Karisma Jay is the epitome of multi-hyphenate: dancer, actress, singer, director, playwright, choreographer, wellness coach, teacher, entrepreneur and host. She has performed/toured with prestigious dance companies and has been featured in programs aired on Netflix, Lifetime, BET, MTV, NBC, and VH1. She is a City College Mathematics Education Master’s certificate student. Teaching dance since the age of 11, she has honed her skills of working with children and adults to develop the confidence and charisma of even the shyest, youngest and/or oldest of students. She has performed/toured with prestigious dance companies such as Brooklyn Ballet, Deeply Rooted, Maimouna Keita, Creative Outlet, Asase Yaa, and Ronald K. Brown’s Evidence. In 2013, Karisma joined STOMP. In 2016, Family Circle magazine coined her a “Local Hero” and Lifetime TV featured her as a Female Entrepreneur to Watch. Most recently, she won the “Power Women in Business” for her work as the Executive Artistic Director and Founder of AbunDance Academy of the Arts. Annually, she writes, directs, produces and co-stars in musicals that AbunDance Academy presents. She just recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with her MFA in Dance at Hunter College while also teaching Dance and Culture at Hunter as an Undergraduate Faculty Member. Currently, she is teaching West African Dance at The Juilliard School and Ballet Tech as well as Afro-Ballet and Diasporic Forms at Broadway Dance Center and LaGuardia HS. She worked on Broadway as a choreographic apprentice with the Broadway show, David Byrne’s American Utopia and she is a Dance Teacher Magazine’s 2021 Dance Teacher Award Recipient and a recipient of Assembly member Brian Cunningham’s 2023 Woman of Distinction Award. In May 2023, she premiered CROWN, a short film she co-directed and co-wrote. With a mission to lead by example, she helps everyone who crosses paths with her to flourish AbunDantly.

Men Ca

(Choreographer). The bio-kemet-cal essence of Men Ca is in his name: mata is energy from the nucleus of the ca’nscious atam. A practitioner of defining that which he does through that which he is (i.e. Men Ca), his absolute Art and Science is to be conscious at all times in all times. Thus, deepen the life force energy of love and understanding. A third generation Lester Horton educator (educated by the unrivaled Dr. Elana Denise Anderson, who studied from James Truite), Men Ca resourcefully uses the technique as a medium for learners to actualize their Art & Science — Art, the Science of expressing; Science, the Art of knowing — and aid their body to further activate the heart and mind. 

Brian Reeder

(Choreographer). Brian Reeder’s performance years existed mainly within the exciting repertories of three major dance companies: New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt. His choreographic career sprung up in the early 2000’s with creative commissions coming from national and regional dance companies like ABT, Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Colorado Ballet, as well as universities, colleges, and dance academies alike. He’s also had the opportunity over the years to work outside the dance concert forum with collaborations in movement for music video, independent film, commercial, fashion assignments, and musical theater. Brian has been invited to teach as either an adjunct professor or guest at several prestigious colleges, universities, dance schools, and companies throughout the years, such as Juilliard, Vassar, Brown, Barnard, Princeton, Ballet Hispanico, and Ailey II. Reeder has served as a coordinating director for summer dance programs internationally as well as rehearsal director for Cedar Lake Ballet and acted as resident choreographer for Ballet Next and currently is for Manhattan Youth Ballet. He is currently a part of the teaching faculties at Manhattan Youth Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet, and Ballet Tech.

Ximena Salgado 

(Choreographer) is an international performing artist from Lima, Peru, where she earned the title of National Salsa Champion as a Professional Soloist in 2015. She is the Founder and Director of Rumbamena Dance Company, a company dedicated to entertainment and Latin dance training since 2019. Her Awards include: 1st place in the Samba Team Division at the World Salsa Summit 2020 with Rumbamena, 1st place in Salsa Pro Heats & 2nd place as a Soloist at Salsa Con Fuego, Pittsburgh 2017, 3rd place as Samba Soloist at the World Salsa Summit 2017. She has performed in arenas such as The Madison Square Garden, METLife Stadium, and Peruvian National Stadium among iconic artists such as Tito Puente Jr., La India to mention a few. Her Musical and Theater credits include: In the Heights at Gala Hispanic Theatre, Hairspray, Disney’s High School Musical (Sharpay), Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of Oz, Hamlet (Ophelia), Don Juan Tenorio (Ana). She has also played plenty of roles in TV series and soap operas in Lima.

Kathy Xia 

(Choreographer) began studying Chinese Folk dance at the age of four. Over the years, she has attended numerous performances and competitions, and has won many awards for her work in Chinese Folk Dance. Kathy has performed at Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, and Kaye Playhouse, among other venues.  She began dancing at Ballet Tech’s Intro to Ballet program in 2012, and continued to train and perform at Ballet Tech for the next ten years. Her passion for performing and teaching has led her to pursue studies in Early Childhood Education and Dance Education. She has been teaching dance at Star Ray Dance Studio for the last two years.

About the Creative Team

Michael Krass

(Costume Designer). Ballet Tech: The Jig Is Up, The Wild Current, Panorama, Monsieur, A Yankee Doodle, KYDZNY, Meshugana Dance, Sleep Study, 3 Commedia Dances. BROADWAY: Hadestown (Tony Award Nomination), What the Constitution Means To Me, The Cherry Orchard, Heisenberg, Noises Off (Tony award nomination), Living on Love, Machinal (Tony award nomination), The Lyons, The Constant Wife (Tony award nomination), Twelve Angry Men, After the Fall, Hedda Gabler, Charlie Brown, The Rehearsal. National Tours: Hadestown, Angels in America, Full Gallop. Off-Broadway: world premieres by Will Eno, Martin Sherman, the Debate Society, Edward Albee, John Guare, Christopher Durang, Simon Stephens, Kenny Lonergan, Theresa Rebeck, Keith Bunin, David Rabe, and many more. Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Festival; Boston's Huntington; Williamstown; Hangar Theatre; Ahmanson; Old Globe; Arena Stage; Chicago Shakespeare, etc. FILM: Campbell Scott’s Hamlet. OPERA: Pelléas and Mélisande in St Petersburg, Russia. TEACHING: NYU, Brown Graduate School.

Vernon Ross

(Costume Designer) began his professional career at Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1981 and worked with the professional dance company until 2004. His work in various areas of production ultimately led to his becoming the company’s wardrobe supervisor in 1991. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing and supervising the costume shop, dying of flesh-tone tights, working with the designers on new and existing productions, coordinating, and organizing all touring logistics, as well as fittings, repairs, cleaning, storage, and cataloging of all costumes. Throughout his career, Mr. Ross has toured extensively both nationally and internationally. Some of his noted accomplishments are designing costumes for Dance Theatre of Harlem’s school and Summer Intensive performances. From 1991 through 1999, he designed costumes for Dance Institute of Washington, formerly known as Reflections Dance Company. He designed the costumes for DIW’s inaugural Kwanzaa performance, which is still one of the company’s Signature Productions. He gives continuous gratitude and recognition for having the opportunity to work firsthand with Ms. Zelda Wynn, renowned African American fashion and costume designer who was the first wardrobe supervisor for Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mr. Ross currently works with the American Ballet Theatre as a wardrobe assistant supervisor for the principal and soloist male dancers.