Board & Staff

Board

Mark Hartman
President
Hilary Noskin
Vice-President
Karen "Cal" Wright
Secretary
Kris Haanes
Treasurer
Pat Berrett
Immediate Past President
Maria Montoya Chavez
Patrick Call
Shira Greenberg
Bill O'Neill
Joe Galon

National Advisory Board

Barbara Greenberg
Myron Greenberg
Janet McHard
Terry Swack
Louis Weitzman
Marla Wood
Debra Yoshimura

Artistic Faculty

Shira Greenberg — founder and artistic director
Shira began her formal dance studies with the Minnesota Dance Theatre under the direction of Loyce Houlton. Mrs. Houlton's work and influence has largely shaped the development and form of Keshet Dance Company. After graduating as a theater major from Interlochen Arts Academy with honors, Shira moved to Israel where she studied Hebrew and worked in an avacado orchard. After a brief stint in California she moved to New York to study theater at Ithaca College. She then moved back to Israel and attended Hebrew University of Jerusalem after which she moved back to Minneapolis and worked in a bakery. All the while she was dancing, choreographing, teaching and performing. One day she got an urge to move again...imagine that. She asked for a sign from the universe and the next day the sign came. She turned on the Today Show and Willard Scott said, "Hello from Albuquerque," so to Albuquerque she went. She started Keshet Dance Company in 1996. Through Keshet, her choreography and programming have been recognized nationally and locally by the Peter F. Drucker Foundation, the National Bravo Network, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Multicultural Council, and the Albuquerque Arts Alliance.
Tanya Call — program coordinator, teaching faculty, repertory dancer
A native of Montana, Tanya received a Master of Physical Therapy degree from Eastern Washington University and a BS in Biological Sciences with a minor in dance from Montana State University. Before joining Keshet in 2002, Tanya danced, performed and/or choreographed for Ricochet Modern Dance Theater, N Space 3, and Parabolic Dance Company. With KDC she has been a Repertory Company member and teacher. Tanya also currently works as a pediatric physical therapist.
Erin Crawley-Woods-- Outreach Coordinator, teaching faculty, repertory dancer
Erin Crawley-Woods received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY in 2001. For the next four years she lived in NYC where she worked as the operations assistant at the New 42nd Street Studios and from 2002-2005 was the company manager for PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER. She has performed in the US and abroad with the Nancy Meehan Dance Company, Leslie Satin & Dancers, Sara Rudner & Company, Australian choreographer Russell Dumas, and the Irish Modern Dance Theater. In 2005 she relocated to New Mexico where she completed the Wholistic Bodywork program at the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts. She happily joined KDC in the summer of 2007 as program coordinator, teacher and dancer.
Savanna Brissey-Cohen — teaching faculty, repertory dancer Savanna has been a student at Keshet for nearly 10 years and trained in Keshet's Pre-Professional Program (KP3). She has trained in Graham, Horton, Release Technique, and mixed ballet techniques (Balanchine, Cecchetti) and teaches mainly Release Technique with some Horton and ballet influence. In her classes, she strives to set a basic foundation for modern dance by allowing freedom to explore while working from the core of the body. She wants the dancers in her class to be able to pick up movement and gain confidence to expand on what they are given--to really dance. While technique is important in developing strength and the basics, if a dancer doesn't enjoy dancing...then it is pointless. Savanna currently attends the University of New Mexico.
Amber Moon Peterson — teaching faculty, repertory dancer
Amber Moon Peterson has been dancing for nine years and is currently in her third year of the KP3 program. She graduated from the Public Academy for Performing Arts in 2006 and will complete her training in massage therapy at the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics in April 2008. Amber loves dancing and teaching and plans to pursue a career in both after college.

Lisa Nevada — teaching staff, repertory dancer and rehearsal director
Lisa has been with Keshet since 1996 and is currently a member of Keshet's professional Repertory Company, a teacher and the rehearsal director for the Nutcracker on the Rocks. Lisa received a B.A. in Dance from the University of New Mexico in 2002. Lisa was a member of the Bill Evans Dance Company from 2002-2004 and has danced with Donna Jewell & Co.
Marie Gorence — repertory dancer
Marie is a senior at Albuquerque High School and has been dancing at Keshet for eight years. She participated in the KP3 Program for three years and has danced multiple roles in Nutcracker on the Rocks, including the role of "Marie," and she has also danced in several Spring Concerts. As a member of the Repertory Company, she looks forward to touring with Ani Ma'amin in 2008.
Mary Margaret Moore — repertory dancer (on sabbatical)
Mary Margaret attended Albuquerque Academy followed by Cornell University, where she played collegiate volleyball and earned a BA in Art History. After graduating, she headed to France where she taught high school English, worked at an organic restaurant and danced, danced, danced. She has participated in several of Keshet's repertory shows and is currently studying physical theatre at the acclaimed Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris.
Marta Lichlyter — teaching staff
Marta is currently on staff at UNM and Keshet Dance Company. In the course of her many years as a freelance modern dancer, choreographer and teacher, Marta has earned her Ph. D. in Dance and Related Arts, an M.A. in Choreography, and a M.Ed. in Dance Education. She has taught, performed and choreographed modern dance throughout the United States and Norway. her choreographic works have been presented throughout the U.S., Norway, and the Netherlands.
Royalene McDonald — teaching staff
Royalene, a native New Mexican, has been with Keshet for three years, teaching ballet for the KP3 program and community classes. Previously she served as co-manager for the Southwest Ballet Company and was a founding member of the Contemporary Dance Ensemble. She has over 30 years experience as a concert artist, teacher and choreographer. She was trained in the Cecchetti Ballet method. She received a B.A. in Drama from New Mexico State University and a M.F.A. in Dance from Texas Women's University. In her spare time, she is a sous chef, editor, wife and mother.
Dominic Poteste — teaching staff
Dominic comes from Colorado and danced with Isaac's 3rd Dance Company (a modern and jazz company) there and moved to New Mexico where he received a BA in dance from UNM. He has taught and performed Modern, Jazz and Hip Hop. His Hip Hop class incorporates a lot of different styles- from street, to music video, to classical jazz, there is something for everyone. He believes that anyone can dance and through repitition, concentration and having fun, everyone SHOULD dance.
Jolie Sutton-Simballa — teaching staff
Jolie has been teaching intermediate/advanced ballet at Keshet since 2004. She is also the assistant artistic director for the New Mexico Ballet Company. Previously, she taught dance at the University of New Mexico, San Antonito Elementary School and Santa Fe Community College. She received a B.F.A. in dance and an M.F.A. in choreography from University of New Mexico.
Ashley Miller
Lindsay Shettlesworth - teaching staff
Lindsay studied ballet, jazz and modern at the Ballet Conservatory in Aliso Viejo, CA before majoring in dance at the University of Arizona and UC Irvine. She has performed with Dance Aspen and the San Francisco Ballet and has taught ballet, jazz, modern and hip hop since age 18. She has trained in all major ballet and modern techniques and tries to blend them in her classes. She strives to teach her students awareness of the shapes and lines that they can create with their bodies, awareness of music and strong technique.

Administrative Staff

Wendy Traylor Finance and Operations Manager -- Wendy graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with BA's in English and French, which seamlessly led into her career as a computer engineer with Sun Microsystems and KPMG Consulting. She also worked as a musical theatre actress for two years, managed a military thrift shop and does bookkeeping for fun.
Jane Hogland Administrative Assistant / House Manager -- Jane started her career at Keshet by driving her daughter and other KP3'ers to Keshet from Rio Rancho on a daily basis, volunteering as the house manager for Nutcracker on the Rocks and the Spring Concert, and basically spending so much time here that she decided to stay! Her past experience includes work in Special Education, as a courier within New Mexico, building houses with her husband and raising her lovely daughter.
Michelle Kjeldgaard Marketing Director — Michelle has worked in marketing and public relations for over 12 years. Most recently she worked for Presbyterian Healthcare Service in Albuquerque. Previous to that she worked in New York City and Los Angeles for such brands as Evian Natural Spring Water, Louis Vuitton, Moët and Chandon, Bon Appetit Magazine and GUESS? Jeans.