MEET OUR TEAM

Blanca Alonso, born and educated in Argentina, began studying at the Dance School of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. She joined the ballet company of such institution and also performed as a guest Soloist for Ballet de Camara Mendoza and Ballet Arte. Upon arriving to New York City in 1982, she studied dance at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Peridance Center, and the Limon Dance Institute, with masters such as Zvi Gotheiner, Igal Perry, Risa Steinberg, Carla Maxwell, and Jennifer Muller among others. As a dancer Blanca has performed works by Igal Perry, Ze’Eva Cohen, Jennifer Muller, Ronald K. Brown, Martita Goshen, Patricia N. Nanon, and other independent choreographers. 

Ms. Alonso has choreographed works for the Gestures Dance Ensemble, the faculty of the Harbor Conservatory dance division and for the Yard at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The works have been performed at Aaron Davis Hall, Dancing in the Streets, Lincoln Center Out-of Doors, Miller Theater (Columbia University), Hostos Center for the Performing Art, The Field Gallery (MA), Kids Café, Alvin Ailey Theater and The Yard. Her teaching experience includes Master Modern classes at Dickinson College (PA), Company Ballet classes and Community Dance classes at the Yard, Ballet Classes at Harkness Dance Center (92nd Street Y) and at Brooklyn Ballet. She was a faculty member at the Harbor Conservatory for over 20 years, teaching Ballet, Pointe Variations, Partnering, Modern (Limon Technique). She was also the Ballet Mistress for Gestures Dance Ensemble. Ms Alonso have been a faculty member at Project Performing Arts since 2013.

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Ashleigh Awusie is an actress, teaching artist from Harlem and recent graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. UK credits include: Kasimir & Karoline at The Gate Theatre in London, Machinal at the Richard Burton Theatre and the solo play, ANANSI at the Caird Studio Theatre in Wales. Other credits include: Dreamprints: A Conversation with Harriet Tubman at Syracuse Stage, Ain't Never Been Easy at Castillo Theatre, and Shakespeare in the Boroughs with the Public Theatre. Film: the indie feature, 'Naz & Maalik' (Netflix, Hulu) and upcoming short, 'Hush.' Ashleigh is excited to join the Project Performing Arts team and collaborate with fresh young talent. 

“Be great! Create on purpose."

Emilio Cabrera, born in the Dominican Republic, was raised in New York City. His dance training began at Boys and Girls Harbor Conservatory in Spanish Harlem, and continued at Ballet Hispanico School of Dance, and the Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Camp. Emilio continued his Ballet training at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, PA as a dance major, and was the dance coach at the YMCA National Gymnastics Training Camp for over six years. Throughout his dance career, Emilio has had the opportunity to work with such choreographers as Darrell Grand Moultrie, Camille A Brown, and Ronald K Brown, among others. He has danced as a member of the Rangeela Dance Troupe, and is also an accomplished choreographer and experienced dance instructor. Currently, Emilio is Assistant Director of Project Performing Arts, and instructs ballet, acting classes, and choreographs for IMANI Dance. 

Aaatifa Drayton is a performer and teaching artist with over six years of experience teaching, choreographing, and performing, and a current member of Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation's dance company. She was a former dancer with A Touch of Folklore Dance Company where she trained in the techniques of West African and African American dance, music, history, art, theater, and culture for ten years. Additionally, she was a performer with the Forces of Nature Dance Theater where she trained with their Traditional African company, and the Bokandeye African American Dance Theater where she trained in the techniques taught at the LaRocque Bey School of Dance Theater Inc. in the styles of West African, Calypso, and Afro Caribbean. As a performer with these institutions, Aatifa has performed in various ballets, concerts, educational programs, cultural festivals, demo lectures, and social occasions.  

As  a teaching artist, Aatifa is a dance instructor, choreographer, team leader and facilitator with Sesame Flyers, and  teaches West African dance and music with Project Performing Arts where she plans and  implements end-of-year performances as a choreographer and costume designer. She also teaches and performs in various dance styles such as  AfroBeats, Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, and creative movement, as well as being  experienced in singing, acting, and visual arts. 

Additional performance credits include the music video “Shea Butter Baby” by Ari Lennox ft. J Cole, performer for Eddy Kenzo and Young Paris at the One Africa Music Fest, Paul Winter’s Solstice Celebration, and appearances at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Apollo Theater. 

Normal W. Lawrence, is a dance educator, creative consultant, teacher and coach. An Honors graduate from the College of New Rochelle in 2010, Mr. Lawrence returned to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Social Science after 33 years. Having been instrumental in preparing countless young students for entrance into performing arts high schools and colleges while at Boys and Girls Harbor for the Performing Arts, he found it incumbent upon himself to complete his own education.

Not having discovered his passion for dance until he was 21, Mr. Lawrence, upon seeing the Alvin Ailey American Dance had his very own “revelation” and his life was forever changed. With much work to do, Mr. Lawrence moved quickly through the ranks as a paying student, work exchange student, work scholarship student, and finally was awarded a full scholarship at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and entrance into the “third” company after four years of intensive training. Leaving the Ailey School after six years Mr. Lawrence was awarded a full scholarship at the Martha Graham School of Dance where he was also a member of their workshop company.

While his performing experiences were limited to the workshop companies of both the Ailey and Graham schools and a limited engagement performances with Dr. Pearl Primus at Lincoln Center, it was clear to him that his passion was not performing but rather teaching and artistic development.

Mr. Lawrence owes a debt of gratitude to Nina Klyvert-Lawson while working under her tutelage at Boys and Girls Harbor for the Performing Arts. Having given him the opportunity to join the Harbor family as a two day a week teacher in the after school program Ms. Nina saw fit to appoint him as Assistant Dance Director. During his tenure at the Harbor Mr. Lawrence was successful in administrating and guiding three students to receive Congressional Medals for dance where the resident dance company of the Harbor, Gestures, performed with Mariah Carey in which Major Colin Powell Ret. was the keynote speaker in celebration at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

He has once again reunited with Ms. Nina and colleagues, some of which are former students at PPA. A humble servant Mr. Lawrence is pleased to be in the service of young people

Khary Kamau is a multitalented percussionist and storyteller, a passionate teacher of West African and Pan-African music and culture. Raised in Queens, NY he began playing and studying at a very young age. Over many years and travels he accumulated a wealth of knowledge of the history and customs of the many cultures of the African diaspora. He has trained under notable master djembefolas such as Baba Joseph Barnes and Ade Love. He is as a member of the legendary Bambara Dance and Drum Ensemble, and the Pan-African neo-folk group Akoko Nante Ensemble. As such he is frequently featured in Brooklyn Academy of Music's DANCE AFRICA, the International African Arts Festival in NYC, and many other world music venues around the New York metropolitan area. 

Brittany Siobhan Miller is a teaching artist and choreographer who has immersed herself in teaching young bright stars at various dance academies and schools throughout New York City such as Project Performing Arts, Ailey Camp NY, Urban Arts Partnership, and Harlem School of the Arts. She studied performing arts at the Harbor Conservatory and went on to study music and vocal performance at Georgia Southern University. Her mission is to encourage fitness and nutritional literacy, as well as create a safe space for creative expression. 

 Cory “Nova” Villegas  is a native Bronxite.  She has been training in Salsa  On2 since she was five years old. Her training at a local dance studio in the Bronx and  she continued training in Salsa On2 into her teen years. She  began training in techniques such as Bollywood, Dunham, Graham, Limon Horton and Ballet with Penelope Kalloo as  her teacher who was former Forces of Nature company member. She  then continued her training at The Ailey School, Lehman and Hunter College. Cory  is interested in the intertwining, of Afro-Latin forms with traditional styles, technique  and its marriage with music and poetry. Her work has been viewed in the 2016 Bronx  Arts Festival,  The LGBTQ Fuerza Festival in  2017, Hunter  College’s Kaye  Playhouse Theater, KoDaFe in  NYC festival at Ailey CitiGroup Theater, Clark  Center NYC, The  EstroGenius Festival & the Making Moves Dance Festival three years in a row.  She worked  with Latin artist, reggaetón  sensation Don Omar. In  February of 2019 she co-founded her company as artistic director of  Soul Dance Co.: The Soul Experience. She also attained her BA/MA and  certification in Pre-K-12 in dance education from Hunter College in the May  2020. Cory  is currently the dance educator at The Beacon School. She  is extremely humbled to share her soul with you all.