FOUNDER & TEACHER

Dance Education: BFA Dance, (Minor Leadership Development), Montclair State University. Continues studies at Alvin Ailey & Step on Broadway and more.

Acting Education: Deborah Hedwall, Scott Cohen, Meisner Technique (The Acting Studio), Adler Technique (Stella Adler Studio), Voiceover (Paul Liberty, Mary Workman), Improv (UCB) and more.

Writing Education: Trained in Screen and TV writing with Francine Volpe, Laura Cahill, Kerri Doherty, Liz Garcia, Jim Mendrinos, Brent Forrester.

Professional Dance Experience: Lisah spent most of her dance career teaching with with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico, Mark Morris Dance Group, Ballet School of Stamford, Astoria Dance Centre, Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts and Dancewave among many others. She has worked in Production and Administrative positions for Gallim, Amalgamate Dance Company, Jennifer Muller, White Wave, Baryshnikov Arts Center and others. Lisah is the founder and a teacher at LHG Creative<3

Professional Acting & Writing Experience: Lisah’s career is now focused on Acting and Writing. Her TV Pilot “Missing” has be featured on Blacklist’s Top List and is currently a Final Draft Big Break Quarter Finalist. She has a Best Actress Award from Jersey Devil Film Festival for her role of Athena in “Conversion of the Atheist”. Lisah is a member of Cahill Writers Lab directed by Laura Cahill. IMDb lisahgraziano.com

Leadership: Lisah has a minor in Leadership Development and is a former Americorps member having traveled the country rebuilding homes and developing educational and public programing for communities in need.

ADMINISTRATOR

Education and Unions: Alexis holds a BA in Theatre Performance with a minor in Musical Theatre from Marymount Manhattan College, is an Actor’s Theatre of Louisville Apprentice/Intern Company Alum, and a proud member of both AEA and SAG-AFTRA.

Professional Experience: She is an IRNE nominated actor, performing in NYC and regionally at such theatres as the Here Arts Center, Ars Nova, The Barrow Group Theatre, The Guthrie Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville (Humana Festival), Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Arizona Theatre Company. She has appeared on TV in such shows as  Law & Order SVU, FBI: Most Wanted, The Blacklist, Uncoupled, Younger, The Affair, Royal Pains, Blue Bloods and numerous independent films. As a singer and voice over artist, Alexis’ voice can be heard singing the opening number for the indie film Kringle Time, narrating a special exhibit at The Philadelphia Art Museum and as the voice of the new educational app called EmpathEd. She has also performed as a vocalist for AM Dance Company with such bands as The Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Educational/Admin: In addition to her work as a teaching artist here in NYC, Alexis serves as the Director of Education for Newtown Arts Company, a non profit theatre company in Bucks County, PA. Newtown Arts Company is where she found her passion for the theatre, and she is proud, now as an adult and professional theatre maker, to have returned to direct their Stars of Tomorrow program, and to have helped develop and implement a new series called Master Class Monday. Alexis firmly believes in the enriching power of arts education, and she is thrilled to join the LHG Creative team!

TEACHER

Education: BA Musical Theatre, James Madison University; Broadway Dance Center's Professional Semester Program

Professional Experience: Samantha Gardner is a professional dancer and choreographer based in New York City. As a performer, Samantha has been seen in numerous regional and Off-Broadway productions such as "42nd Street," "Mary Poppins," and "Addam's Family." Samantha currently teaches throughout the tri-state area, sharing her love of dance with students of all ages. Her classes focus on building solid foundations of technique, while also providing a fun-filled atmosphere where students can feel confident being themselves and sharing their love of dance. In addition to teaching and performing, Samantha also tours as both a Director and Judge for Beyond the Stars and Breakout Dance competitions.

TEACHER

Education: Performed and studied with the Joffrey Ballet, Scottish American Ballet, Salzburg Ballet, Ballet de Printemps, at the EdinburghFestival Fringe and at the International Vaganova Festival. She has been trained by master teachers of the Russian Kirov Ballet and listed as a “talented dancer” by the Los Angeles Times. Shannon is a fully ABT Certified teacher and has extensive teaching experience. Additionally, Shannon is a graduate of Columbia University with degrees in business and American Studies Her influential teachers include Marat Daukayev, Hasmik Amirian and David Howard. The LA Downtown News said she, "impressively performs,” and "performs with athletic gusto,” wrote The Los Angeles Weekly.

Professional Experience: Shannon has danced professionally with City Ballet of San Diego, Ballet New England, Media City Ballet, BalaSole, Ballet Magique, David Taylor Dance Theatre, and more.

.

TEACHER

Education: Originally from the Netherlands, received her Bachelor of Dance from Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts in the Netherlands. She received her teacher training certificate in Graham technique at the Martha Graham School. She was a recipient of the Armgard Von Bardeleben Award in 2022 for her excellence in Graham Studies and nominee for the Next Step Award from the VandenEnde Foundation in the Netherlands.

Professional Experience: During her studies she performed in a variety of works by contemporary choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Navala Niku Chaudhari, Blenard Azizaj, and Katja Heitmann, among others.

Ghislaine danced with Graham 2 for three years.

Sophie Wilfong began her dance training in her hometown of North Carolina after 8 years of competitive figure skating. She trained heavily in ballet and modern technique and spent her summers in NYC at Joffrey Ballet School’s summer intensives. At 18, she moved to New York City to attend the Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz & Contemporary Trainee Program where she expanded her repertoire and quickly fell in love with both contemporary and jazz. Sophie began training at Broadway Dance Center and graduated BDC's Professional Semester Program in 2016. Since then, Sophie has continued her training and performed at venues including Symphony Space and Dixon Place, as well as teaching and assisting at BDC’s Children and Teens Program where she has worked with kids ages 3-18. Sophie is excited to be joining Lisah Dance Co faculty this year!

TEACHER

Education: Magna Cum Laude BFA in Dance with a concentration in Choreography from Marymount Manhattan College

Professional Experience: Pilar Mellon-Reyes is a New York City based dancer originally from San Jose, California. Currently, they are a company member with Suzzanne Ponomarenko Dance, performing at dance venues throughout NYC and the East Coast, and working in residency at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park and Baryshnikov Arts Center. Pilar previously worked as a dancer and character performer at California’s Great America Park while living in the Bay Area. They began teaching at their hometown studio, and has continued their passion for dance education through various NYC-based dance organizations and are delighted to now be on faculty at LHG! Their collegiate performance credits include Andrea Miller, Netta Yerushalmy, Nancy Lushington, Rodney Hamilton, Davalois Fearon, Katy Pyle, and many others. They are an emerging choreographer and has presented work at Marymount Manhattan College and BAAD! In the Bronx, and hopes to continue making new work soon. Pilar is a queer, AAPI artist and hopes to honor those legacies with their work and existence in the field.

VISITING TEACHER

Education: BFA Dance, Montclair State University & Burlington County College Graphic Design Major, Theater Minor

Professional Experience: Justin spent two years performing at sea with Disney Cruise Line before heading back to land to perform in many theaters around the country. He’s performed works including Peter Pan, Sister Act, Aida, RENT, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, 9 to 5, Cinderella and All Shook Up. He also worked on the premiere of the hybrid opera We Shall Not Be Moved directed by Bill T. Jones , the reimagined performance Carmen and Semele with Opera Philadelphia. Justin has taught in dance studios in NJ, NYC and worked at Broadway Dance Center’s Children and Teen Summer and Winter Camps. He is also an after school program developer and teacher. Presently a part Justin of Alma NYC, a dance company based in New York, Justin continues to use his art, whether illustration, dance, acting or music to help change perspectives and hearts. Justin truly feels that his gift is in the art of learning and his passion is to leave the world in a better state than he found it.