Dance Program Staff and Instructors

Elizabeth Bergmann, Dance Director
(Movement for Life, Contemporary, DA120 The Art of Movement Design, DA121 Group Choreography)

Ms. Bergmann joined the Office for the Arts at Harvard following many years as a distinguished choreographer, teacher, performer, and administrator. She has been a tenured full professor at Florida International University following eight years at Shenandoah University where she held the Christina Halpin Endowed Chair of Dance. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Ms. Bergmann danced professionally and taught in New York City for José Limón. She developed the Dance Department at the University of Michigan where she also received her Master’s Degree. In 2000, she was honored by the University of Michigan’s Alumni Association with a Citation of Merit for Lifetime Achievement. Having received three Choreography Fellowship Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a three-year grant from the California Arts Council, and a Virginia Commission for the Arts choreography grant, her work has been shown both nationally and internationally. In 1995 she was a Fulbright Scholar to Trinidad, West Indies. Working in the field of creativity, she has given workshops for the Smithsonian, the Bunting Institute, the Harvard Coop, The University of Michigan, and Borders Books. Her book, Connecting To Creativity: Ten Keys to Unlocking Your Creative Potential, co-authored with Elizabeth Colton, was published by Capital Books.

Kristin Ing Aune, Assistant Dance Director
(Ballet, Theater Dance)

Ms. Aune has performed extensively across the continental U.S. and Hawai’i, appearing in the national tour of Carousel, choreographed by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and productions of Sweet Charity, The King and I, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, West Side Story, Peter Pan, Diamonds, and Cabaret. She has been a soloist and principal dancer with Hawai’i Ballet Theatre and Hawai’i Opera Theatre. At Harvard, she originated a leading role for choreographer Trey McIntyre, and danced the role of "The Chosen One" in Jaime Blanc's La Consagración de la Primavera (The Rite of Spring). Ms. Aune has taught at Punahou School and 24-VII Danceforce in Hawai’i, and the Community School for Music and Arts in California. She has also taught for Boston Ballet’s Citydance and Summer Dance Workshops. Her choreography includes work for Honolulu Theatre for Youth, St. Louis Players, Punahou School, Diamond Head Theatre, CSMA, and Yale University. Ms. Aune holds a B.A. in English from Yale University and an Ed.M from Harvard University.

Brent Sullivan, Production Supervisor

Mr. Sullivan recently finished his MFA at Boston University where he teaches VectorWorks and studies lighting design. He received his Bachelors in Theatre Arts from Western Oregon University. In addition to his position at the Harvard Dance Center, Mr. Sullivan also works at Regis College where he teaches Design and Technical Theatre. He has worked in opera, theatre, film and television, and dance all across the country. Companies Mr. Sullivan has worked with include the Boston Ballet, Rainbow Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Oregon, Palm Beach Opera, Tulsa Opera, The Huntington Theatre Company, and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Marin Orlosky, Dance Associate

Ms. Orlosky graduated from Harvard University with an A.B. in English and a Secondary Field in Dramatic Arts. Her dance training includes the Joffrey Ballet School, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Trapeze School New York, and New York Circus Arts Academy. At Harvard, she performed with and choreographed for the Harvard Ballet Company, Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance Company, Harvard Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Dancers' Viewpointe, and numerous dance-theater productions. A former member of FireFly Aerial Acrobatics and instructor at New York Circus Arts Academy, she has performed and taught aerial silks, partner acrobatics, and contortion since 2006. She is also a certified Pilates instructor. Ms. Orlosky has taught modern dance at the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School under Brenda Divelbliss, in Kenya with the Bethezer Group, and has taught company class for Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance Company.

Brenda Divelbliss, Artistic Associate

Ms. Divelbliss holds a BFA in dance from Ohio State University and an MFA in dance from Smith College. She teaches modern technique and composition at the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School and has taught and choreographed for the Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance Company. Her work has been supported by grants from the Northampton and Somerville Arts Councils as well as Dance Umbrella and CrashArts. In 2006, she was a Massachusetts Cultural Council finalist in choreography.

Jodi Leigh Allen (Modern Strengthening)

Ms. Allen was born and raised in Douglas, Massachusetts. She received her B.F.A. in Dance Performance from Shenandoah University in Virginia and her M.F.A. in Dance and Choreography from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Ms. Allen has performed in Julie Taymor’s Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) as well as Romeo et Juliette at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In 2006, she was a featured dancer in several revue shows at The Occidental Grand Resort in Aruba. Most recently, Ms. Allen spent six months dancing aboard the Regent Seven Seas Voyager sailing throughout the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. She has been a member of Malashock Dance and Company in California, and was privileged to study and perform the tango with actor Robert Duvall. Her choreography has been performed at The American College Dance Festival's National Gala at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as well as other venues both nationally and internationally. She is former Director of Dance for The Pomfret School in Connecticut. In 2008, Ms. Allen joined can be seen teaching and choreographing at such academic institutions as Harvard University, The University of Massachusetts Amherst, Deerfield Academy, as well as the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts High School. She is also a new company member of Guidance, Inc. in Groton, Massachusetts.

Julia Boynton (Tap)

Ms. Boynton performed with Brian Jones’s All-Tap Revue, Heather Cornell’s Manhattan Tap and co-founded Stop Time, a jazz-tap quartet. She has conducted workshops and residencies in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, and in the US has taught at Jacob’s Pillow, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Florida Dance Association, Harvard Summer Dance Center, MIT, Emerson College, the Leon Collins Studio and the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio. A faculty member of the Boston Conservatory Dance Division and Summer Dance Program, Ms. Boynton produces the annual Boston summer tap festival, Beantown Tapfest.

Stephanie Heroux (Jazz)

Ms. Heroux began her dance studies in Central Massachusetts. As a student in The School at Jacob’s Pillow’s elite Musical Theatre Program, she studied with jazz master Matt Mattox and Chet Walker of Fosse fame. More recently she has performed with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, ACE Entertainment, and Lorraine Chapman The Company. As a dance captain for Royal Caribbean International, she helped debut a new evening-length production show and two signature performance pieces that were subsequently installed fleet-wide, and participated in the launching of their land-based, corporate productions. In 2005 Ms. Heroux founded Jazz Inc., a Boston-based company, specializing in concert jazz dance, corporate theatre, and industrials. Additionally, she has choreographed productions of Fiddler on the Roof, The Wiz, and Fame for regional theatre companies. Ms. Heroux regularly teaches company class and choreographs for Harvard University’s Mainly Jazz Dance Company, as well as master classes and workshops throughout New England. Currently, Ms. Heroux is on faculty at The Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, Emerson College, Harvard University, and Ballet Arts Center of Winchester. She holds a B.A. from Boston University in English Literature and Business Administration. 

Tai Jimenez (Adv. Ballet, Int/Adv. Ballet and Pointe)

Ms. Jimenez, a native of New York City, began her dance training with Joan Millen Mesh and went on to study at the School of American Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and with Madame Gabriella Darvash. She was a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem School Ensemble before joining DTH, where she became a Principal Dancer. Her repertory includes the title roles of Giselle and Firebird as well as numerous works by George Balanchine, and ballets by Glen Tetley, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Sir Frederick Ashton, Bronislava Nijinska, Alvin Ailey, Robert Garland, John Alleyne, Lar Lubovitch, among many others. Later, Ms. Jimenez joined Boston Ballet as a Principal. There she originated a role in Mark Morris' Up and Down, and was also seen in Val Caniparoli's Lambarena, Jorma Elo's Carmen, Balanchine's Serenade and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nijinska's Les Noces and Asaf Messerer's Spring Waters. She has appeared as a guest artist with the New York City Ballet and companies across the United States. She made her Broadway debut as Ivy Smith (Miss Turnstiles) in the 1998 revival of On the Town, directed by George C. Wolfe. She was a featured dancer on the Academy Awards and in pop superstar Prince's Rave Unto the Year 2000. The versatile Jimenez is also a teacher and choreographer. She has been featured on the cover of Pointe Magazine, and her writing has appeared in both Pointe and Dance Magazine.   


Henry Kasdon (Hip-Hop)

Mr. Kasdon began his dance career in 1998 at Tufts University. While there, he was president of TURBO, Tufts' break dancing crew, as well as a dancer/choreographer for the hip-hop/jazz dance troupe Spirit of Color (SoC). Although not technically trained, Henry possesses a natural ability for dance and is a devout BBoy and hip-hop DJ (a.k.a Kid Spin). He currently instructs D.A.R.E.® Dance at the James M. Curley Elementary School in Jamaica Plain, hip-hop at Boston University’s FLEXD (Fitness, Lifestyle, Exercise & Dance) Program and break dancing at The Brookline Academy of Dance as well as Shad Hall at Harvard Business School. Mr. Kasdon has been a member of the Rainbow Tribe since 2002. Mr. Kasdon was featured on an episode of MTV’s My Super Sweet 16 in the fall of 2007.

Tommy Neblett (Int/Adv. Contemporary)

Tommy Neblett is co-Artistic Director of Prometheus Dance. He (along with his partner Diane Arvanites-Noya) has received numerous awards including a Creativity Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and four Artists Grants for Choreography from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He has taught and performed throughout New England and in Spain, France, Denmark, Venezuela, and Ecuador. He has choreographed for many different genres including concerts, theatre, opera and video. Mr. Neblett is a full-time dance faculty member at The Boston Conservatory and also teaches at The Dance Complex where Prometheus Dance is in residence.

Margot Parsons (Bg. Ballet)

Ms. Parsons trained in Chicago with Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay, and in New York with Richard Thomas, Barbara Fallis, Maggie Black, the Harkness School and the Martha Graham Studio. Along with being invited to dance with American Ballet Theatre, Agnes deMille and Pearl Lang, she performed with Yuriko, The Ballet Ensemble of New York, in the City Center production of The King and I, and in Boston with Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company and the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble. Her degrees include a BS from the University of Wisconsin and an MA from the University of Utah. She is an instructor of ballet at Boston College, Boston University, the Dance Complex, Harvard University, and Suffolk University, and she is President and Artistic Director of DanceVisions, Inc. Her work has been seen across the United States and in Europe. She choreographs for her own company and has choreographed for Boston College, Boston University, Wellesley College, and Boston Ballet II Company, and produces numerous shows including Dance on the Top Floor.

Catherine Ulissey (Bg. Ballet, Int. Ballet, Adv. Ballet)

Ms. Ulissey began performing professionally at the age of 16, dancing with the Maryland Ballet and as a soloist with the Iranian Contemporary Ballet. At 17, she joined the Eliot Feld Ballet Co. in NYC, becoming a soloist and principal performer and the company’s first Ballet Mistress. In addition to performing Mr. Feld’s original choreography, Ms. Ulissey performed leading roles in works by guest choreographers David Parsons and Pilobolus, and performed as a guest artist with companies and festivals internationally. In 1986, Ms. Ulissey began performing on Broadway in the original cast of Joseph Stein’s Rags. Following consecutively came the Tony-winning B’way productions of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the original B’way cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera where she performed the role of Meg Giry for many years, and the original B’way cast of Jules Styne’s The Red Shoes directed by Stanley Donen and choreographed by Lar Lubovich. Ms. Ulissey has performed and choreographed off-Broadway, supervised and performed with the world touring production of The Phantom of the Opera, and taught master classes across the United States. Born in NYC and raised in Saudi Arabia, Ms. Ulissey holds a B.A. summa cum laude in Visual and Media Arts from Emerson College in Boston.