Matthew Westerby

Artistic director of Matthew Westerby Company based in New York City. He is originally from the UK and trained at Laban, London, graduating in 2000 with a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre, spending a further year with the Laban graduate performance company, Transitions. Since moving to New York in 2005, Matthew has worked with Nai-Ni Chen, Risa Jaroslow, Dusan Tynek, Bronwen Macarthur, Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn, Peter Kyle, Kenny Larson, and performed with Roland Gebhardt’s The Only Tribe at the 3LD Arts Center. Westerby works as a freelance choreographer, and has previously shown work in venues in the UK, in Poland, in Connecticut, and in New York at Dance New Amsterdam, Movement Research (at Dance Theater Workshop), Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn and at the Gene Frankel Theater. Most recently, his duet Slow Fall was presented by BAX (the Upstart Festival, co-curated by Shannon Hummel and Monica Bill Barnes) the Evolve Festival (Tarrytown, NY) and at DNA’s 25th birthday celebration. Teaching credits include Laban, the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, and Silesian Dance Theatre (Poland), as well as working throughout the New York City metro area with all ages in public schools, studio, community and professional settings. Matthew is currently the resident choreographer for Liv2Dance Studios Pre- Professional Contemporary Dance Ensemble; SHADOW/light.

Ann Mackey  Ann began her dance training on Staten Island with Wendy Barker.  After training with Ms. Barker for several years, she knew that she wanted to become a professional ballet dancer.  She went on to study in New York City with Lisa Lockwood, Deborah Wingert, Kim Abel, and Fabrice Herrault.  Ann is grateful to have had the opportunity to work and tour with several professional ballet companies throughout the United States and Europe, including the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, the Nevada Ballet Theatre, and the Montgomery Ballet.  She has always had a desire to share her passion for dance with others and began teaching ballet, pointe and classical variations to aspiring young dancers nearly ten years ago.  She is also a certified Pilates Instructor through the Pilates Academy International and Body Arts and Sciences International.

Tamara M. Saari