Kari Williams (Owner/Artistic Director) 

Ms. Williams was trained extensively at the world-renowned Broadway Dance Center in New York City and SUNY @ Brockport. She has been and continues to work as an assistant to the "Jazz master of the world," Mr. Frank Hatchett, at Broadway Dance Center and at various national dance conventions all over the country. She earned a BA in Psychology/Dance through the College of Staten Island. 

She received her dance teaching certifications through Dance Educators of America. Ms. Williams has taught and assisted workshops for such national conventions as; The NYC Dance Teacher Summit, the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists, Dance Educators of America, Dance Makers of America, Dance Olympus, and New Jersey Associated Dance Teachers. Her professional credits as a dancer and choreographer include; audition and competition judge, MTV commercial work, professional and college level dance teams, professional sporting events, halftime shows, background dancer for recording artists, as well as various other venues throughout the north and southeast. Ms. Williams has held the position of director of the dance department at Moore Catholic High School Performing Arts Institute since 2005. Through this role, she has trained dancers towards acceptance into the most prestigious dance colleges in the country including The University of the Arts, The Hartt School of Dance, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, SUNY Purchase and more. She opened Liv2Dance Studio in 2007 as a revolutionary alternative to competitive studio training on Staten Island. Through this venture she has secured professional performance opportunities and dance modeling opportunities, including work with the Kelle Costume Company, for her dancers. She founded SHADOW/light Pre-Professional Contemporary Dance Ensemble as a means to provide aspiring professional Staten Island dancers the opportunity to train tuition free and competition free. SHADOW/light Ensemble was delighted to have been accepted to present choreography at the 2011 Staten Island Modern dance festival. Ms. Williams was also a proud recipient of the Staten Island Dance Oscars in 2010 and a Red Carpet Dance Award in 2011, awarded by the World of Women Organization, for her contributions through dance to local charities on Staten Island. Most recently, Ms. Williams is proud to have been featured in Dance Studio Life Magazine, “Revolutionary Recital” (October 2011) for her unique contributions to the dance community as a non-competitive choreographer and studio owner.

Matthew Westerby 

Nicola (Nikki) Penfold 

Nicola Penfold trained at the Laban Centre London, graduating in 2000 with a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre. In 2001 she co-founded Influx Dance Company in the U.K, for which she is a dancer and education facilitator. Through her commitment to Influx Nicola has performed in projects which are: theatre based, site-specific and film orientated. Nicola is now working in New York City, where she recently presented Influx dance Company’s new work in progress entitled ‘A Restless Mind. Nicola graduated from Bath Spa University with a Certificate in Education in 2004 and has worked as a freelance dance artist for 10 years in schools, colleges and specialist dance institutions both independently and with Wise Moves Dance Company. Nicola has also worked in further education as Program Manager for the BTEC National Diploma and ‘A’ Level Dance Courses in England. This experience has allowed her to make strong links between the professional dance world and the curriculum. Nicola’s last full length student based production was devised by working with the students to create ‘Your Comfort Is My Silence’ based on the Declaration of Human Rights, underpinning her personal commitment to dance and broader education. In addition to contemporary dance Nicola has explored a range of world dance styles during her periods of professional development, which constantly serve to inspire her work. While based in the U.K Nicola spent time in New York City at Dance New Amsterdam (2005), India at Facets International Dance Festival (2006), Thailand teaching at Nakhon Si Thammarat University of Performing Arts (2008) and The Gambia teaching and performing in a West African devised piece inspired by history and culture (2008) as well as performing with Wise Moves Dance Company in Gumboot, Contemporary and Street Dance genres (2007). Nicola is interested in increasing access to dance through working with young people and adults to improve health, fitness and creativity. As a qualified yoga teacher Nicola utilises modern dance and yoga principles to deliver classes that inspire awareness of anatomy, a heightened sense of physicality and expression. 

Benjamin Briones
Professional dancer, choreographer, designer and entrepreneur Benjamin Briones is a graduate of The National School of Classical Ballet, The National School of Contemporary Dance and The Royal Academy of Dancing in Mexico City. His eclectic educational background includes training in Cuban and Royal Ballet styles, as well as study of Graham, Cunningham, Limon and Francis modern dance styles. Currently, he receives coaching in classical ballet technique from Nancy Bielski and David Howard. Benjamin moved from Mexico to USA in 1995 to dance first with Ballet El Paso, then with Ballet Austin. As a soloist, he has appeared with many companies, among them Ballet El Paso, Ballet Austin, Connecticut Ballet, Mid Ohio Ballet, Ballet Theater of Annapolis, Granite State Ballet, Southern New Hampshire Ballet, New Haven Ballet, Staten Island Ballet and River Ballet. Among the roles he has danced are the Cavalier and the Snow King in The Nutcracker, Basilio in Don Quixote, Ali in Le Corsaire, and Jonathan Harker in Dracula. He has also appeared as a principal dancer in numerous Contemporary pieces, including "No Exit" and "Huapango."  After dancing with the Staten Island Ballet for several seasons, Benjamin was appointed the company's Ballet Master in 2006, a post he held through 2009. During that time, he also began his choreographic career, serving as the Resident Choreographer for both the Staten Island Ballet and, beginning in 2007, Ajkun Ballet Theatre (New York). In 2010, his numerous choreographic endeavors culminated in the created Benjamin Briones Ballet. Since 2006, Benjamin's commissioned works have been performed at such venues as Dance Festival Italy, the Latin Choreographers Festival (New York, 2008-2011), the New York International Choreographers Festival (2006-2009), International Dance Festival, Hudson Dance Festival (New York), Dance Theater Workshop (New York), Blue Muse (New York) and at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (Mexico).   Co-owner and co-founder of UBCostumesDancewear.com, an online dancewear store, Benjamin has been designing and constructing both stock and personalized costumes and dancewear for the past 16 years