CHANTEL AGUIRRE trained with the San Francisco Ballet School, performed with the Dance Company of San Francisco and studied at NYU. She has performed with San Francisco Ballet, Cedar Lake, SoulEscape, Lunge Dance Collective, Tayeh Dance, Shaping Sound Dance Company, and Stacey Tookey’s Still Motion. She has worked with Beyonce, Adele, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown and others. She has performed on DWTS, SYTYCD, The Academy Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards. She was a member of the skeleton crew for “Step Up 4.” Chantel also appeared in the Oxygen series All the Right Moves. She was featured on the cover of Dance Spirit Magazine, and currently tours with NUVO Dance Convention. We are delighted to have Chantel back for another amazing Gen. IV experience.

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NICK ANTHONY  is an artist, entrepreneur, and educator, originally from Southampton, MA. He grew up dancing at his family’s studio, the Hackworth School of Performing Arts. He works as a dancer, actor, singer, and model and his credits span from film, tv, and music videos to commercials, web/internet shows, and live stage performances/shows. A few of his favorites include Movement One: A Dance Documentary, Arrested Development, Real Life: The Musical, GAP, and Disney. Nick was also a featured choreographer on Season 3 of Lifetime’s “Dance Moms” and worked alongside Anze Skrube as his assistant in putting together violin and Youtube sensation Lindsey Stirling’s “Shatter Me” world tour. Nick has also served as Executive Director for Gen. IV.

 

CHAZ BUZAN is a dancer, choreographer, educator and performance artist hailing from Los Angeles, by way of Arizona, where his dance training began. At the young age of 15, he was taken under the wing of Mia Michaels, who served as his mentor for years to come as he traveled the country assisting her on various projects. His performance credits include Cirque du Soleil's "Believe" (choreographed by Wade Robson), Florence and the Machine, P!nk, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Dancing with the Stars, MTV VMA's and many more. His proudest accomplishment to date has been working with the legendary "Queen of Pop," none other than, Madonna. Their journey together began at the XLV Super Bowl Halftime Show, and continued with music videos, award show performances, and live on stage in her "MDNA World Tour." His "Love - For Art For Freedom" video, a dedication to human rights, went viral. He made his film debut in the short film "Secret Project Love Revolution" in the role of "Angel of Love," directed by Steven Klein and Madonna. Chaz is always looking forward to new endeavors, whatever they may be, and is humbled to be able to share his gift and love of Art with the world. "I believe an artist must first bring Humility to their craft. To reach an audience by performing Truth, through Movement." – Chaz Buzan (bio courtesy of Radix)

 

MANNY & LORY CASTRO – Manny Castro, born in Santiago Chile, came to Miami 25 years ago and found his perfect match, his wife of 19 years, Lory. Combining their diverse backgrounds, they fused together jazz, ballet, and latin ballroom to create the unique style for which they are known. Their choreography, dancers, and even their own children, D’Angelo and Ruby, have made numerous appearances on shows such as “America’s Got Talent,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” Paula Abdul’s “Live to Dance,” the Latin Grammys, the Latin Billboard Awards, as well as Europe’s original version of “Dancing With the Stars,” “Strictly Come Dancing.” Manny and Lory are owners of Dance Town, one of the country’s top dance studios which is located in Miami. They are proud to announce the opening of their second studio in Boca Raton, Florida. Manny and Lory are very excited to be a part of this incredible intensive and teach alongside some of the countries top choreographers and teachers.

 

CHANNING COOKE, known for her outgoing personality and knowledge beyond her years, is a very hard working and successful entertainer. Having grown up as a studio kid she has a very strong background of technique and training in all styles of dance that range from Ballet and Modern to Jazz, Hip-Hop, and even Acrobatics. Born and raised in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Channing not only met the high demands of the competitive dance world but was also a nationally ranked Cheerleader as well as an extreme athlete. She debuted on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” as a top twenty contestant and then went on to perform alongside Neil Patrick Harris at the “42nd Annual Academy Awards”. Other TV credits include “American Idol” where she performed with Rihanna, “The X Factor” with Jessie J, “So You Think You Can Dance” with Jennifer Lopez, the American Music Awards, “All The Right Moves”, “Shake It Up”, “Austin & Ally”, “Two and A Half Men”, and Movement One a dance documentary. She currently teaches throughout North America and is a company member of Shaping Sound. (bio courtesy of Bloc Agency)

 

SANDI DUNCAN has been a dance educator in New England for over 20 years. She owned & directed Dance Productions in Woburn, MA for 9 years, before becoming a senior faculty member at Melissa Hoffman Dance Center in Hudson, NH. Sandi has taught, choreographed & adjudicated for numerous dance organizations throughout the U.S. & Canada. Her passion is connecting with the students she works with on a deep, emotional level, challenging them to achieve personal success through goal setting, commitment, positive self-talk, and visualization. Her business is called “Sharing the DANCE of LIFE.”

 

JONNY FORANCE followed in brother Teddy‘s footsteps at his family‘s studio, the Hackworth’s School of Performing Arts. Throughout his competitive years, he earned 7 national titles and toured the country as an Elite Pulse Protégé assisting Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Brian Friedman, Chris Judd, Laurie Ann Gibson and Tyce Diorio. He performed in LA with Dee Caspary at the El Portal Theater, and with Misha Gabriel at the Ace Awards as a featured dancer and technical lighting design director. He has taught at studios throughout the US and Canada, and is known for his intricate hip hop/street style. A talented musician, his original composition appeared in the premiere of Shaping Sound’s first official performance, as well as in the dance documentary Movement One. Jonny also has had the opportunity to work alongside Emmy-award winning choreographers Mandy Moore, Tabatha & Napoleon Dumo, the tech crew of the Ellen show, produced and directed a music video for rapper Skipp Whitman as well as directing/filming/editing many professional promo reels for Break the Floor Productions. He lives in LA now working with Teddy at CLI studios as the Video Director. Jonny is on the GENIV creative team serving as Website Manager, Graphic Design, Audio-Video-Lighting Engineer, Videographer, and Faculty. He loves returning each summer to his GEN IV family.

 

TEDDY FORANCE grew up as a 4th generation dancer in his family’s studio, The Hackworth School of Performing Arts in Easthampton, MA. Teddy is an Emmy-nominated choreographer. Performance credits include Mia Michaels, Celine Dion, Janet Jackson, DWTS, SYTYCD, the ELLEN show, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, The Academy Awards, Florence + The Machine, Kylie Minogue, Julianne Hough, Carrie Underwood, as well as a lead dancer on Cirque du Soleil’s Delirium tour. Along with being a touring faculty member of JUMP Dance Convention, he is a founding member of Shaping Sound Company and a co-founder of Generation IV Dance. He starred in Oxygen’s reality t.v. show All the Right Moves, the movie Step Up, Next Revolution, and co-produced & starred in a dance documentary film, Movement One. Other projects have included a live performance at the AMA's with PINK, commercials for Old Navy (with Misha Gabriel) and Apple, chreographer and dancer for Rita Ora – People's Choice Awards, choreography for Hubbard Street Dance Company, choreography & collaboration with Oscillation Art Company, and choreography for the music video commercial for Red Sparrow starring Jennifer Lawrence. Teddy is a co-founder of CLI Studios, Create, Learn, Inspire - online classes for studios in all styles of dance. He is current favorite project is being a devoted and loving dad to Valentina and Mateo.

 

SCOTT FOWLER A New England native, Scott has performed in Broadway shows and on two national tours. Credits include Jerome Robbins Broadway (assoc. choreographer), 42nd Street, The Tap Dance Kid, and Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out. Feature films include Ted 2, Lucky Stiff, Rock of Ages, Gangster Squad, Boogie Nights, Mighty Aphrodite, Anastasia, Frozen and his personal favorite, Best Picture Oscar winner Chicago! Scott has appeared on numerous T.V. shows including SYTYCD, Bunheads, Star Search, Glee and many more. He has danced with the New York City Ballet and the Boston Ballet, and had a three-year run dancing with Cher from Las Vegas to Moscow. Scott makes his home in L.A. He is proud of the longevity and variety of his dance career and we are proud to have him return to the Gen. IV faculty this year! Instagram: SCOTTFOWLER1967

 

BILLY GRIFFIN received his BFA from NYU/Tisch School Of The Arts. Credits include the Broadway/1st National productions of Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein, and White Christmas, as well as Jeff Amsden’s A Few Good Men Dancin’, and The Electric Company on PBS. Director/choreographer credits include Waldameer Park, The Miss America Organization, The National Young Arts Foundation, Fleet Week at South Street Seaport, The Neighborhood Playhouse and NYU. Associate/assistant credits include Only Gold with Andy Blankenbueuler, NBC’s SMASH, My Life Is A Musical, and with Al Blackstone on Broadway Backwards, BC Beat, Crazy In Love and Freddie Falls In Love at the Pershing Square Signature Center and the Fire Island Dance Festival. In NYC he teaches regularly at Broadway Dance Center, Steps On Broadway and NYU. www.BillyGriffinOnline.com and @SillyBillyGriffin on Instagram. We welcome Billy back to GIV!

 

DEVIN JAMIESON Hey everyone! My name is Devin Jamieson and I am originally from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. I began dancing at the age of 7 as a way to channel my endless amount of energy and fulfill my need to perform. I attended many conventions and competitions that encouraged me to continue dance as a career. Since moving to Los Angeles, I have worked on many jobs for Television, Feature Films, Award Shows, and Recording Artists. My dreams came true when I was given the incredible opportunity to work with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The experience with him and our amazing cast will always hold a special place in my heart. Since then, I dance to express, explore, create and hopefully inspire.

 

MIKE KEEFE was a featured dancer with the Massachusetts Youth Ballet. He also focused on tap, and performed with “Mike Minery and Friends,” “Tap Kids,” and “Break the Floor.” He expanded his training at NYU’s Tisch School. He has toured with JoJo and Hilary Duff, and was a principal dancer with “Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance.” Rasta Thomas and Michael went on to create a show called “Tap Stars” which brought together a number of top tap dancers in Germany. Michael has toured with “Tap the Map,” “Rhythmic Circus,” and Shaping Sound. He has performed with Kelly Clarkson, and has danced in the documentary, “Movement One,” and Shaping Sound’s film collaborating with Olafur Arnolds and many more. He taught at Break The Floor’s newest convention, 24/7.

 

NICOLAS PALMQUIST is a New York based dancer and choreographer working a variety of dance genres. He has danced commercially on shows like, The Get Down directed by Baz Luhrmann for Netflix and multiple times for Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Nicholas danced in the feature film Isn’t it Romantic and next years’ In The Heights. He has danced for Kenzo/H&M, directed by Jean-Paul Goude and Ryan Heffington as well as Hermès NY fashion week and  choreographed for Zalando, with director Gordon von Steiner and for the Vogue x CFDA fashion fund. Nicholas danced at the Joyce Theater and Guggenheim Works and Process series with American Dance Machine, re-staging original Broadway repertoire under the direction of Wayne Cilento and he conversely danced with Broadway Dance Lab, creating new models for how dance is made. He has performed his own work at the Monterrey International Ballet Gala in Mexico and Lincoln Center for Dance Against Cancer. He danced in the New York Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes, for Mia Michaels and again at the Music Hall for The Tony Awards with Rob Ashford! Nicholas has had works performed by ballet stars, Marcelo Gomes and Cory Stearns and partnered Diana Vishneva at the Beacon Theatre in premiere work, Sleeping Beauty Dreams. Nicholas has taught masterclasses in Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Shanghai, Japan, as well as New York, and on faculty with Adrenaline Dance Convention and Steps on Broadway. He most recently collaborated with musicians, Lucius in Italy for their upcoming album!

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JEFF LAPES began his training at the age of 8 in NYC and by age 12, Jeff’s highly energized and dynamic hip-hop style got him agency representation. From there, he performed in Broadway promos, toured with, and choreographed for, Radio Disney singer Larry Laboe, and performed with the New Jersey Nets Dance Team, and many other venues. His passion for hip-hop led to work with Neyo, Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, and Lil Mama. He toured with “America’s Best Dance Crew” as a member of the crew Iconic. When not teaching with West Coast Dance Explosion, Jeff brings his fresh, yet “old school,” vibe to studios and dance teams across the country. Welcome back Jeff!

 

MEGAN LAWSON grew up studying tap, ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop in Calgary, Alberta. She moved to LA in 2006 and joined “Fanny Pak” appearing on America’s Best Dance Crew. She performs, choregraphs, and teaches in a variety of mediums. Credits include: Ellen Degeneres, Nicki Minaj, David Guetta, Dancing with the Stars, Cirque Du Soleil, American Idol, Missy Elliott, Natasha Beddingfield, Toni Braxton, MTV’s Video Music Awards, SYTYCD, and many more. We are excited to have Megan return to the GIV faculty this year.

 

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JILLIAN MEYERS grew up dancing in Portland Oregon. There she trained in all styles of dance with teachers Erin Lee, Michelle Mckinney, Candalee Wrede, Diana Redding and Sarah Riggles. In 2004 she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her aspiration of becoming a professional dancer. During her time there she has become a member of Mark Meismer's company, "Evolution." She has also been an assistant to Brian Friedman, Tovaris Wilson, Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Gil Duldulao and Mandy Moore on the hit show, "So You Think You Can Dance." Since 2006 she has been fortunate to be a lead dancer for performing artist Janet Jackson. Over the past two years she has been involved with Janet's videos, over-sea performances and a variety of television appearances. She recently finished Janet's, "Rock Withchu Tour." She has had the privilege to perform alongside Wade Robson in his performance for the show, "Dancing With the Stars." Also recently on, "Dancing With the Stars," she performed with recording artist John Legend. Ultimately, Jillian loves to dance and is excited by any experience related to her passion.

 

ALICIA MONACO began dancing in CT, where she was noticed at age of 9 by Gregory Hines. As a member of the World Tap Dance Champion Team in ‘96 and ‘97, she received 3rd highest female soloist & the bronze medal in the couples division. She directed and choreographed ‘TAPOGRAPHY.....A Tap Dancer’s Journey, One Step At A Time.’  Most recently, she danced at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) alongside Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino of ‘A Great Big World.’ She has been on the faculty for Dance Masters of America, American Dance Awards, Dance Educators of America, Syn.co.pate, and continues to travel throughout the country as a teacher, choreographer, and adjudicator.

 

WADE ROBSON is a Creative force for Stage, Film, and TV with over 20 years of experience. He has designed, Directed and/or Choreographed world tours, music videos, commercials and TV appearances for the likes of Britney Spears, NSync, Pink, Mya, Usher, Aerosmith, Demi Lovato, One Direction, The San Francisco Ballet, MTV, Foxʻs So You Think You Can Dance, ABCʻs Dancing With The Stars, Nikki Minaj, David Guetta, and Cirque Du Soleil, to name a few. Wade has received two Emmyʻs for his work on So You Think You Can Dance. Dance had unfortunately become a tainted experience for Wade and as a result he has been away from it for many years. Fortunately, much healing has occurred, Wade feels re-inspired and is now excited to BEGIN AGAIN, rebuild his relationship with dance and share what he has learned along the journey with the dance community. (Bio courtesy of Broadway Dance Center)

 

CINDY SALGADO received her MFA from Julliard in 2005. Since then, she has been a member of Aszure Barton & Artists. In 2007, she toured with Mikhail Baryshnikov in his Hell’s Kitchen Dance Tour. She also worked with Andy Blankenbuehler on preproduction for a few Broadway musicals, and with Mia Michaels as both a performer and an assistant. She is a cofounder and teacher for Artists Striving To End Poverty, an outreach organization that provides arts programming for underserved children in New York, South Florida, South Africa, and India. In 2009 Cindy joined Kidd Pivot, a contemporary dance company based in Germany, with artistic director, Crystal Pite. They tour throughout Europe, Canada, Australia & the US. When Cindy’s not performing, she loves teaching and inspiring young dancers to live their dreams.

 

JERMAINE MAURICE SPIVEY was born in Baltimore, MD, where he began his dance training and later attending performing arts high school at the Baltimore School for the Arts. After graduating with a BFA in dance from The Julliard School in 2002, he moved to Lisbon, Portugal, where he danced with Ballet Gulbenkian until 2005. In 2005, Jermaine joined the Cullberg Ballet, where he met Crystal Pite, and performed with the company until 2008. Jermaine has received several awards in dance including the National Fundation for Advancement in the Arts 1st Level Scholarship and the Princess Grace Awards. Jermaine has been performing with Kidd Pivot since August of 2008. We are happy to have him join the GIV faculty this year!

 

KATY SPREADBURY grew up and trained in Worcester, MA where she was a member of the Burncoat Fine Arts Magnet Program in middle and high school. She was named Capezio’s Future Star, and was a featured artist in Dance Magazine, and a cover model for Dance Spirit. Katy has assisted choreographer Mandy Moore in setting new work for Los Angeles Ballet, and has been a longstanding faculty member of The Dance Teacher Summit in NYC. She is widely known for her work on the convention circuit. Katy is currently the ballet teacher for JUMP Dance Convention, where she is known as a motivator and positive spirit. She continues to remain in high demand throughout the country as a teacher who wants to make a difference.

 

SPENSER THEBERGE is a graduate of The Julliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. He is a former company member of Netherlands Dance Theater, and has most recently been seen as a guest artist with The Forsythe Company. Currently freelancing, Spenser can be seen dancing with Crystal Pite’s Kidd Pivot and the Gothenburg Opera DansKompani, as well as teaching throughout Europe, America, and Asia. His choreography has been presented by the Korzo Theater in The Hague and the Julliard School Summer Dance Intensive, and his current collaborative creation with Jermaine Spivey has been suppored through residencies sponsored by Hollins University. Spenser is a National Young Arts Winner, a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and a Princess Grace Award recipient.

 

DANA WILSON is a bright and vivacious content creator, choreographer, and performer.  Although she is best known for her work along side Justin Timberlake, Dana’s feature in Dance Magazine declares her “Anything But A Backup Dancer”.  She has been a part of JT’s creative team since 2007, and recently contributed movement for Kesha and Macklemore, Vance Joy, Miley Cyrus, Joe Jonas, 2 Chains, Kendrick Lamar and Robin Thicke, and was a guest choreographer on SYTYCD season 7. While working in TV, Film, and along side pop industry megastars, Dana also makes up one third of the wildly original and imaginative group The Seaweed Sisters adored and admired by a wide range of audiences from toddlers and their parents perusing YouTube, to the screens of the Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival). In the digital world, Dana got GoPro’s attention for her 365 consecutive daily videos on Instagram (@danadaners), and shortly after, established a relationship with 360 camera Ricoh Theta as a content creator and influencer.  Her appetite for capturing and sharing is on par with her love of dance, so Dana is constantly experimenting with new technologies and techniques (like 360 degree video capture and editing, VR, and Drones). Dana has been an instructor for over 13 years and recently started her own training/ performing company, “The Bureau of Nonverbal Communication” (aka The BoNC) to investigate, exercise, and share dance on a conceptual level. In a boldly nostalgic style, The BoNC says what nobody else is saying… with their tongue firmly placed in cheek. With a refined yet bizarre style, thoughtful and fresh voice, and healthy dose of humor, Dana illuminates everything she crosses from the worlds biggest stages to smallest cell phone screens.

 

NOEL BAJANDAS Whether he's performing on stage, creating for it, or teaching the new generation of young artists, Noel Bajandas is a man with a mission. To leave a LEGACY. Noel has shared the stage and screen with Cirque Du Soleil, Adam Lambert, Toni Braxton, Miley Cyrus, and Gloria Estefan, to name a few. He has appeared on Dancing With The Stars, The MTV Video Music Awards, The American Music Awards, and Americas Got Talent, as well as TV shows like CSI, Shake It Up Chicago, and Jessie. Noel has become a stand out performer as well as an equally talented choreographer and director. His work has been described as captivating, thought-provoking and hypnotizing. Noel has choreographed for the Hulu original series East Los High alongside his partner, Reina Hidalgo, and worked alongside Emmy winning choreographer Mandy Moore in the movie La La Land. Noel has had the opportunity to choreograph alongside legendary choreographers like Mia Michaels, Jamal Sims, Toni Basil, and Walter Painter. As he continues to become a consummate performer a visual artist and dynamic choreographer, Noel's passion for dance has taken him around the world teaching a new breed of young dancers to become the best they can be. He truly feels that he has something to offer the world, and his message is clear. "Dance from the heart, and create your world, one vision at a time." Noel is an original faculty member of Generation IV Dance and Rock The House dance intensives. He is also a resident teacher at IDA (International Dance Academy) in Hollywood, CA.

 

ALBERT BLAISE CATTAFI Dancer and Choreographer ALBERT BLAISE CATTAFI was raised in northern New Jersey of Italian descent, and his artistic journey began at the age of five while watching his sister Eléna attend dance lessons. Ten years after his first dance class, Cattafi began training at the world renowned Joffrey Ballet School in NYC, simultaneously continuing his studies in all dance forms at a studio in New Jersey, For Dancers Only. This well rounded understanding of movement would prove to be beneficial throughout his career. Upon high school graduation, Cattafi won the prestigious title of Mr. Dance of America and shortly after, he was honored to receive a full scholarship into the dance program at Montclair State University; he attended for only 48 hours when he departed to begin his professional life. (Don’t worry; his mother has since forgiven him.) In the years following, Cattafi enjoyed an illustrious performance career appearing in several episodes of Saturday Night Live, as a guest artist on So You Think You Can Dance, and was featured in an international Coke Zero Commercial. He has performed on the Video Music Awards for Florence + the Machine, and on the American Music Awards with Kelly Clarkson. Known for his technical prowess and artistry, Cattafi was an original member of both internationally recognized dance companies, Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance, and LA based company Shaping Sound. To great acclaim, he has worked with Tony Award winning directors Des McAnuff as the first human to ever play Toto in The Wiz, and Jerry Mitchell in Peepshow, featured with Holly Madison and Spice Girl Mel B. No stranger to the flashing lights of Las Vegas, Cattafi later returned as a member of Cirque Du Soleil in The Beatles LOVE. He was The Walrus. Choreographically, Albert Blaise was the assistant choreographer on Franco Dragone’s INDIA. He has assisted some of the country’s top choreographers, including Emmy Award winner, Mia Michaels, and Broadway ’s Tony Award winning, Sergio Trujillo. A lover of theater, Cattafi was happy to assist in the production of several major Broadway shows including Spiderman, Billy Elliot, Tarzan, and Flash Dance. As a choreographer, he has set work for John Legend, Cirque Du Soleil, recording artist Nikhil Korula, and the film Opid with music by Sigur Ros. In 2015, Albert premiered his first full length contemporary ballet, String Of Thoughts, on the Phoenix Ballet at the Lodz International Ballet Festival in Poland. Currently Albert Blaise Cattafi is a faculty member of Los Angeles based dance convention, L.A. Dance Magic, and is the Resident Choreographer for the Phoenix Ballet.