The Center for Dance and Body offers a wide range of dance and fitness classes.  Each class, for amateurs, pre-professionals, and professionals alike, takes place in an atmosphere of serious purpose, concentration on physical improvement, personal care and attention, and a sense of joy and musicality. We offer private instruction in addition to classes.  Custom-designed training, in particular audition preparation for pre-professional schools, are special features of the curriculum.

Anna Lederfeind, Director

Natalia Alonzo-Brillante, Associate Director

Natalia Alonzo-Brillante, a native New Yorker, began dancing at three.  She is trained in classical ballet, modern dance, Spanish dance and Flamenco. She received her formal training at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and completed a BA in foreign languages at Hunter College. Natalia was invited to be part of the historic reconstruction of Graham's 1934 ballet Panorama, which she performed with the Martha Graham Company for two consecutive New York seasons as well as at the Spoleto Festivals in the U.S. and Italy. Natalia has also performed with Dances by Isadora, Coyote Dancers, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and with modern dance choreographer Catherine Gallant.

Since founding American Youth Dance Theater in 1996, Natalia divides her time between teaching children and continuing her performing career. Her favorite movie is the Japanese version of Shall We Dance - about ordinary people discovering the joy of movement. Her passion is helping people experience joy and freedom of expression through movement and dance.

Michael Novak, Instructor

Michael J. Novak was born in the suburbs of Chicago where he received his early dance training in competition jazz and tap.  Since graduating high school in 2001, he has studied at the University of the Arts, the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, Barnard College, and Springboard Danse Montréal. He has performed featured roles in works by Bill T. Jones, James Kudelka, Stephen Petronio, and Paul Taylor, and was recently highlighted in Dance Magazine and TimeOut NY for his performance in Vaslav Nijinsky’s “L’Après Midi d’un Faune.”  Michael graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University with a B.A. in Dance in 2009, and currently is a member of the Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company and Gina Gibney Dance.  He has been teaching at Center for Dance and Body for over two years. His Body Ballet class at CDAB is known for its intense cardio and core workout, followed by Floor Barre exercises and restorative stretching techniques. 

Born in France, Francoise began ballet in Paris aged 6 with Olga Alexendrovitch, principal dancer from the Paris Opera, becoming a student there  as well, studying with Raymond Franchetti, Alexandre Kalioujny, Rene Bon, Gilbert Mayer and Daniel Franck, later joining the company as a corps member. In the US she has studied jazz at the Roland Dupre Dance Academy in Los Angeles. When a knee injury cut short her dance career, she became an actress and performed for several years at the French National Theatre, la Comedie Francaise. She also worked on TV and films. In the past few years she has returned to dance, working with actors doing chore-
ographic work for theater and films in France and in the US.

Rio Tasia Smith, Instructor

A Chicago native, Rio trained with Larry Long of the Ruth Page Dance Foundation on scholarship, also while dancing for the school’s resident company, Civic Ballet of Chicago.  Rio continued her training in ballet and expanded into contemporary work at Point Park University on presidential and dance scholarship.  She performed with the Pittsburgh Playhouse Dance Company under Susan Stowe, and also danced for The Pillow Project, a dance, media, and film collaboration in Pittsburgh.  As an advocate for human rights, Rio founded and led the International Justice Mission - Point Park University Chapter, raising awareness and funds to help victims of slavery around the world.  To express this passion for equality, she was also privileged to premiere her work “Wavering Grace” at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.

Rio's dance credits include Against the Grain Dance Project and This Way Up TV in Chicago, and teaching credits number among the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Point Park University Community Classes, the Monomonee Club, and American Youth Dance Theater.  Along with working with CDAB and AYDT, Rio dances and manages for Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater.  Rio graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Dance and minor in Business Management, and also is an ABT® Certified Teacher in Primary through Level Three.  She is thrilled to spread her knowledge and passion for dance at CDAB!

Jennifer Stetzler, Instructor 

Jennifer's professional theater career has included numerous regional and off-Broadway credits, including the national tour of Peter Pan(Dance Captain, Swing). She choreographed and assisted at the Little Theatre of the Rockies production of A Chorus Line,and is currently on staff as resident choreographer for the off-Broadway Tax Deductible Theatre Company. She directs the tap program at AYDT, and teaches tap, Broadway jazz, ballet and voice. Jennifer began her dance career in Overland Park, Kansas.  She soon discovered her passion for Broadway jazz and tap dance, and was graduated from the University of Northern Colorado, with a B.F.A. in musical theatre with a dance emphasis. While in college she co-founded the professional tap company, Tone Def, and performed throughout Colorado with UNC's Tour Troupe from 1998 to 2000. In 1992, she performed at the Starlight Theatre and at the World's Fair in Seville. Jennifer's approach to teaching dance starts with passionate appreciation for the gifts and skills of each individual, and that building solid technique leads to the most creative and fulfilling class. She feels truly blessed to work with the talented and hard-working instructors at CDAB.

Holt Walborn, Instructor 

Born and raised in Madisonville, Kentucky, Holt Walborn dreamt his whole life of making a career out of dance in New York City. Holt studied at Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan for Junior and senior years of high school, graduating as a dance major. After Interlochen, Holt moved to Indianapolis to study at Butler University. At Butler, he learned classical Vagonova ballet technique from professors such as Tong Wang and Marek Cholewa. Through Butler, Holt was able to perform in rolls as diverse as Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom, to Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies, to performing as Nutcracker Prince for Butler Ballet presents The Nutcracker. Holt graduated from Butler on May 10th, 2010 and promptly moved to New York City to pursue a career as a modern dancer. Holt is very happy to be a part of the Center for Dance and Body faculty and is looking forward to seeing you in class!