EXECUTIVE TEAM
| Shirley Taylor | Executive Director |
| Juliana Cope | Assistant Executive Director for Development and External Affairs |
| Julia L. Gutiérrez-Rivera | Assistant Executive Director for Programming and Productions |
| Natasha Richards | Assistant Executive Director for Finance and Operations |
PROGRAM STAFF
| Michele Lee | Program Manager |
| Melvada Hughes | Dance Department Director |
| Esther Grant-Walker | Dance Department Assistant Director |
| Waldo Chavez | Music Department Director |
| Christopher Palmer | Music Department Assistant Director |
| Desrine Charlton | Pre-K Teacher and Education Director |
| Brittany Scott | Pre-K Program Assistant Teacher |
| Gilanyi Batista | Pre-K Program Family Outreach Coordinator and Administrative Assistant |
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
| Sakia Hussain | Fiscal Manager |
| Marbys Bloise | Receptionist |
| Aliza Rodriguez | Bursar/Office Manager |
| Karen Seymour | Operations Manager |
| Lynsey Tuthill | Marketing and Communications Manager |
| Leny Cabrera | Facilities Manager |
| Elvin Hernandez | Custodian |
ARTS FACULTY
Mind-Builders’ instructors are not only expert musicians, dancers, or actors, they are also dedicated coaches who share their passion and skill with our students, encouraging them to hone their own creativity. We believe it takes a special kind of teacher to be a “Mind-Builder”.
Faculty List
Dance Instructors
-
Jocelyn Gutierrez -
Monica Celeste Johnson -
Veronica Jiao -
Kimberly Jones -
Noelani Love -
Gina Mayers -
Nyraena Simmons -
Funmi Sofola
Music Instructors
-
Andy Bassford -
Agustin Grasso -
Lon Ivey -
Andrew Lamb -
Christopher Palmer -
Nina Riley -
Robin Small -
Eric Zolan
| Dance Department | Title | Credentials |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Barnes | West African Dance Drummer | Founder and Executive Director of Bambara Drum & Dance Ensemble |
| Sean Berry | West African Dance Drummer | AA in The Performing Arts |
| Darlene Carr | Fit4Life Stretch Instructor and Costume Supervisor | Certified AAFA Instructor |
| Jocelyn Gutierrez | Artist in Residence; Hip Hop Instructor | Founder and Instructor of A.R.E.A. Dance Co. |
| Keny Guzman | Fit4Life Zumba Instructor | Crunch Norwood Zumba Instructor |
| Veronica Jiao | Teen Jazz/Jumps, Leaps, & Turns and Tap Teen Instructor | BFA Dance, Florida State University |
| Monica Celeste Johnson | Ballet/Jazz Basics, Pre Pointe, Adult Jazz Styles Instructor | BFA City College Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts, Dance Department Founder of Denzel Washington School of the Arts |
| Kimberly Jones | Tap, Modern, and Adult Praise Instructor | BFA in Dance, Marygrove College; MFA in Dance, Ohio State University |
| Jean Lemke Charlot | West African Dance Drummer | BFA Illustration/Fashion Institute of Technology |
| Noelani Love | West African and Modern Instructor | B. S. Mercy College. Program director at Boy's & Girls club, Dance Instructor at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center |
| Gina Mayers | Ballet, Modern and West African Dance Instructor | BFA in Dance and Film, University of the West Indies |
| Anandi Nesby | West African, Hip Hop, Mini Movers Instructor | |
| Gabriel Roxbury | West African Dance Drummer | |
| Nyraena Simmons | Ballet/Modern Instructor | BA & MA in Dance Education, Hunter College |
| Funmi Sofola | Tap Instructor | BFA in Commercial Dance with a Minor in Arts and Entertainment Management, Pace University |
| Rita Tuitt | Tap BWeand Hip Hop Basics Instructor | Empire State University |
| Maurice Whyte | Fit4Life Zumba Instructor | Licensed Zumba Instructor |
| Music Department | Title | Credentials |
|---|---|---|
| Andy Bassford | Guitar Instructor | BA Trinity College; Grammy Winning Recording Artist; Performer; Instructor |
| Patrick Chan | Drum Instructor, Assistant Stage Band Director | M.A. Jazz, SUNY Purchase |
| Alberto Chiozzi | Drums Instructor | University of Padua- performance |
| Jalen Hicks | Piano and Voice Instructor | B.M. University of North Carolina School of the Arts |
| Lon Ivey | Drum Instructor | Carnegie Hall Institute; Berklee School of Music. Professional Musician and Recording Artist |
| Walker Jackson | Piano/Vocals Instructor | M.A. Music University of Cincinnati, Indiana University, Jacobs School of MusicB.A. Cleveland Institute of Music |
| Andrew Lamb | Woodwind Instructor | SUNY Old Westbury; Professional Musician and Recording Artist |
| Janet Lucy | Suzuki Violin Instructor | |
| Paris Milane | Violin Instructor | B.A. Science of Psychology,Southern New Hampshire University |
| Joshua Moore | Piano and Voice Instructor | M.A. Music in Opera & Music Theater Performance, Arizona State University; B.A. Music and Vocal Performance, Texas State University |
| Alva Nelson | Piano Instructor | B.M. Sam Houston State University, graduate studies exas Southern University |
| Christopher Palmer | Music Department Assistant Director | B.A. Berklee College of Music |
| Nina Riley | Voice Instructor | B. A. Manhattan School of Music M.A. Manhattan School of Music in Vocal Performance; Professional Singer |
| Joe Sherman | Strings Instructor | M.A. Music Education, Queens College; B.A. Music, Ithaca College |
| Robin Small | Piano and Voice Instructor | B.M. Berklee School of Music; Recording Artist; Performer; Vocal and Piano Instructor |
| Eric Zolan | Guitar Instructor | B.M. William Paterson Univserity |
| PYT Theater Department | Title | Credentials |
|---|---|---|
| Willa Bost | Director | M.F.A. University of North Carolina at Greensboro |
| Jordan Speas | Theater Instructor | B.F.A. University of North Carolina at Greensboro |
| Folk Culture Program | Title | Credentials |
|---|---|---|
| Melinda Gonzalez | Program Coordinator |
| Martial Arts Program | Title | Credentials |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Bennet | Martial Arts Coordinator and Instructor | Martial Arts Master, 10th degree black-belt "Goju Ryu" |
| Evan Berry | Martial Arts Assistant Instructor |
