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
| 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 |
| Michele Lee | Program 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 -
Kimberly Jones -
Noelani Love -
Monica Celeste Johnson -
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 | African Dance Drummer | Founder and Executive Director of Bambara Drum & Dance Ensemble |
| Sean Berry | African Dance Drummer | AA in The Performing Arts |
| Darlene Carr | Fit4Life Stretch Instructor and Costume Supervisor | Certified AAFA Instructor |
| Monica Celeste | Ballet and Jazz Instructor | BFA City College Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts, Dance Department Founder of Denzel Washington School of the Arts |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Aicha Konate | Hip Hop Basics and Pre Hip Hop Instructor | SUNY Potsdam - BS in Criminal Justice/Minor Sociology & Dance; NYU Steinhardt - MA - Dances of the African Diaspora |
| Jean Lemke Charlot | African Dance Drummer | |
| Noelani Love | African and Modern Instructor | B. S. Mercy College. Program director at Boy's & Girls club, Dance Instructor at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center |
| Gabriel Roxbury | 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 Basics and 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 | M.A. Jazz, SUNY Purchase |
| Alberto Chiozzi | Drums Instructor | University of Padua- performance |
| Agustin Grasso | Guitar Instructor | Escuela de Musica Contemporanea in Buenos Aires , Argentina |
| 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 |
| Paris Milane | Violin Instructor | B.A. Science of Psychology,Southern New Hampshire University |
| Janet Lucy | Suzuki Violin Instructor | |
| Alva Nelson | Piano Instructor | B.M. Sam Houston State University, graduate studies exas Southern University |
| Christopher Palmer | Music Department Assistant Director, Brass Teacher, Stage Band Conductor | B.A. Berklee College of Music; Composer, Instructor |
| Nina Riley | Voice Instructor | B. A. Manhattan School of Music M.A. Manhattan School of Music in Vocal Performance; Professional Singer |
| 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, 8th degree black-belt "Goju Ryu" |
| Evan Berry | Martial Arts Assistant Instructor |
