B.A., Dance / K-12 Education

Member, International Dance Entrepreneurs Association (I.D.E.A)

Member, International Association for Dance Medicine & Science

Leader, The Gold Alliance

Faculty, 2021DanceLife Teacher Conference Do No Harm. Take No S***

Faculty, 2021 Dance Entrepreneurs Summit Small Studio Success

Panelist, 2022 I.D.E.A Member Seminar Genius Scheduling

Faculty, 2022 DanceLife Teacher Conference What Experience Has Taught Us

Panelist, 2022 I.D.E.A Member Seminar Downsizing

Panelist, 2023 DanceLife Teacher Conference The Right Fit for Me (Right Now)

Presenter, 2024 The Gold Alliance Leader Seminar Pas De Dialogue

Presenter, 2024 I.D.E.A Member Seminar Kind, Not Nice

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Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Jaime Gong holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in K-12 Education from Marymount Manhattan College. A dancer all her life, she has been privileged to train under, and work with, some of the finest artists in the dance field since 1984. 

 

Early experience as an intern/assistant to master teachers at 92Y Harkness Dance Center and STEPS on Broadway provided a solid foundation in effective teaching techniques which— with continued professional development— have carried Jaime through more than two decades of teaching in studios, theaters, community centers, public schools & private schools throughout New York City and Northern New Jersey.

 

After facilitating a series of community dance programs for the Mill Basin Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library; piloting a school-wide dance program at P.S. 251 in Flatlands; and joining the faculty of The Performing Arts School@bergenPAC, Jaime transitioned into the field of arts administration as a member of the Education Department at New York City Center. There, she assisted the coordination of non-profit programs and professional development workshops inspired by the world-class artistry presented on NYCC’s Mainstage (i.e., Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company), reaching hundreds of NYC public school students and teachers each season. She was also a member of the Junior School dance faculty at the famed Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, where she enjoyed two terms as Director of the youth Summer Intensive.

 

In 2012, Jaime founded Performing Arts Workshop in Jersey City, building on best practices cultivated throughout a multi-faceted career. Her mission is to foster an environment where children understand they determine their own worth, as she works with their families to promote the values of discipline and determination essential to achieving success in any endeavor.

Jacquie Bird has enjoyed a lengthy and fulfilling career as a triple threat, appearing on Broadway, film and television.  Currently a master-teacher/choreographer as well as a singer, writer and the designer/creator of SilkWire Jewelry, she has worked in close association with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City for the past 12 years as their choreographer extraordinaire.  She has been the director/choreographer for their fundraising galas at Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall for the past 10 years, the chorister roster growing to over 425 young singers ages 7-18 along with guest artists such as Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Lester Lynch, BeBe Winans, Norm Lewis, The New York Voices and Mandy Gonzalez.

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The Brooklyn native enjoys guiding aspiring performing artists and has taught and choreographed in Japan, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Hong Kong, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Bermuda and is a frequent guest in Bogota, Colombia at the Misi Escuela Teatro Musical and Colegio Rochester.  Domestically she has taught for numerous dance studios as well as organizations such as Dance Masters, Dance Olympus and Showstoppers. Jacquie has been a part of the faculties of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University (Theatre Department’s M.F.A. program); Lehman College; Steps on Broadway; Ballet Arts, and at the Broadway Dance Center, where she was a long-time assistant to the legendary Frank Hatchett and sometimes subs for Sue Samuels’ Broadway Jazz classes at the Broadway Dance Center and the Peridance Capezio Center.  

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Jacquie has also served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at Hope College and was a guest teacher/choreographer at Stephens College, the University of Las Vegas and has been guest lecturer of Swing Dance at Hofstra University and at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts since 2009.

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Jacquie holds a B.F.A. from the Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts at City College and for more information or to contact visit her site at www.jacquiebird.com .

Krystal Galiczynski began her training over 20 years ago in the disciplines of ballet,  jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, pointe, and acrobatics. She continued her dance education at the Dance Department of Montclair State University in NJ where she studied ballet and modern contemporary dance from top professionals in the dance industry today.

 

In the Spring of 2014, Krystal graduated from Montclair State with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education, receiving her Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing in teaching dance, Pre K-12. Upon graduating college, Krystal had taught for The Dance Connection of Hillsborough, Camp Gan Israel of Highland Park, and the Performing Arts Workshop. These incredible teaching opportunities drove her to open up a dance studio of her very own in 2016.

 

She is presently the Founder and Director of Be You Dance Center’s Recreational and Competitive Dance Programs. Outside of her life as a studio owner and instructor, Krystal continues to train and pursue different professional development opportunities. She is a certified Flexi Stretcher ambassador and a certified specialist in the Acrobatics Arts Technique. Krystal is ecstatic to be back teaching for the Performing Arts Workshop, and is really looking forward to dancing and growing immensely with her PAW students. 

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Hiroko Kodaira is originally from Japan. She has studied classical ballet in Canada, Germany, Croatia.

 

Between 2016-2018, she trained in the Steps on Broadway International Independent Study Program.

 

Hiroko has danced with the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, Jose Mateo Ballet Theater, and American Liberty ballet as principal and soloist. She is currently dancing and teaching as a freelance educator across New York City.

Rachel began dancing at the age of 3 in a homeschool group but discovered the true passion she had for it at the age of 11 and found her dance family. Home for her was at  a Broadway based dance company studying under retired Rockettes Heather Osarczuk and Kelly King, as well as original Cats performer Chris Sell and many other wonderful faculty members.

 

Throughout her training yearsl, Rachel had the opportunities to perform multiple times at Disney including in the Magic Kingdom parade, as well as on the Norwegian Cruise Escape, and at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York.

 

Rachel studied at Palm Beach Atlantic University where she received her BA in dance performance with a minor in physical education. The summer before senior year, Rachel spent time in Michigan teaching at a family friends studio and this is where her true love of teaching began. She decided to switch gears from performing to teaching the next generation of dancers with the same passion.

 

Rachel;'s favorite styles include acro, Broadway jazz, and tap. Her goals as a teacher are to help the next generation of dancers create a healthy relationship with their bodies as well as preventing and caring for injuries that a dancer may experience.