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Dancers of New York

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  • November 2018
    • Nov 15, 2018 Madelyn Ho, East Broadway, F Nov 15, 2018
  • March 2018
    • Mar 5, 2018 Jessica Castro, 116 Street Station, 6 Mar 5, 2018
  • March 2017
    • Mar 20, 2017 Cece Xie, Astor Place, 6 Mar 20, 2017
    • Mar 11, 2017 Jackie Aitken, 1 Avenue Station, L Mar 11, 2017
    • Mar 9, 2017 Billy Griffin, Canal Street, A-C-E Mar 9, 2017
    • Mar 7, 2017 Andrew Winans, 18 Street Station, 1 Mar 7, 2017
    • Mar 2, 2017 Darius Wright, Spring Street, A-C-E Mar 2, 2017
  • February 2017
    • Feb 28, 2017 Ashley Talluto, 96 Street Station, Q Feb 28, 2017
    • Feb 25, 2017 Amanda LaMotte, Grand Central Station, S-4-5-6-7 Feb 25, 2017
    • Feb 24, 2017 Clay Thomson, Rector Street, R-W Feb 24, 2017
    • Feb 23, 2017 Nikki Croker, 14 Street Station, A-C-E Feb 23, 2017
    • Feb 22, 2017 Colin Shea Denniston, Rector Street, 1 Feb 22, 2017
    • Feb 20, 2017 Lainee Hunter, Lexington Avenue / 63 Street Station, F-Q Feb 20, 2017
    • Feb 17, 2017 Jordana Lerner, 69 Street / Fisk Avenue Station, 7 Feb 17, 2017
    • Feb 16, 2017 Alden LaPaglia, Church Avenue Station, B-Q Feb 16, 2017
    • Feb 13, 2017 Lindsay Janisse, 125 Street Station, 2-3 Feb 13, 2017
    • Feb 8, 2017 Mary Page Nance, 207 Street Station, 1 Feb 8, 2017
    • Feb 7, 2017 Emily Blake Anderson, 68 Street / Hunter College Station, 6 Feb 7, 2017
    • Feb 6, 2017 Kellene Rottenberger, 51 Street Station, 6 Feb 6, 2017
    • Feb 5, 2017 Karli Dinardo, 57 Street Station, F Feb 5, 2017
    • Feb 1, 2017 Madison Eastman, Main Street / Flushing Station, 7. Feb 1, 2017
  • January 2017
    • Jan 27, 2017 Jessica Ice, Queens Plaza, E-M-R Jan 27, 2017
    • Jan 25, 2017 Ali Koinoglou, Franklin Street, 1. Jan 25, 2017
    • Jan 21, 2017 Vanessa Mitchell (Women's March Special Feature) Jan 21, 2017
    • Jan 19, 2017 Penny Wildman, Bowling Green Station, 4-5 Jan 19, 2017
    • Jan 16, 2017 Carlos Morales, Dyckman Street Station, 1 Jan 16, 2017
  • December 2016
    • Dec 17, 2016 Evan Ruggiero, 34 Street / Herald Square Station Dec 17, 2016
    • Dec 15, 2016 Lucia Daisog, Myrtle Avenue, J-M-Z Dec 15, 2016
  • November 2016
    • Nov 10, 2016 Kory Geller, 61 Street / Woodside Station, 7. Nov 10, 2016
  • October 2016
    • Oct 4, 2016 Liz Beres, Queensboro Plaza Station, N-Q-7 Oct 4, 2016
  • September 2016
    • Sep 22, 2016 Chaz Wolcott, Third Avenue, L Sep 22, 2016
  • August 2016
    • Aug 26, 2016 Hannah Fonder, 33 Street Station, 6 Aug 26, 2016
    • Aug 22, 2016 Nicholas Palmquist, 53 Street / 5 Avenue Station, E-M Aug 22, 2016
    • Aug 5, 2016 Taylor Daniels, 157 Street Station, 1 Aug 5, 2016
  • July 2016
    • Jul 29, 2016 Jess LeProtto, W 4 Street / Washington Square Station, A-B-C-D-E-F-M Jul 29, 2016
    • Jul 26, 2016 Khori Michelle Petinaud, 47-50 Streets Rockefeller Center Station, B-D-F-M Jul 26, 2016
    • Jul 25, 2016 Alexa Kobylarz, Houston Street, 1 Jul 25, 2016
  • June 2016
    • Jun 19, 2016 Elizabeth and Lara Teeter, Christopher Street / Sheridan Square, 1 Jun 19, 2016
    • Jun 14, 2016 J'royce Jata, 116 Street Station, 2-3 Jun 14, 2016
  • May 2016
    • May 25, 2016 Richard Riaz Yoder, 42 Street Station / 5 Avenue-Bryant Park, B-D-F-M-7 May 25, 2016
    • May 20, 2016 Chloe Campbell, 110 Street Station, 2-3 May 20, 2016
    • May 3, 2016 Richard J. Hinds, 34 Street Station, 1, 2, 3 May 3, 2016
    • May 2, 2016 Gwynedd Vetter-Drusch, 207 Street Station / Inwood, A May 2, 2016
  • April 2016
    • Apr 28, 2016 Phil Colgan, South Ferry Station, 1 Apr 28, 2016
    • Apr 27, 2016 Kimberlee D. Murray, 28 Street Station, 6 Apr 27, 2016
    • Apr 26, 2016 Katie Hagen, 23 Street Station, 6 Apr 26, 2016
    • Apr 24, 2016 Lizz Picini, 28 Street Station, N-R Apr 24, 2016
    • Apr 16, 2016 Abby Jaros, 23 Street Station, N-R Apr 16, 2016
    • Apr 13, 2016 Alison Sullivan, Fulton Street Station, A-C-J-Z-2-3-4-5 Apr 13, 2016
  • March 2016
    • Mar 25, 2016 Lori Ann Ferreri, Clinton-Washington Avenues Station, G Mar 25, 2016
    • Mar 23, 2016 DJ Petrosino, 39 Avenue Station, N-Q Mar 23, 2016
    • Mar 18, 2016 Brittany Cavaco, 34 Street Station / Hudson Yard, 7 Mar 18, 2016
    • Mar 17, 2016 Derek Mitchell, 23 Street Station, 1 Mar 17, 2016
    • Mar 10, 2016 Rileigh McDonald, 7 Avenue Station, B-D-E Mar 10, 2016
    • Mar 4, 2016 Brandon Leffler, 42 Street Station / Port Authority, A-C-E Mar 4, 2016
  • February 2016
    • Feb 29, 2016 Brinda Guha, Utica Avenue, A Feb 29, 2016
    • Feb 28, 2016 Scott Shendenheim, 36 Street Station, M-R Feb 28, 2016
    • Feb 18, 2016 Renee Gagner, 14 Street Station, 1-2-3 Feb 18, 2016
  • January 2016
    • Jan 22, 2016 Francesca Granell, 116 Street Station, 1 Jan 22, 2016
    • Jan 21, 2016 Paloma Garcia-Lee, 28 Street Station, 1 Jan 21, 2016
    • Jan 19, 2016 Sharrod Williams, Canal Street, 1 Jan 19, 2016
    • Jan 17, 2016 Cory Lingner, 79 Street Station, 1 Jan 17, 2016
    • Jan 15, 2016 Lorin Latarro, Bedford Avenue, L Jan 15, 2016
    • Jan 14, 2016 Brandon Hudson, 191 Street Station, 1. Jan 14, 2016
    • Jan 13, 2016 Adam Soniak, Dyckman Street Station, A Jan 13, 2016
    • Jan 10, 2016 Caitlin Evans, 135 Street Station, B-C Jan 10, 2016
  • December 2015
    • Dec 18, 2015 Ryan VanDenBoom, Prospect Park Station, B-Q-S Dec 18, 2015
    • Dec 16, 2015 Whitney Cooper, Court Square Station, E-G-M-7 Dec 16, 2015
  • November 2015
    • Nov 29, 2015 Chris Rice, 50 Street Station, C-E Nov 29, 2015
    • Nov 12, 2015 Jennifer Jancuska, Atlantic Avenue Station / Barclays Center, B-D-N-Q-R-2-3-4-5 Nov 12, 2015
    • Nov 11, 2015 Mallory Davis, 50 Street Station, 1 Nov 11, 2015
    • Nov 6, 2015 Jon Rua, 36 Avenue Station, N-Q Nov 6, 2015
    • Nov 5, 2015 Kahlia Davis, 86 Street Station, B-C Nov 5, 2015
    • Nov 3, 2015 Sarah Juliet Shaw, Steinway Street Station, M-R Nov 3, 2015
  • October 2015
    • Oct 28, 2015 Marc Kimelman, 2 Avenue Station, F Oct 28, 2015
    • Oct 27, 2015 Nora Moutrane, 34 Street Station / Penn Station, A-C-E Oct 27, 2015
    • Oct 12, 2015 Monica Azpeitia, 23 Street Station, C-E Oct 12, 2015
    • Oct 10, 2015 Brittany Weir, 96 Street Station, 6 Oct 10, 2015
    • Oct 5, 2015 Al Blackstone, 52 Street Station, 7 Oct 5, 2015
    • Oct 1, 2015 James Washington, 168 Street Station, A-C-1 Oct 1, 2015
  • September 2015
    • Sep 17, 2015 Ben Lanham, 5 Avenue / 59 Street, N-Q-R Sep 17, 2015
    • Sep 15, 2015 Andrew Nemr, 23 Street Station, F-M Sep 15, 2015
    • Sep 12, 2015 Kayley Stevens, 103 Street Station, 1 Sep 12, 2015
    • Sep 2, 2015 Elliott Mattox, 163 Street Station, C Sep 2, 2015
  • August 2015
    • Aug 28, 2015 Quinten Busey, 175 Street Station, A Aug 28, 2015
    • Aug 21, 2015 Sierra and Marlene Glasheen + Hazel Kandall, 59th Street / Lexington Avenue, N-Q-R-4-5-6 Aug 21, 2015
    • Aug 18, 2015 Payton Carvalho, 103 Street Station, B-C Aug 18, 2015
    • Aug 7, 2015 Julieta Severo, Prince Street, N-R Aug 7, 2015
  • July 2015
    • Jul 14, 2015 Oren Korenblum, 155 Street Station, C Jul 14, 2015
    • Jul 12, 2015 Maria Sinclaire, 96 Street Station, B-C Jul 12, 2015
    • Jul 5, 2015 Alex Alampi, 57 Street / 7 Avenue Station, N-Q-R Jul 5, 2015
    • Jul 4, 2015 Natalie Zisa, 59 Street / Columbus Circle Station Jul 4, 2015
    • Jul 3, 2015 Taylor Green, Parkside Avenue, Q Jul 3, 2015
    • Jul 2, 2015 Anna Davis, 66 Street / Lincoln Center Station, 1 Jul 2, 2015
  • June 2015
    • Jun 25, 2015 Megan Levinson, 81 Street Station, B-C Jun 25, 2015
    • Jun 24, 2015 Amy Miller, 86 Street Station, 1 Jun 24, 2015
    • Jun 23, 2015 Michelle West, 145 Street, 1 Jun 23, 2015
    • Jun 18, 2015 Savannah Butler, Lexington Avenue / 53 Street - E, M Jun 18, 2015
    • Jun 17, 2015 Anna Terese Stone, 181 Street, 1 Jun 17, 2015
    • Jun 11, 2015 Paul HeeSang Miller, 116 Street Station, B-C Jun 11, 2015
    • Jun 9, 2015 Sofie Eriksson, Chambers Street, A-C Jun 9, 2015
    • Jun 5, 2015 Kim Faure, 72 Street Station, 1-2-3 Jun 5, 2015
    • Jun 1, 2015 Mike Kirsch, 145 Street Station, A-B-C-D Jun 1, 2015
  • May 2015
    • May 28, 2015 Abigayle Horrell, 86 Street Station, 4-5-6 May 28, 2015
    • May 25, 2015 Justin Boccitto, 190 Street Station, A May 25, 2015
    • May 21, 2015 Kelsey Andres, 49 Street Station, N-Q-R May 21, 2015
    • May 18, 2015 Sarah Fagan, 137 Street Station / City College, 1 May 18, 2015
    • May 14, 2015 Katey Kephart, 215 Street Station, 1 May 14, 2015
    • May 11, 2015 Angela Palladini, 125 Street Station, 1 May 11, 2015
    • May 7, 2015 Jason Wise, 110 Street Station / Cathedral Parkway, B-C May 7, 2015
    • May 4, 2015 Ryan Kasprzak, 30 Avenue, N-Q May 4, 2015
  • April 2015
    • Apr 30, 2015 Sophie Lee Morris, Astoria Ditmars Blvd, N-Q Apr 30, 2015
    • Apr 27, 2015 Bekah Howard, 14 Street Station / Union Square, L-N-Q-R-4-5-6 Apr 27, 2015
    • Apr 23, 2015 Josephine Kelly, 110 Street / Cathedral Parkway, 1 Apr 23, 2015
    • Apr 20, 2015 Maureen Kelley, Vernon Blvd / Jackson Ave, 7 Apr 20, 2015
    • Apr 18, 2015 Courtney Rottenberger, 7 Avenue Station, B-Q Apr 18, 2015
    • Apr 17, 2015 Anne Marie Snyder, 46 Street Station, M-R Apr 17, 2015
    • Apr 14, 2015 Eloise Kropp, 96 Street Station, 1-2-3 Apr 14, 2015
    • Apr 13, 2015 Shauna Sorensen, 46 Street Station, 7 Apr 13, 2015
  • February 2015
    • Feb 21, 2015 Phoebe Tamble, 125 Street, A-B-C-D Feb 21, 2015

Alison Sullivan, Fulton Street Station, A-C-J-Z-2-3-4-5

April 13, 2016

How did you start dancing?

My mom enrolled me in dance class when I was three years old. I continued to dance and change studios until I found the right one—at the King Centre-Performing Arts in Wanaque, NJ. That was home. I loved it.

My family has always been interested in arts. My grandmother used to play Broadway recordings all the time in the house while she would clean, and she’d take my mom and her sisters to shows, and they always loved it. I am actually the first one to pursue this dream and this passion, which is pretty cool.

How far did you live from New York City?

About an hour and a half to two hours. My family is originally from the city. My parents both grew up in Brooklyn and moved out to Jersey. I was very fortunate to live so close to the city. I kind of grew up here even though I’m really from a small town in New Jersey.

How did you decide to pursue performing as a career?

I can’t think of a time in my life when I thought of pursuing anything else. Dance was always what I’ve known. It’s what I’ve wanted in my life and for my future. There was never a pivotal moment where I was like, “I am going to school for dance.” No other thoughts came to my mind when it came to doing something else for my career. As a performer, you always have people putting you down and telling you that it’s not a smart choice or that it’s really hard out there. You hear that a lot more in Jersey than in New York because New York is the city of dreams—everyone encourages you to go get your dreams. But I always knew that it was something I wanted to do. Now here I am, doing it.

Where did you go to school?

I just graduated from CAP21, which is a musical theatre conservatory here in New York. I actually made a transition from dance to musical theatre. I knew that in order to be on Broadway, I had to expand my horizons. I couldn’t just be a dancer anymore. I had to train myself in singing and acting. That’s why I decided to change to musical theatre. It was the best choice I could’ve made.

What made you switch from dance to musical theatre?

I performed in my first musical in 7th or 8th grade. It was a junior version of Annie. Since then, I loved it. Competitive dance had a really rigorous schedule. I didn’t really have time for anything else other than dance, so doing shows was hard to fit into my schedule. I would try to do them in the summer—maybe I did one or two a year if I was lucky.

The time when I knew I wanted to go into theatre was when I was supposed to do Hairspray. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough African Americans in the cast to do the show, so they changed the show to Jekyll and Hyde. They are two very different shows. I was going to back out because I thought the show wasn’t really my type. My mom convinced me to do it, and I did it, and I loved it. It was a completely new world to me. There’s very little dancing in that show, but I just loved every minute being on stage with it. From there, I realized how amazing musical theatre could be. So I decided to change my path a little bit. Senior year I made a big life change. I quit competition dance, which was all I did all throughout my childhood. I started training in the city. I left school everyday at about 11am, drove to the bus stop, and got on a bus to New York. I did the work-study program here at BDC and did an internship at Rosie’s Theatre Kids. I found a voice teacher, took acting lessons, and from there I really committed to making a lifestyle change and getting into musical theatre more.

It must’ve been a difficult decision to quit competition dancing after all those years.

That’s something I am realizing more now. I miss it everyday. I would do anything to go back to those days where I was a part of a team. There’s something comforting and exciting about being a part of a group where you spend so many hours together. We knew everything about each other and were so supportive of each other. I made some of my best friends, and even though we don’t see each other as much now, every time we get back together it’s just like the old days. We have so many memories from Nutcrackers and recitals and competitions. It’s something that I really, really miss and am trying to find here in New York. Although it’s such a big city with so many people, sometimes you can feel lost and lonely.

What are you up to now?

I just graduated from CAP21, and now I am living the dream. I am auditioning all the time. Things have started to slow down a little now, but these past two months have been crazy. I am just working survival jobs and am back on the work-study team at Broadway Dance Center, which is really awesome. I’ve met some great people there and I get to dance. I am continuing to train and am figuring it out step by step and day by day.

What was your experience during the audition season like?

It was definitely eye-opening. You always hear about audition season, and for some reason, I’ve heard that this year was out of control compared to past years. The one day that really, really struck me was an open call that had 400 people on the unofficial list at 7 in the morning. The audition was scheduled to start at 10am. There was another call that had names on the list at 1 in the morning. People are waking up at these crazy hours to go sign up themselves and their friends. I know we all try to help each other out, but it gets unfair in a sense. It’s been eye-opening to see how many people are pursuing it. It’s a little terrifying. Everyone says it’s going to be hard, but you don’t really realize it until you’re living it. It’s hard, but you just have to fight through it and figure it out.

What are your aspirations?

The main goal is Broadway. I want to do everything. I want to work on a cruise. I want to tour. I love to travel, so a tour would be so awesome. But, I love New York and I’d love to stay here and work on Broadway. I am also really interested in getting into commercials.

During your first audition season, was there a point where you wanted to quit?

Yeah, my mom hears about it all the time [laughs]. I am very, very lucky to have a supportive family. You go to these auditions everyday, and sometimes as a non-equity person, we’re lucky to be even seen. But auditioning is our job. Broadway is the dream.

Sometimes you have a great audition and you get cut. You don’t know what you did wrong, but sometimes that can get you down. A lot of things are out of your control. It can simply be because you’re too short and don’t fit into the costume. That’s why you have to take everything with a grain of salt. You just have to let it go.

Any memorable audition stories?

I had a pretty bad audition for a cruise ship. I had the dance combination down. They sent us out of the room and called us in three at a time. I went in, and I forgot the whole audition combo. They put us slightly off-center and made us dance on a diagonal, and it kinda threw me off, and I just forgot the whole combination. It rarely happens to me. When I left, I just had to laugh about it, because it’s just not worth getting too upset over it.

When you have a terrible day like that, what helps you get up the next morning and go at it again?

Taking dance class outside of auditioning. Even though sometimes it’s really hard to make it to class, it’s always worth it in the end. It reminds me why I love it. It keeps me motivated and driven.

What would be your number one advice?

Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not life or death. As a dancer, you always feel pressured to get it right. Sometimes you’re so hard on yourself that you’re not allowing yourself to be open and take risks. You almost get in your own way of growing because you try to be perfect. And no one is perfect. The best thing to do is watch others and learn from them. We do this for fun.

One thing I noticed growing up was that people always obsessed over little parts in high school or college shows.

It’s so true. Thinking back to them, they didn’t make or break my career. I’ve never won a title, but I don’t think that makes me a bad dancer. I scored relatively just as high as the other girls. Just because I didn’t have the crown or the sash, didn’t mean I was bad. And nobody cares about it in the real world anyway. It’s funny to think back on that now. All those little things we would get upset about.

Toughest time you’ve had as a performer?

I’ve had tough time with confidence—with fully believing in myself and not comparing myself with others. I could be dancing with a girl who’s amazing, and just because I can’t kick my leg up as high as she can, it doesn’t mean I am not good. I am my own self and my own person. I just need to trust that and believe in myself. You can easily get beaten down by comparing yourself with others. You’ll never be them, so there’s no point in doing that.

And you don’t want to be them.

Yeah, there’s already one of them. Why would I want to be the same as someone else, when I can be myself?

Happiest moment?

I’d have to say my last showcase. It was really, really exciting. Never in a thousand years would I have thought that I would graduate from a musical theatre conservatory and be singing in a showcase. I sang “I Want You Back,” so I got to groove and dance a little bit. That was really rewarding. I was really proud of myself.

Is there any last thing you want to share?

Remember to have fun and fight for what you want. We do this because we love it. We’re really lucky to be able to do this because not everyone can. Be open to learning from people around you. Watch others at dance class. Learn from them. When you think they did a good job, go over and give compliments. We need to support each other.

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