D2D Performance Teams

New York City 2024

Recommendations for NYC

From Ms. Carolyn

• Top of the Rock for unimpeded views of the full city. You can do day time, night time, or get a combo ticket!

• Times Square at night

• Macy’s window displays at night

• Rockefeller Plaza for the tree & ice skating

• Statue of Liberty: take a ferry to/from Staten Island

• Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

From Ms. Ryan

• Normal must sees:
  Oculus at World Trade Center/911 memorial and museum. Also freedom tower has 360 views of NYC
  Hudson Yards: The Vessel (Good to do with the High Line too) and the new Edge for lookout views!
  Central Park Stroll
  Broadway Show
  Grand Central Station -the whispering corner still blows my mind
  Soho/tribeca. Trendy shopping, cafes, and workout places! Influencer central though lol
  Lincoln Center/Columbus Circle (can do easily with Central Park)!

• Holiday Fun:
  Bryant Park Winter Village
  Union Square Holiday Market
  Rockefeller Center
  Radio City/Rockettes

• Dessert:
  Levain
  Chip City
  Schmackary’s
  Magnolia Bakery
  Anita Gelato
  Van Leuwen
  Juniors

Monday Workshop Teacher Bios

Ballet Class with Kat Wildish, 1:45-2:45pm

Kat Wildish grew up in Tampa, Florida, and shot from the beach to the balletic big time at the age of 15.  She toured the southern United States as a member of Ballet Gala, on stage with such superstars as Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Cynthia Gregory, and Fernando Bujones.  She went on to study at the School of American Ballet, on a two-year full scholarship from the Ford Foundation.  She is one of those rare ballerinas who has appeared with both New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.

 In NYCB, she danced works by George Balanchine.  Balanchine even hand-picked her to perform in one of his last works, Adagio Lamentoso.  She was asked by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join ABT.  There, she performed in more traditional ballets like Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty.  He created the role of the “knitting lady” for Kat and Julie Kent was one of her assistants!  Kat has also performed with the Zurich Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, the American Dance Machine, and countless others.

 Kat has been teaching throughout her performing career and beyond.  She brings many styles to the studio, from her own extensive studies of Balanchine, Vaganova, Cecchetti, Royal Ballet, and ABT.  She is an ABT® Certified Teacher of Primary through Level 7 and Pas de Deux (the highest levels) of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.  She even participated in the development of the Training Curriculum.

Her New York classes are four-and-five to a barre.  She was recruited to teach in Pace University’s renowned Commercial Dance Program.  She teaches master classes throughout Europe and Asia each year.  Many study with her privately for competitions, Broadway, and the big screen.  Her students have been seen on stage in Aladdin, Chicago, The King and I, Disney’s Frozen, King Kong, The Radio City Rockettes, and countless TV and movie productions.  Kat also produces several NYC theater showcases each year, with casts up to 250 dancers!

 To study with Kat is to be the beneficiary of superlative technical training, a lifetime of accumulated ballet lore, and a generous, elegant spirit.  She prepares her students not only to dance beautifully, but to live with grace, harmony, and presence.

Hip Hop Class with Chi Chi, 3-4pm

Just after graduating from Rutgers University, Charlene “Chi-Chi” Smith took off into the Entertainment Industry. Since her professional debut in 2005, she has worked with many of the industry’s top choreographers such as Hi Hat, Fatima Robinson, Rich and Tone, Jamaica Craft, Nu Stylz, Joshua Bergasse, Ryan Heffington, Buddha Stretch, and many more. Chi-Chi has traveled the world making countless television appearances and live performances alongside the world’s top artists: Missy Elliot, LL Cool J, Janelle Monae, Salt n Pepa, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Rowland, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Gloria Gaynor and more. At the same time, she’s also maintained a steady stream of featured/leading roles in national network commercials as a dancer, actor, and/or choreographer. Most of those represented National and International brands such as: Playtex, Verizon, Nair, Wendy’s, Honey Nut Cheerios, Crest, Apple, Stride Gum, American Airlines (featuring Kevin Spacey) and Lysol anti-bacterial detergent featuring Alyson Stoner (2020).

Her choreography credits include: MTV’s Video Music Awards, Honey Nut Cheerios dancing moms and dads, Crest, Comcast, Nickelodeon Halo Awards, The Tonight Show w/Jimmy Fallon and of upmost significance: "Mom Genes Fight PPD" (2020): a PSA on Post-Partum Depression.

Chi-Chi made her Broadway debut at The Palace Theater in 2014 in “Holler if ya Hear Me” using the music and poetry of Tupac Shakur, directed by Kenny Leon.

As an educator, whether at Pace University, The Apollo Theater Education Program, at local dance studios or Internationally, Chi-Chi enjoys delving deep into “Groove Theory” as she titles her hip hop foundation classes. The focus of her classes-everywhere she teaches-is keeping the groove in the dance.

Rockette Style Class with Mallory Nolting, 4:15-5:15pm

Mallory began dancing at a young age and soon began performing with her studio's competition team. Growing up, not only did she dance in the competition circuit but also performed with Camp Broadway in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NJPAC's Summer Conservatory, Random Farms Kids Theatre and The Broadway Workshop.

 She continued her training by attending Marymount Manhattan College, receiving a Bachelor of the Arts in Dance, concentrating in Teaching Dance Arts. She also studied at Broadway Dance Center in their Summer Professional Semester and attended the Goodspeed Opera House Musical Theatre Dance Intensive. Soon after college Mallory began her professional career in performance, teaching, and choreography. Mallory has taught many master classes and workshops around the country while she was on tour. Her favorite performance credits include; 42nd Street National Tour,  Bandstand 1st National Tour, Swing The Musical! on Norwegian Cruise Line, and Holiday Inn at Papermill Playhouse. 

 Currently, Mallory is a dance educator specializing in tap and theater jazz. She is on faculty at Broadway Dance Center and recently choreographed a tap piece for the Professional Semester students. She is also an adjudicator for Step up 2 Dance and Impact Dance Adjudicators.  Mallory is currently performing in the Christmas Spectacular as a Radio City Rockette!