We're celebrating Eury German, longtime Program Manager for DPWH, professional dancer and incredible human.

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

Being able to serve my inner child! Working with and for these families feels like a full circle moment in which I get to not only do what I love, but also do it for the people that I love. I see myself in so many of our students and it brings me insurmountable joy to be able to expose these students and families to the power of dance.

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

My favorite NYC spot is the park on Randall's Island. No one goes there so it's incredibly peaceful and desolate! Almost feels like you're no longer in the city.

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Arroz, abichuela, y pollo al horno.

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

My friends and family. Quality time with the people I love!

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

I don't want to comeback. When I die, I want to be as free from this existence as I can be.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

Heather Godfrey and everyone else in our staff and faculty.

7- What do you love about your body?

I love how much I learn each day about my body, both its limitations and its boundless potential for action and reaction.

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

When I was a senior in High School and started watching So You Think You Can Dance.

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

A performance by Vertigo Dance Company, an Israeli based dance company, at the American Dance Festival in 2011.

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

I have taken a class before, but would love to take another dane class from, Bobbie Jene Smith. She's an incredible artist!

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

If you truly believe that you can, then you will.

Final Words: Any final words you'd like to share? Any upcoming events, classes, performances, etc?

I will be the next Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at Wesleyan University for the Winter / Spring 2022 semester!

We're celebrating Cristal Del Mar - She joined DPWH for our last Summer Camp Program. She has lead fascinating and diverse classes. She is born and raised in Puerto Rico and we are very lucky to haver joining our Faculty.

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

I’m enjoying the fact that they feel like an actual family and that they are an open/safe space for all humans.

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

I love my apartment/sanctuary, I love dance studios were I can keep growing, do what I love (dance) and meet new friends.

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Arroz y habichuelas (Rice and Beans) since I was born and raised in Puerto Rico.

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

My friends and family and a good movie.

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

Ummm… I would love to come back as a dolphin, but a ocean free one. I’m in love with Dolphins.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

Heroes, my parents! Dance related? My talented friends. The people I celebrate their accomplishments and those I see growing into beautiful dancer and artists.

7- What do you love about your body?

That is healthy so it let me live the life I want.

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

Apparently I’ve been dancing since I was a toddler but thanks to my grandma who took me to my first ballet class at the edge of 6, I officially felt in love with it.

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

Oh My God this is imposible to answer. I grow up surrounded by beautiful dancing. From Puerto to New York, I can say I’m blessed to be able to enjoy dance.

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

Wao, I think I would love to go back home and take classes from my childhood teachers. I would really love that.

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

Be yourself, don’t try to look, dance or be like anyone. Dance it’s about expressing who you are and what’s inside you.

We're celebrating Nandini - a longtime volunteer with DPWH who's helped with everything from assisting classes, volunteer recruitment, fundraising, backstage help, costume organizing, data entry, and this year with monitoring our zoom classes. She is a true STAR and we are so lucky to have her in our sky!

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

I love the mission of the work, the community it has formed, and meeting the kids and families. It's been very inspiring to see everyone come together to see the mission of this organization come to life!

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

Too many things! The dance scene (classes, community, and studios), uptown at large, as well as the views (Fort Tryon and Highbridge being some of my favorite views).

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Traditional South Indian food that my mom used to cook - the aromas of roasted coriander, cumin, curry leaves, and chilis would fill the house!

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

Boba/bubble tea, candles, dancing, nature, and visualizing good memories + people

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

A tree!

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

Everyone who contributes to carrying the weight of the world/society. Women and mothers!

7- What do you love about your body?

I have learned to finally embrace my curves and love the skin I am in!

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

I was dancing since I was 7 and liked it growing up, but I REALLY knew/discovered a true passion when I was 14.

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

Hard to choose - one that was very impactful and gave me goosebumps is my mentor's performance many years ago

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

Kalanidhi Narayanan and Charm La'Donna

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

How we treat others (including our environment) day to day in all aspects of our lives is a choice and determines whether we make a positive or negative impact on the lives of others - so choose wisely!

Final Words: Any final words you'd like to share? Any upcoming events, classes, performances, etc?

Eventually launching a "feel to heal" series soon!

We're celebrating Sebastian - a longtime student of DPWH, who has been studying Break dance and Tap dance with us for 5 years. He is brilliant and talented and very cool. So glad he's part of our family!

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

I have enjoyed the performances and the classes

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

A part of NYC I like to go is Central Park

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Mexican Food

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

Either playing something or programming something

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

I would be a cat.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

My hero’s in real life are my parents and Dv and griffpatch and my sister

7- What do you love about your body?

My brain

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

When I like to make noise on the floor when I was little and I would get in trouble for making a lot of noise so I decided I wanted to go to tap class

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

When I saw a person form the street in Times Square and they were dancing and then they jumped over 6 people

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

Michael Jackson

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

Quality over quantity

Final Words: Any final words you'd like to share? Any upcoming events, classes, performances, etc?

I am making a recreation of Minecraft but in 2D

We're celebrating DPWH parent, Keila! Her daughter, Aisha has been a student and DPWH Ensemble member for 2 years.

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

The participation and engagement between parents, teachers and students.

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

I love Washington heights! its culture, the people, the food options ext.. My family is Dominican and we are all centered in Washington heights.

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

"Manguu;" it is mashed green plantains with fried eggs and cheese.

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

A Good Prayer.

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

I would love to return as myself again, 100%. With all my defects and virtues.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

My Mom is my hero, and dance related Jennifer Lopez AKA (JLO).

7- What do you love about your body?

I am tall, and it works to my advantage in a lot of situations.

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

I've always loved to dance since I was a Child.

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

My daughter's Aisha 1st Ballet performance at the age of 4, Unforgettable.

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

From any Famous best Salsa teacher in NYC.

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

Persistence. It does not matter at what age you start to dance, how many try's you need to get that lesson right or that performance correct, do not give up.

Final Words: Any final words you'd like to share? Any upcoming events, classes, performances, etc?

It has been a real pleasure to be part of Dance Project of Washington Heights.

We're celebrating our Program Assistant, Tessa! Tessa is a phenomenally talented Barnard College dance student, and we love working with them.

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

Meeting all of the wonderful faculty and staff and getting to know our amazing dance students!

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

I love all the music that you can hear walking through the city. Whether it's people busking in the subway, recorded music coming from bodegas, or people lugging boom boxes through the park, there's always something to dance to.

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Chocolate chip banana bread!

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

Drinking tea, working on a knitting project, and watching a good movie or tv show.

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

I would want to come back as an octopus, because they have brain cells throughout their body and not just in their head. I think it would be so cool to move in a body with no bones and eight arms. Plus, living in a coral reef sounds pretty sweet.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

I've been reading a lot of Audre Lorde recently and am feeling very inspired by her art, insight, and activism. Also Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose book "Braiding Sweetgrass" changed the way I thought about environmentalism.

7- What do you love about your body?

I love how strong my body is, and that it keeps surprising me with what it's capable of. There are movements I used to think were impossible for me that I discovered I can do with a bit of practice!

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

When I first saw a dance performance at my high school. The students were so creative and moved so beautifully, and I said "I want to do THAT!"

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

When I was in high school, I got the chance to see Camille A. Brown and Dancers perform "Mr. TOL E. RAncE" and that was a show I will never forget.

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

I would love to learn from Eiko Otake; her movement is so powerful and captivating, and Japanese Butoh dance is fascinating to me.

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

Explore as many dance techniques and genres as you can! They all have something to teach you.

We're celebrating Delicia, our new intern who is getting her degree in Human Development in Community Settings at University of Rhode Island!

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

Although I have not been a part of the Dance Project Family for a long time, I can tell that everyone is extremely passionate about dance and creating a safe and accepting environment for dancers to thrive in. It’s clear that the Dance Project of Washington Heights is more than just learning technique. The Dance Project is a community that encourages all to grow and shine and that is something that I’m so grateful to be a part of!

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

My favorite spot in NYC to go to is the dog park in central park. Me and my aunt will take her pug, Daisy, and sit and talk while all of the dogs play! There are usually almost twenty dogs there.

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

When I think back to my childhood, some of my best memories are sitting around a table with my family at holidays. There is a food my grandfather and now my mother makes every year in December called Arancini. It’s an Italian snack- it’s rice shaped into a ball and then cooked. There’s really nothing special about the food itself, but the memories that go along with it makes it my favorite food.

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

When I am sad, I like to listen to happy music and snuggle with my dog, Nicole. It’s amazing how therapeutic music and animals can be!

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

If I were to die and come back as a person or thing, I would want to come back as really big beautiful tree in a park where kids and families play.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

In real life, my heroes are my family. I am so proud of how courageous, brave and kind they are each and every day.

7- What do you love about your body?

I love that my body allows me to touch and feel my favorite things- like sand under my feet, water running on my hands, or a cozy blanket wrapped around me.

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

I didn’t really want to be a dancer for a big part of my life. I took dance classes when I was little, but then I stopped dancing for a long time because I thought that I was too chubby to dance. I did musical theatre which involved movement, but I was afraid to go ahead and dance. My freshman year of college I started taking dance classes again just for me and just for fun. Although I have learned more about dance moves, the best thing that I’ve taken away from my dance classes is that anyone with a body can dance, whether they are thin, thick, young, old, short or tall!

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

The most memorable dance I have ever witnessed is when I saw VPA studio’s 12-16 girls group perform a dance about society’s pressure of how people should look. The main message of the dance is that a dancer’s body is their home, and it’s important to love it.

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

I would love to take a dance lesson from Andy Blankenbuehler. He’s choreographed most of my favorite Broadway shows, so it would be really neat!

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

Take a moment to appreciate your body and mind! You’re the only you the world has, and that’s an amazing thought. Take a second each day to be thankful to yourself, even when you’re having a bad day.

We're celebrating Jalyn Robinson, one of our longtime students! She is a member of our Performance Ensemble and she loves to be onstage.

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

What I enjoy the most about being in Dance Project is making friends ad learning new techniques & skills.

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

My favorite part of NYC is Bennett park because I've made so many memories and friends at Bennett, specifically during COVID (safely of course.)

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Fried Chicken

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

Playing my favorite album and dancing to it, watching videos too.

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

A bird.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

Most of my family.

7- What do you love about your body?

My legs.

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

I used to spin around a lot & I have really long so everyone told me I would be perfect for dance.

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

Revelations - Alvin Ailey

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

Alvin Ailey

We're celebrating Niani Feelings, our newest Musical Theater Dance teacher! We are so lucky to have her, as she is currently on a break from the First National Tour of Mean Girls the Musical. We've loved her positive attitude and loving manner in class. You can learn more about her here.

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

Joining a community of such kind hearted, passionate dancers, faculty and families!

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

The view of the GWB from J Hood Wright park.

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Grilled cheese sandwich

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

A hug from my mom or playing a favorite song.

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

Michael Bennett, so I could create A Chorus Line

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

Debbie Allen! She has always been a dance idol to me. Someone I can look to and say she looks like me and she does what I want to do with kindness, passion and impeccable style!

(check out Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker on Netflix to learn more about Debbie Allen!)

7- What do you love about your body?

My smile!

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

I took my first dance class when I was 3 and since that day always told anyone who asked that I would be a dancer!

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

Alvin Ailey’s Revelations

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

Chita Rivera

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

Be kind and work hard. Your kindness and work ethic will never be forgotten.

Today we are Thankful for one of our incredible teachers and our new Early Childhood Program Coordinator, Bekah!

Get to know Bekah:

Bekah has been teaching early childhood creative drama and dance classes for the past three years at Imagination Stage and Joy of Motion Dance Center in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington DC . She has had experience working as a lead teacher, assistant teacher, and inclusion facilitator working with a diverse population of neurotypical and neurodiverse students.

Bekah is passionate about instilling a love of dance, movement, and performance in her students. Her favorite part of teaching is watching her students’ confidence grow throughout the session!

1- What have you enjoyed about being part of the Dance Project Family?

I have enjoyed the sense of community in the Dance Project Family. Our administration has shown time and time again how much they care for the instructors and the families at Dance Project. The Covid Pandemic has highlighted how Dance Project strives to bring dance to everyone and as well as taking care of our students' everyday needs. I'm proud to be part of an organization that prioritizes caring for its people.

2- What part of New York City do you love most; a favorite NYC spot, favorite thing about NYC, etc?

I'm still relatively new to NYC but I love all the parks sprinkled throughout the city. I like finding those moments of calm in the bustling city and appreciate that our parks offer that moment of escape.

3- What food reminds you of childhood?

Tajadas con huevo

4- What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

Calling my family and friends. Family and community is so important to me and I know that when I feel down I can always call on my family and friends to bring a smile to my face. I also like to watch K-Pop music videos and dance along.

5- If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?

I would like to come back as a dolphin. I love the ocean and dolphins are my favorite marine animal. I would love to have the opportunity to explore parts of the ocean that are inaccessible to me right now.

6- Who are your heroes in real life – dance-related or otherwise?

Rita Moreno and Lin-Manuel Miranda

7- What do you love about your body?

I love my curly hair! While it took me some time to love my hair, I recognize it now as something that makes me uniquely me and serves as a reminder to never forget my roots.

8- When did you first know you wanted to be a dancer?

I actually quit dancing when I was 8 and by the time I was 10 I was missing it. Once I got back in class, started moving again, and felt that magic of expressing myself through movement, I knew I never wanted to stop dancing.

9- What is the most memorable dance you have ever witnessed?

I remember when "In the Heights" performed at the Tonys in 2008. At the time I had a very narrow view of what dance in musical theatre looked like because all I had been exposed to was the ballet influenced choreography. When I saw the cast of "In the Heights" performing "96000", I was blown away. Not only was I hearing the Latin influenced music that filled my house but I was seeing hip-hop and salsa on a Broadway stage. This performance opened my mind to what dance in a theatre setting could look like and inspired me to explore other styles of dance.

10- Which choreographer and/or dancer, dead or alive, would you love to take a dance lesson from?

I would love to take a dance lesson from Rita Moreno. She inspires me as a dancer and actor and she brings so much life to her movement when she dances.

BONUS QUESTION: Which words of wisdom would you like to offer?

Take three deep breaths and drink water.