Summer Arts Program 2021
Staff and Arts Specialists

Andrew is based in NYC and has a distinguished career as a choreographer, dancer, educator, fitness instructor, and producer. His passion is dancing and teaching dance to students of all ages. When he is not teaching , he can be found in dance class, swimming, or working out at the gym or on the roof as circumstances permit. Aside from running the Summer Arts Program at BAX, his favorite part of summer is going to the beach and traveling to Italy and/or Cape Cod.

andrew@bax.org

Adia is a performing artist and community engagement leader that grew up between NYC and Connecticut. She currently lives in Harlem where she serves with Americorps CityYear in a public school. Adia loves dance, acting, modeling, going on outdoor adventures, playing videos games, and cooking. Fun fact: Adia is a Cancer and her birthday is July 14 (we’ll get to celebrate together, yay!)

Max is an actor and writer born in Los Angeles, CA and is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch. In his free time, Max likes to sing, play piano, hang out with dogs, and play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He has a love for all games and has recently found a passion for chess after watching The Queen’s Gambit. He’s excited to work with BAX for the summer!

Steph is an actor, theatermaker, and arts educator. She’s been a teaching artist at BAX since 2016 and started as a Group Leader in 2014! Steph loves to teach young artists how to collaborate and tell stories by working together. She gets excited about colorful sunsets, dancing to the oldies, reading big books, and making silly faces. This summer, Steph hopes to see tons of outdoor theater and eat ice cream in the park! 

nano@bax.org

Cat is a writer, theatre educator, actor and New Yorker. Aside from teaching the magic of theatre, she enjoys the ocean, old movie theaters, working on creative projects and adventures with her family.

Audrey is a dance artist, movement-based teaching artist, and arts administrator. She was born-and-raised in San Francisco, California, which is where her love for the ocean stemmed from. Amongst many other things, Audrey finds joy from reading, journaling, hiking, and eating good food with friends and family.

Dani Criss is a cultural arts educator, dance artist and scholar! She has been a member of the BAX community since 2017! She teaches various dance styles and histories of the African Diaspora and enjoys teaching movers of all ages. Other than dancing, Dani enjoys reading, napping, candy, and traveling. Her 2021 Summer goal is to spread her Pisces energy near a body of water.

Diane is a queer cis white artist who performs on the ground and in the air, as a dancer and aerialist. She began as a gymnast at the young age of 2, later began to dance, and was then introduced to aerial through an inclusive, abled/disabled body workshop with Blue-Eyed Soul Dance Company in the UK. She is interested in the immense confidence and joy that can be attained through vulnerability and moving the body in new ways. 

Emily is an actor, puppeteer, and arts educator. In addition to her theatrical work, she produces and hosts The Power Up Podcast, where she interviews guests about their super powers! She has two snuggly little dogs named Izzy and Radio at her home in Brooklyn. Emily is excited to get silly and creative together this Summer… how about you??

José, director, composer, actor, singer, writer, is the Artistic Director of Rubí Theater Company. “Mi Rey”, a song he wrote and performed with members of Rubí, was featured on acclaimed recording artist Dan Zanes’ CD “Family Dance” on Festival Five records. Rubí’s production of Martín Espada’s IMAGINE THE ANGELS OF BREAD has been performed at sold-out runs at New WORLD Theater in Amherst, Massachusetts as well as the 2nd NYC Hip-Hop Theater Festival. Other plays he has directed for Rubí have been performed at the Northeast Conference of Teachers of Foreign Languages in Manhattan; the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Lorain, Ohio; INTAR; Dixon Place; Hunter College and many other locations. Mr. García was a member of Pregones Theater Company for six years and has also performed with The New Group; Repertorio Español; Joseph Papp Public Theater’s Latino Playwrights Workshop, among others. He appeared in and understudied Rubén Blades on Broadway in Paul Simon’s THE CAPEMAN. Mr. García teaches acting, collective creation and empowerment through theater for young people with the arts organizations Brooklyn Arts Exchange, City Lore and Henry Street Settlement’s Youth Employment Program at various schools in New York City. He has been a resident teaching artist at Brooklyn Arts Exchange since 1993.

Maira is a dancer, educator and organizer born and raised in Mexico. She is obsessed with questions about trash such as: how did that get there, and where is it going to end? Maira has a vivid imagination and loves to create fun costumes and dance with them in the streets and parks of New York.

Kelindah is a drag performer, teaching artist, and arts producer and has been creating art at BAX since the summer of 2015! Kelindah is a Leo and grew up in sunny Southeast Asia so summer is their favorite season to soak up sunshine, swim with pals, play games at picnics and dance outdoors! They love to create with recycled materials and collaborate with fellow artists to connect, image new worlds, and build them with our artmaking. 

Georgina Arroyo is a visual artist and art educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Georgina grew up in Queens, where she spent summers enjoying the waves at Rockaway Beach and eating soft serve from the ice cream truck! She still enjoys both of these summer activities, plus biking, reading, and dancing.