Teachers

she/her/hers

Sarah has been leading dance adventures with young kids since 2002. She was a founding member and co-artistic director of Green Chair Dance Group in Philly for 10 years. Sarah works with FringeArts, Christ Church, and international artists helping bring to life large-scale performance projects such as 100% Philadelphia, Gala, Le Super Grand Continental, and Úumbal. She loves bringing people together to do spectacular and unexpected things. At home in South Philly she spends most of her time chasing, reading, and pretending with her 6-year-old.

This was hard to narrow even this far, but a few of her favorite children’s books include The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit by Chris Wormell (also The Wild Girl by C.W.), Now by Antoinette Portis, Saturday by Oge Mora, Mr Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown, Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen, The Shape Trilogy by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad, and Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall. 

She/her/hers

Katie Szykman is a rising senior at University of the Arts majoring in Dance with a minor in Musical Theater. Katie is active in Campus Life, serving as a First Year Guide for two years, and will be an Orientation Coordinator for this year’s incoming freshman class.  Katie was born and raised in Williamsburg VA, where she studied all genres of dance for 15 years. In the summer of 2021, Katie was the Jazz and Modern teacher at the Bolshoi Ballet Company Summer Intensive in Windsor, CT.  Given her experience at UArts and at the Bolshoi, she has developed an interest in Arts Administration and hopes to combine her passion for performance with her skills behind the scenes once she graduates.  Katie is excited to join the Zoom Dance community. 

She/they/her/them

Chachi Perez is a choreographer, teaching artist, and performer from Miami, FL. They are recent graduates from The University of The Arts with a BFA in Dance. They are the Artistic Director of a Lenape Land movement-based company, Carne Viva Dance Theatre where they create large impact works for the communities of Queer, Trans, and BIPOC. Their mission is to use their culture as an act of liberation and decolonize their bodies and decolonize dance. Chachi Is so excited to work with ZoomDance this summer and celebrate our future leaders and artists of the world! 

She/her/hers

Sarah Gordin is a creative movement, music, and theatre teaching artist based in Philadelphia, PA. Sarah received her BA in Theatre from Muhlenberg College and also studied at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and the Theatre Academy of London. She fell in love with storytelling through reading and now focuses on telling and creating stories in imaginative ways with young people. Sarah has taught all over the world, both in person and virtually, with ArtistYear AmeriCorps, Friendship Circle, OutSchool, Music Theatre Philly, The Rose Theater in Omaha, NE, and the Creative Arts Academy in India, among others. Sarah is also the Artistic Director and founder of Philly Children’s Theatre. Sarah is passionate about arts accessibility, centering students’ voices, and empowerment through the arts.  

He/him/his

Ash Bassney is a multidisciplinary artist and poet living and working in Philadelphia
since 2016. He holds a BFA in photography from New England College and has
taught with various photo and arts related camps and after school programs for
kids, as well a history of babysitting. He’s passionate about arts education and
creating safe and playful environments where kids can really thrive and learn.

She/her/hers

Jennifer has been involved in theater for many years. She started in middle school and has been going strong ever since. She has performed at the Kimmel Center and at The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, where she is entering 11th grade. She studies theater and theater movement, with minors in Dance and Instrumental Music.

An avid reader, her favorite children’s books are the A-Z Mysteries and Harry Potter series. Ms. Nelson is Missing! is also high in her list. Laughter is heard from her classroom and she is full of energy when surrounded by children.