Skylar Rose Adams
~ joined 2025
Skylar Rose Adams started her training with the Vaganova Ballet method (Mary Silva) and later discovered modern dance in high school with her first company, Gotta Dance! in Bend, OR. She holds a BA in American Musical Theatre Performance with a minor in Urban Education from Santa Clara University, and is an alumna of Queen Mary University of London School of Drama and the American Conservatory Theatre. Skylar Rose is a professional choreographer, actor, and director focusing on elevating cultural consciousness and connection. Her original dance and theatre works have taken her across the West Coast, Nicaragua, and England with companies including Kusanovich Dance, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre, and more.
Audra Edwards
~ joined 2023
Audra grew up in Eagle, Idaho, where she studied ballet at Eagle Performing Arts Center with Jeff and Cathy Giese and Lisa Moon. While in high school, she also studied vocal music and theater. She continued her dance and vocal studies at Butler University, where she fell in love with modern dance. Audra has also trained with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Joffrey Chicago, Boston Ballet, The Rock School, and American Conservatory Theater. Upon receiving her BFA from Butler, Audra moved to New York City, where she was a company dancer with Impact Movement Collective and an apprentice with Lydia Johnson Dance. Audra moved to Denver in 2017, where she was a dancer with Hannah Kahn Dance Company from 2017-2022. While in Denver, Audra was also a company member with Maureen Breeze Dance Theatre and T2 Dance Company. In November 2022, Audra moved to England where she danced with Northern Dance in Newcastle upon Tyne. Audra is new to the Bay Area, and is excited to be joining the Natasha Carlitz Dance Ensemble!
Marie Hamel
~ joined 2023
Marie Hamel is originally from Portland, Oregon, where she studied Ballet, Contemporary, and Tap with Christine Hamel (her mother) at Hamel Dance Academy. In high school, she joined the Junior Artist Generator program at BodyVox, where she trained under Sara Parker and Heather Jackson and studied Jazz (Luigi Technique), Ballet, Contemporary, and Commercial Hip-Hop. She also attended several summer intensives including Summer Dance Lab, Polaris Dance Theater, BodyVox, NW Dance Project, and Paul Taylor. Most recently, she has been studying marketing and dance at the University of San Francisco (graduation in May 2025). There she has had the privilege of learning from Kara Davis, Robert Moses, Amie Dowling, Eli Nelson, and several other bay area guest artists. In addition to studying at USF, Marie has been working at ODC and taking Modern Jazz classes from Elvia Marta.
Maggie Hurd-Fleck
~ joined 2013
Maggie Hurd-Fleck grew up in the Bay Area and began her dance training at the Adage School of Performing Arts and Teen Dance Company of the Bay Area. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BFA in Dance in 2012 and joined NCDE in 2013. After two and a half years with the company, Maggie moved to New York to pursue her doctorate in Physical Therapy at Long Island University Brooklyn. She returned to the Bay Area in 2018 and has enjoyed dancing again with NCDE ever since. Maggie has also had the opportunity to perform with many dance projects throughout California, including Blind Tiger Society, Ka.nei.see Dance Collective, Scratch Dance, and H2O Dance Company. In addition to dancing, Maggie works as a Physical Therapist at Westcott Physical Therapy in Los Altos and recently obtained her board specialty certification in orthopedics. Maggie is currently on maternity leave after she and her husband Jon welcomed their baby Marlowe this past November. She enjoys spending her free time practicing yoga and going on family walks with her dog, Cooper.
Teo Lin-Bianco
~ joined 2025
Teo Lin-Bianco grew up in Los Angeles and has been dancing since they could walk, as the child of a dancer and a choreographer. They trained in tap, modern, and contemporary styles after spending several years in gymnastics and circus arts. Teo studied dance at UC Berkeley, where they co-founded Tether Dance Company, the university’s premier modern dance troupe. Teo has performed and choreographed extensively, including being featured in the APAture 2025 festival as an Asian American dance artist. Their works, such as Strides, A World of Welcome, and the ongoing Soulmates Project, explore themes of identity, intimacy, and transformation through movement. Teo has also worked with Printz Dance Project and is passionate about creating and teaching innovative choreography that bridges technical precision with expressive storytelling. Currently based in the Bay Area, Teo is excited to continue performing, teaching, and expanding their artistic voice within the local dance community!
Jeanne-Claudius Martin
~ joined 2018
Jeanne-Claudius (JC) Martin is a local human who began performing at a young age, learning jazz dance with Marie Stinnett and appearing in Sunnyvale Community Players productions both on and offstage. They continued dancing through their time at Cal Poly Humboldt with a modern dance minor in addition to their biology degree. Since emerging from the emerald forests of Northern California, they’re happy to have found a home for their love of dance and performing at NCDE. JC teaches 5th grade at Stratford Middle School and, as a former Girl Scout camp counselor, is the designated removal escort for any bugs that find their way into the studio during rehearsal.
Elizabeth Musco
~ joined 2023
Elizabeth began her dance journey in her hometown of Fort Wayne, IN, where she started with hip-hop classes at a local dance studio and got to travel to Monsters of Hip-Hop every year. MOHH inspired her to grow as a dancer, and throughout high school, she tried other genres and classes. This fire led Elizabeth to study dance at University of Dayton in Ohio where she trained under the direction of past and present Dayton Contemporary Dance Company members, earning the "Dr. G Award for Excellence in Mainstage Theatre." She graduated Summa Cum Laude with dual degrees: a BME in Mechanical Engineering and a BA in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology. After moving to California to work as an Education Coordinator at a Redwood City nonprofit, Elizabeth is eager to continue to grow as a dancer as she explores the vast Bay Area dance community.
Alyssa Plummer
~ joined 2021
Originally from Sunnyvale, California, Alyssa Plummer began dancing ballet at a young age and then continued to dance throughout college, finding a love for new forms of dance thanks to the dance department at Saint Mary’s College of California. She earned a double major BS in Dance Choreography and Performance and Biochemistry, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Her choreography “To Tell the Truth” was presented at the American College Dance Association. Currently, she works at Saint Mary’s College of California supporting various areas of graduate study. Alyssa also teaches dance for students aged three to eighteen. In her “free time” she enjoys playing with her four cats: Alastair, Haze, Hermes and Luci.
Avery Rissling
~ joined 2023
Avery grew up in southern California where she trained at Lauridsen Ballet Centre and South Orange County School of the Arts. She fell in love with modern dance at Santa Clara University, where she was inducted into NHSDA, received the Anna Halprin Dance Award, and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020 with a dual BA in Dance and Political Science and a minor in Gender Studies. Now based in San Francisco, Avery performs, choreographs, and teaches movement classes across the Bay Area. She has been a company member of NCDE since 2023, and has performed the works of choreographers such as Kristin Kusanovich, Claire Calalo, Ronnie Reddick, and Raissa Simpson. Avery is passionate about defying gender roles, collaborating with other performing artists, and creating fun and accessible movement for all bodies.
Brooke Wertwijn
~ joined 2025
Brooke Wertwijn is a freelance dancer in the Bay Area and most recently performed with Mariana Sobral’s eMotion Arts Dance and San Jose Dance Theatre. Originally from Minnesota, Brooke trained at Ashley Ballet Arts Academy directed by Ashley Burkland. She graduated from the University of Utah School of Dance with a B.F.A. in Ballet, Ballet Studio Teaching Certificate, and Business Minor. Brooke was a member of SALT Contemporary Dance’s Pre-Professional Training Company directed by Courtney Mazeika and a Trainee at Ballet Idaho. She was a Company Artist with SJDT for the 2022-2024 seasons and was the Academy Director in 2024. She choreographed and directed a brand-new, full-length production of "The Little Mermaid" and co-directed the "59th Annual San Jose Nutcracker." Her choreography has been presented at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Cathedral Dance Festival, American College Dance Association’s Northwest Conference, SHAPE Choreography Festival, University of Utah Ballet Showcase, and The Ballet Alliance Festival. Brooke is excited to be joining NCDE!
Clara Yang
~ joined 2017
Clara fell into the wonders and joys of dance through her seven years competing in colorguard and winterguard. She loves the whole rehearsal process and how movement, colors, breath, song, and acting all come together for a moment's connection with a person. At Syracuse University, she dove deeper into the world of dance through a potpourri of dance classes and through dancing and choreographing with Orange Pulse Dance Troupe. After graduation, she returned to the Bay Area where she got the privilege to pioneer and teach a dance and flag ministry at Forerunner Christian Church and dance with ArtistEdge Dance Company and Cat Machines Dance. She is thrilled now for the opportunity to grow as a dancer and performer with the talented and fun group of NCDE and to be a part of bringing Natasha's creative ideas to life.