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.
Jeanne-Claudius Casanova
~ joined 2018
Jeanne-Claudius (JC) Casanova 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 and 6th 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.
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 enjoys spending her free time as a mom and dog mom and couldn’t do all of this without her husband, Jon.
Hayley Marilao
~ joined 2026
Hayley Elizabeth Marilao is a dance artist, educator, and creative scholar based in the Bay Area. With a background in performance, teaching, and choreography, her work explores the intersections of movement, anatomy, culture, and artistic expression. Focusing on modern dance, she has trained with master teachers specializing in the techniques of Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and José Limón. While pursuing a BFA in Dance at San José State University, she studied Limón Technique and choreography under the direction of Raphael Boumaila, performing works such as Missa Brevis and La Patrie. Since graduating, she has become certified in Progressing Ballet Technique, Progressing Contemporary Technique, and Lagree. Her performance experience includes work with OCC Student Dance Ensemble, SJSU University Dance Theatre, Cat Machines Dance, and Peninsula Ballet Theatre as a guest artist, as well as work with independent choreographers such as Santiago Isaac Rodas Rivera. She has taught at Ray of Light Performing Arts, Peninsula Lively Arts, and Menlo Park Academy of Dance, working with dancers of various ages and experience levels. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Dance at Saint Mary's College of California.
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 the School of Arts and Science. Alyssa also teaches and choreographs dance for students aged three to eighteen. In her “free time” she enjoys playing with her two cats: Alastair and Haze, as well as feeding various shrubbery cats on campus.
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.
Emily Steele
~ joined 2017
Emily Steele was last seen during NCDE's Menagerie season and is delighted to return to the company! Her dance studies began as a toddler with classical ballet at Pacific Ballet Academy, and her love of dance would follow her all through college at Cal Poly Humboldt. Between labs for her biochemistry degree she found time to pick up jazz, modern, and lindy hop as well as a chance to study with the Mark Morris Dance Group and American Academy of Ballet. By day she currently works in atmospheric chemistry research and enjoys knitting, hiking, and aquaria.
Brooke Wertwijn
~ joined 2025
Brooke Wertwijn is a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer in the Bay Area.
Originally from Minnesota, Brooke trained at Ashley Ballet Arts Academy. 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 and was a Trainee at Ballet Idaho. She performed as a Company Artist with San Jose Dance Theatre for the 2022-2024 seasons and served as the Academy Director in 2024. Brooke has performed internationally in the Czech Republic, South Korea, and Italy. She is currently dancing with Natasha Carlitz Dance Ensemble and Hao Expression Dance Company. She has previously performed with Oakland Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, eMotion Arts Dance, and Broadway South Bay.
Brooke has taught at schools in Minnesota, Utah, Idaho, and California. She is an ABT Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training for levels Pre-Primary through Level 3.
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, The Ballet Alliance Festival, and Zohar Performance Series.
Mirage Witzer
~ joined 2026
Mirage Witzer, currently based in San Francisco, started her dance training in her hometown of Los Angeles. She trained in ballet, tap, jazz,modern, acro, aerial silks, hip hop, and contemporary. She has a degree in performing arts and social justice with a concentration in dance from the University of San Francisco. Currently working on becoming a certified massage therapist, she has found a deep connection between dance and bodywork. Mirage has most recently performed for Paula Sousa with Dance Works Chicago and for Presidio Dance Theatre at the War Memorial Opera House, choreographed as an alumna for the University of San Francisco, and as of 2026 joined the NCDE kin.
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.