Kerry Aradhya
~ joined 2005
Kerry began her eclectic dance training at Long's School of Dance in Erie, Pennsylvania, but fell head over heels for modern dance during her college days at Duke University. Barbara Dickinson, Clay Taliaferro, Betty Jones, Gerri Houlihan, and Alvin Mayes are among the teachers who have inspired her the most over the years. A founding member of NCDE, Kerry is honored to be dancing with the company again (for the past five years) after a long hiatus. She has also performed with the Houston Grand Opera, the Isadora Duncan Project, Joan Karff's New Dance Group, the Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble, and Kinor Dance Company. When not hopping and bopping in the dance studio, Kerry works as a freelance science writer and editor, writes poetry and picture books for young children, and occasionally muses about the intersection between children's literature and dance at her blog, Picture Books & Pirouettes. Visit her online at www.kerrryaradhya.com.
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 dance 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. She now studies marketing and dance at the University of San Francisco while also working at ODC. Marie has been with NCDE since January 2023.
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 received a BFA in Dance from UC Santa Barbara and joined NCDE in 2013. In 2015, 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. She has had the opportunity to perform with many dance projects through-out California, including Blind Tiger Society, Ka.nei.see Dance Collective, Scratch Dance, and H2O Dance Company. Maggie is currently a Physical Therapist at Westcott Physical Therapy in Los Altos and enjoys her free time practicing yoga and spending time with her husband and their dog, Cooper.
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, Alyssa Plummer began dancing ballet at a young age and then continued to dance throughout college, finding a love for all 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 thesis performance was presented at the American College Dance Association. She currently works as Manager of Academic Services and Budget Analyst for various Saint Mary’s Graduate programs. 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
A dance artist rooted in social justice work, Avery Rissling is an experienced performer, choreographer, and instructor. In addition to concert dance experience, she has choreographed for poetry, percussion, spoken word, and plays including Eurydice, Love_Stories, and Sorry for the Wait. Avery has performed with NCDE, Kusanovich Dance of San Francisco, and Cat Machines Dance, and enjoys teaching dance classes at local studios across the Bay Area. Avery holds a dual BA in Dance and Political Science with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Santa Clara University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020, was inducted into the National Honors Society for Dance Arts, and received the Anna Halprin Dance Award for the graduating dancer who best exemplifies excellence in dance and an awareness of community values.
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 stranger. 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.