Cambridge, MA – The Massachusetts Dance Education Organization held it’s annual board meeting on Thursday, August 10th, 2017 where elections took place for executive board positions. Kristen Duffy Young was elected as President, Meghan McLyman as Vice President and Carla Otero as Treasurer.
Duffy Young is currently part of the board of directors for MADEO and assumed the presidency on August 14, 2017. Previously, Kristen served as Vice President of the organization and has been a member since 2015.
Kristen Duffy Young is the director of the Colleges of the Fenway Dance Project, a co-curricular dance ensemble with over 200 students from six Boston colleges, and co-director of Accumulation Dance Company. She is also an adjunct professor at Emmanuel College and Salem State University, where she teaches courses in dance technique and somatics. Kristen received an MFA in interdisciplinary arts from Goddard College and a BA in dance and BBA in marketing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst/Five College Dance Program. She is also a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, which has grounded her teaching and choreographic work in somatic principles. She has instructed guest classes at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies program at Lesley University, The Longy School of Music, Fairfield University, the American Dance Festival, the American College Dance Association, Needham Public Schools, and various private studios throughout the Boston area. Her choreography has been presented at the Somatics Conference and Performance Festival, Southern Vermont Dance Festival, Boston Center for the Arts, Green Street Studios, and the Dance Complex. As a performer, Kristen has danced with Accumulation Dance, The Caitlin Corbett Dance Company, Bosoma Dance Company, Weber Dance, and Influx Dance.
McLyman is currently part of the board of directors, formerly serving as President of the organization. She has stepped into the Vice President role for one year to aid in the transition of leadership. Meghan assumed her role as Vice President on August 14, 2017.
Meghan McLyman is a Professor of dance at Salem State University and the Chair of the Music and Dance Department. She has been instrumental in developing the dance program including the creation of the BA dance major. Salem State University recognized her passion for teaching with the 2017 Distinguished Teaching Award, an award received by only one full-time and one part-time faculty member within the University. She graduated with a BA in dance from Point Park University, received an MA in dance and arts management from American University, and an MFA from Hollins University in partnership with the American Dance Festival. Meghan has taught courses at various dance programs including The Colleges of the Fenway, The College of the Holy Cross, James Madison University, North Quincy High School, Green Street Studios, and Avery Ballet. She has held master classes at Moving Target Boston, Tufts University, MIT, Webster University, the American Dance Festival, the American College Dance Association, and at the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She is the co-director of Accumulation Dance and has received recognition for her work from the Somatic Conference and Performance Festival, Boston Center for the Arts, Crash Arts/World Music, Green Street Studios, the Somerville Arts Council, Concord Academy and at the American Dance Festival. Meghan has performed with The Caitlin Corbett Dance Company, 4 Square, The Falling Flight Project, Digby Dance, The Moving Laboratory, Flip Side Dance Theatre, Sister’s Trousers, and with The Avery Ballet. She continues to develop her craft by immersing herself in various workshops, conferences, and master classes. She is on the board of the American College Dance Association New England Region.
Otero is currently part of the board of directors and assumed her role as Treasurer on August 14, 2017. Carla is a new member of the organization who is currently focusing on how the organization can bring together dance educators from across Massachusetts to network, share best practices and support each other through events at local establishments.
Carla Otero began her classical ballet training at the Conservatory of Ballet Concierto of Puerto Rico under the tutelage of the Carlota Carrera. As she advanced in her pre-professional training she had the pleasure of working with renowned ballet teachers from Latin America and abroad. As a student, Carla received scholarships to attend the summer intensives at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet and the 42nd Bartholin International Ballet Seminar of the Royal Danish Ballet (Copenhagen, Denmark). During these summers she trained under the guidance of Fernando Bujones, Laura Alonso and Martin James, among others. At age sixteen, Carla joined the company of Ballet Concierto of Puerto Rico under the guidance of Artistic Director, Lolita San Miguel where she danced in the great classics of Giselle, Swan Lake, La Fille Mal Gardee, Copellia, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, and The Nutcracker. In addition to her classical repertoire, Carla has danced in numerous modern and contemporary works by Jesus Miranda, Carlos Cabrera, Maria Julia Landa, Alberto Mendez and Kristen Duffy-Young. After being with the company for two years, she decided to move to Boston and pursue her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Relations at Simmons College. During her time as an undergraduate student, Carla was actively involved as a dancer in the Colleges of the Fenway (COF) Dance Project since it’s inception in 2006, and as a ballet instructor for LEAP (Lifelong Exercise and Activities Program) at Simmons College. After graduating in 2010, Carla became an instructor for the COF Dance Project and is now the Assistant Director for the program. She has been invited as a guest artist to perform in the premiere of Anastasia and to dance in Bournonville’s Flower Festival in Genzano Pas de Deux with Chambersburg Ballet Theater in Pennsylvania. Carla remains active as a dancer and choreographer and trains throughout the Boston and Cambridge areas. She also is resident ballet instructor for two studios in Massachusetts where her students have won awards at competitions throughout New England. On March 2016, Carla launched her blog series “In the Studio” where she actively publishes articles about dance on her website carlaotero.com.
Other MADEO News
During the annual board meeting in Cambridge, MA it was confirmed that Secretary, Danielle Bazinet; Communications Coordinator, Erica Sigal and Web Coordinator; Laurie Healey would be continuing in their positions for another term. All members are currently part of the MADEO board and resumed their position on August 14, 2017.
Nancy Moses, founder of MADEO and first president was recently elected as Executive Committee Recording Secretary for NDEO.
Dr. Nancy Moses is a retiring member of the Bridgewater State University Dance Faculty after serving for 33 years developing and nurturing dance at the institution. Taking a scattered group of dance classes in Physical Education and in Theater, she crafted an academic program that has evolved into a Dance Major. Through the years she was able to create a curriculum that led to licensure for teaching dance in the public schools, a service that no other public institution in Massachusetts has provided. Although the single dance professor for 20 years, in the following 10 years she was able to add three additional faculty lines, new studios and rehearsal facilities, an official major and a stand-alone Department of Dance. Through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities and the New England Foundation for the Arts, she has been able to secure additional funding for expanded dance programing. As a life-long advocate of dance education, Dr. Moses has promoted dance through many professional organizations where she has served as officers and on multiple boards She has been a member of the National Dance Education Organization and was the founding President of the Massachusetts state affiliate, MADEO.
About MADEO
MADEO is a non-profit dance resource and education organization whose mission is to advance and make accessible the art and education of dance in its many forms for all the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MADEO is the proud state affiliate of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO)
http://www.ndeo.org/
For more information on MADEO or to become a member visit: https://madeodance.org/
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