Michelle Durante (Executive Director, Choreographer, Dancer) has her BFA in Dance Studies and a concentration in Arts Management from Long Island University, C.W. Post. Michelle dances with Cirlce of Dance Repertory Company and has rehearsed and choreographed for a NYC dance project done by Kelley Donovan and Dancers. She performs in Ancient Springs with Tina Croll + Dancers throughout venues in NYC. lifeline, choreographed in 2005 and part of Immersion's repertory, was chosen to be performed at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2006. Michelle has danced in Scotland and different areas of Italy. She is a teacher at the Dance Depot in Queens and is the Operations Manager for Creative Alternatives of New York. Michelle has been honored as a featured member of Cambridge's Who's Who among executive and professional women.
Michelle Gilligan (Artistic Director, Choreographer, Dancer) received her BFA in Dance Studies and a concentration in Arts Management from Long Island University, C.W. Post. She has performed as a background dancer at Nassau Coliseum for Mase's Welcome Back Tour and was a dancer in the hip-hop company, Rhythmic Storm, performing in New York City and Maryland. She is currently the Production Assistant at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and the Office Manager for the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport. She also teaches modern, hip-hop, and jazz at Center Stage Dance Studio in Farmingdale.
Jillian Denis (Company Manager, Choreographer, Dancer) has her BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University, C.W. Post. She joined the Isadora Duncan Dance Company (formerly Lori Belilove & Company) at the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, in NewYork City, as an apprentice in the summer of 2006. With Lori Belilove & Company, Jillian studied and performed throughout NYC. Her peice, The Magic Forest, was performed by Immersion outdoors as a Tilles Center Performance PLUS! event. Her newest work, to heart, was featured in the Rhythms Showcase presented by eyeBLINK. Jillian is a dance instructor at Dance Workshop of Deer Park and an Associate for the Nassau Grants for the Arts at the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport.
Carla Reitano (Director of Education, Choreographer, Dancer) graduated with a BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University, C.W. Post. Throughout her time there she had the opportunity to study intensely with Merle Holloman and Raphael Boumaila of the Limon Institute, among many others. Since she has graduated, she has worked with Tina Croll + Dancers, performing Ancient Springs in many venues throughout New York City. Carla holds a full time job at Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp. as a Client Service Rep for the traders on the American Stock Exchange.
Gina Hesse (Music Editor, Choreographer, Dancer) holds her BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University, C.W. Post. Gina performed her solo, Unsleeping, for a weekend at the Joyce SoHo in Downtown New York City. She also performed at the Boulder Fringe Festival and the Philly Fringe Festival in the fall of 2007.
Kati-Ann Ashworth (Choreographer, Dancer) holds a BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University, C.W. Post and was named Outstanding Senior in Dance in 2005. A certified member of the Dance Teachers' Club of Boston, she currently choreographs for Platinum Performance Dance Academy's award winning competition team. She also works as an Office Assistant for the Hutton House Lectures.
