Dance 4 Peace

Amanda is happy and humbled to be the U.S. Program Manager of Dance 4 Peace. She has a BA in Urban Studies from The Macaulay Honors at CUNY Hunter College and is currently finishing her MA in The Psychology of Expression at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University. She has worked with organizations such as The Ford Foundation, The Third Wave Foundation, Narativ, Inc. and Story To College, Inc. Amanda performed a TEDx talk on the effectiveness of storytelling in the field of conflict resolution from a psychological and neurological perspective. Dance 4 Peace truly combines Amanda's passions for creativity and for social change.

Why Amanda is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "From ages two to age eighteen I attended dance, acting, and singing classes every week. My passion for the performing arts is so deeply rooted in my being that as an adult I find it everlastingly difficult to stray terribly far from my creative nature. Not only does Dance 4 Peace allow me to tap into my creative side, it gives me the opportunity to affect the lives of youth in such a positive way. Spreading peace through movement is second nature to me. Dance is a universal language. It excites me to see children of all backgrounds speaking the same language through dance."

Amalia Garzon, Latin America Director

Amalia received her B.A. from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia with a focus in Cultural Studies and Creative Communication. She has experience working with numerous organizations helping create, implement and promote cultural projects. Currently she serves as a volunteer coordinator at Proyecta Cultura. Amalia's past work includes consulting services provided to private sector companies on organizational and communication strategies, cultural communication, and social responsibility programs.

Why Amalia is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I strongly believe that the perfect way to create social change is through creativity. It is part of human nature to be creative. Dancing is in our blood, and it is magical when you can express your emotions through your body. With Dance 4 Peace the language is the movement and the body is the instrument. Dance is our universal form of communication."

Gina Escobar, Europe Director

Gina is a Colombian currently living in Leipzig, Germany. She is a PhD Candidate in Sociology at the University of Vienna, with a focus on internal displacement and gender and ethnic inequality in Colombia. She holds an M.A degree in Global Studies – A European Perspective from the Universities of Leipzig and Vienna and a B.A degree in Languages and Sociocultural Studies from the University of Los Andes in Colombia. Her experience involves the implementation and promotion of projects concerned with organized crime prevention at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna. She is working on the creation of a project related to the Internally Displaced Population in Colombia in partnership with La Fundacion Femenina de Servicio Social del Meta.

Why Gina is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "D4P provides me the possibility to work with two of my passions: dance and cultural exchange. Through its program, I conceive the opportunity to contribute to a better future for our communities. Coming from a country like Colombia, I can’t help to think that maybe one day my country would experience zero violence, which I believe is only possible through programs like Dance 4 Peace. What I like most about Dance 4 Peace is that it is not only about dancing, but most importantly about changing our mentality to make sure new generations do not continue to reproduce the social problems that currently afflict our societies."

Jessica Feingold, Communications & Strategy Specialist

Jessica is happy to devote her skills in communications and social entrepreneurship to building the Dance 4 Peace movement. Her approach to peace-building and violence prevention is rooted in professional experiences spanning the globe from Dharwad, India, to Durham, North Carolina. By day, Jessica works for Ashoka’s Changemakers, and is a founder of the non-profit Life-improving Ventures. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia – where she and D4P Founder Sara Potler first came together with their world-changing ideas – and received her MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Why Jessica is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Fifteen years of dance lessons have finally paid off. Who knew that dance and creative movement could be vehicles for social change? I am so excited to watch this organization grow, and whenever, wherever I'm dancing, I'll be dancing for peace."

Ouida Maedel, Outreach & Engagement Specialist

A former graduate fellow at American University's School of International Service and proud alumna of Sarah Lawrence College, Ouida’s academic work has focused on communication for social change, fine and performing arts management, political philosophy, and dance. She has worked with theatre companies in Ghana and in Zambia, using performing arts techniques to teach individuals about hygiene, malaria, HIV/AIDS, conflict resolution, and other development issues, and has acted, stage managed, and produced theatre off and off-off Broadway.

Why Ouida is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "The power of Dance 4 Peace lies within its ability to expose children to basic performing arts techniques and impart conflict resolution skills at the same time. Both enable the development of confidence and self-efficacy in the children Dance 4 Peace reaches, with the hope that they will act peacefully, speak out when they witness or experience injustice, seek a world that celebrates diversity and community, and advocate for the central, vital, and various roles for the arts."

Lindsey Turner, Curriculum & Training Specialist

Lindsey currently lives in Charlottesville, VA where she is the Arts and Action Coordinator in the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts at The University of Virginia. In May 2011, she graduated from NYU's Gallatin School for Individualized Study with an MA concentration in Transforming Education through Arts-Based Learning. Lindsey holds a BA from the University of Virginia (2009) where she studied Arts Administration and Dance. Lindsey’s professional experience includes internships with Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education, The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Lindsey also served as a tutor in New York City public schools through America Reads/Counts.

Why Lindsey is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "The arts have such a capacity to inspire change, especially for young people. Dance offers an opportunity to get kids involved, to get them motivated. Once bodies are moving and adrenaline is flowing, minds become open to accepting new ideas. I am so excited to be a part of the Dance 4 Peace Community! This curriculum truly awakens kids to new ideas and offers something completely unique in the world of Peace Education."

Aaron Bluestein, NYC PeaceMover

In addition to teaching Italian, Spanish and ESL to students of all ages in the US, Italy and Spain, Aaron has worked with youth in Soka Gakkai International in arts for peace festivals. Aaron recently finished his M.A. in International Educational Development with a peace education concentration and is excited to integrate his studies and move and be moved in NYC classrooms with Dance 4 Peace.

Why Aaron is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I truly believe that movement and dance are invaluable teaching media for students of all ages as they can be such unifying, immediately accessible forms of communication that can aid groups of extremely diverse individuals to transcend socio-cultural, ethnic, philosophical differences."

Eli Cohen, NYC PeaceMover

Eli is a student at Hunter College, studying comparative religion and psychology. He is the current Commissioner for Student Welfare and Academic Affairs at the college and works passionately to bring an environment of wellness and respect to campus. Eli was born and raised in Puerto Rico and spent most of his youth as an active member of youth communities of all kinds.

Why Eli is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "There is something truly unique about movement. So much is lost during simple verbal communication, especially considering how much we hold ourselves back. Dance 4 Peace is anything but cautious. How beautiful, to think of a world where our simple physical presence transmits the essence of our being?"

Kenya Evans, DC PeaceMover

Kenya Michelle Evans received her B.A in International Studies, with a concentration on Asian Studies, from Spelman College. As an undergraduate, she participated in the Spelman-Tsuda Student Exchange Program in Tokyo, Japan studying International Studies and Japanese for one year. She recently returned from South Korea where she was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant for two years using pop culture, music and drama techniques to teach English and western culture. Kenya believes that using the performing arts is very important to promote cultural understanding worldwide.

Why Kenya is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I love the idea of being able to use music and dance as a way to teach students about peace, anger management and diversity! To make social change in the world, we have to start with the youth. Giving youth the opportunity to learn how to deal with conflicts, their emotions and understanding other cultures can make big changes for the future. Using the performing arts to implement this makes it easier to engage youth and people everywhere, because music and dance is like a universal language understood by all."

Diana Florez, DC PeaceMover

Diana graduated cum laude with a B.A. in English Teaching and Translation from the Latin American University of Science and Technology-Laureate International Universities in Costa Rica and earned a M.A. degree in Peace Education from the UN-Mandated University for Peace. Her work focuses on non-violent communication and Disaster Risk Reduction through non-formal education. She is currently working on youth development through service learning programs in USA and Latin America. Since her early childhood, she has been passionate about arts and its use for building a culture of peace. She has lived in Colombia, Costa Rica, UK and USA, and has witness the importance of multicultural education for creating sustainable peaceful communities.

Why Diana is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I truly believe that D4P is building cultures of peace around the globe. It gives a voice to children and youth and it definitely empowers young generations to act! The D4P curriculum is certainly making a difference by transforming violent behaviors and ways of thinking into compassion, empathy and care."

Betsy Foster, NYC PeaceMover

Betsy Foster is a current student in the Masters of Arts Politics at New York University, focusing on the intersection between arts and activism. After completing her B.A. in Theatre Arts at Catawba College, she worked for two years in the education department at the Hippodrome Theatre in Gainesville, FL where she worked on a variety of youth arts programs tackling issues including bullying, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, emotion management, and sexual health. Betsy has taken her experience in the dance studio and on the professional stage into the classroom, where she sees dance as a tool for community building and empowering youth.

Why Betsy is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I'm excited to see how social change can move beyond conversation and into action using the movement of the body as the tool. And I'm thrilled to meet and get to know my class!"

Jessica Melville Goodin, DC PeaceMover

Jessica is a Registered-Dance/Movement Therapist working in Washington, D.C. Dancing makes Jessica feel alive, so she decided to pursue a career in dance therapy in order to share this feeling to others. Jessica holds an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Columbia College Chicago and earned her BA degrees in Dance and Arts Technology at Illinois State University. Jessica has worked with mentally ill, and developmentally disabled children, adults, and geriatrics, as well as survivors of trauma.

Why Jessica is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "The process of creativity is inherently empowering. Mindful connection to the body reveals self-efficacy, the belief in your own ability to create change. Combining the power of creativity with the use of the body as a medium promotes understanding of peace at an embodied level that is not reached through traditional educational approaches. Dance 4 Peace allows kids not only to learn about peace, but to experience it viscerally and joyfully."

Julie Green, NYC PeaceMover

After studying sociology and theatre in the mountains of Western Maryland, Julie got her Master’s degree at Hunter College, School of Social Work in NYC. She has enjoyed organizing as well as educating youth and currently teaches students with learning disabilities. Julie has always been attracted to the ability of dance to heal the soul and to strengthen one's spirit. She feels that music and movement are the perfect tools for uniting people from around the world and creating positive relationships between individuals from all walks of life.

Why Julie is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I'm thankful for the opportunity to use the Dance 4 Peace mission to provide a creative outlet to our youth. I am especially excited to connect students with other classrooms across the globe in a collaborative effort to share peace promoting strategies."

Megan Jones, NYC PeaceMover

Megan Jones is currently a member of Link! The Movement, a developing dance company in New York City. As a graduate of the Dance Education Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she continues to pursue her dance career, both performing and teaching. Megan has had the pleasure to teach students of all levels and ages and passionately believes in dance as an integrate part of education.

Why Megan is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I truly believe that movement is the natural, universal way of expressing one’s self. What better way to share this concept of peace with the youth than through movement? Not only will this impact the students of New York, but the students across the states and the world. Expressive movements are understood in every language and culture. I am more than thrilled to be a part of this beautiful organization."

Kelsey Lahr, DC PeaceMover

Kelsey is pursuing a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution at Georgetown University, with emphases in arts-based peace building and environmental conflict resolution. She graduated with a Bachelors in Communication Studies from Westmont College, where she also participated in a number of performing arts settings, including dance groups and orchestra. These experiences gave her the opportunity to see firsthand the potential for meaningful collaborative connections facilitated by the arts.

Why Kelsey is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance 4 Peace is great because it gives kids a chance to express themselves through movement, and at the same time teaches important life skills. I’m so excited to be a part of such a great fusion of peace-building and the arts. Most of all, it’s fun!"

Lindsay Lindberg, NYC PeaceMover

Lindsay is a master's candidate at NYU in the Steinhardt Dance Education certification program, studying dance education and public health in an effort to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum to help eradicate childhood obesity through movement and health education. A graduate of UCLA's World Arts and Cultures Department with an emphasis in dance, Lindsay is also a co-founder of the Santa Barbara Dance connection, and has been teaching interdisciplinary curricula in school settings since 2005 in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and New York City.

Why Lindsay is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance 4 Peace is a unique opportunity to connect with students and teach important life skills through movement, and I am excited to continue this collaboration between the arts and social sciences through the innovative Dance 4 Peace curriculum."

Abigail Maravalli, DC PeaceMover

Abigail is a graduate student at American University’s School of International Service, pursuing a degree in Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs. She is focusing her studies specifically on issues of human rights and conflict within the Middle East. Abigail believes that thinking creatively about how we approach peace processes and conflict resolution initiatives can produce positive and last change. She has had the fortune of dancing her way to unique areas of the world. From learning dabke in Palestine, samba in Brazil, Bollywood hits in India, classical dance in Vietnam to hip hop in Philadelphia, Abigail hopes to continue traveling and experiencing the beauty of other cultures. And of course, she’ll never stop dancing along the way!

Why Abigail is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance is a universal language that transcends culture. For this reason, it is a powerful tool that can bring people together who might otherwise be divided. Dance also has the unique ability to teach children important life lessons in cooperation and emotion management by expressing themselves through the art of movement. I am beyond trilled to join D4P and implement the peace-building curriculum in DC schools. Dance on!"

Katie McFarland, NYC PeaceMover

Katie is currently studying at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, concentrating in Economic and Political Development. Before pursuing her degree, she served for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize. There, she ignited her passion for working with children, as well as creating social change. As a natural born mover, Katie has been in love with the art of movement and dance since she was performing to Michael Jackson at age 5. She hopes to fuse these two passions at Dance 4 Peace to be a part of an innovative, crucial dance-education program like no other.

Why Katie is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance 4 Peace offers a type of education that kids cannot get in their conventional classrooms. By understanding how important it is to use alternative forms of expression, children can grow and mature exponentially. It is so exciting to be a part of this truly global movement that parallels so many of my own passions, such as dance, social impact, and cross-cultural exchange. It is an innovative approach that is crucial to children’s development, and acts as a catalyst to the intellectual and emotional development of youth. It is the missing link in children’s education today, and I am so grateful to move the peace in the classrooms."

Lydia Melton, DC PeaceMover

Lydia is a master's student in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at American University. Lydia has always been passionate about dance and expression through movement. As a dancer in two liturgical groups in the DC/ Metropolitan Area, Lydia has experienced movement as a form of transformative dialogue between the artist and their audience. Her interest in dance led to her involvement in Dance 4 Peace, where she can share this knowledge to promote conflict transformation in the lives of others.

Why Lydia is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance 4 Peace allows everyone to express their multiple layers without having to worry about being the best or the way they look in front of others. It is peaceful, expressive and most of all FUN!"

Julia Meyerhoff, NYC PeaceMover

Julia is currently studying Romance Languages at NYU. After graduating high school with fluency in Spanish, she spent her freshman year in Florence, where she easily mastered Italian. Julia has dedicated much of her time to volunteering throughout the greater Baltimore community. In addition, she has taught English in Argentina. Now settled in the limitless city of New York, Julia is excited to combine her passion for language and culture with dance!

Why Julia is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "The last time I took a dance class I was four years old, but the effect that music has on my body whenever I hear a beat still drives me to dance! I am really excited to be working with the D4P curriculum because it shows kids that they don't have to be perfect or precise with their movements and dances; it lets them explore music and movement without judgment or pressure. By letting kids create their own dances, their creativity will begin to grow beyond the realm of dance. The program will show them that they can truly be whomever they want to be, just by starting with a simple shimmy!"

Dragica Mikavica, NYC PeaceMover

Dragica merges her interests and professional and academic experience to pursue peace education, peace and conflict research, and transitional justice projects. From 2007 to 2009, she helped deliver stress reduction and professional development workshops in New York City public schools to hundreds of educators, parents and students working alongside The Inner Resilience Program-Tides Center. Touched by war firsthand during childhood in Bosnia in the 90s, she is relentless in her purpose of learning the tools that help facilitate individual and societal reconciliation and healing in the face of trauma, while helping build sustainable peace. She received her B.A. from Cornell University and her M.A. from The New School.

Why Dragica is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Only inward movement and self-development (in terms of social and emotional competencies) can inform and inspire outward change; therefore, I strongly believe in D4P’s focus on cultivating self-awareness through my favorite creative form, dance. Simple things inspire me with D4P, like teaching children how to “name their emotions” through movement. If we are more in touch with ourselves, we are more in touch with our common humanity. This simple, but essential, ability/recognition is the most powerful preventer of conflict in my view. I am excited to move the peace in all the simple, creative and essential ways with D4P!"

Amanda Munroe, DC PeaceMover

A current student in the Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution program at Georgetown University, Amanda Munroe is focusing her studies in peace education and intercultural integration processes, particularly involving youth. Amanda has lived and worked in France, West Africa, Southern Germany, and Chicago, IL, where she completed her B.A. in Global Studies and French at North Park University. Amanda loves to move and was drawn to Dance 4 Peace because she was looking for a place to combine her creative energy with hands-on peacebuilding practices to serve others.

Why Amanda is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance 4 Peace is fun! The great thing about Dance 4 Peace is that peace becomes tangible through movement – no dance skills required. Conflict Resolution scholars and practitioners are always talking about the need to address conflict both creatively and practically. Dance 4 Peace strikes this delicate balance on point."

Amanda C. Ortega, DC PeaceMover

Amanda is a graduate student at American University’s School of International Service pursuing a Masters in International Affairs, Comparative and Regional Studies. She is focusing on international development and youth, in the hopes of creating access to children’s success in the future. Amanda believes that peace is a language, able to be expressed through movement and creative outlets. This past year Amanda spent teaching in rural Thailand where she also had to Thai dance in front of an entire village for the King’s Birthday! Born in Spain, she has had the fortune to work and travel in at least one country of every continent.

Why Amanda is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance is present in every culture of the world; as such, it is a powerful tool in which to bridge cultures and find commonalities. It allows people to express themselves beyond the boundaries of words. I love the Dance 4 Peace curriculum for incorporating cross-cultural awareness and peaceable solutions with fun and easy movement. Movement ingrains a language into the body, and I can’t think of a better way to instill a culture of peace and empower children than Dance 4 Peace’s initiatives. Plus, D4P is a movement based in fun!"

Yolonda Thompson, DC PeaceMover

Yolonda is a native of Detroit, Michigan. After an honorable-medical discharge from the United States Marine Corps, she moved to Washington, DC and attended and graduated from Mount Vernon College, now The George Washington University Mount Vernon Campus. An active member of her community, Yolonda serves as the director of David's Dancers, a liturgical dance ministry she co-founded 11 years ago at her church. She believes dance is the best tool people can use to give their spirits a voice. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and two sons. Her motto is "Don't let your mind trump your spirit."

Why Yolonda is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "To use movement to help children have a voice is awesome. Having a 5 year old myself, I understand how important it is to help children express themselves in various ways. Children can find peace with themselves and their communities while giving their spirits a voice thanks to Dance 4 Peace!"

Aysha Upchurch, DC PeaceMover

Aysha Upchurch is a professional dancing diplomat. Translation: she combines her artistic talent as a dancer and choreographer with her academic background in conflict resolution and youth advocacy to change the world one kick ball-change at a time. She is the Founder of Life, Rhythm, Move Project, a dance ensemble that uses urban dance to fuse passion and education with artistry. Her work has been featured at the Kennedy Center, Dance Place, the Carter Barron Amphitheatre, the Verizon Center and the White House. She has been a US State Department Cultural Envoy in Dance in Latin America and been sought out as a teacher by universities and arts organizations nationally and internationally. In 2007, Aysha received the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage Local Dance Commissioning Project. In 2008, she received two Metro DC Dance Awards – Outstanding Group Performance and the Founder’s Award for Innovation in Dance.

Why Aysha is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I truly believe dance has a unique power to speak to people and open up possibilities of cooperation and growth that have otherwise been overlooked. I think everyone just needs to “dance it out” from time to time so the body can get freed of stress. It is an honor to bring my years of teaching and dance experience to an organization that gets it…peace is not a silent desired object, it is an active movement. 5,6,7,8…let’s dance!!"

Jocelyn Young-Hyman, Baltimore PeaceMover

Jocelyn is a graduate of The University of Vermont with a B.A. in Asian Studies and a minor in International and Community Development. She has danced all of her life and was on the hip-hop crew at UVM. She has lived in India where she took classes and worked for the nonprofit Jatan Sansthan. She has been accepted into the Peace Corps for special education and will be leaving in 2012. Currently, she is living in Baltimore, MD and believes that Dance 4 Peace can bring meaningful change to children through original thinking and movement.

Why Jocelyn is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I’m excited to be part of an organization that provides an environment for children where they can express themselves emotionally and physically in a constructive way without judgment. I’m eager to be a part of this wonderful community and have the opportunity to be taught many things by the kids."

Billy Gottlieb, Music Supervisor

Billy was involved with such classic films as PULP FICTION, CLUELESS and THE BASKETBALL DIARIES. While at Capitol Records he worked on soundtracks to the films ROMEO & JULIET, CLUELESS, STEALING BEAUTY and the U.S. release of TRAINSPOTTING. Several years later Billy struck out on his own starting Playback Music Supervision. Over the past decade Playback has supervised such diverse film and TV projects as BRING IT ON, THE COOLER, LIKE MIKE, THE TUXEDO, !HUFF, ALIAS, THE TICK, JOURNEYMAN and BONES to name a few. Billy is currently working on the TV shows FRINGE, HUMAN TARGET and FRANKLIN & BASH.

Why Billy is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Personally, I have a hard time trusting people who don't dance or who claim they dislike dancing. That's like saying ice cream tastes icky or cashmere feels coarse to the touch. When I think of some of the happiest moments of my life, more times than not dance has played a huge part. It is amazing what Sara and her gang have accomplished in such a short period of time. To gauge the effectiveness of this program one only needs to witness the ear to ear grins on each child's face. I'm very pleased to use my expertise in music to keep the kids groovin' and the Dance 4 Peace program movin' forward."

Jessica Bowman, Creative Director

Jessica is a Panamanian native born in Australia who lives and works in Virginia Beach, VA. She holds two bachelor's degrees from Virginia Tech in Graphic Design and Communication Studies, with a concentration in P.R. and Marketing. She believes that a well-executed idea has the power to change the world. As a big advocate of using design to mobilize social change and community outreach, she is committed to collaborating with nonprofit organizations and small women-owned businesses that share the same passion for making a difference.

Why Jessica is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "One voice does have the power to change many hearts; I've seen it first hand. Dance 4 Peace has that voice and is the perfect platform for social reform through artful expression. I believe that the collective power of people changing young peoples' lives through such a beautiful outlet is just what this world needs. It's an honor to be a part of getting the word out about Dance 4 Peace and supporting a highly ambitious organization with such a worthwhile cause."

Meeghan Zahorsky, Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant

Meeghan is currently pursuing her master's degree in Conflict Resolution at Georgetown University. Her interests lie in post-conflict reconstruction, including the development of social entrepreneurship programs to promote economic growth and stability, in addition to research on sports and peacebuilding. In the past, she has worked to support youth-focused social entrepreneurship programs through her research with the International Youth Research Network at the Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University and through the coordination of the Sustaining Social Entrepreneurship Seminar Retreat. With Dance4Peace, Meeghan looks forward to supporting the program's growth through monitoring and evaluation. Through this research she hopes to bring dance to the table as an effective tool in sports and peacebuilding efforts.

Why Meeghan is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Though not a dancer myself, I've always been drawn to the power of movement. I think Dance4Peace will be an incredible catalyst for change among people by providing them with the freedom and safety net to express themselves. I look forward to observing its impact!"

Cindy Hallberlin, Board Member

Cindy is the President and CEO of Good360, formerly Gifts In Kind International, the leading nonprofit in product philanthropy bringing corporate America together with the nonprofit world to help people in need. She is responsible for rebranding the organization, which has expanded its reach in both corporate America and the communities it serves, distributing over $350 million in product. Prior to joining Gifts In Kind, Cindy served as the Chief Ethics, Diversity and Accountability Officer with U.S. Foodservice. Following a $1 billion fraud, she contributed to the cultural transformation of U.S. Foodservice by developing exceptional ethics training and awareness programs, a risk assessment strategy and a model code of conduct. Prior to joining U.S. Foodservice, Cindy developed and successfully managed the U.S. Postal Service's REDRESS employment mediation program, which successfully resolved more than 80 percent of discrimination claims and resulted in $60 million in cost avoidance.

Why Cindy is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "I am excited about Dance 4 Peace because of the potential to change people's lives through the interaction of dance, conflict resolution and self-awareness. Dance 4 Peace's unique curriculum helps kids understand themselves and deal more effectively with conflict."

Jennifer Meyerhoff, Board Member

As a community activist and strategist, Jennifer has spent the last 20 years immersed in the work of local and national nonprofits and international NGO's. With extensive experience in fundraising, friend-raising, leadership development and creative programming, she comes to Dance4Peace with a desire to repair the world through innovative experiential education. A founding member of the Global Steering Committee of the Jewish Salons and as co-Chair of the American Friends of Slim Peace Groups, Jennifer sees social entrepreneurship as the best way to leverage the power of the next generation of changemakers.

Why Jennifer is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Rising to the challenges of the 21st century and beyond will demand teamwork. Neighborhood, regional and world-wide teams, as a vision, will operate as a strong and supported coordinated effort only once members have a better understanding of themselves and a greater sensitivity for others. The Dance4Peace curriculum is a fun and relevant way to meet our youth 'where they are' and provide them with the safe space they need to tap into their core where acceptance and love can be found."

Michael Cotter, Board Member

Michael founded Blue Sky Puppet Theatre in 1974, dedicating every performance to excellence in theatre, art, music, and fun. A graduate of Gonzaga High School and The University of Scranton, he served in the Peace Corps and Caritas poverty programs in the early seventies. He has taught an interrelated arts program in the Montgomery County School system as well as been a faculty member of the award winning Fillmore Arts Center in D.C. Michael is currently the Blue Sky Puppet Theatre's artistic director and producer and oversees the company's 1000+ shows a year. He is also an adjunct professor in the University of Maryland's Theatre Department and an independent visual artist.

Why Michael is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dancing and Peace...it's something we can all use more of, particularly unselfconsciously dancing and unselfishly working for peace, not being afraid to do either. I'm excited to be bringing 40 years of arts education experience to the organization, as a teacher, parent, performer and producer of values-based theatre for young audiences. To be able to be part of something as positive, important and purpose driven as Dance4Peace as it enriches our community is an honor and a blessing."

Scott Sherman, Advisory Board Member

Dr. Scott Sherman is the executive director of an award-winning nonprofit organization, the Transformative Action Institute. The mission of TAI is to train the next generation of social entrepreneurs, innovators, and change makers for the 21st century. Scott's work on nonviolent social change projects has been praised by such Nobel Peace Prize Laureates as the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and the late Mother Teresa. Sherman earned his undergraduate and law degrees from U.C. Berkeley, as well as his Ph.D. in environmental studies from the University of Michigan. Besides his work as a grassroots community organizer, lecturer, and author, Sherman has worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Law Foundation. Since 2000, he has been an adjunct faculty member in UCLA's School of Public Affairs. In 2005, the global nonprofit organization Echoing Green recognized Sherman as one of the world's "Best Emerging Social Entrepreneurs."

Why Scott is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "For far too many students, traditional educational techniques - lectures, textbooks, and lesson plans - fail to resonate or connect with them. If we want to create a better world, we need to teach in fresh, new, exciting ways that make education come alive! Dance 4 Peace is a brilliant example of this transformative education. It engages students in peacemaking and conflict resolution in ways that traditional education never could."

Susan Allen Nan, Advisory Board Member

Susan Allen Nan is practitioner and scholar of conflict resolution with a passion for dance. She is Associate Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. She co-founded the Alliance for Conflict Transformation, practiced conflict resolution at The Carter Center, taught at American University's International Peace and Conflict Resolution program, and served on the Board of the Alliance for Peacebuilding.

Why Susan is excited about Dance 4 Peace: "Dance is a doorway to more liveliness, more embodied being, and bringing our whole selves into peacebuilding."

Movers and Shakers

Amanda D’Annucci, U.S. Program Manager