Meet The 2026 Artists

Yuniel Betancourt is a student at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, originally from Miami, Florida. He began dancing at Showstopper Miami Dance Studio. He later continued his training at New World School of the Arts, where he was honored to be named a 2023 YoungArts Finalist and Silver Award Winner in Choreography. He has had the opportunity to perform works by renowned choreographers such as Aszure Barton, William Forsythe, José Limón, Wayne McGregor, Jennifer Archibald, Crystal Pite, Mike Tyus, and Luca Renzi. Most recently, he premiered a new creation by Aszure Barton at The Boston Conservatory. Outside of concert dance, Yuniel has also worked in the commercial world, performing in award shows, music videos, and flash mob events. Including dancing for artists like Becky G and CNCO, and being part of a flash mob for the Netflix premiere of VIVO. Yuniel’s choreographic work has been presented in Miami, Boston, New Mexico, and Pittsburgh, and has received several awards. He has also been honored to attend summer programs at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Jacob’s Pillow, Gibney, and Gallim, all of which have helped shape his growth as an artist. He joined Paul Taylor Dance Company in their 2025 season.

Gaby Cook is an esteemed, active professional in the global lindy hop community. For 20 years, she has established her career performing and teaching for major swing dance festivals worldwide. On stage, she is a principal dancer for the acclaimed “SW!NG OUT” which premiered at the Joyce theater (2021) and tours regularly. Other stage credits include: “Macy’s Day Parade Live Broadcast” for Nickelodeon’s Blues Clues (2022), “Swing’s the Thing” with Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (2023), “Decades of Dance” at the BET Soultrain Awards (2021), “Don’t Mean a Thing” with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center (2021), “Swingtime: Revolution in Rhythm” with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (2017) and many appearances in film and TV.

As a choreographer, her work has been featured at the Guggenheim “Works & Process”, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jacob’s Pillow’s Inside/Out Series and Lincoln Center. She regularly advocates for lindy hop in industry dance communities and is consistently “on-call” with university-level programs (Julliard, Marymount, NYU, Columbia).

At home, Gaby is one of Lindy Hop’s most influential community organizers. She curates and teaches in two weekly educational programs: Swing at the 92NY (with co-producer Nathan Bugh) and Midtown Swings (with co-producer AJ Howard). In class, she is playful, informative and honest, building a culture of inclusivity, respect and joy. She prioritizes equality for followers and leaders in the classroom space and has championed a movement first approach to teaching partnered dance content.

Lillian was born in Houston, Texas where she began her training at The Houston Ballet Academy. She moved to Washington, D.C. and continued her training at the Washington School of Ballet under the direction of Kee Juan Han. Lillian finished her training in New York City at The School of American Ballet. Upon graduation she accepted an apprenticeship at the SemperOper Ballet in Dresden, Germany. There she performed works by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine and Aaron Watkin. In 2017 Lillian joined Ballet West as a member of corps de ballet and was promoted to demi-soloist in 2024. There she performs the works of Frederick Ashton, John Cranko, Twyla Tharp, and, many others. 

Cameron Catazaro was born in Canton, OH and began his dance training at the School of Canton Ballet under the tutelage of Cassandra Crowley, Angelo Lemmo and his mother, Jennifer Catazaro Hayward. In 2017, he began training with Darla Hoover at Ballet Academy East in New York City on full scholarship. There, he was awarded the prestigious David Howard Foundation Scholarship and performed the lead in George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht. In 2018, Cameron was accepted into Miami City Ballet School on a full scholarship, where he performed the lead role in George Balanchine’s Serenade. In 2023, he was included in Dance Magazine's yearly top 25 to watch.

He joined MCB as a corps de ballet dancer in 2019, was promoted to Soloist in 2023, and principal soloist in 2024. 

Nick Davies, founder of The Rossini Club, Nantucket's Own Chamber Music Festival, 

is the Bass/Utility Clarinet of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and was formerly the Principal Clarinet of the Great Falls Symphony and the Chinook Winds. Mr. Davies has a strong interest in contemporary music and has held past fellowships with Ensemble Modern’s Klangspuren Schwaz, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, and Spoleto Festival USA. As a composer, his commissions include those from the Houston Grand Opera, Midic Winds, Eureka Ensemble, Webster Trio, and the Chicago Harp Quartet. Nick holds degrees from Rice University and the University of Southern California.

Peter DeCarlo started dancing at age 5 on Nantucket, MA. He started his training at the Nantucket Dance Space owned and started by Michelle Birmingham. Peter continued his training at the School of American Ballet, working with multiple guest teachers Noah Gelber, Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck, and the esteemed SAB faculty. Peter joined the New Jersey Ballet in early spring 2025 as an apprentice, and currently dances there in as a corps de ballet member. 

Wesley Ducote is a third-year Piano Fellow at the New World Symphony. As a collaborator, Mr. Ducote has been featured with many of today’s brightest stars including composer/vocalist Kate Soper, Emmy Award-winning composer and Vietnamese folk musician Van Anh Vo, flutists Leone Buyse and Carol Wincenc, soprano Ana Maria Martinez, and many others. He has served as principal keyboardist with the Shepherd School Symphony and the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. As a chamber musician he has been a featured artist with MUSIQA and the Nantucket Rossini Club, and in 2017 was selected by the Shepherd School of Music to perform with the Gyldfeldt quartet from Leipzig. Mr. Ducote has even worked as a keyboardist/composer in his own jazz-fusion sextet Steve Cox’s Beard.

As a California-based dancer with influences from Sacramento, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, AJ Howard brings a unique style and energy to the Lindy Hop community. Getting introduced to the world of Lindy Hop at the age of 19, AJ quickly took an appreciation to dance, and he burst into the scene in 2016, winning competitions throughout the US with his partner Jennifer, showing the dance world what Sacramento really had to offer! Competing at international events such as Camp Hollywood and the International Lindy Hop Championships, AJ became well known for his generous use of aerials paired with his energetic dancing. AJ has also had the honor of performing with dance groups such as "SWING OUT," HellaBlackLindyHop, San Francisco Jitterbugs, and the Midtown Stompers, and the privilege to spread his love of dance through teaching at Lindy Hop events in the US, on a Carnival Cruise ship, and overseas in countries such as Denmark and Sweden.

A Memphis native & jookin' dancer, Dra'em was inspired to dance by his father, an amateur gangsta walker. He showed his son the basics and took him to his first jookin’ sessions. He says, “I’ve been inspired by every jooker, old and new, as I was introduced to the culture.”

Dra'em has performed with Lil' Buck around the country and is a member of the crew 901.ent/The Dream Team, and appeared with them in a Kerwin Frost Adidas television commercial. He is committed to meditation as a daily practice and feels it has made a great difference in his life: “When you get on the floor after meditating, it’s like you’re in the flow. Meditating is definitely the way to go.” 

Dirk received his bachelors in Health Science and his Masters in Physical Therapy from Quinnipiac University in 2008 and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Temple University in 2015.  He is also a board certified orthopedic specialist (OCS) and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and Registered in Musculoskeletal Sonography (RMSK).  Dirk has also worked as a strength and conditioning coach with New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet, building on his experience as a gymnast in his youth.

In 2025, Dirk completed his Master's Degree in Data Science from CUNY School of Professional Studies. His passion is to stay up to date with the latest research, science and evidence that will provide the best possible outcomes for his patients. 

Laura Kaufman grew up in Overland Park, Kansas and received a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona.  She recently performed in the production of Sugar Hill Nutcracker  directed and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse and is currently dancing at The Metropolitan Opera. Laura is co-director of Woman in Motion, a project-based dance company in NYC.  Previously she spent a  year on the road with the Broadway tour of CATS following a year with the first national tour of An American in Paris. Prior to her time on tour, Laura danced with City Ballet of San Diego followed by Odyssey Dance Theatre in SLC where she performed many principal roles and did two international tours.

She has danced works by Christopher Wheeldon, Andy Blankenbuehler, Joshua Bergasse, Caleb Teicher, Lorin Latarro, Alexei Ratmansky, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Bonnie Story, Derryl Yeager, Betsey Wistrich, Michael Tevlin, Gary Christ, Ann Reinking, and many others. While in Salt Lake City, Laura taught for the Ballet West Academy as well as company class for Odyssey. She currently teaches at BDC, Steps on Broadway, Ballet Arts, and holds her own open classes around the city. Laura is a versatile dancer and teacher and thrives on being immersed in many aspects of the dance world.

Robenson is a New York-based dance artist performing, choreographing, and teaching Haitian Folklore, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, and Afro-based dance styles. From 2012-2022, he worked as a principal dancer in the international Compagnie de Danse Jean Rene Delsoin, based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In 2017, he created the platform "Robenson Dance & Fitness" to support better health and dance training in Haiti and abroad, and in 2021, he created the course “Rabòday Fit” taught regularly at Fit4Dance studios in Brooklyn, NY. His goal is to spread joy by building awareness of Afro-diaspora dance and exchanging with fellow dance artists in this industry.

Robenson recently completed an artist-in-residence with Haiti Cultural Exchange’s Lakou NOU 2022 Program. Robenson is the Founding Artistic Director of NANM,  A Robenson Mathurin Dance Company. 

Emiko Nakagawa is a Japanese tap dance artist currently based in NYC. She went on to further develop her tap artistry with Yukiko “Smilie” Misumi’s mentorship at the age of 8, and she served as dance captain on various stages, including ARTN Company’s solo “Legends of Tap” series, and “Tokyo International Tap Festival”from 2015 to 2020 in Japan. 

Before coming to NY, she achieved international recognition through performing at the show “JUBA!” at Chicago Tap Festival, and the show at Big Apple Tap Festival in NY. 

She also has had success at many international tap dance contests. She was a winner of both Woodshed Experience and LA Tap Fest cutting contests in 2019. In the tap dance contest KAWASAKI TAP FESTIVAL in Japan, she won six prizes until 2016 and was the champion in 2017. 

After coming to NY, Emiko works for Caleb Teicher & Company, Dorrance Dance and more of New York based dance companies.

She is an alumnus of The School at Jacob’s Pillow 2023.

She successfully made her first circus appearance which New York Circus Project are the presenting organization in 2025.

Most recently, Emiko was selected for Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch”  for 2026.

Her choreographies and performances have been shown at 54 Below, Symphony Space, The Joyce Theater, World of Dance (Headliner), 92NY, Vail Dance Festival and more, and she has a great appreciation for working and performing with amazing artists in U.S.

Heather Olcott is heading into her sixth season as the stage manager with Boston Ballet.

Select credits include: Production Stage Manager for Dance Theatre of Harlem, Stage Manager for Andrew McNicol’s Cinderella (Tulsa Ballet), Stage Manager for Fall For Dance Festival (NY City Center), Assistant Stage Manager for Vail Dance Festival, Stage Manager for The Nutcracker (Tulsa Ballet), Stage Manager for the Gerald Arpino Centennial Celebration, substitute Assistant Stage Manager for Puffs (Off-Broadway), Production Stage Manager for How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Musical! (National Tour), and Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor for 42nd Street (National Tour). B.A. in Dance and a minor in Stage Management from Point Park University. 

Mark Stanley, an essential element of the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival for past years, is a lighting designer and production manger extraordinaire who ensures every performance looks the way it should. In Mark's words, "as lighting designers, we have the great fortune of being artists working in a medium that uniquely reflects and reveals the world. It is not only how we see, but it is also how we experience what we see."

Mark has been designing light for movement, music, text, and camera in a 40+ year career. Leaning on the collaborative nature of the work, Mark has worked to embody and reflect light to provoke the viewer’s imagination, bringing story, emotion, and beauty to performances and audiences throughout the US and Europe.

Mark is also a committed educator of the next generation of lighting designers and a fervent believer in the importance of creating opportunities for young designers as they navigate the transition from their academic careers to professional design.

Kaitlyn Sardin grew up in Orlando and has been Irish dancing since the age of seven, beginning her journey with the Watters School of Irish Dancing and has won multiple World titles. 

As a college student at the University of South Florida and then New York’s Hofstra University, Sardin continued her Irish dance training at the Drake School and the Doherty Petri School. She has toured with the Chicago-based Trinity Irish Dance Company and was invited to audition for So You Think You Can Dance. (While she didn’t make the top 20 on the show, you can spot her in the Season 17 commercial.) 

Her recent performances include dancing with Jean Butler in the critically acclaimed "What We Hold" show at the Irish Arts Center in New York City, and she was recently voted as one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" for 2024. In 2025, she was part of Beyonce's world tour.

Jake Vincent was born in Atlantic City and grew up in Flemington, New Jersey He attended the Taylor School Summer Intensive in 2012, and received a B.F.A. in Dance and Dance Education in 2014 from Montclair State University. He performed with Rioult Dance NY, Von Howard Project, DiMauro Dance, Zullo/Raw Movement, 360Dance Company, Mazzini Dance Collective, 10 Hairy Legs, Douglas Dunn and Dancers and Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance. He joined Taylor 2 in summer 2017. He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Winter 2020.