Faculty | Covenant Ballet

The faculty at CBT are committed to both high quality artistic training and the dancers' health and wellbeing. CBT Instructors include professional dancers and CBT alums. All are experienced with credentials and work as a team under the Artistic Director to provide dancers of all ages the best training possible.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & FOUNDER

ABT CURRICULUM

Rebeccah Brann

Rebeccah Brann began studying ballet at the age of 6 at Covenant Dance Studio (now Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn) with our very own Miss Marla. As a student, Rebeccah performed annually in Miss Marla’s original narrative ballets and many other works. After graduating with a Certificate of Dance from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in 2004, she danced professionally with Covenant Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer. She joined the faculty at Covenant Ballet Theatre Academy in 1995, and currently teaches Early Steps and Modern dance specializing in Horton technique. Rebeccah is also an Arts in Education Teaching Artist, Certified Personal Trainer, founder of HopeDanceNYC, and proud mother of four CBT Academy students, Tehilah, Irving, Verdinah and Dorothy.

Stephen Campanella

Stephen Campanella received his training at Princeton Ballet School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s graduate program, and the San Francisco Ballet School summer intensive. He has danced a variety of soloist, principal, and character roles with American Repertory Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, Covenant Ballet, and Dances Patrelle. He has performed works by Arpino, Ashton, Fokine, Limon, de Mille, Petipa, St. Leon, and Tudor, as well as by choreographers including Mary Barton, Gemma Bond, Patrick Corbin, Philip Jerry, Douglas Martin, Steven Melendez, Francis Patrelle, Kirk Peterson, Pam Tanowitz, and Marla Hirokawa. He has taught ballet and character at Princeton Ballet School, Bay Ridge Ballet, Covenant Ballet, and The Dance Conservatory in Westchester, and is a teaching artist for American Ballet Theater’s educational outreach. He is certified in all levels of the ABT National Training Curriculum. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Rutgers College with a B.A. in history and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Karina Fornazaro

Karina Fornazaro graduated from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, with a Master of Arts in Teaching Dance in the professions and American Ballet Theatre Pedagogy. She is an American Ballet Theater ABT® Certified Ballet Teacher in all levels of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is originally from Brazil, where she received her ballet training and obtained her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Psychology, focused on child development and educational processes. She has more than 10 years of experience teaching ballet and she continues to advocate for making dance an accessible art form

Tori Hey

Tori Hey was born in Sioux City, Iowa and raised in Chester, New Jersey. She began her dance training at age three in a variety of styles, but gravitated towards classical ballet as she grew older. Tori trained under world-renowned teachers such as, Alexandra Wells, Ernesta Corvino, Linda Kent, Francesca Harper, and Talin Kenar. Tori holds a BFA in Dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program where she was a recipient of the Agnes Varis Scholarship and the Ailey Artistic Scholarship. Tori has danced professionally and toured the United States with companies such as Arch Ballet, Ballets With A Twist, and Neville Dance Theater. Tori is an American Ballet Theater (ABT) Affiliate Teacher and has successfully presented students for ABT Exams. She teaches at schools throughout NYC and NJ such as Covenant Ballet Theatre, Princeton Dance and Theater Studio and Emotion in Motion Dance Center.

Nanako Kitagawa

Training: The École Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower in France and Goh Ballet Academy in Canada Professional Dance Experience: USA Ballet Company, Connecticut Ballet, Long Island Ballet & Atlantic Ballet

ABT© Certified Teacher in Primary through Level 7 of the ABT© National Training Curriculum.

Kristin Licata

Kristin Licata holds a BFA in dance from the Fordham/Ailey program. is an ABT® Certified Teacher in levels Primary through 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. After graduation, she worked with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II, Yuka Kawazu/Danse En L’air, Felice Lesser Dance Theatre, Regina Nejman and Company, Tamara Saari Dance, Vabang! and Vox Lumiere. Kristin is a freelance dancer in New York City working with Ariel Rivka Dance, Matthew Westerby Company,and Valerie Green/Dance Entropy. Kristin is the associate artistic director of the Matthew Westerby company. Kristin is an ABT® Certified Teacher in levels Primary through 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is on faculty at Elite Performing Arts Center in NJ and Rivertown Dance Academy in Tarrytown. She has been a dancer, teaching artist and Junior Company Advisor at CBT since 2007.

Brenda Neville

Brenda Neville performed and choreographed in over 18 countries with companies such as Milwaukee Ballet, Indianapolis Dance Company, AllNations Dance Company, Marc DeGarmo & Dancers, and Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn. She trained and performed at prestigious schools such as The Milwaukee Ballet, ABT/JKO School, The Ailey School, Miami City Ballet School, Butler University, and others. A versatile singer and actress, she trained at the Lee Strasberg Actors Studio in NYC and has performed lead roles in regional musical productions. She is the Founder, Executive Artistic Director, and Resident Choreographer of NEVILLE Dance Theatre, having choreographed two full length narrative ballets, seven concert length works, multiple stand-alone shorts, and numerous re-stagings over the company’s 18-year history. An active dance teacher, Miss Brenda’s teaching experience includes a Junior Division ballet faculty instructor at The Ailey School, Advanced Ballet, Pointe, Variations, and World Dance workshops at CBT Academy, and guest teaching at studios and schools around the country.

Colleen Rivera

Colleen Rivera is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota. She moved to Brooklyn, NY, in 2010. She is a graduate of Belhaven University with a BFA in Dance and minor in music, and has traveled around the world dancing with several performance companies. While living in NYC, she has worked with children of all ages in various childcare and teaching capacities. These include teaching the young children at American Ballet Theatre, Steps on Broadway, New York Generation, and several daycares and schools in the NYC area. She especially loves working with the very youngest dancers. Colleen is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also carries a certification in Intellidance®.

Joseph Tudisco

Joseph Tudisco was awarded full scholarships to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, The Alvin Ailey School, and the David Howard Ballet School. He pursued a dance major at SUNY Purchase and obtained his BA in Dance from SUNY Empire State College. Joseph danced on the Andy Williams show in Branson, MO, and served as a principal dancer with Covenant Ballet, Hope Dance NYC, Neville Dance, and other small dance companies. He also studied acting at HB Studios and trained with Patrick Page for acting and Paul Harman and Ken Davenport for musical theater. Moreover, he is a certified group instructor through AFAA and has taught jazz and contemporary dance at CBTB since 2008.