company bios

HEIDI LATSKY (Artistic Director) Click to see full biography.

JEREMY ALLIGER/ALLIGER ARTS (Co-Producer), the Executive Producer of Alliger Arts, was the founder and Artistic and Executive Director of Dance Umbrella for 20 years, one of the most active producers of contemporary dance in the United States. He is currently producing Heidi Latsky Dance's GIMP and the award winning one-man musical theater production Coming up for Air: An AutoJAZZography.

Jeremy is the Producer/Creator of Cool Heat Urban Beat, an international Jazz Tap/Hip Hop percussive touring show that had it's International Premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival . He has produced more than 15 unique festival gatherings and touring productions, including the first-ever Aerial Dance Festival, Jazz Tap and Hip Hop festivals, the unprecedented International Festival of Wheelchair Dance, and the world premiere of Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project. He received the prestigious State of Massachusetts "Commonwealth Award," the National Disability Rights "Eagle" award and Emerson College's "Alumni Achievement" Award. He was a featured speaker at the Kennedy Center's National Forum on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities. He has served as a Panel Chair at the National Endowment for the Arts, the Boston Cultural Council, and a panelist and artistic advisor for a long list of organizations, including the MacArthur and Guggenheim Foundations. alligerarts@gmail.com; www.alligerarts.org

JEFFREY FREEZE (Associate Director) began his career as a muppet, touring with Sesame Street Live. Since moving to New York in 1996 Freeze has worked with Michael Mao Dance, Phi Dance Theater, Sense Dance and Bruce Webber's 'No Chance Ensemble'. He served as both choreographer and principal dancer for Infinity Dance Theater and played Snow Boy and Big Deal in Robert La Fosse's 'West Side Story' tour. His Broadway debut was with Matthew Bourne's 'Swan Lake' and his film debut was in 'Dirty Dancing'. Freeze now serves as Principal Dancer and Associate Director for Heidi Latsky Dance.

BETH NAVON (Board President) has been an administrator in the non-profit sector for over twenty-five years.  Recognized for her expertise in the mental health field she has traveled all over the country to be on panels, lead workshops and moderate national conferences. In her most recent capacity as Executive Director of an organization focusing on juvenile justice, she created a nationally recognized service delivery model for youth re-entering the community after incarceration and has published several articles and a book chapter describing how to replicate the model. One of the strongest elements of the programming model was to incorporate yoga, dance, and the creative arts

A life long passion for the arts, particularly modern dance, led Ms. Navon in 1994 to establish her own dance company with the assistance of Heidi Latsky. The company, named "3/45" was for women forty-five years old and up.

Ms. Navon graduated from Simmons College School of Social Work with a Masters degree in Social Work in 1973.  In 2003 Ms. Navon was certified in Executive Management from Columbia University's School of Business.

LEZLIE FRYE is an activist, performance artist, poet and scholar. She is a member of SINS Invalid, a San Francisco–based artists collective exploring intersections of sexuality and dis/ability and of GIMP, a interdisciplinary dance project of Heidi Latsky Dance, based in New York. Frye aims to address intersecting forms of oppression and to locate critical resistance in the foxy bodies of cripples everywhere. She is currently a doctoral student in the American Studies Program, Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University. Frye's academic work explores intersections of dis/ability, race, gender, sexuality and nation, with particular interest in art and aesthetics, citizenship and the politics of life and death. For info on performances, workshops, lectures and artist residencies, e-mail lezliefrye@gmail.com; or visit gimpsgotgame.com

LAWRENCE CARTER-LONG has performed with Heidi Latsky Dance in GIMP since 2007. He works as the Executive Director for the Disabilities Network of NYC and is the founder and curator of the groundbreaking disTHIS! Film Series: disability through a whole new lens, which has been featured in The New York Times Sunday Style section. As a commentator, Lawrence has appeared on the BBC, CNN, NBC's Today Show and NPR, among other regional, national and international outlets.  He is also a producer on WBAI's Largest Minority radio show. A popular public speaker on a wide array of topics ranging from disability issues to animal advocacy to media literacy, Lawrence regularly facilitates workshops at colleges and conferences across the nation.  Lawrence was honored to receive the Frieda Zames Advocacy Award from NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on August 12, 2009. In March 2010, he will be presented with the Paul G. Hearne Award, an annual honor presented by the American Association of People with Disabilities to recognize emerging leaders within the national cross-disability civil rights movement.

CATHERINE LONG is a Performance Artist. Central to her work is the individual and collective body, the subjective and objective experience with a focus on observation and perception. Her work explores and addresses issues of objectification, absence and presence, restriction and freedom, control, embodiment and symmetry. A key aim of her work is for people to gain insight into how perceptions of ourselves are shaped by our perceptions of others. Recent performances include Tate Modern, London (2007), Chisenhale Dance Space, London (2006), NottDance (2004), Community/Performance Conference in Rhode Island (2004), and Jerwood Space (2004). Catherine has been working with Heidi Latsky Dance in GIMP since April 2008. She has a BA (Hons) in Arts Therapies.

CHRISTINA BRIGGS has been dancing with Heidi Latsky since 2000, performing lead roles in Flat Line and Club Riot. She was born in Virginia, where she danced with the Richmond Ballet and earned a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Since moving to New York in 1996, she has danced for many choreographers, including Carrie Ahern, Pat Cremins, and Susan Osberg.  Christina performs for children nationwide with the Hudson Vagabond Puppets, where she is also the Rehearsal Director. Christina is the Co-Director and Choreographer of Incidents Physical Theater, a company producing collaborative dance theater pieces.  She has staged her choreography at the University of Florida, Gainesville and the College of Lake County and taught master classes at many universities, including Colorado State University, Frostburg State University, Montclair State University, Penn State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Christina is also a Pilates instructor, teaching privately and at Groundfloor Exercise since 1999.  This year she will join the faculty of Hofstra University.

NATE CRAWFORD (Co-choreographer for Aerial Piece/Performer) was originally groomed as a gymnast. He competed for the University of Illinois at Chicago graduating with a Bachelors of Business Administration. After four years of working in a traditional management role, he decided to try performing for just one year. That was over ten years ago and Nate is still performing all around the world. Highlights have included a solo for the King of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, TODAY Show performance with Anti-Gravity, opening cast of Mystic Rhythms at Tokyo Disney Sea, and hundreds of other wonderful moments. With over a decade of experience, Nate is most excited about performing with Jennifer. Her passion and determination is enough to invigorate even the most experienced veteran.

JENNIFER BRICKER (Co-choreographer for Aerial Piece/Performer), despite being born without legs always had a passion for tumbling and gymnastics.  Throughout her life she competed in power tumbling for four years, volleyball for two years, and softball for three years, none of which were handicap sports.  After graduating high school Jennifer decided to move to Orlando, Florida to work for Walt Disney World.  After being in Florida almost a year Jen met Nate Crawford, little did she know he would be introducing her to a whole new life as an acrobat.  Ever since Jen and Nate met they have been training and working on new acts to inspire and motivate.

FRANK PONZIO (Musical Director) has earned wide acclaim and admiration for the integrity, sensitivity, and passion of his playing. A graduate of Indiana University School of Music, Frank has performed and collaborated with numerous distinguished artists such as Ben Vereen, Phil Donahue and Baby Jane Dexter. He performs regularly with Aisha Morris (Stevie Wonder's daughter). As a composer, Frank has written for TV commercials, plays, and film. As an educator, Frank has been especially active in the community. He has enjoyed a fifteen-year association with Jacques d'Amboise and National Dance Institute (NDI), serving as its Music Director from 1991 to 1994. Since 1997, he has been the music teacher and dance accompanist for wheelchair-mobile students at PS 199 in New York.

collaborators past and present

MARTY BELLER (Composer)

CHRIS BRIERLEY (Composer)

SEAN CURRAN (Guest Choreographer)

LESLEY DILL (Visual Artist)

MATTHEW EGGLETON (Production Manager)

KATJA ESSON (Filmmaker)

MARY FULHAM (Director/Playwright)

KRIS LEFCOE (Filmmaker)

DOUG ROSENBERG (Visual Artist)

SXIP SHIREY (Composer)

STAN STRICKLAND (Composer)

NATHAN TRICE (Dancer/Choreographer)

VALERIA VASILEVSKI (Director)

ROBERT WIERZEL (Lighting Designer)

RANDALL WOOLF (Composer)