Faculty
The Faculty for the Spring 2025 Semester Program will be announced in Summer 2024, but the majority of the faculty listed below will be returning for 2025.
(Director, USF Dance in Paris Programs; Professor of Dance, 91社区) is an internationally recognized choreographer and dance teacher who has enjoyed a long creative and cultural association with France. He holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington and a BA from Bates College. Foley received a Fulbright Award for his work in Mexico, as well as the Ruth Page Visiting Artist Award at Harvard University. His own work has been commissioned by over 25 different dance companies in 8 countries, and he has worked with a diverse range of artists and institutions including Cirque du Soleil, Delfos Danza Contempor谩nea in Mexico, DanzAbierta in Havana, Trinity College in Dublin, la Compa帽ia Nacional de Danza Contempor谩nea de la Rep煤blica Dominicana, Balettakademien in Stockholm, the Bates Dance Festival, the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, and Dance Theatre Workshop in NYC, among many others. He created the first USF Dance in Paris Program in 2007, and since then, has welcomed over 300 students from 25 different colleges and universities to study in Paris.
(On-Site Program Co-Coordinator, Contemporary Dance technique, World Dance and Culture) is a native of Kenya and holds an M.F.A. in dance choreography and performance from Temple University. She began her dance training in Kenya, East Africa and later studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, American Dance Festival and Philadanco. As a performer, Kamuyu has toured nationally and internationally with world-renowned choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar/Urban Bush Women. She has also worked with choreographers Molissa Fenley, Sean Curran, Marlies Yearby, Nathan Trice/RITUALS, Tania Isaac, and Dean Moss. She was an original cast member in Julie Taymor鈥檚 Broadway musical, The Lion King at Th茅芒tre Mogador, Paris for three years. Immediately followed by a successful run of Bill T. Jones鈥� FELA! at the Royal National Theater where she was an original cast member, Kamuyu served in the roles of Staff Choreographer, Dance Captain and Universal Swing. She is also the Artistic Director of WKcollective, where she creates and tours her own work at several well-respected venues for dance and theater throughout the world. She has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2015.
(Choreography) is one of the most sought-after contemporary ballet choreographers and teachers today. His career spans some of the greatest contemporary ballet companies on the planet, including tenures with the Cleveland Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, William Forsythe/Ballet Frankfurt (1991 鈥� 1999, Principal Dancer) and Gothenborg Ballet (1999 - 2002, Principal Dancer). He has also been Ballet Master for the Royal Swedish Ballet (2002 鈥� 2003) and Nederlands Dans Theater (2004 鈥� 2010), helping them to restage many classic works, as well as creating his own. Causey has received choreographic commissions for his own works from companies as diverse as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Company C/San Francisco, and New Dance Company/Amsterdam, among many other. Originally from Alabama, he is currently based in Amsterdam and continues to work internationally. Maurice has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Program since 2016.
Sherwood Chen (Body Weather / Contemporary Dance) is a performer who has worked with artists including Grisha Coleman, Yuko Kaseki, Amara Tabor-Smith, Anna Halprin, Min Tanaka, Xavier Le Roy, l鈥檃gence touriste, inkBoat / Ko Murobushi, Arcane Collective and Sara Shelton Mann. Sherwood leads workshops in studio and in natural and urban landscapes internationally, and has taught in spaces including M茅nagerie de Verre, Oficina Cultural Oswald de Andrade, Independent Dance / Siobahn Davies Studios, K3 Tanzplan, SESC Mato Grosso, Chez Bushwick, ODC Dance Commons, Centro Nacional de las Artes, Dock 11, UC Berkeley, Arlequi and Earthdance. He has been an artist in residence in places including the Headlands Center for the Arts, ODC, Fazenda S茫o Jo茫o, 脡cole des Sables, Cap Quinze in Marseille, Cultural Exchange Station in T谩bor (CESTA), Dans Les Parages / Cie Christophe Haleb and Point 脡ph茅m猫re. For over twenty years, he has contributed to Body Weather research initiated by Tanaka and his colleagues. This is Sherwood鈥檚 second time teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs. Sherwood has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2020.
(Ballet) trained in classical dance at the Conservatory of Paris before joining the Conservatoire National Sup茅rieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) in contemporary dance. In 2005, she obtained her certificate, receiving high honors for her performance in the duet L鈥橢au Vive, choreographed by Christine Bastin. In the CNSMDP鈥檚 Junior Ballet, she toured in works by Paco Decina, Karin Waehner, Pedro Pauwels, and Herv茅 Robbe. A one-year stay at the University of California at Irvine allowed her to participate in Yvonne Rainer鈥檚 workshops. She subsequently worked with various contemporary choreographers, notably Jean-Claude Gallotta in Hamlet (Un Songe), at the Od茅on Theater in Paris, and companies: Le Guetteur Luc Petton, Marie-Laure Agrapart, Le Nouveau Jour, Les Cavatines, Paul les Oiseaux, Dance Theater Luxembourg, and Bill Young Dance company in New York. She was a member of the CNDC Angers company directed by Robert Swinston from 2013 - 2020 with whom she danced in various repertory pieces by Merce Cunningham in France and the US. Anna started a collaboration with the visual artist Gr茅goire Schaller with whom she created site specific performances for museums and recently created her first evening length piece at M茅nagerie de Verre festival les Inaccoutum茅s. At the same time, Anna graduated with a master鈥檚 degree in Modern Literature at Sorbonne University and in Public Affairs at Sciences Po Paris. Anna is also a dance writer and co-founder of CCCdanse. Anna has been teaching for the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2017.
(Yoga) has been the owner and director of in Paris since its inception in 2001, Michelle has been practicing yoga since 1993. She received her initial through advanced teacher鈥檚 training from the Hatha Integral Yoga Institute founded by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Professionally trained in classical and contemporary dance, Michelle has danced and performed for over 30 years, teaching dance since 1987 and yoga since 2000. A student of anatomy and kinesiology at UCLA, upon graduation she continued her studies in New York. Michelle has also studied pre and postnatal child development and is a recent graduate in yoga therapy from l鈥橧nstitut de Yoga Th茅rapie which is headed by Doctor Lionel Coudron. She teaches and travels abroad leading yoga retreats to beautiful locations. Influenced by her Vipassana meditation practice, Michelle鈥檚 Hatha yoga classes accentuate fluidity in movement and breath traversing traditional and dynamic styles of Hatha. She has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since the first program in 2007.
(Ballet) graduated with a degree in Ballet from the Conservatoire National Sup茅rieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris. She danced for the Ballet Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence (Italy), the Grand Th茅芒tre of Limoges (France) and as a soloist with Francois Mauduit's company. Since July 2011 she's been a freelance dancer and assistant choreographer with Company M茅galithe. Lefaucheux holds the French National degree in teaching classical ballet. She teaches at the W.A. Mozart Conservatory in Paris (CMA Centre) and the Regional Conservatory in Paris. She is also a coach for professional dancers and has received specialized training in functional anatomy and musculoskeletal pathology (Concept Corporis Fabrica庐). She has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2017.
(Improvisation-based Contemporary) received his BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, and has danced with the companies of Joy Kellman, Maya Carroll, Melanie Lane, Johannes Wieland, Yann Lheureux, Eun Me Ahn, Brian Brooks Moving Company, Cie Scalene, Cie Epiderme and Christoph Winkler. He has been based in Europe since 2002 and his choreographic work has been presented at the MoDaFe Festival in Seoul, the Rohkunstbau Festival Berlin, Tanzim August Berlin, Biennale de la Danse OFF Lyon, Cabaret Inestable Valencia, Format Ardeche, Institut Francaise Alexandria Egypt, Festspielhaus St. P枚lten, Globalize Cologne, Theater Freiburg and at the St盲dtische B眉hne Heidelberg. An in-demand teacher, Lutes has taught classes and workshops for DOCK11 Berlin, (artist in residence from 2005 to 2010), Marameo Berlin, CND Lyon, Le Pacifique CDC Grenoble, CCN Grenoble, CCN Rillieux-la-Pape, Tanzfabrik Berlin, Sasha Waltz & Guests Berlin, Australian Dance Theatre, Suwon University Seoul, Kookmin University Seoul, and the Seoul School of Performing Arts. He has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2015.
(Choreography and Technique) grew up studying dance throughout the south of France, eventually leading her to a career as a choreographer and a dancer in Paris and New York. She has danced in the companies of Anne Dreyfus, Jennifer M眉ller, Quentin Rouiller, Corinne Lanselle, among others, while at the same time pursuing a choreographic career that has garnered praise and prizes throughout France, including the Parisian Volinine International Prize in 1993 and the first prize at the Choreographic Festival Synodale of Sens. Pubellier established her own company, L'ESTAMPE, which has received significant project-funding and gone on to perform in major venues throughout France, including L'脡toile du Nord, Les Jalouses Festival in Paris. She is highly regarded teacher, who regularly teaches class at one of Paris鈥檚 premier dance studios (Harmonic), as well as her current faculty position at Le Conservatoire National Sup茅rieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. She has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2016.
(Piso M贸vil 鈥� Floor Class) was born in Bogot谩, Colombia and trained at the ASAB Academy of Arts in Bogot谩. In 2003 he founded the contemporary dance company Cortocinesis where he developed his research and choreographic ideas, and at the same time created the "Mobile Floor" (Piso M贸vil) technique. The Room, one of his pieces, was a finalist in 10 Masdanza Canary Islands in 2005. La Mesa received the Creation Grant in Contemporary Dance in Bogot谩 in 2006 and was invited by the UNAM (University of Mexico) to Mexico City. His company participated in 2007 at the Festival of New Dance in Lima, Peru, and he has been a guest choreographer for creating Graduation pieces for the Academy of Superior Arts of Bogota and the School of Contemporary Dance in Mazatl脿n, Mexico and has created pieces for Delfos Danza Contempor谩nea. In 2008 he won the Fellowship in Contemporary Dance Creation in Bogot谩 for his work Papayanoquieroserpapaya which also received the 2010 National Dance Award from the Ministry of Culture. He has worked as a guest choreographer for Mexican companies as La Bruja, Tumak'at and Andanza. He has been Company dancer of D茅j脿 Donn茅 (Italy), Esther Aumatell Company, Compagnie des Anges and Compagnia Faizal Zeghoudi in France, Compagnia L'explose and Compa帽ia Psoas in Colombia among others. He has been touring the project "ESCrito Absurdo" with Omar Carrum since 2018. Vladimir has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2013
(West African Dance) is a native of Ivory Coast and has had a rich and diverse career as a performer, singer, dance maker and teacher. He has toured world-wide performing with the renowned Ivory Coast-based Ballet National Kot茅ba and Bouake; was the principle role, Isma毛l, (singer/dancer) for the Royal National Theater production of choreographer Bill T. Jones鈥� Broadway musical, FELA!; was a select performing artist for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA; and at a private event by L鈥橭r茅al for the honorable Prince of Monaco, Albert II celebrating art from the continent of Africa. Sylla鈥檚 choreographic experience includes the Ivory Coast National Television Station (TCI); celebrated artists Amadou and Mariam, C茅saria Evora, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Bocana Maiga and Oumaou Sangare and for the 2006 inauguration of the Museum Quai Branly (France). He was the assistant choreographer for George Momboye Dance Company (Paris, France) with whom he was also a performer. As a master teacher of Mali, Guin茅e and Ivory Coast traditional dances and contemporary Ivory Coast dance forms, Coup茅 D茅cal茅, Sylla has taught extensively in France as well as Uruguay, Chile, Germany, Switzerland, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. Alongside his dance career, Sylla is also a musician with two albums of work, 脟a D茅pend and Aventurier. Sylla has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2017.
(Ballet) began his career as a professional dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet under the direction of Rudolf Noureyev and performed in all of Noureyev鈥檚 productions including Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Raymonda and Sleeping Beauty. He also worked with and performed in ballets by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Maurice B茅jart, Carolyn Carlson, Roland Petit, John Neumeier and Ohad Naharin, among many others. He joined the Hamburg Ballet as a soloist under John Neumeier where he performed many of Neumeier鈥檚 ballets and toured internationally. He has also performed in new works by Patrick King, Redha Medjellekh and Adrianna Thompson in Europe, Asia and the United States. Mr. Thill is also a choreographer in his own right an as many of his works have been produced internationally. He is currently a celebrated GYROKINESIS庐 teacher where he has been leading major workshops for many years, as well as teaching ballet for the ACTS 脡cole de danse contemporaine in Paris.
(Contemporary) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Juilliard School in New York City in 1999 under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy and, upon graduating, became a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where she was a principal dancer for eight years. In 2007, Asha relocated to France to work as a freelance artist with several dance companies: Compagnie Moral Soul (Armorythmes), Compagnie Salia ni Seydou (Poussi猫res de Sang) , Rapha毛lle Delaunay (Bitter Sugar/EIKON/Ginger Jive), Richard Siegal /The Bakery (Glossopoeia), Prue Lang (Timeproject) and most recently with Philippe M茅nard (Air/ Hero茂ne - a solo for 2015). In 2009, she created and presented a solo "The Red Letter" at the Antipodes Festival (Le Quartz National Theater of Brest, France) and in 2010 relaunched herself into the creative process with "Mi Pe帽ita Negra鈥�, a flamenco-inspired solo, which has been performed in Germany, Morocco, and France. Asha also works with the Africa Regional Services (ARS) department of the US Embassy in France that sends American artists to countries within Africa to perform, give workshops, and other cultural outreach programs. Asha Thomas created Compagnie Ima in 2010. She has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2016.
(Contemporary Dance Technique & Forsythe Improvisation Technologies) is a Swiss-Brazilian choreographer and dancer who is now based in Paris. She joined the Geneva Junior Ballet in 2001 and continued her training within the European D.A.N.C.E program, directed by William Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, Angelin Preljocaj and Fre虂de虂ric Flamand. She has then danced with various choreographers, including Prue Lang, Vanessa Le Mat, Ioannis Mandafounis and Aoife McAtamney, and she joined The Forsythe Company in 2008. She began choreographing at an early stage in her career, creating pieces both for the stage and for museum spaces, with a cross-disciplinary approach to choreography. Based in Frankfurt between 2007 and 2014, Vallon set up her first company, Envy&P., and, alongside her artistic activity, she worked on setting up infrastructures for the development of the choreographic field. Until the end of 2013, she was co-director of these various projects before moving to France, where she obtained a Master鈥檚 degree in Visual Studies and worked as a curator in contemporary art before joining the K622 鈥� Mie虂 Coquempot company as a performer in 2016. In addition to her artistic activity, Vallon has been working for several years with structures such as the Centre National de la Danse, where she teaches ballet and various composition and improvisation techniques. Today, Vallon continues to explore her creative activity, focusing on collaborations with other artists and the cross-fertilization of disciplines, with music playing a central role in her approach. She also pays particular attention to the role of women in the dance world. Her new company, As Soon As Possible, which was created in 2019, is based in Paris. Nina has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2023.
(Choreography) was born in New Jersey and received her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of the Arts in 1992. She choreographed and performed in the USA with Group Motion, a Philadelphia based Company and from 1992-95 and with Karen Bamonte in 1996. In 1997 she moved to Germany and founded the Company "Zen in the Basement" with Jennifer Mann. They have created many works together which have been presented in theatres and festivals in Europe and abroad. Weiss has been teaching various modern techniques for many years. She has developed with Jennifer Mann the "Weissmann technique", which she continues to teach in workshops and Universities. Weiss was a Professor at Palucca Schule Dresden from 2004-07. She has been a guest artist in residence at Virginia Commonwealth University (USA), as well as at the Duncan Conservatory in Prague, London Contemporary (the place) in London, and SEAD in Salzburg. She has also given training to many companies such as Sasha Waltz and DV8 Physical Theatre. She has been teaching with the USF Dance in Paris Programs since 2017.