January 8, 2025

Dance/USA Announces New Officers and Trustees to its Board of Trustees

Dance/USA, the national service organization for the dance ecosystem, announced today its new Board of Trustees.   

Under the stewardship of Board Chair Abdo Sayegh Rodriquez (executive director, TU Dance, Saint Paul, MN), the following are newly elected Officers: Juan José Escalante (executive director, Miami City Ballet, Miami, FL) as Board Chair Elect; Victor Torres (professor, director, vice president, California State University, Fresno/ Fresno State’s Los Danzantes de Aztlán / Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos, Fresno, CA) as Vice Chair; Natalie Marrero (cultural affairs supervisor for cultural programming, City of Santa Monica, Los Angeles, CA) as Treasurer; and Indira Goodwine-Josias (senior program director for dance, New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), Boston, MA and New York, NY) as Secretary. Find a complete list of the Executive Committee here.  

The Board of Trustees nominated seven new members to serve a three-year term:   

• LaTasha Barnes (associate professor of dance at Arizona State University; artistic director of The Jazz Continuum, NY/AZ) 

• Ginger Farley (Chicago, IL) 

• Sydnie Liggett-Dennis (executive director, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, New York, NY) 

• Prumsodun Ok (founder, Kind Council; founder, Prumsodun Ok & NATYARASA, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) 

• Dr. Sheyi Ojofeitimi (director of therapy services, Alvin Ailey; founder & CEO Boundless Roots Inc; Co-Director Dance Ready Project, New York, NY) 

• Dr. Michelle Ramos (executive director, Camille A. Brown; founder, Ramos Coaching, New Orleans, LA) 

• Daniel Phoenix Singh (executive director, Kalanidhi Dance, Bethesda, MD) 

“I am deeply honored to welcome a remarkable group of leaders to the Board of Trustees at Dance/USA. Together with our current Trustees and Executive Director, Kellee Edusei, we will continue to guide and steward the organization, ensuring its vitality and sustainability as a vital service organization for the dance ecosystem. I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my colleagues who have completed their terms on the Board. Your invaluable contributions have helped shape Dance/USA’s success,” said Board Chair Sayegh Rodriguez. 

The following members of the Dance/USA Board of Trustees rotated off the Board on December 31, 2024:   

• Holly Bass, artistic director, Holly Bass|360; national director, Turnaround Arts; Washington, DC  

• Shane Fernando (secretary), chief executive officer, Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts; Wilmington, NC  

• Anne Huang (immediate past chair), executive director, World Arts West; San Francisco, CA  

• Antoine Hunter (at-large), founder and artistic director, Urban Jazz Dance Company, Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival; Oakland, CA  

• Ellen Walker, executive director, Pacific Northwest Ballet; Seattle, WA  

“We are grateful for the leadership, expertise, thought partnership, and guidance these Trustees provided Dance/USA during their time on the Board,” said Dance/USA Executive Director Kellee Edusei. “Each have made an indelible impact on Dance/USA — deepening our commitment to equity, inclusion and justice; to being present in community; and to embodying what it means to be in humble service to the dance ecosystem.” 

Find a complete list of the new Dance/USA Board of Trustees here.  

About Dance/USA 
Propelled by our belief that dance can inspire a more just and humane world, Dance/USA will amplify the power of dance to inform and inspire a nation where creativity and the field thrive.  

Established in 1982, Dance/USA champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading, convening, advocating, and supporting individuals and organizations.  Dance/USA’s core programs are focused in the areas of engagement, advocacy, research, and preservation. Learn more about Dance/USA at danceusa.org.