Meet Our Faculty
Department Chair
Nelly van Bommel
Associate Professor of Dancenelly.van-bommel@purchase.edu- License (BFA), Universite de Nice Sophia Antipolis (France)
- License (BA), Universite de Provence (France)
- Maitrise (MA), University of Burgundy (France)
- MFA, Purchase College, SUNY
- DEA, University of Paris, Sorbonne (France)
Full-Time Faculty
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Darrah Carr
Associate Professor of DanceDirector of the Conservatory of Dancedarrah.carr@purchase.edu- BFA, Wesleyan University
- MFA, New York University
- PhD, Texas Woman’s University
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Ted T. Kivitt
Associate Professor of Danceted.kivitt@purchase.edu- Principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre
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Martin Løfsnes
Assistant Professor of Dancemartin.lofsnes@purchase.edu- Trained at London Contemporary Dance School, Ailey School, and Martha Graham School
- Artistic director, 360° Dance Company
- Former principal dancer, Martha Graham Dance Company
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Stephanie Tooman
Associate Professor of Dancestephanie.tooman@purchase.edu- BFA, The Juilliard School
- MFA, Purchase College, SUNY
Part-Time Faculty
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Thomas Baird
Lecturer of Dance; Lecturer of Musicthomas.baird@purchase.edu- BA, Empire State College, SUNY
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Maria Bauman
Lecturer of Dance -
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Caroline Copeland- Nizam
Lecturer of Dance- MFA in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College
- BA Goucher College
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Bradley Teal Ellis
Lecturer of Dancebradley.ellis@purchase.edu- BFA, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
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RJ Figueroa
Lecturer of Dance -
Jean Freebury
Lecturer of Dance- Studied at the Alberta Ballet School, London Contemporary Dance School, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Merce Cunningham School
- Former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company
jean.freebury@purchase.eduChancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching, 2024-25
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Lisa Frey
Lecturer of Physical Education; Lecturer of Dancelisa.frey@purchase.edu- BA, Boston College
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Shawn Garnier
Lecturer of Danceshawn.garnier@purchase.edu- BA, Queens College, City University of New York
- MFA, Purchase College, SUNY
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Nattie + Hollis
Lecturers of Dance- Nattie Trogdon: BFA from SUNY Purchase
- Hollis Bartlett: BFA from NYU.
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Judy Lieff
Lecturer of Dancejudy.lieff@purchase.edu- BFA, New York University
- MFA, California Institute of the Arts
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Joseph Malbrough
Lecturer of Dancejoseph.malbrough@purchase.edu- Principal dancer, Chicago City Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Makarova and Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, and L’Opera de Lausanne, Switzerland
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Rosalind Newman
Lecturer of Dancerosalind.newman@purchase.edu- BS, University of Wisconsin
- PhD, University of Kent (England)
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Yael Levitin Saban
Lecturer of DanceYael.levitinsaban@purchase.edu- MFA, Hunter College
- BA, Columbia College, Chicago
- RAD Certified, Bat Dor Israel
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Peter James Saleh
Lecturer of Dancepeter.saleh@purchase.edu- BA, BM, Rutgers University
- MM, University of North Texas
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Joy Marie Thompson
Lecturer of Dance -
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Faculty Emeriti
Rosanna Seravalli
Professor Emerita of Dancerosanna.seravalli@purchase.edu- Studied in Florence, Italy, with Daria Collin, and at the American Ballet Theatre School, School of American Ballet, and Joffrey School of Ballet
- Soloist, American Ballet Theatre
Bettijane Sills
Professor Emerita of Dancebettijane.sills@purchase.edu- BPS, Empire State College, SUNY
Mette Spaniardi
Lecturer Emerita in Dance
Carol K. Walker
Dean and Professor Emerita of Dance- BA, Barat College
- SUNY Research Foundation Award Honoring Research and Scholarship in the Arts, 2002
