June's Contributing Artists

STEVEN BLANDINO (Dancer) is currently studying at Pace University as a BFA Commercial Dance major with a concentration in Choreography. As a performer, he has worked with Al Blackstone, Andy Blankenbuehler, Cherice Barton, Chase Brock, Scott Jovovich, and many more. He has worked with Lorin Latarro on "In Concert", and was recently featured as a dancer in the upcoming film "Subrahayam for Sale". His choreography credits include the 2015/14 Young Choreographer’s Festival, 2013 PMT Fall Series, 2013 Alvin Ailey Dance Soiree` (winner), The Hero Awards: honoring Jerry Mitchell, Kat Wildish Presents, NYC Festival of Schools, Runaways: the Musical, Elise: The Musical, and most recently the 2015 APAP Showcases at Peridance. He has set/shown work at the Alvin Ailey Theater, Symphony Space, Rutgers University, Pace University, Manhattan Movement Arts Center, Salvatore Capezio Theater, and Horizons in Dance. Steven has received both awards and recognition including the 2014 Diamond Choreography Award (American Dance Awards) and the Senior Choreography Award (United States Tournament of Dance).
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AUSTIN COATS (Choreographer) is a BFA Commercial Dance Major at Pace University. He has worked with and performed for choreographers such as Andy Blankenbuehler, Scott Jovovich, Paul Sutherland, Jessica Hendricks, and has performed with the Reidel Dance Theatre. His work has been presented at past Salons and in other venues across the city, and one of his pieces can be seen in this year’s Young Choreographers Festival at Symphony Space. Originally from North Carolina, he choreographed and performed for the theatre group, The Talent Company, of which he is a founding member.
JORDI COATS (Producer) Previously, Jordi has worked with Binder Casting, Tara Rubin Casting, and Telsey + Company casting. Recently she was an associate producer of the award-winning "Mother Jones and the Children's Crusade" at this years NY Musical Theatre Festival. Previously, Jordi asst. directed and associate produced "Volleygirls" at NYMF in 2013 (Best of Fest), IAMA Theatre Co's "Shiner" (asst. director), and has been collaborating on many film projects in the area. Jordi continues to work with "Volleygirls", producing cabarets and other fund-raising campaigns for organizations such as "It Gets Better" around NYC. She is a graduate of the Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in NC, she founded The Talent Company, a theatre company for middle and high school students in the Uwharrie region that is currently in its 7th season. Jabali. 
ASHLEY GUNSTEENS (Producer) is a Brooklyn-based actor and director with a penchant for movement and ensemble-based work. Her favorite recent projects include What Every Girl Should Know  ("Best Ensemble" NY Fringe Festival 2013), Volleygirls The Musical  (“Best of Fest” NYMF 2013), All My Children, Julius Caesar,  and How I Learned to Drive. She is also the creator of the NYC fashion & lifestyle blog, SOUTHbySOHO.com, which you are more than welcome to read HERE and then tell all your friends about. www.ashleygunsteens.com
JORDAN MARIE HAYES (Dancer) grew up in Neptune, New Jersey.  She lived there for eighteen years until she moved out of the small beach town to study Commercial Dance at Pace University for the past three years. Post graduation she plans to use her knowledge and training to a degree of  professionalism that will expand her mind and her resume in all aspects of the art form. She has had the privilege of working with choreographers such as Dee Caspary, Jason Samuel Smith, Liana Blackburn, Martha Nichols and Al Blackstone.
MELISSA MCCANN (Dancer) Melissa is excited to be making her second appearance at the salon! Most notable credits include Off-Broadway: Paint Your Wagon (NY City Center Encores!), NYC Workshops: Nine Fathers of Ariel (Young Jeanne), & Take the Stage: Sing and Dance with Broadway Stars at Carnegie Hall! Melissa is going to be a senior (whattt?) at Pace University in the Commercial Dance program and is a proud AEA member. She is so excited to be performing with her two best friends!!
JAMEN NANTHAKUMAR & LIANA WRIGHT (composer, book of Elise respectively) began writing for the Musical Theatre under the tutelage of Ryan Scott Oliver where they developed their newest piece: ELISE.  ELISE is a folk-western musical about a fourteen year-old girl, Elise, who is brought up in a Brothel in 1910 Stockton, California. After her mother’s mysterious death, the Madame of the Brothel, Vera, takes Elise under her wing, where she finds love, sex, and the lust of revenge.  Their work has been featured at venues such as 54 Below, Urban Stages, New World Stages, Don’t Tell Mama and NYU Kimmel Center.  During the spring, ELISE had a full staged reading at Pace University as a part of Pace New Musicals.  They are currently in the middle of rehearsals for the upcoming production of ELISE as a part of the Planet Connections Festival at the Paradise Factory Theatre on E 4th Street.
NUTZ AND BOLTZ (Improv) is a long form Improv team based originally out of Marymount Manhattan College. The members appearing tonight have spent years performing together and generally being silly off of the top of their head. Favorite group interests include group jumping jacks, blood pacts, animal sacrifices, and lying in company bios.
JAMILA REDDY (Spoken Word) is a queer/blk/woman from the South. Each of these identities informs the other, and she likes to think, talk, and write about how. Jamila is a writer, theatre maker, and facilitator of dreams. She wants to make art that feels like coming home. She wants to make art that feels like leaving home. She wants to make art about home. She wants to make her home her art. She wants to make art her home. Jamila will be attending California Institute of the Arts in the fall to get her MFA in Creative Writing. She’s based in Brooklyn, for now, but always in pursuit of magic wherever it may be. To find out more, please visit jamilareddy.com.
JAMIE SEROW (Musician) is a teacher, guitarist, singer/songwriter, saxophonist, and composing pianist. He began regularly performing music at the age of 14, mostly via participation in several award winning ensembles including the Iona College Pep Band, New Rochelle High School Symphonic, Marching, and Jazz Bands, the P.A.V.E. Jazz Combo, and several peer-formed rock bands. While completing his undergraduate education, Jamie continued to participate in Wind Symphony and Spacecataz, his own rock band, while teaching privately in Rochester, NY and Westchester County, NY. In the last seven years, additional to his primary work as a music educator, Jamie has participated in several performance and recording projects, including his alternative rock band The Rift, as well as the recording, mastering, and release of  a solo EP.
SEXY FRIDAY PRODUCTIONS - Jordi Coats, Elijah Cornell, Christina Ramirez (Music Video) SFP is an up and coming production company dedicated to producing original video shorts for the amusement of all. We especially like doing things that are sexy and on Fridays. Jordi, Christina and Eli's diverse backgrounds in casting, directing, writing, performing, and editing make them a dynamic team. Their videos can be found on their YouTube page and are probably about to go viral any minute so do yourself a favor and say that you were on the bandwagon first.