Introducing Members of the 2025-26 DEL Institute Cohort!
We’re delighted to introduce some of the members of this year’s DEL Institute – Teacher Certificate Program cohort!
This group of professionals joins us from across the United States—including New York, California, Missouri, and Massachusetts—as well as from Beijing, China.
Get to know some of our 2025 DEL Institute cohort members, and what they’re excited to learn this year, below!
Antavius Ellison
Gabriella Charter School | Los Angeles, CA
I am looking forward to learning new strategies and practices to improve my teaching pedagogy, and gaining self-affirming beliefs about myself as an educator.
Sam Bishop
Shooting Stars Performing Arts, Jo Ann Warren Studio | Central MA
I’m incredibly honored to join the DEL community and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the DEL Institute. I am thrilled to be refining my teaching and facilitation skills in this welcoming, rigorous, and supportive space. I’m looking forward to leaning deeply into my artistry with the expert DEL faculty and this incredible cohort of artists.
Dey De Guzmán
Riverside, CA
As a cohort member of the DEL Institute – Teacher Certificate Program, they hope to gain more skills as a dance mentor, alongside renewed confidence and creativity. They are looking forward to learning from and being inspired by the facilitators and other cohort members.
Maggie Fischer
Brooklyn College Preparatory Center for the Performing Arts, Mark DeGarmo Dance, Notes In Motion | Queens, NY
I’m most looking forward to connecting with other dance educators and getting to benefit from their varied experiences, and I’m hoping to leave DEL with a stronger community and more tools as an educator.
Nohely Gomez
Gabriella Charter Schools | Los Angeles, CA
I am most looking forward to the connections I will be making and nurturing within my dance pedagogy, DEL teaching methods, and among the DEL community of amazing educators. I am thrilled to learn something new that can support me in bringing my students a fun and immersive learning experience. I hope to expand my teacher toolbox, bridge pathways of creativity in the classroom, and share this knowledge with my students.
Julia Kulakova
New York, NY
I am looking forward to DEL’s creative, collaborative learning. I hope to receive new tools for sharing the joy of movement with my students.
Qiuting (Sunny) Lan
New York, NY
I am most looking forward to learning more about creative and student-centered approaches to dance education through the DEL Institute program. I hope to discover new ways to merge American dance education methods with Chinese dance traditions, so I can inspire more cross-cultural understanding through movement.
Sadie Levy
The Nest Program at P.S. 316 | New York, NY
I’m excited to embark on my DEL journey and learn more about my artist self through creation, choreography and collaboration! I’ve been a dancer my whole life, but have done very little teaching of it. It’s such an exciting next step for me to start interfering these two loves of mine. My hope is that some day I’ll teach dance in the DOE.
Damaris Mercado
New York, NY
I look forward to this new chapter with DEL as I explore bringing more dance into a music based legacy initiative I’ve been working on the past several years called the Mercado Project.
Aliyah Miller
Poly Prep Lower School | Bronx, NY
As someone that has always enjoyed combining my love of dance and my love of teaching young learners, I found myself drawn to the DEL Institute. With this program, I am most looking forward to expanding and enhancing my toolkit and refining my pedagogical approach. My hope is that from this experience, I will not only gain a deeper understanding of how I could teach young learners but also create lasting connections!
Marcia Parker-Dublin
Beanstalk International Bilingual School | Beijing, China
I was drawn to the DEL Institute because it radiates creativity, reflection, and community — exactly the kind of space where educators can grow and inspire one another.
Nia Robertson
MS 210Q/Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School | Long Island, NY
I am looking forward to connecting with my cohort to further my growth as a dancer and educator. I am very excited to find new ways to expand my pedagogical approach while using the DEL Dance Framework as a springboard to better cater to my students’ needs and interests.
Madeleine (Lena) Trotier
The Dance Academy St. Louis | St. Louis, MO
I came to the DEL program to deepen my teaching practice, and to learn new ways to weave history, artistry, and culturally responsive pedagogy into the heart of my classrooms. I am excited to connect with so many talented educators in this vibrant community, and to learn from both the faculty and my peers in this Institute.
It is deeply inspiring to engage with a wide range of dance educators who are passionate about making a positive impact in the field!
We can’t wait to share more about this incredible cohort!
Photos courtesy of the DEL Institute cohort members.