Welcome to the very first Dancers Who Choreograph Showcase! The Dancers Who Choreograph showcase is a new opportunity for up and coming choreographers to present their work in a professional environment. Many choreography showcases in NYC require submission fees and a full video of the piece the choreographers intend to present. This creates a barrier to entry for new choreographers trying to establish a professional portfolio of their work. The goal of Dancers Who Choreograph is to provide an affordable, professional platform for choreographers to flex their creative muscles through subsidized rehearsal space, no-fee submissions, and flexible submission requirements. DWC also aims to invite industry professionals such as casting directors, agents, directors, choreographers, and producers to the showcase, to not only provide networking opportunities for the choreographers, but for the dancers who are performing in their pieces as well.
Dancers Who Choreograph is the second branch of Dancers Who NYC, which started as Dancers Who Sing--a successful Green Room 42 cabaret produced by Viktoria Chiappa. Chiappa has teamed up with co-producers Sarah Juliet Shaw and Eric Brian Waters to expand the Dancers Who universe by providing more platforms for multi-hyphenate dancers to show their various professional skills.
Thank you so much to every single one of our choreographers, dancers, industry guests, and most of all--every single one of you in the audience and watching at home. We could not do this without your support.
-Viktoria, Sarah, and Eric
Viktoria is a New York City based actor/singer/dancer from Deep River, Connecticut. She is an Elon University graduate where she studied as an Acting BFA and Vocal Performance BA. In addition to acting, Viktoria skated on behalf of the Hungarian International Skating Team. She is a four time Hungarian National Competitor and competed in the Junior Grand Prix circuit for several years. Known for her vivacious and upbeat personality, Viktoria has been fortunate enough to work with many amazing artists in regional theaters through the country, such as Kansas City Starlight, Gateway Playhouse, Hanover Theatre and The Ivoryton Playhouse, among others. Viktoria has also performed in many concerts throughout New England and NYC. She is also the founder and producer of The Dancers Who Sing Cabaret in NYC.
I am honored to have had the opportunity to produce this event alongside Tori and Eric, who dove headfirst into this with me, and without a moments' hesitation. I am so grateful and I love you both!
Sarah's (she/her) TV credits include Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Apple TV's Physical, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. She also performed live at Maisel's Season 4 FYC Event and Season 5 Premiere Event (the viral "Pink Shoe Laces" performance). Other credits include regional productions of The Wedding Singer (Holly), Chicago (u/s Velma Kelly), The Little Mermaid, Flashdance, Saturday Night Fever, Jesus Christ Superstar, Elf: The Musical, Carousel, and Kiss Me, Kate.
Sarah currently teaches at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway and has also curated her own popular on-camera class called Camera Theater Jazz. As a choreographer, she has presented work at Jazz Choreography Enterprises the Broadway Dance Center Professional Semester Showcase, New York Theatre Barn Choreography Lab, recently choreographed Lagoona Bloo's opening set for the band Aqua at Irving Plaza, as well as the music video for her new lead single, Underwater Bubble Pop. Sarah has also had the opportunity to assist multiple choreographers and teachers in various capacities, including Marguerite Derricks, Rachel Leigh Dolan, Ricky Hinds, Lizz Picini, and Marjorie Failoni.
Sarah is a graduate of Skidmore College, from which she holds a Bachelor of Science in Dance, Psychology, and Arts Administration. Sarah is also a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. www.sarahjulietshaw.com @sarahjulietshaw
It has been such a joy to tackle this project with Sarah and Tori! Tori, your passion for bringing community together is a breath of fresh air in this whacky town. Sarah, your dedication to yourself and your work is constantly inspiring me, thank you for allowing me to work by your side and create with you as your associate on “NYC, 1978”. I’m honored to be a part of this team and grateful for the amount of hard work and laughs that have been shared along the way. I love you both to the moon and back. I would also like to thank Ripley-Grier Studios for providing me with steady and sustainable employment when I am not performing. I am incredibly lucky to have a home base where I feel supported and encouraged to follow my dreams.
Eric (he/him) is a Texas native who has called New York home since 2016. After graduating from Coastal Carolina with a BFA in Musical Theatre he has worked around the country as well as performed in benefits, video projects and cabarets in NYC. Regional Credits include The Alley Theatre, Arizona Broadway Theatre, The Fireside, Weathervane Theatre, and more. Eric has also had the pleasure of learning from and assisting Choreographers like Lizz Picini and Galen Hooks in their sold out classes at Broadway Dance Center.
Eric is an enthusiastic and passionate performer who loves everything from on stage work to technical design. It truly takes a village and Eric has experience and understanding of nearly every element of professional theatre. When’s he’s not onstage or involved in production you can most likely find him on the wall at a nearby rock climbing gym, getting into heated debates about anime and video games, or running around Ripley Grier Studios as the Customer Service Coordinator.
Videography/Livestream: Transcend Streaming
Photographer: KAMera Shoots
Special thanks to Ripley-Grier!