MEET OUR TEAM

Julia Ramirez is a second year EdM candidate at Rutgers University. She is currently the company intern for David Dorfman Dance since 2020 on their administration team, rehearsal assistant, guest teacher, and production assistant as well as student teaching full time at Middlesex Vocational High School under the direction of Cleo Mack. 

 

She graduated in the spring of 2022 with her BFA in Dance Performance and was recognized as the Margery J. Turner Choreography Award recipient. Completing her studies at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, she was recognized as an Emerging Teen Choreographer in the United States at the 92Y Emerging Choreographers Festival in 2018. Her work was recently featured in the Artist Showcase performance at Koresh Dance in Philadelphia, Pa. In addition, her work has been featured at Moravian College, Rutgers University, Uptown Rising Performance Series, and Ten Tiny Dances. 

 

In addition to collaborating with fellow interdisciplinary artists, she has performed on stage and in films for various artists in the NYC and NJ area. She has performed at venues such as Dixon Place, Ten Tiny Dances, Muhlenberg College, Point Park University, and Skirball Center. 

She has had the privilege to work with Seán Curran, Jordan Lloyd, Ani Javian, 78 Moves, John Evans, and David Dorfman Dance. 

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When creating, she playfully experiments with improvisation and often finds creations through visual complexity, structure, and text. As a storyteller through movement, she motivated to create innovative and inspiring work that can allow all audiences to walk out taking a new perspective or appreciation with them. 

A native of Louisiana, Julia grew up performing with the Baton Rouge Ballet Theater under the direction of Molly Buchmann and Sharon Mathews. Julia continued her dance training in New York City and holds a BFA in dance from the Juilliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, and an MFA in dance performance and choreography from New York University's Tisch School for the Arts. Julia has worked
directly with choreographers Eliot Feld, Aszure Barton, Seán Curran, and Jacquelyn Buglisi and has performed repertory by Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, and Antony Tudor. Julia was a member of Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance in NYC and has performed nationally and internationally with various companies.

As a choreographer, her work aims to explore human emotions and relationships through systematic
study of movement that is rich in physicality and intention. Her choreography has been presented by the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, DeSales University, University of Wyoming, Lafayette College, Western Wyoming Community College, as well as festivals around the country.

Julia is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Dance Department at DeSales University. She is dedicated to educating her students about dance and encouraging them to use this information to further their knowledge of the human body and its artistic and communicative capabilities.  By acknowledging the individuality of each student, she aims to facilitate a deep understanding of dance as an art form.

Derek Crescenti is a performing artist and educator whose performance credits include work with Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theater, Keigwin + Company, 10 Hairy Legs, The Bang Group, Megan Williams Dance Projects, Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, The Chase Brock Experience, and Mark Morris Dance Group in The Hard Nut. Theater credits include 5th Avenue Theatre's Oklahoma! and The Public Theater's production of Hercules. He is a rehearsal assistant to choreographer Donald Byrd, most recently for a commission on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and has staged Mr. Byrd’s work at Barnard College. He also recently staged the work of Larry Keigwin on Ormao Dance Company in Colorado Springs, CO. Derek's own choreography has been presented by the Lehigh Valley Dance Exchange and the Seattle International Dance Festival.

 

Derek holds a BFA from the University of Michigan and has worked as an adjudicator and master class teacher with several arts festivals and competitions including the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival, Youth America Grand Prix, and Edge National Talent Competition. Derek is currently on faculty at The Taylor School of Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance in New York City and a Visiting Instructor of Dance with the dance program at DeSales University.