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Dance Faculty
Jennifer Buske-Sigal, Volunteer
Tap I, Tap II
A native of Midland, Michigan, Jennifer started dancing when she was four years old. She is trained in tap, jazz and ballet and spent most of her teenage years performing in competitions and shows, including the Nutcracker with the Pittsburgh Ballet. Jennifer continued dancing while studying journalism at Syracuse University. There, she helped form a tap dance club, which is still in existence today. Besides dance, Jennifer loves to write. After spending almost four years as a Washington Post reporter, Jennifer just changed careers to become the communications specialist for a local tourism agency. Jennifer is thrilled to join Sitar and share her love of dance with local children.
Jessica Brand, Volunteer
Broadway & Video Choreography
Jessica has been dancing since she was three, although at her first dance recital, she refused to come out from behind the scenery. She is trained in jazz, modern, tap and ballet, and performed locally with the Lake Braddock Varsity Dance Team while in high school, many moons ago. She continued dancing while attending the University of Pennsylvania, taking class and performing with Arts House Dance Company. She also taught dance in various public schools throughout Philadelphia. Jessica was thrilled to join Sitar in the fall of 2010, after moving back to the area. When not spending time with her wonderful students, Jessica works as an appellate attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.
Jasmine Clarke, Volunteer
Dance Troupe
Hayley Cutler, Volunteer
Creative Movement
Hayley began performing at the age of three in Salem, Massachusetts, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical. She went on to study under Gretel Schatz and Laurel Salvi Raffetto at the Northfield Mount Hermon School, where she cultivated a love for modern dance and choreography. Hayley went on to receive her BA in Postmodern Dance from the George Washington University. While at GW, Hayley was honored to receive the Maida Withers Dance Construction Company Innovation Award. In 2008, Hayley moved to London, England to pursue a postgraduate diploma in Dance Studies from the Laban Conservatoire, where she studied Graham and Cunningham techniques, choreography and Laban's effort theories. While in London, Hayley was fortunate enough to work with such choreographers as Gary Lambert and Rosemary Brandt. Hayley founded darlingdance company in August 2010.
Julia Enyart, Volunteer
Creative Movement, Tap III
At the age of seven, Julia first performed onstage as a candy cane in her dance studio's showing of Hansel & Gretel. Julia studied at the Turning Pointe dance studio in Malvern, PA, for 11 years, exploring dance art forms like ballet, tap, jazz, modern, funk, and pointe as well as teaching dance to children. At the University of Pennsylvania, Julia majored in International Relations and French and spent her entire college career as a choreography lead and member of a hip hop dance team, Hype, an experience that introduced Julia to the joy and adrenaline rush that accompanies energetic and norm-defying dance concepts. In 2010, Julia moved to Washington, D.C. in 2010 to work as a government consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton but continues to seek every opportunity she gets to dance, whether taking jazz classes at Joy of Motion or grooving with her awesome students at Sitar Arts Center.
Molly Feder, Volunteer
Creative Movement
Molly currently attends the Elliott School at George Washington University where she studies International Affairs, Global Health and Dance. She began dancing in high school and quickly realized it was something she was passionate about doing. After six months of training, she joined a youth modern dance company named Stella Nova Dance Company and has been taking classes, performing, and substitute teaching ever since. Molly started working at Sitar in Spring 2012 and is excited to be in the company of such amazing people and artists.
Asia Felder-Watkins, Volunteer
Adult Ballet
Alanna Hanson, Volunteer
Youth Yoga
Saki Kawakita, Volunteer
Ballet
Saki is from Hyogo, Japan. She is trained in jazz, tap, modern, ballet, ballroom, and Japanese traditional dance. She came to the United States to study Performing Arts at Southern Utah University and graduated with a BA in Dance Education with the honor of Outstanding Graduate of 2008. In this time, she worked with Larry Keigwin, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Murray Louis, Alberto Del Saz, Dianne Markham, Joe Alegado, Peter Chu, Douglas Nielsen, and others. She won many scholarships and academic awards, including the Who’s Who National Honor Program, the San Christopher Scholarship, and the Michael Leavitt Scholarship, among others. In summer 2008, she worked at The John. F Kennedy Center in Washington, DC to expand her experiences in Arts Management and Business. This is her Fourth season with The Washington Ballet, and during this time she has taught more than 1,500 students in both conservatory and outreach programs.
Francesca McCann, Volunteer
Ballet Assistant, Youth Yoga
Rachel Panay, Early Childhood Instructor & Volunteer
Dancing Together, Dance Basics, Broadway Dance, Tap I, Tap II
Christine Rothein, Volunteer
Tap I, Tap II
Susan Ryan, Volunteer
Yoga
Susie Ryan believes that the spirit of yoga lives in all beings, and that merging the paths of mind and heart connects us more deeply with our own authentic power. Her genuine desire is for helping people experience deep healing, to bridge the breath, mind, and body thereby improving overall health and wellbeing. This is the natural outcome of a committed yoga practice. Susie embraces yoga holistically not just as an exercise for the body, heart and mind, but as a way to live more fully in this world and experience life on a deeper level. Her first teacher training was 100 hrs.with Bhekja J. Since then she has completed 200 hrs. with Shiva Rea and 200 hrs. with Saul David Raye. She has also completed Level 1, Healing and Health for People who have Experienced Cancer. Retired after a long career as Director of Alumni Advancement at Georgetown Day School, Susie spends her time teaching at various studio’s in DC. She teaches private classes to people who have or have had cancer.
Deidra Squire, Volunteer
Tap
Deidra has been tap dancing for thirteen years. She began volunteering at Sitar Arts Center in 2008 because she wanted to help youth and adults learn about percussive dance, arts, and history. She is also interested in writing, drumming and choreography. She has both performed and produced artistic shows for several years.
Chitra Subramanian, City Dance Ensemble
Hip Hop Essentials
Chitra grew up in Pittsburgh and has been dancing since she was 7 years old. She was formally trained in Bharathanatyam, a South Indian dance style, for over 12 years. She attended Allegheny College and completed her Masters in Arts in Arts Management at American University. Chitra started delving into hip hop and other dance styles while in college, and choreographed for student-led productions. She started her dance teaching career in Pittsburgh where she taught youth and adult hip hop classes, and coordinated and produced a large dance showcase, "I-Mission," featuring local artists. Since moving to DC in 2002, she has immersed herself in DC's hip hop culture and arts, and has continued teaching at many studios/programs including DC Dance Collective, Facilitating Leadership in Youth, Sitar Center for the Arts, M.O.M.I.E, and CityDance Center. She produced a youth-led theater project, "Us by Us," and has also choreographed for musicals and theater productions while in graduate school. She has performed with DCypher and is currently dancing with Culture Shock Dance Troop Washington, DC. Chitra has a deep passion for teaching young people, performing, and most importantly learning and training in all hip hop dance styles. Currently, she is the Deputy Director at M.O.M.I.E, Inc, a DC-based nonprofit education organization.
Sarah Thornton, Volunteer
Creative Movement
Cissie Williams, Sahara Dance
Belly Dance
Cissie discovered belly dance as a teenager and has found no other dance or activity that fits her body and soul the way belly dance does. She dances primarily traditional raqs sharqi, as well as a variety of Middle Eastern folkloric dances and is a member of Sahara Dance’s Raqs Caravan East. Cissie’s dance background also includes a little jazz, tap and ballroom. When she’s not accenting and shimmying with other up and coming belly dancers at Sitar, she’s a public librarian (glasses, no bun) and a mom to a teen and a tween. Cissie is pleased to have the opportunity to share the joy and art of belly dancing with her Sitar students and strongly believes that we’re never too old to start (or continue) learning the ancient art of belly dance.