THE DANCERS
Heidi Buehler
Bio
Heidi is from the SF Bay area where she received her dance training in classical ballet. She graduated with her BFA in Dance from UC Santa Barbara where she gained her modern and contemporary training and was a recipient of the 2008 Alice Condodina Performance Award. Her professional career includes dancing for various SF Bay Area ballet and modern dance companies, being a solo dancer in a 2-year national tour of Peter Pan, and performing locally in Southern California for an Ovation Award-nominated musical, as well as with modern dance companies including Regina Klenjoski Dance Company and the Union Project Dance Company.
Chad Allen Ortiz
Bio
Chad Allen is from Temecula, California, and trained under the mentorship of his brother, George Ortiz Jr. His professional career began as an apprentice of Nickerson-Rossi Dance (NRD) in 2014. Chad Allen is now the Executive Director and Principal Dancer of Nickerson-Rossi Dance. Chad is also the Co-Owner of the Palm Springs Dance Academy, Executive Director of the Palm Springs International Dance Festival, and Co-Produces the Platform Dance Convention. Through NRD's multiple dance programs throughout the nation, Chad has worked with over 32 high schools, 35 universities, 20 professional dance companies/choreographers, and countless amounts of dance studios.
Currently, you can find Chad teaching as an adjunct at Johns Hopkins University Peabody Institute, directing the Co-Operative Educational Internships with Drexel University’s Steinbright Program, is a faculty member at the Palm Springs Dance Academy, and performs and tours with the Nickerson-Rossi Dance company.
​
Chad has worked with multiple non-profits with educational and therapeutic dance programming, from the Flourish Foundation with Jackie Lopez’s Versa-Style Next Generation in Los Angeles, Sister Mary’s Project Home in Philadelphia, and the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage.
Chad has taught multiple educational programs throughout the Palm Springs Unified School District and Riverside County’s Office of Education.
​​​
Chad has danced internationally with the Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company and has also worked with Union Dance Project, PGK Dance Project, Brandywine Ballet, Compulsions Dance & Theater, and a national touring group for Romeo & Juliet. Chad has performed at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow, the McCallum Theatre’s Choreographer’s Festival, and the Royal Theatre in Turin, Italy.
Brooklynn Reeves - Mallet
Bio
Brooklynn began her dance training at the age of 10 at a small studio in her hometown of Moorpark, CA. Once she graduated high school she continued her training at Moorpark College where she performed with the Touring Ensemble. She has performed with various dance companies such as Megill & Company and Robert Salas’ Movement Theatre CoLab. Brooklynn has performed in numerous dance festivals and shows around California including Mix-Match Dance Festival, So-Cal Dance Invitational, and Choreographer’s Carnival at the Key Club in Hollywood. Brooklynn is very excited and honored to be a part of Nickerson-Rossi Dance!
Marissa Andresky
Bio
Marissa Andresky, originally from Sunrise, Florida, is currently based in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a Dual Degree. Marissa completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a concentration in Ballet and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. She studied abroad in Paris where she had the privilege of working with international choreographers and choreographing solo work. Marissa was a company member with Tampa City Ballet for two years before moving to California. Along with dancing with Tampa City Ballet, she had the chance to work with Diavolo, performing in their Veterans Project in Tampa. She teaches ballet and other styles of dance and is training to receive her certification in Pilates. She is both excited and humbled to be able to continue working with Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company after working with them in the Apprenticeship Program.
Samantha DeMarco
Bio
Samantha DeMarco is an interdisciplinary dance artist based in Palm Springs California. With roots in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, she began her training at the age of three and has studied at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, Point Park University, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Joffrey Ballet and Limón Dance. She is a graduate of The University of the Arts (class of 2018) and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance, under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield, along with a minor in Art History. In her professional career, Samantha has had the honor of performing choreographic works by artists such as Sidra Bell, Milton Myers, Bobbi Jene Smith, Douglas Becker, Mark Haim, Juel D. Lane, and Teddy Tedholm to name a few. Trained in many styles of dance; from classical forms of ballet and modern, to task based and improvised movement, Samantha finds joy in unpacking learned nuances and applying them to every piece of choreography given, regardless of the codified genre. Spending time outside of NRD rehearsals, Samantha currently teaches, and is Program Supervisor for the Nickerson-Rossi Dance Program at Sacred Heart School.
Hailee Mitchell
Bio
Hailee Mitchell​ grew up in Southern California and trained in both classical and contemporary ballet for 15 years at Dunamix Dance Project. She competed at ​YAGP​ in 2017 and was a top ​10 semi-finalist for contemporary dance​ earning her a scholarship to the ​University of North Carolina School of the Arts​ ​Advanced Summer Ballet Program.​ In 2018, Hailee earned a merit scholarship to ​Alonzo King Lines ​Advanced Summer Ballet​ ​, in 2019 to their Pre-professional program​ ​and a scholarship to attend ​Lines year round ​Training Program​. She also earned a merit scholarship to ​Backhaus​ ​Summer Intensive​. In 2020 Hailee performed with ​City Ballet of San Diego​ as a trainee.
​
Hailee can be seen in ​“These Walls” Music Video​ as a ballet dancer by ​Artist Jason David Sluter​ ​and​ ​“Happiness”​ an Indy Film as a classical ballerina directed by Michael Uganda.​ She is currently signed with San Diego Model and Talent agency and is a model for the Palm Springs Dance Festival, 2019.
​
Hailee attended the apprenticeship program with the ​Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company ​and is honored to become a company dancer​.
Christiana Lenzer
Bio
Christiana Lenzer was a high school senior at The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, majoring in Dance. She has danced with several professional dance companies as a teen, such as Larry Keigwin and Co, Take Dance Company, Continuum Dance Theater, and currently is performing with Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company. Christiana is fully involved with her high school, is an active member of the National Dance Honor Society, and participates in the Regional High School Dance Festival. This past Spring, Christiana performed the lead role in her school’s production of Les Sylphides, as well as the lead female in Martha Graham Soloist Lorenzo Pagano’s original piece, Eterno Ritorno.
Christiana could not be more grateful for her teachers who continue to push and support her through her training.
Sarah Warren
Bio
Sarah Warren, originally from Maryland, currently resides in Philadelphia, PA where she attended Temple University and obtained her BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography. Upon graduation in 2015, Sarah now performs professionally and teaches at local dance and fitness studios. Sarah has performed work for Keila Cordova Dances, The InterACTion Project, Alana Melene Dances, a. dance theatre, and many other artists in the Philadelphia and NYC areas. She was formerly an apprentice with NYC-based company Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre and currently dances and performs with Nickerson-Rossi Dance (East), Putty Dance Project, Matter Movement Group, and ContempraDANCE Theatre. Along with dance, Sarah is a certified Bar Method instructor currently teaching at the Bar Method Rittenhouse location in Center City Philadelphia.