40th Anniversary Celebration Program

Eva Dean founded Eva Dean Dance (EDD) in 1985 and Union Street Dance in 2000.Throughout the years, her choreography has received critical acclaim and accolades from audiences, presenters, and students. Dean is recognized as a consummate professional creating work using multiple elements to bring her choreographic vision to life. Dean embraces an intuitive process while developing choreography through an experimental approach, drawing on the dancer’s artistry and improvisational skills. Dean is known for inventive use of props, incorporating site-specific and architectural elements, experiential lighting, and ambient sound scores. Collaboration is an integral part of Dean’s process while working closely with EDD company dancers and guest artists such as musicians, puppet masters, lighting, set, and costume designers to create a visually rich body of work. As a result, her lifetime body of work is diverse and gives viewers enduring memories. 

SALLY BUTIN (she/her) is a Brooklyn based movement artist from Hastings on Hudson, NY. She graduated in 2020 from the University of Michigan with a BFA in dance where she performed works by Rosie Herrera, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Doug Varone, Shannon Gillen, Ohad Naharin, and many others. Since graduating she has performed work by Charli Brissey, Johnny Mathews III, Damien Muñoz and Virginia Garcia. She has trained internationally at venues including the B12 Dance Festival in Berlin, Sidra Bell’s Module, Marcat Sevilla, and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. As a choreographer, her work has been presented at Triskelion Arts, Hana House, the Power Center for the Performing Arts, Hill Auditorium, and in music videos including ‘Sally’ by Gigi Perez. She served as Artistic Director of Dance 2xs Michigan, a sector of the international hip hop crew. She currently teaches Dance Church classes in NYC and dances for Johnny Mathews III and Dash M.

SAMMIE MURRAY is a Brooklyn based dancer, choreographer, and administrator. Originally from Vermont and a recent graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Sammie has trained with the Ailey School, Bates Dance Festival, and David Dorfman Dance. Most recently, they have had the pleasure of working with AXIS Dance as a choreographic fellow. They have danced and performed with artists such as Kaleid Dance Collective, Steme Dance, SHIFT Dance, Shakia Barron, Barbie Diewald, and Tatiana Desardouin. In their own choreographic practice, they explore queerness and oddity, and have presented work with Spark Theater Festival and Drye Marinaro Dance.

MANUELA SANCHEZ (Manni) is a native New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn. She trained at Talent Unlimited High School, Ballet Hispánico and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She holds a BFA from Long Island University- Brooklyn Campus with a minor in Psychology, and later on received her 500-hr RYT Yoga certification and Fully Comprehensive Pilates Certification.  In addition to working with Eva Dean Dance since 2012, Manni has worked with several choreographers and companies including Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Amalgamate Dance Company, Christal Brown’s INSPIRIT, nathantriceRITUALS, Maverick Dance, MoveWorks, Bill T Jones, and works as a dancer and faculty member of Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance. She relocated to Miami, FL in 2013 to serve as a company member and rehearsal director of Augusto Soledade Brazzdance for five years and continues to work with them on a project basis. As a national ambassador for Club Pilates, Ms. Sanchez has been interviewed on shows “Good Morning America” and “Coffee with America”, and has published articles on Self Magazine, MinBodyGreen, and Thrillist. She currently continues to freelance as a dance artist, teaches fitness throughout NYC, and is a signed model with MMG Talent Agency and Naturally Fit Agency. She is grateful to be alive and pursue what she loves.

Mica Butnar was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A performer since her formative years, her talents lead her to success as a professional dancer in Argentina.  After studying in Julio Bocca Academy, she performed for the reprisal of ‘The Man with the Iron Mask’, Luxes, Juegos de Fabrica while continuing her studies at Universidad Nacional de Artes.
Her passion for the arts and her desire to grow brought her to New York City in 2018.  Inspired by numerous Broadway productions, she is now committed as a full-time performer and educator in one of the world’s biggest markets.

Since coming to NYC in 2018, she can be seen performing at the Today Show, the Cutting Room, halftime shows for the Brooklyn Nets and multiple projects as a principal dancer with PMT Dance Company.

After dedicating herself for 3.5 years to PMT House of Dance, she found her way through struggles with severe mental illness to be an advocate for mental health. In that time, she has inspired many – all while teaching a dozen classes per week, rehearsing for shows & managing all aspects of the studio’s day to day operations. For this, on May 23rd – 2021, she received the well deserved distinction as PMT’s first Associate Director.

In 2023, Mica officially started her own dance company – Querencia. They presented their first show on December 2nd, 2023 with live original poetry and 8 dancers on stage, selling out the show. In 2024, Mica was the Associate Choreographer for PMT Dance Company’s production – ‘Dissonance’.

Zoë Klein is a multi-disciplinary choreographer, acrobatic dancer, arts administrator, and activist. She is an indigenous, internationally adopted person, born in Colombia, raised in Brooklyn, NY, bicoastally in Bay Area since 2010.  Zoë has been Producing Director at CounterPulse, Communications Manager at Adoption Museum Project, Development Associate at Luna Dance Institute, Managing Director of FLACC, and Managing Director/Executive Team with Epiphany Dance Theater. She co-directs Paradizo Dance since 2005 having performed in 26 countries over 6 continents and was top 20 finalist on “America’s Got Talent.” Zoë Klein Productions was nominated for best ensemble Izzie Dance Award 2018, and was presented at Cornell University and Brooklyn Art Haus in March 2024. Zoë had designed for Eva dean Dance 2001-2007 and is excited for this reunion. 

Photo by Robbie Sweeney.

KATHERINE MONCEBAIZ has worked with EDD since 2012, first as a guest artist and later as a company member and rehearsal director. Katie now works as an administrator with EDD and serves on the Board. In addition to performing throughout NYC with EDD, Katie has danced with the company in The Fringe Festivals in Amsterdam, Prague, and Germany.  Since 2006, Katie has taught various dance and fitness classes to students of all ages throughout New England, and has performed with many local dance companies in Connecticut, Boston, and NYC. While living in Boston, Katie was voted one of Boston’s Best Zumba Instructors. She still teaches online, (details can be found on her Instagram page). Katie was also in the inaugural cohort of the Lincoln Center Scholar Master’s in Education in the Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program at Hunter College. She graduated Cum Laude in 2016.  She is a tenured dance teacher with the NYC Department of Education and is the proud mom of two amazing children.