Steffi Nossen was born in Berlin, in 1905 and began ballet at age three. Influenced by modern dance pioneers such as Mary Wigman and Rudolph von Laban, Steffi embraced this new dance form. Early on, Steffi was passionate about the teaching of dance and movement education. Indeed, before she was 21 she established a college to train dance teachers which became officially recognized and certified, awarding diplomas to teach the Steffi Nossen Method.
In 1935, Steffi came to the United States, settling in Larchmont, New York. In 1937, The Steffi Nossen School of Dance was established - built upon her conviction that the experience of dance should be a part of every person's life. She built her school upon the philosophy that "Anyone can dance and Everyone should!" Her carefully developed curriculum has informed the creative and artistic development of many thousands of dancers over the generations, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in dance. Alumna include Carla Maxwell (Artistic Director of Limon Dance Company), Sarah Stackhouse, (Limon dancer), Susannah Newman (former professor and graduate program director of the SUNY Brockport Graduate Dance program), and Vanessa Williams (renowned singer/actress/dancer).
Steffi Nossen was closely associated with the great pioneers of American modern dance such as Ted Shawn, Ruth St. Denis, and Alvin Ailey. Jess Meeker, who was a composer and accompanist for Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers was our Music Director. Mark Morris set a piece on the Steffi Nossen Dance Company and Norman Walker taught Master Classes. In sum, Steffi Nossen made significant contributions to the rich history of American modern dance, and her lagacy continues to positively influence its future. Her school is the oldest dance educational institution in Westchester and we are proud of the traditions that have been passed down through generations. A number of our faculty grew up in this school and many current dancers are the children and grandchildren of alumni.

The Dance in Education Fund, Inc. (DEF) founded in 1937, is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to serve Westchester as a dance resource - promoting the awareness of dance, the opportunity to dance, and enriching the dance environment for students, professionals and audiences. It was established in 1958 by dance educator and pioneer Steffi Nossen. The Fund is the parent organization of the Steffi Nossen School of Dance, founded in 1937, which offers a wide variety of dance programs for pre-schoolers through pre-professionals. DEF's underlying premise is that dance is a unique form of education: developing the body, mind, spirit, and character. The enjoyment of dance, as a participant or an audience member, is universal and can enrich the lives of all people and enhance their potential. With generous support from the community, we seek to conduct outreach programs to reach a broad and diverse population. We hope that all who have been touched by our organization will, as Steffi Nossen said, “Feel dance within them all their lives.”