89th Annual Benefit Concert
We are delighted to invite you to an extraordinary evening celebrating dance, artistry, and community at our 89th Anniversary Benefit Concert. This milestone marks nearly nine decades of nurturing young dancers and creating performances that have inspired generations.
Join us for an unforgettable night featuring the exceptional talents of our pre-professional dancers in the Master Class Program alongside the Steffi Nossen Dance Company. The evening will showcase the dedication, passion, and artistry of our dancers through works by acclaimed choreographers Sonia Dawkins, Annie Doss, Keirstyn Edore, Sarah Kramer, Julia Lawton, and Jessica DiMauro Marks.
We are honored to present this year’s Benefit Concert at the historic Tarrytown Music Hall, the oldest theater in Westchester, which first opened its doors in 1885.
In celebration of the Music Hall’s rich history and the enduring partnership between music and dance we are thrilled to welcome New Moon Recruit who will perform live during the reception and collaborate with Artistic Director and choreographer, Jessica DiMauro Marks on a debut piece of choreography for our Junior Master Class dancers.
For 89 years, the School has proudly carried forward the legacy of our founder, Steffi Nossen’s vision, curriculum, and passion for dance education—while honoring the lineage and history that continue to shape our community today. We excitedly invite friends, families, and supporters to join us in celebrating this remarkable milestone.
Your presence and generous support make it possible for us to continue empowering young dancers and preserving the transformative power of dance for generations to come.
Tickets Reserve ParkingSonia Dawkins, BFA, University of the Arts, MFA, SUNY Brockport, is founder and artistic director of SD Prism Dance Theatre and member of SDC. The first African American female faculty member and choreographer at Pacific Northwest Ballet, guest teacher or choreographer at the Alvin Ailey American Dance School, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Oklahoma, and Cornish College of the Arts. Ms. Dawkins has choreographed and directed in the United States, Jamaica, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Mexico, and other places. Her selected choreography/directorial credits work includes: Seattle Children Theater/The Alliance (The Boy Who Kissed the Sky), Village Theatre (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time )Gypsy Rose Lee Award for choreography 2019 , (My Heart is a Drum); Seattle Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre (Pullman Porter Blues ) nominated for the same award for, 2012.; Seattle Repertory Theatre (Three Musketeers, Brother Size), Gypsy Rose Lee Award for choreography2012,( The Breach); Pacific Northwest Ballet; Nevada Ballet; Seattle Theatre Group (Dance This); and Broadway Bound (13 the Musical, Bye Bye Birdie, God Lives in Glass). Choreographed at the Iliev Foundation/ Bulgaria Dance Festival and the Mexican International Festival and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She choreographed and coached winning participants in the Youth Grand Prix and the Young Arts Recognition. Ms. Dawkins was on the Board of Directors of Dance on Camera for 3 1/2 years (20212025),currently a choreographer for Repertoire Class at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater School BFA Fordham, SUNY Geneseo and Peabody Institute, Director of SD Prism Dance Theatre Workshops, and from 2023 to present she is teaching and bringing students to the Nacho Duato Academy and is on the faculty of Baltimore School of the Arts. www.sdprism.org | IG: sdprism
Jessica DiMauro Marks, a Steffi Nossen alumna, is a modern dance choreographer invested in creating work that is rich in physicality and deeply communicative. Jessica holds an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University and a BFA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College. She has taught and choreographed works extensively for both pre-professional and professional dance companies throughout the United States. Her company, DiMauro Dance, has been selected to perform at numerous curated festivals including Dance Conversations at The Flea and WHITE WAVE’s WAVE RISING Series. She is on faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and Montclair State University. She is a frequent guest artist for workshops and intensives throughout the tri-state area including the Martha Graham School and Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts. In 2013, Ms. DiMauro Marks was proud to be among the first few students to be certified in May O’Donnell Technique. Jessica is a Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) and is a Certified Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher.
Annie Doss began teaching at Steffi Nossen in 2006. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in
Dance from Marymount Manhattan College, studied at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and is
currently pursuing her MS in Movement Therapy at Pratt University. A Steffi Nossen alumna with
many performing credits, Ms. Doss has also presented her own choreography at the Theresa
Lang and Red Room Theaters, Dance Theatre Workshop (DTW), SUNY Purchase, and Peridance
Center. She is a founding member of DiMauro Dance and a Certified Pilates Instructor. In addition
to her role as faculty member and choreographer at Steffi Nossen School of Dance, Ms. Doss is
also a member of the Faculty at Trapeze School New York.
Kierstyn Edore (North Jersey) graduated from Montclair State University with her B.F.A. in Dance and a Minor in Psychology. She is the director of Opus//The Company, which has presented work at Koresh Artist Showcase, 14th Street Y (NYC) at S.H.I.F.T. with One Day Dance, Montclair Dance Festival, Williams Center, and Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center. She is a founding member of KM Dance Collective, and is currently dancing with Freespace Dance Company and Puluka Projects. Kierstyn has performed for events including DUMBO Dance Festival, Whitewave Solo/Duo Dance Festival, APAP, Koresh Artist Showcase, the Capezio ACE Awards, NJPAC and Nimbus Emerging Choreographers, The Chita Rivera Awards, and American College Dance Association Showcase. She has been a featured choreographer across school districts and dance studios for both concert and competitive work, and her student work has been presented at County College of Morris and Montclair State University. Kierstyn has worked closely with renowned artists Stefanie Batten Bland, Leslie Kraus, Dan Safer, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, Dolly Sfeir, Jaclyn Walsh, and Christian von Howard.
Sarah Kramer is a dancer and choreographer based in New Jersey, with training from Montclair State University, the Martha Graham School, b12 Berlin Workshop Festival, GagaLab NYC, and Parsons Dance Choreography Workshop. As a performer, she has performed works by Martha Graham, Ben Wright, Brandin Steffinsen, Maxine Steinman, and others, and is currently a member of Unbound Dance Collective. Her own work has premiered in several festivals in New York, notably 92nd Street Y’s Dance Up! Emerging Choreographers series and the KoDaFe International Dance Festival, as well as internationally at the Romanian National Opera. Her most recent work, “can u hear me calling,” premiered in November 2025 with Unbound Dance Collective in Brooklyn, NY.
Julia Lawton is a New York-based dancer and choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Lawton Dance Collective. She graduated with her BFA in Dance from Adelphi University in 2024, where she performed works by choreographers including Paul Taylor, Orion Duckstein, and Frank Augustyn. Julia has danced professionally with Chutzpah Dance, SHIFT Dance, Arts, and Media, and currently with the Taylor Outreach Ensemble. She is the Taylor School Associate for the Paul Taylor Dance Company and a Community Director at Arts On Site. In her choreographic practice, Julia emphasizes creative investigation through collaboration and conversation with dancers. Her work has been presented at numerous venues, including Arts On Site, The Workroom Theater Northampton, American College Dance Association Northeast Conference, Adelphi University Scholarship and Creative Works Conference, 14th St. Y, The Emelin Theatre, The Tank, Balance Arts Center, Hofstra Choreography Seminar, and Mashup Dance International Women’s Day Dance Festival.
