Anna Pasternak Founder and Director
Movement
Exchange
is the culmination of Anna Pasternak’s desire and interest to
integrate her passion for dance, public service, and international
exchange. She believes in, and has experienced arts education's power to unite communities and serve as a catalyst for
empowerment, improved self-confidence and discipline.
Anna has danced professionally in an array of styles, although her most outrageous dance experience to date is dancing on tour in Japan as the only non-Brazilian in a samba company alongside Kenyan human pyramid makers and a Japanese mariachi band. You can read more about that experience, here. Anna was a featured young artist on National Public Television’s “Spark” program and has published articles on dance in ReVista Magazine: Harvard Review of Latin America. Anna has experience working for arts and educational organizations in California and Brazil, and as a travel writer for Let's Go in Costa Rica and Vietnam. It was her work with the NGO, Global Brigades, in the rural and indigenous regions of Panama that connected Anna to the dance community of Panama, and subsequently inspired her vision for Movement Exchange.
Anna received her BA from Harvard University. She previously studied at the San Francisco School of the Arts and received her early training with Shely Pack-Manning. While at Harvard, she was the recipient of various fellowships for research in Argentina, Spain, and Brazil and studied at the Pontificia University of Rio de Janeiro under the Partnership for Leaders in Social Progress and the University of Havana and Instituto Superior de Arte, Cuba. In 2011 she was a Fulbright Scholar working at the organization, Endeavor, in Mexico City. You can currently find Anna surfing the Northern California coast, eating countless figs, and trying to figure out how to successfully edit video footage.
Anna has danced professionally in an array of styles, although her most outrageous dance experience to date is dancing on tour in Japan as the only non-Brazilian in a samba company alongside Kenyan human pyramid makers and a Japanese mariachi band. You can read more about that experience, here. Anna was a featured young artist on National Public Television’s “Spark” program and has published articles on dance in ReVista Magazine: Harvard Review of Latin America. Anna has experience working for arts and educational organizations in California and Brazil, and as a travel writer for Let's Go in Costa Rica and Vietnam. It was her work with the NGO, Global Brigades, in the rural and indigenous regions of Panama that connected Anna to the dance community of Panama, and subsequently inspired her vision for Movement Exchange.
Anna received her BA from Harvard University. She previously studied at the San Francisco School of the Arts and received her early training with Shely Pack-Manning. While at Harvard, she was the recipient of various fellowships for research in Argentina, Spain, and Brazil and studied at the Pontificia University of Rio de Janeiro under the Partnership for Leaders in Social Progress and the University of Havana and Instituto Superior de Arte, Cuba. In 2011 she was a Fulbright Scholar working at the organization, Endeavor, in Mexico City. You can currently find Anna surfing the Northern California coast, eating countless figs, and trying to figure out how to successfully edit video footage.
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Mei-Ling Murray Program Manager
Mei-Ling Murray is a classically trained dancer from Walnut Creek, CA. She has studied under American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and attended the University of Arizona on scholarship, graduating in 2007 with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Anthropology. In college she received the Virginia Robinson award in recognition for her interest in dance and culture, and as a Medici Scholar, traveled through Ghana studying dance forms of the Ewe and Dagara traditions. Since then, she has continued to pursue dance in an international context, working for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, as well as residing in Kolkata, India teaching dance workshops in collaboration with DNA Danceworks.
In the Bay Area, Mei-Ling has performed with Malinda Lavelle's Project Thrust, and taught dance at Lareen Fender's The Ballet School and Brisbane Dance Workshop. She is currently a company member of Tanya Bello's Project B., and a teaching artist for Performing Arts Workshop, an organization dedicated to bringing arts education into public schools. She is honored to be working for Movement Exchange, as she strongly believes that every dancer should have the opportunity to share their art form with the international community and be exposed to other cultures through the common language of dance.
In the Bay Area, Mei-Ling has performed with Malinda Lavelle's Project Thrust, and taught dance at Lareen Fender's The Ballet School and Brisbane Dance Workshop. She is currently a company member of Tanya Bello's Project B., and a teaching artist for Performing Arts Workshop, an organization dedicated to bringing arts education into public schools. She is honored to be working for Movement Exchange, as she strongly believes that every dancer should have the opportunity to share their art form with the international community and be exposed to other cultures through the common language of dance.
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Kimberly Lucht Outreach Coordinator
Kimberly Lucht is currently a student at Indiana University studying Psychology, Spanish, and Dance. She is a member of the IU Redsteppers Dance Team, an artistic assistant for the Flores do Samba Dance Company, and has danced with the African American Dance Company. She is a volunteer dance instructor at the Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc., and coaches the local high school dance team. She is also currently in the midst of creating a program through the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) called “Baila Conmigo”, which provides a therapeutic outlet through movement for individuals with mental illness. Her mission in life is to demonstrate that dance is a means of promoting self-discovery, mind-body dualism, and unity across cultures. She is half-Mexican and always proud to reconnect with her Hispanic roots, whether it be by making her own guacamole or salsa dancing the night away. Fun fact: you can always catch her wearing a pair of patterned leggings! She is thrilled to be part of the Movement Exchange team and feels so blessed to work with such “infinite goddesses”. Dance is movement. Movement is life. Dance is life. Pass it on!
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Hannah Crane Outreach Coordinator
Hannah is a vivacious Gemini from Boca Raton, Florida, and a junior at Indiana University studying journalism, dance and Latino Studies. Ever since her first journey with Movement Exchange in 2011, she has been determined to visit and study in as many places as possible (next stop is Brazil!). Her first dream as a child was to become a Fosse dancer on Broadway, but now sees dance through a different lens- that of service. She believes that dance has the power to change lives and make the world a better place, as she's experienced it firsthand.
The friendships and incredible joy she has found in dancing is something she thinks is worth spreading. Stop worrying about what others might think or what you look like.. just DANCE! You can find her dancing just about anywhere with fellow Movement Exchange dance diplomat, Kimberly, late night snacking, watching too many HBO shows, or fantasizing about life's adventures!
The friendships and incredible joy she has found in dancing is something she thinks is worth spreading. Stop worrying about what others might think or what you look like.. just DANCE! You can find her dancing just about anywhere with fellow Movement Exchange dance diplomat, Kimberly, late night snacking, watching too many HBO shows, or fantasizing about life's adventures!
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Moisés García Move-Ex Dance Instructor at Malambo Orphanage
Moisés has been with Movement Exchange since its conception, as a dance student at the University of Panama. He has participated in our yearly show starring Move-Ex youth at the National Theater of Panama and is currently the year-round dance teacher at the Malambo Orphanage. He also dances with the aerial company, Gramo Danse, and the Afro-Panamanian modern company, Coraza. Moisés is also the most patient guy on the planet. Twenty kids jumping all over him while he attempts to start warm-up doesn't phase him one iota.
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Romeo Thompson Move-Ex Dance Instructor at Aldea SOS- Colón
Romeo hails from the city of Colón where he is a pasa pasa, hip hop, and salsa instructor. His real true joy is working with youth especially in his hometown on Panama's Caribbean coast. His students can't wait for him to show up for his biweekly classes, and Move-Ex couldn't be luckier to have such a dedicated and amazing educator as part of the team. Romeo is also currently looking for his Juliet (in case you were wondering).
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Carina Fourmyle Dance Instructor at Malambo Orphanage and Fundación San Felipe
Carina is a certified NDCA (National Dance Council of America) instructor, professional dancer and adjudicator with over 30 years of experience in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Gymnastics, Ballroom and Latin dance. She has trained with nationally and internationally recognized coaches including Ron Montez, Ray Rivers, Louis Van Amstel, and others.
Carina has trained, taught and competed in all Ballroom styles; most notably American Rhythm, acquiring seven, 1st place titles. Carina's success also extends into the theater as she has performed & choreographed for several stage productions, most recently as a principle dancer and assistant choreographer in ‘Rock with You’, a Latin Dance Musical honoring the music of Michael Jackson.
Carina’s immense passion for dance, music and life in general, combined with her desire to share & help others grow, led her to Movement Exchange. With several years of volunteer work in the areas of Human Rights, preservation of the Oceans & extension of Art programs, she was grateful to find a program that uses dance and movement to inspire and encourage!
Carina has trained, taught and competed in all Ballroom styles; most notably American Rhythm, acquiring seven, 1st place titles. Carina's success also extends into the theater as she has performed & choreographed for several stage productions, most recently as a principle dancer and assistant choreographer in ‘Rock with You’, a Latin Dance Musical honoring the music of Michael Jackson.
Carina’s immense passion for dance, music and life in general, combined with her desire to share & help others grow, led her to Movement Exchange. With several years of volunteer work in the areas of Human Rights, preservation of the Oceans & extension of Art programs, she was grateful to find a program that uses dance and movement to inspire and encourage!
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Core Volunteers
|
Nicole Sweeney
Andrew Eisberg Jonathan Lee |
Adriana Pineiro Coen
Rasiel Rodriguez Kirsten Torchalski Laura Drossman |
Lider Sucre
Heather Cleary Allison Yates All our tias at Malambo |
Kasia Cieplak-Mayr V B
Audrey Brittingham Rachel Curley |
