Born out of a love for pure movement, East by North Dance Theatre was formed under the idea that simple or compounding thought can be expressed through vivid movement. Founded and directed by Sarah Nachbauer and Jon Eden, East by North represents the unrestricted and improvisational spirit that they feel symbolizes a new wave of modern theatrical dance.

For more than a decade, Jon and Sarah have toured and performed as soloists all around the world. They have performed in over 15 different countries, across 4 continents and in some of the world’s most prestigious theaters. Jon and Sarah have also acted as creative assistants with multiple companies on numerous world premieres as well as artistically contributing to corporate events and projects for MOMIX, Catapult Entertainment, Moving On, Katharine Helen Fisher Dance Company, Kohler, Mercedes-Benz, Wynn Casinos, Pirelli, Cannon, Cialis, Target, Columbus Day Parade NYC, Girl Scouts of America, Mayflower, Marriott, MAC Cosmetics, Bose, Lancôme, and Aveda just to name a few. Jon and Sarah also appeared on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent with the shadow company Catapult Entertainment, making it al the way to the finals. They have appeared in music videos for the artists MGMT and ARK, as well on TV shows for HBO, Showtime, CBS, STARZ and the History Channel. Together they have taught at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, Terpsichore Dance Center, and have conducted master classes throughout the United States. They are Creative Consultants for acclaimed photographer Robert Whitman as well as with Cardinal Theatricals under the direction of Andrew Rasmussen.

Their on stage work has been reviewed as “A highly intimate display of body control”, “Elegant”, Mystical”, and “The perfect blend of fluid movement and stillness.” The company is based in New York City. Eastbynorthdance.org @eastbynorthdance East by North Dance Theatre

John Manzari is an Ovation Award and Helen Hayes Award nominated dancer, singer, actor, choreographer, and teacher.

Stage credits include the Broadway revival of Funny Girl, Bessie Award winning production Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic, 42ND Street, Maurice Hines: Tappin’ Thru Life, The Wiz is 40: A Celebration in Dance and Music, and Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.

Television credits include Law & Order SVU, the PBS specials Black Broadway and The Kennedy Center at 50, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Good Morning America, The View, Michael Feinstein at the Rainbow Room, The Jerry Lewis Telethon and So You Think You Can Dance.

Concerts include NYPopsUp, Spoleto Festival,, Fall for Dance, Fall for Dance North (Canada), Amelia Island Dance Festival, and Gold Coast Dance Festival. John can be seen in the documentary about his mentor Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, the award winning short film Slip, and Leonard Soloway’s Broadway.

John partners with the Luther S. Allison trio at venues such as Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Birdland Jazz Club, Little Island NYC, and many others.

Carlos was born and was raised in Jacksonville, Florida. When Carlos first started hisdance training, he trained equally in many styles of dance. Becoming a versatile dancer was a fun challenge and passionate goal to him. It later on became essential in order to create and sustain a career in dance. Prior to dancing, Carlos has a martial arts background in Taekwondo and is a second-degree black belt! It was in Jacksonville where Carlos trained in ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, acrobatics, breakdance, dance teaching methods, choreography methods and various world ethnic dances at Lavilla School of the Arts, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Jacksonville University College of Fine Arts. Carlos’ first professional dance performance was at the age of 15 for “Jacksonville Symphony’s: First Coast Nutcracker.” There he performed in front of thousands as the “Lead Russian”, a position previously held and handed to him by one of his first male dance teachers. During his curricular studies, Carlos sought out many opportunities for training and performing in Jacksonville. He trained in and performed contemporary, lyrical, jazz-funk, and African dance with companies by Kavin Grant: Ka'mia and A Rhythm Nation. Carlos also trained and performed with his hip-hop dance crew, Systematic. With Systematic Dance Crew, Carlos achieved his first national television debut, and together they won BET’s “106th & Park’s” dance competition twice!

Later on, Carlos danced with Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys Of Dance and performed in their hit show "Rock The Ballet." With Bad Boys he has toured over 8 countries in Europe, along with Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the U.S for 3 years! After his tour finished, Carlos became a top 20 finalist on the Fox TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 10!

Next, while living in NYC, Carlos performed with the Broadway cast of "Spider-man Turn Off The Dark" in their final Gypsy Of The Year performance. He also performed as the principal character in the off-Broadway show, "iLuminate, Artists of Light" with the company iLuminate (as seen on America's Got Talent). During this time he became an instructor at Broadway Dance Center and Steps On Broadway in NYC and still teaches there when in the area.

He is steadily traveling, choreographing, teaching masterclasses and conducting private lessons with many dance students. A proof of his passion as an instructor is that up to date, Carlos has now taught and choreographed at over 75 dance schools around the world! He has now created www.dancelookllc.com in order to benefit the dance community and is the director of a pre-professional dance company, the Dancelook Apprentice Program, a dance program designed to help young students gain knowledge and exposure towards a professional artistic career. carlosgarlanddance.com/facebook.com/carlosgarlanddance | Insta: @spidermancarlos

Photo Credit: Okulus Photography and Moving On

In addition to performing for NYC Contemporary, Ballet Hispanico, and Momix for a collective 25 years, Nicole has been featured on the cover of Dance Magazine and performed on Live with Regis and Kelly. She’s performed for HM Queen Elizabeth and HM Prince Charles at the Royal Variety Show in Liverpool, England, appeared in MOMIXs Target commercial, and helped re-create Le Rêve at The Wynn, Las Vegas while also coaching performers in Cirque Du Soleil’s Love.

After dancing and teaching in over 45 countries, Nicole settled back home on Long Island with her husband Lou and created MOVING ON, Live Arts. She’s choreographed for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, directed Abu Dhabi’s 44th National Day celebration, and has been an artistic advisor, dancer, and associate choreographer for numerous galas both local and afar including MAC Cosmetics, BMW, Fiat, Kohler, Die Helene Fischer Show, The Apollo Theatre, DRA, Broadway Cares, Healing Headbands, SheLeads Media, LA Gear, Smart USA, Mercedes Benz, Target, Pirelli, Flushing House, Cannon, Gala de Danza, and YAGP.

In addition to creating unique events for clients, Nicole hosts the Gold Coast Dance Festival on Long Island, for which she’s been granted a citation by Nassau County, is an adjunct professor at LIU Post Campus, the Executive Artistic Director at New York Dance Theatre, and a Board Member at Orkestai Farm in Oyster Bay, NY. Her company, MOVING ON, premiered their first full length show The Unhidden in 2019 and is currently developing another.

She looks forward most to offering unique experiences that challenge the public to unplug and reconnect with One another and the natural world around them. “Dance offers a powerful shared experience for both dancers and non-dancers alike, allowing us to speak and listen simultaneously in a moment of pure connection”. -NLA

MOVING ON is best known for their colorful play with fabric, props, costumes, and use of light. They have been reviewed as “blurring the lines between dance, puppetry, and visual art”. As Long Island’s premiere Live Arts Company, combining contemporary dance with visual effect, they provide a much needed new form of semi- immersive theatre to the region. Founder and Artistic Director Nicole L. Albruzzese is inspired by natural phenomenon and driven to offer unique experiences that challenge the public to unplug and reconnect with One another and the natural world around them. To stay up to date please follow @movingon.dance.

Adjunct Instructor at NYU, Accompanist for the Paul Taylor Dance Co. Doug Varone Dance Co. Tisch School of Dance and Marymount College. Commissioned by Susan Dodge to write music for The Amelia Island Dance Festival 2021, Commissioned to write music for Joffrey Ballet's Winter White Show.

Mal's written music has been performed by Modern Dancers as well as Mid East Dancers. He has toured Europe with Spiritual Folk/World Music band Epiphany Project in support of their CD "Epiphany Project Live in Germany".

Toured Finland and the U.S With World Music band Mad Juana WATCH. Played at the Montreal Jazz Festival with Mid East Jazz band Taksim.

Guest Teacher at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Teaching a Class on World Music and Rhythms Teaches drums/percussion privately.

Rhythm Theory Tap Ensemble is a Florida-based professional tap ensemble. The choreography we perform is created the same way a composer would write a symphony, emphasizing different parts for each instrument working together to create one composition. The methods we use to compose, rehearse and perform come from concepts and processes in Music Theory, which gave us the idea for the name Rhythm Theory. We have performed at several choreography and dance showcases all over Florida, including the Dunedin Tap Festival and Fusion Fest in Orlando, FL. We also have many dance films and choreography videos on multiple viewing platforms that have reached audiences all over the world.

Kilowatt Dance Theater is a jazz dance company based in New York City. Since its inception in 2014, they have created works that specialize in the early roots of jazz dance such as swing, lindy hop, shag, charleston, and blues. These early styles of jazz are uniquely woven in with more contemporary dance techniques of today. The blend of movement along with the powerfully expressive themes they generate, creates a truly original experience for the audience. The electric energy and intensity of the dancers has been described in Broadway World as "masterful partnering with 'aw shucks' ease". Over the past few years, Kilowatt Dance Theater has performed for such notable programs as Jacob's Pillow's Inside Out Series, Battery Dance Festival, Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night's Swing, and The NY Jazz Choreography Project.

James L. Boyd III, an artist mastering choreography, pedagogy, performance, directorial and executive accomplishments, born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He continues to entertain the world with knowledge of multiple dance methods and professional styles of dance. James Boyd, is a Douglas Anderson School of the Arts graduate and received his B.F.A from SUNY Purchase College in dance and choreography. While attending school, Mr. Boyd performed works by dance giants such as, Merce Cunningham, Bill T. Jones, George Balanchine, and Paul Taylor. Since graduation he’s shared the stage and performed with Elton John, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige, and Bruce Springsteen. Which led to performing around the world, as a principle artist in the technical dance company Bad Boys of Dance and Bad Boys of Ballet, which established privileges to share moments onstage with iconic dance artists, Misty Copeland, Joseph Gatti, Isaac Hernandez, Eric Underwood and Rasta Thomas. Mr. Boyd made guest appearances with Bad Boys of Dance on the hit dance show, “So You Think You Can Dance” and two television appearances as a semi-finalist on the competitive show, “America’s Got Talent.”

James Boyd obtained his M.F.A degree, in choreography, from Jacksonville University and has an intermediary perspective on the dance industry and share’s objective and subjective reason in dance to all people. Mr. Boyd is a former adjunct professor of dance for Jacksonville University and Alabama State University while currently a full-time faculty member, Lecturer of dance, for the Troy University Department of Theatre and Dance. As a leading choreographer and educator, James is honored to be resident choreographer for the professional ballet company, United Ballet Theatre led by international star and Artistic Director, Joseph Gatti. Mr. Boyd recently created a main stage contemporary ballet on United Ballet Theatre called, Quintessence, then a classical work titled, Carousel, which premiered at the Doctor Phillips Center in Orlando, Florida as an opening celebration for a new theatre, Steinmetz Hall. Next, James is choreographing an unique solo work premiering in Italy with United Ballet Theatre’s ‘Athlete of Art,’ Dominique Guerra. Then an original work choreographed and set on San Francisco Ballet’s, Katherine Barkman.

Regarding research, James Boyd is a Certified Movement Assessment Professional (CMAP) and curiously explores our Universe and Cosmos with a choreographic perspective and identifies complex movement by making connections of opposite energies: entities and methods found in Science and Dance. Mr. Boyd is known for his intermediary approach in the dance industry and sought after by movement experts curious about artistic approaches and amplification. James is an expert handling objective and subjective insight on qualitative movement and injury prevention and this approach is supported by leading scientists and anatomical specialists, to name one, such as: Dr. Lesley Parrish, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT. Together they’ve created a leading injury prevention and movement awareness program called, Dance

Movement Analysis. All research supported by Faulkner University, Troy University, and technology company, ETRAK Technologies. James Boyd, as a producer and director, produced his first dance concert for Northeast Florida in 2012 titled, “Rasta Thomas’ Rock the Ballet.” Since then, Mr. Boyd crafted, created and collaborated with Troy University to direct and produce three dance concerts titled, Vibe, Illusions and Momentum. Mr. Boyd artistically directed fifty-five artists minimum per concert along with industry leading choreographers such as, Gregory Dolbashian (DASH Ensemble), Brynt Beitman, Lloyd Culbreath (Fosse Fellow), James Kinney (Fosse Fellow), Take Ueyama (Take Dance Company), Kelsey Metz (Conservatory of Dance), Chalvar Monteiro (Alvin Ailey), Jamal White (Body Traffic), Dance Look LLC (Media Company), Michael McBride (Alvin Ailey), and Katie Breland (Artist). Mr. Boyd will be the new Assistant Artistic Director for the DAP Festival, annually, during summer months located in, Pietrasanta, Italy.

Furthermore, James is a national and international faculty member for inspiring dance entities such as, Manhattan Dance Project, on faculty for Dance Educators of America, annual faculty member for Ballet Fest as Dance Fest Productions and a board member for the Alabama Dance Council. A high-ticket remote setter and closer for the networking company, Vashti Talent and Services, a Remote Closer trained by Closers iO, a creative executive for the media production company, Dance Look LLC., and an established Keynote Speaker as a Certified Movement Assessment Professional (CMAP)

Dominique Guerra

Dominique began her training in 2010 under the direction of Carlos Agudelo and Lona Gomez at Ballet Spartanburg. There, she trained in many styles of dance including ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip-hop, tap, lyrical and ballroom.

At the young age of 14 she was asked to join the professional company, allowing her to expand her repertoire in numerous ballets, performing a variety of soloist roles and contemporary works. She also received training from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pacific Northwest Ballet, where she attended several of the summer intensives, greatly deepening her love for both dance and teaching. In the fall of 2020, she joined United Ballet Theatre’s company as a trainee under the direction of Joseph Gatti and has climbed the ranks each season. This summer she traveled to Italy to attend the DAP Festival where she was one of three to be chosen in the creation and premiere work by PeiJu Chien-Pott and Chien-Ming Chang, performed in the final gala performance. She also received several scholarships throughout the two weeks of attending the festival.

With an ever-expanding national and global audience, Atlanta Dance Connection is a professional dance company made up of ten ethnically-diverse artists who perform for a wide range of demographics. The company currently presents two public performances in the city of Atlanta and tours nationally and internationally, presenting a mixed repertoire of dance, drama, and live instrumental and vocal music. The current repertoire includes the ballets of Allyne D. Gartrell, Baba Chuck Davis, Richard A. Freeman Jr., Ray Mercer, Christopher Huggins, and Kevin Jackson, to name just a few.

Under the direction of Mr. Gartrell, Atlanta Dance Connection made its debut in 2010. Addressing the need for an artistic outlet for young artists, the company's mission was to present quality art, entertainment, and education in the field of concert dance. In 2004, Allyne was recognized for his contribution to at-risk youth in the Midwest by Senator Russ Feingold and was awarded the 2004 AKA Trailblazer Award for outstanding community service.

Under Allyne's leadership, Atlanta Dance Connection has taken its place as one of the leading professional dance companies in the South. In 2011 the company received the Outstanding Community Partner Award for Dance Education and the 2011 Phoenix Award, presented by Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta. In celebration of five years of artistic excellence, May 22, 2015, was proclaimed Atlanta Dance Connection Day by the Atlanta City Council.

Established in 1978 by Michael and Laurie Byrd, The Florida Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating forty years of dance in the Jacksonville community. Its mission is to enrich and inspire the cultural landscape of the community through the education and art of classical ballet. Numerous initiatives are utilized to advance the organization’s mission, as well as, support the promotion of dance.

The Florida Ballet’s Conservatory and Training programs provide dance education to students ages 3 through adult, beginner through pre-professional. Community outreach programs, such as after-school enrichment opportunities, in-school performances and demonstrations, serve individuals of all ages and abilities. Additionally, the organization presents over 40 classical and contemporary performances annually bringing the magic of dance to thousands in the Jacksonville area and beyond.

Founded in 2012 and located in Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville Dance Theatre is a contemporary modern dance company dedicated to creating and promoting excellence in the field of professional dance on local, national, and international stages. JDT is committed to creative innovation and exchange through choreographic projects, concert dance performance, movement intervention outreach, and dance education. Led by Artistic Director, Rebecca R. Levy, and Executive Director, Katie McCaughan, the company has produced 11 robust local home seasons and toured and/or appeared in festivals internationally and throughout the country. JDT sees the power of the human body as a canvas for art, education, storytelling, performance, entertainment, and wellness. With a diverse group of company members, JDT is constantly broadening its style to form new cohesive performances that reach a wide range of populations. For more information, visit: www.jacksonvilledancetheatre.org.

Marco Tacandong is a dancer, choreographer, and educator from Jacksonville, Florida who is trained in modern, contemporary and hip hop styles. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Jacksonville University where he studied various styles from the faculty and guest artists. He has participated in dance intensives and programs such as Archcore40 by Jennifer Archibald, The Artful Balance of Business and Dance by Sorah Yang, and Jacksonville Dance Theatre’s Shape/Shift Intensive. Marco was a part of a hip hop dance crew in Jacksonville called WreckLess, and Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Dance Repertory Company, danceWORKS. Being a member of danceWORKS for two years provided him with a diverse set of influences in his art and leadership skills. Throughout his career in dance, he has created, performed and produced numerous works that were presented on shows, events, and video projects. He also taught hip hop and contemporary at several dance studios in Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra with the intention to provide deliberate instruction while cultivating a fun and safe space to move and create.

John and Julia come from backgrounds spanning multiple movement diciplines. Elements of acrobatics, martial arts, yoga, and improvisation inspire this duo's style and technique. They use their creative backgrounds to form visually compelling pieces often inspired by nature, humanity, and interconnectedness. After marrying, performing together for several years, and obtaining various certifications in movement study, the duo founded Acro Fit in January 2023. At their location in the Historic Springfield neighborhood of Jacksonville, they teach weekly partner fitness classes and offer mobile personal training. They also teach workshops both locally and abroad, with a focus on partner acrobatics and performance elements. Their mission is to spread the joy and freedom that their movement studies have brought into their own lives, and encourage their students to move creatively in a way that supports longevity of their practice.

Three Hearts Dance, originally founded in 2013, works to create storytelling experiences with optimism, artistry, and love. Our artistry is based on life experience- the steps of our journey that have shaped who we have become. Through our collective artistry, we hope to inspire audiences to move beyond where they have been and aim toward a bold life of freedom. Join the Three Hearts Dance Story by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!