Alison Bogatay, Artistic Director
Alison has been residing in the Hartford area since relocating from NYC in 1998. Since then, she has choreographed, taught and performed in many venues throughout the state. Local Teaching/Choreographing Highlights Include: The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Guakía, The Bushnell/Charter Oak Elementary, The Hartford Symphony Orchestra, The Hartt School (both Diploma & Community Divisions), Dance CT, The Hartford Conservatory, Performing Arts Programs, American School for the Deaf, Stafford Springs Academy, Ethel Walker School,
Kingswood-Oxford High School, CREC’s “Images of Cultural Identity” project, Project Broadway at Playhouse on the Green and Connecticut Opera’s “Take Center Stage” outreach program.
In 2003, Alison was selected by Muriel Topaz as one of 8 choreographers in the state to feature her work for the CT Dance Alliance Festival, and choreographed the ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ for Connecticut Opera’s production of Salome. Ms. Bogatay has danced professionally with the New Dance Collective in Danbury and with Angels in Shadows in New York City. She has been in numerous musicals in summer stock and regional theaters throughout the country including the New Harmony Theatre. She was a dance major at Butler University,
a full-scholarship student at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and studied at the Pennsylvania Ballet.
Recent Performances Include: Hartford Dances! & From The Horse's Mouth at the Bushnell; “Sheila” in A Chorus Line & "Mona" in Chicago.
Missy Burmeister
Missy has been working artistically with Allongé Dance Variations for the past two years and is also on the Advisory Board. A native of Texas, Missy trained and performed with the San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet Co. and the San Antonio School for the Performing Arts before venturing to the East Coast and becoming a theatre director and educator. She now teaches at the Greater Hartford Academy of Arts and is a resident director at Oddfellows Playhouse in Middletown.
Alyssa Caliendo
Alyssa Caliendo, a Connecticut native, graduated from the Greater Hartford Academy of the arts in 2007 and has continued her professional dance training at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. In addition to her dance major, she will receive a minor in biology and a concentration in body, science and motion with the hope to continue into the field of dance medicine after she graduates in May. Alyssa has danced in numerous performances at the GHAA & MMC and has proudly been a member of Allongé Dance Variations since 2007.
Carolyn Cumming
Carolyn Cumming is thrilled to be a part of ADV's 5th Anniversary Concert! She began her dance training in Pittsburgh at the Civic Light Opera in 8th grade and continued at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in Hartford where she had the pleasure of meeting and working with Alison and performing in the 1st National high school production of CATS. A recent graduate of UConn with a theater degree, Carolyn has performed with the Connecticut Repertory Theater in Hair, Cabaret and Threepenny Opera and is a member of Darlene Zoller's stop/time dance theater where she danced in My Show: A Choreographer's Story and The stop/time Variety Show at the Playhouse on Park in West Hartford. She also spent many summers performing at the West Hartford Summer Arts Festival in productions such as Gypsy, 42nd Street, Fiddler on the Roof and Guys and Dolls.
Ann E. Custy
Ann is one of the owners and Artistic Directors of A Dancer’s Palette, a dance studio located in Canton, CT, which focuses on the art and performance of dance & was recognized as the best dance studio in Hartford Advocate’s Best of 2011 Reader’s Poll. She received her Bachelors of Science degree from Rutgers University with a double major in dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts and landscape architecture from Cook College. Since college, she has performed in New Haven’s Arts and Ideas Festivals, Disney Magic Music Days, Gary Craig’s Holiday for Hope at The Bushnell with CRW Productions and with Dirt Dancers, a local modern dance company. Not only a dancer and choreographer, Ann has also studied voice performance with Anthony Caprio of Premier Talent Group & recorded her own cover album including Broadway, Alternative Rock, Country, and Blues styles. In addition to owning/operating A Dancer’s Palette, Ann works full-time in the engineering field for StormTech, A Division of Advanced Drainage Systems. She is so excited to have the opportunity to dance as a company member of Allongé Dance Variations.
Hillary Ekwall
Hillary Ekwall is elated to be performing with Allongé Dance Variations for their performance celebrating their 5th anniversary in the Greater Hartford dance community! Hillary grew up a gymnast and grew to love dancing through the West Hartford Summer Arts Festival playing favorite roles Chava (Fiddler on the Roof), Kathy Seldon (Singin' in the Rain), and Anytime Annie (42nd Street). She has performed in My Show A Choreographer's Story with Playhouse on Park's resident dance company, stop/time dance theatre. Last year, Hillary performed in the National Tour of Curious George Live! where she played the curious little monkey. Most recently, she performed the lead role in the American Premier of Once Upon A Time in Atlantic City with British playwrite and director Phil Willmott.
Tessa Grunwald
Tess is overjoyed to be dancing with Allongé Dance Variations. She is a dance and theatre graduate of Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York and has been gallivanting in the dance world ever since. She has acquired a list of diverse credits including the privilege of dancing with companies and choreographers including: Peter Pucci Plus Dancers, Donofrio Dance, Laura Glenn/WORKS, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, Antonio Brown of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Linda Kent, and Bill Hastings. While concert dance is a true passion, other professional accomplishments include, The Fisher Price “Little People Live” National Tour, “Finian's Rainbow” (Susan Mahoney) at The Ivoryton Playhouse, being a scholarship student at Perry Mansfield Performing Arts in Steamboat Springs, CO, and as a back-up dancer in a music video.
Andrew Matte
Andrew is a sophomore at the University of Hartford. He is a biology major with a dance minor. He has been dancing for fourteen years under the direction of Barbara Mullen in his home state of New Hampshire. Andrew has also had the privilege to study with the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton FL, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet School in San Francisco. He has performed with the New England Dance Ensemble in many productions including The Nutcracker, A Child’s View of the Holocaust, and Coppelia. Andrew also performed the role of Cavalier in St Pauls Ballet School’s and the Hartt Community Division’s performances of The Nutcracker. Last summer he performed in the International Poetry Festival in Swansea, Wales.
Kristi Ann Schopfer
Kristi Ann Schopfer is excited to find herself reunited with Allongé Dance Variations after performing with the company as a founding member back in 2006. She grew up in the tri-state area, training at studios and festivals including the American Dance Festival preceding college, performing with the Dance10 touring company where she danced on Carnival Cruise Lines and other professional venues. Kristi entered the College at Brockport, giving her the opportunity to dance in works both internationally and locally with artists such as Larry Keigwin, Diane McIntyre, Monica Baroni, David Dorfman and Janis Brenner. She recently graduated with her BFA in 2010, performing in dance festivals such as REVERB, the Goose Route Dance Festival and many others along the east coast throughout the summer and fall seasons. Currently residing in Manhattan, Kristi juggles her time rehearsing with emerging and established artists as well as finding time to rock climb and develop her own choreographic experiments with her dancing comrades.
