ARTISTS

Erica Isakower earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Hofstra University and is currently a Master of Fine Arts in Dance candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a multifaceted artist, serving as the artistic director, choreographer, and dancer for Chutzpah Dance. Erica's captivating work has been showcased in prominent cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and various locations throughout New Jersey. Her choreographic eye has been recognized as she was invited as a guest artist to create commissioned pieces at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania and in residence at Broward College in Florida. Additionally, she was a featured dancer in Dorney Park's dance show for Halloween Haunt in 2019. Erica has also performed with Hanna Q Dance Company, Equilibrium Dance Company, and Allegory Dance Theatre, contributing her skills and passion to their projects. During her time at Hofstra University, she had the privilege of performing in works by Larry Keigwin, Anita Feldman, Luiza Karnas, and José Limón. Sharing her knowledge and nurturing the next generation of dancers is a vital part of Erica's artistic journey. Currently, she is a dedicated instructor at Dance Artistry Center, Monarch School of Dance, and Hailey Jane Dance Center in New Jersey, where she imparts her knowledge and passion to aspiring dancers. Erica's commitment to education extends beyond local boundaries, as she taught workshops abroad in Panama as part of the Movement Exchange Organization in 2019. Erica was recently awarded the South Jersey Artist & History Professional COVID Relief Grant award, recognizing her commitment as a choreographer, dancer, and dance educator within the community. To stay updated on Erica's upcoming performances and opportunities, follow @chutzpahdance on Instagram!

Sarah Blake

Sarah Blake is a dancer and choreographer located in New Jersey/New York. She began training locally at 3 years old and by age 12 began studying at New Jersey School of Ballet as a student in their pre-professional training program. She is a graduate of Manhattanville College receiving a BA in Dance and Psychology and a minor in Business Management. While at college, she shifted her focus from ballet to contemporary/modern and has had the opportunity to work with choreographers Shawn Bible, Michael Trusnovec, Sarah Housepian, Michaela McGowan, Janice Rosario and Brad Beakes. She is currently studying at Baruch College in their MA Arts Administration program while presenting her choreography around NYC and teaching dance at studios in New Jersey. She is so grateful for the opportunity to dance with Chutzpah Dance for a second season.

Laura Ardner

Laura Ardner is from York, PA, and she recently earned a BFA in dance and a minor in writing from Slippery Rock University in 2021. After graduating, she continued her training through Broadway Dance Center’s Independent Training Program in the fall of 2022. Laura has performed in various student works at Slippery Rock University in addition to works by Pearl Primus, Cameron McKinney, Ursula Payne, Samantha Baker, Jennifer Meckley, and Francine Ott. Laura’s choreography has recently been featured at Broadway Dance Center, Adrienne Theater, Sprout Your Awareness, Artistry Unfolded, and Koresh Artist Showcase. Her short dance film was also featured in the Quarantine Screen Selection of the 2020 92Y Mobile Dance Film Festival. Additionally, Laura has presented her undergraduate research project, "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Applied to Choreography" at the 2021 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and at the Slippery Rock University Student Research Symposium in 2021. Presently, Laura is in rehearsals with Chutzpah Dance and DanceKerr & Dancers, and she is also a faculty member at Alternative Synergy the Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Laura is thrilled for her second season with Chutzpah Dance!

Natalie Long

Natalie grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography and Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She has danced with the professional companies Yuhas & Dancers, Moving Body Dance Company and Open Dance Ensemble, serving positions such as Productions Coordinator and Media Manger. 

Natalie joined Chutzpah during the summer of 2023. She is also the founder/artistic director of ERELONG, an experimental contemporary dance company. ERELONG’s performance credits include the unKEMpT Dance Festival, SPARK Theatre Festival NYC, Triskelion’s Stage Dive, mignolo dance’s Interdisciplinary Open Mic Night, Tess Liddy’s Expanding Community and 7MPR’s Fifth Midnight Performance in 2023.

Kayla Laufer

Kayla Laufer is a contemporary/modern dancer and recent graduate from Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory. She received a BFA in Dance and a minor in Computer Science. Kayla questions the boundaries between technology and dance and believes that movement is a form of communication with infinite possibilities. At Peabody Conservatory, Kayla has performed works by Christian Denice, Madison Hicks, Mike Esperanza, Sorah Yang, Katherine Fisher, Kevin Iega Jeff, and many others. Kayla's self-choreographed solo, Ephemeral, was chosen to represent Peabody Conservatory at the American College Dance Association regional conference. Kayla has also studied with Sidra Bell, Parsons Dance, and Emerge125. She recently trained at Orsolina28, working with Jacob Jonas. She has interned with Parsons Dance Company, gaining experience in arts administration and SalesForce. In addition, Kayla started the We Are Queens Chapter at Johns Hopkins University, a nonprofit organization that focuses on empowering women in dance. Kayla is very excited to be joining Chutzpah Dance this year!