Tara Lindsey Gordon
Co-Founder and Artistic-Executive Director B.F.A, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
M.A., New York University, Gallatin School of Individual Studies

Upon receiving her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from New York University’s Tisch School of The Arts, Ms. Gordon worked professionally as a performer and theatre director. Regional and New York credits include Oxford/Pembroke Performing Co. (Oxford, GB), Carnegie Mellon Summer Stage (Pittsburgh, PA), New Theatre Workshop (Camilla, Georgia), Magellan Arts Productions (New York, NY), Cat Fight Productions (New York, NY), First Look Acting Company (New York, NY), and The Barrington Stage Company (Pittsfield, MA).

Ms. Gordon holds a Master’s Degree from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individual Studies, with a concentration on the role of somatics in creative development. Ms. Gordon also has completed a two-year teaching certification in Fitzmaurice Voicework®, which is the primary vocal technique in the Drama Departments of Harvard/ART, Yale University Drama School, and Julliard.

In addition to working in the theatre, Ms. Gordon has also worked professionally and as a volunteer for several fine-arts and philanthropic organizations as an event producer and as a teacher. Organizations include Common Ground Community (New York, NY); The 21st Century Fund, (Brookline, Massachusetts); WingSpan Arts (New York, NY); and The 52nd Street Project (New York, NY).

Tina Manchise
Co-Founder, President, and Co-Executive Artistic Director
B.F.A. University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music
M.A. New York University

Ms. Manchise, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a graduate of The University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Performance and holds a Master’s Degree from New York University. Her performance resume includes a nomination for a Cincinnati Entertainment Award, work with The Contemporary Dance Center, The Ensemble Theater, as well as with various companies at The Aronoff Center for the Arts and in New York City, Ms. Manchise served as a company member of several NYC-based performing arts organizations and performed with a myriad of New York based theatre and dance companies.

In New York, Ms. Manchise worked as a senior teacher, program instructor, and teacher trainer for Power Pilates®, a renowned movement training company dedicated to the development of teaching professionals. Ms. Manchise provided instruction in structural anatomy and teaching systems for artists, dancers, and movement professionals within the internationally recognized teacher-development program. While working as a fundamental member of this organization, Ms. Manchise helped to develop workshops and curriculum for the training program, teaching these and other courses worldwide. Ms. Manchise currently maintains a private Pilates practice and has appeared speaking about movement education on broadcasts such as FOX News, and has choreographed for episodic programs including Law and Order and One Life to Live.

In addition to teaching in New York City, Ms. Manchise instructs both internationally and throughout the US; she was hosted by a training facility to teach in Italy in the spring of 2010. She has also been invited to instruct at varied and diverse locations and venues, such as Radio City Music Hall and for Cirque du Soleil (Florida). Ms. Manchise also helped to open, develop, build, and sustain a New York City based movement and dance education studio, served in co-management of the teaching department, and helped to both maintain the mission and develop curriculum for the New York company.

Ms. Manchise holds a Master’s Degree from New York University. Ms. Manchise’s research centered upon the role of the artist in the arts and public policy, the dynamics of dance and performance-related issues in artistic training and development (performance and education), anatomy, neurology, and the culmination of the aforementioned in an effort to develop policy, performances, and programs in the arts and arts-based educational opportunities to encourage artistic growth and social change.