Deborah has been teaching dance at LREI since 2001 with the early childhood classes, and with the Middle School dance majors since 2009. In addition to her work at LREI, she is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Artistic Advisor to the Dance Education Graduate program at NYU Steinhardt where in addition to teaching Pedagogy, Technique, Production and Choreography, is Director of Kaleidoscope Dance Company, Dance Concerts, and founded and directs the annual study abroad program to Uganda. Deborah has collaborated with numerous musicians, visual artists and motion capture research projects and has danced for many independent companies and choreographers since 1988.

 

Deborah conducts Professional Development for NYC DOE dance teachers and for Pre-K for All teachers through the NYCDOE Office of Arts and Special Projects and is a member of the Dance Education Leadership Team (DELTA) through the NYC DOE since 2005. She has directed programs at Peridance, Harvey School Cavalier Camp, Steffi Nossen and The Yard.

 

She is on Faculty and a DEL Ambassador at the Dance Education Laboratory at the 92Y teaching regular teacher training workshops in Early Childhood Dance, DEL Foundations, and African Dance. In the summer she choreographs, teaches and directs Kids Do Dance at the Yard in Martha's Vineyard.  Deborah has co-written curriculum for New York City Ballet and Paul Taylor, the 92Y and The NYC Blueprint for Dance. She has been on faculty of DEL, Peridance, 92Y, Dance In Education Fund/Steffi Nossen, LREI, New York City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, The Yard, Paul Taylor, West Virginia University, and others, and has shown choreography in numerous venues in NYC including Skirball Center, Frederick Loewe Theatre, World Financial Center, Alvin Ailey, Peridance, Radio City Music Hall, St. Marks Church, Judson Church, Context, 92Y, New York City Ballet, Cooper Union, University Settlement, Riverside Church, among others, and nationally in MA, OR, NY, and internationally in Italy, Japan, Korea, Canada and Uganda. She has presented at Kyambogo Music Education (UG), National Dance Education Org, ACDFA, Dance Teacher Magazine, Face to Face, CUNY, NYSDEA and Forum on Education Abroad conferences. Deborah is a recipient of the 2009 NYU GSO Star Faculty Award, the 2010 NDEO Outstanding Educator Award (Higher Education) and the 2017 NYU Steinhardt Teaching Excellence Award.

 

She is on the Board Of Directors of Peridance, has served on the Board of Directors of NDEO, and has just completed her term as President of the Board of New York State Dance Education Association.

Harriet has been a learning specialist at LREI since the fall of 1997 and has been teaching in NYC independent schools since 1982. She began as a classroom teacher, first in general and then special education settings, working with children between the ages of 9 and 13. After leaving the classroom Harriet became an elementary education learning specialist for first through fourth grades. She has taught graduate level courses in special education at Baruch College, given workshops at conferences for teachers and has worked privately with students of all ages. In addition, Harriet was trained in administering educational evaluations at the former Language and Learning Center at St. Luke's hospital where she did two internships.

Peggy teaches all the first through fourth grade children and all the wood working afterschool classes. She teaches children to be safe in shop and respect their classmates and the tools they use.  Peggy also collaborates with classroom teachers and uses woodworking to enhance the social studies curriculum.   She has also taught the woodworking section of Art for Classroom Teachers at the Bank Street Graduate School of Education.  Peggy is an artist and has had many one-person and group exhibitions.  She is also involved in the martial arts. 

 

Charissa Sgouros is the 3rd/4th grade learning specialist. She holds a master’s degree in elementary education and one in reading and literacy from Bank Street College of Education. Charissa also works as one of the curriculum coordinators in the lower school (pre-K through 4th grade), as well as helping to organize and unify the block curriculum (pre-K to 2nd grade). Before coming to LREI, she worked in both the private and public schools as a teacher of children, teachers, and teachers-to-be, as a District Literacy Coach in the Bronx, and as a model teacher for the City of New York. Charissa is the author of the picture book A Pillow for My Mom.