Teaching Artist Fellows
The Marc S. Solomon Teaching Artist Fellowship is a professional development experience for exceptionally gifted and emerging dancer-choreographers of color who seek leadership opportunities in dance and arts education. The Fellowship provides salaried employment, including benefits, for one full year as a Teaching Artist in NDI's award-winning In-School Programs, opportunities to participate in NDI's work with scholarship teams and DEIA initiatives, and can lead to an ongoing full-time staff position.
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John Hines was named National Dance Institute’s Marc Solomon Teaching Artist Fellow for 2025-2026. John , 33, is a Jersey City–based choreographer, artist, and former Walt Disney World dancer. Now in his fourth year of teaching, he currently serves as a Teaching Artist for National Dance Institute (NDI, proud Alumnus for NDI) and the Misty Copeland Foundation (MCF), He previously taught in the High Tech Dance Department: Choreography Track, where he also served on the board. John is currently a dancer with Zawadi African Dance & Drum Inc. under Karen Miles, where he also proudly served on that board as well.
John is a dance major graduate of Dean College School of Dance, John trained extensively in ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, and hip-hop. After graduating, he performed for Walt Disney World for five years in Festival of the Lion King, Festival of Fantasy Parade, Move It! Shake It! Street Party, and various Disney special events.
John toured with Dreamgirls: The Broadway Musical as an ensemble dancer and dance captain before continuing to perform across the coast. He danced with T.MAJ Contemporary Dance Company under Titilayo Majoyeogbe.
As a choreographer, John has created works for Dean College, County Prep’s Spring Dance Show, and Bella Faith Dance Studio. His musical theatre choreography credits include Chicago, Heathers, Cabaret (1966), and Into the Woods, and Rent: The Broadway Musical (2025).
Fiona Mills was named National Dance Institute’s Marc Solomon Teaching Artist Fellow for 2023-2024. The Fellowship is a professional development experience for emerging dancer-choreographers of color who are seeking leadership opportunities in dance and arts education.
Fiona is a dancer and Original Cast member of the Off-Broadway show STOMP. Born in Leeds, UK, she trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. She then joined STOMP and toured the world for six years with the show, finally settling in NYC to become the Rehearsal Director for their North American companies. Through her son’s school, she learned of NDI and fell in love with the whole program. As a Teaching Artist Fellow, Fiona took on a full-time teaching position at NDI and serves as NDI’s Family Liaison to the our Advanced Team dancers.
Kenna Morris Garcia was named National Dance Institute’s Marc Solomon Teaching Artist Fellow for 2022-2023.
Kenna has had a performing and teaching career that has taken her all over the world. After graduating from the Youth Performing Arts School (Louisville, KY), she attended the University of Oklahoma where she studied modern dance and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy. She continued her dance training in New York after being accepted to the Certificate Program of The Ailey School. Her diverse training in modern, jazz, musical theater, ballet, tap, and hip hop has allowed her to have a long and diverse performing career. She has performed with recording artists such as Missy Elliott, Pharrell, Diddy, and Ludacris.
Her film and television credits include Saturday Night Live, MTV Video Music Awards, America’s Got Talent, and feature films Idlewild, Bolden, and Sisters. Kenna has also performed in various Broadway national tours, Off-Broadway, and regional theater productions including the 1st national tour of Memphis (Dance Captain/Swing), The Wiz (City Center Encores), and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a Radio City Rockette. She was the assistant choreographer for the national tour of Memphis, choreographed regional musical theater productions, and worked with such choreographers as Sergio Trujillo, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Hinton Battle. Most recently, she works with the Verdon Fosse Legacy, LLC reconstructing and preserving the works of Bob Fosse. As an instructor, Kenna has taught various forms of dance for over 20 years in studios across the world. She has also held numerous residencies in New York public schools and community programs, and serves as a coach and mentor to aspiring young dancers.
Eliana Slurzberg was named National Dance Institute’s Marc Solomon Teaching Artist Fellow for 2021-2022.
Eliana is a native New Yorker and was first introduced to dance through NDI when the program came to her fourth-grade class at PS 290 in Manhattan. She continued with NDI until graduating from NDI’s signature advanced scholarship program, the Celebration Team, in 2007. Inspired to keep dancing, she furthered her training through Talent Unlimited HS, the Martha Graham School, and ultimately earned a dual BFA in Dance and Arts for Children at SUNY Brockport.
As a professional, Eliana has trained and performed across the U.S. working with a variety of artists and companies, including Mariah Maloney (Mariah Maloney Dance), Marissa Aucoin (mla|Format.Dance), and most recently with Bianca Johnson and Dancers. She rejoined NDI as a Teaching Artist in 2017 and has served thousands of students across NYC through the life changing gift of arts education.
Eliana is excited to be named this year’s Teaching Artist Fellow. She adds, “NDI opened a world of creativity, artistry, and confidence that I didn’t know I had. I’m excited to now teach where I was first introduced to NDI and thrilled to teach in person again in the new school year.”
Kay Gayner, NDI’s Artistic Director remembers Eliana’s electric performance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the first End of Year show Kay directed for NDI in 2006. “Her energy and love for dance, her quiet leadership and magnetism as a performer make her a natural for teaching in the NDI Method. Alumni who experienced the magic of NDI as children and return to teach with us as adults offer a special kind of connection to the children. It’s meaningful to have Eliana teaching students at PS 290 where she started!”
Jessi Colón was National Dance Institute’s first Teaching Artist Fellow in 2020-2021 and joined our staff as a full-time Teaching Artist.
Jessi began dancing with National Dance Institute’s First Team at the age of three and continued until graduating from NDI’s signature advanced scholarship program, the Celebration Team. After further dance training through Steps on Broadway, Jacob’s Pillow, and the London Studio Centre, she went on to dance professionally. She is one-third of the performance group, Adira Amram & The Experience, whose work has been presented in over 75 cities across Europe, North and South America, and New Zealand.
Sixteen years later, after reconnecting with Ellen Weinstein, Jessi rejoined NDI as a Teaching Artist. She currently teaches in three partner schools as well as co-leading Teacher Training workshops through the NDI Collaborative for Teaching and Learning. Jessi aims to help students harvest principles of practicing excellence and carry this to all facets of their lives.