Ellein began her dance journey with ballet at the age of five, and discovered her true passion during high school when she immersed herself in Hip-Hop, Locking, Popping, and House training. When studying at Carnegie Mellon University, she choreographed and danced for the school’s semi-annual Dancers Symposium and their annual fashion show Lunar Gala, while co-captaining the school’s Hip-Hop dance troop, International Freestylers. After graduating, she continued training at StudioDanz Hong Kong, where she was recruited to join an all-girls dance team called SIS, and invited to participate in the Dazzle Live showcase in Osaka as a guest performer. In recent years, she has pivoted her career into the field of data science, but continues to pursue her love for movements through dancing and choreographing for DanceWorks NYC since 2016. She enjoys practicing a growth mindset in every aspect of her life, including motherhood, tech career, and artistic creativity.
Kaelin Elizabeth Fuld is a born and raised New Yorker and has been working as a stage manager in the city since 2019 after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Equestrian Studies. She has been the stage manager for the Waterwell Drama Program for five seasons and stage managed with the MCC Youth Company, NYU Tisch and Grad Acting, The Tank, and Next Door at New York Theatre Workshop, among other credits. She is thrilled to be part of the vibrant Applause team and is so excited to help young performers shine onstage!
Emily Goggin is a New York-based music director, pianist, teacher, and performer with a B.A. in Music from George Washington University. Emily has a passion for bringing new musicals to life, most recently workshops of Raymie Nightingale; a production of a new opera, The Project by Peyton Marion, at Lincoln Center; and two runs of The Eleventh Hour, written by Dave Seamon. She has music directed countless shows and cabarets in and around New York City; some of her favorites include productions of Assassins, Newsies, and Next to Normal. One of Emily’s joys is bringing the light and magic of theater to young people. She has music directed many youth productions, including Into The Woods Jr., Bring It On, and Fiddler On The Roof Jr., devised new musicals and theatrical pieces with students, works as a teaching artist in New York City public schools, and teaches private voice and piano lessons. Emily is absolutely thrilled to join Applause in their mission to bring theater and music to young people in NYC!
Graduate of Cornish College of the Arts & North Carolina native, Theresa is an NYC based choreographer, performer, and educator. She has choreographed & performed regionally in productions of Flashdance, Curtains, and Flora the Red Menace, & is a member of Forager Theatre Company. She continues to work with NYC based artists and choreographers, including her fabulous students!
Matthew Nassida (He/They) is a music director, composer, and writer based in Manhattan. He has a BFA in musical theatre performance from Northern Kentucky University and an MFA in Musical theatre writing from New York University (Tisch). His musicals have performed in New York (Story of a Daughter), Cincinnati (Precipice), and Saudi Arabia (Upwards) and he has been working as a theatre and music educator around the United States for 7 years. He is a founding officer of the Autistic Theatre Makers Alliance and the winner of the ASCAP Loewe Songwriting Award. Matthewnassida.com
Annelise has taught dance for several years, working at studios including Fancy Feet in the Bronx and New Canaan Dance Academy in New Canaan, CT. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and absolutely loves teaching all ages! As a performer, Annelise made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Jagged Little Pill in 2019. Her previous credits include Opera: The Merry Widow (The Metropolitan Opera and The Lyric Opera of Chicago) directed by Susan Stroman. Regional: Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Merry-Go-Round), Chicago (Riverside), Oklahoma (Paramount), and West Side Story (Drury Lane).
