Shannon Atkins (she/her) moved to New York four years ago from Australia, and since then her talent and passion for dance has led her to travel throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Australia regularly judging and setting award-winning choreography and company repertoire. Most recently, Shannon taught at the Victorian Dance Festival in Melbourne, Australia as the US representatives.
She is a coach for the USA Dance Team/American Dance Company, who represent their country in the International Dance Organization’s annual Jazz/Modern competition in Poland. She is also a judge for the World Dance Championships and has appeared on Lifetime TV’s Dance Moms.
Shannon loves to share her knowledge and experience as a regular panel speaker and advisor at Star Dance Alliance seminars. She is best at offering guidance to international dancers wanting to make the transition to the US. Prior to her worldwide career, Shannon was a successful Australian performer appearing in musicals such as 42nd Street and Oklahoma, where she also took on the role of dance captain. She is also an established choreographer, having created many musicals including the ever popular High School Musical 2. She effectively directed and owned Dance Technique which is a leading performing arts school on the Gold Coast that has seen numerous students secure sought after roles on Broadway and in reputable schools and companies such as The Juilliard School and The English National Ballet. She was also a founding dance professor at the prestigious Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia.
At BDC Shannon is on faculty for the Children and Teen Program along with also choreographing for the AIM company and the winter/summer workshops. Shannon is extremely versatile, teaching multiple genres of dance. She loves to create a “feel good” atmosphere in her classes while also challenging the dancers technically. Fun fact: Shannon also has a law/psychology degree.
Nijawwon Matthews (he/him) recently was a dance soloist featured in Transformation: Personal Stories of Change, Acceptance, and Evolution created by actress Glenn Close and musician Ted Nash with choreography by Jared Grimes for Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Mr. Matthews received The Director’s Choice recognition and was selected to choreograph new works for the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and as a master teacher Mr. Matthews was showcased in Dance Teacher magazine. He also was invited to restage his work Cycles for The Alvin Ailey/Fordham University B.F.A. Program.
To expand contributions to the arts as its founding artisticdirector, Nijawwon Matthews developed his own project-based pre-professional company called the XY Dance Project. Having travelled, nationally and internationally, as a dance educator and choreographer, Mr. Matthews has been called upon to instruct master classes and choreograph for a host of universities and academic schools to include Yale University, Ohio State University, and Alabama State University, among others.
He continues to instruct and create for professional companies, dance institutions, and studios in the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, China, Curaçao, Finland, Germany, Italy, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, and Switzerland. To his credit, Matthews orchestrated theatrical performances for productions of Chicago, Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma! and the Partnership For Results, a community-wide after-school development program for vulnerable youth under the direction of Susan Muldoon.
As a freelance dancer and guest artist, Nijawwon was a castmember for the films In The Heights, Black Nativity, and the PBS/Time Warner Special Black Bones. He also performed works by Cirque Du Soleil in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and for choreographers such as the late Donald McKayle, George Faison, Otis Sallid, Milton Myers, Kevin Iega Jeff, Gary Abbott, Christopher Huggins, and many others. Some of the companies Nijawwon has worked withinclude Philadanco!, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Cecilia Marta Dance Company, and several others.
Nijawwon Matthews is a resident teaching artist and choreographer at Broadway Dance Center and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. He finds inspiration through collaborations and his continued work with artists from all around the world.
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