Faculty
Nicole Brockmann, Associate Professor at the DePauw University School of Music, is a performer, teacher, and scholar whose work focuses on the development and pedagogy of musical artistry. She earned a DMA from Yale University and a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, both in viola performance. She also holds the Dalcroze License and Certificate from Carnegie Mellon. In addition to Eurhythmics and Dalcroze solfege, special areas of interest include improvisation for chamber ensembles and using Eurhythmics to deepen musical understanding and performance in instrumental and vocal master classes. In addition to her ongoing Dalcroze work at Carnegie Mellon and at DePauw, she has led Eurhythmics workshops and clinics at a variety of universities across the US and at national and international conferences and summer festivals. She is the author of From Sight to Sound: Improvisational Games for Classical Musicians (Indiana University Press, 2009). Her current research focuses on the understanding and pedagogy of music as a kinesthetic experience.
Judi Cagley, Artist Lecturer in Solfege, Administrative Coordinator of the Marta Sanchez Dalcroze Training Center, Eurhythmics Instructor in the Music Preparatory School, and faculty advisor to Alpha Mu Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota at Carnegie Mellon University. She plays violin in The Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, is a member of the Education and Outreach Committee of the Pittsburgh Symphony and volunteers with the Education Department of the Pittsburgh Opera. B.F.A. and Certificate in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Carnegie Mellon University; M.S. Ed., Duquesne University; Certificate in Gifted Education, Carlow University.
Silvia Contreras, Dalcroze Certificate, Dalcroze License Carnegie Mellon University. Professor of Theory and Eurhythmics at the University of Chile and Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. Author of epertorio Didactico Musical-una Propuesta Globalizadora and Desde and Piano la Armon'a.
Andrew Goldman, Ph.D., Music-Motion-Brain Symposium curator, is a music theorist and cognitive scientist. His work principally concerns the science of improvisation. He also works on music and embodied cognition. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2015 under the supervision of Prof. Ian Cross at the Centre for Music and Science. From there, he worked as a Presidential Scholar in Society and Neuroscience for 3 years at Columbia University working with Profs. George Lewis, Paul Sajda, and Daphna Shohamy where he learned to use EEG methods to investigate the neuroscience of both music and dance improvisation. Dr. Goldman also worked as an adjunct assistant professor in Columbia's music department. He is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at Western University working with Prof. Jonathan De Souza on the Music, Cognition, and the Brain initiative. In addition to his research, he is also a composer. His original musical, "Science! The Musical", was premiered in Cambridge in 2014 and revived in New York City in 2018. He also writes pop songs, and music for children's choirs.
Dr. Annabelle Joseph, Dalcroze Diplôme Supérieur, Professor of Music, teaches Eurhythmics at both graduate and undergraduate levels and is emeritus director of the Dalcroze Training Center at Carnegie Mellon. As a Fellow in the Studio for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon, she is involved in educational research including co-development of Piano Tutor and the Rhythm Project, an interdisciplinary course exploring the role of rhythm in the arts and beyond. Dr. Joseph consults, lectures and gives workshops in Dalcroze Eurhythmics throughout the United States and abroad.
Peter Kope, co-founder and Artistic Director of Attack Theatre, has been creating passionate portrayals of everyday life that combine modern dance, original live music, multimedia and interdisciplinary art forms for nearly two decades. Along with Michele de la Reza, Peter has choreographed works for the Avignon Festival, the 7th Next Wave Dance Festival/Japan, Indonesia Arts Festival, Monaco Danses Forum, the Spoleto Festival and the Broadway production of Squonk. They have choreographed and performed for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera, Quantum Theatre, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of Art, and Mattress Factory among many others.
Attack Theatre was featured in Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” in 2007 and chosen as “Best Dance Company of 2007” (Pittsburgh City Paper) and “Best Dance of 2006” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Attack Theatre is a three-time recipient of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts fellowship award, the Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts Award and the Hardie Award as Arts Educator of the Year for 2006.
Peter performed and toured with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Jacob’s Pillow “Men Dancers: The Ted Shawn Legacy”, NYC based Perks Dance Music Theatre and Dance Alloy. He is on faculty at Carnegie Mellon University – School of Music. Peter has been teaching and performing in schools and community environments nationally and internationally for over twenty years and has taught hundreds of residencies, workshops and master classes. With Michele, he has conducted dance/movement master classes and residencies and professional development workshops for teachers throughout the United States and Europe; and at University of Pittsburgh, Point Park University, Dickinson College, Mimar Sinan Conservatory, La Roche College, Slippery Rock University – to name a few. Teaching and performing for hundreds of primary and secondary schools, Attack Theatre maintains education partnerships with Gateway to the Arts, PA Council on the Arts, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Arts Education Collaborative.
Lisa Levinson is an AmSAT-certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, and is also a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist. She maintains a private practice in Pittsburgh, PA. Her practice includes musicians (instrumentalists, vocalists, conductors), actors, artists, psychologists, computer and business professionals, and people with pain issues. Lisa’s experience as a violinist greatly colors her teaching, particularly when working with other musicians. She collaborates in workshops and clinics throughout the greater Pittsburgh and tri-state area, and teaches Alexander Technique at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University, the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University, and the UPMC Center for Integrative Medicine.
Dr. Stephen Moore, Dalcroze Diplôme Supérieur, Performance Specialist/Piano, Associate Professor of Music at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and former tenured Associate Professor of the Oberlin Conservatory. He has performed nationally and internationally in Tokyo, Taipei, Hsinchu, Graz and Salzburg. Dr. Moore is co-author with Dr. Julia Schnebly Black, of two books, The Rhythm Inside and Rhythm One-on-One, published by Alfred. He holds a Ph. D in Music Theory from Indiana University, MM in Piano from the Manhattan School of Music, and BM Education from the Universtiy of RI. His latest CD, The French Connection (2012), is a collection of French solo piano music. Dr. Moore has passed seven of eight examinations for the Diplome in Eurhythmics. He holds the Dalcroze Certificate from the Manhattan Dalcroze Institute and the License from Columbia University, Teacher’s College. Since 1997, he has taught at the Marta Sanchez Summer Training Center (Carnegie Mellon University) and since 1993, at the Northwest Dalcroze Summer Training Center. Dr. Moore also offers a three-week intensive summer course in Dalcroze Eurhythmics for public school teachers at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Dr. Stephen Neely, Dalcroze License, Carnegie Mellon Artist Lecturer in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and past President of the Dalcroze Society of America, is a conductor, teacher, singer, and clinician. He holds a BFA in Vocal Performance, and an MM in Music Education from Carnegie Mellon University. He teaches Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Vocal Methods for the Carnegie Mellon School of Music and is the Director of the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Pre-College program. He teaches Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Private Voice, and directs the Opera Chorus at Pittsburgh's High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. He is the Associate Director Carnegie Mellon’s Marta Sanchez Dalcroze Training Center. Mr. Neely was featured as the Hangman in Leonardo Balada’s early opera Hangman, Hangman and the world premiere of The Town of Greed for the Naxos label. He was Chorus Master for the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh from 1999-2010 and was a featured speaker at TEDxCMU 2012. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Interaction Design through the Carnegie Mellon School of Design and enjoys traveling to present workshops and clinics to schools, universities, and music organizations around the globe from PA to CA, Mexico to Jakarta, Indonesia.
Michele de la Reza is founder and artistic director of Attack Theatre, whose dance-based performances feature the seamless integration of video, live music and dance. Attack Theatre’s work has been presented throughout the US and in Switzerland, Japan, Monaco, Germany, France, Indonesia and Turkey. With co-artistic director Peter Kope, they made their Broadway debut in 2000 as choreographers for “Squonk”. They have choreographed and performed in ten productions with the Pittsburgh Opera ranging from “Carmen” and “Rigoletto” to “Dead Man Walking”. They collaborated with Quantum Theater on “Kafka’s Chimp” and “Voluptuous Tango”, and with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Stravinsky’s “L’Histoire du Soldat” featuring Pinchus Zuckerman. Michele was a leading dancer with Dance Alloy and NYC based Perks Dance Music Theatre for eight years performing the works of esteemed choreographers including Mark Taylor, David Rousseve, Elizabeth Streb and David Dorfman. With Peter Kope, she is the recipient of three PA Council on the Arts fellowships, the Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts award, Hardie Educator of the Year for 2006, and the Top 50 Cultural Powerbrokers of Pittsburgh (2000-2006). She received her BFA from the Juilliard School and a Masters of Science in Developmental Movement/Motor Learning from the University of Pittsburgh.
Leslie Purcell Upchurch holds the Certificate and License in Dalcroze Eurhythmics from Carnegie-Mellon University and has a BFA in Music from Carnegie Mellon University and a Masters of Music from The University of Wisconsin/Madison, both in piano performance. She teaches Dalcroze Eurhythmics at The Lucy Moses School and The Dalcroze School at Lucy Moses, both a part of the Kaufman Music Center in New York CIty. Her students range from very young children to professional musicians and music teachers training in the Dalcroze work.
Teaching “Adult and Senior Eurhythmics for Brain Health and Better Balance” is an initiative Ms Upchurch has undertaken. She currently holds weekly classes at the JCC Manhattan in New York City. Her students have reported both their memories and physical movement improved due to taking classes that follow her DalcrozeNYC curriculum.
Ms. Upchurch is also the Dalcroze Eurhythmics teacher for Carnegie Mellon’s Summer Pre-College Music Program. Her extensive Dalcroze teaching experience includes teaching for seven years as the founding music teacher at The Maple Street School in Manchester, Vermont, and workshops for teachers ranging from preschool educators to college professors interested in the Dalcroze work. She has taught courses in Dalcroze Eurhythmics and its applications to teachers in training at Muskingum College, Southern Vermont College, and at several community colleges.
Recent workshop clients have included The Success Academies of New York City and the Early Childhood Music Association of Ontario in Toronto. In addition she recently presented sessions on Flow in both improvisation and pedagogy at the Dalcroze Society of America National Conference in Princeton, New Jersey.
David Vinski, Folk Dancing, has long had a special interest in folklore, customs, music, and dance. He is well known throughout the U.S. for his master classes and workshops in folk dance. He received an award in choreography from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and has been a guest choreographer for the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, Dear Friends, Children's Festival Chorus, Pittsburgh International Folk Theatre, and Penn State International Ensemble. David has taught at several folk dance venues around the United States, including Mainewoods Dance Camp, of which he is a past board member, and the Chicago Fall Ball.
Arjun Pamidi is a software engineer, yoga practitioner, teacher (RYT-500), and nature lover. He was born and brought up in India and moved to the USA to pursue his career in engineering. Initially, Arjun used to think that Yoga was not for him. Only when he tried a class in person did he starts to feel all the excellent benefits of Yoga. Then, he never looked back. He got deeper into his Yoga practice and completed 200- and 300 hr teacher training courses. As a teacher, he likes to deliver Yoga classes aiming to relieve the tension in the physical body, increase awareness in the energetic body, and go deeper into the meditative states of our being.