Director, Producer, Choreographer, Cast

Julia Ruth Patella is an award-winning choreographer and director for musical theatre (Sunday in the Park With George, Fiddler on the Roof, Damn Yankees), film (“On the Sidewalk, at Night”, official selection for 10+ national and international film festivals), collaborative/experimental performance (Circus Hamlet, The Simon Suites), and straight theatre (Waiting For Godot, This is Our Youth). Patella has been recognized with choreography awards from Artists Simply Human and Revel Dance Convention, and is a recipient of the Abrons Arts Center Dancemakers Grant. Julia pursues a BA in Dance and Sociology at Barnard College of Columbia University where she studies tap under Dormeshia.

Choreographer, Cast, Associate Producer

Kaiden Currie is an accomplished choreographer and performer pursuing a BA in Film and Media Studies and Dance at Columbia University. A nine-time world tap dance champion and recipient of over 30 national dance titles, Kaiden has performed at the Chita Rivera Awards, the Joyce Theatre, Hollywood Tap Festival, Debbie Allen’s recent exhibition Unearthed, and has opened for country music sensation Kane Brown at the MLB All-Star game. A mentee of Chloe and Maud Arnold, Kaiden teaches tap for American Tap Company, StarDance Alliance, The Chloe and Maud Foundation, and Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

Choreographer, Cast, Associate Producer

Katie McCarthy is a tap dancer, performer, and choreographer based in NYC. She is currently pursuing a BA in Economics and Sociology from Columbia University. At Columbia, Katie serves as the President of Columbia Women’s Business Society and Columbia UnTapped, leading over 150 students in business and performing art-related ventures, respectively. Recent credits include Barnard/Columbia Dances at Miller Theatre, Anything Goes! and Something Rotten! at Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts, and No One Can Survive Alone Benefit Concert. She is a 2023 alumna of The Tap School at Jacob’s Pillow.

Choreographer, Cast, Stage Manager

Kayla Taylor is an emerging NYC-based performer and choreographer with equal passions in dance and in the study of its cultural contexts. She pursues a dual bachelor’s degree in African American and African Diasporic studies and Dance at Columbia University, where she trains under Dormeshia. She has danced backup for Rupaul’s Drag Race star Plasma, and performed original dance works by Sydney Burtis (Choreographer’s Carnival) and Bo Park (New York Live Arts).

Cast

Hailing from Union, New Jersey, Ellis Foreman has been tap dancing for 12 years as one half of the Foreman Brothers. He has danced with some of the most influential dancers and companies in the art form, including Savion Glover, Maurice Hines, Maurice Chestnut’s Dance Therapy, Chloe and Maud Arnold, and The New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble. He had the unique honor of dancing on the Apollo Theatre stage alongside his brother Jaden, portraying Gregory and Maurice Hines on The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (S3E8), as well as playing Willie in The Tap Dance Kid (NJPAC). In addition to performing, Ellis is a production education assistant at NJPAC Arts Ed, a film major at Rider University, and a promotions director at 107.7 The Bronc WRRC FM.

Cast

Since he began dancing at age 7, Jaden Foreman has studied under some of the biggest names in tap dance. He was trained in Jason Samuels Smith’s New Jersey Tap Dance Ensemble, graced the Apollo Theatre stage alongside his brother Ellis in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (S3E8), the Victoria Theatre in Maurice Hines' Tappin Thru Life, and appeared in numerous theatre productions directed and choreographed by Savion Glover at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Tap dance has brought Jaden to incredible venues across the United States: from Los Angeles to Washington DC as an intern for Chloe and Maud Arnold, The Strand Theatre, The Kennedy Center in We Move In Color, and all over New York City, including Little Island, 92Y, and New York City Center.

Cast

Johannah Rickman is a multi-genre artist based in NYC. Originally from Seattle, she has performed with local groups 3rd Shift Dance Ensemble and Fly Moon Royalty. While in New York, Johannah has pursued professional training with The School at Jacob’s Pillow. She has had the honor of performing with Derick Grant’s NYC Tap Ensemble, and is grateful to be joining Pertazzer Co. for Footfall. Outside of dance, Johannah holds a B.S. in Marine Biology and is a published researcher of squirrel locomotion.

Cast

Jessee Leigh Robinson is a New York City-based tap dancer from Los Angeles. She is an alumna of The School at Jacob’s Pillow Tap Dance Program 2021 and 2023 where she performed works by Dormeshia, Derick Grant, and Michelle Dorrance. In New York, Jessee works with Anthony Morigerato’s production company AM Dance Productions. She has most recently danced for pre-production of Jelly’s Last Jam at NYCC Encores! choreographed by Dormeshia and Anything Goes at the MUNY choreographed by Jared Grimes. She was also a dancer with Dance Lab New York for their 2024 Tap Dance Lab Cycle under the direction of Ayodele Casel and Torya Beard. Some of Jessee’s recent performance credits include: The School Of Jacob’s Pillow Tap Dance Program on the Henry J. Leir Stage, Symphony Space, The Broadway Rhythm Summer Jazz Festival, Steps Beyond Foundation, and Arts on Site. As a choreographer, Jessee has presented works at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Arts on Site, Dixon Place, and The Craft.

Cast

Nicholas Meyers is a New York-based performer. He studied dance at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. He is a recent graduate of Columbia University, where he majored in Film and Media Studies. He has performed with Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Columbia Repertory Ballet, and Barnard Dance at New York Live Arts. His choreography has appeared in theatre at Columbia University and in the recent music video for Susannah Joffe’s “Omophagia.” 

Cast

Kay Prescott was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She started dancing at the age of 4 with Barbara Hammond School of Dance. Kay received her BA in Dance and Media from Marymount Manhattan College in 2024. During her time there, she performed works by Earl Mosley, Thryn Saxon, Catherine Cabeen, Jess DiMauro, and Megan Williams to name a few. After graduating, Kay began teaching dance at American Youth Dance Theater. She had the pleasure of performing works by Kroemovement in the summer and she is thrilled to be joining Pertazzer Co. this season for Footfall!

Alternate, Photographer

Steph Singh, originally from Portland, OR, is a recent graduate of UCLA’s Dance and Architectural Design departments where she trained with Gracie Whyte, Breeze Leigh, Miss Funk, and Kenji Igus. Throughout her four years in Los Angeles, Stephanie trained under Chloe and Maud Arnold in Sole Talk Youth Co., as well as Mackenzie Martin in Geometry Dance Company. She has performed in several live and filmed works including The Late Late Show with Ariana Grande and James Corden, and “The 56th Annual Super Bowl Halftime Show” in 2022. Currently, Steph is a part of the NBA G League Long Island Nets Dance Team. 

Composer

Daniella Sapone is a NYC-based composer and music director. She composes for a variety of theatrical mediums, including plays, dance, and musical theatre. She has debuted four original musicals at Columbia University, including The 130th Annual Varsity Show (composer), and Lemon Water (composer, lyricist, book writer), which is in continued development. She is the co-founder and president of First Stages, an organization dedicated to new musical theatre development. Daniella is studying Music and Political Science at Barnard College of Columbia University, and she is the 2024 recipient of the Boris and Eda Rapoport Prize for chamber composition.

Composer

Stephen Berkemeier is a professional media composer and trained therapist (MSW) who merges psychology and music to create compelling narratives. His past work includes collaborations with Award-Winning Playwright Darius M. Buckley on acclaimed works like Thin Places and Leo's Requiem, receiving praise from artists such as Lynn Nottage and David Henry Hwang. An educator and author of The Musical Storyteller, Stephen also hosts the YouTube channel "Tabletop Composer," where he shares his passions for education, music, and storytelling.

Composer

Louis Shriber is a New England-based composer, singer, and director completing a Bachelor's in Music Composition and Jazz Performance at the University of Rhode Island. He studies with renowned faculty and performs in various genres, serving as Music Director of the Rhody Rhapsodies and previously as Assistant Music Director for the Narragansett Bay Chorus. As a solo artist, he recently performed at the 2024 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. His compositions, including "How Can I Learn to Love," have been featured in festivals, and his vocal arrangements have been performed across Rhode Island.

Composer

Eli Schalet is a musician and composer from Western Massachusetts where he attended the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School studying music and theater. Now based in New York City, he composes original music for film, theater, and dance — most notably the score for RABBIT (2022), which won a NATAS Collegiate Regional Emmy for Best Short Film and Best Overall Film at the All-American High School Film Festival, as well as official selection for the Venice Short and Cannes Indie Shorts Award. Schalet is currently working on a solo recording project while studying at Columbia University.

Company Manager