EDUCATION

Gabriel Chajnik is a passionate educator, choreographer, and dance professional. He was trained under the tutelage of Maestro Hector Zaraspe and is an alumnus of the Juilliard School. Gabriel is a former dancer with American Repertory Ballet. His teaching credits expand from Argentina to Europe and the United States at Brooklyn Music School, Princeton Ballet, the Academy of Dance Arts and Gotta Dance in New Jersey. Gabriel’s work has been featured at Juilliard, the Manhattan School of Music, the Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C., Alice Tully Hall, the Clark Theater at Lincoln Center, MMAC, and the Lambs Theater.

A founding member of AXCBT, Olivia graduated from Ailey/Fordham with a B.F.A. in Dance and English (2018). She previously danced with Ballet Hispanico's BHdos and has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Colby Damon, Graham Lustig, and Riccardo de Nigris. She has performed at Lincoln Center and the historic Apollo Theater. Olivia has presented and performed choreographic works at Asbury Park Dance Festival, Ailey Citigroup Theatre, Dixon Place, Rider University, The Tank NYC, and Bell Works.

Lindsay Jorgensen has danced with Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater and Buglisi Dance Theatre since 2019. She graduated summa cum laude with honorable mention in Dance from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Dance Program, double majoring in Dance and English. She has performed at Lincoln Center and Asbury Park Dance Festival, and has performed choreography by Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Robert Battle, Patrick Delcroix, Riccardo de Nigris, and Gabrielle Lamb. Lindsay’s choreography has been shown at Bell Works and Ailey Citigroup Theatre.

Wendy Roman is the Director for the Primary Division of the Axelrod Performing Arts Academy.  Wendy graduated from Stockton State College with a BFA in Dance where she danced as a principle for the Stockton Dance Company. After graduation Wendy opened the Dance Zone. The studio began by offering dance instruction and then added acting, singing, and performing arts for students with special needs and autism.

In 2010,  Wendy joined the team at Axelrod Performing Arts Center and in 2019 became an integral part of the Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater.  During COVID, Wendy created the Primary program for the new Axelrod Performing Arts Academy.  Today, she has grown that program to over 100 students.  Teaching and guiding dancers of all ages is her passion!

Alyssa Harris graduated from Adelphi University with a BFA in Dance. She has worked with choreographers Frank Augustyn, Orion Duckstein, Adelheid B. Strelick, and Jennifer Kreichman. Alyssa joined AXCBT in 2021 and has performed soloist roles such as Tea in AXCBT’s The Nutcracker Rocks.