The Dance Data Project® Team
“Children of Dharma” by Ragamala Dance Company
Photo by Rob Simmer/Three Phase Multimedia
Elizabeth “Liza” Yntema wearing Another Tomorrow Photo by Kyle Flubacker
Our Founder
Elizabeth B. Yntema is the President & Founder of Dance Data Project® (DDP), an organization dedicated to promoting gender equity in classical ballet through data analysis, advocacy, and transparency. Established in 2015, DDP has become a global leader in highlighting disparities in leadership, compensation, and programming in the dance industry, providing essential research and metrics-based tools for institutions worldwide.
A recognized leader in philanthropy and gender equity, Yntema has served on numerous boards, including WTTW/WFMT, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and The Joffrey Ballet, where she played a key role in fundraising and programming initiatives. She co-chaired major galas for both the Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Company, raising millions to support the arts. A life-long advocate for gender equity, Yntema received the Junior League of Chicago’s Volunteer of the Year award for her work passing a bi-partisan resolution in the Illinois House recognizing homelessness as particularly affecting women and children.
Her contributions to advancing women in dance have earned her widespread recognition, including the Top Tier Feminist Giver Award from Philanthropy Women (2021) and Lifetime Honorary Membership in Corps de Ballet (2022). She has been featured in leading media outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, NPR, The Guardian, and Inside Philanthropy, and has appeared on numerous podcasts discussing the intersection of data, philanthropy, and the arts.
Yntema holds a B.A. in International Relations and Honors English from the University of Virginia (magna cum laude) and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, where she received the Jane L. Mixer Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Justice.
She continues to advocate for systemic change in the arts through research, thought leadership, and strategic philanthropy, ensuring a more equitable future for women in dance.
Leads
Nancy Dobbs Owen
External Communications Lead
Nancy Dobbs Owen, MFA, MA, is an interdisciplinary artist and educator. Her research focuses on how training, tradition, and embedded power systems intersect, affecting equity and accessibility in dance leadership.
She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Southern Utah University. She is a staff writer for LA Dance Chronicle and serves on committees with Corps De Ballet International, NDEO, and Women in Dance.
Nancy has had a long career as a concert and commercial dancer. She began as an apprentice with the Joffrey Ballet, danced with regional ballet, modern, and contemporary companies, and has numerous theater credits, including the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera. As a dancer, she has worked with Hollywood’s leading choreographers, including Kat Burns, Ryan Heffington, and Nicole Berger.
She is an award-winning choreographer for both stage and film, with award recognition from the Ovations, Stage Scene LA, and BroadwayWorld.com. Her work has screened at over 40 film festivals, earning numerous ”best of” choreography and directing honors.
BA: Dance, UC Irvine, MFA: Interdisciplinary Arts with Performance Creation Concentration, Goddard College, MA: Arts Administration, SUU
A proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and an associate member of SDC.
Founding member of the Choreographers’ Guild
JENNA MAGRATH
Research Lead
Jenna Magrath (she/her) is a dance researcher, artist, and educator. She is currently an MSc student at the University of Toronto in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Her master’s work focuses on safeguarding against harm and maltreatment in dance. In addition, Jenna holds a BA in Contemporary Dance and a BKin (Honours) from the University of Calgary. She has previous research experience exploring teaching strategies utilized in community dance classes for older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s. Her work has received awards from the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science and Healthy Dancer Canada. Jenna is also a dance artist with performance and choreographer credits across Western Canada and has been a dance educator for more than 10 years. Jenna is passionate about advocating for and creating safe and equitable dancing spaces.
JUNYLA SILMON
Senior Research Consultant and Team Training Lead
Junyla Silmon, a native of Canton, MS, is a 2022 summa cum laude graduate from Montclair State University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance performance and a minor in business administration. As a performing artist, she has worked with Susan Marshall, Roderick George, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, and Kayla Farrish, among others. In 2023, Junyla checked in as the newest resident of Sleep No More at the McKittrick Hotel. She is also a company member of Company SBB//Stefanie Batten Bland. As a choreographer, her work, “[EK]+[OH],” was presented at the 2022 Upsurge Dance Festival.
Junyla began as a research intern with Dance Data Project in the summer of 2021 and has received three promotions since then: Research Consultant (April 2022), Senior Research Consultant (May 2022), and Senior Research Consultant and Team Training Lead (January 2024).
JASON SMITH
Technology and Digital Lead
Jason has over ten years of project management, design, and software development experience, overseeing digital and design project for small start ups. He arrived at his current position through a circuitous route through studying literature, working in publishing, literary magazines, and other such ventures.
Jason and his team are behind the graphic design of the DDP website, reports, advertisements, and more. He joined the DDP team in 2018 and resides in Chicago.
Kelly Love, LBL Financial
Bookkeeping/Accounting
Kelly Love, is a strategic advisor whose love goes beyond just crunching numbers. Passionate about businesses and entrepreneurship, a visionary who thrives on giving each of her clients peace of mind knowing she is there to assist in their financial success. As a licensed CPA with more than 18 years of accounting experience, Kelly has extensive experience as an accountant and auditor, and is currently in private practice. She focuses on applying her technical experience as an engineer to take an analytical, structured approach to applied financial principles and problem solving. Kelly has worked in public accounting with for-profit and nonprofit clients as well as in corporate accounting for private industry before starting her own firm in 2005.
Bex Ferrell
Special Projects Consultant
Bex Ferrell is a dance advocate, artist, educator, and researcher advancing equity in the arts. With a BFA in Dance and Choreography, an MFA in Dance, and a PhD in Arts Administration, their work champions labor rights, pay equity, and performing arts unions. Currently an Assistant Professor of Arts Management at the College of Charleston, Rebecca is a passionate arts advocate who has served on influential advisory and grant panels, including the National Endowment for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, United States Artists, and Virginians for the Arts’ Legislative Committee. Their previous professional positions include Director and Curator of the Flatlands Dance Film Festival, Executive Director of Dance Metro DC, and the Director of Programs for Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance. Bex is thrilled to be part of the DDP team championing gender equity in dance and advocating for greater representation and opportunities for women across the sector.
Julianna Raimondo
Communications Lead
Julianna is a DMV-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and administrator. She graduated from James Madison University (’20) magna cum laude, receiving her B.A. in Dance with a minor in theater. Julianna currently dances with DC-based contemporary/modern companies including GRIDLOCK Dance and UpRooted Dance. She teaches all genres of dance and choreographs for the competitive team at THE NEWMAN Dance Center in Annapolis, MD. In 2024, Julianna and collaborator Chloe Conway launched j&c dance project, a contemporary dance collective dedicated to creating and presenting innovative, collaborative work. j&c dance project was presented at the 2025 Women Arts Exchange (WAX) Festival in Jacksonville, FL and The Preview Works in Process Showing presented by The Creative Space in Washington, DC. Julianna is delighted to be a part of the DDP team and is always reaching for opportunities to connect and share art, whether that be through administration, performance, education, or creation.
Research Consultants
Sophia Ohrenstein
Research Consultant
Sophia is a sophomore at Harvard University, studying Applied Mathematics and Economics. She grew up dancing, where she discovered a passion for choreography and found opportunities to express her creativity. Driven by a desire to use mathematics to create positive change, Sophia is also deeply committed to advancing female leadership. On campus, she is an active member of Women in Business, where she helps organize and lead the annual Intercollegiate Business Convention. In her free time, Sophia is training to become a fitness instructor, tutors her peers, and is learning to code. She was recently promoted from intern at the Dance Data Project.
Catherine Spratt
Researcher – Data Analyst
Catherine Spratt is an artist and analyst born and raised in Bel Air, MD. She graduated from Butler University with a B.S. in Dance – Arts Administration and Computer Science with a passion for analyzing data trends in nonprofit organizations. Her prior experience includes working in the Advancement office at Butler University as she helped analyze fundraising trends and clean data scripts. She is passionate about finding intersections in research between nonprofit management, dance, and data analysis and is excited to join Dance Data Project!
Andrea Valentini
Research Consultant
Andrea Valentini (she/they) is a dance science researcher, Fulbright Postgraduate Awardee, and lifelong dancer originating from Sacramento, California. She holds an MSc in Dance Science with Distinction from Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, UK, completed through the Fulbright/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance. Her thesis examined the impact and effectiveness of intensive week-long pre-competition rehearsals for competitive hip-hop teams. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2022 with a BA in Dance, a BA in Honors Anthropology, and minors in Digital Art and Economics. Her undergraduate anthropology thesis explored the impact of the gender binary on collegiate dance education. She was an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Kelli Sharp’s dance science lab at UC Irvine for 3 years, and has presented her research at both institution-based and international conferences. Her work has focused on providing resources to better the experiences of dancers in a variety of contexts, including advocating for gender equity and inclusivity. Most recently, they competed with The G.O.O.D. Project, a hip-hop team based in Anaheim, California. Valentini is a student in the University of California, Los Angeles Extension School’s certificate program for Pre-Health and General Science Studies, and aspires to become a performing arts physical therapist. She is honored to be a part of the DDP team and contribute to efforts toward gender equity in dance.
Isaac Garcia
Research Consultant
Isaac Garcia is a Research Consultant at Dance Data Project. He completed his M.A. in Economics at the University of New Mexico, with a concentration in quantitative analysis and water resources, and holds a B.A. in Economics and Spanish, graduating summa cum laude. His academic work emphasizes data-driven research, applied economic modeling, and policy analysis.
In addition to his research background, Isaac brings extensive experience as a professional performing artist. His training spans ballet, music, and composition, informing a multidisciplinary perspective that bridges the arts and analytics. He has performed internationally as a pianist and has danced with several professional companies. This combined background allows him to approach research in the performing arts with both technical rigor and lived industry knowledge.
At Dance Data Project, Isaac contributes to work that advances transparency, equity, and informed decision-making in dance through rigorous, data-informed research.
Outreach Team
TRACEY BONNER
Senior Outreach Liaison
Tracey Bonner has a long-standing career as an artist, an arts advocate, an artistic leader, a freelance choreographer, a director, a master teacher, and an entrepreneur. From a career as a professional Broadway dancer (AEA) to an Associate Dance Professor, a collegiate audition coach/master teacher, and an administrative consultant at various arts organizations. She holds a dual BFA in musical theatre and dance from Shenandoah Conservatory, and an MFA in dance from the University of California, Irvine. She is a certified front-line fundraiser through The Veritus Group. Awards and publications include ethnographic research, producing and directing a film sponsored by the US Department of Justice, various awards for choreography including ACDA, and serving as an Al Smith Fellow for the Kentucky Arts Council.
Website & Archive Team
AANIKA KHANSAHEB
Website Editor
Aanika Khansaheb is born and raised in Charlotte, NC. She is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a major in Business Administration IT and Data Science and a minor in International Studies. She was also part of the Business Analytics Honors Program. Aanika has been a dancer since she was four years old, specializing in Bollywood Dance and Competitive Ballroom. She is passionate about combining her love of dance with philanthropic efforts. Outside of school and dance, she loves traveling, cooking, and trying new foods. Aanika is a big advocate for bringing awareness to gender inequality in male-dominated industries, specifically the art industry and STEM related fields.
BAILEY WALKER
Archivist & Subscriptions Editor
Bailey Walker (she/her) is an artist, choreographer, and educator based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Dance Education and Spanish from Southern Utah University. She is an accomplished teacher, performer, and choreographer. Her work has been featured at the Red Rock Dance Festival and the American Collegiate Dance Association Conference. Bailey is a company member with Contemporary Dance Wyoming. She also serves as a faculty member and Junior Repertory Company Co-Director at The School at Dancers’ Workshop in Jackson, WY.
Bailey began work with DDP in early 2021 as an intern and has had the immense privilege of witnessing the positive impact and change that DDP’s mission and research have influenced and continue to create.
Heather Hunt-Lacombe
Newsletter Editor
Heather Hunt-Lacombe (she/her) is a 2020 Summa Cum Laude graduate from The University of Alabama with a B.A. in Dance and a second major in General Business. After 4 years in NYC, she recently moved to Boston to begin her rookie season dancing for the Boston Celtics. Heather works as a freelance marketing manager for various clients and as a fitness instructor. She is excited to be a part of the DDP team and is passionate about advocating for equity in many areas of the dance world.
Administration
STEPHANIE WILKINS
Hiring Coordinator and Office Administrator
Stephanie Wilkins has been working as an Administrator/Executive Assistant for over 15 years in the philanthropic and business sector. Stephanie operates & manages a 30,000 sq ft executive office suite facility in Northfield where she first met and heard Liza’s ideas about promoting gender equity in the dance industry & she decided she wanted to jump on board and help Liza with the administrative part of turning Dance Data Project into a 501c3. Stephanie rejoined DDP in September of 2022 and is looking forward to help raise awareness related to gender equality, primarily in areas of leadership and choreographic opportunities. She resides in Northbrook with her 8 year old daughter and dog Bohdi.
Interns
Melissa Yin
Research Consultant
Melissa Yin is a high school junior pursuing STEM-focused coursework and extracurriculars. She is a graduate of the Girls Who Code Pathways Program, with a focus on the Data Science & Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity tracks. In 2024, she was an individual finalist in the American Computer Science League (ACSL), with her team placing first in Illinois and fourth in the nation.
Outside of computer science, Melissa is a part of the Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program. She has also trained at the John Cranko School Summer Intensive in New York on a scholarship from the Dancing Angels Foundation, as well as at their International Contemporary Masters program. Melissa is passionate about combining technology and the arts, and hopes to use data, teamwork, and innovation to create meaningful impact in both fields.
