The Dance Data Project® Team
Ballet Hispánico dancers perform “Tiburones”
Choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Photo by Christopher Duggan
Courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow
Elizabeth “Liza” Yntema wearing Another Tomorrow
Photo by Kyle Flubacker
Our Founder
Elizabeth Yntema is the President & Founder of the Dance Data Project®. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for WTTW/WFMT and the Board of Directors of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Liza was graduated from the University of Virginia in 1980 and is 1984 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, where she was awarded the Jane L. Mixer Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Justice. Ms. Yntema is a past member of numerous organizations in the Chicagoland area, including the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Women’s Bar Association, Trust for Public Land in Illinois, Winnetka Board of the Northwestern Settlement House, the Children’s Home and Aid Society, and the Junior League of Chicago, where she was named as Volunteer of the Year for her work advocating for homeless women and children.
Named to the final full year training cohort of The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW) in 2018, Liza spent a year honing her skills as part of “the next generation of strategic philanthropists.” TPW is a global network of over 450 selected philanthropists, from 26 countries.
Ms. Yntema has underwritten ballets for Sacramento and Pacific Northwest Ballets, the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company and BalletX, including world premieres by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (Mammatus) and Stephanie Martinez (Bliss!). She has also supported works by Penny Saunders, Robyn Minenko Williams, Amy Seiwert and Eva Stone, as well as Nicolas Blanc and Christopher Wheeldon. Liza was Lead Sponsor of Crystal Pite’s work Solo Echo as part of the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Hubbard Street Dance Company.
Most recently, Ms. Yntema is personally supporting Aszure Barton’s work for HSDC and her new work for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Penny Saunders’ new production with Ballet Idaho, the Eugene Ballet (in honor of Artistic Director Toni Pimble), Ballet Hispánico’s presentation of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Doña Perón at the Auditorium Theater, Amy Seiwart’s contemporary ballet company, Imagery, and Stephanie Martinez’s work All’s Well that Ends Well with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
In May 2018, American Ballet Theatre announced the launch of its ABT Women’s Movement, a multi-year initiative supporting the creation of new works by female choreographers for the company. Ms. Yntema, along with the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, was an initial Principal Sponsor for this initiative and continues to support its development. Ms. Yntema recently joined the Boston Ballet’s multi-year initiative ChoreograpHER as a Lead Sponsor. Liza also actively supports the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s choreographic initiative for female students, New Voices.
Liza and Dance Data Project® have been featured in the book Women and Leadership: Journey Toward Equity by Lisa DeFrank-Cole, Professor and Director of Leadership Studies at West Virginia University and Sherylle J. Tan, Ph. D. a developmental psychologist and Director of Internships and KLI Research at the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. Ms. Yntema has also been awarded the inaugural Top Tier Feminist Giver Award by Philanthropy Women in March of 2021.
Ms. Yntema was recently selected for the first national cohort of Chief, a global network of women founders and C-Suite executives.
DDP’s ground breaking work is featured in the book Turning Pointe: How A New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet From Itself, published in May 2021.
SHANTI AISHA DRAKE
Strategic Operations Manager
Shanti is a former dancer who began her training in classical ballet, continuing in Graham, Horton, and jazz techniques, as well as African and Native American dance. Combining her love for dance with her passion for social justice and equity, she spent time as a teacher and choreographer, focusing on communities with less access to the study of classical ballet.
Shanti’s professional work outside of dance weaves together a unique tapestry of leadership experience in non profit fundraising, development, research and advocacy, business retail, and community engagement.
Connection and relationship being at the heart of Shanti’s collaborative leadership style, she is a strong proponent of access and representation. Proud to be a part of the DDP team, Shanti is thrilled to support work toward the advancement of equity in dance. Now the mother of a dancer, Shanti resides in the Chicago area with her daughter, Siberian Husky and rescue cat.
REBECCA FERRELL
Research Lead/Programming Consultant
Rebecca A. Ferrell (she/her) is a dance advocate, artist, educator, curator, and researcher. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Arizona State University. She is currently part of the inaugural cohort of Ph.D. Arts Administration students at the University of Kentucky where her research is focused on equitable practices in the dance sector. Rebecca is also the Director of Programs at Dance/USA and on faculty at Shenandoah University and the College of Charleston. She is thrilled to be joining the Dance Data Project team!
ISABELLE RAMEY
Communications Lead
Isabelle is a graduate of Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance and BS in Mathematics. At Butler, Isabelle has been recognized with the Eileen Poston Dance Scholarship for outstanding performance, as well as the Amos Carpenter Memorial Award for excellence in mathematics. She recently joined Phi Beta Kappa and will be completing her professional certification in Data Science in the coming months, after finishing her first season as a professional ballet dancer with Ballet Austin. Isabelle is eager to meld her interests while championing equity in dance.
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.
Andrew Hoekstra
Data Engineering Consultant
Andrew is a Senior Principal Data Scientist at Northrop Grumman in People Analytics. Through his independent firm, Pointe Vector, he brings cross-industry knowledge in data engineering and algorithm design to organizations with passion and purpose. In 2018, Andrew and his wife founded Deos Contemporary Ballet, a Michigan-based professional company, where he serves as its President and Executive Director. Through Deos Ballet, Andrew discovered his love for dance as a performance art and a passion for seeking equity in the industry. He is eager to assist the DDP team in using technology to maximize the impact of its data.
LEE NAH
Research Consultant
Lee Nah is currently studying at Kenyon College in Ohio. She joined us as a senior at Lane Technical High School in the summer of 2021. She has been a dancer since the age of three and currently works with Joffrey Ballet Community Engagement in their Exelon Strobel Dancers Program. As a member of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago Youth Commission, she represents youth voices in Chicago and collaborates with city leaders to develop youth-focused outreach programs. She is an advocate for the destigmatization of mental health and body-image disorders and is passionate about arts equity and social activism.
CHLOE REDMOND
Social Media Coordinator
Chloe Redmond is a Program Manager in the DC metropolitan area. She oversees various projects by developing advocacy reports, managing employee resource groups, and creating communication strategies.
Before her current role, Chloe worked as a government consultant at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She managed internal and external communication-related tasks for the Chief of Staff and leadership team at the Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO). Chloe began her career in government consulting, where she worked with NOAA and NASA engineers on communicating impacts, statuses, and issue reports.
In addition to her work experience, Chloe created social media campaigns for various local non-profits. Chloe is a graduate of the University of Maryland Global Campus with a Master of Science in Management with a Public Relations track. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Communications from Stevenson University. Currently, Chloe is pursuing a Business Communication Certificate from Harvard Extension School.
JUNYLA SILMON
Research Consultant
Junyla Silmon is a movement artist from Canton, Mississippi. She is currently a senior at Montclair State University earning a BFA in Dance Performance and a Minor in Business Administration. Junyla recently joined FreeSpace Dance Company of Upper Montclair, New Jersey. She has worked with notable choreographers including Fredrick Earl Mosley, Mark Dendy, Christian Von Howard, and Stefanie Batten Bland. With a love for community, individual expression, and the vast human experience, her art expands upon the desire to amplify humanity through physical storytelling. Coinciding with her artistic passions, Junyla is also a student representative in the Artist of Color Advisory Council and the ADVANCE team, which are two organizations committed to enhancing diversity, inclusion, and equity within the Theatre and Dance Department of her university.
Dance Data Project® would like to thank our friend Choreographer Stefanie Batten Bland for promoting DDP’s internship opportunities.
BAILEY WALKER
Archivist & Subscriptions Editor
Bailey is a senior dance education major at Southern Utah University. She currently sits as Associate Director for Southern Utah University Dance Organization. Bailey works and teaches throughout her community to bring awareness to and advocate for dance. She is especially passionate about advocacy and research related to gender equity within the arts. Bailey joined the DDP team as an intern in 2021.
KATHERINE WANG
Research Consultant
Katherine Wang (she/her) is a freshman at Stanford University prospectively studying Symbolic Systems and Sociology with a minor in Dance. She previously attended Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, where she received the Martin Luther King Jr. Award upon graduating. There, she continued her thirteen years of concert dance training, served as a Head of the Dance Program and Captain of the varsity-level dance performance ensemble, in addition to having directed and choreographed for numerous productions. Through the CAMD Scholars fellowship, Katherine investigated the role of racial fetishism and cultural appropriation in concert dance, reflecting her dedication to instilling equity in the performance arts.
HAYLEY WEBER
Computer Science Consultant / Research Coordinator
Hayley is a recent Butler University graduate who received a BA in Dance Pedagogy and completed minors in both Computer Science and Mathematics. In addition to her schoolwork and performances at Butler, Hayley served the dance department as President of Sigma Rho Delta. Over the summer, she completed the Simonson Method of Teacher Training course becoming certified to teach Simonson Technique. Originally from San Diego, she is currently a freelance dancer and teacher in New York City. Hayley is excited to combine her love of the arts and sciences with DDP.
JENESIS WILLIAMS
Research Consultant
Jenesis Williams is a freshman at Columbia University studying data science and human rights. In her work, she hopes to use big data to solve even bigger problems in dance and beyond. She has studied the Cecchetti method of ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus for the past eight years. She joined the DDP team as an intern in 2019.
LYDIA WIRTH
Newsletter & Website Editor
Lydia recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Strategic Communication. Passionate about both the arts and advocacy, Lydia had several opportunities at Butler to explore the intersections of ballet and choreography with feminism and equality. With a background in communications, she was also the Public Relations Chair for Sigma Rho Delta and, this past summer, the Digital Media Intern at Chautauqua Institution. Lydia is currently a professional dancer with Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina. She is excited to help create a more equitable dance world for women and girls.
SEHAJ GILL
Intern
Sehaj is a high school student from Michigan who interested in developing and applying her math, computer science, and engineering skills to real world problems to help create meaningful solutions. She has earned a MicroBachelors credential in Fundamentals of Computer Science from NYU. Sehaj loves developing insights through analyzing data. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano or flute, playing tennis, and programming in Python.
