John Malashock, Artistic Director, founded Malashock Dance in 1988 after a distinguished performing career with Twyla Tharp Dance in New York-where he was featured in numerous television specials, appeared in the Academy Award winning film, Amadeus, and toured worldwide. He has created over 60 original works for the Company and won four Emmy Awards for his dance films. John has served as a faculty member at the American Dance Festival; at CSU Longbeach; and has taught throughout Europe, Asia and Central America.and toured worldwide.

Michael Mizerany, Associate Artistic Director, studied dance at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and then joined The Modern America Dance Company (MAD/CO) in 1986. After three seasons in St. Louis, MO with MADCO, Michael relocated to Los Angeles to join Lorett a Livingston & Dancers and, in 1996, he joined the internationally renowned Bella Lewitzky Dance Company. Michael is the recipient of two Lester Horton Dance Awards for Performance (1995 & 1996). Currently, Michael is Associate Artistic Director for Malashock Dance.

Molly Puryear, Education Director, received her BFA in Dance in 2003 after extensive training in ballet, modern, jazz, dance pedagogy, and kinesiology. She has enjoyed teaching ballet, modern, and contemporary for 9 years, and has been developing and teaching standards-based dance curriculum for Malashock Dance’s Outreach and Education Programs since 2006.

Erica Buechner has been performing professionally in San Diego since 1999, most extensively with Mojalet Dance Collective. She has also performed for Patricia Sandback and Dancers, Joe Alter Dance Group and Malashock Dance. Erica graduated from SDSU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and has taught throughout San Diego for over nine years.

Rachel Goldman, a Cincinnati, OH native, obtained a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. As an Arts in Education specialist with the Virginia Tanner Dance Program, she taught in public elementary schools throughout Salt Lake City.  Rachel moved to San Diego in 2009 and started her dance career with the Colette Harding Contemporary Dance Company.  She has worked professionally with a wide range of San Diego choreographers including Kyle Sorensen, Alicia Peterson Baskel, and Patricia Sandback.  Currently, she is a member of the collaborative dance and music group Odd and Even, which she co-founded with its seven other members in 2011.

Audrey Hermes was born and raised in North Dakota. Audrey attended the University of Utah and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance and a minor in Nutrition. While in college she served as president of the Orchesis Society, performing with several guest artists in residency, and interned with the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. After moving to San Diego Audrey began dancing for the Colette Harding Contemporary Dance Company. Besides her passion for dance Audrey stays very busy as the owner of Frost Me Gourmet Cupcakes, a delivery cupcake bakery catering to the San Diego area.

Karen Infascelli received a Bachelor’s degree in Business & Dance Pedagogy from Plymouth State University in 2003.  Since then she has been teaching ballet, tap, jazz, modern and creative dance classes in many dance studios and High Schools in Massachusetts. Currently, Karen teaches creative & modern dance in San Diego and has been enjoying working as a “teaching artist,” going into pre-schools and elementary schools introducing many young children to the art of dance!

Bradley R. Lundberg began teaching in NYC as a company member of Jennifer Muller/The Works and Steeledance. In San Diego, Bradley has taught at APA and at Dance Place San Diego thru SDDT. He was a founding member of the 5X5 modern dance workshop and has taught in the Malashock Dance, SDDT, California Ballet and Civic Dance summer workshops. He has also participated as a guest artist at SDSU, UCSB, UCSD and in Switzerland with Faith Ismay.

Diana Nicastro has been teaching ballet in the San Diego area for over 20 years. Diana received her early training in Ballet and Modern Dance in New York. She continued formal ballet studies at the Harkness Ballet School, the Boston Conservatory of Music, and studied with Ruth Sandholm Ambrose of Boston Ballet. After college Diana continued her dance education at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. Diana has completed the RD (Royal Academy of Dance) Teacher’s Course.

Sarah Brown grew up dancing with the University of Utah’s Children’s Dance Theatre beginning at age three.  Sarah’s performance experience includes dancing as a guest artist with Repertory Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, and as a member of the Chicago Moving Company.  It was in Chicago that Sarah discovered her love of teaching, and she has gone on to teach adults and children of all ages, in private studios, public schools and community settings.  She served on the board of directors for Behold Dance Collective, a grass-roots community dance organization in Oakland, CA.  Sarah has a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and an MFA in Dance from Mills College.  She has a particular interest in exploring the role of creative movement in enhancing academic learning.