WADE Team

Giada Matteini | Founder, Artistic and Executive Director
Giada Matteini (she/they) is an Italian performer, educator, choreographer, and cultural producer based in New York City. She is the Founder and Director of WADE (Wandering Avian Dance Experience), a women-led multifaceted performing arts company working at the intersection with social justice and focused on supporting the voices and artistic expressions of women and historically underrepresented artists. Giada is also an Assistant Arts Professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Principal Investigator of an NYU funded research project investigating somatic movement rehabilitation models for perpetrators of gender-based violence. They have traveled as a guest artist to Germany, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Spain, China, The Philippines, Mexico and across the U.S. and Italy.

Corinne Hart | Founding Member, Director of Operations
Corinne Hart (she/her) is an accomplished dancer, educator, and arts administrator. She has performed with reputable companies such as Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, WADEensemble, and RIOULT Repertoire Group at venues including New York City Center Studios and The Ailey Citigroup Theater. Corinne holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Nutritional Studies from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Her performance repertoire includes classical and contemporary works by Pascal Rioult, Ori Flomin, Roy Assaf, Cherylyn Lavagnino, Stephanie Batten Bland, and Sadé Alleyne. In her role as an arts administrator and freelancer through Corinne Hart LLC, she provides advice and strategic planning to enhance her clients' operations through grant writing, digital marketing, and more.

Dahyun Kim | Public Relations and Research Director
Dahyun Kim, pronounced [Da-hyeon Khim] is a dancer, choreographer, and educator from Seoul, South Korea. She has recently received her M.F.A. in Dance at Tisch School of the Arts and M.A. in Dance Education at Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Dahyun is deeply passionate about creating a culturally responsive and research based practice. Her artistry recently has been focused on understanding her cultural identity, and sharing with the world the nuanced beauties that lie in Korean art forms. This can be seen in her works such as ‘흥 | Joy’ premiered in Queensboro Dance Festival 2022, ‘수심가 | Depth of Water’ premiered in Tisch Masters Concert 2023, and ’일엽편주 | Paper Boat‘. A versatile mover, Dahyun has performed in choreographies by Ronald K. Brown, Jesse Obremski, Kaya Wolsey, Deborah Damast, Austin J Eyer, Michele Dunleavy, Esl Kim, Yunjung Jang, Rafael Cañals, David Cartahena Lee, and more. She is currently a company member with Gotham Dance Theatre, and she works as a freelancer based in NYC. Dahyun is a deep believer that dance is for everyone, and they wish to live as living proof of this statement.

Alisha Kathwani | Marketing Director
Alisha Khatwani (she/her) is a dynamic dancer and digital artist. After relocating to New York in 2021 to pursue her dreams at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Alisha earned her BFA in Dance with a minor in Digital Art and Design. Her training under prestigious artists from companies such as Gallim Dance Co., AIM by Kyle Abraham, and Limón has shaped her into an expressive artist. Alisha's artistic evolution extends beyond dance; she also thrives as a digital artist, exploring avenues in graphic design, photography, and video projects. Her experiences studying abroad in Berlin with the B12 dance program and performing at renowned festivals, like Battery Dance, at NYU Tisch Graduation at Radio City Music Hall, and in the Eden Gardens, have broadened her artistic horizons. As Alisha continues to blend her passions in dance and digital art, with great emphasis on connection and expression through art. 

Natasha Rotondaro | Lighting Designer and Stage Manager
Natasha Marie Rotondaro is a Canadian-born international lighting designer, currently based out of New York City. She uses light to build new worlds and tell stories within them. She loves collaboration, and explores light through theatre, dance, and other art forms where light can shape space. Natasha received her MFA in Design from the NYU Tisch Design for Stage and Film program.  Portfolio: www.natasharotondaro.com Instagram/TikTok: @natashagetslit 

John Eng | Photographer
John Eng (he/him) is a freelance photographer who is based in the NYC metro area. His clientele includes a diverse portfolio of organizations and dance companies and his award-winning work has been featured in online and print publications. John’s passion for photography comes from the desire to capture fleeting moments in time with lasting images that evoke emotion.

Matteo Ferrone | Production Assistant
Matteo Ferrone, a native New Yorker, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology at City College of New York to focus on a career in healthcare. This past summer he worked his first job in the field as an occupational therapist assistant at the Methodist Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Riverdale. A competitive ice hockey and soccer player, he grew up surrounded by dancers who have influenced his understanding of a healthy mind-healthy body connection and of a deep commitment to one's craft. He has served as WADE's production assistant and videographer since 2021 working both in Italy and in New York and has been present at every Dance HUB Italy since its inception in 2010 at the tender age of six.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WADE extends heartfelt thanks to its dedicated board members, Seàn Curran and Adia Edmonson. We are deeply grateful to WADE’s donors and the many generous supporters who made this performance possible. Giada offers her sincere appreciation to the incredible WADE team and talented artists who brought this vision to life.

Special thanks and recognition to Pamela Pietro, Susan Hamburger, BJ Marchini, and the NYU Tisch Dance Department for their unwavering support.