Pentacle’s Career Development programs aim to cultivate the next generation of arts leaders. During the pandemic, Pentacle’s Internship Programs have extended into the virtual world to include entities and young professionals from across the United States and beyond. Congratulations to the latest graduates of the Arts Administration Internship Program! Scroll for more information about the upcoming Summer Session, with applications due in May 2022.
college & post-graduate arts administration internship program
Winter 2022 Cohort – Welcome to the Alumni Network!
For the past three months, we’ve paired 12 incredible up-and-coming arts administration interns with participating arts companies–check them out below! We are thrilled to be a part of their career journey and look forward to witnessing their ongoing work in the arts administration field.
Kelly Barahona
+ Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet
Kelly N. Barahona is a young non-profit professional yearning to become a successful full-time grant writer in the New York City metropolitan area. She currently works for the FWA of NY.
Kelly graduated from the City College of the City University of New York in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a minor in Art History. Her experience in college and post-college ranges from long-term volunteering at organizations like CentroNYC and Animation Nights New York, to participating in non-profit internships via Hearing Health Foundation and the CUNY Cultural Corps Program.
As of 2022 her biggest accomplishment in grant writing was completing 12 months of remote grant writing projects for A Precious Child, which helped the nonprofit secure thousands of dollars in grant awards. She also currently volunteers for Animation Nights New York by seeking grant funding via their fiscal sponsorship (Fractured Atlas), in addition to occasionally writing animated film reviews and reporting on animation festivals in blogs and podcasts.
Aaron Boldur
+ Brooklyn Music School
Aaron Boldur is currently a Macaulay Honors student at Baruch College pursuing a B.A. in Arts Administration with a minor in Interdisciplinary New York City Studies. He is involved in various on-campus activities regarding business and the arts, such as the Macaulay Business Club and the Macaulay Chamber Music Society. As a member of the Content Committee for the Macaulay Business Club, Aaron curates articles and videos regarding a range of business topics, while also assisting his peers in the pursuit of their careers through various events. Aaron has a diverse background in the arts, ranging from theater and music to the visual arts. He has been a violinist for over ten years, which is when he first acquired a passion for music. His interest in Arts Administration stemmed from his leadership responsibilities in high school, including being the editor of the school newspaper’s entertainment section and the president of the theater program.
Sonya Dezarn
+ Pentacle’s Fiscal Department
Sonya grew up dancing in the Pacific Northwest. She comes to Pentacle as an MA student in Cultural Leadership. After working as a yoga teacher, owning a wellness studio, working many restaurant and customer service jobs, and living all over the Western Hemisphere; she is ready to build a career in arts administration. She currently lives in Portland, OR and loves traveling, cooking, and playing outside.
Attiya Fortune
+ Pas d’ASL
A native of Dallas, Texas, Attiyya began her training at Dallas Black Dance Theatre and continued to develop her training through attendance of summer programs such as Dance Theatre of Harlem, Léon Dance Arts, and Columbia College Chicago. In 2020, Attiyya graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Dance and a Business minor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has performed in project-based projects with Olivia Dwyer and Ondine Geary and was a member of Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theatre and VisKocity Dance Collective. Attiyya has had the privilege to perform several works by many esteemed artists in the Dallas and Denver-Boulder communities including Helanius Wilkins, Gesel Mason, Uri Shafir, Chrissy Nelson, and Katricia Eaglin. Along with performing, she continues to dive in her interest in arts administration by participating in several internships and development programs such as Boulder Jazz Dance Festival and SLM Dances PD 4 the People. Attiyya looks forward to the connections and projects coming in her future.
Diamond Holland
+ Dancing Classrooms Long Island
Originally from Italy, Sara Pizzi began her career as a commercial dancer and teacher for 8 years. Sara moved to New York four years ago with a scholarship from the Peridance Center and graduated from their Certificate Program in the summer of 2020. She worked with international choreographers, finding her new voice as a contemporary artist. She is now working as a freelancer in her project S|R|P|Z and is dancing with several New York artists and dance companies. She recently became co-director of Physio Logic Pilates Studio.
Dalia “Dee” Leggard
+ MODArts Dance Collective
Dee Leggard, from North Carolina, is currently in their first year at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Outside of school, Dee dances on the NYU dance team, loves to attend Broadway musicals and hang out with friends. In the future, Dee hopes to work in social impact consulting or theater production. She is also interested in combining event production and project management with her passion for the arts, which was nurtured in dancing.
Megan Mauro
+ Chicago Dancemakers Forum
Megan graduated from Duke University in May 2021 with a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology, and since then she had been dancing as a trainee with Visceral Dance Chicago. Currently based in Virginia working with Richmond Performing Arts Alliance as a Development Associate, she is continuing her love of dance in the form of arts administration, which works at the crossroads of the creative and logistical sides of her person. With rooted interest in helping dance programs through the organizational, financial, and altogether business aspects of a company that some creative minds struggle with, she is thrilled to have been matched with Chicago Dancemakers Forum and is grateful to Pentacle for this opportunity.
Emily Medrano
+ slowdanger
Emily Medrano is a NYC-based arts enthusiast. She is a recent graduate, having received a bachelor’s in music and a master’s in musicology, and is looking to broaden her arts administration experience. She currently works in development at a NYC theater. Pentacle has partnered her with slowdanger, a multi-disciplinary performance entity based out of Pittsburgh, PA.
Chaery Moon
+ NVA & Guests
A native of Seoul, Korea, choreographer, and dancer Chaery Moon is immersed in both classical ballet and contemporary dance. She is a winner of Tanzoylmp in Berlin, holds a BFA from The Juilliard School, and MFA from New York University, Tisch Dance. she danced professionally with Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon in France. She founded her company, Chaery Moon Dance (CMD) in 2017, and has presented several dance works and dance films. CMD’s dance work has been shown at Dumbo Dance Festival and Your Move New Jersey’s Modern Dance Festival, Cross Current Dance Festival, St.Mark’s Church, The IAC building, Jack Crystal Theater, Baryshnikov Arts Center, and Schön! Magazine. She has been granted by NYFA as part of the City Artist Corps and had a residency in Downtown Brooklyn.
Nyles Moore
+ The Yard
Nyles is a young Buffalo-based teaching artist/digital media artist that focuses on animation. Nyles is a graduate of Villa Maria College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation. He has a strong affinity for art education. With him being one of Albright-Knox Gallery Teaching Assistants and Squeaky Wheels Lead Teaching artists. He has taught animation, digital media arts to adults in their Media Art Workshops, youth in Tech Arts for Youth and youth with autism in Digital Arts & Technology Access. His goal is to create a loving/appreciative art environment wherever he goes!
Tamia Reditt
+ Eryc Taylor Dance
Tamia is originally from Ohio, a small town in the northwest called Toledo. Tamia graduated from Bowling Green State University where she stepped out of her comfort zone to connect with fellow students as a leader in orientation programs and event planning. She is communicative and enjoys building relationships and growing with other individuals.
Having been immersed in theater and dance as a child, Tamia has always had a passion for the performing arts. She is looking forward to gaining more insight on the behind-the-scenes aspects of a professional dance company. Tamia also love dogs, Marvel films, and reading.
Shayna Valianos
+ Dancers Unlimited
+ Dance/NYC
Shayna Valianos is a Bushwick-based, freelance dancer who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020 with a BS in Dance, a major in Communications, and a certificate in Gender Studies. In her college years she participated in numerous concerts, working under faculty and guest artists as well as creating and performing work collaboratively with her peers. She was able to work in the intersection of communications and dance in her position as the Wellness Chair of the Dance Department Student Organization, and was soon after asked to co-create the first official Student Handbook of UW-Madison’s Dance Department. Upon graduating, she was a company member of the Madison-based contemporary dance company, Li Chiao-Ping Dance, performing virtually and in-person. She moved to Brooklyn, NY in the Fall of 2021 and has been attending weekly dance classes in the NYC area.
apply for the summer: Pentacle’s College & Post-Graduate Arts Administration Internship Program
College and Post-Graduate Internship Program participants gain hands-on experience in arts administration practices and attend weekly professional development seminars. Interns are matched with artistic entities according to their mutually-defined goals and previous experience. The program supplies arts organizations with much-needed administrative support and assists them in assessing their organizational objectives.
Pentacle is now seeking artists, artistic entities, and interns over the age of 18 for the Summer session of this structured internship program, June 6th – August 31st, 2022. Limited spots are available. Apply now!
- Intern Application Deadline: May 9th–Learn More
- Company Application Deadline: May 16th–Learn More
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Learn more about Pentacle’s Career Development Programs.
Questions? Contact Brittany Couch at education@pentacle.org.