Founder and Artistic Director
Ms. Rothstein has been performing, choreographing and teaching in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC and Europe for over 30 years. Born and raised in New York City, she trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. She has studied with jazz dance masters including Pepsi Bethel (the Clark Center), Nat Horne (Alvin Ailey American Dance Center), Lynn Simonson (Morelli Dance Studio), Joel Hall (the Joel Hall Dnacers) and Lou Conte (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago). Other teachers who inspired her include Finis Jhung, Seda Suny and Elizabeth Boitsov (Ballet), Milton Myers, Marjorie Perces and Thelma Hill (Horton), Natasha Barron, Suzy Taylor and Danny Buraszewski (Jazz), Anna Czajun (Limon), Charles Moore (African) and Dan Wagoner and Richard Arve (Modern). She was a member of the Joel Hall Dancers for 6 years. She also performed with Bill T. Jones, Talley Beatty, David Holmes and in musical theater, cabaret and industrial shows. Her choreography has been seen in national television commercials, at the Joyce/Soho in New York, the Maryland Festival of the Arts and Dance Place among others. She founded Momentum Dance Theatre as a place to celebrate, explore and educate about the American dance forms of jazz, Latin, modern jazz and hip hop dance. She is the creator, director and choreographer of Momentum's Jazz, Hip Hop Nutcracker, which completed its tenth year in December. She has been on the faculties of George Washington and American Universities, the Washington Ballet, Jones-Haywood School of Ballet, Arlington Center for Dance, Joe’s Movement Emporium, DC Dance Collective and Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, where she was Chair of the Dance and Fitness department for 10 years. She has received grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Montgomery County Council on the Arts and honors at the Kennedy Center by the International Association of Blacks in Dance. She received the Choreography Award from Little Theatre of Alexandria for "Footloose". She has been a guest teacher at the Maryland Council for Dance annual conference. Currently, Ms. Rothstein teaches ballet, Pilates, and HIT conditioning at Results the Gym, Pilate at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and jazz and hip hop at Momentum's training academy, of which she is Director.
Kim Curtis
Associate Director
Mr. Curtis is Momentum Dance Theatre's Associate Director and co-creator of Momentum's Jazz Hip Hop Nutcracker. He an accomplished actor as well as dancer. He trained with the Washington Ballet and danced with Maida Withers' Dance Construction Company. He has also danced with the Washington Opera and with Margaret Haddad Ballet as Guest Artist. He has been a member of the following theater companies: Fraudulent Productions, LeNeon Theater, Cherry Red Productions, Scena Theatre, and Washington Shakespeare Company. He has been seen in movies such as "Random Hearts" and on television in "America's Most Wanted". He is a Certified Pilates Mat Teacher. He brings an integrative approach to his acting and dance workshops, with special attention to use of the voice.
Aquiles Holladay
(curently on leave)
Aquiles Holladay has lived throughout the world, and it shows in his dancing. His life experiences in Buenos Aires, Peru and Istanbul and his eagerness to explore current dance trends around the world make him a fascinating dancer to watch. He trained and danced with Kathy Hardy Gray Dance Theater in Northern Virginia. His dance background includes Afro-Brazilian, Latin, modern dance, hip hop, jazz,AfroCuban and club dance. A Company member since 2003, he has performed in six seasons of "Jazz Hip Hop Nutcracker" and toured with the Company to New York City, performing at the Merce Cunningham Studio. In spring of 2005 he taught in Momentum’s “Dance In Its Time,” a DC Commission funded dance education program at Stuart Hobson Middle School in Capitol Hill. He has been a dance specialist for D.C. Scores and the Higher Achievement Program. He taught at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and in the Jazz Hip Hop Nutcracker training program. He has been a guest teacher for the Maryland Council for Dance annual conference. He was also Assistant Community Programs Coordinator and Lead Instructor for Momentum's 2 week Jazz, Hip Hop Camp. Aquiles is a graduate of George Mason University with a major in Dance. He is currently performing and teaching in Surinam, expanding his dance palette even further
Xavaire Bolton
began dancing at the age of 3 with tap and ballet at a small studio in Edgefield, SC. After competing nationally in jazz, tap, ballet and lyrical with Terry’s School of Dance and Gymnastics in Alexandria, VA, she graduated from the University of South Carolina where she performed, as Captain with the USC Hip Hop Ensemble and the USC Dance Team. She has been Co-Director of the Baltimore Lady Blackbirds Dance Team as well as a member of the Maryland Nighthawks Dance Team. She currently teaches jazz, hip hop and modern at the JCCNV Community Center in Fairfax, VA. She is also a member of Ambychun and Art of Dance Movement. This is her second season with Momentum.
Kevin Clanton
is a graduate of Duke Ellington school of the Arts. He is singer, songwriter, and entertainer as well as a dancer. He is now the entertainment manager at the Spirit of Washington. He is finishing his first season with Momentum.
Rebekka Nordhturft
A native of Goshen, NY, she began dancing at the age of 3 training in ballet, tap, and jazz with Marya Kennett. She attended Orlando Ballet's Summer Intensive program. At Boston University she performed with and choreographed for their Dance Theatre Group and founded the Ballet Variations Project, allowing students to perform a classical repertoire. Currently she trains at Joy of Motion Dance Center where she is on work study scholarship, as well as with Momentum. This is her first season with the Company.
Howard Perry
is originally from Washington DC. He studied dance on scholarship at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in NYC. In NYC he worked as assistant director and choreographer and toured Japan with Michiyo and Dancers. In Europe he worked at Teatre des Westens in Berlín, performing in Gypsy, Dreamgirls and Porgy and Bess. In Barcelona, Spain he taught jazz dance and fitness, worked as a dj and sang and produced músic with well known djs and the group East Coast Syndicate. Howard is returning to the states after living abroad for 15 years.
JuWan Andre Bizzell
A native Washingtonian, he began his training in dance at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, while majoring in vocal music. He went on to minor in dance at the University of Northern Iowa. He has performed worldwide and now is the main choreographer for phyre arts and entertainment. He would like to teach dance to kids in a creative youth program.
Tia Belton
Trained at Linda Natoli School of Dance, Donna's Dance A Studio,
and Joyce LaVerne's Dance Studio in Maryland. She attended Suitland's High School for Performing Arts and trained in Dance Theatre of Harlem's Kennedy Center Residency Program. Lily Vonn Dance COmpany, Epsilon Tau Omega, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Step team, Christ Moved Dance Company, Sport and Health Gym Dance Team andSouth Carolina State Univeersity Champagne Dancers. Maryland Distinguished Scholar in the area of Dance-Semi-Finalist. This is her second season with Momentum. There's almost no style of dance she can't do.
651 E St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202.785.0035
Email: robertarothstein@verizon.net
