August 25 – August 29, 2025
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM daily
Drop-off begins at 9:00 AM. Pick-up by 4:15 PM.
Location: Lisa Taylor Academy of Ballet & The Bird’s Nest
Ages 10–16

The workshop is open to all children ages 10–16 and runs Monday through Friday, August 25–29, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Drop-off begins at 9:00 AM and pick-up is by 4:15 PM.

The cost is $330, with a $100 deposit due within three days of registration. If you register and pay in full by July 1, the fee is $310.

If your child is also participating in the Bird’s Nest Youth Workshop, you’ll receive $50 off both workshops.
Email us for more info at nfhughes@gmail.com.

We are working to raise funds for scholarships this year! This includes one full scholarship and one partial scholarship ($155). Please don’t hesitate to ask—this is truly an opportunity for anyone. Email me at nfhughes@gmail.com with a few lines about why you’d like to receive a scholarship.

The Center Dance Youth Performance Workshop is an intensive week of movement for young people. Youth ages 10–16 are invited to participate.

This year, we’ll be collaborating with aerial artists—so we’ll be working on the ground and in the sky.

Each day is a mix of guided instruction in various forms of dance and movement, and open creative sessions where participants share ideas, experiment, and collaborate. Students are encouraged to contribute their own concepts and even movement phrases to the final production.

As the week progresses, the group shapes their ideas into a concise performance. The multi-age format means older participants get to mentor and support the younger ones, while younger dancers bring fresh curiosity and an anything-is-possible attitude.

The overall atmosphere is one of acceptance, creativity, and cooperation.

The Center Dance Youth Performance Workshop is led by three co-directors: Sarah Caputi, Lyla Giallombardo, and Nancy Florene Hughes—a team of dedicated movement artists and educators who bring diverse experience in dance, circus arts, and somatic practice to their collaborative leadership.

Sarah Caputi

Sarah Caputi is a dynamic movement artist, choreographer, and educator specializing in partner acrobatics, circus arts, and somatic movement. With over a decade of teaching and performance experience, she brings a trauma-informed, intuitive approach to coaching and curating spaces that celebrate creative expression, collaboration, and personal growth.

Lyla Giallombardo

Lyla Giallombardo is a dance educator and performer based in Buffalo, NY, with over 18 years of experience in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance. She is passionate about making dance accessible and empowering, and brings a warm, imaginative energy to every class and rehearsal she leads.

Nancy Florene Hughes

Nancy Hughes is a choreographer, performer, and producer with a deep commitment to Buffalo’s dance and performance scene. Her work has been supported by NYSCA and NYS DanceForce, and she is known for creating collaborative, site-specific performances and long-running community events like Mission Improvable and the Contact Improvisation Jam.