Teacher BioGraphies

Heather Warfel-Sandler - Director, Lead instructor

Heather Warfel Sandler is the recipient of the 2023 New Jersey Governors Award in Dance Education. She holds a BA in Modern Dance from Point Park University, and is an active member of Dance NJ and the National Dance Education Organization, where she was recognized with a Presidential Award for her work in Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion . She is a Certified in Yoga, Progressive Ballet Technique, and Functional Awareness. In 2000 she founded a dance program at Hudson County Schools of Technology, where she continues to serve as teacher and director of the Choreography Division. Ms.Warfel created the curriculum for the program, including a unique approach to integrating improvisation and rigorous investigation of the creative process. She has also served as Performing Arts Liaison, Liaison to the Hudson County Teen Arts Alliance, choreographer for school musicals, yoga teacher, Talent Show Director, founder of a new Chapter of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts, and moderator of CPAC, a club for creative play in education and personal development. She designed a 140 seat black box theater, and pioneered the Choreographers in Residence Program (CHIRP), which gives students the opportunity to work closely with professional choreographers and dancers. Ms.Warfel’s students have won recognition from the HCATA, NJ State Teen Arts Festival, VSA NJ, NHSDA, the NJ Governor’s Award for Performing Arts, as well as acclaim among the NJ professional dance community.

Ms.Warfel continues to study and perform, most notably at Towson University, American Dance Festival, Virginia Commonwealth University, Dance Education Laboratory at 92 St.Y, and studios throughout NYC. She served as an Adjunct Professor of Dance at NJCU for over 10 years, and maintains a professional working relationship with NJCU Center for the Arts. She has designed and delivered movement workshops in the Jersey City Public Schools for both students and teachers, as well as teaching for other organizations including the Kennedy Dancers and Nimbus Dance Works. Ms.Warfel was recently interviewed for the Shapers & Movers Dance Podcast. She has shown her choreography throughout the NY/NJ area, most recently in the Your Move Modern Dance Festival 2017.  In her performance career Ms.Warfel has worked professionally as a tap, modern, and West African dancer, and also as an actor and musician. Locally she co-wrote and performed the lead role in Heavy Craft, Soft Landing at ArtHouseProductions, and enjoyed many years as a professional clown. Ms.Warfel has worked extensively in inter-disciplinary improvisation, and continues to perform regularly in dance, theater, and music. Because of these varied artistic experiences, Ms.Warfel strongly values creativity, individuality, and open-mindedness as both a dancer and a teacher. 

Ms.Warfel has been active in the Jersey City arts community for over 20 years, as visual artist, dancer, actor, and producer. Ms.Warfel leads the ‘Fun n Family’ excursion annually for the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour, introducing tourists to the vibrant local arts scene. In July 2019 Ms.Warfel will produce the second “Dance for the Ages”, a community-focused dance performance on the Exchange Place Pier, commissioned by Jersey City’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the City of Jersey City. In 2016 Ms.Warfel was invited by Jersey City’s major arts organizations to join 3 other arts leaders in forming the Jersey City Arts Council, a non-profit arts advocacy organization. She served 2 years as the founding Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, and 4 years as Chair. As Chair she led the organization to hiring its first staff, and assisted in building a local arts funding system.

Personal Statement:

“I am interested in artistic creation as a substantial and significant aspect of human existence. The arts are a tool for introspection, connection, and mental and emotional health. While our culture thrives on competition, I am instead committed to pursuing the value that through collaboration and accessibility we are better able to establish healthy, productive environments and relationships. Artistic work inherently provides this kind of opportunity, while also developing focus, persistence, and ingenuity. It is serious and important work, and should be regarded as such. I have personally benefitted from employing the creative process in every aspect of my life, and I am dedicated to building a philosophy of creativity and collaboration with my students, my colleagues, and the community at large.”

Meagan Woods - consultant, Company director

Meagan Woods is an interdisciplinary artist who works in dance, theatre, and costume design. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Simon Fraser University and a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University, where she earned the Margery Turner Award for choreography. Meagan has guest taught at both her alma maters, as well as The New School and Montclair University. Meagan is currently a costume designer for Kyle Marshall Choreography, a performer for Re:Current Theatre, and the librettist for Once She Dries: an experimental opera about coral reefs. You can view her recent TEDx talk that explores how “backwards movement” can be a daring and progressive act: Stitching a New Form of Progress- lessons from sewing about making and moving in Reverse.