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MEET PENN DANCE
SENIORS
LEANNA CHEN
2024 (she/her)
Leanna is a senior in the College studying Health and Societies on the pre-medical track. She has training in a variety of dance styles including ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, tap, contemporary/lyrical, and hip hop. Before coming to Penn, she was a competitive dancer that had competed in and attended dance competitions and conventions such as Groove, VIP, and JUMP. With Penn Dance, she is so excited to get the chance to dance and choreograph again!
STELLA HUNG
2024 (she/her)
Stella is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Cognitive Science with a minor in Consumer Psychology. She first started dancing ballet at the age of 5 and has continued training for the past 13 years at Ballet Hawaii and Hawaii State Ballet. Although she dabbled a bit in modern dance during high school, she is excited to explore new styles through Penn Dance. Stella is delighted to be a part of PD and looks forward to dancing and choreographing with them during her time at Penn!
LAURYN REYNOLDS
2024 (she/her)
Lauryn is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying PPE. A Philly girl, she trained at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center in the styles of ballet, modern, tap, hip hop, and jazz. She also danced in many musicals at her high school. Lauryn is excited to continue her dancing with Penn Dance!
VICTORIA DE LA ROSA
2024 (she/her)
Vicki is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She began dancing in school programs throughout middle school and high school. Her love for performing comes from her background in competitive gymnastics. She is thrilled to keep exploring the creative aspect of dance with the rest of the company!
ANGELA RODRIGUEZ
2024 (she/her)
Angela is a senior currently studying Electrical Engineering in SEAS. She first started tap dancing when she was three, and then started trying out other styles over the years. By the end of her senior year, she was doing tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, and contemporary. She is so happy to have joined Penn Dance and is looking forward to growing and being with them for her final year!
ELLA SIEFKEN
2024 (she/her)
Ella Siefken is a senior studying Chemical Engineering in SEAS. She has been studying dancing since age 4, focusing in modern, jazz, and ballet at the Dance Conservatory of Pittsburgh through middle and high school. She is looking forward to her final year choreographing performing with PD!
EMILY WARDEN
2024 (she/her)
Emily is a senior in the College studying Health and Societies. She grew up outside of Philly and began ballet when she was 4 years old. She has participated in multiple summer intensives, including ABT and Atlanta Ballet, and competed in Youth America Grand Prix. While Emily has primarily done ballet in the past, she looks forward to exploring more modern styles with Penn Dance.
JUNIORS
RISA POLLAK
2025 (she/her)
Risa is a junior in the School of Engineering and Applied Science studying Bioengineering. She started dancing when she was three at a local studio and trained there in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, and musical theater. In high school, she joined her school’s dance company, which focused on modern dance and student choreography. She currently serves as a chair for the DAC Emily Sachs Day of Dance Benefit. Risa loves her PDamily and can't wait to keep dancing and performing with PD!
CLAIRE REDMER
2025 (she/her) | PRESIDENT
Claire is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, and she is undecided. She had danced for fifteen years at Westport's Academy of Dance before coming to Penn. Claire's background is primarily in classical and contemporary ballet, but she loves to dance any style, including modern, jazz, and musical theater. She also enjoys teaching and can't wait to choreograph with PD. Claire is excited to continue bonding with this amazing group of people and is looking forward to service as the president.
LAURA SHIN
2025 (she/her)
Laura Shin is a junior in the College studying English and minoring in French and Digital Humanities. She has trained extensively in ballet, modern, and jazz, and studied at the Rock School of Ballet and the Koresh School of Dance. She is so glad to be part of the PD community and excited to dance with them for the next two years!
ROSIE DANIELS
2025 (she/her)| COSTUME CHAIR
Rosie is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She first started dancing at the age of 2 in ballet and has since danced in numerous styles, including contemporary, jazz, and character. From Michigan, much of her training was at Grand Rapids Ballet where she performed in full-length productions and with the professional ballet company. She has trained at various summer and year-round programs including those at Joffrey Ballet, Kirov Ballet, and in Moscow at the Bolshoi Ballet. Rosie is so excited to join Penn Dance to continue dancing and to grow with the incredible dancers in the company!
STELLA GRYNBERG
2025 (she/her)
Stella is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Neuroscience. She started dancing at the age of 3 and danced throughout her childhood, becoming a semi-professional ballet dancer with Westside School of Ballet in her hometown of Los Angeles, California. She also spent her highschool summers traveling to New York and Boston to further her training with Ellison Ballet and Boston Ballet. She has loved being a part of Penn Dance Company over the last two years where she has expanded her reportoire in other dance styles and has had some much fun with all the other talented girls in PD!
SASKIA RISTA-BRETTLER
2025 (she/her)
Saskia is a Philosophy exchange student from University of Edinburgh but lives in London. She started ballet at 2, studying first Cecchetti and then RAD, reaching Advanced 2 at Beckenham Ballet Academy where she became head girl in her final year. She has explored other styles including musical theatre and jazz but she prefers lyrical. Some dance highlights include dancing the Nutcracker with some members of the English National Ballet at the London Colosseum and competing in a choreography competition judged by Darcy Bussell. She is so honoured to be part of the PD family during her time here and is thankful for the consistency of dance despite the dislocation.
SOPHMORES
VANESSA LU
2026 (she/her) | VICE PRESIDENT
Vanessa is a sophomore in the College, double majoring in Cognitive Science and Criminology. Starting dance at age three, she trained for six years at On Pointe Dance Studio where she was a competitive dancer, primarily in ballet, contemporary, and jazz. Some of her favorite dance memories include travelling to Melbourne, Bangkok, and Hong Kong for competitions such as YAGP, Dance World Cup, and the Asian Grand Prix. After moving to California, she trained with the Thacher Dance Ensemble and began exploring choreography. Vanessa is so excited to experience the next four years with her PDamily!
SAGE LELAND
2026 (she/her) | SOCIAL CHAIR
Sage is a sophomore in the College studying Neuroscience on the pre-medical track with minors in Healthcare Management and Computer Science. She began her ballet training at age seven with the Academy of American Dance in California, where she performed as a pointe dancer in the Ballet America Junior Company for five years. She also joined her high school's dance team, where she gained exposure to jazz and contemporary styles, but is excited to branch out further as a member of Penn Dance. She can't wait to choreograph and dance with this talented group of people!
GLORIA LEE
2026 (she/her)
Gloria is a sophomore in Wharton studying Marketing and minoring in Cinema & Media Studies. She began tap dancing when she was four and later trained heavily in modern dance as well as contemporary, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop. She has competed and choreographed back home in Taipei, Taiwan as well as abroad. Gloria is so excited to join the company to continue her training and explore her passion with a new family!
ELLA NEVO
2026 (she/her) | TREASURER
Ella is a sophomore in the School of Engineering and Applied Science studying Bioengineering. She started ballet at age four, eventually adding jazz, modern, contemporary, and musical theater to her dance repertoire at age ten with Foster Dance Company and Wayne Ballet & Center for Dance Arts. Ella can't imagine her life without dance, so she can't wait to dance, choreograph, and grow closer with PD!
MIA MANSFIELD
2026 (they/them)| CO-PUBLICIST
Mia is a sophomore in the College majoring in Physics with an Astrophysics concentration. They began dancing at age four, studying tap, jazz, and ballet with The Movement Center and Hawaii Ballet Theatre's Aloha Tap Company. Mia is so excited to be continuing dance in college alongside all the amazing members of PD!
BONNIE CHEN
2026 (she/her)
Bonnie is a sophomore in VIPER studying Physics and Materials Science and Engineering. She started Chinese dance when she was 10, later training in ballet at the New Jersey School of Ballet. Bonnie is so excited to explore modern and perform with PD for the rest of her time at Penn!
FRESHMEN
CAROLINA PAYERAS
2027 (she/her) | CO-PUBLICIST
Carolina is a freshman in the College studying Economics and Political Science. She is from Washington D.C., and has trained in ballet and contemporary her whole life at Adagio Ballet School and Virginia Dance Conservatory, spending her summers at programs at PNB, PBT, and Washington Ballet, among others. She also spent several years competing in YAGP and ADCIBC. During her gap year before Penn, she was a trainee with the Philadelphia Ballet, performing in productions such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. Carolina is so excited to be a part of PD and continue her dance journey throughout college, as well as be a part of the PD community!
LOUISE WANG
2027 (she/her)
Louise is a freshman in Wharton concentrating in Finance and Management. She began dancing at the age of three and has been competing with the Debby Dillehay Dance Studio and her high school dance team from New Orleans, LA. She has trained in 12+ styles including tap, pointe, jazz, and hip-hop. Her favorite has been contemporary modern but loves exploring new ones. Louise is ecstatic to be part of the PDamily and is excited to continue her passion with so many others.
JACOB TUTEUR
2027 (he/him)
Jacob is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. At age three, he began taking dance classes in his hometown, St. Louis, MO. Throughout his childhood, he studied various dance styles, including ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, tap, and musical theater. In high school, he performed in and choreographed for his school’s Dance Show. Additionally, he performed in 12 productions at The Muny, America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater, and was dance captain of the Muny Teens Troupe. He is very excited to pursue his passions for dance and choreography with Penn Dance!
ALUMNI
CLASS OF 2023
ALUMNI
CLASS OF 2023
GRACE BANCROFT
2023 (she/her)
Grace is a senior in the College majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Computer Science and Chemistry. She has been dancing for 16 years, focusing on ballet, jazz, and contemporary. Additionally, she was a member of the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo for 4 years and choreographed multiple pieces at the Academy of Dance in San Luis Obispo. She is so happy to continue dancing with Penn Dance family for the rest of her time at Penn!
CAMRYN FETZER
2023 (she/her)
Camryn is a senior in the School of Nursing. She has been studying at Rockwell Dance Center, previously Performing Arts Center of CT, since she was 9 years old in modern, ballet, pointe, and more. She was a member of the Pre-Professional Modern Company there for 5 years and has performed in various venues including Youth American Grand Prix. She is very excited to continue her passion for modern dance and gain more choreography experience in Penn Dance.
SUZANNE LIU
2023 (she/her)
Suzanne Liu is a senior in Wharton studying Finance and Legal Studies. She has been dancing for more than 10 years and has experience in ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary. Before coming to Penn, she was a student in the Youth Program at the Joffrey Ballet School and has choreographed five pieces for the Nightingale-Bamford School's Dance Collective. She is very excited to dance with PD for the rest of her time at Penn!
SERENA MARTINEZ
2023 (they/them)
Serena Martinez is a Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies major and English minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. They have studied primarily modern, ballet, and jazz but the style matters less as long as they get to do some floor work. Serena loves to choreograph and is eager to continue to dance and set pieces with Penn Dance.
CHERIE SIO
2023 (she/her)
Cherie is a senior in Wharton studying Business Analytics and Finance, minoring in Cinema & Media Studies. Since she was 4, she had been trained in traditional Chinese dance and ballet back in China. In high school, she became experienced in modern, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip hop and choreographed 12+ dances for the concerts. She loves the PD family and can't wait to create beautiful shows with its talented dancers!
ALUMNI
CLASS OF 2022
