Amanda Adamczyk

MARTIAL ARTS MASTERS

PRONOUNS: SHE/HERS

Amanda is thrilled to begin her virtual journey with the Village kiddos! She is a certified Yogi through Integral Yoga Institute of New York & Kidding Around Yoga, a former kickboxing instructor at ILoveKickboxing.com and professional dancer with Latticeworks Dance Collective. Amanda is a passionate teacher who enjoys learning about the ways we connect through movement. She continues to practice yoga, train in dance and muay thai throughout NYC & NJ in hopes of inspiring students to continue their own movement journeys. She is excited to join the Village team!

Val Williams

EXPLORER VAL, BOLD BALLET & DANCE JAM

PRONOUNS: SHE/HERS

Val is known to bring boundless creativity, diversity of experience, organization, and professionalism to every project.   Val serves as the Owner/Founder and Producing Director of Vintageous Productions , a Vintage Entertainment Company that creates Retro Event Entertainment. Vintageous is dedicated to preserving American History through song and providing opportunities for women in the arts.

As an educator, Val has worked for such notable organizations as:Pollyanna Theatre Company (Austin, Tx) HITS Theatre (Houston, TX)TEX-ARTS (Austin, Tx)Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center (Midland, PA)Inside Broadway (NYC)TheatreworksUSA (National)The New York Kids Club (NY, NY)Webby Dance Company(National) and more.  

Val is also a published children's author and passionate advocate of Music Therapy, having served on the advisory board of Sing For Your Seniors (www.Singforyourseniors.org) and worked to create partnerships with Senior Centers, Nursing Homes, and VA hospitals in New York City, Pittsburgh, Austin, and beyond through various organizations.

Emma Charno

PHONICS PHENOM

PRONOUNS: THEY/THEM

Emma is finishing up their double degree masters at Bank Street College of Education in Literacy and Childhood General Education. They have previously taught Pre-Kindergarten at progressive schools in Philadelphia and Queens. They have interned in classrooms and literacy intervention programs with students grades K-4 at PS234, Midtown West School, and Brooklyn New School, and private tutored students from grades K-4 in reading, writing, and math. They participated in a cross-school research and development collaboration on oral language development for emerging bilingual students, and love teaching in multilingual environments. They are an experienced early childhood arts educator and participated in the year long Universal Pre-K arts education professional development program and teacher coaching program. They facilitate improvisational singing and movement workshops and jams for adults and have studied with musical master classes such as Movement Research, Bobby McFerrin's Circlesongs, Meredith Monk, and Rhiannon. They have studied immigration justice with Border Studies Program and environmental justice and education with Bank Street’s Costa Rica program. They have trained in communication and meditation with programs and teachers such as Landmark Education, Non-Violent Communication, responsive classroom, authentic relating, loch Kelley, and Dharma Punx. They grew up on Long Island and later, in lower Manhattan, and have family roots in Greenpoint and Queens since their family immigrated a few generations back. They are Jewish and love sharing in Jewish song and tradition, which is connected to their lifelong commitment to social justice. They love to bicycle, try new foods, learn languages, write poetry, go to the beach, paint, make music, and dance. They are passionate about reading and teaching others to read. Their favorite books are science fiction and history, and they would love to give you science fiction recommendations any time.

Kelsey & Juan of Soul Flow House

A Miami native with Cuban roots, Kelsey earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology from Wellesley College, outside of Boston. In the past decade, Kelsey has shared music with children across the world including India, Kenya, Brazil, Cuba and Ecuador. For the last 5 years Kelsey has taught in different schools around NYC, working with toddlers all the way to high schoolers. She just recently opened her own business, Soul Flow House, which will be launching later this year. Kelsey's passion is helping students of all ages to experience joy, healing, connection, and self-discovery through music. 

Mei-Yin

Mei-Yin Ng is a Mandarin teacher and professional dancer of Chinese descent born in Malaysia. Ms. Ng has received fourteen years of training in both Chinese language and the performing arts, studying at Kwang-Si Dance Troupe, New York Chinese Cultural Center and the Central University of Nationalities.  She received her extended training in Western Contemporary dance at the Merce Cunningham Dance Studio (USA), and her early childhood training from the West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program. 

Ms. Ng has worked with leading institutions to educate and promote Chinese language and Chinese cultural arts including tje Museum of Chinese in America, The New York Children’s Museum, The China Institute, ArtsConnection, The New York Chinese Cultural Center, Families with Children from China, Children of China Pediatrics Foundation, and various public and private schools in NYC. Ms. Ng was the head Mandarin teacher for the Science, Language and Arts School, a French and Mandarin immersion school in Brooklyn, NY (2011-2018); WeGrow early childhood classroom teacher, dance and head Mandarin teacher (2018-2020) before joining as a Village school teacher . Always cheerful and positive, Ms. Ng is wonderful at encouraging children as they learn to speak a new language.

Shenaaz of Little Feet Wise Heart Yoga

Shenaaz first came across yoga by chance over 17 years ago when now world renowned teacher, Shiva Rea offered yoga classes in their shared World Arts & Cultures department at UCLA- Shiva Rea working on her masters degree and Shenaaz on her bachelors degree.  Although it would be years before she could do a handstand, there was no turning back from the way yoga made her feel- calm, clear, challenged physically and mentally, yet deeply connected.  She would return to the mat again and again over the next 17 years.

After moving to NY in 2000, Shenaaz practiced intermittently.  It wasn’t until 2007 and a health scare, that inspired her to return to the yoga mat.  A week later, she realized that NOT doing yoga was not an option.  Thereafter, the mat became a refuge of sweat, blood (rarely) and tears.

A chance encounter in 2010, brought her to a kids yoga teacher-training program at Bija Kids in Brooklyn.  She later went on to become a staff teacher and work with the company, teaching afterschool, preschool and little ones just learning to crawl.  Having loved children growing up, combining her love of yoga with teaching kids was a wonderful fit.

Shenaaz decided to branch out on her own in 2012, establishing the yoga company, Little Feet Wise Heart yoga, specializing in kids and family yoga.  Little Feet has also developed unique classes for children and grandparents or family elders to enjoy together, in addition to their unique Little Feet Story yoga classes, Boys Do yoga and fun, outdoor classes in the summers!  Shenaaz continues to teach adults yoga as well, humbled at how young and old alike are delighted when achieving a yoga pose; seeing the laughter on little faces and the look in all yogis eyes when they make a connection to their mind, body and soul.