ContessaDance
Movement Storytelling • Neuroscience • Dance Education • Rebuilding Community
Welcome
ContessaDance encompasses a multitude of projects developed by dance researcher Danielle Mastricola in response to the growing need to reexamine the way we educate dancers to move away from generational educational trauma and move towards collective healing.
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Some pursuits include:
Bolstering academic research on this topic by connecting the fields of education, dance, and neuroscience. Developing choreographic works that explore the movement vocabularies this research creates to enfold viewers and collaborators into the research being done. Lastly, advocating for systemic changes to the dance field that prioritize dismantling generational educational trauma, supporting dancer mental health, and restorative community care.
Welcome to our collective.
AboutMe
Dance Researcher • Storyteller • Progressive Educator • Neuroscientist • Choreographer
Danielle Mastricola derives her identity from being an educator, researcher, choreographer and dancer. Her particular interests coalesce in the intersection of neuroscience, educational policy, and dance; using all three disciplines to advocate for breaking the cycle of generational educational trauma in the dance field. In hopes to further the field of dance education she is pursuing a Masters of Science in Neuroscience and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but while she deeply values the artistry and technique taught to her, she is also acutely aware of how some educational practices deeply affected her psyche and identity of being a dancer. It is from this experience that she has endeavored to research the best educational methods, mindfully disrupt unhealthy teaching practices, and be an advocate for dance artists and their mental health.
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In addition to her master’s research Danielle is the Company Manager for the multi-Bessie Award winning and critically acclaimed dance and music exploration The Jazz Continuum led by Artistic Director LaTasha Barnes. In 2025 her neuroscience research led her to complete the Polyvagal Certificate Course developed by Dr. Stephen Porges at the Polyvagal Institute. She is also a certified RYT 500 yoga teacher, having completed her 200 hour teacher training in May 2018 at Amara Yoga and Arts, and her 300 hour teacher training with Zuna Yoga in Bali, Indonesia in 2021. Her platform for yoga centers around supporting a more inclusive and accessible yoga community through sharing the work of decolonizing the practice and inspiring other teachers to do the same.
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Most fundamentally, Danielle embodies everything it means to be a chameleon that effortlessly acclimates to any situation. She is a fierce advocate for social change, a lover of mystery and the macabre, an international French fry connoisseur, and storyteller obsessed with those that dare to be courageously unique.
"I feel my body, therefore I am."
~Dr. Stephen Porges
MyJourney
Join me in rediscovering my dance identity, uncovering neuroscience research, sharing educational practices, and building a more sustainable dance community free from generational educational trauma. New content posted weekly!
ShareYourStory
We all have a story to share, and I'm here to listen to yours. If you feel compelled to contribute to my research in creating a more sustainable dance field use the form below to share any story about dance education that stands out in your journey. It's time to confront the generational dance educational practices that are harmful to the field. Your story can help me understand the current state of the field and shape a new way forward.
ContactMe
Looking to collaborate? Use this form to get in touch or reach out over any social media platform. For resume requests, video access, or anything else please send me an email.
I'd love to hear from you!
