Directors

Hannah Baumgarten

  • Hannah grew up between Santa Cruz, California, and Jerusalem, Israel where she began her dance training. Hannah received a B.F.A. from the Juilliard School in 1993 under the mentorship of Benjamin Harkarvy after attending the University of Utah Ballet Department under Conrad Ludlow, Bene Arnold and Janek Schergen. While at Juilliard, Hannah danced lead roles in the works of Master Choreographers such as Graham, Limon, Taylor, Sokolow, Harkarvy and Nikolais and had her choreography presented at Alice Tully Hall, the Peter J. Sharp theater and other venues in Lincoln Center. Hannah danced with Utah Ballet, Michael Uthoff DanceTheatre, Labyrinth Dance Theatre, William Adair and Dancers, Karen Peterson & Dancers, Momentum Dance Company, Giovanni Luquini & Dancers and Ballet Flamenco La Rosa. 

    She is a Florida Choreographic Fellow; her work has been presented internationally on three continents and in 15 US states; Baumgarten collaborates with a team of artists including first and foremost Co-Director Diego Salterini, but also Bruce F. Brown (scenic designer), Haydee and Maria Morales (costume designers), Davidson Jaconello (composer), Federico Bonacossa (composer), Aleksander Djuric (composer) as well as choreographers including Fernando Duarte (Portugal) Emiliano Candiago (Italy) and others. She has taught extensively throughout the US and abroad at institutions including Teatro Colon, Argentina, Mostra Dança, Brazil, Joffrey Ballet School of New York, Mercyhurst University, Cincinnati Conservatory and Interlochen Center for the Arts.  

    She founded Dance NOW! Miami with Salterini in 2000, and with DNM has toured the US, Mexico, Central, South America and Europe. Through the company’s programs Baumgarten has been involved in the reconstruction/restaging of major works from choreographers including Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Gerald Arpino, Doris Humphrey, Edward Stierle, Tandy Beal, Michael Uthoff, Carolyn Dorfman, Daniel Lewis, Colleen Farnum and others.

    Hannah was Director of Dance at Dillard Center for the Arts in Ft. Lauderdale for 10 years and on faculty at Miami Arts Charter for 8 years and currently adjunct at New World School of the Arts. Baumgarten is certified in Pilates through Core Dynamics and served as a grant panelist for State of Florida and Miami-Dade County. Baumgarten taught at the Interlochen Summer Camp for 15 years and the Joffrey Ballet School NY Summer Program since 2012 serving as master teacher and recruiter Nationally and Internationally.

Diego Salterini

  • Diego Salterini, the founder and artistic director of Dance NOW! Miami, hails from Rome, Italy. In 1997 he moved to the United States after a highly successful career as a lead dancer and assistant choreographer for popular Italian television and theater productions. In the US, he has performed with esteemed companies such as Michael Uthoff Dance Theater, Dance Through Time, Momentum Dance Company, and Karen Peterson & Dancers. Diego's training was under the guidance of Maestro Roberto Salaorni, whom he considers his mentor, as well as renowned artists and master teachers including Flavio Bennati, Michelle Ellis, Mamy Raomeria, Daniel Lewis, Ranko Yokoyama, Luc Bouy, Max Stone, Susie Taylor, Roger Dillhaunty, and Michelle Kadison. As a choreographer, Diego has created more than fifty original works, including collaborations with choreographers such as Hannah Baumgarten (USA), Fernando Duarte (Portugal), and Emiliano Candiago (Italy). His team of collaborators includes Bruce F. Brown (scenic designer), Davidson Jaconello (composer), Federico Bonacossa (composer), Haydee and Maria Morales (costume designers). Diego's diverse body of work has been presented in nine states as well as in Europe, Central, and South America. As the artistic director of Dance NOW! Miami, Diego has produced and presented original and repertory works by esteemed artists such as Tandy Beal, Colleen Farnum, Roberto Salaorni, Chris Rudd, Anthony Velasquez, Jon Lehrer, and has also reconstructed historic works like Isadora Duncan's Harp Solo, Ave Maria, Dubinushka, and Varshavianka, as well as José Limón's La Malinche, Waldstein Sonata, A Choreographic Offering (excerpt), There is a Time (excerpt), and Gerald Arpino's Light Rain Pas De Deux, Touch Me, and The Relativity of Icarus. For over 30 years, Diego has dedicated himself to teaching and has worked with prestigious organizations such as New World School of the Arts, FIU, Miami City Ballet School, Cincinnati conservatory of Music, Atlanta Ballet School, Mercyhurst College, Ballet Stagium, Mostra Dança, Molinari Art Center, I.A.L.S., and Conchita Espinosa Academy. He has also served as a jazz dance adjudicator for Young Arts and was a faculty member at the Interlochen Summer Camp for 15 years. Since 2012, Diego has been a faculty member at the Joffrey Ballet School NY Summer Programs and currently serves as a master teacher, recruiter, and, since 2024, the artistic director of the Joffrey Italy program. In 2021, Diego was elected to the board of the Florida Dance Education Association.

Ally Ginns-Ayers

  • Allyn joined Dance NOW! in 2014 and is thrilled to be expanding her role with the company as Associate Director. In her time with Dance NOW!, Allyn has performed a variety of works in Dance NOW!'s repertory and has been honored to perform lead roles in works by Baumgarten and Salterini as well as guest choreographers in La Malinche  (José Limón), Ave Maria & Hard Etude (Isadora Duncan), Lacrymosa (Edward Stierle), Ritmo Jondo (Doris Humphrey), and Light Rain Pas de Deux  (Gerald Arpino)(u/s). In 2022-23, Allyn performed the Waldstein Sonata by José Limón and Daniel Lewis as part of a blended cast with the Limón Dance Company.

    Allyn has been recognized for her work both on and off stage. In 2021, she was honored by Miami dance reviewer Orlando Taquechel as the standout female dancer of the year. In 2023, Brickell Magazine named Allyn as one of their Top 20 Under 40 Professionals in Miami.

    Allyn grew up in Sacramento, California, where she trained with Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet. She graduated from Barnard College in 2009 with a BA, cum laude, in Economic History with a Dance minor. While at Barnard, Allyn performed works by Gabri Christa, Marius Petipa, Robert La Fosse, and Vaslav Nijinsky and trained with Allegra Kent, Robert La Fosse, Cynthia Anderson, and Katie Glasner. Allyn has danced with Gin Dance Company in Washington, DC and mishiDance in New York, NY. 

    Allyn received a JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 2012 and is an attorney admitted to practice in New York and Florida. She is currently the Director of the nonprofit legal services program LegalARTLink at Locust Projects, providing legal assistance to artists in Florida.