Arts On Site is a women-run nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing artists with opportunities

to create and perform new work.

Our big idea is to cultivate creative spaces in NYC and outside of the city. With a performance space in the East Village, we offer artists a venue to produce new works of art. And with a retreat center in the Shawangunk Mountains, we provide artists with uninhibited creative space to focus on developing new works.

Our community is a growing collection of artists, art enthusiasts and anyone willing to share their beating heart with others. We believe in community support for the arts and the opportunity for artists to support other artists.

Arts On Site NYC and AOS R&R cultivate creative spaces to support artists and encourage community collaboration. With performances in NYC and the Artist R&R Residency Program in upstate NY, Arts On Site is able to provide artists with an expanse of opportunities for artistic development.

The beating heart represents a community of artists willing to tear their heart from their chest and share their beating heart with others. It represents a community that supports artistic expression and the development of new creative ideas.

Arts On Site began as an event to showcase artists. The event was an initiative from professional artists Chelsea Ainsworth, Kyle Netzeband, and Adrian Rosas, to connect artists from multiple art forms. As the event grew, a diverse community of artists grew and the concept for Arts On Site was born.

In 2016, we established Arts On Site NYC as a nonprofit organization to support the development of artists and community collaboration. With the support of a team of volunteer artists, we opened up two studio spaces in the East Village to offer affordable studio rentals and host community events.

In 2017, Chelsea and Kyle purchased 20 acres of land in upstate New York to begin construction of AOS R&R.

In 2018, we launched the Artist R&R Residency Program, offering artists a week-long residency to develop new works of art.

In 2020, Arts On Site became a women-run organization.

In 2021, we renovated Studio 3R into a performance venue to offer artists a space to produce new works of art.

Chelsea Ainsworth

Executive Director

Chelsea is a graduate of the Dance Department of The Juilliard School. She has worked with Johannes Wieland/StaadtstheaterKassel in Germany, Lorena Egan, Flexicure, Amber Sloan, Bryn Cohn + Artists, The Bang Group, Zvidance, and was on the modern/ballet dance faculty at Cap21 musical theater school and Chen Dance Center. Currently, she is creating work through Dual Rivet.

Amber Sloan
Assistant Executive Director

Amber Sloan is a New York City-based choreographer, performer, teacher, curator, and producer. Her work has been presented by Centro Cultural Los Talleres in Mexico City, The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, the EstroGenius Festival, Roulette Theater, Dixon Place, Soaking WET, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Spoke the Hub, 92Y, Green Space, Dance Safari, as well as an 18-year commissioning relationship with the DanceNow Festival. She is currently the 2020-2021 NJ Emerging Commissioned Choreographer for Dance on the Lawn.

Louise Benkelman
Community Director

Louise Benkelman, originally from Helena, Montana, graduated magna cum laude with honors from Roger Williams University, attaining a BA in Dance Performance. She has created work for the West End Theatre, Judson Memorial Church, Westfest Dance Festival, and the Actors Fund Arts Center, among others. She is currently dancing and touring with The Bang Group, creating with fellow Bang Group member Tommy Seibold, and exploring solo choreographic ideas. Louise has been with Arts on Site for four years - rehearsing, performing, building, and managing social media for the organization.

Glennie Ainsworth
Community Director

Glennie is currently a Director and Independent Consultant with Lemongrass Spa Products, specializing in providing organic, gluten-free cosmetics, and body care products for the entire family. Her passions include spending time with family and friends, reading, and attending live theater. Glennie offers free one-on-one consultations as well as free virtual and in-person "Go Clean" workshops in order to help others learn how to reduce toxic chemicals in their lives using non-toxic, affordable skin and body care solutions. She previously worked in accounting as a Corporate Controller for 30 years and is excited to be working with Arts On Site to provide financial support.

Elizabeth Buchheister

Intern

Elizabeth Buchheister is currently a choreographer, teacher, and freelance performer based in New York City. Elizabeth is from Emmitsburg, Maryland and began performing in community musical theater at a young age. She later studied dance at various schools including The City Ballet School. Elizabeth graduated from The Ailey School’s three year certificate program in 2023 as well as completing the Horton pedagogy certification. She has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Amy Hall Garner, Ronald K Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, JA Collective, and Kevin Jenkins. Elizabeth currently teaches at 92NY Harkness School of Dance and works as an event coordinator for Ailey Extension and Arts on Site. Her choreography has been seen at Bridge for Dance’s Uptown Rising, Peabody Dance Festival, with Ballet Hartford, and the new opera Gracchus.

Ke'ron Wilson
Community Director

Ke’ron (she/they) is a movement artist, choreographer, and poet currently based out of Brooklyn, NY. A Sam Houston State University Alum, she has set and presented work and performed in the greater Houston Area. She was awarded Dance Source Houston’s Spark Dance Grant in 2021, and has most recently presented work as an emerging choreographer with Mare Nostrum’s Emerging Choreographer’s Series in NYC. Their art, being heavily influenced by their activism, pulls from a wide range of disciplines and seeks to cultivate a shared sensitivity towards the human condition. Each piece of poetry and movement exploration is designed to invite the audience into a realm in which mind, body and spirit are unified towards personal and collective liberation. Ultimately, aspiring to expand our collective perception of gender, sexuality, race and Spirit as they relate to movement, healing, and the arts.

Sofia Forero
Community Director

Sofía Forero (she/her), a native of Cali, Colombia, is a dancer, choreographer, and educator whose work celebrates the transformative power of movement. A graduate with honors from The Ailey School and trained at the Joffrey Ballet School, she currently performs as a Senior Artist with Pajarillo Pinta’o Dance Company, Tumbaga Dance Company, Ajkun Ballet Theatre, and Accent Dance NYC Company. She has performed works by Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Rena Butler, and other leading choreographers.

Jazmin Arnell Davis
Community Director

Jazmin is an NYC based Pilates instructor, dance artist, and teacher who shares her love of movement with students of all ages. She studied at California State University Long Beach and obtained a BFA in Dance in 2019. While there, she had the privilege of performing works by faculty and students alongside guest artists Charles Weidmen and Mark Morris. Jazmin later became certified in Pilates with a specialization in dance from Body Arts and Science International in 2020. She is excited to join AOS and become an active member of the Beating Heart community supporting other artists.

Julia Lawton
Community Director

Julia Lawton is a New York-based dancer and choreographer. She received her BFA in dance from Adelphi University, where she performed works by choreographers including Paul Taylor, Orion Duckstein, and Frank Augustyn. Julia has danced professionally with SHIFT Dance, Arts, and Media, Chutzpah Dance, and currently with the Taylor Outreach Ensemble.
Julia is the Artistic Director of Lawton Dance Collective, a women-led contemporary dance company focused on the development and presentation of new choreography through research-based creative investigation. Her work has been presented at numerous venues, including Arts On Site, The Workroom Theater Northampton, American College Dance Association Northeast Conference, Adelphi University Scholarship and Creative Works Conference, 14th St. Y, The Emelin Theatre, The Tank, Balance Arts Center, Hofstra Choreography Seminar, and Mashup Dance International Women’s Day Dance Festival.
Julia works as the Education Associate for the Paul Taylor Dance Company, where she teaches in the Taylor School Youth Program.

Claire Mee Eun Schiffer
Intern

Claire Mee Eun Schiffer (she/her) is a New York City–based performer and current Kenan Fellow at Lincoln Center Education. She earned her BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and danced with Gaspard&Dancers for two seasons. Claire has performed works by Robert Battle, José Limón, Trisha Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Dwana A. Smallwood, and others, and has collaborated with artists including Jennifer Archibald and Sidra Bell. She has trained with GALLIM, BODYTRAFFIC, A.I.M., and at Jacob’s Pillow. Claire is a certified Classical Pilates Mat Instructor, an Artist Liaison with Arts On Site NYC, and is deeply passionate about creating work with AAPI+ artists.

Elsa Gaston
Community Director

Elsa Gaston, originally from the Midwest, graduated with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2023. She has extensive training in Cunningham, Umfundalai, Limón, House, Ballet, and contact improv. She is currently the Marketing Coordinator with AOS as well as a lighting and sound tech staff. Away from AOS she is a cat sitter, takes boxing classes, and is expanding her love of contact improvisation movement. She loves working at AOS and this community of women.

Juliann Craft
Community Director

Julianne Craft, originally from the suburbs of Chicago, is set to graduate in

May 2024 with a BFA in Dance from University of Illinois at Urbana-

Champaign. Since beginning her higher education with Dance At Illinois, she

has found a niche within modern and contemporary dance styles and the

holistic conditioning practice of Pilates. Juliann has danced in works by

Bevara Anderson, Tere O’Connor, Sarah Marks Mininsohn, Ty Lewis, Paige

Cunningham Caldarella, Anna Peretz Rogovoy, and Martha Graham. She is

also a member of the Social Media Team for DAI and now an intern with

Arts On Site NYC.

Tobi Lee

Community Director

Tobi Lee (she/her), born in NYC, is a student at Barnard College studying Dance and East Asian Studies. She began dancing with Eliot Feld at Ballet Tech and graduated from Professional Performing Arts High School. She interned/captained for Flight Path Dance Project, where she worked with Michael McGowan, Caili Quan, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, Michael Trusnovec, among other artists. She served as Co-President of CU Generation, a street dance group at Columbia University. Most recently, she completed Barnard's Dance in Paris program, indulging in cross-genre choreography. She is excited to explore how nonprofits cultivate healing, equitable, and empowering arts spaces!