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.

Leandria Lott
Community Director

Leandria is an accomplished violinist, born and raised in Huntsville, AL. She has played with Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin and many others. Her teaching studio ranges from students 3 years old to 50+ and she believes it is everyone's right to be exposed to composers and musicians who look like them, so she includes her own short works, and the brilliant music from composers such as Clarence Cameron White, William Grant Still and others in her repertoire for her students. Her degree is in Commercial Music performance from Tennessee State University and she has 10+ years of teaching experience. Leandria is also a healer, botanist, lover of the natural world, and herbal enthusiasts.

Shira Kagan-Shafman
Community Director

Shira is a dancer graduating in December from the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at the New School with a BA in Contemporary Dance. She currently works at Poster House museum and is an intern at Lincoln Center for Performing Arts. She has spent time in Israel participating in Batsheva Dance Company’s Summer Course for outstanding dance students, taking Gaga classes and learning Ohad Naharin repertoire, including sections of Sadeh 21, Naharin’s Virus, Hora and Venezuela. She has also spent summers at Bates Dance Festival and American Dance Festival. Shira has spent her winters participating in the Gallim Dance Winter Intensive at the Juilliard School and the American Dance Festival Winter Intensive.

Kellsee Lynch
Community Director

Kellsee Lynch (she/her) is a dancer originally from Massachusetts. She graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance from Adelphi University in 2022. Kellsee has worked with Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, CreateART, freeskewl, MIDDAY Movement Series, DANCE NOW, and SBDNY. While completing her BFA, Kellsee has had the opportunity to perform works by Orion Duckstein, Larry Keigwin, Adelheid B. Strelick, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, and Takehiro Ueyama. She is currently the Patron Services Coordinator at Jacob's Pillow.

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.

Molly Mingey
Community Director

Molly Mingey puts her artistic efforts into site specific and dance theater choreography and performance. Her work has been presented at Dixon Place, The Actors Fund, and The Martha Graham Studio Theater. Molly created work for All Over Westbeth and choreographed a brunch theater live performance at ZIZI Limona. Outside of her own work Molly performed in Crown Heights: Anthology directed by Xandra Clark, is a company member with BOiNK! Dance and Film, and enjoyed being a production intern with Big Dance Theater on "The Road Awaits Us". Before relocating to New York Molly was a company member with Wild Space Dance Company based in Milwaukee WI.

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 (she/her) is a junior at Adelphi university pursuing a BFA in Dance with a minor in Art and Design Education. She is also a member of the Honors College. In the past, she has completed programs with ABT, the Martha Graham School, and Doug Varone and Dancers. At school, she has had the opportunity to work with many choreographers, including Orion Duckstein, Jennifer Kreichman, Fernando Carrillo, and Frank Augustyn. Julia is also greatly interested in the choreographic process and has presented several new works at Adelphi, as well as assisted in rehearsals for faculty and student pieces. She is excited to join Arts on Site and be part of this supportive community of artists!

Noelle Nations
Intern

Noelle is a dance performer, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, currently studying at the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School in New York City. I have been a dancer and a performer for over 16 years working mostly in ballet, contemporary, and jazz styles among many others. I've had the honor of working with incredible artists including Erin Yarbrough-Powell, Gregory Dawson, Seán Curran, and Nia Love. For the last 7 years, I have had the pleasure of teaching dancers from the age of 4 to 16 years old in the Bay Area and New York City. This art form has granted me the opportunity to be a part of a lively and vibrant community. To be an active member is a great privilege.

05370414-71E7-4164-8F5D-A822280F5F72_1_105_c_edited.png

Elsa Gaston
Intern

Elsa Gaston is pursuing her BFA in dance and a minor in philosophy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her time at Illinois, she has had the honor to perform in works by Endalyn Taylor, Roxane D’Orleans Juste, Cynthia Oliver, and Jennifer Monson. She has developed her choreographic voice through works centered around philosophical ideas, interpersonal and personal relationships. She has attended the American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, and the David Dorfman Summer Intensive. She is honored to be a part of this vibrant and exciting dance community.

Sophia Sowinski
Intern

Sophia, originally from San Diego, CA, is a student at Barnard College pursuing degrees in Dance and Computational Biology. During her time as an undergrad, she has had the opportunity to work with Christopher Rudd, Yoshito Sakuraba, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Dual Rivet, among other artists. In addition, Sophia has choreographed for CoLab Performing Arts Collective and serves as the Development Director of Columbia Ballet Collaborative. She is very grateful to be involved in such an inspiring community of artists.