Alvin Adell, Board Member

Alvin Adell is a board certified anesthesiologist who has been practicing medicine for the past 28 years.  As a founding partner of Liberty Anesthesia, P.C., in Freehold New Jersey, he has held several leadership posts including Corporate President and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at CentraState Medical Center.  

Dr. Adell has been integrally involved in philanthropic ventures supporting numerous arts, education, and community not for profit organizations for the last 25 years. Dr. Adell has also served on the board of Ron Brown Evidence Dance Company.  

Dr. Adell, a native of Harlem, returned to his community in 2012 to serve as the Associate Director of Harlem Hospital’s Department of Anesthesiology and Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at Columbia University. He earned a degree in Microbiology from Cornell University, an MD degree from Harvard Medical School, and completed his residency in anesthesiology at Mount Sinai University. 

Dr. Adell is a former honoree of Dance to Unite, and joins the board with immense enthusiasm and commitment to under-resourced communities. 

Jenny Morgenthau, Board Member

Jenny Morgenthau served as the Executive Director of The Fresh Air Fund for over 32 years. The organization is one of New York City’s premier not-for-profits and has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million children from low-income communities since 1877. 

Ms. Morgenthau has designed and implemented several capital campaigns to build new camps, upgrade facilities, and enhance educational programming.  She organized and restructured a multi-tiered network of thousands of volunteers in 13 Northeastern states and Canada. Always an innovator, Ms. Morgenthau expanded the goals of the 138-year-old not-for-profit organization by creating new and exciting opportunities for inner-city children. 

After graduating from Smith College and earning a master’s degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University, she worked for New York City’s child welfare and city planning agencies and for New York State’s Urban Development Corporation.

She serves on a number of not-for-profit boards, including the National Dance Institute and Educational Alliance. She previously served on the boards of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and was President of the Baron de Hirsch Fund. Ms. Morgenthau is also a former honoree of Dance to Unite. 

Steve Mueller, Board Member, Treasurer

Steve Mueller, now retired, was employed in the New York Consumer Banking industry (Chemical Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citibank) for 23 years, specializing in Credit Risk Management of consumer banking products (credit cards, mortgages, installment loans, personal lines of credit) after receiving an MBA in Finance at the Stern School of Business Administration, New York University.  Prior to Consumer Banking, Mr. Mueller worked as an Econometric Consultant/Instructor at Data Resources, Inc. in Washington, DC after graduating from the University of Michigan with a dual major in Economics and (!) Meteorology.

Steve spent his early years in the Washington, DC area but, with a father working for the US Foreign Service, spent seven years as a pre-teen/teenager living overseas.  That early life experience, exposure to different international cultures, led to a lifetime of travel as one of Steve’s most cherished activities – as of 2024, Steve has visited 156 countries and counting! Since 1985, Steve has lived in New York City and New York City is his permanent home now.

Since 1987, Steve has volunteered his time on Co-op/Condo Boards, serving in Secretary, Treasurer and President roles.  With a keen interest in US politics, Steve hosted dozens of meetings in the 2000-2010 decade for the political grass roots organization, MoveOn.org, as well as serving as the MoveOn.org Manhattan Coordinator for several of those years.

Steve has had a lifetime of experience with Music and Dance, accumulating a massive collection of vinyl records covering rock and roll, disco, country and dance music across the decades.  He is proficient in East Coast swing dancing, disco hustle, country two-stepping and ballroom dancing. And he loves to host parties that bring people together for their shared enjoyment for music/dance…leading to his involvement with Dance to Unite.

Liz Hartman, Board member, secretary

Elizabeth Anne Hartman’s career has had many facets within the vast overarching category of books and art.  She is a proud believer in eclecticism and is a passionate life-learner.  She holds a Masters degree in Art History and the Art Market from Christie’s Education, a Masters in Library Science from Long Island University and a BA in philosophy from Colgate University. She is the author of a few books: Divine New York: Inside the Historic Churches and Synagogues of Manhattan (2022), For the Love of Peanuts: Contemporary Artists Reimagine the Iconic Characters of Charles M. Schulz (2019), and The Smart Girl's Guide to Sports: A Hip Handbook for Women Who Don't Know a Slam Dunk from a Grand Slam.  Previously, she was also a contributing editor to  Publishers Weekly and a freelance writer for The Wall Street Journal‘s “Off Duty” section and many other clients and organizations including Penguin Random House, the United Nations,  Barnes & Noble, the Garvey Simon Gallery, and the Encyclopedia Britannica.  Currently, she is working on a book about fine artists who have designed for the theater and another book about legendary costume designer, Marilyn Vance.

During the executive phase of her life she held various positions in publishing including Vice President, Director of Publicity at Simon & Schuster for the Pocket Books division, Director of Publicity at Oxford University Press and Executive Director of Publicity and Institutional Marketing at the Macmillan Children’s Group.  Moving into the library world, she was an art and reference librarian at Long Island University's B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library.  After leaving librarianship behind and moving into the art world, she was the Gallery Manager for the Stella Flame Gallery in Sag Harbor, New York; and the Quogue Gallery in Quogue, New York, and was Events Manager for the independent bookstore, Books & Books Westhampton Beach, while also writing for a number of publications. Liz is a member of the Alumni Council of Colgate University.

Liz is a big lover of dance and as a student in college she danced and performed Bharatanatyam, Indian traditional dance, on the stages in India and so she is beyond excited to bring dance to so many children and join the Board of Dance to Unite!

Carmel Napolitano, Board Member

Carmel Napolitano is committed to giving back to the nonprofit community in her profession and as a volunteer. As a Vice President with Lindauer Global, an internationally recognized leader in retained executive search, she works to recruit leaders to local, regional, national, and international nonprofits.

As a teen, Carmel studied ballet at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet in Narberth, PA and continued her dance training in Afro-Caribbean, ballet, modern, and theater dance as a continuing education student at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

In addition to her involvement with Dance to Unite, Carmel is also a member of the board of the Angelica Patient Assistance Program, a foundation with a mission to enhance the lives of economically challenged patients in need of long-term medical care, and serves as an alumni volunteer with PennPAC, that uses the intellectual talents and professional skills of alumni of the University of Pennsylvania in a meaningful and socially beneficial way. Carmel received an undergraduate degree from Villanova University and a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Center of Government.

Galit Adani, Founder anD President

Galit Adani is a social entrepreneur with a personal mission to make the world a better place by being committed to continuous personal growth. She was born and raised in Israel to a family of Yemenite, Iraqi and Russain descent. At 20 years old Galit completed her 2 years mandatory military service at an air traffic control base. Galit was a flight attendant with El Al airlines for a short time before she came to the U.S to attend NYC’s Queens College where she graduated with honors and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre-Communications and Psychology. Galit was passionate about dance since a young age yet started her professional dance training as a young adult, when she arrived to the U.S

During her college years she began to volunteer as a dance teacher for NYC’s inner city youth with the non-profit organization Groove With Me, a weekly volunteer commitment, full school year-round, that she kept for 11 consecutive years (1998-2009). During that time she had a successful career in the field of dance as a performer, choreographer and a dance teacher for children and adults. She also had an extensive experience in the field of education as a Youth Director (grades 6–12) and a Hebrew school teacher (grades 3–12) at The Conservative Synagogue Religious School located in Westport, Connecticut (1999–2009). 

Inspired by the concept of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) in Judaism and after over a decade of working with youth, Galit founded the non-profit organization Dance to Unite; a school program that integrates dance and guided conversations about values with the mission to teach and celebrate cultural diversity (in October 2009). For the first 4 years of Dance to Unite’s foundation Galit was a non-paid full-time volunteer director. She created the Dance to Unite class structure, wrote and implemented The 13 Steps to Unity Curriculum and designed and developed the teacher training in the Dance to Unite Teaching Method, which is focused on social emotional learning (SEL) and weaved into a unique dance instruction for children.

Galit describes herself as a lifelong student of spiritual knowledge, she advocates for the need for equality and unity among all living beings, and so she lives a vegan, health focused lifestyle with the emphasis on being compassionate towards animals. Galit believes in education and peacebuilding as means to create positive changes on a personal level, in the community and worldwide.

She is also a Certified Life Coach and a NonProfit Consultant.

Contact Galit: galit@dancetounite.org

In Tribute of Anh-Tuyet Nguyen,
President of the Board 2015-2020

The Board of Directors honors the memory of Anh-Tuyet Nguyen, she served as the President of the Board of Dance to Unite from 2015 until her very last day. She fully believed in Dance to Unite’s mission and embodied all the Dance to Unite values. She will remain a constant role model and an example of all that Dance to Unite stands for.

Anh-Tuyet Nguyen had an 18-year career with Fortis, Inc. (now Assurant, Inc.) in a variety of roles. Highlights include a 3-year assignment as the first American sent to corporate headquarters in the Netherlands to promote cross-company learning. Her last assignment was in the Information Technology department managing cross-business technology projects.

A native of Vietnam, Anh-Tuyet Nguyen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a major in Mathematics and a minor in French. She obtained a Master’s Degree in International Management from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. She was fluent in several languages.

Anh-Tuyet Nguyen served on the Board of Trustees of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra for three years.  She also served on the Executive Committee for the Women United in Philanthropy chapter in New York for more than seven years. From 2007 to her passing, she served on the board of the Joyce Theater Foundation as Secretary and Chair of the Trustee Committee. She served as President of the New York Opera Society. In May 2013, she joined the board of the Film Forum in NYC. 

Anh-Tuyet Nguyen was passionate about dance and travel, she was eager to understand and explore different cultures. She taught unity with her life, and sadly also with her passing, as COVID-19 has affected everyone collectively worldwide. She has touched each and every individual involved with Dance to Unite with invaluable life lessons of loyalty, generosity, determination, resilience and tenacity.

Anh-Tuyet Nguyen mentored and worked closely with Galit Adani, the founder of Dance to Unite, and was instrumental in bringing the funds and the expertise to the organization’s development, sustainability and growth, and so she will always be a part of Dance to Unite and will remain a vital part of it through its legacy.

To learn more about Anh-Tuyet Nguyen please visit A Tribute of AT

To make a donation in honor of Ann-Tuyet Nguyen’s memory, please click here

Atif Toor, Advisory Board

Atif Toor is an award-winning creative director and published author leading design, corporate branding, and publication programs for museums, cultural institutions and the non-profit sector. He is currently a design and branding lead at the Institute of International Education (IIE). Clients have included the American Museum of Natural History, Sesame Workshop, Scholastic and Discovery Communications. Career highlights include developing innovative publications, children’s books, and branded product design programs for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and serving as Chief of Design at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto directing branding, product design and publication initiatives. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Atif is an adjunct faculty member of Beaconhouse National University-School of Visual Arts in Lahore, Pakistan where he visits regularly to lecture and lead workshops on graphic design. He is the author of several non-fiction books including: Islamic Culture (Rourke, 2006) and The Spirit of Henna (Barnes & Noble, 2013).

Nicole Tongue, Advisory Board

Nicole Tongue has had a career as a choreographer working in ballet, opera, theatre, television, film, and commercials both nationally and internationally over the past 20 years. Nicole began her choreographic career at the Royal Ballet School in London and went onto to join The Birmingham Royal Ballet. Nicole then went onto study for 3 years at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and as a graduate went on to work with actors both as a performer and choreographer. Alongside this, Nicole became very involved in the education sector working as a vocational schools inspector and a teacher in dance and drama and choreographing full-length ballets for children. “Unlock the Magic” had its premiere at the Kimmel Centre in Philadelphia featuring 200 dancers aged 4-20, and “Jane Eyre” for the London Children’s Ballet premiering at the Peacock Theater; Sadler’s Wells featuring 50 dancers. For the last 8 years Nicole has spent her time as a choreographer staging the movement for opera’s on the international stage.  Opera houses have included Santa Fe, Houston, LA, Chicago, Boston, Geneva, Garsington and Glyndebourne.

Nicole is delighted to be apart of Dance to Unite and help in anyway she can to carry out the organization's mission and vision.  

Jason Lau, Advisory Board

Jason is living his dream in the world of real estate after working for more than a decade in banking where he was a client relationship manager for one of the largest residential lending institutions in NYC. He prides himself on giving 100% to his clients and makes sure they are his #1 priority. Jason is fully committed to providing a best in class experience to everyone he serves. His strong base of loyal, repeat customers who count on his expertise is why Jason has been so successful in the incredibly competitive banking sales environment.

Jason has an excellent cross culture background in client services in the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. He possesses a keen ability to listen and respond to the needs of all his clients. Leveraging his experience as a successful banker, he is known for outstanding client service, personal touches, and is a skillful negotiator with his client's best interest at heart. Jason believes it is not only his duty to represent a client to the best of his ability, but also educate them throughout every step of the process, so his client makes the best decisions possible.

Originally from Hong Kong, Jason is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. He holds a BA in Finance and Economics. Prior to joining the real estate industry, Jason was First Vice President and Head of Retail Business Development in First American International Bank. He is a strong believer in giving back and is passionate about volunteering and helping others.

Jackie sencion, Advisory Board

Jackie Sencion is a real estate professional who assists all in the process of buying, selling, and investing in the residential market in New York City.

Prior to joining Stribling/Compass, Jackie designed for different manufacturers, which led her to travel all over the world. After several years she opened a store (La Lumia) in TriBeCa, where she featured her original designs as well as those of other designers for over 30 years. Her business experience, keen eye for design, and ability to build long-lasting relationships have been key elements in helping clients achieve their goals in real estate.

Jackie was born in the Dominican Republic and graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. She enjoys dancing, playing tennis, the beach, cooking, and eating.

Mickey Muller, Advisory Board

Mickey is an Executive Assistant with over 30 years of experience, for the last 6 years she has been working at Xylem. She is a key leader in the annual Camp Xylem program, as well as the Corporate Community Impact Ambassador for Watermark.

Mickey strives to make the younger population understand the importance of clean water and its scarcity. She loves to pay it forward and educate the youth about such important subjects as health as well as loves to volunteer and provide beneficial programs to the younger generations.

Mickey has been volunteering with Dance to Unite multiple years and has helped chair Dance to Unite’s benefit’s host committee.

Yarden Ronen-van Heerdan, Advisory Board

Yarden is a successful real estate agent with The Hillary's Home Team at Compass in Westchester, New York. He brings honesty, focus, and compassion to every interaction. With a former artistic and administrative career in dance, Yarden’s keen eye for detail and strong negotiation skills make him an effective advisor to all his clients.

Growing up in a kibbutz in Israel, Yarden began his dance training at the Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem and continued on full scholarship at the Bat-Dor School of Dance in Tel Aviv. He later joined the Bat-Dor Dance Company. Yarden’s career took off upon moving to the US in 2001 when he became a principal dancer of Ballet Hispanico of New York, Buglisi Dance Theater, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he was a proud recipient of the National Choreographic Competition for emerging choreographers. In 2008, Yarden returned to New York City to serve as a Development Director for Peridance Center and later as the Executive Director for Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. 

Yarden is excited to join the Dance to Unite family, where he can share his love of dance with the next generation!