Masters of Dance Convention - Oct. 27, 2024

Josh grew up dancing at New England Dance Centers in Westfield, MA. Credits include Broadway: CATS (2016 Revival). National tours: Disney’s Newsies, A Bronx Tale. Other theatre: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 42nd Street, Fiddler on the Roof, SpongeBob the Musical, The Music Man, Cinderella, Singing in the Rain, Newsies, Sunset Boulevard (Broadway at Music Circus). TV/Film: IF (Paramount Pictures), The Gilded Age (HBO), West World (HBO), Newsies the Musical: LIVE (Disney+). You can find Josh back on Broadway this Spring in the new musical BOOP!

Francis was born in Melbourne, Australia, and studied with Lorraine Backbourn. He then moved on to the prestigious Australian Ballet School, where he graduated with a Diploma in Dance. His professional career has seen him grace the stages of renowned companies including, the Australian Ballet Company, Grand Rapids Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Francis has showcased his artistry in a diverse repertoire, from classical masterpieces such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, and The Nutcracker, to contemporary works by esteemed choreographers such as George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Jose Limon, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Ulysses Dove, Glen Tetley, Lew Christensen, John Neumeier, Peter Martins, Olivier Weavers, Mario Radacovsky, Donald Byrd, Darrel Grand Moultrie, Robert Garland, and Andy Blakenbuehler.  

His versatility extends beyond ballet; he has performed in four musicals, including the Broadway National tour and Australian tour of An American in Paris by Christopher Wheeldon (Tony winner), New York City Center Encores show, I Married An Angel by Joshua Bergasse (Emmy winner), The Wiz by Gerry McIntyre with Broadway Sacramento, and most recently, West Side Story by Parker Esse with The Muny. Francis has also appeared in two movies, Tyler Perry & Debbie Allen's A Jazzman's Blues, and Hallmark's Sugarplum Twist, as well as a TV episode of Law & Order.

Francis currently works as a freelance artist and dedicated teacher in New York City.

Jason Luks is a New York based performer, choreographer and educator. He is currently on faculty with NYCDA teaching tap, at the Joffrey Ballet School teaching Musical Theater, and the Artistic Director of The Dance Academy of North Jersey in NJ. He was a member of the "Falsettos" Broadway choreography team as an SDCF Observer and went on to assist choreographer Josh Prince and Pulitzer Prize winning director James Lapine on the choreography for "Mrs.

Miller Does Her Thing."

Jason's performance credits include the Broadway cast of "Irving Berlin's White Christmas", "On The Town" (Barrington Stage), "My One And Only" (Stages St.

Louis), Tap Stars (international tour), Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Who Was Show, and MTV's Video Music Awards. Jason's choreography has been presented at the Kennedy Center, Symphony Space NYC, Ailey Citigroup Theater, University of Richmond and the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Jason graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance.

Alex Mitchell is a colorful creative based in New York City. Growing up on Long Island, Alex knew early on that she had a passion for movement, performing and connecting with others through dance. After receiving her BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University, she went on to complete Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester program. There she concentrated in Contemporary/Jazz and Street Styles and trained with NYC’s top choreographers. Alex has worked with Cosmopolitan Magazine, Macy’s, MTV and is a company member of SHINSA The Collective directed by Bo Park and Theresa Stone’s AbstraKT Beings . Her work in choreography has been presented throughout New York City at events like Sybarite Love is Love, The Young Choreographer’s Festival, Night of Life, Dumbo Dance Festival and more. Most recently Alex was associate choreographer to Isaiah Silvia-Chandley for Billy Elliot at the Paramount Theatre. Alex is a passionate dance educator currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center. Her work ethic and bubbly personality shines through in all of her creative endeavors.