YDI is unique in offering students direct mentorship with working professional dancers.

Rather than camp counselors, students are paired with mentors who have studied dance in higher education, and are now working in the field as performers, choreographers, organizers, and educators. Mentors provide oversight and safety by living in the dormitory with the students and accompanying them to classes, meals and all evening and weekend activities. Students meet with their mentors one-on-one during daily lunch-time check-ins, and in small groups during nightly hall meetings.

Mentors

Aryanna Allen

Aryanna Allen (she/they) is a Brooklyn-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and arts administrator originally from Charlotte, NC. They’ve performed works by artists including Kendra Portier, Yoshito Sakuraba, Mark Caserta, and Marco Palomino. Their choreography has been presented at venues such as Arts on Site, The Tank, Green Space, and Manhattan Movement & Arts Center. Aryanna currently dances with Kinesis Project Dance Theatre and RogueWave. Additionally, they serve as Administrative Manager for MBDance, Administrative Director for Lyrric Jackson Dance Company, and Choreographic Assistant to RiaGrace Bauman on her current Purchase Dance Company commission. Aryanna has a passion for teaching and has led classes in modern, contemporary, partnering, floorwork, ballet, jazz, and tap over the past 6 years. This will be their third year as a YDI Mentor and they could not be more excited for BDF 2026!

Photo by Dumebi Malaika Menakaya, @malaika.menakaya

Cecilia Benitez

Cecilia Benitez is a freelance dancer, choreographer, educator, and artistic administrator based in Miami, Florida. She earned her BFA in dance from Point Park University and studied abroad in Madrid, Spain at the Conservatorio de Danza Superior “María de Avíla”. Currently, she dances for Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre and Adele Myers and Dancers while teaching, dancing, and choreographing for Syncopate Collective. Her dance films have been featured in both ScreenDance Miami and the 305 & Havana International Improv Fest. Her choreography has been commissioned by Miami Light Project’s “Here and Now” program, National Performance Network, Miami DanceMakers, Pioneer Winter’s “Grass Stains”, Bistoury Physical Theatre and Film, and Mutual Dance Theatre based in Cincinnati, OH. She is a 2025–26 Forklift Danceworks choreographic fellow in Austin, TX, following her February 2025 premiere with the company. When not dancing she teaches at various public schools around Miami- Dade County serving as a guest artist and choreographer. Her favorite pastimes include reading, biking, writing letters, and making/ sharing Cuban coffee!

Heather Dutton

Heather Dutton (she/they) is a Brooklyn based queer and gender fluid dance theater artist driven by a deep fascination with human nature. Their multidisciplinary approach to movement calls on their background in theater, comedy, creative writing, and a range of dance techniques. She strives to tackle complex concepts in logical and digestible ways, with an eye toward simultaneously challenging and entertaining audiences. She was a recent artist in residence with American Dance Festival and is preparing to share work at Flushing Town Hall and ODC Theater. Their work has also been seen at Arts on Site, Here Arts Center, Dixon Place, LPAC, the Tank, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and more.

Laila J. Franklin, Residential Director

Laila J. Franklin (she/they) is a freelance multidisciplinary dance artist based in Boston, MA, by way of Washington, DC. Featured as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2024), Laila’s work is interested in meta-commentary, deconstruction, and bits, approaching themes surrounding the human experience with complexity, nuance, curiosity, and humor. Her work has been commissioned by Brown University, Salem State University, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Urbanity Dance Company, and shared through Public Space One (IA), Sideways Door Festival (MA), Cotuit Dance Festival (MA), Brooklyn Art Haus (NY), School of Contemporary Dance and Thought (MA), Movement Research at The Judson Church (NY), Philadelphia Fringe Festival (PA) and Motion State Arts (RI). Her performance credits include projects with Miguel Gutierrez, Stephanie Miracle, Melinda Jean Myers and Michael Figueroa’s Ruckus Dance. In addition to choreography and performance, Laila also regularly facilitates community dance classes, workshops, and lectures in the Greater Boston Area. This will be Laila’s fifth year at the Bates Dance Festival, and their third serving on the YDI Mentorship team!

Laila holds an MFA from the University of Iowa, a BFA from The Boston Conservatory, and is a proud alumna of Duke Ellington School of the Arts. When Laila is not making dances, she is making coffee. When she is not making coffee, she is hanging out with her cat, Roberta.

Madeline (Mads) Mellinger

Mads is a postpartum doula and dance artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Born and raised on a multigenerational goat dairy farm in Pennsylvania, Madeline’s work in both the doula and dance world is focused on community and the pursuit of collaboration and reciprocity. She has most recently danced for and with Jennifer Monson and iLAND Dance, Kayt MacMaster and Calamity Works, Heather Dutton and Middle Child Dance Company, as well as various solo gigs. Mads’ most joyful moments are found in a sweaty dance class with friends, looking for the perfect rock at a beautiful body of water, playing board games with her mom, preparing a delicious meal for people she loves, and getting settled into a lovely camping spot.

Wynton Rice

Wynton Rice is a former company member with Garth Fagan Dance he did his undergrad training with Chris Aiken and Cathy Young at Ursinus. He has taught dance as a part of the Garth Fagan Dance Company for over 15 years. He most recently ran the dance department at the Hochstein school for music and dance in Rochester NY. Wynton is currently enrolled as a nursing student at Villanova University where he hopes to combine his love of medicine and dance to help people heal from trauma.