Jillian Foley Cusano, a versatile artist and entrepreneur, trained with Northeast Ballet Company and holds a BFA in Ballet Pedagogy from the Hartt School, where she minored in Psychology and Arts Management, and showcased her talent at the Julidans Festival in Amsterdam, NL. She has performed with Amy Marshall Dance Company, and performed and choreographed for Des Moines Metro Opera and Portland Opera, all while directing productions and instructing students as a professor at the Hartt School. As the Chief Operating Officer of Parkville Sounds, she's contributed to projects for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Amazon Prime, Lizzo’s dancers, American Ninja Warrior, The Hartford Symphony, Allen Stone, and more. Jillian is the Founder and President of the Hartford Dance Collective, promoting female leadership and exposing new audiences to dance. Her impact extends to curating hundreds of performances and multi-faceted arts festivals, hosting open adult classes with thousands of participants, and collaborating with renowned artists, including David Dorfman Dance, Pilobolus, the Radio City Rockettes, The Limon Company, Merce Cunningham Trust, and more; solidifying her role as a trailblazer in contemporary dance.