Toni Pierce-Sands, Founder and Artistic Director
Toni Pierce-Sands (Artistic Director). Prior to co-founding TU Dance, Minnesota native Toni Pierce-Sands performed with Minnesota Dance Theatre, Tanz Forum in Germany, Rick Odums in Paris, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where she was a featured soloist in such signature pieces as Revelations. Toni has also appeared in the Twin Cities as a guest performer with Ragamala Music and Dance Theater, Shapiro & Smith Dance, VocalEssence, Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theater, and Robin Steihm’s Dancing People Company. Her command of the Horton Technique has led to teaching posts throughout the United States and Europe. Toni directs programming and teaches classes at TU Dance Center in Saint Paul and at the University of Minnesota, where she is also the Director of University Dance Theater. Toni was awarded a 2004 McKnight Artist Fellowship in Dance, named the Sage Awards’ “2011 Outstanding Dance Educator” and recognized with a 2013 Links Emerald Service Award for service in the arts. She was named as a 2015 USA Fellow, receiving the Knight Fellowship in Dance together with TU Dance co-founder Uri Sands.
TU Dance’s Mission
TU Dance draws from diverse dance expressions to connect communities with transformational possibilities that bring to life our shared humanity.
The TU Dance Board of Directors
Julia Yager, Chair
Rafina Larsen
Sara McGrane
Neeraj Mehta, Vice-Chair
Steven Nelson
Anne Parker
Toni Pierce-Sands, ex-officio (founding member)
Abdo Sayegh-Rodriguez, ex-officio
Andrew Troup, Secretary
Joseph Zachmann, Treasurer
Administration
Toni Pierce-Sands, Founder and Artistic Director
Abdo Sayegh Rodríguez, Executive Director | bio
Laurel Keen, Artistic Associate
Kari Mosel, Media Content Creator
Maxine Yamazaki, Marketing & Social Media Specialist
Daonna Lewis, Administrative Associate
Mia Johnson, Administrative Associate
MerSadies McCoy, Community Engagement Coordinator
Grantwriting and Development Consultant: Don Sommers
Accounting: Neal Evert and Jessica Passaro, Carpenter, Evert & Associates
Medical Consultant: Dr. Brad R. Moser, MD
Physical Therapists: Maryann Johnson, PT , O’Keefe Matz Chiropractic and Jonathan Reynold
IT Consultant: Bill Turner
Photographers: Ed Bock, Michael Slobodian, Laura Scher, Brandon Stengel, Graham Tolbert, V. Paul Virtucio and Ingrid Werthmann
