Leadership

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Jody Gottfried Arnhold, dance educator/advocate and founder of 92NY Dance Education Laboratory (DEL), taught dance in NYC public schools for over 20 years. She serves on the Advisory Committee for Arts Education at NYCDOE and Co-Chair of the Committee that created the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance, PreK-12. She is Chair Emeritus and current Executive Committee member of the board at 92NY, President of the board of The Harkness Foundation for Dance, on the board of Hunter College and Chair of its Dance Advisory Committee, Honorary Chair at Ballet Hispanico, and on Dance/NYC’s Advisory Committee. Jody has received National Dance Education Organization’s Visionary Award, Teachers College Distinguished Alumni Award, and was honored by the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable. She holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, an M.A. in Dance Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is a Certified Movement Analyst.

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Etta Brandman, formerly Special Counsel at Stroock, Stroock & Lavan, LLP and currently Of Counsel at Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler, LLP, has counseled clients over the last three decades on lifetime planning for the intergenerational transfer of wealth and on succession and tax planning for businesses. Apart from her practice in all areas of estate planning and administration, she has extensive expertise in the laws governing charitable giving and tax-exempt organizations. Etta both advises and serves as a director for numerous public charities and private foundations, and she has written and lectured on the subjects of charitable giving and charitable organizations to both expert and mass audiences.

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Joan Finkelstein (EdD: Teachers College, Columbia University; MFA, BFA: NYU Tisch Dance) joined the Harkness Foundation as Executive Director in 2014. A native New Yorker, she has extensive professional dance experience, performing in modern, contemporary and Afro-Haitian companies and on Broadway; choreographing for ballet and modern companies and for theatrical projects; and teaching children, college students and adults nationwide. As Director of 92NY Harkness Dance Center (1992–2004) she supervised classes, the DEL program, performance festivals, workshops, space grants, lectures, and social dances. While Director of Dance for the NYC Department of Education (2004–2014) she spearheaded the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance, citywide dance assessments, and dance teacher professional development. In 2023 she earned a doctoral degree in dance education leadership and policy.

• Participating Writer: National Core Arts Standards in Dance (2014),  New York State Learning Standards for the Arts—Dance (2017).
• Board service: Dance/USA, International Committee for the Dance Library of Israel, Actors’ Temple.
• Advisory boards: Dance/NYC (founding year), Dance Teacher Magazine, Martha Hill Fund, EFSD, NYFA.
• Honors: ICDLI (Hall of Fame, 2003), BAX (2004 Arts Educator Award), NDEO (2009 Leadership Award), La Mama Moves! (2011), NYSDEA (2014 Outstanding Leadership Award), White Wave Dance (2024), Martha Hill Dance Fund (2026 Lifetime Achievement Award), NDEO (2026 Lifetime Achievement Award).
• Grant Awards and Awards Committee Service: NEA and NARB Choreographer Fellowships. Joan was a BESSIES NY Dance and Performance Awards Committee member for 16 years, and since 2025 has served on the Dance Magazine Awards Selection Committee.