Judith Elins Palacio is a New Jersey and New York City-based seasoned dance artist, teacher, and choreographer with over 20 years of experience. She studied and performed at renowned institutions including the New Dance Group, Cecchetti School of Ballet, Dance Educators of America, Alvin Ailey School, New Jersey Ballet, Englewood Performing Arts Center, New York University, and the Whole Theater, Montclair, NJ. Her choreography credits include Cristina Fontenelli’s Christmas in Italy at Skirball Center and City Center, NYC. Youth performances: the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Lincoln Center and Alice Tully Hall, NYC. Disney World Orlando, the London 2012 Olympics, and the Jersey City Ballet Company Judith holds a Simonson Teaching Certification, Pilates certification, and completed the Finis Jhung Method of Ballet Fundamentals Teacher Training course.

Along with Richard Palacio (1954-2023) she co-founded Jersey City Ballet Theater and School to provide ballet performance and choreographic opportunities to dancers in the community, and introduce ballet to new and underserved audiences. Together, they produced Baroque and Blue, a ballet to live jazz music; A Charlie Brown Christmas to the music of Vince Guaraldi; A Sinatra Story with live vocals; Ballet Meets Baseball, performed on the baseball field at Enos Jones Park, Jersey CIty, NJ, with the Hoboken Nine Baseball team; and Peter and the Wolf: The Ballet, with the Garden State Philharmonic. The recent “Choreography Project” brought emerging choreographers to the Art House Stage.

The school offers an array of scholarships and affordable classes taught by dedicated professionals.

Michael Bishop -Choreographer in residence- brings back “FIRE,” set on the Jersey City Ballet Company in 2025. We are excited to bring the regional premiere of “SEE ME; SEE YOU” to the Art House stage .“SEE ME; SEE YOU” is an excerpt of a larger work to come that shows the constant search for humanity in others while also begging for one’s own humanity to be seen in kind. This excerpt expresses the tension, uncertainty, and anxiety that come from wanting to be seen and wanting to see. “SEE ME; SEE YOU” asks its audience to see the very humanity in those around them and within themselves and in that…extend grace.

Michael Bishop, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, started dance training at age 21 at Belhaven University, graduating with a BFA in dance and choreography. Before becoming a dancerMichael was studying to be a lawyer. Unhappy with the prospect of being a lawyer Michael went on a search to discover his true passion in life which led him to dance. Merging art with his passion for humanity and justice, Michael found his home. Michael trained in Vaganova-based ballet techniques, modern dance (Graham based), Caribbean, improvisational, hip hop and joined T.A.L.K Dance Co. where he danced and toured internationally. He served as a rehearsal assistant to the choreographer Christopher Caines for the 2010 International Ballet Competition (IBC) . In 2011, Michael received the Bezalel Award for outstanding artistic achievement in his senior class. Upon graduation he moved to New York and began training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). Michael’s credits include: David Gordon Pick Up Performance Company National Tour, Deeply Rooted Productions in Chicago, International European Tour of West Side Story 2012-2014 and 2022-2024, Forza Malizia Dance Company Rehearsal Director and Choreographer staging several original works that were also featured in NACHMO Dance Festival, Fertile Ground Dance Festival, Biomorphic Showcase, El Museo Del Barrio, Harlem Arts Festival, and IDACO. His own ballet company, Mollét Contemporary Ballet, has had works presented in: Ballet Inc. The Series (Time Loop), Emotions Physical theater showcase: Thought Provoked (The Seeker), WaxWorks choreographer showcase (Train To Disaster), and 7 MPR(Sync:Chron) and was commissioned by Barkin/Selissen Project to create and original work (Frame by Frame) 2022. Michael Set an original work for the 2025 Prix De Louisiane competition on competitor Riley Vinson. Michael was commissioned to do a contemporary restaging of Swan Lake and an original work titled, “Dame En Etante”, for the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center in 2013. Michael performed with The National Ballet of Canada’s Alice In Wonderland, Opera Philadelphia’s La Traviata, Wick Theatre’s production of West Side Story, Fringe Festival’s The Dance of Life, several national and international productions with the Alessandra Corona Performing Works Company, T.A.L.K Dance Messiah Project Russia Tour, Opera Philadelphia for their National and International touring season of We Shall Not Be Moved choreographed by Bill T. Jones, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater, Barkin/SelissenDance Project, the Chase Brock Experience, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, and White Wave Dance among others. Michael is a member of the AGMA Union, Actors Equity Association, and is SAG-AFTRA Eligible. Michael started his own dance film production company, Dance In Frame Productions, and his inaugural film, “These Waters Bleed Deep”, screened in the international film festival of Dances with Films in LA and the Wyoming International Film Festival in 2021 and 2022. Michael was awarded the NYFA Artist Fellow 2021 for choreography and recently received the FY25 NYSCA Support For Artist grant.