Michelle Cave
FOUNDER AND PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Michelle Cave is the founder and director of Ballet and Beyond NYC, a nonprofit organization with the mission to provide high quality ballet training for any child in NYC who has the passion for dance. Michelle is also a teacher in both the Pre-Professional Program and the Conservatory Program at Steps on Broadway in New York City. Born in California, Michelle received her early ballet training at the Sacramento Ballet School, was awarded summer scholarships to the San Francisco Ballet School, and attended the Royal Ballet Upper School in London. As a professional, she performed with Sacramento Ballet, Western Ballet, Ballet Internationale, New Jersey Ballet, and Classics Dance Theatre, among other companies, and as a guest artist in Seattle, Washington. She is certified in the ABT National Curriculum Training from Primary through Level 3.
Michelle’s academic work culminated in a BA in International Relations, an MA in International Policy and an MBA, all from Stanford University, and she worked for more than ten years as a fixed income research analyst on Wall Street. Michelle has taught ballet to children and adults for more than 30 years, and in 2016 Michelle founded Ballet and Beyond NYC with the goal of making high quality training and performing opportunities available to any child, who is drawn to ballet, regardless of their family’s financial situation.
Carlton Terrence Taylor
Artistic Director of Ballet & Beyond NYC's R.Y.S.E. Conservatory
Carlton Terrence Taylor is a passionate game-changer committed to empowering generations to think critically using art as a catalyst for change.
Recent credits include Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor (with Compagnia de’ Colombari, NYC, US and international tours), Tina the Tina Turner Musical (First National Tour), Deep Blue Sea and What Problem for New York Live Arts and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, The Late Show performing “The Americans” with Janelle Monáe, and Great Day in Harlem’s tribute to Janet Jackson. Theater: Illa (a hip hop musical), Ronve O’ Daniels (NYMF), How the Light Gets in performing Ilathi (NYMF), Five Guys Named Moe (Black Spectrum Theatre), Songs for A New World (The 411 Theater). Film: August Rush, TV: 80th Annual Academy Awards. Carlton is currently the Artistic Director of Ballet & Beyond NYC’s R.Y.S.E Conservatory
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin
Board of Directors
Michelle Cave, Chair
Director, Ballet and Beyond NYC
Edward Marrinan, Treasurer
Executive Director, SMBC Nikko Securities
Clarke Harned, Secretary
Account Strategist, Google
Artistic Director, R.Y.S.E CONSERVATORY
Carlton Terrence Taylor Jr.
Musical Theater Performer and Educator
Directors at Large
Lucy Bermingham
Dance Educator, Author
Melissa Gerstein
Founder, The MOMS
Deb Lifshey, Esq.
Managing Director, Pearl Meyer
Susan Macaluso
Community Arts Consultant, Retired
Barbara Shelly
Artist
Lucy Berminghan, Director at Large
Lucy has been in the dance world through her own training, performing, academia, and teaching for more than half a century. She is the author of six children’s books and is frequently invited to host readings and projects with children in schools and libraries.
Lucy has been a supporter of Ballet and Beyond NYC for many years, having met Michelle Cave through the ballet classes they took together at Steps on Broadway. She believes in the power of Ballet and Beyond NYC to provide a rare opportunity to many children through its reach, and she is eager to assist the organization in its continued growth.
Melissa Gerstein, Director at Large
Melissa Musen Gerstein is a results-driven C-Suite executive and the co-founder of the multi-media company, The MOMS Network. Prior to The Moms, she was a founding partner in the company, Moms & The City, LLC. Gerstein, along with NBC, created, hosted and produced the television series Moms & The City and a Dad Named David. In addition to Gerstein’s executive positions, she spent the past ten years producing and creating broadcast television shows at the networks including, ABC, CBS, MNSBC, CNBC and CNN. She has produced for Anderson Cooper’s Show and most recently The Big Idea at CNBC. Gerstein moved to Toronto for a year to launch and produce Canadian Idol, the number one rated show in Canadian history.
As Co-Founder of The MOMS, Melissa created the first ever mom-focused town hall series called Mamarazzi. The ever-popular Mamarazzi® events provide influential moms and media with access to celebrities in a town-hall discussion while partnering with top consumer brands. Gerstein attended New York University where she graduated with honors from The Gallatin School. She has sat on many Boards including Concerts in Motion. She has performed in such productions as The Nutcracker and The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Gerstein is widely recognized as an innovative industry and philanthropic leader, coach and mentor. Gerstein resides in New York City with her husband and three children.
Clarke Harned, Secretary
Clarke has over 8 years experience in the technology industry. In his current role as Go-To-Market Product Strategy Lead at Google, Clarke advises on various projects across Google Maps Platform. He develops strategies, business cases and ecosystem activation plans to influence the direction and priority of technical product features, like 3D Maps and Project Solar.
Clarke holds a M.Sc. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a B.A. from Emory University.
Deb Lifshey, Esq., Director At Large
Deb Lifshey is a seasoned executive compensation attorney and consultant with over 30 years of experience advising organizations on compliance and strategic human resource management. A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where she focused on business statistics, and the University of Florida College of Law, Deb is licensed to practice in both New York and Florida. Deeply committed to the arts, Deb has long been involved with the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, providing pro bono legal services to artists and arts organizations.
As a parent of children who have danced pre-professionally at the School of American Ballet, Alvin Ailey, and Manhattan Youth Ballet, Deb has witnessed firsthand the vast divide between those who can afford elite arts training and those who cannot and was drawn to Ballet and Beyond’s mission to equalize access to the arts in New York City. Beyond her legal practice, Deb is a published author of several books and articles on investor relations, with a particular focus on how social justice initiatives intersect with corporate governance and shareholder engagement. Her unique perspective bridges the worlds of business, law, and the arts, bringing valuable insight to organizations striving for equity and sustainable impact.
Susan Macaluso, Director At Large
Susan Macaluso brings a diverse career in performing arts, public relations, marketing and social services to Ballet and Beyond NYC. Most recently she was the Director of Community Arts at Goddard Riverside where she launched and created the program in 2012. During her tenure there she partnered with B&BNYC to create the Performing Arts Conservatory.
For many years, Susan was an independent producer and event planner, creating dozens of videos on social justice issues and multi-media presentations for corporate training and fundraising events. She founded two not-for-profit organizations, Imaginations Unlimited which was dedicated to providing interactive, bi-lingual theater to youth, and Dance Medicine Education Fund which provided specialized information for the dance community. In collaboration with NYC Ballet’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. William Hamilton, she produced dance medicine videos that were widely distributed to colleges and physical therapy practices.
Susan graduated with a BA in English and Italian, and an MA in Criminal Justice Studies, both from Indiana University.
Edward B. Marrinan, Treasurer
Edward Marrinan serves as macro strategist for SMBC Nikko Securities where he formulates strategic views and trading recommendations across the global credit markets. Mr. Marrinan has extensive engagement with institutional investors and the financial media and also edits strategy publications that are distributed to the firm’s clients around the world.
Mr. Marrinan graduated from Union College with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics and holds an MBA-Finance from New York University. He currently resides in Bronxville, New York, with his wife Holly and two children, Ted and Krissy. Mr. Marrinan is actively involved in a range of community and philanthropic activities locally in the New York metro area and in Southern Vermont, including the Bronxville School, St. Joseph’s Parish, Regis High School, Union College, Ballet and Beyond NYC, Grace Cottage Hospital, The Stone Trust and the West Townshend Community Association, among others.
Barbara Shelly, Director at Large
Barbara Shelly is a dancer, designer, and artist who studied fashion design at FIT. As an artist, she paints images of people in current events that inspire her through their actions, activities, or "look." As a dancer she understands the transformative power of discipline and hard work. Barbara started painting about the same time Ballet and Beyond NYC was conceived, and she uses her art to bring attention and support to Ballet and Beyond NYC. For example, she curates an annual women's art show for Women's History/Art Month, WHAM at the GRCC Bernie Wohl Center.
Barbara is a founding member of Artspeak Collective, a group of artists that produces virtual events supporting nonprofits through art sales.