About Us

Mark Barth - Licentiate I.S.T.D. Latin Honors, Licentiate I.S.T.D. Modern Honors Gwen Silva - Fellow I.S.T.D. Modern Honors, Licentiate I.S.T.D. Latin Honors

Mark Barth & Gwen Silva are the directors and founders of the Silva Dance Academy. Their performing achievements are only matched by their success in teaching with the highest teaching credentials.

Mark & Gwen's public dance accolades are diverse. Their professional records include: Eastern U.S. Rising Star Modern Champions, Southeastern States Ballroom Champions, finalists Rising Star, United States Championships, Florida, Finalists Rising Star Modern Championships, Ohio Star Ball, Finalists at the Heritage Classic, North Carolina etc.

They have performed and given shows at various dance competitions, stage productions and special events throughout the U.S. They have been on national T.V. Channels 7 & 12 in the New York area and also taught for the Cable network on the Latin Channel. They have taught at many venues in the U.S. and England, and have taught and assisted in numerous Professional Congresses for Professionals in the U.S.

Mark & Gwen split their time between teaching their students, giving lectures, organizing shows, judging and also competing in Pro/Am competitions throughout the U.S. Mostly they operate the Silva Dance Academy giving their years of experience to their students. Today their professional services are even more important, as they are helping to guide and develop the dancers of tomorrow.

Staff
	Jennifer Ciampi - Holds a B.A. from Adelphi University. She has extensive training in Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. Jennifer has been teaching dance on Long Island for 15 years and has choreographed numerous musical productions. Currently, Jennifer is a part of the Adjunct Faculty at Nassau Community College where she teaches Fundamentals of Dance.
	Yolanda Flores-Nilson - Born in Venezuela Yolanda began dancing in Caracas in 1992 with Ballet Teresa Carreno under the direction of Vicente Nebrada. She performed in Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Giselle & Coppelia among others. A couple of years later, she joined Ballet Nacional de Venezuela and by 1997 went off to dance with Ballet Nuevo Mundo in Caracas, directed by Zhandra Rodriguez. Yolanda danced Carmen & enjoyed starting roles in Katchaturia & The Rite of Spring. In 2004 she made her New York debut with The New York Theatre Ballet.
	Lydia Phillips Lydia began teaching ballet at the age of 15 at her hometown ballet studio in Appleton, Wisconsin. She continued to pursue her love of dance at the University of Iowa, where she received a B.F.A. in dance with a music minor while teaching at the resident dance school, The University of Iowa Dance Forum. Since graduation Lydia has taught at New York dance schools such as the Joffrey Ballet School and City Moves Dance Studio. She is currently a dancer with Gehring Dancetheatre, a non-profit contemporary company based in New York City. Lydia is a fan of all types of dance, and enjoys nothing more than seeing young people grow through movement.