Archives: Team Members

Jennifer Foster-Drake, originally from Frisco, Texas, began her dance training at the age of two at The Tuzer Ballet under the direction of Pat and Tanju Tuzer. Her early training included studies at The National Ballet of Canada and summer intensives with The Kirov Academy. At the age of fifteen, Jennifer continued her pre-professional training at The Harid Conservatory.

Upon graduating with the President’s Academic Award of Achievement, Jennifer joined The Cincinnati Ballet where she performed corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles. Her repertoire included Myrtha in Giselle, the Temperament Fairy and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty, the Winter Fairy and Stepmother in Cinderella, Jennifer in Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, “The Gods” in Seventh Symphony coached by the late Frederic Franklin, and the Second Regiment Lead in George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes.

Jennifer has since performed as a principal and guest artist with companies across the United States and internationally, including Ballet Manila, Barak Ballet under the direction of Melissa Barak, and Amy Seiwert’s Imagery.

Some of Jennifer’s favorite full-length roles include Odette in Swan Lake, coached by the late Elaine Thomas, as well as title roles in Carmen, Giselle, and Cinderella. Additional favorite repertoire includes Balanchine’s The Man I Love and Fascinatin’ Rhythm from Who Cares?, as well as Valse Fantaisie. She especially valued performing original contemporary works created on her by choreographers including Darrell Grand Moultrie and Ma Cong.

Jennifer has also served as a guest choreographer for Chattanooga Ballet and Arova Contemporary Ballet.

In 2015, Jennifer founded The Dancer Project Conservatory, in the Nashville area, initially creating a free professional training space for local artists. Following several successful performance series, she expanded the organization into a full conservatory and community-centered dance school focused on making high-quality dance education and live performance more accessible to youth, adults, and underserved communities.

With over 39 years of dance training and more than 24 years of professional teaching and performance experience, Jennifer is passionate about mentoring dancers of all ages and cultivating technically strong, artistic, and confident performers while being a safe space for movement and body positivity. 

Outside of the studio, Jennifer enjoys gardening and spending time on her farm with her wife, Amanda, their children Louis and Ender, and their many animals, including horses, chickens, dogs, and their beloved pig, Confetti. She credits her family’s unwavering support in her youth instilling her love for dance, and especially Amanda’s belief in her dreams—as a guiding force throughout her artistic journey.

Photo Credit: Martin O’Connor Photography

Nic Fortenbach/Notorious Nic is 21 years old from Connecticut. Nic is a member of United Outkast Breaking Crew of CT and a member of the legendary Floorlords Crew out of Boston, MA.  He spent his 2023 to 2025 performing for the Boston Celtics Jet Blue Flight Crew at Celtics home games. He has done many other projects such as videos, performances and is active in the breaking scene. Nic is very passionate about dance and enjoys learning from his peers/mentors.

Jody Green (they/them) has been a hip-hop fan since first hearing the song “What?” by A Tribe Called Quest playing out of their oldest brother’s maroon Nissan Maxima in 1991. They are a dancer and actor based in Great Barrington. Jody grew up dancing with their family and with CityKids- a youth performing arts group in New York City. They were part of Fusion Dance Company at Brown University where they studied West African dance with Seydou and Michelle Coulibaly. In New York City, they were part of the modern/African/hip-hop based Jamal Jackson Dance Company which performed at PS 21 in Chatham, NY and The Yard in Martha’s Vineyard. Jody has studied hip-hop dance with legends Brian “Footwork” Green, Jazzy J, Popmaster Fable, and Galen Hooks. They have taught hip-hop dance locally at Renaissance Arts Center, Lifeworks Studio, and Berkshire Arts Center. Jody also teaches private hip-hop and wedding dance lessons. They are very excited to be part of the Pulse community! 

Ashley Hartka received her dance degrees from SUNY Purchase (BALA, 1995) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (MFA, 2005). Ashley found her passion for teaching early on with Flowering Child long before it became Berkshire Pulse. She has since taught dance in multiple ways to a wide variety of populations, from teaching college students at the University of Colorado and at SUNY Albany; lower school students in NYC public schools; technique classes to many age groups in various local programs and studios; and movement exploration classes to teens and adults in community settings, both indoors and out.

Ashley greatly enjoys the choreographic process, movement exploration, improvisation, and the art of movement in the everyday. She has been choreographing and performing in her own work and has had the privilege to perform in works by great artists such as Trisha Brown, Martha Graham, Kevin Wynn, Michelle Ellsworth and Gabe Masson, Sondra Loring, Sarah Stackhouse, among many others. She has been a member of a dance collective that performed many site-specific and cross collaborative works. Additionally, she has been involved in a movement lab, a Contemplative Dance Practice and an improvisational group with wonderful movement artists. Ashley is thrilled to be sharing her love of dance to her young students again this year.