Sonja Kostich is the Executive Director of Kaatsbaan. Ms. Kostich was born in Seoul, South Korea, Founders Gregory Cary and raised in Minnesota where she trained under Loyce Houlton at Minnesota Dance Theatre. She Kevin McKenzie Bentley Roton was hired by Mikhail Baryshnikov at the age of 17 to join American Ballet Theatre from The School Martine van Hamel of Classical Ballet, a fully-subsidized school for ABT created by Mr. Baryshnikov, consisting of only Executive Director Sonja Kostich 7 female students and 5 male students. She later danced with the San Francisco Ballet and the Artistic Director Stella Abrera Zurich Ballet before moving into contemporary dance, where she worked with Mikhail
Board of Trustees Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project and on multiple collaborations with Peter Sellars and Mark Kevin McKenzie, Chair Stella Abrera Morris. In 2007, Sonja co-founded and co-directed OtherShore, a NYC-based dance company that Christine Augustine Gregory Cary thrived until 2013, during which time six original works were commissioned by Annie-B Parson, Jodi Sandy Choi Sonja Kostich Melnick, Stephen Petronio, among others. The Martha Graham Dance Company currently holds Chris Omark one of OtherShore’s original works. OtherShore’s debut performance at Baryshnikov Arts Center in Bentley Roton Martine van Hamel 2008 garnered a “Best in Choreography of 2008” by Dance Magazine’s, Wendy Perron. During her
Board of Advisors professional dance career, Ms. Kostich worked with a diverse group of artists including Agnes de Dancers Isabella Boylston Mille, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Jiří Kylián, Sir Simon Rattle, Louis Langrée, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gary Chryst Herman Cornejo Viola Davis, Frances McDormand, Bryn Terfel, Debra Harry, and Anish Kapoor, among others. Alessandra Ferri Carmen de Lavallade Gillian Murphy Garen Scribner Upon retiring from dancing, Ms. Kostich returned to school to pursue a business degree, with a Wendy Whelan James Whiteside focus on accounting and business communications. She graduated summa cum laude and was
Choreographers Jacqulyn Buglisi salutatorian of the CUNY Baruch College graduating class of 5,000 students. Following, she began Jiri Kylian Jessica Lang a full-time position at Goldman Sachs in the Finance Division. During her two years at Goldman, Annie-b Parson Justin Peck Ms. Kostich pursued a Masters in Arts Administration, returning to the dance world first as the Pam Tanowitz finance manager at Mark Morris Dance Group and then as program manager at New York City Directors Sascha Radetsky Center. Peter Sellars
Film & Broadway Joel Grey Tommy Tune Sonja holds a BBA in Accounting and Business Communications from CUNY Baruch College, Joanne Woodward
Special Events Zicklin School of Business, and an MA from CUNY Baruch College, Weissman School of Arts and Ryan Hill/Apotheosis Events Sciences.