Kierstyn Zaykoski is Director of Operations for the New York Institute of Dance & Education, the New York Dance Festival, Reaching for Higher Ground Consulting, and part of the Executive Implementation team for the Global Dance Initiative. Kierstyn is Executive Team and Principal Company Member of the Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre/Sean McLeod Dance Experience. She works as a Certified Personality for the American Master Class Tour and is the Chair of IGNITE – Young Professionals of Cayuga County, a program of the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce. She is well versed in graphic and video design, as well as marketing and advertising and leads the NYIDE Media Production division for NYIDE’s Global and National footprint. Kierstyn is a McLeod Technique and Reinforced Motor Function ® Certified Teacher and collegially a graduate of State University of New York at Potsdam with a degree in Early Childhood/Childhood Education and minor in Dance.
Ms. Zaykoski has an extensive background in both dance, gymnastics, cheerleading and early childhood development. She has been both coaching gymnastics and teaching dance for nearly a decade, and was supervisor of the YMCA dance program for 2 years. She cheered as a flyer in the NNY Allstarz Association expanding her knowledge of Arial Stunts and intricate understanding of Mounting and Dismounting Formations. Kierstyn has also performed on many stages including the American Collegiate Dance Festival in Georgia and New Hampshire, and tours with the Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre and Sean McLeod Dance Experience to Barbados, Italy, and Toronto. Kierstyn has focused much of her career and life to performance, learning, and education and is committed to sharing with others while on that journey.In addition to her present roles Ms. Zaykoski completed the Applied Study Program with NYIDE and now works as a faculty member for the program which is an advanced level training program in Teaching, Performance, and Business Application in the Arts and Corporate Industries. To date Kierstyn has held the positions of: Supervisor of Dance, Dance Instructor, Gymnastics Instructor, Childcare employee at the Watertown YMCA; Modern, Ballet, and Acrobatics Instructor at Rhonda’s Footeworks; Director of Educational Gymnastics at SUNY Potsdam; Dance Instructor at SUNY Potsdam Creative Arts Camp for 2 years; Pre-K teacher at Calcium Primary, Indian River School District; and Substitute teacher for South Jefferson School District.