Francesca holds an MFA in Dance from Hunter College, where her research in the pedagogy of the creative process was awarded the Shuster Award for Outstanding Master's Thesis in 2022. She teaches Countertechnique at Barnard/Columbia Dance, The Juilliard School, Marymount Manhattan, Gibney Dance, and several other studios and institutions. Her work has been shaped by extensive training with faculty from Hunter College, CSU Long Beach, and the LINES Ballet Training Program, as well as in-depth study with Countertechnique founder Anouk van Dijk. Francesca performs with SAXYN Dance Works and Maria Angela Talavera Tejeda in NYC, and her choreography has been featured in sold-out performances at Gibney Dance Theater. She has been commissioned to create new works for institutions such as Columbia University and Skidmore College, reflecting her ongoing commitment to artistic growth and collaboration.

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"Countertechnique has become my lifelong partner, offering clarity and agility in the face of obstacles like fear, exhaustion, and self-doubt. As a teacher, I strive to create a space where students are encouraged to trust their intuition, take creative risks, and embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. My classes are designed to build fearless dancers who are prepared for the rigor of being a dance artist, with a focus on creative exploration, body awareness, and critical thinking. Above all, I hope to inspire curiosity, joy, and a deeper understanding of the world and themselves through dance."

For me, teaching isn’t about pouring knowledge into empty vessels. It’s about curiosity—mine and theirs. When I bring my own questions into the room and listen to theirs, we build a shared culture of exploration that serves the group as much as the individual.

What matters most in my practice is fostering an environment where process outweighs perfection. Every person—regardless of skill level—enters the studio with curiosity, and that shared discovery dissolves hierarchy. There’s no final “mastery” here—our bodies and understanding are always changing and evolving. I don’t offer “corrections,” but rather tools and cues to build awareness—because awareness, not correctness, is the goal. This emphasis cultivates agency and autonomy, guiding dancers toward self-led practices rather than merely following instructions.

My teaching avoids pushing one ideal of how bodies should move. I give frameworks that dancers can adapt to their own needs, backgrounds, and interests. I bring in practical anatomy info to help connect what they feel with what’s actually happening, giving them more freedom to explore and take risks. 

Ultimately, I see my class as a place to train and research the tools our bodies need to meet daily demands—whether that’s coordination, sequencing, or multi-directional movement. My teaching is just the starting point. I offer the tools—the bones and framework—and the dancers add the flesh, color, and pulse that make the story come alive.