Ray Hesselink is a Director and Choreographer living and working in New York City. Ray has had the privilege to help train the children performing in Broadway's Billy Elliot: The Musical. As a dancer, Ray created the role of Mr. Happy in Derick Grant's Imagine Tap! As a performer, Ray's favorite performances include originating the role of Bud in Batboy: The Musical. Ray has also been featured as a principal dancer in Nayikas, a classical Indian Dance Company. Ray has choreographed for many venues including New York Musical Theater Festival, The Duke Theater, Symphony Space, Yale Drama School and recently as a Contributing Choreographer to Heatwave: The Jack Cole Project and co-writer/choreographer to I Heart Bob at Joyce SoHo which won a rave review from The New York Times. Ray is also on faculty at Juilliard.
Class Description
Ray's tap class emphasizes technique through warm-up, across the floor, tap turns and a combination. His style is greatly inspired by the MGM films of the 1930-50s, reminiscent of such tap greats as Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and Ann Miller. Ray uses intricate rhythms and fun footwork to create challenging, musical and entertaining choreography.
