Kalena Brown has had a rich and rewarding relationship with the Center for Modern Dance. In past years she was a member of the Center’s repertory company.  Dancing has been in Kalena’s blood since she was five years old. Born in the Bronx and raised in New Jersey, she began taking lessons at the Five Star Dance Center in Teaneck, as well as at CMDE under Shirley Ubell’s eye. It was at this time that she first developed an interest in many different dance genres. Later, as a teen, she honed her talents at New York University’s Tisch Dance Program, Dancemaker, followed by a stint at an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater summer program where she studied under such luminaries as Keith Alexander and Quenia Ribiero and more. Her schooling continued at Penn State University, where she took a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and Psychology and was part of the Afi-Mojah Dance Company. At this same time, she attended an American College Dance Festival Association
conference where she took even more dance classes in order to broaden her dance horizons.

A serious student of the art of dance, Kalena also took part in many different intensive workshops through the dance program at the Martha Graham School. She has danced and choreographed for the Forza Malizia Dance Company in New York City. She has also danced for the Vashti Dance Theater in NYC lead by Fatima Logan-Alston.

Kalena has a passion for West African, ballet, jazz, Hip-Hop, and modern dance, and shares what she’s learned in her work, both as a dance artist and a teacher. She has taught at several studios/schools in the New York/New Jersey area such as Dance Theater of Harlem, 92Y and more. In addition, she has choreographed many musical productions at Janis E. Dismus Middle School and Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, including the musicals Footloose, The Wiz, Lion King Jr. and more.

In addition to her work at CMDE, Kalens is a full time dance teacher and choreographer in New York City where she is creating young dancemakers through the art of dance. She continues her teaching at CMDE.