OUR BOARD
Alison Carter - Chair
Alison rejoined the Neighbourhood Dance Works (NDW) board in 2023 and became chair in 2024. She has been involved with NDW since the 1990s as a performer and audience member. In 2003 she joined with Robbie Thomas and Sarah Stoker to reboot NDW, as a subcommittee of the Resource for Centre for the Arts board. She returned to NDW in 2011 and became treasurer of the board for several years and returned again recently during the transition to our new Artistic Director, Julia Carr.
Alison began contemporary dance and improvisation with Jo Leslie in 1986. During the 1990s and early 2000s she performed solo and with: dance collective Louder than Words, African drum and dance group Dzolali, directed by Curtis Andrews, Gutsink collective produced by Sarah Stoker, and Artistic Fraud Theatre company directed by Jillian Keiley. More recently she has participated in community dance projects and the Navigating Home project, convened by Neighbourhood Dance Works. She improvised at the Rooms for the Impulse series in 2026 and enjoys the weekly improvisation practices with NDW!
Bryan Duffett - Treasurer
Bryan joined the NDW Board as Treasurer in 2024. He is currently the Finance Manager of Living Lakes Canada, an environmental charity based in British Columbia. Bryan grew up in Bonavista, Newfoundland and is a graduate of the Business program at Memorial University (2010) and the Certified Professional Accounting (CPA) designation (2014). Bryan published a book of poetry, The Blades Beneath My Feet, in 2023.
Joël Azevedo - Secretary
Joël Azevedo has been living in Corner Brook, NL since 2020. Born in Moncton, they began dancing on the East Coast before moving to Vancouver, BC to receive their BFA in Contemporary Dance and English Literature at Simon Fraser University. Following that they also graduate from Douglas College with a Diploma in Sign Language Interpretation.
Joël works primarily as a dance artist and ASL-English interpreter and sometimes bridges those two interests by working on accessibility in the arts. They volunteered for several years at the PuSh international festival of performing arts (Vancouver) as an accessibility volunteer and also briefly with VocalEye (Vancouver) working on creating audio descriptions of dance for blind and low vision audiences. Since moving to Newfoundland they have worked with CBNuit (Corner Brook) DanceNL on improving accessibility.
They also sit on the board of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Visual Language Interpreters (NAVLI) serving in their second year as secretary and were a founding board member of Vines Art Festival where they sat for six years. Joël looks forward to this new board adventure and working to boost the profile of dance in Newfoundland and Labrador with Neighbourhood Dance Works.
Amy Chafe
Amy Chafe is an independent Newfoundland artist with a passion for movement. She has a long
background in partner dance as well as a decade of aerials and circus experience. During the
past 7 years she has been working alongside Cirque’letics and NDW to build a Vertical Dance
community in Newfoundland. Her dream is always to inspire more people to find new ways to
move and create.
Amy also works as an Electrical Engineer as part of Newfoundland’s rapidly growing tech sector
at Avalon Holographics. She enjoys melding her technical and logical perspectives with the
creative process, bringing a unique outlook to the table.
Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith is a mechanical engineer and founder of Design Smith Inc., an engineering consulting firm based in Newfoundland and Labrador. Throughout his career, he has helped organizations evaluate opportunities, solve complex technical challenges, and turn ideas into successful projects. His experience includes strategic planning, feasibility assessment, budgeting, risk management, and implementation across manufacturing, infrastructure, and regulated industries in Canada and the United States.
Outside of engineering, Andrew is a new participant in the local dance community through aerials, vertical dance, and other forms. He appreciates the creativity, discipline, and collaboration that dance brings to people of all backgrounds and values the role organizations like Neighbourhood Dance Works play in building a vibrant and connected community.
As a member of the Neighbourhood Dance Works Board of Directors, Andrew brings a practical perspective to governance, helping evaluate new opportunities, assess feasibility, and support thoughtful decision-making. He enjoys working with diverse groups to find practical solutions and hopes to help strengthen connections between the arts, engineering, and the broader community.
Julie Mamias
Julie Mamias brings over 20 years of international experience in performing arts administration across Canada and France. She most recently served as Co-Executive Director of Théâtre Espace Libre in Montréal, where she co-directed the organization for three years, managing a $1.3M annual budget and leading organizational renewal and strengthened institutional partnerships. She previously served as Executive Director of New Works Dance in Vancouver, guiding the organization through significant financial and organizational transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and earlier managed the operations of Théâtre de l'Opprimé in Paris, a company internationally recognized for its work in forum and social theatre. Her expertise spans strategic planning, financial management, grant development, and board governance. Bilingual in English and French, Julie recently relocated to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she is proud to be building new roots in the local arts community and contributing to Neighbourhood Dance Works as a board member.
Shweta Mohan
Shweta Mohan is an entrepreneur, designer, and community-minded creative based in St. John’s. She is the founder of Sewnology, a made-to-measure clothing brand that combines custom-fit fashion, textile design, and cultural expression. Shweta holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and an MBA from Memorial University, and has worked in technology and business roles with Ernst & Young and Suncor Energy. She is also the founder of Sai Nrityadhee School of Bharatanatyam, which offers training in Indian classical dance and supports cultural connection and expression through movement.