Kierstyn Zaykoski is a Principal Soloist of Classical Ballet and Modern Dance, and a choreographer with the Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre. She is National Director for the New York Institute of Dance & Education, Reaching for Higher Ground Consulting, and part of the Executive Implementation team for Global Initiatives. She is an Executive Coach and Organizational Health Manager Nationally, guiding clients to solutions that set trends and answer necessary questions. Kierstyn has a diverse experience and expertise in the arts, business, and performance; but also, universal and specific understanding others may not, being a white woman who has earned her way to helping lead a Black and women led arts organization for more than a decade. She is a New York Dance Festival Choreographic Fellow at the School of American Ballet and has prepared and premiered new works in Europe in 2023, 2024, and 2025. In a tour through Europe, she premiered a new choreographic work Oublié: Le Don de la Pandémie, for Pointe, exploring the impact of Covid, at the Dora Stratou Theatre in Athens Greece in June of 2023. The work was created by American Director and Choreographer, Sean McLeod, and composed by Emmy Nominated Composer Ryan Chase. As a designer and producer, she is extremely well versed in event operations, graphic and film design, marketing and advertising, and leads the Media Production division for the Institute’s Global and National footprint. Kierstyn is a McLeod Technique and Reinforced Motor Function ® expert, and worked with Karen Brown (Ballet legend, Dance Theatre of Harlem), and McLeod Technique Founder Sean McLeod (President, New York Institute of Dance & Education) creating a national College Course; Dance Science: McLeod Technique Reinforced Motor Function, a Black-created dance Technique. Additionally, she recently presented a 4 year Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences Study. Ms. Zaykoski is a certified Master Teacher and a graduate of the State University of New York at Potsdam with a degree in Early Childhood/ Childhood Education and a minor in Dance.
