MORGIANA CELESTE VARRICCHIO (Producing Artistic Director & Founder) is a classically trained actor, a storyteller, a dancer, and a director. Her works have been commissioned and performed internationally, in New York, and at regional and stock theaters throughout the U.S., including such venues as Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Museum, Paper Mill Playhouse, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, the Nashville Institute for the Arts, the New York International Fringe Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. An accomplished writer and producer, she has adapted and/or written for the stage, produced, performed, and toured in: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; Gypsy Tales; Ovid’s Metamorphoses; Banat El Emir or The Dancing Princesses; and for Mosaic Dance Theater Company, Tales from The Arabian Nights, Land of The Pharaohs, The Paradise of Children, La Lettera d’Isabella, and Troy: Women & War. In addition to her numerous acting credits, she worked as production assistant for several Broadway productions, was artistic consultant for the late film star Anthony Quinn, and is privileged to list on her resume the remarkable experience of working at the Dallas Theater Center (TX) during its leadership by the legendary Paul Baker. Morgiana teaches classes and workshops in Middle Eastern dance, and conducts workshops for storytelling and storytheater. She holds an MFA from Trinity University and a BA from Lehigh University. 

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SAMARA ADELL (Artistic Director for Dance & Choreographer) has had a lifelong commitment to the dances of the Near East. A protégé of the late master Ibrahim Farrah, she performed with his internationally acclaimed Near East Dance Group in some of the most prestigious concert arenas in the U.S., including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. As a soloist, she has performed all over the globe, and also with some of the most famous singing stars in the Middle East and with American artists such as Christina Aguilera and fusion pop star Alabina. Samara is a master teacher and teaches nationally, internationally and in NYC. Additional choreography credits include, N.Y. International Fringe Festival, Brooklyn Ballet, for Broadway star Robert Cuccioli in Elvis Unbound, Veils (a serial comedy), and Kamatsu Kaoru Arabia Dance Company in Tokyo, Japan. As choreographer for Mosaic Dance Theater Company since its inception in 2003, Samara has created a rich and versatile repertoire for which MDTC is known. Also, for MDTC she choreographed Fo(u)r Women, which she co-created with singer/songwriter Gary Kupper. She produced a CD, Ya Samara, composed by Maurice Chedid.

 

BOB GREENWALD (Technical Director) has been with Mosaic since its initial production in 2003, serving as stage manager, webmaster, IT department, video editor, tour coordinator, and set and prop construction as needed. He was stage manager for New York Performing Artist Company, and has worked backstage in various technical roles for theaters, supper clubs, and special events in New York City, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

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ADRIANA ROSA (Education & Outreach Coordinator), in her current role with the Company, works with the Mosaic directors in delivering presentations and developing and presenting programs for various educational institutions and community-based organizations. She has been with Mosaic since its inception in 2003 and is a former performing member and dance captain. She has taught and performed Middle Eastern dance for over 30 years. She was a featured member of L’Orient Danse Troupe and has performed in a variety of venues including educational institutions, carnivals, festivals, theatres, restaurants, and television in the U.S. and the Caribbean. She has also had a lengthy business career as a trainer, consultant, and manager in human resources. She has had extensive experience in the field including employee selection, management and leadership training, and labor relations. Adriana is also a student and performer of Hawaiian dance and Afro-Puerto Rican dance and holds a BA from Hunter College and an MA from Columbia University.

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NINA BREWTON, a Mosaic company member since its original production in 2003, has extensive training in ballet, jazz, modern dance and Dunham technique, having studied at the Clark Center for Performing Arts in New York City, where she was awarded a two-year full-time dance scholarship. A former member of Actors’ Equity, she performed in The King and I, with featured roles as “Topsy” and the “Fan Dancer.” As a performer of the Polynesian dances of the Pacific for many years, Nina toured professionally with three Polynesian dance companies. She travels to Hawaii each year continuing her studies in a graduate program under the guidance of Kumu Hula (master teacher) Mapuana de Silva, to become a master teacher of Hawaiian dance and culture. Nina also performs as a soloist at special events and Middle Eastern venues.