Stephanie Deere
Founder and Artistic/Executive Director 

Stephanie graduated Cum Laude from the University of California, Irvine with a BA in Dance and a minor in Management. She studied under notable choreographers such as Loretta Livingston, Lisa Naugle, Molly Lynch, Diane Diefenderfer, Jodi Gates, and Sharon Wray. Stephanie has performed alongside a variety of artists in a variety of places including Tuscany, Italy, Orange County and Los Angeles, CA as well as in several theaters in NYC and the tri-state area. 

After many years as a full-time dance instructor and choreographer, Stephanie returned to school to receive her M. Ed. in Education from the American College of Education and graduated with the highest honors as well as a place in the Kappa Delta Phi education community. Her studies expanded her vast knowledge of how to use dance as a teaching tool for not only technique but growth in the physical, emotional, and mental domains. This knowledge combined with over 15 years of teaching experience promoted her to the director of the early childhood program at Breaking Ground Dance Center, in Pleasantville, New York where Stephanie is also the staff manager and recital director. 

In addition, she works in the enrichment program with Dance Matters NYC bringing dance and musical theater arts to public and charter schools in Queens and NYC. Stephanie has also continued her work setting choreography and teaching master classes. Most notably she recently set a contemporary performance piece on the company dancers at Rivertown Dance Academy in Tarrytown, New York. 

In addition to her studio endeavors, Stephanie founded MachineHDance in 2013. Her work has been presented at various festivals including Fertile Ground at Green Space, Dance Astoria, and the Sans Limites Dance Spring Season. Stephanie continues to create work for MachineHDance and the company has produced several evening length performances such as "Spring Cleaning" and the "MachineHDance Spring Season". The company successfully hosted a summer intensive and outreach program titled "INterACTION" - bringing dance to children in Queens, through funds granted by the Queens Council on the Arts.  

One of Stephanie's greatest achievements and memories was her participation in "Movement Exchange - Panama" outreach program in 2018. Working with underprivileged youth in a foreign country and a foreign language opened her eyes to the shared connectivity that exists with-in dance. Regardless of age, culture, gender, socio-economic status, and language we are all able to learn, grow and communicate with each other through dance. 

Cristina Gustaitis
Founding Company Member

Cristina Gustaitis is a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Cristina began her formal training with the Indiana University Ballet Theatre in Bloomington, Indiana. She graduated, summa cum laude, with a BS in Dance Performance from Ball State University in 2011 and has since had the opportunity to study and perform in Italy, France and Sweden as well as throughout the Midwest and East coast. In addition to her work with MachineHDance, she is a company member of Treeline Dance Works and a guest artist with Falcon Dance. Her recent performance credits include UPPAdanse, France, American Dance Guild Festival, NYC, Dance Chicago, Chicago, Breaking Ground Festival, AZ and Abundance International Dance Festival, Sweden. Her choreography has been shown in venues throughout the city including The Tank, Transpecos and The Royal Theater. Aside from performing, Cristina enjoys bringing the arts to children as a faculty member at Williamsburg Movement and Arts Center and Breaking Ground Dance Center. MachineHDance has allowed Cristina to pursue dance in all aspects of her career including performing, choreographing and teaching. She is thrilled to be part of a creative group of individuals under the fearless and inspirational direction of Stephanie Deere.

Rebecca Hite

Founding Company Member

Rebecca Hite received her MFA in dance choreography/performance from Smith College, and her BA in dance from Connecticut College. She has interned with BoSoma Dance of Boston, MA and Parsons Dance of New York City, and was fortunate enough to spend five months in Sydney, Australia, studying Graham technique and dance composition. Rebecca has performed works by renowned artists such as David Dorfman, Lisa Race, Heidi Henderson, Adele Myers, Nicholas Leichter, Jeremy Nelson, Wally Cardona, and Monica Bill Barnes. She has taught at Smith College, Amherst College, the American College Dance Festival’s New England Region, Middle School 217 in Briarwood, Queens, and at multiple New York-based dance studios and senior centers.  Rebecca has performed with The Feath3r Theory under the artistic direction of Raja Kelly, Naomi Goldberg Haas/Dances for a Variable Population, MachineH Dance, and is co-creator and co-artistic director of Reject Dance Theatre.  She obtained her Pilates Mat certification through Equinox Fitness. Rebecca's work has been presented at Triskelion Arts in Brooklyn, NY, Built on Stilts Festival in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, MixMatch Dance Festival in Los Angeles, California, Trinity Repertory Theater in Providence, RI, the Astoria Dance Festival in Astoria, NY, The Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, plus many more.

Chloe Benitez
Company Member

Chloe Benitez is a dancer and Gyrokinesis Certified instructor in New York. She is originally from Southern California, where she trained at The Orange County School of the Arts in the Classical Contemporary dance division. She then continued her education at the Boston Conservatory where she received a BFA in Contemporary Dance in 2015. After graduating, Chloe moved to New York to further challenge herself and grow as an artist. In New York she has had the opportunity to work with local dance companies: MachineHDance, Sans Limites Dance, Zullo Raw Movement and Arch Ballet.

Holly Heidt
Company Member

Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, Holly studied dance and literature at Oberlin College. She is co-artistic director of Muliebris Dance Theatre and has shown her work at such places as The Tank, Dixon Place, Spectrum, Green Space, and Team Gallery. She has danced for Eva Dean, Caroline Brethenoux, Jeff Davis (Glitter Kitty Productions), Rachel Cohen (Racoco), and Cristina Gustaitis and currently dances with Vashti Dance Theater under the direction of Fatima Logan-Alston. Holly is delighted to be dancing with MachineHDance. 

Anieya St. Juste
Company Member

Anieya St. Juste has been dancing with MachineHDance since 2018. She has been an intrigal part of the Astoria and Queens dance community taking classes at Astoria Fine Arts Dance and Wild Heart Performing Arts Studio. Additionally, she has assisted at Reflexions Dance and Fitness while completing her Bachelor's Degree. She is now studying to become a physical therapist and looks forward to utilizing her dance education and background to help people overcome their physical ailments and find peace again.