Student Life Staff
Our dedicated Student Life staff oversees all of the non-artistic components of our students’ day to day lives at SAB. The Department of Student Life aims to ensure that each student has the support they need to grow and develop across our divisions.
Student Life Staff
Sion Harrington
Dean of Students
Sion Harrington is SAB’s Dean of Students. The Department of Student Life, which he oversees in its entirety, supports students outside of the studio with resources that are integral to their development. Programs in his purview tend to students’ evolving physical, mental, academic and social needs, spanning the School’s full student body. Sion began his career at SAB in 2005 as an Assistant Residence Hall Director and was hired full time in 2007. His tenure at the School was largely focused on Residence Life leadership until 2016 when he assumed his current role as Dean of Students. As an advocate for students, he strives to lead with empathy and compassion, meeting students where they are and helping them to examine and refine their pathways to success. Sion holds a Master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University and completed his bachelor’s at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Elise Drew León
Manager of Diversity and Inclusion
Elise Drew León joined SAB in 2017 as the School’s Manager of Diversity and Inclusion. As a member of both the Student Life and Public Relations, Recruitment, and Outreach departments, Elise is part of the student experience before and after students join the SAB community. She oversees SAB’s Alumni Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, the National Visiting Fellows Program, and programming around diversity, equity, and inclusion for the entire SAB community. Elise received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Fordham University.
Katy Vedder
Director of Student Life for Children’s Division and Wellness Programming
Katy Vedder joined SAB in 2011 as the School’s Receptionist. In 2012, she transitioned to working within the Student Life Department overseeing family and wellness programming and was promoted to Director of Student Life for Children’s Division and Wellness Programming in 2019. Katy is responsible for supporting the non-artistic developmental needs of the Children’s Division. She also directs the School’s comprehensive wellness programming and curriculum, including Pilates, physical therapy, mental health, nutrition, and Personal Enrichment Programming. Katy’s work is committed to holistic student development and supporting the various needs of SAB’s students and families. Katy received dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Cinema & Cultural Studies from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Residence Life Associates
The Residence Life Associates at SAB are great resources for our residential students and their parents/guardians. As frontline representatives for our residence hall community, this position provides key oversight for our students as well as support for their daily responsibilities and schedules. Isa Braun fills this position on weekdays from 4pm-12am. Isa began working at SAB in 2018 and has her bachelor’s degree in Theater Studies from Emerson College. During her shifts, Isa provides oversight of evening hall operations, including curfew and parent/guardian communication, and supports students in their down time as they work on homework and build relationships in the residence hall.
Wellness Professionals
Adrienne Gregorek, Physical Therapist
Adrienne officially joined SAB as the school’s physical therapist in Fall 2016. Adrienne received her BFA in dance performance from Western Michigan University, where she had the privilege of performing Balanchine’s “Serenade”. She danced in a small contemporary company here in New York before going back to school to study physical therapy, graduating from Columbia University in 2016 with her Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. Adrienne also works at Westside Dance Physical Therapy where her patients include dancers with New York City Ballet and various Broadway shows.
Phoebe Higgins, Pilates Instructor
Phoebe Higgins returned to SAB in 2000 as its first Pilates instructor, having studied in the Children’s Division from 1966-1971. She learned the Pilates Method from Romana Kryzanowska, also an SAB alumna and direct disciple of Joseph Pilates, for nearly 30 years. Phoebe has taught Pilates since 1980 and continues to teach Pilates instructors and students of all ages.
Joan Lantz, Nurse
Joan has worked in both pediatric and adolescent medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital and Columbia University Health service, where she ran the travel medicine program focusing on infectious diseases. Joan is also a CPR instructor. During the Winter Term, Joan maintains office hours two days each week and is available to both resident and day students. Joan’s office operates every day in Summer Course.
Dr. Nicole Marcus, Psychologist
Dr. Nicole Marcus is a Licensed Psychologist who meets with SAB students on an individual basis for counseling issues and conducts periodic group workshops. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, within a specialized track for adolescent issues. Nicole also maintains a full-time private practice for adolescents and adults on the Upper West Side. She is a graduate of the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.
Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM
Heidi oversees the Performance Nutrition program at the School of American Ballet (since 1997). Heidi also manages the nutrition program at the Juilliard School (since 2008) and has worked with numerous Broadway shows, supporting the artist as athlete. Heidi has been part of The Women’s Sports Medicine Center at Hospital for Special Surgery, the first of its kind in the United States, for over 20 years and has experience working with many professional sport organizations including the NY Knicks Basketball, NY Giants Football, NY Mets Baseball. Holding two Master degrees in exercise physiology and human nutrition, Heidi is a Fellow with the American College of Sports Medicine and has sat on the board of The National Osteoporosis Foundation. Heidi works with students to translate hard science into actionable steps to integrate into daily life. As a realist, Heidi believes M&M’s can fit into a healthy eating style along with red peppers, red meat, broccoli, and fresh fruit.