RYAN P. CASEY, a youngARTS scholarship recipient and Presidential Scholar in the Arts nominee, is currently an undergraduate student at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Inspired by Savion Glover’s appearances on Sesame Street, he began studying tap and jazz at the age of five at The Dance Inn in Lexington, Massachusetts. He spent seven seasons with the Legacy Dance Company, under the direction of Thelma Goldberg, where he was profoundly inspired by the Jump Rhythm Jazz technique of Billy Siegenfeld, and served as Dance Captain of the New England Tap Ensemble, directed by Riverdance alumnus Aaron Tolson. He has danced in solo and ensemble pieces throughout New England as well as New York, Baltimore, and Miami, and was featured on So You Think You Can Dance. Ryan is currently engaged in fusing tap dance with spoken word poetry, and his has performed his solo piece, “When Push Comes to Shove,” in Boston, New York, and Canada. His choreography has been featured at the Dance for World Community Festival, the Massachusetts Dance Festival, and with Urbanity Dance. He is also a proud alumnus of The School at Jacob's Pillow.