SPEAKERS:
Griff Braun is the Director of Organizing and Outreach at the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the national labor union of singers, dancers, and stage staff in opera, concert dance, and concert choral performance. Mr. Braun has extensive experience in internal and external union organizing, collective bargaining, and contract enforcement. Prior to joining AGMA’s senior staff, Mr. Braun had an extensive career as a professional dancer, performing with American Ballet Theatre, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, and others. He hold a BA in American History and a Graduate Certificate in Labor Relations.
Adam Cates is a choreographer, director, writer and educator working in New York, as well as across the US and internationally. A member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC) and American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), Cates has worked in a variety of mediums including Tony-winning Broadway and national touring musicals, regional theatre, television, cruise ships, theme parks, corporate industrials, casino revues, festivals, and university and college productions. He choreographed and co-wrote The World According to Snoopy, a family musical revue starring the Peanuts characters, soon available to be licensed through Tams-Whitmark. Other credits include associate choreographing the Broadway musicals Anastasia and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, choreographing main stage operas for The Juilliard School, associate choreographing episodes of 90210 and Live from Lincoln Center, and directing and/or choreographing regionally Cates wrote the popular guidebook for young professionals The Business of Show, and also teaches on the adjunct faculties of Pace University (commercial dance), Broadway Dance Center, and Steps. He has taught master classes and university residencies across the US, Canada, Spain, and Bermuda. He holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing his MFA in interdisciplinary arts and performance creation from Goddard College.
Joseph Tedeschi served as General Counsel, Global Cards at Citi, before which he was General Counsel for Mergers and Acquisitions and Citi Holdings. Prior to joining Citi in 2007, Joseph had an extensive in-house legal career principally in the fields of media and publishing for companies such as Dow Jones and Primedia Inc. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of VLA and YYDC, a contemporary dance company based in NY.
Joseph graduated from Harvard magna cum laude with a B.A. in History and Literature and earned his J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law. Between college and law school Joseph was a teacher of English Literature in the UK pursuant to one of Harvard’s teaching fellowship programs.
