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Synchronicity Dance Co.
for the dancers and dreamers
SynchroniCity Dance Co. was founded to create a space where movement artists of all levels can thrive in a non-competitive, supportive environment. Born from a shared passion for dance and community, founders Kristen and Maddie sought to continue the inclusive, nurturing atmosphere they cultivated in college dance programs.
HISTORY
Synchronicity Dance Co. is a choreography and performance group born out of a vacancy of opportunity for movement creatives to express their art in a non-competitive, supportive environment. Founders Kristen and Maddie met through the Colleges of the Fenway in 2018, when Maddie was a freshman at Emmanuel College (Boston) and Kristen was in her 12th year directing the dance program.
During this time, they saw their ensemble double in size as a direct result of the program’s welcoming community and inclusive nature. Together, they witnessed the more novice dancers gain confidence through performing and the advanced dancers become more compassionate while mentoring new students. They experienced first-hand how a nurturing, creative atmosphere can help individuals grow and thrive, while generating a strong sense of community.
In 2023, they both asked the question, “What if this community could exist for dancers post-college? What if all adults, at every age and stage, had the opportunity to continue creating and performing?” From there, the concept of Synchronicity Dance Co. was born.
WHO WE ARE
Meet Kristen Duffy Young & Maddie Johnson
ABOUT KRISTEN
Kristen Duffy Young is a Co-founder, Owner, and Director of Synchronicity Dance Co. She has been an active member of the Boston dance community teaching, choreographing, performing, and directing dance organizations for over 20 years. In 2006 she founded Colleges of the Fenway (COF) Dance, a program that now serves over 200 students per year at COF’s member institutions: Emmanuel College, Mass College of Art and Design, Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Simmons University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. She has also been on the faculty of Emmanuel College, Salem State University, and the Longy School of Music, teaching courses in dance and movement.
Kristen is also the co-founder of Accumulation Dance Company and currently teaches an open contemporary dance class series, Moving to Connect, with long-time collaborator, Meghan McLyman. They have performed throughout New England, New York, and Washington state, and have received grants for their choreography from the Boston Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, and Boston Center for the Arts. Their work has been presented at venues such as Dance NOW Boston, The Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University, College of the Holy Cross, and The Bill Evans Somatic Dance and Movement Festival. Kristen has performed with Bill Evans, Caitlin Corbett, Bosoma Dance Company, and Weber Dance.
Kristen’s passion for developing community dance programs led her to serve on the boards of the Massachusetts Dance Organization, serving as both President and Vice President, the Boston Dance Alliance, and Boston Youth Moves. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious 2020 Arts|Learning Distinguished Arts Education Advocate Award for Dance.
Kristen earned an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College, a BA in Dance, and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is also a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, a Certified Yoga Instructor (RYT-200) from Yoga of Energy Flow, a Certified Pilates Instructor from the Kane School of Core Integration (now Kinected), and a Certified Evans Teacher. She lives in the suburbs of Boston with her family.
ABOUT MADDIE
Madeleine (“Maddie”) Johnson is a Co-founder and Assistant Director of Synchronicity Dance Co. Maddie began dancing at the age of three in Worcester, Massachusetts at Dance Progressions and later trained at PZ Dance Academy. During this time, Maddie studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and modern, and was an active member of her studios’ competition teams. Whether it was for her parents in the living room or in a packed arena as a halftime performer for the Harlem Globetrotters, she has always loved to perform.
In 2018, Maddie was eager to immerse herself in new experiences and enrolled at Emmanuel College in Boston, where she earned both her B.A. in History and Secondary Education and her M.Ed in Educational Research. There, she discovered the Colleges of the Fenway Dance Project and the collaborative and vibrant dance community that became a pivotal part of her college life. Within this supportive environment, Maddie thrived, exploring new dance styles, choreographing, and ultimately deepening her passion for dance. Through this experience, Maddie was a performing ensemble member and five-time choreographer, which allowed her to express her unique artistic visions and connect with other passionate dancers and audiences. Today, Maddie works full-time as a teacher, pursuing her passion in education as well as her love for dance.