Directors and Founders

Founder

KARUNA HEISLER (A DEDICATION - 2007)
Karuna Heisler envisioned, created and directed Dreamstreet. Karuna was a talented performer, musician and teacher. She also had a special ability to reach out and encourage those with disabilities to find and follow their dreams. In the process of developing Dreamstreet, Karuna’s work moved beyond the cast and crew to the families of people with disabilities and to the community as a whole, spreading a message of inclusiveness, creativity and hope. For this work Karuna was granted the 2001 Spirit of Anne Frank Award, which honors those individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to tolerance. She was the first in the field of developmental disabilities to receive the award. Ms. Heisler was also voted New Yorker of the week. .Karuna was employed for 15 years by YAI National Institute for People with Disabilities. She created, developed and managed the group therapy unit at YAI Center for Specialty Therapy. She is greatly missed.

Executive Director

LEN HEISLER
Len is the force behind the artists, the families, the staff and the contributors that keep Dreamstreet Inc. going. In addition to his tireless and inspired leadership of Dreamstreet Inc., Len develops curriculum and trains teachers at Winston Preparatory day school for children with learning disabilities. He enables students and teachers to succeed by discovering which strategies are most effective for each individual. He notes: there are five ways to solve a math problem. Prior to this Len was a math teacher at the Berkeley Carroll school for 18 years. While there he established the Dreamstreet community service project, providing school credit for Berkeley Carroll students to work with Dreamstreet artists and staff producing and participating in performances. This became the largest and longest running community service project at the school. Len is also a talented musician. He once belonged to a band, Wild Dreams, which opened for the Ramones. These days, he co-leads with Barry Kornheiser the Dreamstreet band, which performs live at all major Dreamstreet shows.

Artistic Director

SUSAN DODGE
As artistic director, Susan is the creative center of Dreamstreet. She is best known for her incomparable integrity, powerhouse talent, innovative creative process, and her loyal dedication to the art of dance. She earned full scholarships to the Alvin Ailey School, American Dance Festival, Jacobs Pillow, and The Meadows School of the Arts BFA program. After college she was quickly invited to dance with the Paul Taylor dance Company and Taylor 2 where she toured throughout the USA and internationally. Her commitment to her craft lead in late 2002 to the formation of the Dodge Dance Company who toured and performed extensively, receiving praise from press such as The New York Times and Backstage. During this time, her style and artistry permeated the dance education community through her teaching across the country With a passion for collaboration, she enjoys creating her work through combining the many talents of fellow original artists. Susan began working at Dreamstreet with Karuna Heisler and the artists, as a choreographer. It was immediately apparent that she had a special capacity to connect and inspire transformational work in the inclusive Dreamstreet community.