Bio
Avital has directed and/or choreographed regional, stock, and educational productions all over the country. A few favorites include Crazy For You, Fiddler on The Roof, Guys and Dolls (Bigfork Summer Playhouse), CATS, Legally Blonde (Jean’s Playhouse), Beauty and The Beast (Woodstock Playhouse), Shrek, Tarzan, and The Music Man (Berkshire Theatre Group), Gypsy (White Plains Performing Arts Center Conservatory), Anything Goes (Stoneham Theatre Young Company), and Steel Magnolias (Gallery Players, and Jean’s Playhouse).
In NYC, Avital directed and choreographed the first revival of the 1965 musical Skyscraper. She also choreographed the regional premiere of The Queen Bees at Queens Theatre in the Park, the world premiere of The Rat Pack Undead, and a revival of Rags at The Connelly Theatre. Alongside composer Alden Terry, she created Ephemera, an evening of site-specific dance theatre with a completely original score. Her concert dance choreography has been seen at the JCE Jazz Dance Project, Steps on Broadway, Dance New Amsterdam, Green Space Studios, and the 2016 Choreography Canvas.
Avital was honored to serve as associate choreographer to Lorin Latarro on Prospect Theater Company’s production of Jasper in Deadland. She was the original associate director of Theatreworks USA’s tour Teacher From The Black Lagoon, and the assistant director/choreographer of Nymph Errant, also with Prospect. Avital had the privilege of observing choreographer Randy Skinner on the Encores! City Center production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Avital is a fierce advocate for new musical theatre development. In 2013 created New York Theatre Barn‘s Choreography Lab, and continues to serve as Director of the program. The lab works to elevate and expand the use of dance in musical theatre, and is the only curated choreography platform where choreographers and writers collaborate to develop movement for new musicals during incubation.
In 2018, Avital launched a new company, Combustion Collective. Combustion Collective is an interdisciplinary theater company with a focus on HOW we as artists come together to create new work. The Collective’s first official production, The Floorshow, premiered in September of 2019 at Theatre 71 on the UWS. In 2020, The Collective created the audio project, Tonight For The Tapir. And in 2024, Combustion Collective served as a co-producer for the first Off-Broadway revival of the musical Skyscraper.
Avital has performed throughout the country, most notably as Ms. Shields on the national tour of A Christmas Story. In 2016, Avital made her Off-Broadway debut in the revival of the lost Marx Brothers musical I’ll Say She Is. Select regional performance credits include productions of Backwards in High Heels, White Christmas (Westchester Broadway Theatre), 42nd Street, Cabaret, The Drowsy Chaperone (Surflight Theatre), and No No Nanette (Reagle Music Theatre).
When Avital is not directing, choreographing, performing, or producing, you can find her teaching at a variety of wonderful NYC organizations. She currently teaches Jazz, Tap, and Musical Theatre classes at PACE University, Mark Morris Dance Center, Broadway Dance Center, and at schools all over NYC through New York City Center’s Education Department, and Together in Dance. Avital is certified in the basic, beginner, and intermediate levels of the Nan Giordano Certification Program and incorporates elements of the Giordano Jazz dance technique into her Jazz and theatre dance classes.
In her free time, Avital enjoys spending time with her husband and cat in Brooklyn, trying out new recipes (check them out on insta: #Avitalmakeshealthymeals), and working on improving her inversion practice.
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