The Spike Award identifies dancers with compelling talent and promise and provides the resources to expose them to a broader spectrum of dance disciplines and styles thru a scholarship to attend The American Dance Festival. The Award covers 100% of the expenses for the winner to spend 6 weeks at the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC.  Created by Rosie Herrera and Matthew Ferrara in 2012, the award seeks to identify dancers whose style or facility may not fall within the conventional orthodoxies endorsed by the predominant schools of modern/contemporary dance.

Matthew and Rosie recognized what a transformative experience ADF could be for a young college student and decided to create an audition based scholarship opportunity at her alma mater. Their goal is to illuminate and champion under-the-radar talent and encourage diversity within the contemporary American dance scene. The award was established in memory of John P. Ferrara, Matthew's uncle and a great patron of the arts.

Matthew Ferrara

Matthew is Chairman of the Board and Board President for Miami Light Project - a not-for-profit cultural organization which presents live performances by innovative dance, music and theater artists from around the world; supports the development of new work by South Florida-based artists; and offers educational programs for students of every age.

He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he studied Western Philosophy, English Literature, and Buddhism. His ongoing studies continue at the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute, in Mysore, India where he travels yearly to study philosophy and focus his yoga practice.  He is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and counts cooking and the Pittsburgh Steelers among his favorite things.  In his day job he works as a Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual. 

Rosie Herrera

Rosie Herrera is a Cuban-American dancer, choreographer and artistic director of Rosie Herrera Dance Theater in Miami. She is a graduate from New World School with a BFA in Dance Performance. She has been commissioned by The Miami Light Project, The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Ballet Hispanico, Jose Limon Dance Company, Moving Ground Dance Theater, Houston Met Dance, New World Symphony and the American Dance Festival (ADF) in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018. Her company, Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre, has been presented by the Northrop Dance Series, New World Symphony, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami Light Project, Baryshnicov Arts Center, Texas A & M University, Duncan Theater, The Annenburg Center, Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Dance Place, Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, The Yard at Marthas Vineyard, Alys Stephens Center, Wilson Center at Cape Fear University, The Rialto Center, Gotham Dance at Skirball and Focus Dance at The Joyce as well as by The American Dance Festival at the Joyce NYC in 2016 and 2018.

Rosie is also a classically trained lyric coloratura soprano and performs with the Performers Music Institute Opera Ensemble as well as works as an independent director and creative consultant throughout Miami. With over a decade of experience in both dance and cabaret, she has collaborated on productions with Walter Mercado, The South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center, New World School of the Arts, The University of Central Florida, Six Floor Ensemble, Zoetic Stage and the New World Symphony as well as with the interdisciplinary performance ensemble/avant- garde cabaret Circ X. She has also collaborated with filmmakers Adam Reign, Lucas Leyva, Jonathon David Kane, George Echevarria and Clyde Scott to create original short films and music videos.

Rosie is a 2016 USArtist Sarah Arison Choreographic Fellow, a 2010 and 2018 MANCC choreographic fellow, a 2014 Bates Dance Festival Artist in residence, a 2016 Bessie Schoenberg Fellow and a 2011 and 2016 Miami Dance Fellow. She was awarded a Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship for her work with Ballet Hispanico in 2013.