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Krissie Odegard Geye
Krissie Odegard Geye is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Expand Community Arts Alliance, a group of nationally recognized arts organizations committed to sparking community dialogue through the lens of art. Within this alliance, Krissie oversees four organizations: The Dance and Music Academy, The Trifecta Dance Collective, the Metamorphosis; Fearless Evolution experience, and Phosphorescent Theatrical Productions.
Her accomplishments include being chosen as a Conference Presenter and Master Clinical at the International Dance Pedagogy Conference and Performance Festival, Peridance in NYC, the Big River Dance Festival in West Virginia, the CRU Dance Nationals, and the United States Tournament of Dance National Finals in Atlantic City.
Krissie's choreography has been recognized and featured at various esteemed events and festivals, including the Spring Choreography Showcase at Peridance in NYC, Jennifer Mueller's "Hatch" series in NYC, the Detroit Dance Festival, the Minnesota Fringe Festival, the Big River Dance Festival, and the Exchange Choreography Festival in Tulsa, OK. She has conceptualized and produced three full-length works in Anita's Way in Times Square and was honored as one of three winners of the National Choreography Competition sponsored by Ovation TV.
Krissie is a five-time recipient of a space in the "Choreographer's Showcase" performance at Dance Chicago. She served as the co-director of three National Youth Companies, providing valuable opportunities for hundreds of students each summer: The CRU Dance Heart and Soul National Company, the United States Tournament of Dance National Contemporary Team, and the Metamorphosis Performance Ensemble.
Krissie's contributions extend beyond performance and choreography, as she has also lent her expertise to institutions such as Goliard Concerts in New York City, the Ethnic Dance Theatre in St. Paul, MN, the ATDI “Spirit of Tap” conference, and as a faculty member for the New York City Public School System.
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Colleen Bass
Colleen graduated with a degree in kinesiology as a dance major from Indiana University. Since moving to Chicago in 2010, she has performed with Zephyr Dance, Dropshift Dance, Ology Dance, Tapestry Dance Company, Project 606, and Trifecta Dance Collective. She has performed at notable venues including the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Chicago Cultural Center, and The Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Colleen has performed and presented her choreography in Chicago, as well as in NYC with Awakening Movement Project. Colleen was a faculty member for the Dance Masters of Wisconsin workshop in 2016, instructing contemporary and jazz. In 2017, she co-produced Where Beauty Rises, a multidisciplinary performance at Links Hall with the non-profit Photoserve. All proceeds went to the clean water organization Wine to Water. The following year Colleen visited Uganda with Photoserve and Surge for Water, who is dedicated to bringing communities safe water solutions. Teaching dance lessons at some of the Ugandan schools was an incredible experience! Continuing her work with a community focus in 2018, she and co-choreographer Joanna Meccia received an Independent Artist Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs to create Dance Across Chicago -- a series using live music, dance, and technology to bring free performances to public spaces and two Chicago public high schools. In 2020, Colleen collaborated with Dropshift Dance on a film project celebrating dance amidst the challenges of the pandemic. Colleen continues to grow her technical knowledge with Pointe workshops through The Ballet Blog and expand her coaching skills with Competition Judge Mental Wellness Awareness Training with Danscend. Some of her other interests include yoga and spending time in the great outdoors, which inspires her choreography. Most of all, Colleen's DMA students inspire her and she looks forward to teaching them each week!
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Emily Brooks
Emily Ann Brooks is a teaching artist, choreographer, director and performer thrilled to be on the DMA team. Regionally, she’s performed at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Enchantress/Silly Girl in Beauty and the Beast), Drury Lane Theatre (Cinderella), and the Marriott Theatre (Zaneeta in The Music Man, Ermengarde in Hello, Dolly!, A Christmas Story, The Wizard of Oz, and Big Fish, for which she was also Young Performer Supervisor), along with Seattle’s Second Story Repertory, 5th Avenue Theatre, and Village Theatre. On the other side of the table, she’s assistant directed and assistant choreographed James and the Giant Peach at the Marriott, assistant directed Lookingglass Alice at Lookingglass Theatre Company, and choreographed A Christmas Carol at Metropolis Performing Arts Center, Inanimate at Theater Wit, The Fantasticks at Paradox Theatre Works, and next In His Hands at First Floor Theatre. Emily graduated with honors from Northwestern University with a theatre major (focused on musical theatre performance and choreography) and world literature minor. Along with extensive choreography work for Northwestern’s mainstage, she directed and choreographed her senior honors thesis Going on Seventeen, recently published in Northwestern’s Undergraduate Research Journal. With 13+ years of experience in theatre and dance, and 9+ years teaching dance and theatre to students of all ages, Emily is passionate about celebrating the unique creative voice and agency of each individual artist, encouraging confidence, empathy, discipline, collaboration, and a fearless sense of play.
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Elizabeth Bushell
Elizabeth Bushell is thrilled to be joining the DMA faculty! Elizabeth is a Wilmette-based theatre and on camera actor with a background in music and figure skating. Since relocating back to the Chicago area in 2017, she has immersed herself in the Chicago performing arts community, completing theatre and on camera programs at Acting Studio Chicago, Vagabond School of the Arts and Black Box Acting (The ACADEMY) as well as training with The Forge and MA School of Acting. Growing up, she studied piano at the Music Institute of Chicago, where she has also studied voice in more recent years. Elizabeth has 10+ years of choir experience, including as a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s University Choir and Choral Society and the Women’s Ensemble of the Young New Yorkers’ Chorus. Some of Elizabeth’s favorite on stage roles include – most recently – Chipper in Junior Claus (Citadel Theatre) along with Veta in Harvey, Tanya in Mamma Mia! and the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. She is excited to be returning to the Citadel stage this summer to play Snow White in Snow White: An Original Musical. Elizabeth is an ensemble member of The Yellow Rose Theatre, a vibrant and immersive Chicago theatre which writes, directs and performs original work. You might also see Elizabeth in several commercial spots that are currently airing. She is represented by Dream Team Talent and The Talent Networks. Prior to relocating back to Chicago, Elizabeth worked in Finance in New York City and obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. In addition to performing professionally, she works as a strategy, analytics and finance consultant and serves as finance director of The Yellow Rose Theatre. She can’t wait to begin sharing her passion for the performing arts with aspiring pr-professional students.
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Tori Cartee
Tori Cartee is the founder and director of Solarium Dance Company, a nonprofit company dedicated to inspiring individual change, destigmatizing mental health, and contributing to the betterment of humanity within and beyond its communities. She received a B.A. in Dance with a focus on Dance Performance, Choreography, and Theory from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. From 2019-2023, she danced with Trifecta Dance Collective, ultimately landing as a Principal Dancer and Choreographer for the company. Tori leads both TDC 2 and Trifecta Youth Ensemble as Artistic Director.
As a choreographer, her works have been performed across stages in the greater Chicagoland area as well as at festivals and showcases across the nation including Charlotte Dance Festival, American College Dance Association, Wake Forest Dance Festival, Loose Leaves Showcase, Trifecta Dance Festival, Peridance Spring Choreographers’ Showcase, Alluvion Dance Chicago’s Emergence, Detroit Dance City Festival, Noumenon Dance Ensemble’s “In this Neck of the Woods,” as well as at the Contemporary Dance Choreography Festival of Orlando, FL. Internationally, Tori has studied and presented work at Italian venues including the Palace of Venaria and Orsolina28. Based in Chicago, IL, she divides her time between dancing, instructing, and choreographing. Tori joined the faculty of Dance & Music Academy in 2021, but has been sharing her love of dance through teaching for ten years! She is thrilled for another year of memories, music, and dance at DMA!
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Bridget Donovan
Bridget Donovan grew up in Des Plaines, Illinois. Growing up, she started her training with the Des Plaines School of Dance and later competed with the Artistry in Motion Competition Team. Alongside competing with her home studio, Bridget also trained and competed in Latin Ballroom dance with Interclub Academy of Dance for several years. To expand her understanding and passion for dance, she attended Ball State University. During her time at Ball State she participated in the Student Dance Association and Ball State Dance Company where she trained in various styles and performed in productions, musicals, and student works. In May of 2021, Bridget graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BFA in Dance. After graduating, Bridget returned back to the Chicagoland area as a teaching and performing artist. Now, Bridget is in her second season dancing professionally with Trifecta Dance Collective and is currently working towards her Yoga Teacher Training Certification. Teaching and choreographing is a great joy for Bridget and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and passion with the students at Dance and Music Academy!
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Kate Dylong
Kate Dylong began dancing at the age of four. During her years as a dancer, Kate trained in many styles including ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop. Kate’s basic training began at Jo’s Footwork Studio in Western Springs, where she trained until 2000. At age 10, Kate was accepted into a professional ballet company, Ballet Legere, in River Forest, IL, where she continued her training. While with Ballet Legere, Kate performed various roles, including soloist roles, in The Nutcracker Ballet for over 20 years. Kate competed as captain of her high school and college dance teams, bringing home state and national titles within UDA and NDA, respectively. She declared herself a dance major at Columbia College of Chicago, where she was recruited by Trae Turner as a founding member of the growing hip hop company, Boom Crack Dance Company. Kate performed and competed as a member of Boom Crack from 2009-2012, accepting the opportunity to perform with Boom Crack Dance Company on Oprah’s 25 th Anniversary special, shot on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, as a background dancer for the Black Eyed Peas. Kate attended and competed at conventions and master classes for years. Kate began teaching dance while pursuing her second collegiate degree in Nursing (her first collegiate degree being a BA in Exercise Science/Kinesiology), a career that she has excelled in since 2019. Focusing on surgical nursing, Kate continued to shape her dance technique at Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago.
Shifting her focus from solely performing to also teaching/choreographing, Kate has taught all forms of dance to all ages for over 10 years, has choreographed for various companies, and has assisted in the performance and stage management of Ballet Legere’s The Nutcracker.
Kate’s lifetime love for dance has helped her students to not only succeed and progress technically/competitively, but also foster a deep love for movement arts & exercise. She continues to dance at Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago.
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Annalee Larsen
Born and raised in Papillion Nebraska, Annalee grew up dancing and competing at Bellevue Dance Academy. She furthered her training as a teenager when she was invited to dance with American Midwest Ballet’s second company, giving her the opportunity to take class and perform alongside professional ballet dancers. To broaden her versatility, she spent the summers and winters training at a variety of intensives and festivals including Dance West, American Dance Festival, Next Generation Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Ballet Chicago as well as Ballet Nebraska and Oklahoma City Ballet on scholarship. In 2021 she had the opportunity to perform with the Live Entertainment Company at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. In May of 2022 Annalee Graduated with honors from The University of Kansas with a BFA in Dance performance and pre-physical therapy. At KU she was a member of the University Dance Company, performed and choreographed in student showcases, and took part in University Theatre productions. She received the dance and theatre program’s jump start award, Loren Kennedy scholarship, and Lee Family scholarship. Aside from her own dancing, she also has developed a love for teaching from her work at numerous studios in Kansas and Nebraska as well as a passion for choreography from work in studios, competition teams, and live theatre. Her fascination of the human body led her to receive her certification in personal training from NASM in 2021. She is ecstatic to begin her dance career in Chicago with Trifecta Dance Collective as an apprentice and a DMA faculty member.
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Andi Learman
Andi Learman was born and raised in Woodstock, Illinois. She later went on to earn a degree in Dance Business at Anderson University. While there, she worked with artists such as Earl Mosley, Eddy Ocampo and Gregory Hancock. Following her time at Anderson, Andi went off to train with Hubbard Street's Professional Program under the direction of Alexandra Wells. Andi has had the opportunity to perform at the American College Dance Festival's National Gala, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's 2018 winter series and New Dance's 2020 Virtual Performance. Since then, she has worked with Tapestry Contemporary Dance Company as well as various projects within the Chicago dance community. Andi is excited to begin working as a DMA faculty member and a principal dancer with the Trifecta Dance Collective this upcoming season!
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Sawyer McNamara
Sawyer McNamara (Guest Artist), originally from Alpena, MI, is a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator currently based in Chicago, IL. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Western Michigan University, as well as a Certificate in Dance Studio Management in spring of 2023. Throughout her time at Western, Sawyer got the opportunity to perform works by Seyong Kim, Monique Haley, Jeremy Blair, Kaitlyn Pollock, Kiki Lucas, Katy Copeland, and Kimberly Cooper of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks. In addition to these notable performances, Sawyer also served as a company member of Western Dance Project under the direction of Kelsey Paschich, as well as an apprentice for ConteXture Dance Detroit under the direction of Tracy Halloran.
In addition to performing and life as a company member, Sawyer has also found creative expression through choreography. Her most recent work is a duet choreographed in collaboration with Dani Johnson titled, “Ascendancy.” After premiering in the WMU’s 2022 Student Dance Concert, this work was selected to be showcased in WMU’s 2023 Winter Gala Dance Concert and as Western Dance Project repertoire.
Sawyer enjoys sharing her passion and experience through educating others. She currently teaches at numerous studios in Chicago, as well as in Michigan. Sawyer is grateful to be joining Trifecta Dance Collective as a guest artist this year!
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Joanna Meccia
Joanna Meccia received degrees in Dance and Kinesiology from Indiana University. After graduating with Highest Distinction, she relocated to Chicago. She has performed with Esoteric Dance Project, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, Project606 Dance and is currently the artistic director of Trifecta Dance Collective. Joanna’s work has previously been set on Esoteric Dance Project as part of their Choreographic Mentorship Program, Trifecta Dance Collective and Project606 Dance. She has presented with Dances in the Hall, Going Dutch Dance Festival, and the Awakening Movement Project (NYC). In 2017, she co-produced a multidisciplinary performance, Where Beauty Rises, at Links Hall with the non-profit Photoserve. All proceeds went to the clean water organization Wine to Water. In 2018, she and co-choreographer Colleen Welch received an Independent Artist Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs to create Dance Across Chicago, a series using live music, dance and technology to bring free performances to public spaces and two Chicago public schools. In addition to choreographing, performing and teaching dance, Joanna is also a certified Pilates and Yoga instructor.
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Kate Moorhouse
Katherine (Kate) Moorhouse was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She began her dance training with the Dance and Music Academy under the direction of Krissie Odegard Geye. Kate supplemented her year-round training with summer intensives at the Cecchetti Council of America, Fort Wayne Ballet, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Orlando Ballet School, and UNCSA Professional Studies Intensive. She continued her dance education by attending The Chicago High School for the Arts as a dance major, where she worked with Kim Sagami, Ted Seymour, Sarah Ford Thompson, and Maan Almodovar. In 2018, Kate was invited to join Trifecta Dance Collective as a Student Apprentice and performed with the company across the Chicagoland area and in New York City during high school. Following graduation, Kate moved away from Chicago to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She recently obtained her BFA in Contemporary Dance and a minor in Arts Entrepreneurship in May 2023. While at UNCSA, she has trained with Brenda Daniels, Sean Sullivan, Kira Blazek Ziaii, Ming-Lung Yang, Ashley Lindsey, and Abigail Yager. Her performance highlights include works by Igal Perry, Shen Wei, José Limón, Juel Lane, Gaspard Louis, Kira Blazek-Ziaii, Wesley Williams, Mariana Oliveira, and Ashley Lindsey. Kate also had the pleasure of collaborating with Garen Scribner and Danielle Rowe in their 2021 dance parody, “Swan Lake: Cancelled” and their upcoming parody film, “Shellbreaker.” Additionally, Kate is the choreographer of the first-ever musical film from UNCSA’s School of Film, “Homer: Great Teller of Tales” in 2022. She was one of the founding members of UNCSA Live, an interdisciplinary student-led group that put on shadow cast performances for the student body, where she served as co-choreographer and dance captain. In 2021, she was invited to become a member of Trifecta Dance Collective’s second company, TDC2, for their inaugural season. She made her debut with TDC2 at Trifecta Dance Festival in March of 2022. Kate is looking forward to teaching at DMA where her love of dance began!
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Carrie Muntz
Carrie Patterson, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, began her training with the Atlanta Ballet, and continued training in the summers with Houston Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Luna Negra Dance Theater. In 2011, Carrie graduated cum laude from Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Psychology. After graduation, Carrie spent the 2011-2012 season dancing as a trainee with the Louisville Ballet. In the summer of 2012, Carrie moved to Chicago where she spent 2012-2013 season as a trainee with Thodos Dance Chicago. Carrie has also danced in Chicago with Rephrase Dance Collective, Project606 Dance, and Nomi Dance Company. She choreographed works for the Louisville Ballet in their New Works show of 2012, Thodos Dance Chicago’s New Dances, and Nomi Dance Company’s Instrumental. She has directed national youth companies with CRU Dance, United States Tournament of Dance, and Metamorphosis Fearless Evolution. She has also served as a judge for various CRU Dance. Carrie currently serves as Co-Founder/ Artistic Director of the Trifecta Dance Collective and Trifecta Youth Company, Metamorphosis Fearless Evolution, and serves as an Administrative Director for the Expand Community Arts Alliance.Carrie is also a certified Progressing Ballet Technique instructor. In 2020, Carrie launched her own dancewear line, Illuminate Dancewear, of which 10% of each item goes to support local not-for-profits.
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Amanda Newman
Amanda Newman earned her BA in Musical Theatre Performance from Columbia College Chicago and her local theatre credits include shows at the Paramount Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Porchlight Theatre, and Pride Films and Plays, as well as choreographing Carnival for Lost Note Theatre Company. She has also danced with companies including From the Hip Dance Project, Tikvah Company of Artists, and RASA Dance Chicago. In 2016, she toured nationally with Letters From Home, a tap-dancing and singing duet of 1940’s music. She has been teaching for over 10 years, working with students of all ages, teaching Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Musical Theatre, as well as music and vocal coaching, and choreographing Hairspray! and Grease with casts of over 100 middle-school students. She also earned a teaching certification from the Cecchetti Council of America in the Cecchetti Method of Ballet to further her knowledge of instructing classical ballet technique to beginning-level dancers. She is currently represented by Paige Model and Talent and continues to professionally perform as a dancer, actor, and singer. Amanda is also an NASM Certified Personal Trainer with specializations in Corrective Exercise and Youth Exercise. As a teacher, Amanda aims for her students to find the courage to try new things, to gain satisfaction through achievement, and to appreciate the life-long joy that dance and performance can bring.
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Alison O'Konis
Alison has been teaching music for over 16 years and enjoys sharing her passion for singing and musical performance with her students. She received her Master of Music Education at VanderCook College of Music and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. Outside of DMA, she is a music educator in a public school setting. Her varied teaching experience includes general music, chorus, rock band ensemble, and private music lessons. In her spare time, she sings, plays guitar, and writes music with her band “Treat Yourself” at local venues in the Chicagoland area.
She is passionate about teaching music and instilling a love for all genres of music. Her focus in the private lesson setting is on teaching musical skills and technique, while embedding social emotional development, such as self-confidence and teamwork.
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Gabriel Ortiz
Chicago based actor Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Ortiz (he/him) is thrilled to be joining Dance & Music Academy! He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign (BFA), where he studied Acting and Musical Theatre. He is excited to continue his journey of teaching and is passionate about youth performing arts. Previously, he has taught private voice and acting lessons and being the Dance Specialist at Discovery Day Camp. Gabe is currently a Teaching Artist at Skyline Children’s Theater directing children in weekly performances. With an empathy-led style, he looks forward to helping his students foster the creation of their best art possible.
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Irfan Qurashi
Born in India, raised in New York and dancing in Chicago Irfan Qurashi, found his passion for dance at 13 years old, discovering Popping & B-boying and training himself in those styles through his younger years, resorting to watching battles & cyphers on YouTube.
After high school, he then went on to join dance companies throughout Chicago. Starting with Nonstop Dance Production directed by Sonya Bunges and went on compete with The Puzzle League, training underneath Davina Pasiewicz, Matt Pumanes & Andrew Phan and also C.O.D.A. directed by Teddy Chavez, Dee More, and Andre Patterson at the time. He also started his training at the Young Lions Workshop in 2010, with every YL workshop in Chicago and continues to train under Ian Eastwood to this day along with various choreographers/instructors they’ve brought to Chicago, awarded with scholarships to The Pulse Dance Convention and Broadway Dance Center in New York.
He trained in the Chicago Urban Dance Collective that further expanded his dance experience with free-styling, performance execution, and creative movement. Most recently, he’s trained with Kris Rhodes through the Vicious Intensive. Most recently, in August of 2018, he was invited to train with Cj Salvador and Alexander Chung in the 2018 Panorama Dance Intensive where his own choreography was chosen to be showcased at Kreative Mindz Academy.
Irfan Qurashi continues to train his free-styling, fundamentals, & choreography though classes, workshops, battles, cyphers and many other outlets in Chicago, LA, and New York to provide the best class experience for anyone willing to learn from him, whether they be kids, professionals or friends of his own. Irfan believes in nothing more than hard work, focus, discipline and dedication that will get you through dance in order to achieve your goals.
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Wade Schaaf
Wade Schaaf (They/Them) hails from the Chicago area and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater arts (emphasis on dance performance). During their professional career, Wade danced for multiple companies including the Ohio Ballet, State Street Ballet Santa Barbara, The Omaha Theater Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago, and River North Chicago Dance Company. During their time dancing, Wade worked with numerous choreographers like Septime Weber, Stephen Mills, Frank Chaves, Laurie Stallings, and the Tony Award-winning choreographer Ann Reinking. Wade had the privilege to dance such roles as Tybalt in Robin Welche’s Romeo and Juliet, Snow King in Welche’s The Nutcracker, and Jonathan in Kennet Oberly’s “Dracula” as well, had the role of Mayor Carter Harrison set on them in the Thodos/Reinking collaboration, The White City.
After retiring from the stage, Mx. Schaaf went on to open Chicago Repertory Ballet in November of 2011. The company premiered to the headline review, “A Bright Debut for Chicago Repertory Ballet.” (Sid Smith, The Chicago Tribune). Since the debut of CRB Wade has gone on to create such exceptional works as, Le Sacre de Printemps, The Four Seasons and their full-length ballet adaptation of Shakespeare’s MACBETH. Mx. Schaaf continues to steer the company through its vision of challenging our concept of ballet both in form and structure to create ‘dance that defies labels’.
Outside of the studio, Mx. Schaaf has a variety of interests ranging from visual art to health and wellness. Wade is certified in both the Pilates method (through Power Pilates) and RedCord and is happy to enrich the lives of many through fitness.
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Danielle Scimeca
Danielle Scimeca- native of Park Ridge, IL, is a dancer on the University of Illinois Chicago’s Dancing Flames dance team while pursuing her degree. She’s trained in many styles such as ballet, jazz, pom, hip hop, musical theater, and tap and has been a company member at Gus Giordano Dance School and Virtuoso Performing Arts. She’s attended intensives at Broadway Dance Center in New York for multiple summers as well as the Pre-Professional and Jazz intensives at Gus Giordano. She’s has served as a teaching assistant and instructor for a wide range of students and styles throughout the years. She has found a passion for helping dance students improve and grow as dancers and as individuals.
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Kimberly Scott
Kim has been teaching piano and voice for approximately 20 years now, and enjoys all kinds of music! She trained classically at the Music Institute of Chicago, competing on solo piano, and with both classical and musical theatre voice. At Ithaca College, where she earned a degree in Musical Theatre Production, Kim sang for Janet Funderburck-Galvan and studied under Beverly Patton, among others, while nurturing her love of musical theatre. After some years working professionally, Kim began building a private studio that she continues today.
Her teaching philosophy centers around fostering a love of music in her students - one that will stay with them regardless of their future pursuits. She is a strong believer in the importance of fine arts in young people’s lives, and delights in talking about all the benefits of music, dance, drama, art. Kim is proud to be able to teach children such valuable skills as persistence, teamwork, and discipline in a fun manner and loves seeing students reach new goals. She is especially excited to be partnering with DMA since it has been such a meaningful part of her own daughters’ lives!
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Haley Stevens
Haley, a native of Chicago, began her training at the Edgebrook Dance and Music Academy under the direction and support of Krissie Odegard Geye where the foundation of her love for dance and community took root. She then had the privilege of continuing her dance education with the Visceral Studio Company directed by Nick Pupillo. There, she was fortunate to receive training from some of the finest teaching professionals of the Chicago Dance Community. In 2016 along with two other former DMA dance students, Haley was a member of the Taft Eagles Poms Team which won the Chicago Public High Schools Poms Competition Championship.
In May of 2020, Haley earned her BFA in Dance from the University of Iowa along with a BA in Entrepreneurial Leadership. At Iowa, she studied and performed under an accomplished Dance Faculty, whose focus on ballet pedagogy, dance history, and the role of dance in society inspired her desire to teach. She was also fortunate to perform works of Charlotte Adams, Eloy Barragan, Armando Duarte, Kristin Marrs, Jennifer Kayle and noted guest choreographers Shannon Alvis and Brian Enos.
Haley is thrilled to be a member of the DMA faculty as a full time instructor and director of the GBS Allstar Titans and Edgebrook Allstars. In the summer of 2023, she received her certification in Module 1 of Acrobatic arts and plans to receive certification for Module 2 in the next coming months. For Haley, the ability to share the joy of dance with the next generation while supporting them as individuals has become her true passion. Haley is grateful to return to her home studio and come full circle to become a part of Trifecta Dance Collective as a company member, and a part of the DMA faculty.
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Ava Wichser Foerster
Ava Wichser Foerster graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Conservatory at the University of Missouri Kansas City where she received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with an emphasis in Ballet and a minor in Communications.
Originally from Minnesota, Ava began her dance training at the age of 3 at St. Croix Ballet. She furthered her dance training at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Harid Conservatory, Classical Ballet Academy and Indiana University. Ava has studied under Gelsey Kirkland, Michael Vernon, Nilas Martins, and Victoria Schneider. Ava Wichser Foerster graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Conservatory at the University of Missouri Kansas City in 2020 where she received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with an emphasis in Ballet and a minor in Communications. While at UMKC she performed works by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Gregory Dawson, Cleo Parker Robinson, Gary Abbott, DeeAnna Hiett, and Paula Weber. Ava started her professional career as a member of Kansas City Ballet under the direction of Devon Carney. She also danced professionally with Wylliams Henry Contemporary Company, and Musical Theatre Heritage performing the role of Louise in their production of 'Carousel. Ava has danced internationally in Athens, Greece at the 51st World Congress on Dance Research.
Currently Ava is dancing and choreographing professionally in Chicago. She is a company member at Trifecta Dance Collective, Still Inspired, and Movementum Dance Project. Alongside her dance career Ava has been teaching various genres and techniques for 8 years and is certified in Progressive Ballet Technique and Dance Educator Mental Wellness Training by Danscend. Ava is influenced by movement that comes naturally to a dancer's body and currates her classes to feel inspiring yet technical. Ava strives to create a welcoming space in the studio for students to grow not only as dancers but as human beings.
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Heather Zimny
Originally from Park Ridge, Heather holds a BA in dance from Columbia College Chicago and both a 200 hour Power Yoga Certification and a Yoga Sculpt Certification from Corepower Yoga. She can currently be seen getting sassy onstage with the Joel Hall Dancers with whom she has danced with for the majority of her career. Heather has travelled both nationally and internationally with the company and has danced in many of Mr. Hall's world premieres. Other dance credits include Aerial Dance Chicago, Rasa Dance Chicago, Jarrett Rashad Dance Theater, Nick Cave’s “Heard”, Paul Sanasardo, Ballet Entre Nous, Trifecta Dance Collective, Lucid Banter Project, D.I.A.L and numerous independent choreographers and appearances in music videos. Dance has taken her all over the world performing on stages in multiple festivals and concerts across the U.S.(Spring Into Dance St. Louis, Jazz Dance World Congress, IABD in Dayton OH, Anita’s Way in Times Square NY, Dance USA, Fontainebleau in Miami Beach FL) as well as overseas in Liverpool as part of a yearlong celebration of their LEAP program's 10th anniversary. Heather continues to train and develop her artistry at the Joel Hall Dance Center, Ruth Page, Dovetail and Visceral Dance Center in addition to sprinkling in some yoga and aerial into the mix for good measure. She began her aerial journey with classes at Aerial Dance Chicago and continued on to dance with the company for a few seasons. She currently trains in aerial throughout the city at ADC, Aloft and CAA and is looking forward to once again travel for out of state workshops and intensives. Heather is grateful to be directing, choreographing, mentoring and teaching aspiring dancers throughout both the city and the suburbs when she is not performing. Her work can be seen on stages across Chicago ranging from youth to professionals in a variety of genres. Dance and the arts are the perfect medium to say what words cannot and after the past year of tragedy, uncertainty and fear, is what the world needs more than ever. She is honored to be returning to the Dance and Music Academy faculty for another season and is excited for all the new adventures to come.