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Justin Moore

Olivia Corradin

Melissa Hansen

Kelly Karolewicz

Mara Buck

Jessica Priebe

Cindy Reid

New This Year

Susan Gartell

David Hovhannisyan

Laura Ksobiech

Rachel Sayotovich

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2009-2010 Faculty

Sandra Young is the owner and director of Young Dance Academy. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Sandra moved to the Milwaukee area in 1983. She received most of her dance training in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Toronto.

She has performed at Shea's Theater and Studio Arena Theater in Buffalo and at Artpark in Niagara Falls in community theater productions as well as dance company showcases. She was a choreographer for Unique Dance Company of Unique Productions in buffalo and formed Unique II a branch of that company while in Milwaukee.

Over the years, many of her dances have received Top Honor regional and national awards. Her choreography has appeared many times on Showstopper Finals nationally distributed videos and on the Showstopper television show on CBS. Sandra continues to win regional and national choreography awards and was a finalist in the Jazz World Congress choreography competition in August 2000. She choreographed a tap number that was chosen as a finalist for the Mini Critics Choice Award at NYC Dance Alliance National Finals in July 2006. She most recently won the Junior Critics Choice Award at the NYC Dance Alliance Regional in Chicago in February 2009 and the award for best choreography for her mini tap group at the Showbiz regional competition in Minneapolis in May 2009. Her choreography has been featured at Summerfest in 2000, 2001, and 2002 in shows featuring Bob McGrath from Sesame Street. Most recently her choreography was seen in a Kinderconcert with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra & Bob McGrath in January 2007 as well as in a recent back to school advertising campaign for Milwaukee Public Schools. She has judged at regional competitions for Starpower and Starlight National competitions.

Lisa Opansky has been with Young Dance Academy for the past 21 years. She extensively trained in jazz, tap and ballet under the direction of Sandy Young. Throughout her years as a competitive dancer, she won Top Honor Awards for her group, trio, duet and solo performances. She has won numerous scholarship awards at dance conventions and performed in the opening number of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1996. She choreographed and performed in a New Year's Eve concert with Milwaukee's very own "Love Monkeys" in 2001. She currently works with the Technique Intensive and competitive dancers in our program. Over the last nine seasons her dances have won many Top Honor awards at the regional and national levels including both the top senior and junior small group awards at Showstopper Finals in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in July 2003. Her dances have appeared many times on the Showstopper National television show on CBS. She was awarded the Teen Critics Choice Award at the NYC Dance Alliance regional in February 2006. Her dances continue to win choreography awards at both the regional and national levels. Lisa was honored with the Teen choreography award at NYCDA in Chicago in February 2008 and again in both Lansing, MI and Chicago in 2009. She was also the recipient of a Showbiz choreography award in Minneapolis in May 2009. She has been teaching jazz and lyrical workshop classes throughout the country. Lisa has never-ending energy, enthusiasm and an excellent "choreographic eye" for dance. Her innovative style makes her classes exciting and fun! Lisa has been teaching at the studio since 1993.

Lori Flanigan trained for six years at the Milwaukee Ballet School and for two years at North Carolina School of the Arts. She trained with Duncan Noble and Melissa Hayden and graduated with a ballet major in 2002. While at NCSA Lori performed corps and soloist roles in Giselle, Paquita, La Bayadere, and Grand pas de Romantic. She was a company member of City Ballet Theatre in Milwaukee from 2003-2007. Lori also taught in CBT's school for four years. In 2004, Lori started teaching ballet at Young Dance Academy. Recently, Lori started working at Milwaukee Ballet in the Education Department as the Education Assistant where she does educational hands-on ballet workshops all over the Milwaukee area that reach over 20,000 people each year.

Justin Moore is a former member of the Milwaukee Ballet Company during the 2002-2003 season and from 1996-1999. From May 2003 through April 2006 he performed with Ballet Etudes in Mesa, AZ. In addition, he choreographed for the company, including a full length Peter Pan ballet. Other teaching experience includes Jeanne's School of Dance and DancEnergy in Mesa, AZ as well as City Ballet Theater and Milwaukee Ballet Company in Milwaukee. Justin received most of his dance training in Mesa, AZ under Sharon Meko and through various summer programs on many full scholarships. Justin works primarily with our Technique Intensive Program dancers. He has been with Young Dance since the summer of 2007.

Lisa Christian has been with Young Dance for 20 years and has been an assistant teacher for the last 10 years. She was competitive dancer for 5 years and won many Top Honor awards for her group work. Lisa attends Cardinal Stritch and is working toward a career as a registered nurse. Her sunny personality radiates warmth in her classroom! Lisa has been teaching since 2001.

Lori Christian has been dancing at Young Dance Academy since 1988 and has been an assistant in the classroom for the past 11 years. She was a competitive dancer for 5 years and won many Top Honor awards with her group work. Lori was chosen and subsequently attended "Beginnings", a theater workshop in the New York City where she received training in theater, voice and dance in 1999. Lori now attends MATC and is majoring in dental hygiene. She has been teaching at the studio since 2001.

Olivia Corradin comes to us from North Muskegon, MI and is currently attending Marquette University majoring in Biochemistry. She received most of her training at Spotlight Dance Academy in Grand Haven, MI and is well versed in the areas of ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary, pointe and hip hop. She has studied with master class teachers all over the country through dance conventions and summer intensives. She has assisted and taught her own classes at Spotlight and choreographs for the Spotlight competitive troupe on a regular basis. She is the founder and artistic director of Pure Dance Marquette and is currently teaching ballet classes to the Oak Creek High School pom pon squad. She has been teaching at Young Dance since March of 2007.

Melissa Hansen is a graduate of Oak Creek School where she spent all 4 years on the pom pon squad which placed within the Top 5 squads at the Disney All Star Talent Tour in Florida. Melissa has danced at Young Dance since she was 4 years old where she has studied all forms of dance. She is currently an assistant coach for the Oak Creek East Middle School poms team for the second year. Melissa attends Alverno College majoring in Early Elementary Education while minoring in creative arts and dance. She is a member of the Alverno Dance Team and an assistant preschool teacher at Early Childhood Education Center in Oak Creek. Melissa has been teaching since 2007 and is excited to be teaching pom pon and hip hop classes with her sister Emily this year!

Kelly Karolewicz danced at Young Dance Academy for years before becoming a UW Madison student and subsequent graduate. She is a former competitive dancer and taught classes at the studio for 3 years before college. She is currently employed as a probation and parole agent. Kelly is a member of the Oak Creek Junior Miss committee. She has choreographed for the OCJM program since 1995. Her choreography for the 2002 Wisconsin State Junior Miss program earned the award for Best Choreography. Kelly took the 2005-2006 season off to have her first baby, Bennett, born in October 2005. She returned in the Fall of 2006 and continues to share her love and enthusiasm for jazz dance.

Alex Minzlaff has been dancing at Young Dance for the past 21 years and had been an assistant teacher for 3 years before she began teaching 9 years ago. She was a competitive dancer since the beginning of the competitive program. Her performances over the years had won her many first place and Top Honor awards at regional and national competitions all over the country. She graduated from Marquette University. Alex is known for her professionalism and her adaptability in all situations and is currently employed as an HR assistant at InterFaith Older Adult Program. She has been teaching at Young Dance since 1999.

Barb Pergande returned to Young Dance with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from UW Stout. She is a former competitive dancer from 1995 to 1998 and won many awards for her group work. Barb was an assistant and a teacher for several years before continuing with her education. She is currently the office administrator for BBJ Linens. Barb loves working with dancers of all ages, especially teens! She has been back at Young Dance since 2003.

Mara Buck is so excited to be back at Young Dance! She danced at the studio since age 9 and was a competitive dancer beginning in 1997 winning many awards for her group work. She recently graduated from UW Madison with a degree in Elementary Education and is currently teaching first grade at Riverside Elementary in Menomonee Falls. She loves to work with dancers of all ages. Mara has been back teaching at the studio since 2008.

Jessica Priebe has danced at Young Dance for the past 13 years. She has been assisting classes the last 5 of those years and calls tap her favorite. Jessica currently attends Wisconsin Lutheran College and is majoring in Art Restoration. Jessica continues to shine with her amazing footwork in Young Dance advanced tap classes. She is an asset to our teaching staff. Jessica has been teaching since 2008.

Cindy Reid has "lived" at Young Dance most of her life. She has been a competitive dancer since the young age of 6 years old and has never looked back. She has won numerous awards for her solo, duet, trio and group work and continues to do so. She was one of the top 5 females in NYC Dance Alliance Mini Outstanding Dance competition at their national finals in 2004 and was the Junior first runner up at the NYCDA National finals in 2005. She continues to win numerous scholarships at dance conventions each year. Cindy most recently appeared in a commercial for Masterlock. Teaching is her passion and she loves working with dancers of all ages. Cindy has been teaching at Young Dance Academy since 2008.

Welcome our new faculty this year:

Susan Gartell began her dance career in Chandler, Arizona. There she studied under Nadja Lagenhorst and Sharon Meko as part of Ballet Etudes. She continued her training at the University of Arizona on a scholarship as a dance and political science major. Susan then spent two years with Milwaukee Ballet II before joining the Milwaukee Ballet Company. Since dancing with the Company she has had the pleasure of performing roles choreographed by Mark Godden, Kathryn Posin, Lila York, Trey McIntyre, and George Balanchine among others. She has also been featured in roles created for her by Margo Sappington, Nelly Von Bommel, and Michael Pink. She danced the role of Ophelia in Steven Mill’s production of Hamlet, and performed the pas de trois in Act II of La Bayadere. Susan joined our faculty mid-year last season and will be teaching ballet classes for our Technique Intensive program dancers again this season. Welcome back, Susan!

Emily Hansen has been with Young Dance for 15 years and an assistant teacher in the classroom for the past 2 years. She is currently co-captain of the Oak Creek High School pom pon squad and was previously captain of the Oak Creek East Middle School pom pon squad. With her most recent solo, she placed in the top ten in the Midwest Pom Pon competition and made it to the semi-finals. She has trained extensively in all forms of dance and calls hip hop and jazz her two favorites. She will be working with her sister, Melissa, teaching pom pon and hip hop classes this season! Welcome, Emily!

David Hovhannisyan began dancing at the age of 6 in Armenia. At the age of 10, he was accepted into the National Ballet School of Armenia on full scholarship. At the age of 16, he began his professional career with the Armenian National Ballet Company. After arriving in the United States, he received critical acclaim dancing for numerous companies throughout the country. David is currently a principle dancer with Milwaukee Ballet since 2004. He has danced many principal roles such as Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, Basilio in Don Quixote, the title role in Dracula, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Prince Solor in La Bayadere, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Captain Phoebus in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Moon Prince in Scheherazade and leads in The Nutcracker, as well as numerous leads in contemporary ballets. David has enjoyed working with choreographers such as Michael Pink, Stephen Mills, Bruce Wells, Trey McIntyre, Margo Sappington, Kathryn Posin and Mark Godden, among others. David has guest taught at YDA several times since 2007, working with the Technique Intensive program dancers. We are excited to have another male ballet teacher join our faculty! Welcome, David!

Laura Ksobiech has been with YDA since 1998 and has been involved in our Technique Intensive and competitive programs for over 9 years. She placed in the top ten as a Junior dancer at the NYCDA National Finals in New York City in July 2004. She continues to compete regionally and nationally, winning many Top Honor awards with her solo, duet, trio and group work. Laura continues to win scholarships to dance conventions & summer dance intensives each season. She most recently auditioned for a role in the movie "High School Musical 3 - Senior Year" and made it to the final 75 out of thousands of auditioning dancers! Laura's future plans include a career in the professional dance world. For now, we plan to take advantage of her amazing talent as a teacher. Welcome, Laura!

Rachel Sayotovich has been training at Young Dance Academy since age 7. She has competed regionally and nationally with our competitive dance program for most of her years at the studio and has won many Top Honor awards and scholarships at dance conventions and competitions. Most recently, Rachel was the 1st overall senior soloist winner at the NYCDA regional competition in Lansing, MI in January 2009. She will be attending Marquette University this fall and in addition will continue her connection with dance through teaching and performing. Welcome, Rachel!