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Béa Rashid, Director is both a dance educator and choreographer. She has designed choreography for the Goodman Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Opera Theatre, and Light Opera Works. She holds the Teacher's Advanced Professional Certificate in the Cecchetti Method of Ballet. Béa opened Dance Center Evanston in 1994, and established the Evanston Dance Ensemble in 1997. Directing and Choreographing EDE productions for the past 10 years, Béa also collaborated with compser and husband, Steve Rashid, to create two all-original EDE productions: Dance Odyssey and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. A graduate of Northwestern University, Béa combined her dance and theatre background to design a program that offers solid training, artistry, and fun. [back to top] |
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Victoria Barlow, completed her BA in Dance Education at Columbia College. She was a principal member of the Rockford Dance Company from 1987 to 1993, training with Kenneth Von Heideke of the Lyric Opera and Joy Xu, former principal dancer of the Shanghai Ballet of China. During 1992 and 1994, Victoria toured China attending two international dance festivals. She was a member of the Bryant Ballet from 1996 to 2001 and has been seen in numerous Chicagoland productions of The Nutcracker. They include the Chicago Tribune Charities and the Dancenter North production, in which she was The Sugar Plum Fairy. She has danced the title roles in Dancenter North's Cinderella and Schaumburg Dance Ensemble's Snow White. In addition to her teaching and the Nutcrackers, Vicki has danced with the Chicago Ballet under the direction of Paul Abrahamson. [back to top] |
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Keesha Beckford, began her dance studies in Queens, New York. She graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a major in American History and a certificate in Dance. Her senior project in Dance was awarded the Louis Sudler prize for the Arts. At Princeton she studied dance with Ze'eva Cohen, Elizabeth Keen and Sally Hess. She has been a member of the New York based companies Steeledance and Amy Marshall Dance Company. Ms. Beckford's European credits include the German tour of the rock musical Tabaluga and Lilli, as well as the Dublin, Ireland production of Giselle: The Presence of the Past choreographed by Michael Foley and Cathy O'Kennedy. She has also performed the choreography of Fabrice Herrault, Milton Myers, Val Suarez, Lorn Macdougal and Marcy Simon. Ms. Beckford has taught both children and adults at Steps Studio and has been a member of the dance faculty at The Spence School and Trinity School in New York City. She has taught workshops at Yale University and Ballet Academy East. After moving to Charlotte in August 2002 Ms. Beckford became a member of Martha Connerton's Kinetyx Dance Ensemble and Sabrina Sandvi Berry's American Dance Art. She was also a faculty member at North Carolina Dance Theater. [back to top] |
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Laura Brand has performed extensively with classical and modern concert dance companies as well as performing in musical theater, commercial and industrial shows. Her concert work includes performances with the Chicago Ballet Theater, Momenta, as a guest soloist, The Beverly Dance Ensemble, the Polish Opera Company, the Lyric Opera Company of Chicago, the David Puszh Company, the Ukrainian Folk Dancers, and in the Ruth Page production of "The Nutcracker." She performed at the International Ballet Competition in Lima, Peru. She has also been in the PBS television production of Ruth Page's "Die Fledermaus." Laura has appeared in "Annie," "Sweet Charity," "My Fair Lady," "Funny Girl," "West Side Story," and "Carousel" at The Theatre at the Center and "West Side Story" at the Timberlake Playhouse. She has conducted a ballet workshop for dance teachers in Omaha, Nebraska, and has been a judge at the National Dance Olympus competitions in Atlanta, Nashville, and Minneapolis where she also presented a ballet workshop. Laura received her dance training from Loretto Rozak, Larry Long, Richard Arve and Lou Conte. She currently teaches at a number of Chicago area schools. [back to top] |
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Julie Cartier, artistic director of Especially Tap Chicago Dance Company, has performed and choreographed on both the jazz and tap concert stages for over fifteen years with some of Chicago’s finest dance companies including River North Dance Co., The Lynda Martha Dance Co., and Chi-Town Jazz Dance, for which she served as associate director . Her credits also include Especially Tap Chicago’s performances in the Kuopio Dance Festival in Finland, the St. Louis Tap Festival, and Chicago’s own Human Rhythm Project. In additon to Dance Center Evanston, Julie has taught for Barat College, DEA, NADA, CNADM, Gus Giordano Dance Center, the Cecchetti Council and numerous studios in the Chicagoland area. [back to top] |
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Allen Desterhaft began his dance career at the age of ten in the field of competitive roller skating. His titles include several national championships as well as the 1987 and 1988 World Championships, and a silver medal at the 1987 Pan-American Games. Through skating he was introduced to many forms of dance including competitive ballroom dancing which he started teaching at age sixteen. He continues to teach and compete in ballroom dancing nationwide. Upon retiring from competitive skating, Allen pursued a BFA degree from Ohio State University and graduated in 1991. Since moving to Chicago he has danced with Chi-town Jazz Dance, Winifred Haun & Dancers, and has performed as a guest artist for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago in Salute to Vienne, for Randy Duncan in Dance For Life, for the Schaumburg Dance Ensemble, Barrington Dance Ensemble, and the Evanston Dance Ensemble. Allen currently teaches competitive ballroom and Latin dance as well as coaching and choreographing for competitive skaters throughout the Chicagoland area. He also teaches ballet to dance majors at Columbia College and advanced jazz and ballet at U Dance Corp. [back to top] |
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Christina Ernst began her dance career in her native Switzerland. Since 1977, she has been active in the American dance scene as a choreographer, performer, and teacher. She was co-director of ernst-watson dance, a contemporary company that toured internationally and a member of Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble. Having received numerous grants for her work, Christina teaches extensively at area dance schools, colleges, and universities. She is a certified teacher of NIA, an expressive fitness and awareness movement program, and joined the faculty of Evanston Township High School in 2002. Christina is Associate Artistic Director of the Evanston Dance Ensemble, the youth company in residence at Dance Center Evanston. [back to top] |
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Laura Gates holds degrees in Dance and Psychology from the University of Iowa, where she was privileged to work with many gifted artists including: Francoise Martinet, David Berkey, Randy Duncan, and Mauricio Wainrot. Upon returning to Chicago after graduation, she performed locally with Swallow Cliff Dance Company, Concert Dance, Inc. and several independent choreographers. In 1999, Ms. Gates joined Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC). Highlights of her six-year tenure with TDC include performing in Dance for Life, meeting and working with Ann Reinking, and touring with the company in Turkey. She has been an adjudicator at the State Wide Dance Competition, on the guest faculty at Northeastern Illinois University, and a master teacher at the Illinois High School Dance Festival and CNADM. Currently, Laura continues her involvement with Thodos Dance Chicago as the company's rehearsal director and teaches regularly at studios in the Chicagoland area. [back to top] |
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Mike Gosney began his training at the age of 15 and studied many forms of ballet under the direction of Ken Von Heideke, Sherry Morray, Anida Sedala, Birute Barodicaite, Anna Czajun, Pam Tanis, Betsy Herskind, and others primarily in the Chicagoland area. Training under numerous ballet masters all over the country, his education is both classical and contemporary, and his style is unique and modern. He has received numerous scholarships and currently continues his training at the Ruth Page Foundation. After dancing professionally on stage for over 10 years, he retired from the stage early to form his own contemporary ballet company, Elements Contemporary Ballet, in Chicago. In addition to Dance Center Evanston, Michael is on staff at Joel Hall Dance Center and has taught master classes around the country. [back to top] |
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Nichola Goss has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors from the University of Texas. She has been teaching dance to children and senior citizens in the North Shore area since 1995. Nichola has choreographed and performed professionally in Austin, Dallas, and Chicago. A member of the Cecchetti Council and recipient of an Evanston Arts Grant, Nichola is currently working with the Evanston Dance Ensemble on a multi-generational dance piece. Nichola also enjoys dancing with her sons at the park. [back to top] |
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Betsy Herskind is a former soloist with the Lyric Opera Ballet, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Illinois Ballet. She owned and operated her own studio in Chicago for many years and, in addition to teaching at DCE, is currently a faculty member of the Joel Hall Dance Center and ballet mistress for the Joel Hall Dance Company. [back to top] |
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Jenny Higgins studied dance growing up in Kansas City before going on to study at the School of American Ballet in New York City, the University of Michigan, and various dance studios in Chicago, Boston, and northern California. She also has a Master's degree and teaching experience in Special Education. Jenny has been teaching dance to children for the past 6 years, as well as dancing in the living room at home with her own 3 children! [back to top] |  |
Allison Kurtz has been working as a dancer, actor, choreographer and teacher in and around Chicago since the age of sixteen. Allison is thrilled to return to Dance Center Evanston this year where she serves as Associate Program Director, trains young dancers in modern and ballet, and runs the popular Mini-Camps for young dancers. She is an ensemble member of Striding Lion InterArtsWorkshop, with whom she has performed and choreographed since 2001 and has served as Education Director. As a Striding Lion Artist-Teacher, she has been an active participant in the growth of the company's educational outreach, teaching and administrating many residencies, including DCE's Junior and Senior Performance Workshops, St. James Summer-in-the-City, Higgins Elementary School, Willard Elementary School, Juliette Low Elementary School, Oakton Elementary School, Orrington Elementary School and the After School Matters apprenticeship program at Paul Robeson High School. The Cecchetti Council of America has certified Ms. Kurtz as a Grade II Teacher of Classical Ballet Dancing. Prior to these endeavors, she worked for the Dancercise Kids program, bringing dance to children in day cares, pre-schools, and after-school programs throughout the Chicagoland area. As an independent dancer/choreographer, Allison has collaborated with such companies as Albany Park Theater Project, Simple Theater, Piven Theatre, New Leaf Theatre, Evanston Dance Ensemble, and Raizel Performances. Administratively, she has worked as Business Manager for About Face Theatre, Development Assistant for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and Development Intern at Urban Gateways: the Center for Arts in Education. [back to top] |
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Glenn Leslie is a company member of Jump Rhythm Jazz Project and teaches Jump Rhythm to undergraduate dance and theatre majors at Northwestern University. Glenn has represented JRJP in choreographic and teaching residencies and has taught master classes and workshops at universities and private studios across the country including Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago where he's on faculty, as well as for JRJP's Classic Jazz and Tap Institute in both Evanston, Illinois and Lexington, Massachusetts locations, and for the American Tap Dance Institute. For JRJP, Glenn has also led special youth residencies at North Shore Country Day School, Winnetka, and Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago. Glenn's tap choreography, Out of a Rut & Into a Groove is in the repertory of Tappers With Attitude in Silver Spring, Maryland. He has performed his solo dance G. K. Lovejoy (an homage to Gene Kelly) in Dance Chicago. He has served as choreographer for such shows as Anything Goes, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, and Fiorello!. Glenn’s theatrical performances include European tours of Rhythm, Oklahoma!, and West Side Story, and U.S. productions of Singin’ in the Rain, Forty-Second Street, Dames at Sea, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Guys and Dolls, Brigadoon, and many others, including Evanston Dance Ensemble’s Alice in Wonderland, and The Fairy Doll. Glenn is very proud to share the 2006-2007 Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera/Performer with the rest of JRJP for their work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media for public television. [back to top] |
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Marc Macaranas is originally from Delano, CA. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of California, Irvine where he studied with Donald McKayle and David Allan and was a student at the School at Jacob's Pillow. Marc currently performs with Lucky Plush Productions and Mordine & Co. Dance Theater, and has appeared in Thodos Dance Chicago's New Dances concerts. [back to top] |
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Stephanie Paul - bio not available. [back to top] |
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Katie Pavlik received a BS in Dance from Northwestern University. She has performed with TJ & Company, Smith Family Perfromance Group, and Mills/Works as well as several independent artists in Chicago. She currently is a member of Cindy Brandle Dance Company, as well as a choreographer and performer for Raizel Performances. She has taught at Centro Romero in Chicago as well as Dancers Workshop in Austin, Texas. [back to top] |
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Jill Raycraft graduated from Webster University with a B.F.A. in Dance. She danced with the Webster Dance Ensemble for four years and with the Webster Dance Theatre for two years. After moving to the Chicago area, Jill performed with the Joel Hall Dancers. In addition to teaching, Jill has been dancing with Rasa Dance Chicago for the past four years. [back to top] |
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Kelly Sullivan springs from Kansas City where she studied ballet and modern dance at The Westport Ballet under the direction of Elizabeth Hard Simms and Susan Hard. Upon this foundation, Kelly advanced to receive her BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance from Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, TX where she had the privilege of working with the late Fernando Bujones and Mary Cochran, and performing in Italy. After college, Kelly worked with modern companies in New Mexico and Wyoming before returning to Kansas City where she was a member of Sterling Dance Theater. Kelly has instructed students of all ages in ballet and modern for six years. She believes that to teach proper technique from fundamentals to professional level, she must also consistently nurture her students' passion for the art form while encouraging each student in a way that is appropriate for their level. This is Kelly's 2nd year on staff with Dance Center Evanston. [back to top] |
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Meghann Wilkinson received a BS in Dance from Northwestern University. She has performed with Compagnie Felix Ruckert, the Smith Family Performance Group, and Mordine and Company Dance Theatre, and is currently a performing member of Lucky Plush Productions. She is a collaborator with Raizel Performances and has taught dance at the Martin Luther King School and the Chicagoland Jewish High School. She has attended both the Bates Dance Festival and the American Dance Festival, has organized for the Society of Dance History Scholars, and serves as coordinator for the Chicago Seminar on Dance and Performance. [back to top] |
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Colby Witherup grew up studying Cecchetti Ballet with Barbara Brabant, passing examinations through the Elementary Professional level. Under the direction of Béa Rashid, she passed her Cecchetti Grade One teacher's examination. She has been working and teaching at Dance Center Evanston since 2001, with a few twists along the way, including one year as registrar of the children's school at Steps on Broadway in New York City. She has choreographed for the Children's Museum of Manhattan and performed with Raizel Performances in Chicago's The Other Dance Festival. Her other passions include sustainable agriculture and writing/performing music. [back to top] |