Stephanie Pearson - Director/Owner
SPearson@nebraskadance.com
Stephanie Pearson has been a part of the dance community for over 26 years training and performing in all forms of dance and is currently the owner of Nebraska Dance in Omaha. Prior to becoming a studio owner, Stephanie was awarded numerous dance scholarships and trained with master level instructors across the nation including Los Angeles and New York. Her talent gave her the opportunity to compete and perform across the nation in Florida, California, and New York to name a few. Most recently she was seen performing for Manheim Steamroller. Her favorite theater performances were “Hello Dolly” and “Kiss Me Kate”.
Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration while also taking extensive college dance courses and was honored to become the captain of her nationally ranked dance team at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She worked for Universal Dance Association for seven years as a head instructor, choreographer, and district representative while spending much time choreographing and coaching dance teams to win top national awards.
Under her direction, the Nebraska Dance Company has won many top over all and choreography awards. Stephanie’s students have used their training to become LA Laker Girls, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and have been selected for various dance companies in Los Angeles. Her students have excelled in the dance industry both locally and nationally including film and television. As a regional and national judge for the past seven years, she enjoys seeing all of the talent across the nation. Stephanie currently resides in Omaha with her husband, Tyler, and two dogs, JoBoo and Cooper.
Kathy Morrison - Instructor
KMorrison@nebraskadance.com
Kathy Morrison has been dancing since the age of three. While growing up in Howells, NE she spent many hours on the road attending classes, conventions & competitions. While attending Wayne State College, where she received her degree in Elementary Education, she owned Broadway & Main St. Dance Studio in Wisner, NE. Kathy now lives in Omaha and is blessed to be teaching tap at Nebraska Dance. She continues her tap training by taking classes and attending tap festivals nationwide. She's been honored to take from numerous tap masters including Henry LeTang, Bunny Briggs, Fayard Nicholas, Jimmy Slyde, Leanord Reed, Prince Spencer, Diane Walker, and Savion Glover. Kathy hopes to instill her students with the knowledge and history of tap dancing that she has gained throughout the years. Most recently, Kathy has been seen teaching on a new convention circuit, ‘Today’s Talent Network’. Her love for her students and the art form is evident in all of her classes.
Mary Clare Sweet - Instructor
MCSweet@nebraskadance.com
Mary Clare Sweet is a resident choreographer and instructor at Nebraska Dance in Omaha, NE. She has choreographed since 2000 in the Midwest and around the United States. Her choreography in ballet, jazz, contemporary and modern is performed and competed on the National level. Growing up she trained in a youth ballet company, Lincoln Midwest Theater. She attended many ballet intensives including Dance Aspen and American Ballet Theater. At age thirteen she fell in love with competition dance and began to heavily study jazz and contemporary movement. In 2004 she was an intern at Broadway Dance Center in New York. Mary Clare is a passionate teacher and choreographer. She lives in Omaha with her husband and daughter.
Kelli Hjelm - Instructor
KHjelm@nebraskadance.com
Kelli Hjelm's extensive dance training began in Iowa and continued at On Broadway Dance Studio in Omaha. Kelli was a four-year member and captain of the Dance Team at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, and was a head instructor with UDA dance camps. Kelli has coached, judged, and choreographed for dance teams in Nebraska and Iowa. She is starting her fifth year at Nebraska Dance, where she teaches Dance Team, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Combo classes. Kelli lives in Gretna with her husband and two sons.
Amy Edwards - Instructor
AEdwards@nebraskadance.com
Amy Edwards lives in Omaha and works as an operating room nurse at the Nebraska Medical Center. Amy was a four-year member and captain of Millard South Dance Team, while also competing and traveling with Elite Cheer for five years. She went on the perform and compete with the NU Yell Squad, NU "Scarlets" Dance Team, Omaha Beef "Prime Dancers," and the UNO Dance Team. Amy has judged and choreographed for high school cheer and dance teams throughout Nebraska. She will be teaching jazz, dance team, and hip hop.
Sarah Koenig - Instructor
SKoenig@nebraskadance.com
Sarah Koenig is thrilled to be starting her seventh year at Nebraska Dance. Her dance training began at the age of three, in Wiesbaden, Germany, and continued on at the JCC Dance department and Ballet Omaha studios in Nebraska. At the age of fourteen, Sarah was offered a scholarship to study ballet in New York City. She was a member of the Millard South Dance Team, the NU "Scarlets" Dance Team, and was an instructor for UDA dance camps. Sarah still loves to perform, and has been seen dancing with Opera Omaha, Mannheim Steamroller, Central Dance Theater, Arcanum Contemporary Dance, Project Diva, and Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. You will find Sarah teaching ballet, pointe, jazz, dance team, and creative movement. She lives in Omaha with her husband, two sons, and daughter.
Sally Banghart - Instructor
SBanghart@nebraskadance.com
Sally studied dance in Hoboken, New Jersey from Tracy Everett. She later took classes from Valerie Roache at Creighton University. Teaching dance is one of her greatest joys. "I believe God has given me a special love for children. I not only want to instill the love of dance in each one but I also want to teach them that they had their own special gifts and talents." Sally has two daughters. Lauren is a senior at Indiana University and Megan is a freshman at Duke University. Both girls are former dancers of the Nebraska Dance Company and Megan is currently on the Duke dance team. Sally has become a huge basketball fan for both the Hoosiers and the Blue Devils. She also has two "puppy girlfriends", Abby and Lexi who are also big fans.
Tricia Lovejoy - Instructor
TLovejoy@nebraskadance.com
Tricia began her training at age 10 with Leila Haller, Premiere Danseuse of the Paris Opera Ballet. She attended high school at the Washington School of Ballet where she studied with Mary Day and Ben Stevenson. She received further training in Moscow at the New Choreographic Institute and in Soviet Georgia at the Tbilisi State Opera Ballet with Mikhail Lavrovski. Tricia danced professionally with Delta Festival Ballet, Tulsa Ballet Theater, and New Orleans Ballet , touring the US, Montreal, and Guatemala. She has danced in numerous operas with Hartford Opera and the New Orleans Opera Association, performing alongside such luminaries as Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland, and Placido Domingo, as well as touring with New Orleans Philharmonic. Some of the legendary former dancers who have coached her for role preperation include Georgina Parkinson of the Royal Ballet, Ivan Nagy and Royes Fernandez of American Ballet Theater, Roman Jasinsky and Rochelle Zide of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and Arthur Mitchel of Harlem Ballet. Tricia's teaching credits include New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Ballet Austin, and Ballet Omaha, where she was School Director. She's held summer intensives in studios and colleges through out the country teaching classes in ballet, pointed, pas de deux, variations, and character.
Missy Cobb - Instructor
MCobb@nebraskadance.com
Missy had been dancing for 20 years. She has studied all forms of dance and received the majority of her training from On Broadway. Missy was a four-year member of the Gross High School pom squad here in Omaha. She was also a member of the Kansas University Dance Team where they placed top in the nation. As a former National Dance Association all-star, Missy was an NDA instructor fore two years teaching camps all over the nation. Missy has also choreographed and performed in many musicals. Missy currently resides in Omaha with her husband and son, Sammy, and daughter, Holly.
Abbie Cimino - Instructor
ACimino@nebraskadance.com
Abbie Cimino has been part of the Nebraska Dance family for the past eight years as a student, assistant teacher and currently as an instructor. She has been dancing for over 20 years and received training from Stephanie Pearson during her high school years. Abbie worked as an instructor for the Universal Dance Association for two summers following high school and was a member of the University of Nebraska Scarlets from 2003-2006. Serving as captain her senior year, Abbie's responsibilities included choreographing routines for the team to perform. She has continued doing choreography for the Scarlets, several local high school's competition teams, and facilitating camps around Nebraska. Abbie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and currently teaches 2nd grade for the Omaha Public Schools.
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Erin Crawford - Instructor
ECrawford@nebraskadance.com
Erin is very excited to begin her second year as an instructor at Nebraska Dance. Growing up in Des Moines, Erin was a competitive gymnast for many years before deciding to take up dancing at the age of 14. She studied dance at Amy Peel Dance Avenue where she was a member of their performance company. Erin also danced on her high school's varsity dance team that won state and national championships throughout her years as a member. Erin's college plans brought her to Omaha, where she is currently a senior at Creighton University. She was a three-year member of the Creighton Dance Team, and after graduation, Erin plans to attend Dental School. You will find Erin teaching Dance Team, Jazz, and Hip Hop classes here at Nebraska Dance.
Susan Chowning - Instructor
SChowning@nebraskadance.com
Susan Chowning began her dance training at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Upon graduation, she continued as a scholarship student with the Harkness Ballet of New York. While in New York, she embarked on her professional career and danced professionally with Ballet of Contemporary Arts, Harkness Dance Theatre, New Jersey Dance Theatre, Westchester Dance Theatre, Joffery II Concert Group, Festival Dance Theatre, American Repertory, Metropolitan Opera of New York City, Connecticut Ballet, and the Omaha Ballet. She has performed such roles as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Lucy in Dracula, Beauty in Beauty and the Beast. Critics in the New York Times referred to her performances as “elegant and quick paced She danced with such internationally renowned artists such as Merrill Ashley, John Meehan, Eleanor D’Antuono, and Gelsey Kirkland.
Ms Chowning has an extensive background in teaching dance from pre-school to professional levels. She has taught general classes at Harkness Ballet of New York City, Rahway Ballet Theatre, True Dance Academy, Omaha Ballet Academy, and Nebraska Dance. In addition, she taught pre-professional classes at the Connecticut Ballet, Omaha Ballet, and Omaha Theatre Company’s schools. Ms Chowning devotes her talents and experience to give knowledgeable and professional instruction to her students. She is dedicated in giving her students the excitement of experiencing the joys of dance.
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Erynn Nicholson – Instructor
ENicholson@nebraskadance.com
Erynn brings 20 years of dance experience and 10 years of teaching experience to her first year at Nebraska Dance. She began studying ballet and jazz in Los Angeles, CA under Paul and Arlene Kennedy and continued her training including modern, ballroom and musical theatre under Paul Chambers with the Missouri Theatre Modern Dance Company, St. Joseph, MO; Bob and Stephanie Chase, Lincoln, NE and Melissa Rosenberger, Lincoln, NE. She has also studied hip-hop and contemporary with many of the world's best choreographers including Darrin Henson, Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo and Doug Caldwell at the Edge Performing Arts Center in LA and Broadway Dance Center in New York City.
In college, Erynn worked as a head instructor for the National Dance Alliance and spent 3 years as a member of the University of Nebraska Scarlets Dance Team-placing 2nd at the 2001 Universal Dance Association Nationals. She was the first African American Scarlet to graduate receiving a BA in English and Secondary Education. After college, Erynn cheered professionally with the Denver Broncos Football Club during the 2004-2005 season while coaching and teaching dance in Fort Collins, CO.
She has choreographed for many dance and cheer teams in the region and had her choreography featured alongside renowned choreographers Keith Clifton, Mandy Moore, Mike Esperanza and others at the 2008 Friends in Dance Showcase in Huntington Beach, CA. Though her heart is in teaching, Erynn still loves performing and was last seen as "Vicki/ Dance Captain" in LCP's A Chorus Line and was a soloist in Through The Dark, a Rosenberger /Fennell production for the 2007 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Outside of the studio she enjoys writing, photography and spending time with friends and family.
Brooke Buda - Instructor
BBuda@nebraskadance.com
Brooke has been a dancer since the age of three. Her training includes ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop, contemporary, and modern. She has been with Nebraska Dance since 2001 and was a member of the Nebraska Dance Company for 6 years. Brooke has traveled around the country to compete, attend conventions, and take class from some of the dance world's most well known and influential teachers and choreographers. She has competed nationally and has won numerous dance scholarships at conventions. This is her second year in a teaching position at Nebraska Dance, her first year she was the first Company Assistant in the 2007-2008 year. Brooke lives in Omaha and is a sophomore at University Nebraska at Omaha.
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Erin Bass - Instructor
EBass@nebraskadance.com
A native of Calgary, Canada, Erin received the majority of her training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and School of Alberta Ballet Professional Divisions. Erin also attended summer programs at the American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Austin, and Ecole Superieure de Danse du Quebec, among others. Upon graduation, Erin joined Ballet Chicago under the artistic direction of Daniel Duell before becoming a member of the San Diego Ballet. In 2003, Erin joined the Omaha Theater Ballet, where she danced for five seasons. Erin has been fortunate enough to dance many leading roles including Cinderella in Cinderella, Sofia in Hans Christian Andersen, the Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker as well as in ballets by George Balanchine and Jean-Paul Commelin. She has had the opportunity to work with many icons of dance, and has had roles created for her in ballets by Mikko Nissinen, Adam Schnell, and Kennet Oberly. Erin has received numerous scholarships and honors for her achievements in dance as awarded by the Banff Center for the Arts, The Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, the Royal Academy of Dance, and the Manitoba Dance Festival.
Erin’s love of dance has led her to teach in both Canada and the United States. She has experience as a guest teacher, a ballet examiner, and has been on staff at several ballet schools. Erin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and is currently working towards her Master’s in Business Administration.
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Roxanne Nielsen - Instructor
rnielsen@nebraskadance.com
Roxanne most recently served as the Choreographer and Director of Education and Outreach for the Omaha Community Playhouse. Roxanne has received numerous awards for choreography and performance and has worked at many local theatres and schools. She has over 20 years teaching experience and has taught for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Creighton University, Contemporary Dance Omaha, Omaha Dance Teachers Association, The Moving Company, Omaha Dance Project, the Omaha Academy of Ballet and Omaha Theatre Company for Young People. Roxanne trained in local studios and schools, including the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha Modern Dance Cooperative and continues training regularly in New York City – especially tap with Germaine Salzberg, Randy Skinner, Ray Hesselink and others. In the summer of 2004, she completed teacher training in New York with the National Dance Institute, founded by Jacques d’Amboise. Other teaching credits include Alzheimer’s and the Arts, Boys and Girls Clubs of Omaha, Girl Scouts, Omaha Public Schools, Camp Fire Inc., Very Special Arts, YMCA, and other local organizations. Roxanne was recently invited to teach tap classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York and serves as a judge for national dance competitions. She is on the board of the Nebraska Alliance for Arts Education and is a teaching artist for the Nebraska Arts Council and for ArtsReach, a project directed by the Kennedy Center.
Juliette Henning - Instructor
JHenning@nebraskadance.com
Juliette was born and raised in Akron Ohio and began dancing at the age of nine. She received her training at The Dance Institute of Akron, danced with regional companies, Cuyohoga Valley Youth Ballet and Canton Ballet. She attended summer programs with Cleveland Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, Briansky Ballet Center and Bournonville Summer Intensive with Tage Wendt. She also performed with the New York City Ballet in Coppelia and with the Atlanta Ballet in Cinderella. She went on to dance professionally with Milwaulkee Ballet, Ballet Omaha and Cincinnati Ballet Companies. She also dances with the Omaha Modern Dance Collective, and has danced in several operas and music videos. She has been teaching and choreographing in Ohio and Omaha area for the past 15 years and is now a wife and mother of two lovely children. Juliette is very happy to share her knowledge of dance to the new up and coming generation of dancers!
Kim Feldhaus - Instructor
KFeldhaus@nebraskadance.com
Mandy Mixan - Instructor
MMixan@nebraskadance.com
Mandy is excited to be back in Omaha and to teach at Nebraska Dance. Mandy started her training in Omaha and showed her potential in competitions through the Midwest and Nationally. Some top honors she recieved while training include the Edge Performing Arts Center Studio Scholarship, Miss. Showbiz at the Showbiz Talent Mid-America National Finals and the Showbiz Talent College Scholarship. As a memeber of her High School dance team Mandy was a 3 time All-American and 2 time All State Dancer and went on to teach dance camps for NDA Danz. Mandy continued her training in Los Angeles, CA where she graduated with a Communication Studies Major and Dance minor. She has trained with Jason Mhyre, Ray Leaper, Doug Caldwell and Andre Paradis. Mandy began choreographing dances for concerts while in college. Mandy has appeared as a dancer in an episode of "A Time of Your Life" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and most recently danced for Manhiem Steamroller. Other television credits include "Unsolved Mysteries" and "Indian Summer" directed by Sean Penn. Memorable theatre credits include "West Side Story" "La Cage Aux Folles" "Guys and Dolls" and a favorite was playing Annelle in "Steal Magnolis." Mandy lives in Omaha with her husband, Mike and their daughter, Melrose.
Jami Scott - Instructor
JScott@nebraskadance.com
Originally from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jami began her dance training at the age of 10 in Mons, Belgium, under the direction of Barbara Koury, former principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. Jami continued her ballet education with the following schools, the Dayton Ballet in Ohio, Northern Ballet Theater Dance Centre in New Hampshire, Boston Ballet in Massachusetts, Burklyn Ballet in Vermont, the Jillana School in New Mexico (under the direction of George Balanchine’s direct student, Jillana) and Omaha Theater Company here in Omaha. Jami started her professional career at the age of seventeen, joining Omaha Theater Ballet’s professional company. Her repertoire includes solo roles in Cinderella, Carmen, Serenade and Tarantella by George Balanchine, Graduation Ballet, Variations on Bach by Doreen Cafarella, and in various pieces choreographed by Julia Gleich. Jami also performed in Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Dracula by Kennet Oberly. After dancing professionally and teaching ballet for one year, Jami decided to pursue a career in Speech Language Pathology. Jami is currently working on her degree in speech therapy and an interpreting license in American Sign Language at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.