Elizabeth Ellis – Dance Instructor/Founder
Miss Elizabeth has been teaching dance for ten years and loves to watch the learning process of her students. After growing up dancing in Rapid City, South Dakota, she moved to New York City and graduated from the The Ailey School with a concentration in ballet and modern dance. Elizabeth later completed a BA in Dance from SUNY’s Empire State College, where she focused her studies on child development and dance education. During her ten years in New York City she performed in musicals, danced with the Amir Levi Dance Company, choreographed shows, and taught ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, creative movement, and modern. She can’t wait to start teaching your children!
Amy Weisenhorn – Dance Instructor
Miss
Amy studied dance at the University of Utah, where she earned a BFA, and at Denver School of the Arts, where she graduated from High School. After college, she received her teaching license through the Stanley British Primary School Teacher Training Program, and lived in southern California for a handful of years teaching and choreographing. She has taught preschool, kindergarten, summer camp, theater, and dance for the past ten years to kids, as well as adults. She recently directed and choreographed a professional dance rendition of the music of the Eagles, performed with live Tribute Band Hotel California in LA, and dances with MoraPorVida Contemporary Dance company here in Denver. She has worked with Ronald K. Brown, Pearson Widrig DanceTheater, Louder Than Words Dancetheatre, and has performed in several musical theater productions.
Maggie Chapman – Dance Instructor
Miss Maggie grew up in Denver, CO and trained at Hill Academy of Dance & Dramatics and Image Dance Academy. Following high school, Maggie attended the prestigious Stephens College in Columbia, MO, where she was a part of the professional training company Dimensions Repertory Company, graduated Cum Laude, and earned her B.F.A. in Dance. Throughout her years, she vigorously trained in a myriad of styles including modern, ballet, musical theater, jazz, tap, contemporary, and various world dance techniques. Upon graduating from Stephens College, Maggie moved to New York City where she choreographed and danced professionally with companies such as The Movement Collective, Malleable Dance Theater, and A.H. Dance Company. She has also worked as a professional assistant to choreographers Tricia Brouk and Jacqueline Bird and has had her choreographic work shown throughout NYC and the surrounding areas. Currently, Maggie is the Assistant Director of Avatar Movement Dance Company and performs with Inspire Creative Theater Company. She is very excited to be bringing her passion for dance and performing arts to Leap Dance Studio!
Ann Hunt – Dance Instructor
Miss Ann holds a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and has been teaching dance for over ten years. While in college, she taught creative movement for the Salt Lake City, Utah School District, as well as ballet and jazz at Elite Dance Studio. After finishing her degree, Ann became the Artistic Director of the Juan Diego Catholic High School Dance Department in Draper, Utah, where she taught contemporary, jazz, ballet, ballroom, and choreography. She was a member of the Utah Dance Education Organization and the National Dance Education Organization. As a mother of four children, Miss Ann understands the importance of a great education in all areas of a child’s life. She is committed to providing her students with a positive learning environment and a high quality dance education.
Angie Martyn – Dance Instructor
Miss Angie holds a BFA in Dance from Ohio University and has been teaching dance for 18 years. She has also studied at Blindern University in Oslo, Norway, and St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio. An experienced dance teacher, gymnastic instructor and choreographer, Angie has taught ballet, jazz, and creative movement for young children, and has coordinated school performances, assemblies and recitals.
Julie Wolfrum - Dance Instructor
Miss Julie, a graduate of the 2003 University of Colorado Dance Program and recipient the University Dance Scholarship has been immersed in dancing since the young age of three and teaching movement to ages 1 to 99 for over 20 years. Through her years, she has been a guest artist at such festivals as Women on their Way (WOW), the Boulder Fringe Festival, Estes Park Dance Festival, GreenFest, Trolley Dance Tours, and many more. Also known as an artivist, Julie uses movement as a social medium as seen through performing and choreographing with such companies as Oakland's Dancers without Boarders, Art in Action, Venus Christ: The Rock Opera, and various performances at the Oberlin Dance Collective (ODC). She is one of the original members of SoShe’s Performance Collective, which still performs, choreographs, and teaches mainly in the Bay area. Julie is dedicated to movement for children and feels blessed that she gets the joy of teaching the next generation to move and groove it!
Jami Menke - Dance Instructor
Miss Jami is a native of Chicago, who has recently moved to Colorado. She is excited to start this new adventure which brings her two passions together, the mountains and dance. Jami has been dancing all her life; she danced on scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet School, trained at The Edge in California, won numerous state and national dance and pom competitions, attended California Institute of the Arts, and improved her craft at many prestigious dance schools in Chicago. Jami furthered her dance education at Columbia College Chicago where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with a teaching concentration as a dance major. She performed, choreographed, and taught throughout the Chicago community. Jami’s most recent choreographing achievement was an award winning piece for The Academy of Dance Arts in IL. She is an accomplished teacher, who has been teaching dance for over 10 years. Her dance techniques include Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Pointe, Pom, and Tap. Jami credits the following amazing instructors for sharing their knowledge and creativity with her; Bonnie Brooks, Margi Cole, Paige Cunningham, Jan Erkert, Colleen Halloran, Dardi McGinley-Gallivan, Pamela McNeil, Jason Mhyre, Kelli Mhyre, Shirley Mordine, Sherry Moray, Emily Stein, Kyle Sequin, and Eduardo Vilaro. Jami currently teaches throughout the Denver area, and is looking forward to embracing all Colorado has to offer. Jami is thrilled to pass on her talent, and love for a wonderful art form which she hopes to inspire a new generation of dancers.
