Meet the professional teaching artists of Hubbard Street’s Youth & Family Programs
FACULTY
Hubbard Street’s Youth & Family Programs are taught by experienced teaching artists with backgrounds that include professional careers with Hubbard Street’s main company, as well as advanced degrees in dance and education.
Our amazing faculty has a rich history of teaching dance in Chicago and throughout the world, providing a dance education experience unique to our Youth Program. Hubbard Street teachers will work with each student, setting session and annual goals for each class. This individual assessment strategy will challenge, engage and inspire students from the moment they step into our studios.
Yoga, Creative Movement
Originally from St. Louis, Mandy graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2009 with a B.F.A. in Dance. She has performed in work by Twyla Tharp and Doris Humphrey and has been a student of Joe Goode, David Dorfman, and Jan Erkert. Mandy loves to improvise, or create movement on the spot, and incorporates this into her work as a teacher. She is currently entering her second year with Hubbard Street's Movement as Partnership (MAP) Program and is thrilled to be starting her first year with the Youth Dance Program. In addition to dance, Mandy also loves Yoga and is a certified Yoga instructor.
Creative Movement, Jazz, Musical Theater, Tap
Kristen holds an MA in Arts in Youth and Community Development from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in Musical Theatre and Dance with a concentration in education from Point Park University. Before coming to Hubbard Street, Kristen developed the Metropolis Outreach Program providing in- and after-school performing arts opportunities for students and individuals throughout Chicagoland. Kristen taught and choreographed with a variety of organizations including Pittsburgh Musical Theatre, DanceTime Studio, LABCO Dance Co., Free Street, Metropolis before joining Hubbard Street’s Education & Community Programs in 2009.
Hip Hop, Tap
Shannon was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She began her professional dance training at Howard University, where she received a BFA in Dance. While at Howard, she received summer internships at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. She was on scholarship at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's training program, the Lou Conte Dance Studio, Jacob’s Pillow Jazz/Musical Theatre Program, and Nathan Trice Summer Dance Intensive. She continues to train and teach Hip Hop, Hip Hop Yoga, Jazz, Ballet, and Tap throughout the city of Chicago as a faculty member of the Lou Conte Dance Studio, Mindful Practices and Principle Dance Studio.
Creative Movement
Cheryl has been a Lead teaching artist with Hubbard Street since 2008 where she teaches in two Chicago Elementary Schools and in the Youth Dance Program. She holds a BFA in Dance with a double concentration in Teaching and Choreography from Columbia College Chicago. As a full time teaching artist with Hubbard Street, she promotes positive self-esteem, confidence, and creativity through fun movement exploration and composition valuing each student’s individuality. She is thrilled to be twisting, twirling, and tip toeing with lots of new friends this year!
Musical Theater, Creative Movement
Kristen is in her second year with Hubbard Street’s Education & Community Programs, having worked as a teaching assistant with the MAP program since 2009. Additionally she teaches dance at CICS Northtown Academy in Rogers Park and has taught at Improv Playhouse, Skyline Studios Chicago, Dream Big Performing Arts Workshop and American Theatre Company’s Mosaic Project. Before moving to Chicago, Kristen spent two years teaching and performing with Lexington Children’s Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky. She holds her BFA in Theatre Studies from Niagara University.
Creative Movement
M.K. has worked in the Hubbard Street Education program since 2004. A former dancer with the Chicago Moving Company, M.K. is active as a performer and choreographer in the Chicago theater community. M.K. has taught dance and drama in several arts programs and with organizations such as the Old Town School of Folk Music and the Chicago Children's Museum. Currently, she teaches creative dance and drama at Murphy Elementary School in Chicago. She holds an M.F.A. in dance from Smith College and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago.