Our Educators: Dance Exploration, LLC Educators are loved by our parents and students alike!

Our Dance Educators

Dance Exploration, LLC Educators are loved by our parents and students alike for being readily available, energetic and friendly and for putting our customers first! They are a unique group of individuals who have a wide range of experiences in dance, early childhood development, education, and healthy living.

Our Educators have been rigorously trained, auditioned, and tested prior to receiving their Certification in Dance Exploration, LLC "Dance to Learn!" Curriculum and class flow. They are also trained on early childhood development, elementary education, how to create a "Yes!" Environment, and how to provide a DancEx customer experience. Our Educators are all CPR and First Aid Certified and follow strict safety guidelines and procedures to ensure our students are safe.

Management Team

Kylee Hamilton- Outreach Director

Preschool Certified Dance Instructor, Elementary School Certified Dance Educator

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Kylee has loved dance since her first ballet class at the age of three. Over fourteen years she has performed and competed in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop. Kylee is honored to have danced with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, the Boston Ballet and Repertory Dance Theater. She was a member of the Butler Middle School Dance Team and the Brighton High School Dance Company in Salt Lake City, Utah and also danced while earning degrees from the University of California, San Diego. She loves working with children and is excited to bring the love of dance to future generations.

Confirmations Team (Payment Support/Customer Service)

Janina Dingeman- Confirmations Team Manager

Program Promoter: Douglas County Schools, Denver Public Schools

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary Certified Dance Educator

Janina Dingeman started dancing at the age of three. At age eight she began competing at various dance competitions regionally and nationally. In 2010 she graduated from The University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and a Performing Arts Entrepreneurship Certificate. There she performed various works in ballet, modern, creative movement, and jazz. In the summer of 2009 she became an intern for American Dance Festival and had the opportunity to work with a number of a dance companies. The following summer she received a full scholarship to dance at American Dance Festival. While at the festival she taught creative movement and dance history through an Outreach Program. For the past five years she has taught ballet, modern, and creative movement to all ages, including children with special needs. She is extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with Dance Exploration and cannot wait to teach!

Jessi Mullenbach- Welcome Specialist

Program Promoter: Colorado Springs District 11, District 20

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary School Certified Dance Educator

Jessi Mullenbach discovered her passion for dance at the age of four while dancing for Beth Clarke Studio of Dance in Iowa. During this time she studied & performed in tap, ballet, jazz, pointe, and hip-hop. While in high school, she helped teach tap and ballet to Pre-K through Kindergarten students at both Amy's School of Dance and Beth Clarke Studio of Dance. Upon graduating from high school, she joined the United States Army as a Medic and served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. While serving, fitness became a part of her everyday life and became one of her passions. Jessi is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Sport Conditioning & Training/Pre-med from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She is looking forward to working with Dance Exploration to spread her love of learning and the art of dance with others!

Program Promoters

Sara Bernardi- Program Promoter

Jeffco and Archdiocese of Denver

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary Certified Dance Educator

Sara Bernardi began dancing at the age of 3 in her hometown of Highland Park, Illinois. Sara was a member of her high school dance team and performed and choreographed for the school’s dance productions. She earned a B.A. in Dance from the University of Colorado, Boulder. While pursing her degree, Sara explored all the major dance genres, but it was while studying wit...h Rennie Harris, guest artist in residence, and founder and artistic director of Rennie Harris Pure movement, that her passion for hip-hop flourished. Sara had the opportunity to choreograph and perform in a number of productions while at the University. She has interned and taught at a local children’s theater and at several studios in the Denver/Boulder area in addition to coaching a competitive dance team. Recently, Sara has combined her passion for dance with her love of fitness by becoming a certified Zumba instructor. She is honored to be teacher at Dance Exploration where she can share her passion of dance to the children enrolled in her programs.

Chrysta Brown- Program Promoter

Cherry Creek and Arapahoe Schools

Preschool Certified Dance Educator

Chrysta Norelle Brown has been dancing since the age of three. She is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts where she received the Young Choreographers Award and the LaDeva M. Davis Award. She attended Southern Methodist University where she received degrees in Human Rights Education and Dance Performance as well as the Meadows Award for for Outstanding Acheivement in Dance. She has had the honor to work with world renowned choreographer, Donald McKayle, on his solo "Angelitos Negros" and the work Songs of the Disinherited. Additionally, she has performed the works of Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Collin Conner, Arthur Mitchell, and Robert Battle. Chyrsta is currently in her second season with Ascential Dance working as a performer, writer and choreographer. She is also working as a community arts writer for CultureMob Denver and a regular contributor for the Colorado Dance Alliance Newsletter. She is very excited to work with Dance Exploration to further the presence of arts education.

Alexis Evans- Program Promoter

Adams 12, Adams 50, Broomfield County School Districts

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary Certified Dance Educator

Alexis Evans is a Colorado native that has been dancing since the young age of two. She danced competitively at an Arvada studio until she was 18 as well as danced on the Standley Lake High School Varsity Poms team, where she became the captain and main choreographer during her senior year, leading her team to the Final Six at the Annual State Championships as well as the Semi-Finals at the UDA National Competition. After graduation, Alexis attended Colorado Mesa University where she joined the CMU Dance Team and started on her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance/Performing Arts. She became deeply involved in the Dance Program at CMU, performing in eight main stage dance concerts, ten informal dance concerts, three years at the American College Dance Festival, three years with the Aspen Dance Connection, performed at trained at Boulder Jazz Festival for two years and of course one main stage musical, ‘Oklahoma!’. Not only did she perform but she delved into creating dance, she choreographed six main stage contemporary and jazz pieces and several solos. She was also chosen to choreograph two pieces to represent CMU at the American College Dance Festival. Alexis graduated from CMU this past May of 2011 and was awarded the Student Choreographer of the Year Award. In the few short months after graduation Alexis has been selected to choreograph for Studio One Dance Company, a flash mob for KreateAJourney, PEAK Athletics Plus competitive dance teams and Cleo on Cleo at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Alexis has truly found true love and passion in dance, whether she’s performing it, creating it or teaching it. Alexis has dedicated her life to the art of dance and doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. Dance is more than a career it is her life.

Jessie Hetland- Get Fit Program Coordinator, Program Promoter

Boulder Valley Schools and St Vrain Valley Schools

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary School Certified Dance Educator

As an artist, dancer and teacher Jessie Elizabeth Hetland always knew she was meant to help facilitate change in the world. As early as 3 years old, Jessie has immersed herself in dance and pilates and through that has honed a great body awareness. In 2005 she discovered yoga in the lush jungles of Costa Rica and it has since become her daily path. A desire to help people brought her attention to education. She is certified in outdoor education with strengths in environmental ethics, leadership techniques and risk assessment. She brings kindness and nurture to her classroom which creates an environment that fosters kids growth through their curiosity. Jessie believes that we can make the world a better place by making our lives better. She hopes to enlighten and lighten those around her through a fun imaginative class designed to help kids build strength, flexibility and concentration in a non-competitive environment.

Educators

Cheryl Buck- Dance Lead

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary Certified Dance Educator

Cheryl is a graduate from Loretto Heights in Denver where she received her Degree in Dance and Recreation. She has studied ballet under the Royal Academy of Dance Training. She has 20 years experience in the Education Field working with preschool and school aged children as well as children with special needs. She is currently the Preschool Director at the Jefferson County Open School in Lakewood where she teaches her children an After school Creative Movement Class! She has discovered, through experience, a connection to music and dance supporting education, especially among children with special needs. It is her ongoing passion and goal to incorporate these arts with understanding, which is why she is very excited to be teaching the Dance Exploration "Dance to Learn!" Curriculum to children around Colorado!

Susy Garcia- Educator

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary Certified Dance Educator

Susana Garcia has been dancing for twelve years. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Dance in 2010 and her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology in 2011. She has experience in various dance forms including: modern dance, African diaspora, ballet, hip hop dance, jazz, and salsa. Currently, she attends Naropa University for her Master's Degree in Somatic Psychology with a focus in Dance/Movement Therapy. She has ten years of experience in working with various populations of children as a tutor, dance instructor, therapist and counselor. As a dance educator, she believes in the importance of kinesthetic learning, emotional expression and social learning.

Rachel Goyette- Educator

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary Certified Dance Educator

Rachel began studying dance at the age of nine. She studied a variety of styles at the North Shore Dance Studio including: tap, jazz, ballet, modern, lyrical, and hip-hop. At the age of twelve she auditioned to become a member of her studio’s competing dance company. She traveled across the Midwest, competing in all of the aforementioned styles. Upon graduating high school, Rachel was fortunate enough to return to her dance studio as a substitute dance teacher for four years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Marquette University, where she further honed her dancing skills. While in college, she was a dancer, choreographer, and President of the student run dance organization, Dance Inc. She also had the opportunity to study at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Summer Dance Intensive. While here, she studied under several famous New York choreographers such as Larry Keigwin and David Dorfman. Rachel loves working with children and sharing her passion for dance, she plans on eventually studying to receive her Masters in Dance Therapy.

Lauren Hutton- Educator

Preschool Certified Dance Educator, Elementary Certified Dance Educator

Since she was a wee little child Lauren has been dancing! It’s in her soul! She started ballet and tap lessons at the age of 4 and kept on boogie-ing ever since! Lauren continued training in ballet and tap through her teens and then added jazz, while also competing in musical theatre and tap in High School! While attending The University of Nebraska- Lincoln she added clogging to her list of dancing skills! She also can be found doing salsa, merengue, banda and cumbia in her spare time! Lauren is excited to be working with Dance Exploration because not only does she love teaching but she loves that she gets to share her passion of dance with so many children! J

Dominique Guillen

Trainee

Dominique Guillen began her training with Carla Parks at the Academy of Classical Ballet. She has studied classical ballet as well as some jazz, modern, and African dance. She has performed lead roles in The Nutcracker and Coppelia as well as several solo roles in The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Dominique began teaching beginning ballet for George Washington High School's dance department and has continued to teach intermediate ballet at the Academy of Classical Ballet. This is Dominique's first year with Dance Exploration.