Youth Dance Festival

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Learn about our 2020 Master Class Teachers & Adjudicators!

MEREDITH BUTULIS

Dr. Meredith Butulis, DPT, OCS, CEP, CSCS joins us from Minneapolis. She is a Dance/Sports Medicine Physical Therapist/Strength & Conditioning Coach/Pilates Instructor in her 16th year of practice. Her primary passion is helping dancers fine tune their conditioning & choreography efforts to test the limits of the art while minimizing injury risks. She looks forward to sharing with you this weekend!

In her free time, Dr. Meredith enjoys continuing her studies in dance, and performing as a world level fitness & physique competitor of 15 years. Prior to moving to Minneapolis, Dr. Meredith was a New York City based Physical Therapist, serving three Broadway shows and the Radio City Rockettes.

HARPER FOOTE

Harper Foote is a graduate of St. Olaf College where she majored in dance with a concentration in management. A choreographer, performer, and teacher, Harper enjoys incorporating dance into her life from every angle. She is currently teaching for her fourth year at Division Street Dance in Northfield, MN where she enjoys teaching all styles to all ages. She is also currently in her second year rehearsing and performing with modern dance company Alternative Motion Project. Most recently, Harper co-directed a show  in the 2019 Fringe Festival in which she choreographed a three-section piece inspired by music by the MN band, Low. Harper is excited to further this work and share this choreographic exploration with the students at Elevate this spring.

Mike Ford

MIKE FORD

Mike Ford is a Chicago artist who has choreographed for numerous dance and theater productions including works for Bucknell University, Matter Dance, Core Project, Monocle Eclectic, Kokandy Productions, Straw Dog Theater, Mortar Theater, and Concordia College and as a Staging Specialist for Walt Disney World parades and shows. Mr. Ford has performed professionally as an equity dancer at Walt Disney World among other places and for numerous TV specials. Mr. Ford spends his day time hours as an architect, focusing on the preservation of historic buildings.

KRISTIN HOWE

Kristin Howe received her Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts, with an emphasis in Dance, from Colorado State University in 2005.  During her time with CSU, she studied with Toronto Dance Theatre and at the American Dance Festival (Durham, NC).

She has performed with Korzatkowski Contemporary Dance, Rebound Dance, The Sonic Inertia Performance Group, Labor Force Dances, Wicked Sister Dance Theatre, We Dance (Erin Drummond), Joanna Lees, Jennifer Mack, Kelly Radermacher, Strange and Liebhard New Music and Dance Ensemble, and Jesse Schmitz-Boyd.  Kristin’s choreography has been shown at the American College Dance Festival (Long Beach, CA), New Visions Dance Festival (Fort Collins, CO) Rebound Dance Festival (Chicago, IL) The Dance Lab (Minneapolis, MN), Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, (Anchorage, AK) Kinetic Kitchen (Minneapolis, MN) and with Moving Collective (Louisville, KY).

In 2011, she co-founded Alternative Motion Project (AMP) alongside Joanna Lees in her home of Minneapolis, MN. Since AMP’s beginning, Kristin has choreographed 13 world premiers and co-produced 10 evening-length dance performances. As a choreographer, she enjoys collaborating with live musicians and visual artists that have included Steve Howe (beat boxer), Alyssa Anderson (vocalist), Dameun Strange (composer/musician/performer), Richard Haglund (composer/musician/percussionist), Ellen Gustafson (photographer), and Jane Cords-O’Hara (cellist).  Kristin is thankful for her husband Steve, her children, Ethan, Clayton, + Vivian, and her family for their continued support. She is thrilled to be a teaching artist and choreographer for Elevate Youth Festival this year!

KATIE JOHNSON

Katie Johnson received her BFA in Dance from the University of Iowa, where she was the recipient of the Iowa Center for the Arts scholarship.  She studied at The Butterfield School of Dance, Mark Morris Dance Center, and Beijing Dance Academy in China.  Katie has worked with Tania Perez-Salas, The Joffrey Ballet, Duarte Dance Works, Ballet America, and was a company member with Minnesota Dance Theatre from 2008-2017. She has performed works by Jiri Kylian, Jose Limon, Dwight Rhoden, Louis Falco, Elisa Monte, Hope Boykin, Emery LeCrone, George De la Pena, Wynn Fricke, Mariusz Olszewski, Loyce Houlton, and Lise Houlton. She is a 2011 SAGE Award nominee and a 2012 SAGE Award winner for Outstanding Performer. Katie has taught extensively throughout the U.S. and in China, specializing in ballet and contemporary techniques.

HEATHER KLOPCHIN

Heather Klopchin, originally from Goshen, NY, is passionate about performing, choreographing, researching, and teaching dance. She currently is a Principal Artist with Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theater and has performed with the company in Germany, Mexico, and in locations across the United States.  Heather has also performed with ARENA Dances, Zenon Dance Company, Stark Dance, Alternative Motion Project, Eclectic Edge Ensemble, Linda Lehovec & Dancers, Joe Chvala Flying Foot Forum, Paula Mann’s Time Track Productions, and Dancing People Company.  She is currently the Chair of the Dance Department at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN where she teaches Ballet Technique, Modern Dance Technique, and Dance History as well as creating dance work for the St. Olaf Dance Department’s student company.  Heather holds a BS degree in Management and a Dance minor from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo and a MFA degree in Dance Choreography and Performance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

JOLENE KONKEL

Jolene Konkel began her dance training in Milwaukee where she had the opportunity to perform with the Milwaukee Ballet, the Milwaukee Opera Company and Danceworks before relocating to Chicago to study dance at Gus Giordano’s and the Lou Conte Dance Studio. She then went on to receive her degrees in Christian Studies and Theatre from North Central University along with a BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota, and MFA in Performance and Choreography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her choreography spans from musical theatre to jazz and modern concert dance and has been presented locally, nationally and internationally. Ms. Konkel has served as Adjunct Faculty in Dance and Resident Choreographer in the Department of Music and Theatre at the University of Northwestern St. Paul since 2009 and she is also the founder and Artistic Director of Concerto Dance by Jolene Konkel, embarking on its 2020 season premier. Additionally, Jolene is the busy mother of four sons and she is grateful for her family, coffee, and God’s amazing grace.

ANNA ROEHR

Anna Roehr began her dance training in her hometown of Broomfield, CO at the age of seven, with Ballet Nouveau Colorado. In 2012, she received her B.F.A. in Dance from Colorado State University after studying under Carol Roderick, Chung-Fu Chang, Judy Bejarano as well as others. Anna joined the St. Paul Ballet in 2014 as a company dancer. She danced four seasons there performing works from choreographers including Zoé Emilie Henrot, Joseph Morrissey, Diane Coburn-Bruning, Kinsun Chan and Jamie Johnson. Some of her favorite roles during these years include dancing in Suite for Strings and Mein Veg by Joseph Morrissey and the role of Carmen in Henrot’s ballet Carmen in the 1920’s. In addition to dancing professionally, Anna has instructed ballet at many studios across the twin cities. She is passionate about sharing her love of ballet with young dancers and is committed to teaching strong ballet technique. Anna currently dances for the company of Ballet Co.Laboratory as well as managing their school.

DARRIUS STRONG

Darrius Strong is a Twin Cities based choreographer, dancer, and educator whose creative work has been chosen for the Walker Art Centers, Choreographers Evening, and Rhythmically Speaking. He was featured in the 2015 New Griots Festival as well as an American Standard Bill Board advertisement in NYC Time Square in 2016. He was also a 2017 Momentum New Works recipient. Strong has created works for Threads Dance Project, Flying Foot Forum, Alternative Motion Projects, and James Sewell Ballet. Strong is a grateful recipient of a 2019 Jerome Hill Fellowship.

Strong developed his own dance company STRONGmovementin 2015. He is also a faculty at St. Paul Conservatory Performing Arts High School, TU Dance Center, and Eleve Performing Arts Center where he focuses on teaching young dancers how to connect their identity to movement.  www.strong-movement.com.

KATIE TAINTOR

Katie is lucky to have worked regionally throughout the Twin Cities and tri-state area, and is a proud company member of Collide Theatrical. She received her BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota and completed the Summer Intern Program at Broadway Dance Center. Her favorite past credits include: State Theater: The Mandatory World Tour with “Weird Al” Yankovic. Cherry Lane Theatre: The Blue Jar. History Theatre/Collide Theatrical: Dance ‘Til You Drop. Collide Theatrical: Dracula, Le Petit Moulin. Minnsky Theatre: Spandex the Musical. Artistry: Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Other credits include A Chorus Line (Cassie) and NY Couture Fashion Week. Upcoming: Children’s Theatre Company: How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Matilda. katietaintor.com