illumina e Staff
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Deena Bryan
Deena Bryan was born and raised in Tecumseh, Michigan and began her dance training at the age of 3 at Tecumseh Dance Workshop. She was one of the first Caravan Kids to tour with Hoctors Dance Caravan in 1993, where she met and assisted hip hop great Devora Cooper Howard.
She received a dance scholarship to Oakland University where she studied all forms of dance including kinesiology, choreography and dance history. Through her years at Oakland University, she was a member of Oakland Dance Theatre Repertory Company under the direction of Laurie Eisenhower and Gregory Patterson. While at Oakland, she was chosen to perform 'The Hundreds' with Twyla Tharpe.
She has received numerous scholarships to Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in Los Angeles, California. She received the honor of being a forever guest choreographer for Cathy Roes Dance Spectacular. She was invited to be a part of Jayson Michaels Energy Source Dance Association in 2011 at his National Company Performance as a choreographer and teacher and quickly became a full time staff member and Energy Source Kids Director teaching all genres of dance in studios all around the country. She has taught at Tecumseh Dance Workshop, The Dance Centre, Metropolitan Dance Centre and was the Executive Director of Tecumseh Dance Theatre Company. She is well versed in all forms of dance and has taught for over 20 years. Through those years, her dances have won numerous choreography and technique awards.
In 2017, Mr. Jayson Michaels passed away and left the company to Deena and Associate Director, Angela Harris. They renamed the company Energy Source Dance Experience and Deena is currently the co director/co owner.
Deena is very proud to be the owner/director of illuminaTe Dance and Arts Center. In addition to being the owner/director and teaching at illuminaTe, Deena is also an Adjunct Professor at Adrian College.
Deena believes in the art of dance, the integrity and discipline of the art and also the creativity and expression of the person. Through her unique choreography and connection with her students, she is able to convey her passion and inspire new generations of artists and performers.
Molly Kirby
Molly started dancing at Tecumseh Dance Workshop at the age of four and joined Tecumseh Dance Theatre Company (TDTC) at eleven. She also had the chance to perform in “The Nutcracker” at the Tecumseh Center for the Arts as both Dewdrop and Snow Queen. During the long rehearsals of both TDTC and Nutcracker, Molly fell in love with the journey of creating, changing, and perfecting dances.
Throughout high school Molly attended several summer intensives to further her training including American Ballet Theater and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. After high school she went on to attend University of Iowa to study dance and Spanish. At University of Iowa Molly performed in the Grad/Undergrad concert working with a student collective to create and choreograph a unique contemporary ballet piece.
Molly also studied heavily in improvisational dance under Jennifer Kayle. During her last year at Iowa, Molly had the amazing opportunity to perform Martha Graham’s “Helios” in Dance Gala. Later that year she finally achieved her dream of performing in New York city at the Joyce Theater as part of the University Partners program through the Martha Graham professional company.
Now that she’s back in Michigan, Molly is continuing her education in business at Eastern Michigan after finding her other love in life, retail management. She is excited to combine her passion for dance and management at IlluminaTe Dance and Arts Center!
Lindsey Knoodle
Ms. Lindsey is formerly from Tecumseh, Michigan and now lives in Chelsea. She graduated from Milford High School in 2009 and since then has been a dance educator and choreographer at Tecumseh Dance Workshop. She established her education in the genres of tap, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, modern, and lyrical under Deena Bryan. Not only did she learn dance from Deena, she learned passion, patience, and creativity that all contributed to the type of instructor and dancer she is today.
She began her dance journey in 6th grade at the age of 11 and in the time, she spent at TDW she invited to join the Tecumseh Dance Theater Company competition team where she competed all throughout high school. She discovered that her calling was dance and everything its encompasses so she decided to pursue it as her full-time career.
Last summer, Ms. Lindsey dedicated her summer to an internship with Jayson Michaels Energy Source Dance Association, now known as Energy Source Dance Experience that furthered herself as a teacher, dancer and educator. Her internship gave her new inspiration for the classroom setting.
Ms. Lindsey believes that dancing instills confidence and offers an outlet for expressing oneself. She brings more than just dance moves to her students, things such as building friendships with peers and helps direct commitment and passion into young dancers that will last a lifetime.
Amanda Lopez
Amanda began her dance training at the age of 6 at Tecumseh Dance Workshop. During her years there, she studied ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, hip hop and modern. She began training with Deena when she was 13.
During her senior year of high school, Amanda traveled to Buffalo, New York to study with the prestigious Dance Masters of America. She received her Grade 1 teaching certification. After high school, Amanda began working for Britton-Macon Public Schools as a dance educator for the after school program. During her time there, she taught jazz.
Amanda also began teaching free/creative movement and music classes at the Hope Community Center in Adrian for adults with special needs. This line of work is what Amanda continues to do on a daily basis and something she is truly passionate about. Currently, she works for Renaissance Community Homes as an assistant manager.
In 2018, Amanda received her Acrobatic Arts Level 1 certification. She currently teaches acro, jazz and pre ballet at illuminaTe. Amanda is also the office manager for illuminaTe Dance and Arts Center.
Amanda wants dance to be a safe place for all the dancers to grow and express themselves as artists and people. Her hope is that through the art of dance, her students will gain self confidence, musicality and discipline.
Jaicee Partridge
Jaicee, native to Detroit, has trained intensely in various styles of dance, drama, and music over the past 14 years. His love of the arts showed as a toddler and expanded when he began acting, violin, french horn and vocal training starting in elementary school and only grew more when he joined Anita’s Theatre of Dance and Performing Arts in Sterling Heights, Michigan. There he participated in many stage productions each year, acting/filmwork classes, studying various dance styles under the guidance of owners Anita Giza and Anita Schmidt. He eventually began dancing competitively with their competition teams intensifying his love and dedication to the craft.
Jaicee attended various masterclasses and workshops, one being with Valery Lantratov, former principal dancer with the Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet and Kremlin Ballet and general director of the Russian National Ballet Foundation. Another being with JMESDA under the guidance of Jayson Michaels, Deena Bryan, and Angela Harris in which he was offered to be an original ES Kid with the company. He toured the United States dancing with various guest artists in the industry and with JMESDA his understanding of dance performance and technique truly blossomed. His training continued at Deborah’s Stage Door Centre of the Performing Arts in Rochester Hills, Michigan where he joined their Repertory Dance Company and theatre company performing at the America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Comerica Park Stadium, multiple theatre productions, and trained intensely with many choreographers in the industry through convention/workshops, multiple being masterclasses with L.A. Dance Magic staff members.
Jaicee’s love for creating and teaching grew immensely as he assisted and led various dance classes with an special interest in musical theatre, lyrical, contemporary, and modern. While attending Wayne State University he has taken many dance classes both in lecture and studio. His focus is based on expression, awareness, movement exploration, and mindfulness/ Psychology (which his BA degree is in). In 2015, he began teaching classes and workshops to local dance teams and studios in the Detroit and Metro Detroit earning a residency with Broadway Bound Again Dance and Fitness Studio in New Baltimore, Michigan where he taught various dance classes in musical theatre, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, ballet, and hip hop classes from ages 4 to adult.
Jaicee continues cultivating his own movement while sharing his experiences/philosophies with fellow creatives in hopes of providing open dialog and a safe, accepting, and warm space for all artists.
Lauren Bobo
Lauren is a freelance dance artist, teacher, and choreographer in Metro Detroit, Michigan. Lauren began her dance training at the age of 14 at Atlanta Ballet’s Center for Dance Education under the direction of Sharon Story. At 16, Lauren began training and performing pre-professionally at Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theater.
Lauren holds her Bachelors of Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography and Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina, under the Direction of Susan Anderson. i While studying at the University of South Carolina, Lauren worked with and performed works by Maurya Kerr, Brian Arias, Ryley Watts, Alvin Ailey II, Joffrey Ballet, Megan Fairchild, Sara Mearns, Jillian Mitchell, Tanya Wydman-Davis and Thaddeus Davis of Wydman-Davis Dance, Madeline Jazz-Harvey, CompanyE, and Arnau Perez, among others. While working towards her degree, Lauren taught at USC’s pre-professional dance conservatory for 6 years. In 2016 & 2017.
Lauren’s choreography was awarded the Director’s Award for Outstanding Choreography. Lauren is a certified CPYB teacher and attended teacher training at “The Barn” in 2018. Lauren created the inaugural curriculum for Midlands Arts Conservatory Charter School in Columbia, SC. Since moving to Michigan in 2019, Lauren danced professionally with ArtLab J, acted as ArtLab J’s Education Program Coordinator to.
In her free time, Lauren likes to play with her dogs and is working towards her 200hr Yoga Teacher Certification. Currently, Lauren teaches around Metro Detroit and is the Founding Director of BodyLanguage La.B, a Detroit based professional dance company. Lauren is looking forward to growing with the students at IlluminaTe Dance & Arts Center
Sarah Nowak
Sarah Nowak is a native of Tecumseh, Michigan and started dancing at the age of five. Throughout her training growing up she studied at several different studios in the area such as Dance Steps Studio and Tecumseh Dance Workshop. Sarah also started training in musical theatre and vocal performance at a young age and has continued to center her career in that particular field.
Holding a BFA degree in Musical Theatre from Siena Heights University, she has been working professionally as an actress and choreographer for several years throughout Michigan and the mid-west. Some credits include working at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia as a vocalist and dancer for three different productions, as well as a back-up vocalist and choreographer for recording artist, Tatiana Owens.
Sarah is also heavily involved in Lenawee County at the Croswell Opera House, Siena Heights University, and the high schools in the area as both a dance instructor and choreographer. She also spent time teaching jazz, modern, tap, and musical theatre competitively at Dance FX Studio in Toledo, Ohio.
Sarah truly has a passion for the performing arts and loves being able to share that expressive gift with students. Her unique and demanding choreography has created a reputation of exciting visuals and have been accredited by nationally recognized theatre professionals.
Hanna Webb
Hanna Webb is from Britton, MI and currently resides in Canton, MI. She is trained in all forms of dance and began her career by learning and dancing for Owner and Director, Deena Bryan.
Ms. Hanna began her secondary education in 2014 at Saginaw Valley State University where she majored in Athletic Training with a business minor. She has spent over 500 hours working with athletes of all disciplines. At SVSU she was President of the National Society of Leadership and Success for two years working with 800+ students, Manager of the Women’s Basketball team, and a member of the Pre-Physical Therapy, Exercise Science, and Athletic Training clubs. Ms. Hanna was also an integral part of the committee to develop and implement the first and only all-inclusive recreational group for all styles of dance, Assemble Cardinal Dance. She volunteered annually at SVSU with the Special Olympics, Relay for Life, Play!60, and worked the medical tent at various 5k runs and events within the community.
Ms. Hanna was trained by Deena Bryan for 6 years prior to being offered an internship for the late Mr. Jayson’s company, Jayson Michaels’ Energy Source Dance Association. Ms. Deena continued on his legacy by beginning the Energy Source Dance Experience. Her many roles over the years have brought her to this amazing opportunity, being appointed Assistant Director of the Energy Source Dance Experience. Ms. Hanna is also in charge of all social media and internship operations, and proud to have gained opportunity in this field through Deena’s guidance.