We are so excited to bring dancers this incredible training opportunity right here at our studio home. This is an event you do NOT want to miss! The 3rd Annual Dream Dance Intensive is open to dancers age 7 - 18 WITH dance experience. Our Intensive is 20+ hours of instruction and seminars.
Our dance intensive is all inclusive (one price includes ALL classes). There is not an option to purchase individual classes. The full experience and ALL classes are necessary in order for dancers to receive the full benefit of this unique training opportunity. Don't have tap shoes? It's OK! Take the class in your jazz shoes or borrow a pair. Don't take hip hop? Same thing! This is often an opportunity where dancers discover a new passion and a style of dance they may want to start taking regularly.
The Dream Dance Intensive is open to both members and non-members. See below for registration dates.
SCHEDULE FOR JULY 15-18, 2024
9:30am-2:30pm or 3:00pm each day
CLICK HERE FOR DAILY SCHEDULE
Dancers will be told their groups on the first day.
Dancers may also be moved to a different group after observation on day 1.
RATES
DDA Member rate $225
Non-DDA member rate $245
Dance Company Member rate $200
July 15-18, 2024
2nd Annual
The Dream Dance Intensive
3rd Annual
REGISTRATION DATES
Priority registration for current Company members - May 2
DDA members (non-company) - May 5
Non-DDA members - May 15
The Dream Dance Intensive 2024 Faculty
Sarah Ford Hardy
Contemporary & Lyrical
Sarah Ford Hardy is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and is a graduate of the Youth Performing Arts School. Sarah has trained at the Joel Hall Dance Center and Columbia College in Chicago IL, the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, CA and Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles.
She has performed with numerous dance companies such as Inaside Chicago Dance, Midwest Dance Collective, DanceWerks Dance Productions, The Joel Hall Dancers and The JADD Co. Sarah was a member of the Joseph Allen Decker Dance Company where she assisted Mr. Decker for two seasons. She spent eight years choreographing and performing with Inaside Chicago Dance. Her time with Inaside also included 6 years as the company’s Youth Training Program Director and 9 years as the Summer Intensive Director. Sarah has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with artists such as Weird Al Yankovic, Soulja Boy, Hannah and Joshua Welton of Counter Culture, 3rd Eye Girl and Prince. Sarah was a featured dancer in the movie Dreams in 2013. In 2006, she choreographed the Nationally Televised MLS All-Star Game Half-Time Show Featuring Recording artist Lupe Fiasco. She also choreographed for Nick Cannon’s Wild N’ Out Tour 2017 in Chicago.
Sarah is currently residing in Illinois where she is teaching and choreographing all over the Chicagoland area. She is the Regional Director of 360° Dance Festival and has been on faculty at the Gus Giordano Dance School in Chicago for the last 7 years. She is a Co-Director at Xtreme Dance Force and for the last decade, Sarah has choreographed for numerous State Award winning high school and collegiate dance teams. She enjoys teaching dancers of all ages, styles and levels and has recently been on the faculty of Dance Olympus, Dance Masters of WI, One Family Festival and 360 Dance Festival. In 2019, Sarah and her husband Marcus founded Sarcus Entertainment to provide dancers with high end performance opportunities on a commercial and corporate level. She is also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and is working towards a specialization in Pre- and Postnatal Coaching.
Ballet
Julie Chapnick
Julie Chapnick began her career classically trained in the Cecchetti ballet method. She studied with the Atlantic Contemporary Ballet, American Dance Machine, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Chapnick received a B.F.A. in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and went on to earn an M.A. in Dance and Dance Education with a concentration in K-12 from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education. Working with world-renowned teachers and choreographers alike, Chapnick performed in numerous works during her undergraduate and graduate studies. She danced with the New Dance Ensemble, Second Avenue Dance Company, New Dance Collective, and American Dance Art with whom she performed at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Working in Ohio, New York, North Carolina, and Massachusettes, Chapnick has directed youth summer dance camps and intensives, served as a ballet mistress, and has presented her work in dance festivals and regional competitions. She has taught and choreographed in the privately-owned studio, public school system, and community outreach programs working with youth with disabilities. She was appointed adjunct dance professor for Central Piedmont Community College and Johnson C. Smith University. Chapnick is happy to now call Chicago her home and is excited to be joining the Joffrey Academy summer faculty.
Tanner Boyer
Contemporary
Tanner graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Dance. Since then he has danced with contemporary company Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, and Chicago Jazz company Giordano Dance Chicago. He has performed with Royal Caribbean Productions as a professional dancer and aerialist, performing for audiences in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and North America. During this time Tanner was part of the original cast for “Showgirl” and “Effectors.” Tanner danced in the world famous cabaret Moulin Rouge in Paris France for the show “Ferrie." He recently joined step one dance co with rws entertainment, performing world class shows on Holland America Line.
Tanner has taught at numerous prestigious studios around the Chicago area such as dreams dance, extensions and visceral. He holds a certification with the national academy of sports medicine as a personal training. Tanner loves teaching and is excited to dance and teach the next generation of dancers.
Marcus Hardy
Jazz
Marcus Hardy, a native of Garner, NC, always had a passion for the arts from a young age. Much of that passion came from having a family of musicians. Though Marcus participated in many sports up until college, mainly track and field, he loved everything about the arts, which eventually led to him changing his major to Dance Performance his senior year of college. He went on to receive his BFA in Dance Performance, in 2012, at East Carolina University with a concentration in Jazz dance. Soon after, he moved to Chicago to dance professionally. Since then he went on to dance with Inside Chicago Dance where he was a performing apprentice for 2 years and company member for 3 years. He also performed with Chicago Dance Crash, SueMo Dance Company and WaterStreet Dance Company as a guest artist and has had the privilege of being a part of multiple Nutcracker productions portraying the roles of Drosselmeyer, the Arabian soloist, and Snow King. Marcus has also had the opportunity to dance alongside recording musical artists such as Chesca, Brian McKnight, and Stacey Kay and was the lead choreographer/dancer in Bri Joi's music video "Let me see you." Since 2022, Marcus has been a dancer at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, performing in Verdi's Aida, The Daughter of a Regiment, Fiddler on the Roof and two Grammy Award Winning Operas: Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up In My Bones and Champion. He was also part of the ensemble in Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical which premiered in Chicago.
Aside from his performance career, Marcus has had the opportunity to teach at dance studios and collegiate dance teams across the country. His award winning choreography ranges from such styles as hip hop, contemporary, jazz, and ballet. Marcus has been a competitive judge for 9+ years and is excited to share his knowledge with the next generation of dancers.
Eileen Mallory
Eilleen Mallary has been a Culture Shock® Chicago dancer for the past 11 years and also serves as Executive Director. She trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and is a former company member with Clear Lake Metropolitan Ballet, where she performed in productions of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Dracula and Coppélia. She also had the honor of serving as the variations assistant to prima ballerina Janie Parker, the first American dancer to win a gold medal in the USA IBC. With Culture Shock, she has performed extensively throughout Chicago, as well as touring the US and Canada. She assisted with and performed a flash mob for Pillsbury with gospel duo "Mary Mary" and was an OfficeMax elf in the McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012. She can be seen on film in the "Get Hybrid" mattress commercial and has performed for Adidas-Lollapalooza, Coca Cola and Nike’s “Let’s Move” campaign launch with First Lady Michelle Obama. Her most recent commercial choreography includes flash mobs for Bacardi, The Thrillist and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market. Her students and choreography have won numerous awards and recognition at competitions and the city's annual dance festival, Dance Chicago. Eilleen is a passionate and dedicated teacher who strives to inspire and create positive change through dance.
Hip Hop
Callie Ramierez
Ballet
Callie began her pre-professional training at Faubourg School of Ballet under the direction of Watmora Casey. While there she obtained her ballet training with Tatyana Mazur from the Odessa Government Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Catalina Garza of the Joffrey Ballet, and Ernesto Quenedit from the National Ballet of Cuba and the Joffrey Ballet. She received her modern and jazz training from Victor Ramirez, Camille Turner, and Nickie Del Re Masino. Beyond her home training she spent summers at Milwaukee Ballet, Interlochen Arts, and Ballet Camp Illinois. She performed many roles with Faubourg School of Ballet and Schaumburg Prarie Arts Center. She competed regionally and nationally at competitions such as the Youth American Grand Prix.
Callie went on to the University of Illinois at Chicago where she was on the nationally ranked Dancing Flames under the direction of Toya Ambrose. In 2010 she was signed by the Foley Modeling Agency where she worked professionally as a dancer and model. In 2015 she made the Chicago Bulls dance team where she danced for her first NBA season as a Luvabull.
In 2009 she began her teaching career by instructing ballet classes for the UIC Dancing Flames. Since then she has worked with a multitude of studios and competitive teams. She most recently trained students for the 2015, 16’, 17’, and 18' Chicago regional Youth American Grand Prix, earning top 3 placements and entrance into NYC Finals. She opened her own training studio in 2016, Underground Allegro Dance Center and continues to teach in the Chicagoland area. She has a love for children and a passion for training dancers to reach their goals through hard work and diligence.
Marty Bronson
Tap
Martin began his training at his family’s dance school in St. Louis, Missouri under the tutelage of his older sister, and continued his tap education at tap festivals in St. Louis, Chicago, and New York City. Martin performed with Diva La Tap in St. Louis, Chicago Tap Theatre, co-founded The Tapmen tap company, and performed with and served as Rehearsal Director of Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s BAM! Martin was the recipient of the Artist in Resonance Grant for creation of new tap works in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Martin is also a passionate dance educator, regularly teaching master classes around the nation with recent credits including CHRP’s Rhythm World and Dance Masters of America. He has developed education programs for Audible Odyssey and Chicago Human Rhythm Project.
JC Renzetti
Hip Hop
JC is the Co-Director of Xtreme Dance Force, and grew up and resides in the Chicagoland area. With a credited bachelors degree in Political Science from UIC, JC trained in jazz, tap, ballet, acro and hip hop since age 7. Through his performing and training years, JC lived in the competition limelight winning countless overall 1st place awards and being offered scholarships throughout the country.
He was recently featured as a top 10 finalist with Xtreme Dance Force on MTV’s Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew Season 2. JC was also an assistant hip hop coach on MTV’s hit show MADE. He has performed and opened up for several top recording artists such as Ludacris, Ciara, Twista and Soulja Boy. JC has also been showcased in top shows in Las Vegas. He was a choreographer for the internationally broadcast MLS All Star Game Half-Time Show featuring top recording artist Lupe Fiasco on ESPN. He is also a choreographer for the NBA Detroit Pistons dance team Automotion.
JC continues teaching all over the country while he sets award winning hip hop routines for numerous dance studios and companies. Since becoming Co-Director of Xtreme Dance Force, the company has opened up for celebrity recording artists such as Chingy, Tyrese, Bow Wow and Mims, just to name a few. JC is currently choreographing and working with brand new up and coming recording R&B artist Stevie Brock (recently signed with Mosley Music Group/Interscope Records). He was a part of the Dance Power Express faculty for 2 years, and was also an instructor on the dance convention/competition WILD. JC is also a dancer/model/actor for the top recognized agency, CTG, Clear Talent Group.
Stephanie Henrikson
Contemporary
Bio coming soon
Live Your Dream Out Loud
Principles of Success workshop
Add-on's
Laura Jakowenko
Precision Jazz
Since 2014 Laura Jakowenko has most notably performed as a Radio City Rockette. In addition to The Christmas Spectacular, Laura also performed as a Rockette in the New York Spectacular where she worked with director/choreographer Mia Michaels. Other performance credits include: MTV Video Music Awards, Tony Awards, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Today Show, Live with Kelly and Ryan, NFL Half-Time Show ft. Mariah Carey. Originally from metro-Detroit, Laura grew up training and competing in all styles of dance. She toured with Tremaine Dance Conventions assisting Joe Tremaine and went on to work administratively for the convention. She now stays in touch with the competition dance world by working as a judge through Impact Dance Adjudicators. Aside from dancing, Laura also plays guitar and piano and performs as a singer/songwriter. In the off-seasons from performing as a Rockette, Laura works as a CPA with an accounting degree from DePaul University.
