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Ms. Gina (Studio Director) |
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Ms. Deatra (Studio
Director) |
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Gina Ingoglia has over 24 years of dance training
and has been a dance educator for over 10 years.
Her training began at a neighborhood studio in Chicago.
It was there that dance became her passion. Gina
continued her training at the Lou Conte Dance Studio,
home of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. During her
first year of teaching she realized how much she enjoys
working with and inspiring young dancers and shifted her
focus to teaching. The positive enthusiastic
atmosphere she creates in her classroom allows all of
her students to feel encouraged and free when attempting
something new. In 2002, Gina earned her BA in
Marketing from Lewis University. She joined the
business world and continued teaching dance part time.
She always said that one day she would have her own
studio, and that dream was realized in July 2006, when
Turning Pointe Dance Company opened and dance became her
full time career. At TPDC, Gina’s focus is the
Progressive and Competitive Divisions. She has
built very strong Junior and Senior Companies that have
received many accolades in a very short time. Gina
continues to attend various workshops to hone her skills
and teaching techniques. She has had the pleasure
to train with and be inspired by Jimmy Payne Jr., Lane
Alexander, Malaya, Adam Parson & Christina Woodward to
name a few. In the future Gina hopes to continue
motivating young dancers to reach their goals both
inside and outside of the studio. |
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Deartra Cappos began
dancing at a neighborhood studio on Chicago’s south side. She
has over 10 years of teaching experience under her belt and her
main focus on ages 18 months to 8 year olds. For several years
she studied at Lou Conte Dance Studio home of Hubbard Street
Dance Chicago. Over the years, she has attended numerous dance
conventions to advance her knowledge of instructing young
children. In 2004, she received her Bachelors in Early
Childhood Development from the University of Illinois. Opening
a dance studio of her own was a dream she has had since she was
young, and that dream became a reality in July of 2006. Deartra’s
degree has given her the knowledge to develop and lead TPDC’s
Early Childhood and Transitional divisions. Deartra is the
primary instructor for children ages 18 months to 8 years old.
She loves to wake the creativity in young dancers. She
believes that when a child is introduced to dance at a young age
it helps build coordination and strengthen memory. It also
introduces children to a classroom setting and teaches them how
to interact with children their own age. Deartra strives to
bring new teaching techniques that constantly bring out the best
in each child. Her career is her life and her life would be
nothing with out dance. |
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Ms. Kimberly (Associate
Director) |
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Mr. Teddy
(Hip Hop) |
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Kimberly Nachowicz is trained in many
styles of dance and has over 20 years of performance
experience. She attended the Radio City Rockette
Intensive in Austin, Texas where she studied classical
ballet with UT professor Sondra Lomax. At the Dance
Teacher Conference in New York City, Kimberly had the
chance to network with Luigi, Bob Rizzo, Frank Hatchett,
Finis Jhung, and Jermaine Browne. While in Chicago,
Kimberly participated in multiple summer intensives with
The Dance COLEctive and has also studied with Ad Deum
Dance Company in Houston, TX.
Kimberly graduated with honors from
Columbia College Chicago with her Bachelor of Arts
degree in dance performance. As a student, she was able
to study under renowned choreographers and collaborate
with Bill Young, Emily Stein, and Gesel Mason. Kimberly
worked at Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago as part of
the work-study program, and assisted Zephyr Dance with
their summer dance camp and annual benefit gala. She
also represented Columbia College Chicago in the
performance of “AD[d]” choreographed by Dale O’Reilly at
the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA)
Northwestern Regional Conference in spring 2006.
Kimberly has been an instructor in the
Chicagoland area since 2000. She was awarded the Mary
Kasai Choreography Award at Rainbow Connection’s
national competition in Branson, MO in 2006 and 2007. In
2009, her choreography placed in the top of their
category at Hall of Fame Dance Challenge’s national
competition in Chicago, IL. Kimberly is also in the
process of becoming a certified dance educator through
the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters.
Kimberly has found her home at Turning
Pointe Dance Company and is currently the Associate
Director of TPDC’s modern and lyrical division and
Ignite Dance Company’s competition lyrical, modern, and
contemporary pieces. Kimberly has high ambitions of
furthering her professional dance career and strengthen
her choreographic imagination. She considers it a
blessing to have the opportunity to spread her love and
enthusiasm for dance to a younger generation of future
artists. |
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Teddy Chavez,
through
his endless determination, dedication and drive, Teddy Chavez
has become an undeniable force with the brightest of futures
ahead. As a performer, choreographer, instructor and director,
he truly understands and appreciates all facets in the art of
dance. Currently represented by Lily’s Talent Agency/Clear
Talent Group, his skills have led him to share the stage with
multi-platinum selling music artists such as Twista, Ying Yang
Twins, Nick Cannon, and others. He is frequently training at
local studios and participating in intensives all over the U.S.
with some of the hottest choreographers in the industry such as
Marty Kudelka (Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson),
Gil Doldualao (Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, Jennifer Lopez),
Brian Friedman (Usher, Britney Spears, Mario Vaquez, Beyonce),
and Kevin Maher (Missy Elliot, Alicia Keys, Rihanna) to
name a few. It has been through constant exposure to knowledge
and inspiration that he has honed and continues to evolve his
craft. He recently helped lead his professional Hip Hop Dance
Company, CODA, to 6th place in the Nation at the U.S.
& World Hip Hop Championships which is organized by Hip Hop
International (now made famous through MTV’s “America’s Best
Dance Crew”). He has also made appearances on seasons 1&3 of
FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance”, placing top 100 in the
nation on season 3.
Aside from his love of performing, his other
passion is passing on his knowledge and acquiring knowledge
through instruction. As a Hip Hop Dancer, he presses upon
students the need to understand the roots and foundation of true
Hip Hop Dance because “you can’t understand where you’re going
until you know where you’ve been!” As an instructor he focuses
on quality over quantity in a learning environment to ensure
that students are walking away with an enriching experience.
His versatile, energetic, challenging and non-stop teaching
style has made him a favorite among his students.
“To inspire and educate someone through dance
gives meaning to what I do….”
~Teddy Chavez~ |
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Miss Mary (Ballet &
Pointe) |
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Victoria Platek (Hip
Hop) |
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Mary started
her training at age 3 in Jacksonville Florida. She
attended Douglas Anderson School of the arts as a dance
major and studied under Rhonda Stampalia, Dr Phyllis
Penny, and Debora Webb. She continued her education at
Jacksonville University receiving her B.F.A. in Dance
and receiving numerous awards during her 4 years
including; Excellence in Ballet, Excellence in
Performance and the Deans award for dance. She studied
under Steven Jenkins and Angie Hollis as well as many
guest artists including Urban Bush Women, Jacques
d'Amboise, and preformed as a soloist with H.T. Chen and
Dancers. She has further continued her studies receiving
her Masters in Performing Arts Management from Columbia
College Chicago in 2007. She continues her dance
training at Joel Hall dance center with Betsy Herskind,
and Deb Nanni. Mary loves sharing the art and passion of
dance with her students and is very excited to join the
TPDC faculty!
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Stephanie
Meisenbach (Ballroom) |
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Coming Soon! |
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Victoria Platek, otherwise known as Miss
V, had started her passion for the arts through an art
form other than dance. At the age of 6 years old,
Victoria had began competing in piano competitions
across the state of IL, it’s these music lessons that
had taught her musicality and the rhythm that she
carries over to her dancing career. Her constant
movement, as a child, needed to be channeled elsewhere;
therefore, in the fall of ‘95 she begged to be enrolled
in ballet and jazz at Dance Avenue, a studio located in
the Southwest Suburbs of Illinois. During one summer
session, Hip Hop was offered and Victoria found her
niche, the musicality and rhythm she had once learned,
came alive in the world of hip hop music. At 16,
Victoria proceeded to travel to Chicago to take hip hop
lessons with Sonia Nieves, founder of Non-Stop Dance
Company and was featured on Channel 7 news regarding a
piece being taped for ‘Dance Chicago’. In high school,
Victoria naturally gravitated towards, Orchesis, a dance
related after school activity that allowed her to
showcase her choreography skills. Later that year, she
was presented with the award “Dance of the Year” by her
peers. Through word of mouth, Vicky was offered a
position to teach at a dance studio in downstate IL and
had realized her passion for teaching the art
form was just as strong as learning the art form
itself.
Vicky had continued to teach in downstate
IL for a little over 5 years, co-choreographing a dance
piece called “Trust” which earned her dancers a national
title, at the National Championships held in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Over the years, Victoria has choreographed dance
routines for the following listed: Gardner High School
Pom Squad, Oriole Park District (earning a National
Title at AYC), for Shabbona Park District (earning
National Title), Ridgewood High School Cheerleading (2nd
place UCA camp) and for the Loyola University Annual
Fashion Show for Designer Sophia Reyes (designer
featured in Lucky Magazine). While attending UIC (04-05)
Victoria became a member of the UIC Dancing Flames. She
had the pleasure of working one- on- one with famed
choreographers, Tabitha and Napoleon D’Umo (NappyTabs-So
You Think You Can Dance) as they choreographed the UIC
Dancing Flames National’s routine. Victoria recently
concluded her understudy program with the professional
hip hop group, Hip Hop ConnXion (Chicago division) where
she performed at Dance Chicago and ‘The One’. During
the ’08 Monsters of Hip Hop tour, she had the
opportunity to take master classes from the Jabbawockeez
(MTV’s ABDC), Kevin Maher (Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey)
and Tony Testa (Janet Jackson) to name a few. She
currently takes classes at Lou Conte, a division of
Hubbard Street, to keep up on her craft, from
instructors Trae Turner and Chris Courtney. |
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Kristen Mansch, CYT, RYT
(Yoga-Tala Director) |
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Brenda
Temme, CYT, RYT
(Yoga-Tala Co-Director) |
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Yoga opened Kristen's eyes and heart
to a new awareness — to live vibrantly from within.
She is honored to share her passion and love of yoga
with others. Practicing for over nine years, Kristen
inspires students to connect to their natural rhythm
and embody the freedom to live from within. She
continually educates herself to deepen her own
practice, thus bringing fresh and innovative ideas
into her classes.
Kristen has studied with many master teachers over
the years, her most influential being Shiva Rea.
Kristen is a Certified Yoga Teacher, registered with
the Yoga Alliance and has over 400 hours of
training. She graduated from the year long, 200 hour
teacher training program at The Temple of Kriya
Yoga. She then completed an additional prenatal
training with Rhonda Kantor R.N. Kristen also
studied with master teacher Daren Friesen, director
of Moksha Yoga Center and has completed an extra 200
hour Moksha Yoga Foundational Teacher Training.
Kristen graduated from Northern Illinois University
with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Design, and
expresses that same creativity in her classes.
Kristen is grateful to all the teachers and students
who have shared their light on her path. She is
forever thankful for her sweet baby boy Jake and
husband Dave, as their love lights up her world.
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Brenda is thrilled to be teaching
yoga and to have the opportunity to pass on the joy
and freedom that she found in her own practice.
Brenda's teachings draw from the intention that
breath-synchronized movement becomes an expression
of what makes you feel alive inside and out. She
will encourage you to discover a new edge both
physically and mentally by moving your body in
effort to free your mind and most importantly to
have fun.
Brenda has been influenced and inspired by many
incredible teachers including, Shiva Rea, Jonny Kest,
Seane Corn, Ana Forrest, Andrey Lappa, Kim Schwartz
and Tias Little. She received her certification from
the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicagoby attending
their 200 hour teacher training program. She
continues to gain insight from her students and
learns daily lessons about love, light and devotion
from her boyfriend, Ron.
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