Instructor

Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Kathy began her professional dance career at the age of ten with the Chicago Tribune and Ruth Page Foundation, where she performed in the Nutcracker as Clara. Her childhood training began with legendary Chicago teachers, including Bentley Stone, Walter Camryn, Deloris Lipinski, Larry Long, and the Ruth Page Chicago Ballet. She was later invited to train with the Indianapolis Ballet, performing original choreography from artistic director Dace Dininois. Kathy continued her education and dance training at Northern Illinois University, where she completed her B.A. in Theatre-Dance Performance under a full scholarship upon audition. During her time at NIU, she studied under Randall Newsom, Margaret Faust, Melissa Hale, Jere Tulk and Lila Dole. It was under their training that she performed leading roles in classical works such as Paquita, Swan Lake, Pas de Quatre, Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire and the Nutcracker. She was invited to perform in the gala performance of the American College Dance Festival during this time and received the department’s Talent Award upon graduation. Kathy has additional training in modern dance with an emphasis on Martha Graham Technique. Kathy has been a dance educator, instructor, and guest artist for many years in various capacities. She has taught classical ballet at numerous studios in the Chicagoland area, specializing in pointe instruction. Kathy has coached classical ballet variations for Youth of American Grand Prix (YAGP) competitors for years, including training and choreographing for multiple national champions at other competitions.