Tarah Brown-Hartung is a long time lover and seeker of adventure through movement. Tarah has danced professionally in Chicago for over 20 years and taught dance all over Chicagoland. She holds a B.F.A in Theatre and Dance Performance. During her non-stop dancing days she performed with Chicago based companies Thodos Dance Chicago, Same Planet, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, and DanzLoop Chicago, and worked with many independent artists on project-based productions. Tarah has over 400 hours in yoga teacher training. Tarah enjoys sharing her love of movement with the community at Dovetail Studios where she has been teaching Ballet and Jazz since 2017.

‍

Tarah teaches: Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Adult Ballet

‍

‍

Aria Brynne is a Chicago-based performer, choreographer, and educator with over 20 years of dance experience in tap, jazz, hip hop, ballet, pointe, and lyrical. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a B.A. in Musical Theatre, Aria has choreographed numerous productions and taught students of all ages across Chicago and St. Paul. With more than eight years of experience working with performers through dance classes, camps, and theater programs, she is passionate about creating a fun, encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, musicality, and strong tap fundamentals.

‍

Aria Teaches: Hip Hop, Competition, Adult Tap

Torrence “Tea Buggz” Griffin (he/him) is a dance artist, pop-locker, teacher, and cultural worker based out of Chicago, IL. Rooted in the Black American street dance style of popping, Griffin carries forward a lineage that began in the Bay Area of California in the late 1960s and ’70s, predating Hip Hop music and dance. Griffin grew up during the formative years of popping, and now represents that lineage in classrooms, battles, and on stages across the globe. His style is anchored in popping, animation, and robot techniques, and in 2002 he developed his own signature approach, the Egyptian Bang, inspired by hieroglyphics, two-dimensional movement, and the hard-hitting “bangs” of popping vocabulary. 

Griffin was one of the first Chicago poppers to perform nationally, collaborating with Walter King Jr. (known as Spellbinder),one of the first Black magicians to headline Las Vegas residencies and tour internationally, and performing at various trade shows for companies such as Seagrams and Loreal. He was the first popper to teach in Chicago Public Schools and brought popping into higher education at institutions such as Columbia College and the University of Chicago. Griffin has formed and led legacy crews such as the Electric Funkateers, Pop Patrol, and Robot M.A.F.I.A., Chicago’s first and only all-OG popping crew. These collectives embody his commitment to preserving the lineage of Chicago popping while building platforms for the next generation. His work has always centered on cultural preservation, visibility, and education—judging international festivals, teaching masterclasses worldwide, and mentoring countless artists while remaining deeply connected to the Chicago popping community. After nearly five decades, Griffin continues to dance, teach, and advocate for street dance as both an art form and a cultural inheritance. His calling is clear: to ensure that the culture not only survives but thrives in the hands of the next generation.

‍

Tea Buggz teaches: Professional/Adult Popping and Locking

‍

René Kenefic is a dance artist, choreographer, and educator from Baltimore, MD. He has danced with the Ruth Page Center, Queer Dance Freakout, Dissonance Dance Theatre, and the Dance Institute of Washington since earning his BFA from Towson University. He has performed and presented works at esteemed venues across Chicago and the DMV, including RAVINIA, Chicago Live at Navy Pier, Chicago Danztheatre, and Atlas Arts Intersections Festival. His choreographic work reimagines classical ballet repertory from a queer and trans perspective.

‍

René teaches: Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary

Megan Lewis is a dancer, educator, and choreographer from the Chicagoland area who studied dance with a focus in pedagogy at Columbia College Chicago. She provides a dance education that encompasses all types of learners and creates a community between all ages, levels, ability, and aesthetics of dancers. She is excited to continue sharing the joy of dancing with the aspiring dancers of Chicago and surrounding areas! ‍

‍

Megan teaches: Tiny Dancer, Tiny Tots, Adult Ballet 

‍

Mollyanne Nunn is a Chicago based dancer, actress, and singer. She earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Columbia College Chicago. She is currently a 1st company member of Ardent Dance Company. She was recently seen in Mama Mia (Music Theater Works), A Chorus Line (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre), Can-Can, The Musical (Porchlight), and Lysistrata Jones (Refuge Theatre Project), and West Side Story. Other recent credits include Hairspray (Paramount), Rent, Hair (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre), Swing, The Wizard of Oz (Little Theatre on the Square), Next to Normal (Towle Theatre), The Crystal Spider (Haven Theatre), and Within (Visceral Dance Chicago).

‍

Mollyanne teaches: Ballet, Musical Theatre, Tiny Tots, Competition Director 

‍

Carina Pollicella (she/her) is a choreographer and performer from Brighton, Michigan. She started her training at the age of 10 at Glenn’s School of Dance where she trained in various styles such as ballet, jazz, Cecchetti, tap, and pointe. In spring of 2024, Carina obtained her Bachelor's in Fine Arts in Dance from Western Michigan University with a certification in Dance Studio Management. Throughout her time at WMU she has performed in pieces by Kelsey Pascich and Carolyn Pavlick. Additionally she performed in student run shows, and independently choreographed several pieces at WMU between 2022-2024. While earning her degree, Carina worked at a local West Michigan dance studio, Academy of Dance Arts, as a choreographer and teacher where she taught styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop. Carina is now based in Chicago, IL where she continues her work as a dance teacher at North Shore School of dance and Dovetail Studios, is now dancing for Solarium Dance Company, and most recently had the opportunity to choreograph a work for Alluvion Dance Company’s Emergence Showcase.

‍

Carina teaches: Tiny Tots, Tiny Dancer, Tricks and Turns, Competition, Ballet, Contemporary, Pre-Musical Theatre/Tap

Mercedes Rohlfs has been movement-based performer, practitioner, and fitness enthusiast for much of her life. She's a Feldenkrais Method Practitioner, actor, choreographer for theatrical works, dancer with the Flaming Dames, and Werq instructor. For Mercedes, WERQ is one of the most fun ways to spend an hour and she's excited to share the good times with Dovetail.

‍

Mercedes teaches: WERQ

Wade Schaaf hails from the Chicago area and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Arts (emphasis dance performance). During his professional career Wade has danced for such companies as the Ohio Ballet, State Street Ballet Santa Barbara, The Omaha Theater Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago, and River North Chicago Dance Company. He has worked with choreographers Septime Weber, Stephen Mills, Kennet Oberly, Bill Soleau, Frank Chaves, Laurie Stallings, Ron DeJesus and the Tony Award winning choreographer Ann Reinking. After retiring from the stage, Mr. Schaaf went on to open Chicago Repertory Ballet in November of 2011. The company premiered to the headline review, “A Bright Debut for Chicago Repertory Ballet,” (Sid Smith, The Chicago Tribune). Since the debut of CRB Wade has gone on to create such exceptional works as Shostakovich Piano Concerto, The Four Seasons and William Shakespeare's MACBETH. Outside of the studio, Mr. Schaaf has a variety of interests ranging from visual art to health and wellness. Wade is a certified in both the Pilates method (Through Power Pilates) and RedCord, and is happy to enrich the lives of many through fitness.

‍

Wade Schaaf teaches: Int/Adv Ballet Professional

‍

Eric Skinner is originally from Muncie, Indiana and has been working nationally and internationally as a performer and choreographer for over twenty-five years. Eric originally trained as a gymnast before receiving his B.A. in Dance from Butler University's Jordan School of Fine Arts in Indianapolis. He has danced professionally with the Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Oregon, Pacific Ballet Theatre, Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, and was a founding member of Oregon Ballet Theatre. Following his departure from OBT, he danced with contemporary choreographer Gregg Bielemeier and was a founder of aero/betty aerial dance theatre before joining artistic directors Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland in their innovative dance company, BodyVox, in which he performs and holds the position of Artistic Associate. Eric regularly teaches for Reed College, Center for Movement Arts and BodyVox Dance Center, and he has additionally served as a review panelist for both the Weiler Choreography Competition and the Regional Ars & Culture Council. In 1998, he cofounded the Skinner/Kirk DANCE ENSEMBLE with partner Daniel Kirk as a vehicle for their choreographic inventions. Catherine Thomas of The Oregonian said, “Skinner’s craftsmanship… is especially gratifying.” In addition to his work for Skinner/Kirk Dance Ensemble, he has choreographed for Inland Pacific Ballet, Portland Center Stage, BodyVox, BodyVox-2, Portland Opera and Polaris Dance Theater.

‍

Eric Teaches: Adult Ballet

Cayla Skuran (She/Her) is a current Chicago-based professional dancer, performing in productions and festivals throughout the city with The LAUNCH Chicago and Ardent Dance Company. Cayla also collaborates on dance films and interdisciplinary projects with fellow artists in Chicago’s dance community.  Cayla approaches performance and choreography as a reflection of exploration, where athleticism meets expressive storytelling. 

Cayla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Communication Studies from Loyola University Chicago, where she trained in ballet, pointe, Graham, Humphrey, jazz, and contemporary. Alongside a professional dance career, Cayla works as the Administrative Associate for the professional jazz dance company, Giordano Dance Chicago.

‍

Cayla teaches: Competition, ACRO, Ballet

‍

M.K. Victorson is the Dance Content Specialist for the Chicago Public Schools Department of Arts Education. M.K.’s arts education career extends from dance studios to arts organizations to 15 years in the pre-K–8 classroom. At Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, M.K. worked in the education and youth programs and helped to develop the Autism Project. She is a two-time recipient of the Fund for Teachers Fellowship for professional development. Her passion for continuing education has led her to the National Dance Institute, Luna Dance Institute, and the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL). M.K. is a recent graduate of the DEL Institute and is a certified DEL facilitator. She holds an MFA in dance from Smith College, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

‍

M.K. teaches: Ballet, Pre-Ballet, Contemporary

‍