“My working definition for a teacher is...Someone who believes you can do better...*and* can show you how...”

Permanent CCDC Faculty:

Melissa Uyehara brings a wealth of professional, performing and teaching experience to the Capital City Dance Center. She performed principal, soloist and corps de ballet roles with Ballet Omaha and Ballet Iowa. Some of her favorite roles include: Witch in Konstantin Uralsky's Macbeth, Ensemble in George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante, Uralsky's Rachmaninov Piano Concerto #1, Michael Uthoff's Tom Dula, Robin Welch's Les Patineurs, the revival of August Bournonville's Konservatoriet and Peter Anastos' Forgotten Memories.

Missy currently serves as Ballet Mistress for Capital City Dance Theater and since its founding has been responsible for helping rehearse, teach and coach the company dancers. She served in a similar capacity for Iowa Dance Theatre, Ballet Theater Des Moines and other local dance troupes.

Missy's been teaching since she was a student assistant at her local studio in Ankeny, Iowa. She's been on the faculty or has taught at many local studios including: the School of Ballet Iowa/Des Moines Ballet School, School of Classical Ballet and Dance, Robert Thomas DanCenter, Central Iowa Dance, Vine Street Ballet School, Westside Dance, Dance Avenue and Dance Unlimited.

Missy's dance training includes stints with such noted teachers as Ballet Long Island's Konstantin and Irina Uralsky, American Ballet Theater's Lupe Serrano, Ballet Hamburg Ballet Master Charles Mudry, Larry Long of Chicago's Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance, Ballet Iowa's Kennet Oberly, Ballet Metropolitan's Gerard Charles, Des Moines Ballet's Lynn Andlauer and Milwaukee Ballet/University of Iowa's Basil Thompson. She's been on scholarship with the Des Moines Ballet School and the Milwaukee Ballet's Summer Program.

Besides ballet and pointe, Missy is an accomplished tap dancer and instructor. She's won or placed at a number of tap competitions, including: the Bill Riley Talent Search, Dance Masters of America and the Show Biz Dance Competition.

Missy prides herself in creating a nurturing, yet challenging, environment for every student she teaches. She also strongly believes a solid foundation of impeccable technique serves as the springboard to fullfill artistic expression.

"...I could see how much you love dance and how special you made the girls feel. I think you are the teacher for us."—E-mail excerpt from prospective student's mother.

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“...your *Mom* thinks you can dance better...but, she can't show you how...”

Emery's had guest appearances with Nebraska's Ballet Midwest, San Francisco's Joe Montoya Dancers and Maria Tallchief's Chicago Ballet Workshop. He's choreographed, performed and/or taught for City Ballet Theater of Milwaukee, the Honolulu Acrobatic Troupe, Des Moines' Chamber Dancers, Iowa Dance Theatre and Ballet Theater Des Moines. He also starred in and co-choreographed the Arabian Prince role in the 2002 and 2003 C.Y.Stephen's production of The Nutcracker.

Emery's favorite roles include: George Balanchine's Pas de Dix from Raymonda, the Cavalier from Nutcracker, Prince Florimund from Sleeping Beauty, Kennet Oberley's Russian Trepak from Nutcracker, Jane Cassel's Bette Davis Eyes, Joe Montoya's Al Jarreau Suite, Paul Brown's Tarentella and his own choreography for the Arabian Slave from Nutcracker.

Emery's dance teaching career spans three decades. He began at the Honolulu City Dance Center and continued at the University of Hawaii, Duluth Ballet School, Chicago City Ballet Workshop, School of Ballet Iowa, Robert Thomas DanCenter and other Iowa schools.

Emery is also a former instructor of the martial arts: including Okinawan Judo, Black Panther and Seven Brothers Son Shi Kung-Fu. He's also a tournament winning and former volunteer assistant coach in folk-style wrestling. He was three-year varsity letterman and tri-captain of his high-school team when it won its first conference championship.

Emery's professional performing career also includes gigs as a stand-up comic and as an award-winning journalist, personality and talk-show host with WHO, KGU and KQMQ. He's currently a syndicated radio news anchor and former reporter and producer for WHO-TV and hosted the Iowa Radio Network's monthly "Call The Governor" show. Follow Emery's tweets at @SirDanGuy
"...(Emery) excelled in verbally conveying physical movement and abstract feelings. He had a wealth of performance experience and technical training to pass on to both my company dancers and my young, aspiring dancers."—Marjorie Yoshida, Milwaukee City Ballet Theater

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“...that's why I am your dance teacher...”

Capital City Dance Center is thrilled to retain Jill E. Andrews on the studio's faculty. Jill is the founder of the studio that eventually became CCDC, "Dance Unlimited, Inc". Her performing experience includes six seasons with the Bermuda Civic Ballet where she performed corps and soloist roles in La Sylphide, Les Sylphides, Giselle, La Peri, Sylvia, Symphonic Dreams and Memories. She's also performed with the University of Iowa Dance Company and Limbs Dance Ensemble.

A gifted choreographer and teacher, Jill has created many new full-length children's ballets, including: Deliver Us, Fairy Wings, The Dancing Princesses, Coppelia, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Rainbow Fish set to Handel’s Water Music. She's also the director/choreographer for Alleluia Ballet, a sacred dance youth company based out of CCDC.

Jill has trained at the Joffrey II Summer Workshop and with the University of Iowa's Francoise Martinet, Alicia Brown, Linda Crist and Lan Lan King. Her modern dance training includes former head of the UI Dance Department, David Berkey.

Jill is always open to expanding her teaching knowledge. She's trained in teacher workshops or forums with Ballet Magnificat and at Canada's National Ballet School in Toronto. Her teaching experience includes instructing legally blind, blind, hearing impaired, Down's Syndrome and severely learning disabled students as well as talented and gifted students.

Jill graduated with high distinction with Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Accounting and Dance from the University of Iowa.

As a teen, Jill was crowned Miss Drill/Dance Team Iowa. She represented the state in national championships at the Los Angeles Sports Coliseum. She placed 16th in the country. Her senior year, she danced as a member of the All-American Drill Team in Dallas, Texas at a Dallas Mavericks basketball game. Jill was crowned Best Girl Overall two years in a row at summer dance camps at Kansas University run by Kilgore Rangerette dancers.

Jill's teaching philosophy is to encourage dancing "from the heart". She says, "Technique is important, but dancing from the heart on top of good technique makes the movement a lot more meaningful, interesting and enjoyable for the audience...and the dancer too!."

"...I feel like Jill (Andrews) is one of those really incredible gems that only come around once in a blue moon..."

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“...I *know* you can do better *and* I will show you how...work with me here!”

Alissa Hamer gets to combine her love of children with her love of dance with every class she teaches at CCDC. She earned her dance degree with honors from the University of Iowa after training there and at the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Her eclectic background in many forms of dance, as well as acting, yoga and Pilates, allow her to bring a technical focus as well as a performing emphasis to her modern dance classes.

Some of Alissa's favorite roles include Meghan Beresford's Little Gods and Maggie Rupprecht's I'm Here from the University of Iowa's Undergraduate Dance Concert series and Tracy Vacura's When You Look at Me, Do You See Me? from the Advanced Choreographic Design Concert Series. She's also choreographed or appeared in several musicals, including Fiddler on the Roof and Singin' in the Rain and participated in cheerleading, danceline and drill team competitions.

Alissa's group and solo choreography at the University of Iowa includes: Mirage, The Absurdity of the Cell Phone, Busy Daydreamer and Tenshun.

Alissa's modern dance training springs from diverse sources. She incorporates principles from various contemporary and post-contemporary dance forms, including Limon, Currier, Cunningham, Horton and Falco. She introduces and guides her students through fall and recovery, shape, suspension and to a musicality grounded in strength and flexibility.

Alissa says, "...athleticism, musicality, intellect and knowledge of the moving body are the important concepts I stress in the classroom. These concepts not only allow my dancers to be more effective movers, but also help them to dance safely while learning... the art of modern dance."

She continues, "...my class demands a dancer who is both athletic and intellectual. The very nature of dance requires the presence of both body and mind in class at all times. I expect my dancers to be able to think with their mind as well as to feel with their body."

"...I started my formal training with in the Stott method with certified instructor Kandee Bishop at Prairie Life Fitness.  I have been teaching mat classes since 2004 and just started teaching reformer classes in November 2007.

 

Hurley & Dancers History:

Started dancing with the company in June 2005

Performances-

Cancer Memorial for Johnston Hospice - May 2007

East Village Art Coalition presents "Art Stop" - September 2008

Des Moines Diversity Chorus presents Winter Solstice Concert - December 2008

Westminster Fine Arts Series presents Poppy's Dancing Puppets - March 2009
 

05.22.2009: Hamer STILL Hitz Homerz!

"...I have been officially admitted to the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Mercy College of Health Sciences. I will be starting in the fall. I'm very excited about it and am looking forward to continuing my pursuit of knowledge about the body. I have a feeling I will have many volunteers and test subjects from the studio! I will be finishing my physics pre-requisite class this summer through DMACC (good thing (Lindy VanderEmmen) is going to be around for study dates). I think this will be an amazing opportunity for me. Not to worry, I will still be teaching classes at CCDC while I am in school. As if I could ever give that up!

Alissa..."

“Corrections are compliments. If we didn't think you could do better...we wouldn't bother.”

Karen Forrester is a Member of the British Association of Teachers of Dance. Membership requires each Highland teacher to pass a comprehensive test in both knowledge of the dances and performance ability. There are currently only two active certified teachers of Highland dancing in the State of Iowa. If a dancer wishes to compete in Highland dancing, he or she must be a student of a certified teacher.

Karen started teaching as a student assistant of Maris McCullough Ryan in 1988. From 1990-1992, she taught Highland at the University of Iowa. She has been teaching in the Des Moines area for the last three years. Her students have been very successful at competitions throughout the Midwest, routinely placing in both Highland and Scottish National dances.

Karen's teaching experience has ranged from small children through adults, from students with no dance experience to those who have had years of training. Since Highland is a high impact form of exercise, she emphasizes proper technique, warm-ups and stretching to prevent injury.

“Success is exceeding expectations. ...and, you should have high expectations.”

You'll never catch Cindy Chambers without a smile...and she ALWAYS brings it with her when she teaches at CCDC! ...As well as her sparkling personality AND a degree in education from the University of Northern Iowa. Cindy has academic teaching experience as well as dance...having taught students from pre-school to sixth grade...along with acrobatics, baton and cheerleading.

Cindy started cheering in the eighth grade, continuing through her entire high school and college years. She competed and placed in collegiate cheerleading camps and competitions and has conducted, taught and judged cheerleading clinics and try-outs from pre-school to high school.

Cindy began her dance training in Ankeny and was a member of the UNI dance company for four years.

Sorry, guys! Cindy's married to HUGE former UNI Panther football lineman Jeff Chambers. And, she says she's sensitive to the concerns of all parents because of her own four kids, Chace, Chaz, Chaden and Chyla.

“Our goal is to produce...not just good dancers...but, good people!”

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   “...a little better than the last time, that's all I ask.”

Karina Sturdevant received her classical training at Ballet Iowa (formerly Des Moines Ballet) with Martha Faesi and Kennet Oberly, specializing in the Bournonville technique, and Milwaukee Ballet with Basil Thompson. She went on to perform corps de ballet through principal roles with Ballet Iowa, Milwaukee Ballet, Wisconsin Ballet Theatre, Lexington Ballet, Illinois Ballet and Ballet Arkansas. She has performed roles such as the Blue Bird pas de deux in Sleeping Beauty, Cygnets and Neapolitan in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Spring Fairy in Cinderella to name a few. Karina has danced professionally with the following modern companies: Milwaukee Dance Theatre, Oure Danse Kompagni of Denmark and Rosalind Newman Dancers of New York. Other accomplishments include guest artist with the Flourentine Opera and performing theatrical ballroom exhibitions with the East Towne Ballroom in Milwaukee and Chicago Dance. Karina has taught dance extensively throughout the midwest, including in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Vermont and Arkansas. She's the proud mother of Aniko.

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“A good teacher will never take their responsibility lightly.”

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Wilkins trained with the Joffrey Ballet student and apprentice companies before joining the main company. During her 18-year history with The Joffrey Ballet, Maia Wilkins danced featured roles that showcased her artistic range and physical versatility. From Balanchine pointe to Pilobolus bare feet; favorite ballerina fairies to flying on a trapeze, she has gotten to work with numerous répétiteurs and choreographers. Maia Wilkins is honored to continue Gerald Arpino’s legacy as a repetiteur for his works and the Gerald Arpino Foundation. In 2006, along with Gerald Arpino, Wilkins was named one of the Chicagoans of the year for her important contribution to the arts in Chicago. Wilkins has staged works for Point Park University and Southern Methodist University. She has taught and helped with dance workshops and performances at the University of Wisconsin, Nevada Festival Ballet, Eastern Connecticut Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Lou Conte Dance Center and throughout the greater Chicago area. She can be seen in the feature films Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company. As a freelance artist, Wilkins enjoys performing and teaching throughout the country. Maia loves dancing both on stage and off with her husband and fellow artist Michael Levine.

Levine worked with choreographer Donald Byrd on the collaboration with Ramsey Lewis, To Know Her, and in the creation of Motown Suite; both for the Joffrey. Away from the Joffrey, Levine was involved in the creation of Lauri Stalling's full evening work Eidelon and performed in some of her other works, including Bacchus Vessel, In the Belly of Grace and Sprawling Orchid. While at American Ballet Theater, Levine had the pleasure of appearing in James Kudelka's Cruel World, Kevin McKenzie's Transcendental Etudes and Lar Lubovich's world premier of Othello and A Brahms Symphony. Michael Levine has received recognition for his technical ability and classical line as well as for his excellent character portrayal. From the LA Times, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Washington Post, and in between, he has been favorably reviewed across the country. Levine has taught, coached, and helped lead workshops throughout the country including: The Joffrey Ballet, Lou Conte Dance Center, Point Park University Pittsburgh PA, University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, and Eastern Connecticut Ballet. Michael Levine's photography captures moments from his unique, experienced dancer perspective. And, here's a picture of him and his wife from the Evansville Courier&Press.