Beth Lottino is proudly celebrating 29 years as a dance educator and a true inspiration to countless young women. Beth continues to provide consistent excellence in dance education that has become her signature… a well deserved reputation of merit celebrated throughout the dance
community.
Katie Shaw has been dancing for 24 years and is returning for her 13th year as teacher at BDA Dance. Katie is currently working with BDA Co. choreographing the Hip Hop routines for the upcoming competition season. She and Ryan are the proud parents of Kyla Shaw, grandbaby to Beth and Larry.
Carissa Lundeen received her formal ballet training from Claudette Soltis (former dancer of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo ) of the Joliet Ballet Society. While at the Ballet Society she was given the opportunity to work with many other ballet greats such as Irina Kolpakova, of the American Ballet Theatre, and Dace Dindonis, formerly of the Indianapolis Ballet. It was also there where she felt the lights of the stage performing in pieces such as the Nutcracker, with the Indianapolis Ballet, and Japanese Suite, both choreographed by Dace Dinodis. Her first tour of the United States began at the age of 17 in the tour of the Nutcracker with the Chicago Jazz Company, the Joel Hall Dancers. Her most memorable performance with Joel Hall was at Jazz Dance World Congress, held at Navy Pier in Chicago, performing El Gato Negro. Carissa has been teaching ballet and Pointe for seven years. This will be her fifth year here at BDA Dance.
Mindy Thomas received training from several dance schools and conventions in Ohio before graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre and Dance from Ohio Northern University. Mindy has taught at studios in Ohio, Virginia, Maryland and also at several local studios in Illinois. Mindy also teaches community classes in theatre at North Central College in Naperville. She has worked with many different competition teams throughout the years choreographing, as well as many church and school groups. Her specialty lies within teaching preballet classes and multiple levels in tap. Mindy will be starting her fourth year on faculty at BDA Dance.
Susan McShaffrey joins the staff at BDA Dance again as a tumbling instructor. Her 15 years of dance and acrobatic experience started at Beth’s Dance Academy and Carolyn’s Toe n Tap. Susan has 8 years of teaching and choreography experience. Susan has fun and loves to teach tumbling of all ages! She is looking forward to working with new students at BDA Dance.
Amber Murnick Amber began dancing at the age of three under the instruction of Beth Lottino and Katie Shaw. She competed on BDA Company for 6 years and has been teaching/choregraphing since the age of fifteen. Amber has attended many summer dance intensives including the Point Park Internatinal Summer Dance Program. She has recieved numerous dance awards including and invitation to tour the U.S. with Dance Olympus/Dance America, Dancer of the year finalist with New York City Dance Alliance, "Most Promising Performer" award, and several dance opportunites including a prestigious scholarship from Gus Giordano Dance Center. She performed in Disney World as a Power Pak Performer with StarPower as well as multiple performances throughout the Chicago/Metro area. Amber continues her dance education throughout Chicago-land and loves sharing her passion for dance with her students.
Tasha Johnson Tasha bagan dancing at the age of nine. She studied Jazz,tap,Ballet, Hip Hop,Lyrical and Musical Theater at Gotta Dance Studio where she competed with the Starlight Dance Co. until she was fifteen. She continued her studies at Midwest Dance Authority where she also competed and was trained to assist and instruct dance classes. Tasha began instructing classes at the age of seventeen at Midwest Dance Authority, and from there she went on teaching. She has taught Jazz, Tap, and Hip Hop at Broadway Star Dance Co. She taught Tap and Hip Hop at the School of Dance West ballet, and Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop at Allegro Center for the Performing Arts. Tasha is very excited to be now teaching Jazz and substituting for BDA.
Zoe Kohlhagen is a recent graduate of North Central College, graduating just under Cum Laude Honors, with a Bachelor degree in Musical Theatre Performance. Zoe studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Pointe with the American Dance Center of Orland Park in such festivals as Dance Chicago, alongside Hubbard Street Dance, as well as competing in numerous Dance Olympus Summer Conventions. In addition, Zoe served as an extra in the CBS television series Early Edition. Her love for musicals is very strong, but Zoe is happiest when she is surrounded in the world of dance. It is her passion, and she cannot wait to share her knowledge with her students. This will be Zoe's first year as a dance teacher with BDA. She will be teaching Modern.
