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| KATHLEEN VAN DE VEERE |
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KATHLEEN VAN DE VEERE
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/OWNER
CHOREOGRAPHER, TEACHER, VOICE COACH
Miss Kathleen has been instructing dance for over 18 years! She grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin dancing at Marilyn School of Dance, under the direction of Suzanne Swanson Wagner, training in ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop. She was captain of their performing troop, D'Vision Street Dancers and traveled to many competitions, conventions and performance trips as a student, as well became an assistant and student teacher at age 14.
Always being active in music and theater, she moved to New York City in 1993 to attend the prestigious school, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She was lucky to study wtih the most talented Broadway professionals in Manhattan. After graduating in Musical Theater, she next toured the country with American Family Theater in two shows, Beauty and The Beast and Dinosaur Mountain, and appeared in two Off Off Broadway showcases in New York City. Kathleen moved to Utah to instruct dance and choreograph musicals as well as perform in several professional theater productions in Salt Lake City, including the Utah Premier of "Phantom", and work at the Hale Center Theater! Miss Kathleen moved to Oregon to continue her career in the arts. She took a break from teaching to perform as a headlining singer on the Mississippi Queen Steamboat out of New Oreleans in 1999. Upon her return in 2000, she founded Van De Veere Productions, a dance, drama and vocal studio, offering classes in several locations around the Portland area. Her students have won several regional and national awards, including the National Vocal Champion for six years at Spotlight Dance Cup in Branson, MO and Seaside, OR. She believes in continuing education for herself by attending conventions and working as a past national show director The Spotlight Dance Cup Dance Competitions.
She is a professional singer, has released 2 solo CD's and took "Best Actress in a Musical" for her performance as Sally Bowls in "Cabaret". She won second place in the FAMEUS Competitions Nationals in Hollywood, California with Debbie Allen, and the 2009 Overall Teacher/Professional Winner in Branson, MO. As a musical theater choreographer, she has won Best Choreography Awards in 2005,2007, and most recently 2008 for "Chicago" She is still active in community, college and professional theater as a performer and choreographer. As a sought after master choreographer, she travels the United States teaching master classes in all types of dance, voice and musical theater. She was also the dance director for Extreme Sports Camps that provides master dance classes for NIKE, and is active with Live On Stage, a Portland Theater Group.
Miss Kathleen is thrilled to be the National Director of FIERCE, THE ULTIMATE DANCE CONVENTION, with partners Stacy J and Kim Borgaro. The convention combines unique historical sites and dance workshops. Check out the new convention at www.fierceconvention.com
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SARAH ZEMP
BALLET INSTRUCTOR
WEST LINN STUDIO THURSDAYS
INTRO BALLET, BALLET I , AND BALLET II
We warmly welcome Sarah to Van De Veere Productions. Sarah is a graduate of Columbia College of South Carolina and has a Bachelor of Arts in both dance and health. She is a a Royal Academy of Dance trained ballet dancer and studied with Pamela Pietro, Ming-Lung Yang, Karinne Keithley, and Paul Matteson with the American Dance Festival.
Recenlty relocating to Oregon from La Vegas, She has instructed dancers at the Academy of Ballet, Suzanne's School of Dance, and Ms. Robin's School of Dance. An well rounded dancer herself, Sarah also has experience in jazz, modern and tap. She specalizes in helping students grow in areas of improvisation, choreography and free movement.
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| MISS SARAH |
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| MISS BECKY |
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BECKY BURKEEN
HIP HOP, THEATER, CHEER INSTRUCTOR
WEST LINN STUDIO MONDAYS
Becky grew up dancing at ACT III Academy in Redondo Beach, CA from age 10-18, focusing on jazz, tap and musical theater. During high school and while attending the University of San Diego she also did cheerleading and focused on choreography.
During her last year of college, Becky danced for the San Diego Chargers (NFL), during their one and only Super Bowl year. Then she moved to Portland where she danced for the Arena Football League for one year and then became a Blazerdancer. While in Portland Becky has continued to do both professional and community musical theater productions, which is her passion. Becky has three young children and is a teacher in West Linn.
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| MISS JACQUI THOMAS |
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| JACQUI THOMAS
PAST INSTRUCTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER
Miss Jacqui has been part of the Van De Veere Production staff for the past three years and part of the studio for over seven years. Miss Jacqui has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, hip hop, lyrical, cheer and voice. She is the choreographer for the West Linn Double Take Dance Team and the Thursday Hip Hop class at the West Linn location. She is a solo/duo choreographer as well. Miss Jacqui is one of Miss Kathleen's most advanced students. After being the captain of the Van De Veere Juniors team for four years, she moved to the McMinnville location where she is now the captain of the ELITE dance team. She is also a member of the V Force Hip Hop Team. She has had the opportunity to train with some of the leading choreographers including Stacy J, Kim Borgaro, Leah Moyer, Chucky Klapow, Tyce Diorio, and Mia Michaels. Jacqui has traveled to several dance conventions and competitions as well as performing at the Blazer Game! Miss Jacqui would like to continue her dance education and hopes to pursue choreogaphy at the college level.
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| BOBBIE TURNER
BALLET INSTRUCTOR WEST LINN STUDIO
Bobbie Abram Turner followed her older sisters to the ballet studio when she was four years old and was often found pounding the keys on the upright piano. Enticed to get her flat feet out of saddle shoes if she developed her arches in ballet class, she fell in love with ballet. She first studied in her home town of Cleveland, Ohio with Marie Ables, the School of the Cleveland Ballet, Jerry Burr and finally with Marguerite Duncan and Nancy Arcury of the Cleveland Civic Ballet. (Miss Duncan herself studied with Anna Pavlova's student, Madam Butsova, and Michel Fokine and continued the Russian Vaganova style in her own choreography.) She attended Lakeland Community College and went on to become an ophthalmic photographer for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and University of California San Diego. She moved to Portland in 1993 with her native Oregonian husband, Jon, and worked in private practice. Her return to dance mirrors her two daughters' interest in dance, who enjoy dancing with mom (one on New Stars and one on Junior Elite), however, pirouettes are no longer permitted in the kitchen.
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| Miss Stacy J |
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STACY J
GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Specializing in Tap, Hip Hop, and Theatre, Stacy J’s amazing choreography has accumulated several national and international awards. After starting her career as a model for Revlon, and JOOP! Cosmetics, Stacy J was a performer for Disney MGM Studios. Her performance credits include lead roles in Grease, Gypsy, and Cats, to name a few. She was the principal dancer for The New Millennium Tap Review and lead dancer and choreographer for Winslow Productions. With a BFA in Theatre and Performance Art, Stacy J currently resides in Arizona where she is Director of the Take Five Dance Theatre program for children as well as Director/Choreographer for 5th Element Hip Hop crew. Working for national dance competitions and independently as a nationally known dance Master Teacher and adjudicator, she was named one of America’s top convention teachers in Dance Spirit Magazine for 2006. Stacy J injects a fresh perspective to the industry and is recognized worldwide!
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| Miss Kim |
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| KIM BORGARO
GUEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Kim is a well know choreographer and instructor who brings a long list of credits to her teaching resume! She has worked with, and appeared in national commercials and videos with Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, B.B. King just to name a few. As a member of the Lula Washington Dance Theater, she appeared in the 2000 Emmy Awards. She has performed all over the world including the Hong Kong Arts Festival, ”Reunion” at the House of Blues (LA), Los Angeles Kaleidoscope Dance Festival, International Blacks in Dance Conference 2000 , and several choreographers showcases in Los Angeles. She has appeared in several theater productions throughout the country including “Waiting for Godot“ and “Company“. Kim currently teaches and resides in Los Angeles and is in high demand for master classes around the world. She is currently one of the top dance competition adjudicators on the circuit today. Kim’s high energy classes provide the balance of strong technique and innovative choreography.
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| MISS KATHLEEN AND THE MCMINNVILLE MANAGER TEAM |
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