Joel

M.M., Music Performance
Roosevelt University, Chicago - 2004
Chicago College of the Performing Arts
B.M., New England Conservatory of Music – 1999
Aspen Music Festival and School

Joel presently plays with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and is a substitute for the Madison, Grant Park and Elgin symphonies. Joel Stucki has also been an adjunct professor at Roosevelt University and Trinity University.

Joel has studied with some of the worlds’ finest musicians, including notable Edward Harrison, the Principal Tympani player of the Lyric Opera in Chicago, James Ross of Chicago Symphony, Frank Epstein and Will Hudgins of the Boston Symphony, Fred Buda on the drumset with the Boston Symphony.

Joel has been privately teaching since 1992 and is proficient in all areas of percussion. He has been playing the drumset for 23 years. He enjoys sharing his passion for music and teaching students of all ages.

Heather

Vocalist/Actress

BA in Theater, Columbia College, Chicago, IL
Opera Major, University of Colorado, Boulder., 1988-1990
Opera Major, Carnegie Mellon University 1987, Pittsburgh, PA

Born and raised in Illinois, Heather has been performing for most of her life. She studied opera as a child at New Trier High School and Northwestern University in Illinois.  As an adult, she studied Opera at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania, and the University of Colorado. She eventually returned to Chicago to earn a BA in Musical Theater from Columbia College. Over the past several years, Heather has divided her time between her two loves: acting and singing. 

As an actor, Heather has worked with numerous theater companies in Chicago, but most extensively with the Factory Theater. Heather is also a Second City alumna.

As a singer, Heather has performed in many settings: nightclubs, weddings, private and corporate functions, and most notably, on Navy Pier's two premiere dinner cruise ships, Mystic Blue and The Odyssey. Venues she has appeared at include: Katerina’s, Andy's, Drury Lane, The Plush Room in San Fran, Park West, Katerina’s, Tivoli Ristorante, Bistrot Margot, Grant Park, Magnum's Steakhouse, Davenport’s, Gold Star Sardine Bar, and Martyr's.

Heather is currently performing her hit Rosemary Clooney one-woman show in various Midwest venues, and you can see her perform it soon at Milwaukee’s Wilson Center of the Arts in January 2010. She is also a proud member of 3Girls3, a fantastic Chicago vocal trio that is planning the tour of their new hit Barry Manilow show. 

To hear and see more information visit her website at www.heathermoran.com
Heather is looking forward to working with all age vocal students to help build confidence as a performer and to help everyone find their inner musical strengths.

Traci Brennan

Children’s Dance Instructor

Traci is a former owner/director of The Dance Factory in Mundelein. She has a BA degree in education and is a certified elementary teacher. Traci has danced since the age of ten under several master teachers from across the country. She was a member of dance organizations including Lakeshore Dance Theater and EIU Dancers and has set choreography for award winning dance competition teams, schools and pageant systems including the Miss America Organization. Traci has extensive experience in all aspects of stage production. She’s taught dance for the over 20 years and specializes with younger children. Traci utilizes her unique teaching experiences, technique and style in the dance classroom. She and her husband John Brennan are the owners of Brennan Photography, specializing in professional family and children portraiture.

Penny J. Knox - Director

Penny has been training dancers in Lake County for more than a quarter of a century. Penny has won numerous awards for her choreography at the national level of competition including Most Entertaining, Judge’s Choice Award and Outstanding Choreographer. Between 1990-1999 many of her students and dance teams won the Symposium National Talent competition held in Minnesota. In 1996 she was honored by “Who’s Who Among American Business Women” for her accomplishments in business and dance. In 2006, Penny was chosen and published as a Lifetime Member in Strathmore’s “Who’s Who in America”. In 2007, she has been nominated for “Woman of the Year.” Many of her former students have been accepted into professional tap, ballet and contemporary dance companies. She also has former students as members of the University of Illinois and Purdue University Dance Teams. Still others have earned their BA and advanced degrees in dance and the performing arts as well as successful careers in acting, modeling and the dance teaching professions.

While living in Florida from 2000-2006, Penny opened and directed DancEtc. Academy of Dance Arts. Within just a few years, her studio grew to several hundred students and was awarded “Best of the Best” Dance Studio in Citrus County, FL. During those six years, many of her students won scholarships to attend dance intensive programs and workshops and conventions throughout America. Her competition dance students have also won numerous regional titles as well as Florida State Dance Championships and Applause National Talent.

Penny attended College of Lake County and Western Illinois University majoring in Early Childhood Education and Psychology. She is a certified pageant judge and is now a regional and national adjudicator for Applause Talent Competition as well as a member of the Professional Dance Teacher’s Association.

Traci

Traci is the former owner/director of The Dance Factoryin Mundelein. She is a certified Illinois elementary teacher and taught in the Illinois and New Jersey public schools for several years. Traci has danced since the age of ten under several master teachers from across the country. She was a member of dance organizations including Lakeshore Dance Theater and EIU Dancers and has set choreography for award winning dance competition teams, schools and pageant systems including the Miss America Organization. Traci has extensive experience in all aspects of stage production. She’s taught dance for the past 20 years and specializes with younger children. Traci utilizes her unique teaching experiences, technique and style in the dance classroom.

Amy

Amy started dancing when she was 2 years old at the Dance Factory, in Mundelein, Illinois. While in high school, she taught ballet and jazz to elementary students. Amy is a recent graduate from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Minor in Anthropology. While at University of Iowa she studied under the late Linda Crist and Basil Thompson, as well as Charlotte Adams, Eloy Barrigan, Jeffery Bullock,George De La Pena, Armando Duarte, Deanna Carter, Jennifer Kayle, Alan Sener and Dan Stark. Amy is also a 2007 company member of Duarte Dance Works. She is glad to have to the opportunity teach at Elite Dance Co.in Mundelein, where her love of dance began.

Mark

Musician and Composer
BFA in Music Composition, Carnegie Mellon University 1993, Pittburgh, PA
Bharativa Sangeet Prasark, Pune, India
Sadhana School of Indian Music, Chicago, Certification 2008
Master’s Degree, Music Composition, Northwestern University 1997 , Evanston, IL

Mark most currently was a Professor of Music at Malcolm X College in Chicago and Adjunct instructor at College of DuPage . He currently is VP, Composer and Producer for K-rAd Musik in Chicago. He has record releases and performances for such companies as Nike, VH1, Nicktoons, GM, HP and Sears. He has taught and is a guest lecturer in the public schools on music, theory and composition. His works have been performed and broadcast on radio, television and the internet. He has performed at Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and music festivals in the US and Spain. He is a recipient of many scholarships and awards for composition and study. Mark is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, ASCAP, American Composers Forum, National Music Educators Conference and College Music Society.

In addition to teaching piano and guitar (acoustic, classical, bass and electric), Mark is also certified to teach the Eastern Indian instrument, the sitar. His entire family has been involved in teaching music, band and lessons (many instruments) for many years.

Mark enjoys working with students of all ages and hopes to help them develop their musical interest and confidence.

Damir

BA -Guitar Performance, Berklee College of Music -2004, Boston, MA
Recipient of Harris Stanton Award for Outstanding Musicianship and Performance - Berklee European Tour Scholarship
First Runner Up Overall and First Electric Guitar player on national guitar competition “Guitar Superstar 2008” hosted by Guitar Player Magazine.

Damir is self employed as an electric, acoustic and classical guitar instructor. He has experience over 14 years teaching experience with students from ages 5 to 55. He is an active musician, music composer for original music to motion video, graphic and multimedia works. He has created original compositions for jingles, TV commercials, film scores and video games. His debut CD album in 2008 is entitled “The Other Side”. He has coached bands, plays all styles of music and is a music and song transcriptionist.

He is a music producer and recording engineer for Patinos Music, Inc., and is responsible for editing, arranging, mixing, mastering artist management and marketing. He has done graphic design work for CD covers, and artist websites.

Damir says is biggest joy is to work with children, helping them to develop their talents and interest in the musical world.

Gretchen

As a teacher that inspires the student to reach his personal best, Gretchen has an accomplished background as teacher, choreographer, music editor and director of Hip Hop programs in the Chicagoland area.Since 2006, Gretchen has been an a member of the well known Hip Hop company Xtreme Dance Force under the direction of Sam Renzetti, considered to be the best hip hop company in the midwest. She is also the Director/Choreographer for Xtreme Productions dance crew age group 21 and up. She was the choreographer for the Chicago LUVABULLS auditions for two years and assistant to Kim Tyler, the director of the NBA Half Time show. Gretchen has trained under several well known master teachers including, Tracie Marcineak, , Barry Youngblood, Chris Judd, Liz Imperio, Tabitha & Napoleon D'umo, Gus Giordano, Sam and JC Renzetti, Sarah Ford, Alvin Ramirez, , and Jesse Lee Santos.

Eugene

Eugene trained in V.O.P. style jazz with Nancy Myers Gitlin, a student of Frank Hatchett. He later studied classical ballet with Rhonda Rabbers. Eugene danced with Giordano II for one year, and has recently finished his second season with GJDC. Being sought after for professional dance  companies, Eugene is currently a member of the Chicago based, newly formed company under the direction of Julie Nakagawa of Hubbard Street.

Kathy

Kathy is a native Floridian and taught tumbling at a dance studio in Florida for 12 years, before relocating with her husband to Illinois in 1999. She formerly taught for The Dance Factory of Mundelein and has also taught at area dance and gymnastic training schools. Tumbling is a great way to enhance flexibility as well as a having lots of fun!