FOREST HILLS DANCE ACADEMY                                                      RATED ONE OF THE TOP 50 STUDIOS IN THE US BY DANCE SPIRIT MAGAZINE…...2005

 

 

OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF

 
   
 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR INSTRUCTORS ARE EXPERIENCED, PROFESSIONAL, AND CARE ABOUT EACH AND EVERY DANCER….. WE ARE SO EXCITED IN THE 2009-2010 SEASON TO HAVE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTORS TEACHING ALL LEVELS OF DANCERS....BOTH COMPANY AND NON-COMPANY DANCERS!!!! IT WILL PROVE TO BE AN EXCITING YEAR FOR ALL FOREST HILLS STUDENTS!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 TEDDI WITH STUDENT PRESLEY CLARK

TEDDI BURGESS, STUDIO OWNER, COMPANY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR  (BALLET, TAP, JAZZ, LYRICAL, CONTEMPORARY) ACADEMY OWNER FALL OF 2009, AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE FOREST HILLS DANCE COMPANY SINCE 1984.  OVER 25 YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE.  TEDDI HAS TRAINED 1000'S OF DANCERS OVER THE YEARS AND IS PROUD TO HAVE SO MANY CONTINUE INTO PROFESSIONAL DANCE AND DANCE RELATED CAREERS.   TEDDI HAS BEEN A JUDGE FOR SEVERAL NATIONAL DANCE COMPETITIONS  AND THIS YEAR,  JUDGED  "SHOWBIZ NATIONALS IN FLORIDA".    SHE HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL CHOREOGRAPHY AWARDS THROUGHOUT HER CAREER AND WILL CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE HER DANCERS WITH NEW AND EXCITING PIECES.  TEDDI IS PROUD TO BE FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF AN ICON, HER MOM, MISS FRANCES, AS THE OWNER OF THE ACADEMY, A DREAM SINCE SHE AND HER MOM OPENED THE STUDIO OVER 35 YEARS AGO.   SHE IS THRILLED TO BE WORKING WITH ALL DANCERS BEGINNER THROUGH ADVANCED THIS YEAR!!!   HER LOVE FOR DANCE AND FOR THE CHILDREN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PASSION BEHIND HER MOTIVATION.   A HIGHLIGHT OF HER CAREER WAS TO HAVE HER WORK RECOGNIZED BY "DANCE SPIRIT" AND "DANCE TEACHER" MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE TOP 50 STUDIOS TO TRAIN AT IN THE U.S.  SHE IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING DANCE AND TUMBLING EDUCATION AT FOREST HILLS TO A NEW AND EXCITING LEVEL!!!  

  KEVIN EKBERG- TUMBLING,,,GYMNASTICS   At the age of 13, Kevin became a seven-time national champion. Five years later, while attending Northern Illinois University from 1981 to 1982, he competed in the floor exercise and vault competitions and won the NCAA championship. Around this time, he also achieved world class status, placing second in Japan and first in Brigg, Switzerland, at the World Cup Championship. Ekberg worked for professional athlete and Olympian Kurt Thomas, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame at NIU last year.  Kevin has now started Forest Hills Dance and Tumbling's 1st competitive tumbling team!!!  His classes are amazing, and our tumblers are advancing at a new and exciting pace!!! 
 

 

DAWN DEHLIN(JAZZ, TAP, TUMBLING)   DAWN IS THE CO-DIRECTOR OF THE FOREST HILLS DANCE COMPANY.   DAWN HAS BEEN DANCING AND TEACHING ACROSS THE MIDWEST AREA FOR MANY YEARS.  DAWN OWNED HER OWN STUDIO IN AMBOY, IL BEFORE MOVING TO THE ROCKFORD AREA.   FOREST HILLS WAS HER DANCE HOME HERE IN ROCKFORD AS A TEENAGER, AND WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER ON STAFF. HER STUDENTS HAVE WON TOP HONORS AT MANY LOCAL AND NATIONAL DANCE COMPETITIONS.  DAWN  ALSO WAS THE DANCE TEAM COACH AT GUILFORD HIGH SCHOOL FOR SEVERAL YEARS, WHERE SHE HAS BROUGHT THE TEAM TO TOP STATE HONORS.  DAWN WILL ALSO BE STUDIO MANAGER IN 2009 WORKING HAND AND HAND WITH HER FRIEND AND STUDIO OWNER TEDDI BURGESS.   DAWN IS LOVED BY HER STUDENTS, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF HER COMMITMENT, BUT ALSO THE JOY SHE BRINGS TO EACH AND EVERY CLASS!!!

 

AMIE

AMIE SCHUMANN   (JAZZ,TAP, HIP HOP)    AMIE HAS BEEN DANCING SINCE THE AGE OF 3. A FORMER MEMBER OF THE FOREST HILLS DANCE COMPANY AND FORMER DANCE INSTRUCTOR AT ELLIS ARTS ACADEMY, WHERE SHE TURNED THE PROGRAM AROUND AND BROUGHT SEVERAL STUDENTS TO LOVE DANCE!!!!AMIE HAS SEVERAL YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND CONTINUES TO BRING HER EXCELLENCE TO THE CLASSROOM.  SHE IS A FAVORITE OF MANY, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FOREST HILLS TEACHING STAFF.

VANESSA SCUDDER (TUMBLING, CHEERLEADING, ACRO, DANCE, ART) VANESSA IS A CERTIFIED ART TEACHER . SHE HAS BEEN TUMBLING SINCE THE AGE OF 5.   VANESSA HAS BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR AT FOREST HILLS FOR SIX YEARS.  THIS YEAR SHE WILL BE ADDING ACRO TO THE CURRICULUM AT FOREST HILLS.  VANESSA IS ALSO ONE OF THE COACH'S FOR OUR NEW TUMBLING TEAM.  VANESSA HAS INSTRUCTED CHEERLEADERS FROM HARLEM, FLINN, BOYLAN, HOLY FAMILY, HONONEGAH AND GUILFORD SCHOOLS.  SHE IS A DEDICATED INSTRUCTOR AND IS LOVED BY HER STUDENTS.

 

 

JANELLE VANWASSENHOVE - (BALLET, TAP, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY)   JANELLE IS IN HER 2ND YEAR AT FOREST HILLS AND WHAT AN ADDITION!!!!  SHE HAS TAUGHT FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN FREEPORT AND DIXON, WHERE HER WORK HAS RECEIVED TOP HONORS ACROSS THE MIDWEST.   SHE IS AN OUTSTANDING BALLET TEACHER AND IS ENJOYED AS A TEACHER BY ALL AGES.   THIS PAST YEAR HER WORK WITH THE FOREST HILLS DANCE COMPANY WAS OUTSTANDING.  HER STUDENTS LOVE HER!!! WE ARE SO EXCITED SHE WILL BE TEACHING ALL LEVELS OF DANCERS IN THE 2009-2010 SEASON.  

 

SPENCER

SPENCER BAUMGART  (HIP HOP) SPENCER IS ONE OF THE TOP HIP HOP DANCERS IN THE AREA.  SPENCER IS IN HIS 3RD YEAR OF TEACHING AT FOREST HILLS AND IS A FAVORITE OF HIS STUDENTS.   SPENCER IS ALSO AN OUTSTANDING DANCER AND PERFORMED JAZZ, MODERN, BALLET, CONTEMPORARY ALONG WITH HIP HOP.  SPENCER HAS BEEN WITH  XTREME DANCE FORCE FROM NAPERVILLE FOR 7 YEARS.  HE HAS BEEN DANCING AT FOREST HILLS SINCE THE AGE OF 10.  SPENCER IS LOVED BY HIS FELLOW DANCERS AND PROVES TO BECOME AN OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL DANCER IN THE FUTURE.  HIS CLASSES ARE EXCITING AS WELL AS CHALLENGING. 

 

ALEX ALEXANDRA GRACEFFA HAS BEEN DANCING AT FOREST HILLS SINCE THE AGE OF 3.  SHE IS ONE OF THE DANCE COMPANY'S TOP PERFORMERS.  ALEX HAS WON SEVERAL AWARDS AS A COMPETITOR, AND IS A TOP ROLE MODEL FOR OUR YOUNG DANCERS.  ALEX IS NOW TEACHING BALLET, TAP, JAZZ, AND PRE-KINDERS.  HER STUDENTS LOVE HER.  SHE HAS STYLE, GRACE, AND BRINGS THAT TO HER STUDENTS.  SHE IS ALSO ASSISTANT TEACHER ALONG WITH OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TEDDI. 

 

 

MICHAEL (GUEST INSTRUCTOR)

MICHAEL GOSNEY (BALLET, MODERN)  MICHAEL HAS BEEN STUDYING CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY BALLET FOR 15+ YEARS THROUGHOUT CHICAGO WITH MANY BALLET MASTERS.  AFTER DANCING WITH SEVERAL BALLET COMPANIES HE NOW CONTINUES TO TEACH MASTERS CLASSES AND PRIVATELY COACHING PROFESSIONALS.   HIS NEW COMPANY, ELEMENTS CONTEMPORARY BALLET (ECB), IS A LARGE FOCUS FOR HIM AND WILL BE SEEN IN CONCERT IN CHICAGO AND THE CHICAGOLAND AREA.  MICHAEL WILL BE GUEST TEACHING ONCE A MONTH AT FOREST HILLS FOR THE 2009-2010 SEASON. 

JOE (GUEST INSTRUCTOR)

JOSEPH CARUANA (JAZZ, MODERN)   JOE JUST FINISHED HIS 3RD SEASON WITH ELEMENTS CONTEMPORARY BALLET.  BEFORE COMING TO EBC, JOE PERFORMED WITH RIVER NORTH DANCE COMPANY FOR 3 YEARS.  HE ALSO  PERFORMED WITH SD PRISM DANCE THEATRE, SPECTRUM DANCE THEATRE, AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET. HE RECEIVED TRAINING ON SCHOLARSHIP AT THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET SCHOOL, THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN LOS ANGELES, AND FROM WORKSHOPS WITH THE BOSTON BALLET, JOFFREY BALLET, AND LINES CONTEMPORARY BALLET IN SAN FRANSICO.  HE HAS WORKED ON TELEVISION SHOWS SUCH AS "THAT 70'S SHOW" AND KTLA'S "THE LIVE SHOW".  JOE ALSO RECEIVED HIS INITIAL TRAINING WITH FOREST HILLS DANCE ACADEMY.