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DanzArts Studio
Introducing the DanzArts' Staff.........
A school is only as good as their instructors and at DanzArts we are extremely picky. Even the youngest of dancers will be in the hands of adult instructors. Please take the time to read the bios of our wonderful instructors. We are sure you will be impressed with the experience, diversity and professionalism of our staff. Did we mention they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet?
Paula McArthur
Director DanzArts
Ms McArthur has over 30 years of teaching with experience and versatility in teaching many forms of dance. Her range of expertise includes modern, ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, Latin, creative preschool movement, improvisation, and body conditioning. She taught dance for 17 years for the musical theater department at Drake University; and has also taught for Penn State University and Iowa State University. For over a decade she was the Associate Director for the School of Classical Ballet & Dance and has taught for other schools: Vine Street Ballet, Ballet Iowa, The Dance Place, Central Iowa Dance Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop, Edmunds Art Academy and Co Motion Dance Theatre. She has worked extensively as an artist in residence within the public schools
Paula is a founding member of "Hurley and Dancers" amd continues to perform for them along with choreographer Ken James (Fellow Travelers Group). DanzArts is proud to be the rehearsal home for these Iowa based companies. Additional companies she has worked for: Pennsylvania Dance Theater, Sandance, Neuman Project and choreographer Shawn Womack
Ms McArthur began her professional carrer in ballet, performing with the Des Moines Ballet. she also trained at the Joffrey Ballet School in NYC and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Canada . Ms McArthur earned her BFA from ISU where she turned her attention to modern dance. She was honored with both the Anna R. Toman and Charlotte Wilkason awards from ISU. She continued her study at the Bates Dance festivals, Doug Varone intensives and summer programs at NYU. Since becoming a modern dancer she has worked, trained and/or performed for such choreographers and companies as Bill T. Jones, Bill Young, Doug Elkins, Doug Varone, David Dorfmann, Claire Porter, Kathleen Hermsdorf, Michael Foley, Tony Coray, Kevin Wynn, Ben Munisteri, Joanna Mendl Shaw, Ron K. Brown, Rennie Harris, Larry Keigwin and jazz with Cathy Young.
Kathleen Hurley
Young Dancer Program & Contemporary
Kathleen Hurley is the founder and Artistic Director of Hurley & Dancers, and was also the founder and Artistic Director of the Chamber Dancers, 1996-2001. Her career includes performances with Yancey Dance Theatre and the Doris Humphrey Dance Ensemble in NYC, and guest appearances in Germany and Mexico. In addition, she was a member of Pennsylvania Dance Theatre, touring the east coast and Europe. Kathleen is an honors graduate of the University of Iowa where she toured to Hong Kong with the Dancers to Go Company. Her Iowa dance career includes performances with Iowa Dance Theatre, the Nueman Project, and Co Motion Dance Theatre. She currently teaches the modern and ballet dance technique courses at Grinnell College. Her teaching resume also includes teaching for the Limon Institute in NYC, Perry Dance in NYC, Dance Space in NYC, Long Island University, and Iowa State University workshops. Check out her dance company's website: www.hurleydancers.com
Gigi Oerter
Foot Fundamentals & Ballet
Ms Oerter earned both her high school diploma and BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She performed soloist and principal roles with Milwaukee Ballet, San Antonio Ballet, and Des Moines Ballet, touring widely. Gigi also served as Ballet Mistress for Ballet Iowa and has taught for Nevada Dance Theatre, Eugene Ballet Company, San Antonio Ballet, School of Ballet Iowa, Iowa Dance Theatre, Iowa State Dance Festival, and Siouxland Dance Association, plus several local dance studios. She has known and admired Paula since she was a teenager and is excited to work with the fine folks at DanzArts Studio
Lisa Lewis
Jazz & Contemporary
Lisa Lewis began studying dance at the age of three at Kate Carol & Company Dance, in Iowa City, IA. Each summer in high school, she attended classes at the Giordano Dance Center in Evanston, Illinois. Lisa received a Bachelor of Fine Art in Dance with Honors and with Highest Distinction in May of 2006 from the University of Iowa. While there, she performed in many concerts, including several Dance Galas, graduate/undergraduate concerts, and self-choreographed solos. She was a member of Duarte Dance Works, Dancers in Company, and also performed in the American College Dance Festival '06. She had the privilege to work with choreographers such as Gabriel Masson, Alan Sener, Jennifer Kayle, Charlotte Adams, Armando Duarte and George de la Peña. Lisa currently resides in Des Moines, IA, where she is a certified STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer, and is a member of Hurley & Dancers. She has also danced with Poetic Rebound Performance Company and Co'motion Dance Theater. Her most recent performances include: Iowa Dance Fest '07 and '08, Octagon Arts Fest '08, Share the Arts '08 in Ames, IA, the Three Penny Opera '07, Global Dance Fest 08, ArtStop '08, '09 and '10, Fresco Aroused '10, Des Moines Art Fest '10, and Once in a Blues Moon '11. Lisa has taught variety of all ages and classes, including a wheelchair dance class. She is excited to be a part of the DanzArts faculty!
Brooke Mayer
Ballet & Pointe
Brooke Mayer is an Iowa native whose dance background is primarily in classical ballet. After dancing with Ballet Theater of Des Moines, Brooke went on to dance with Omaha Theater Ballet in the corps de ballet under the direction of Robin Welch for two years. Brooke has performed in many ballet productions over the years including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Dracula, Coppelia, Paquita, and many variety shows. Brooke has over 12 years of dance teaching experience which includes four years of running a dance school in Florida. Brooke moved back to Iowa in 2014 with her three beautiful children to be close to her family.
Alissa Hamer Thompson
Contemporary & Pilates
Alissa Hamer Thompson started her formal dance training during her freshman year at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She transferred schools to complete her collegiate training at the University of Iowa. She graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Dance. After graduation, Ms. Thompson moved to Des Moines and joined the faculty at Capital City Dance Center (CCDC). Under the direction of Melissa and Emery Uyehara, Ms.Thompson developed her skills as an instructor and enjoyed 13 years of training CCDC dancers. Some of Ms. Thompson's favorite performing roles include Meghan Beresford's Little Gods, Maggie Rupprecht's I'm Here, Tracy Vacura's When You Look At Me, Do You See Me?, and Kathleen Hurley's My Funny Valentine.
In addition to being a dancer, Ms. Thompson is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and a Pilates instructor. In her free time, she loves being with her family. Ms. Thompson is excited to be a part of the DanzArts faculty!
Megan Boyette
Pointe Classes
Megan Boyette is originally from Charlotte, NC. Megan began her training at Charlotte Ballet under Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride. She spent multiple summers at Ballet West before joining the company as a Trainee. She performed with Ballet West in Cinderella (Ashton), Swan Lake (Sklute), and The Nutcracker (Christensen). Megan was a recurring guest artist with Aspen Santa-Fe Ballet and has participated in two artist exchange programs with the Berlin State Ballet School. Following her time with Ballet West she joined Ballet Met and performed and toured with the company, performing in multiple world premieres by Edwaard Liang. Megan is honored to be a Jacob’s Pillow Alumni (class of 20’) working closely with program director/choreographer Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa. Megan is in her second season with Ballet Des Moines.y Blonde).
Ballet, Boy's Class, Men's Class, Partnering
Eddie Kidd began dancing at the age of three at the Dance Arts Center in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, before joining Boston Ballet School three years later. Over the next 12 years, he rose through the ranks of the school, training under Peter Stark, Margaret Tracey, Igor Burlak, and Christopher Hird, attaining the level of Trainee in 2019. In 2020, Eddie joined the Professional Training Division at Cincinnati Ballet, performing leading roles in Academy productions, as well as dancing alongside Cincinnati Ballet’s Main and Second companies. In 2022, he joined Ballet Des Moines as an apprentice, and was promoted to Company Dancer for the 23/24 season. His performance experience includes world premieres by Amy Seiwert, Jennifer Archibald, Tom Mattingly, and Sasha Janes, as well as works by Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, Stephanie Martinez, Asaf Messerer, and Victoria Morgan.
Michael Tomlinson
Improv, Yoga, Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet
Meet Michael Tomlinson. Originally from Kansas City, and a recent transplant from Atlantic City, NJ is thrilled to be joining the dance faculty at Des Moines DanzArts. With a background in gymnastics and musical theater, Michael began his dance training at the age of 18 at the University of Missouri – Kansas City where he studied classical ballet, partnering, jazz, and modern techniques including Graham and Horton. Kansas City companies Michael has worked with include Seamless Dance Theater, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Kansas City Ballet, Tristian Griffin Dance Company, and Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance, some of which he still performs with today. Shortly after completing his time at UMKC, he went to Vancouver, BC where he was a principal dancer for MOVE: the company, touring Canada, New York City, and Bangkok Thailand. He then moved to New York City where he danced for Jennifer Muller/The Works, studying, teaching, and performing Muller Technique. He also assisted Jennifer Muller in setting works in Jacksonville, FL, and Amsterdam, NL. He then moved to Atlantic City, NJ, where he taught Smooth and Latin-style ballroom dancing for Arthur Murray studios, performed with Elite Casino Management in shows such as Disco Live! Motor City Live! and Motown Forever, and taught contemporary, ballet, and jazz classes across the South Jersey area. His most recent credit is Big League Production’s 2022 National Tour of South Pacific and An American in Paris. Michael is currently in the process of completing his 200 hr. Yoga Teacher Training certification, with which he wishes to cultivate a yoga for dancers program, to make the practice of yoga more accessible to young dance artists. He is thrilled to be in Des Moines and can’t wait to share his love of dance with all!
Cora Miller
Pointe Classes
Cora Miller is originally from Kalamazoo, MI. She trained at both her local dance studio, Ballet Arts School of Dance, and the Grand Rapids School of Ballet (under school director Attila Mosolygo). Cora performed with both youth contemporary and ballet companies in her hometown and spent her summers at various intensives such as Grand Rapids Ballet, Butler Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Cecchetti Council of America. Cora went on to study dance performance and choreography at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she received the 2021/22 Department of Dance Award for Choreography. At the end of her freshman year, she was invited to join St Louis Ballet as a trainee by artistic director Gen Horiuchi. In 2023, Cora was offered a trainee position with Ballet Des Moines by artistic director Tom Mattingly. Outside of her performance career, Cora has reached into other aspects of the dance world such as teaching, choreographing, and pointe shoe fitting. Cora has had the pleasure of teaching students at Nimoli Dance Studio, Ballet Arts School of Dance, and Becky Nalevanko's School of Dance and Tumbling. She is beyond excited to now join the DanzArts team.
Charlie Faraday
Hip Hop Classes
Charlie Faraday is an acrobat currently in the Cirque du Soleil and Marvel Universe Live casting databases. She won Best Artistic Performance at the 2012 Denver Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival, has performed for Disney, Quixotic, Emerald City Trapeze, Cirquetacular Entertainment, Airealistic, and the Culpepper And Merriweather Circus. She has been featured on AMC’s Showville, America’s Got Talent, and ABC7 Los Angeles. Charlie has been a well-respected industry veteran for over 15 years and is the author of Vertical Apparatus Drop Theory, the first comprehensive textbook on advanced skills in aerial arts. She routinely tours across the United States and Canada to offer training to coaches and students on the methods she has developed in aerial acrobatics.
In addition to circus arts, Charlie and husband Celestino own and operate the live variety entertainment production company Darker Marker Productions, and spice company The Sweatshop Pepper Farm. At Danzarts, Charlie teaches Strength And Flexibility, which uses the training methodologies she has developed for circus students to help dancers improve their skills in an efficient, body aware way. She also teaches all levels of Hip Hop where she enjoys introducing students to different hip hop subgenres, and often makes custom music for her classes with her musician husband. She is also a very silly clown.