Amanda Wagner – teacher, choreographer, dancer. If you recall where the last part of that comes from, we will get along fabulously! (It is from Breakin’ 2 Electric Boogaloo which I am proud to say I saw in the theaters!) Amanda has been teaching hip hop in the area for 10 years. Was a dance kid growing up and became a member of her dance team in high school. Amanda also coached the Middleton High School Dance Team. You will see her dances are typically fast, strong, sharp, etc. Part of this comes from her dance team experience. Amanda wants you to enjoy dance and make it your own! Aside from dance, Amanda teaches 1st grade in the area.

Ayperi is a life-long lover of performing arts, in 2001 Ayperi became a dedicated Middle Eastern dance student, drawn to the variety and fusion available in bellydance. Now a professional performer and instructor, Ayperi is known for her alluring ability to balance smooth and fluid movements with sharp accents and gracefully controlled shimmies. Masterful with belly dance technique, Ayperi was awarded first place for Tribal Fusion in the MAQAM 2009 Belly Dance Challenge in Chicago for her dramatic and mesmerizing sword dance. Ayperi currently offers workshops and performances in Turkish Rrom (Gypsy) Oriental fusion, American Glam, steampunk/gothic fusion, and Tribal fusion styles; additionally she teaches and performs with props, incorporating sword balancing, cane (Saidi), veil, skirt dances, and fire fingers. Ayperi can be seen performing locally and across the midwest with Ashar Dance Company and as a soloist at the Mediterranean Hookah Lounge once a month.

Christina Baker was first introduced to salsa music and dance while studying abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2005. Since that first exposure, she has continued to train and perform with a variety of companies in Seattle, San Diego, and Mexico City. For the past four years Christina has focused on training and performing in the On-2 (New York) style, having been a part of companies such as Salsa Divas, Majesty in Motion, and Madison’s own Dando Mambo. She has had the opportunity to perform in the Los Angeles and Chicago Salsa Congresses, as well as attend events throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Spain. Though her passion is salsa, Christina has also taken classes in hip-hop, flamenco, and jazz.

Cody Rose Jussel began her dancing career in Santa Cruz, California, at the age of 14. In 1997, she began dancing professionally with the Brazilian percussion and dance group Fusão, directed by J’Ann Reins. Fusão performed with the some of the biggest names in Brazilian dance. Cody was also part of a Santa Cruz based hip-hop group under the guidance of the internationally known choreographer Joy Smith. In 2004, Cody traveled to Brazil to study with some of the most accomplished dancers in Brazil. She has taught at the University of California Davis and now teaches here in Madison.

Güzel Allaire, part-time dance instructor and full-time mother of two. Güzel began her Middle Eastern dance training in 1989. She began teaching overseas and has been teaching in the Madison area since 2000. She has traveled all over the United States to study with internationally acclaimed dancers. She is the director of Madison dance troupe Banaat al Jazira and is a member of Sadira and the Riad Middle Eastern Dance Company.

Heidi Gentry started dancing at age four or five and has continued ever since! Formally trained in ballet, tap, modern, jazz, pointe, lyrical, and some partnering, Heidi danced in Springfield Ballet Company and Springfield Muni Opera, Springfield, IL. As President of 3 Spot Dance Troupe at the University of Illinois, Heidi choreographed and performed in semester showcases and various other shows while learning and performing many other dance styles, including Salsa, Irish step dance, Stomp, Hip Hop, Swing, and Character. Since moving to Madison, Heidi has remained active in the local dance scene, performing in The Nutcracker with the Madison Ballet and choreographing & performing through her work.

Heidi Hakseth began studying tap and ballet at age 3. Jazz and hip hop were added to that mix a few years later. In high school, Heidi’s dance studio placed her in a competitive troupe which received several top awards in jazz, lyrical and tap dance. Heidi also performed in many plays and had opportunities to serve as dance captain and create show choreography for her high school drama club. At age 18, Heidi discovered Irish dance and threw herself into learning all she could of ceili, set and step dancing. Additionally, she continued to increase her knowledge of other dance forms including modern dance, many eastern European folk dances, Raks Sharki (belly dance) and Bharatanatyam (classical Indian dance). Heidi began teaching dance while pursuing a Theater Arts degree at the University of Minnesota when a friend asked her for private tap dance lessons. She has been teaching in some capacity ever since. Her professional teaching experience includes Irish ceili, set and step dance, tap dance, ballet, bollywood, jazz and hip hop dance.

Jessica Boggs, while a massage therapist by trade, music has always been an underlying element in Jess’s life: her memories are rooted in music, there’s often a soundtrack to her life playing in her head, she trained as a vocalist, married a DJ, and you can frequently catch her grooving along to supermarket musak- it’s only natural that it would physically move her. While never having the opportunity for formal training when young, Jess spent a good portion of her adolescence dancing at every chance she got; primarily as part of a nationally ranked dance team, but also in musical theater and immersed in club atmospheres. As life went on, dance fell to the wayside, but thanks to D-Fab, Jess was reminded that dance is like oxygen to her, and she hasn’t stopped since. With classes firmly rooted in street style, Jess’s primary goal is to have fun and see where the music takes her!

Julie Reber discovered her love for dance as a child, but it wasn’t until college that she began formally training in Hip-Hop, West African, and jazz dance styles. While living in Washington, D.C., Julie was a member of Juli Calderon’s DCypher Hip Hop Company. She has also danced with Aysha Upchurch’s “Life, Rhythm, Move” Project and the Rythmaya Dance Company. Julie has performed at several popular D.C. venues, including the historic Lincoln Theatre, Atlas Center for the Performing Arts, and Jack Guidone Theatre. Currently a graduate student at UW-Madison, Julie enjoys dancing off her thesis cares with Dance Fabulous!

Lyn Pilch is the owner of Dance Fabulous as well as an instructor. She combines a fascination with innovative dance movements with a conviction that dance is for everyone, creating routines that translate the emotion of the song into movement–while always focusing on the fun! Lyn’s day job is in marketing. She is co-owner of Pilch & Barnet, a firm specializing in tourism marketing. Lyn founded Dance Fabulous to be the kind of studio where busy people could just show up and dance. And that’s what Lyn does. At the end of her hectic day, Lyn puts aside the cares of work and heads to the Dance Fabulous studio, where she gets to do the things she loves most: teaching and dancing.

Otehlia Cassidy is a vibrant and energetic dancer and who has been studying West African dance for over 15 years in the U.S. as well as Guinea and Mali, West Africa. She started her formal dance training at the age of 5, when she took her first ballet class. After a ballet school rejection, she turned to Middle Eastern, Brazilian, Latin and West African dance. In West African dance she found her passion; she discovered the joy of dancing to drums, and the freedom of expression in West African dance. Otehlia is a patient and talented teacher who is commited to providing a fun and non-competative class environment. She shares her joy and knowledge of the dances and music of Mali and Guinea with the Madison community through performances, classes and school programs. Otehlia collaborates with other local dance companies, including Kanopy Dance Company and Massamba Dance, and co-directs and choreographs dances for a Madison-based performance group, WADOMA (West African Dance of Madison).

Sheba McCant is a dancer for life and enjoys teaching Salsa & Zumba at Dance Fabulous. With her first performance experience being with an Israeli folk dance company, Sheba has been dancing on stages throughout the state and the country for over 10 years. Sheba has studied jazz, modern and African dance at New York University and the University of Wisconsin Dance Program. Sheba has performed Salsa with Dando Mambo Dance Company and is currently a member of Massamba Brazilian Dance Company based in Madison, Wisconsin. Sheba also teaches kid’s African & Afro-Carribbean dance classes at local schools in Madison through the Drum Power afterschool program. Sheba’s favorite dance styles are Samba Reggae, Axé & New York City Style Mambo on 2. Sheba loves to teach Salsa basics in any setting, including live music events, the club, private lessons, parties, etc. She hopes to continue to share her love of dance through teaching and performing for many years to come!

Valerie Hollnagel received her bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and has performed with several local dance companies including Li Chiao-Ping Dance, Kanopy Dance Company, and Performance Tech – Tim Glenn and Company. Her background and training include modern dance, ballet, jazz dance, Flamenco, hip-hop, and all types of partner or ballroom dancing. Valerie has taught children through adults in private lessons, lessons for couples, and group classes and is available for private lessons or private group classes upon request.