Jennifer Meeh
Dance Instructor/Executive Director
Jennifer has been involved in the performing arts since the age of 2. She began dancing with the New Prague Dance Company in 1980 where she studied, tap, ballet, jazz and pointe. She has won numerous dance competitions throughout her dancing career both as a group and soloist dancer.
After high school she continued to study dance at St. Olaf College where she graduated with a dance degree-concentrating on arts management. (She also studied economics.) There she studied and performed various forms of dance and theater including musical theater, modern, ballet and ballroom. She taught at many dance studios throughout the south metro to help put herself through school
When she graduated from St. Olaf Jennifer began a 10 year career with Wellsfargo as a mortgage banker. She continued to take adult dance classes as well as teaching and performing. Although her corporate career was her main focus, she never gave up her love of dance or her passion for the arts. After awhile she realized something was missing.
It was her love of dance and the arts that helped bring her success in life. She wanted to set an example for her children to follow their dreams and so she decided to quit her ‘real job’ and follow the dream she’s had since she was a little girl—to own a dance studio. Because of her wide experience in the arts-her dream of a performing arts academy was born.
Jennifer lives in New Prague with her husband Peter and their children Emma, Sofia, Max, Madeline and Stella. With her free time (with 5 kids she doesn’t have much) she enjoys traveling, reading and decorating her home. She hopes she can help your kids develop a love and appreciation of the arts!
Katie Phillips
Dance Instructor
Katie is originally from the Duluth-Superior area. She studied at the School of the Minnesota Ballet for many years before joining competition teams at Madill Dance Center. Her training included ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, modern/contemporary and tap before she moved to Minneapolis for college. Katie continued studying with the dance, theater and music departments at the University of Minnesota while earning a degree in history. She’s been in many theater, dance and musical theater productions, including “West Side Story” at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in History at the University of Minnesota. She has taught at SDA since 2008, and is thankful to have this opportunity to still be active in the performing arts. Katie and her husband, Jake, live near Minneapolis with their dog, Nova. In her spare time, Katie likes to bake, read, knit and crochet.
Mary Kate Gross
Dance Instructor
Mary Kate began dancing at the age of four and went on to dance for 14 years throughout grade school and high school. She studied tap, ballet, lyrical and jazz for eleven years with the New Prague Dance Company. After high school, Mary Kate attended the University of Minnesota Duluth and obtained a degree in Organizational Management and Minors in Communications and Foreign Studies. In addition, she was still able to find time to fit in a couple dance and theater classes while in college. Mary Kate currently works for the Department of Veterans Affairs in helping Veterans obtain the benefits they are entitled to due to their time in service. In her free time, Mary Kate likes to run, read and be a tourist, even if its in her own backyard. She is very excited to be with SDA this year as a teacher and looks forward to spending time with the kids every week.
Scott Deming
Guitar instructor
Scott’s education in music began at age 6 when he started taking piano lessons from a neighbor. At age 9, Scott picked up the guitar and it quickly became his focus. Mostly self taught, Scott dabbled in many different types of music ranging from jazz to hard rock and he has thoroughly enjoy passing along what he’s learned to others whether they are beginning or advanced players. Even after 20 years of playing the guitar, Scott still gets that same excited feeling when he learns something new and he hopes the same for his students. Piano lessons 1986-1993 classical compositions, basic music library. Guitar lesson 1992-1994 reading sheet music on guitar, songwriting fundamentals, refining soloing techniques.
Minneapolis community and technical college 1998-2000 music theory and composition, jazz guitar lessons and jazz and rock history.
Lessons include: Basic techniques and tuning the guitar, reading music notation, chords and strumming, reading tabiature and learning scales and strength exercises. Once these areas are covered, the lessons are tailored to provide a fun and rewarding experience for each individual student.
Nicole Lechner
Dance Instructor
Nicole danced with Kay Marie and Carol (KMC) School of Dance for 14 years, studying ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip-hop and musical theater. She danced competitively for ten years consistently earning stand-out dancer and high point awards. While dancing at KMC she also taught competition classes, small groups, solos, duets, and trios. She was a dance instructor at Jam Hops teaching ballet, jazz and tap. Nicole signed with KMA Agency and did auditions and shows in Minneapolis and Chicago. For three years she studied with Myron Johnson and his dance company, Ballet of the Dolls. She also worked with Grant Whitaker, associated with Ballet of the Dolls, teaching international conventions and camps for advanced students ranging from 14-18 years of age.
Natalia Cornelius
Music Instructor
Natalia was born March 12 in a warm place named Crimea, on the Black Sea, located in the south of the former USSR. She attended both regular and music school during her childhood.
After she graduated both schools she attended a music college in Simferopol – the capital of Crimea. At the end of her first year she was accepted into the Musical theatre orchestra as a cellist. She continued her education and played for four years. She then began teaching music for the next 3 years. After she was accepted to the Leningrad Institute of Culture (now St. Petersburg University of Art), she graduated with a Degree in conducting pop and jazz orchestra.
She has taught almost of her life in schools and has privately taught piano, cello and flute beginners as well as theory.
In 1999 she moved to the United States of America and has been teaching piano, cello, flute and music theory. She has one son and spends her free time painting and playing with her dog.
Shari Jezak
Dance Instructor
Shari Jezak has been dancing for 22 years, and she studied all styles of dance at Perry Woodard School of Dance in Bay City, Michigan. She was also on the competition team there for 4 years. Her favorite style is and always has been tap! While she believes the other styles are equally important for making a well-rounded dancer, tap has always been the most fun for her because it is so energetic and lively. She’s always been fascinated with the beats and drum-like sounds you can make with your feet! If she’s not in the dance studio, she’s either managing her family’s business in the Mall of America (The Amazing Mirror Maze! — check it out), catching up on her favorite shows, or jet-setting to Michigan and back visiting family and friends. As a performer, her favorite dance was a tap routine from a song from A League of Their Own. Their costumes were split up to look like two different baseball teams. The whole dance was structured to look like a competitive baseball game, but with lots of fast, impressive tapping! It was the most comfortable dance costume she’s ever worn and by far the most fun dance to perform for an audience.
She’s very happy to be teaching at SDA this year! She believes teaching dance is such a fun way to be creative and pass on the love of dance to kids who are anxious to learn new things. It’s very fulfilling to think her students might have a 22 year dance career ahead of them, just like her! The first few years of learning the basics of dance are crucial to becoming a talented dancer, and she’s thrilled to play a part in that by being their teacher!
If you’re craving some Shari trivia facts, her favorite dance movie is a short film called ―TAP HEAT. She loves sweet potato fries and just discovered sweet potato chips. She’s lived in four states in the past three years: Grand Rapids, Michigan; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois, and she now resides in Saint Louis Park. Phew!
Deane Tasler
Dance Instructor
Instructor Deane Tasler trained largely at Larkin Dance Studio, with a little help from the nice folks at Zenon. His training includes tap, jazz, hip-hop, a little ballet, and lots of musical theatre.
Deane has performed in nearly 20 shows with Ashland Productions, Lakeshore Players, Bloomington Civic Theatre, and on the main stage at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. There, he appeared as a twice-featured dancer in the tap-happy Anything Goes; as the cartwheeling rug in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; as Bernardo in West Side Story; as the sound engineer in Singin’ in the Rain; and as a featured tap dancer in Swing. He also had the great pleasure of joining the Metropolitan Ballet’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Agnes DeMille’s ‘Rodeo.’
Deane’s choreography credits include the musicals Aida, You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Werewolf, A Christmas Carol, Little Shop of Horrors, The Will Rogers’ Follies, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Grease, Anything Goes, Jack and the Beanstalk, and HONK! He is also a director and choreographer for Ashland Productions. His choreography at Maple Grove Senior High has been recognized at the annual Spotlight Awards.
Deane attended the 2006 Maui International Tap Festival in Hawaii. While there, he took classes from tap greats Yukiko Misumi, Grant Swift, Jimmie Payne, Jr., Mark Yonally, Chloe Arnold, and Jason Samuels Smith. More locally, he has taken class with Rick Ausland of Buckets and Tap Shoes, Anthony LoCascio, who appeared in Tap Dogs, and Phil Alesso.
In 2009, Deane won the Junior Division Choreography Award at International Dance Challenge in Minneapolis; and in 2011, the Senior Division Choreography Award at Bravo.
Happy tapping!
Besty Uttech
Singing Instructor
Betsy has been involved in the performing arts since a young child. She has a love for singing and performing. Throughout her childhood, teen years and adulthood she has performed in musicals, participated as a vocalist in various choral groups, and more recently has become the worship music co-leader with her husband at their church. Her husband is a Vocal Music Teacher in the Farmington School district and she loves that they share a common interest and love for the performing arts. They have a delightful little boy, named Benjamin. In her free time, Betsy enjoys photography, reading and spending time with loved ones.