Julie is proud to be the director of Dance Dynamics, now in it's thirteenth year! She has been teaching and choreographing all ages and disciplines of dance for the past 25 years. For five of those years, she was also the assistant director for Turning Point Dance Academy. It gives her great pleasure to share her passion for dance with eager students and help them become the people that are going to be. She has also done choreography for Point Dance Ensemble and the Central Wisconsin Area Community Theater. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, with a B.A. in both Dance & Interior Architecture. She performed in Danstage and Afterimages while at the university. She also had choreography featured in several Afterimages performances. While in college, she also performed and attended ACDFA workshops and performed in several student productions. She is an active member of the dance organizations Dance Masters of Wisconsin (DMW) and Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM). She has attended numerous workshops and studied with many great instructors with these organizations. She also became a certified dance educator (CDE) through them. She is originally from the Madison area where she danced in Wisconsin Dance Ensemble's semi-professional Nutcracker for 10 years in several different roles. Her early training was at Virginia Davis School of Dance. There she learned several dance styles, taught classes, performed at competitions and was highlighted as a soloist in the annual recital. Julie also performed and choreographed for several high school musicals.
Jesi Knightly
Jesi has been teaching dance with us for 11 years. She has done choreography for several Central Wisconsin's Children's Theater and Playhouse Theatre productions. Jesi is also Alumni of Point Dance Ensemble, and was a company member for 7 years. With PDE, she has performed with many organizations such as The Moving Architects in a Dance for Cancer performance, and has worked under numerous choreographers such as Jim Moore, Melinda Myers, Pamela Luedtke, and Susan Gingrasso. She grew up dancing at Turning Point Dance Academy & Dance Dynamics.
Leslie Trione
Leslie first started dance at the age of 4 in Hartland WI at To The Pointe. At the age of 11 she moved to 5678 Dance! Studio in Oconomowoc WI where she later started teaching at the age of 15. She has been trained in Ballet, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Jazz, Poms, Ballroom, Jazz Funk, Contemporary and Theatrical. She performed with a non profit traveling dance group called Rhythm! Dance Company for 4 years while serving as president for the group. She has been a guest choreographer for Oconomowoc Youth Cheer, Point Dance Ensemble and the Amherst High School Dance Team. She has also attended dance camps such as American Dance Training Camp where she received the “Outstanding Hip Hop Award”, and Sugar and Bruno where she was able to take classes from former contestants on So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars. In 2019, she helped jump start the Dance Dynamics Competition Team. She cant wait to start her 8th year teaching at Dance Dynamics!
Jenna Helgestad
Jenna graduated from the University Wisconsin Stevens Point with a major in dance. She has been trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, pointe, ballroom, and hip hop. She was a three year captain of her high-school's dance and pom team, and after graduating high-school has been assistant coaching and choreographing for the team for three years. Some of her other dance experience includes attending Badgerette Pom Camp, American Dance Training Camp, and Just For Kix Dance Intensive. She has won second place Outstanding Performer at a Badgerette competition, Outstanding Lyrical Dancer at American Dance Training Camp, and the Firecracker Award at Just For Kix. She also went on the Badgerette Hollywood Dance Adventure Tour. She feels she has a lot of fun and diverse training and ideas to bring into her classes. She is excited to be teaching here for her seventh year.
Nicholette West
Nicholette graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with honors in 2016 with a Major in Early Childhood Education and Minors in Dance and Special Education. Nicholette received a DMW scholarship in 2011 and has performed in the University’s Afterimages in 2011 and Artsbash in 2012 along with other informal University shows. Nicholette has danced since the age of 3 and is trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, and hip hop. Nicholette has taught dance since she was 16 years old taking a few years off recently due to COVID concerns but is excited to return to teaching this year. In addition to teaching dance she also teaches figure skating through private coaching and the learn to skate program in Stevens Point. Nicholette strives to create a safe positive learning environment to help enhance the dancer’s technique.
Paige Pieper
Paige started dancing when she was three years old at Turning Point Dance Academy and continued with us at Dance Dynamics. She is a junior at UW-Stevens Point and will be continuing to complete her degree in healthcare administration. Paige was inducted into the National Honor Society for the Dance Arts in the Junior program in 2016 and in the Secondary program in 2020. Paige has experience in Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern and Contemporary, and has choreographed several pieces for the studios competition team. Paige is excited to be back for her fourth year teaching as well as assisting with the competition team.
Abby Nickel
Abby is a junior at UWSP and started dancing when she was just 3 years old. Throughout her 16 years of dance, Abby has experience in Jazz, Hip-Hop, Ballet, Contemporary, and Tap. She was a part of the Ben Franklin Pom & Dance Team for three years. During her senior year of high school, Abby became a member of the first Dance Dynamics competition team. She was also inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Throughout the years, Abby has been a class demonstrator, as well has helped substitute teach at Dance Dynamics. Abby is extremely excited to share her passion for dance and teach the dancers at Dance Dynamics this year!
Ally Nickel
Ally started dancing at Dance Dynamics at the age of 3 and has danced for 16 years. She is a junior at UW- Stevens Point and will be continuing her degree in nursing. She was a member of Dance Dynamics Competition Team and was inducted in the National Honor Society for the Dance Arts. She was also a member of the Ben Franklin Pom & Dance Team. Ally has experience in Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap & Ballet. She has been class demonstrating as well as subbing for many classes throughout the years. Ally is very excited to share her love of dance while teaching this year at Dance Dynamics!
Max Nieman
This is Max’s senior year at Lincoln High School. This is also his eighth year dancing at Dance Dynamics. He has been a part of the Dance Dynamics Competition Team and Point Dance Ensemble for three years, where he has the pleasure of working with many dancers and choreographers. Max is set to attend American Musical and Dramatic Academy upon graduation. He has worked at the Boys and Girls Club of America where he taught a Dance Club for grades 1-5. He is very excited to make a splash as the studio's first male teacher.
Blair Odders
Blair is a senior at Stevens Point Area Senior High School. They started dancing when they were three years old at Turning Point Dance Academy and then moved to Dance Dynamics. They have studied modern, jazz, hip hop, ballet, pointe, and lyrical/contemporary. They were on the Ben Franklin Junior High Pom & Dance Team for two years and are now going into their second year on the Dance Dynamic’s Competition Team. They were previously a class demonstrator for Dance Dynamics and are very excited to teach this year and create a safe space for every child to express theirself through dance.
Emily Sweet
Emily is a Senior at Lincoln High School and is a
multi-disciplined dancer who has been dancing for over 16 years. While dancing in Virginia Beach, VA, she was
afforded incredible opportunities to perform alongside Dance professionals such
as Misty Copeland, Travis Wall, Denise Wall, Rory Freeman, Lex Ishinopo, and
the Birmingham Ballet Company to name a few.
She also had the pleasure to perform in the Moscow Ballet’s Great
Russian Nutcracker and Richmond Ballet Company Nutcracker performing as the
Russian Dancer on Pointe, Chinese Dancer, and several other roles. Emily was also accepted into the professional
ballet and modern dance training program at Virginia’s Governors School of the
Arts, which typically only accepts fewer than 5 students in the entire Hampton
Roads, Virginia area per year. Throughout
her career, she has been actively engaged as a Student Teacher, as well as
competing in numerous nationally recognized competitions, which resulted in her
receiving a myriad of top finishes, personal awards, judges’ awards,
scholarships, and national invites. Emily is extremely excited to be able to
share her love of dance, and to be able to teach and mentor the dancers at
Dance Dynamics!
Marissa Stolt
Marissa Stolt graduated from Pacelli High School and will be attending UW-Madison this Fall. She will be helping out with a few Dance Team pieces this year. She has been dancing with Dance Dynamics for over 10 years. She was a part of Point Dance Ensemble, where she has studied under numerous guest choreographers from all backgrounds of dance and has gained experience with creating and teaching dance choreography. She has previously class demonstrated for classes here at Dance Dynamics and has taught an introductory level dance course at the YMCA. She was a part of the Dance Dynamics competition team and is a member of the National Honor Society for the Dance Arts.