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Prodigy believes in the child first.
Come see us and learn the difference that everyone is talking about.
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THE
PRODIGY MISSION
Creativity is more than an expression of the moment. At Prodigy, we
believe that creativity in dance is an expression of what you will
become. Our mission is to teach the skills that foster confidence and
nurture the confidence that perfects the grace of character. Every
child is an individual, yet we are one dance family. Not only do we
teach each dancer to carry themselves with dignity, we also teach them
to carry each other.
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ABOUT
PRODIGY
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Prodigy
is proud to bring you a unique dance experience. From the
two-year old to the twenty-year old, Prodigy encourages the development
of each dancer through rigorous technique training, creative movement
exploration and choreography. The studio is structured so that
students are free to progress at their own rate. There are
companies and classes in tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop and lyrical.
All of the teachers are accomplished dancers and experienced
instructors with credits that include dancing in Europe,
Boston,
New York
City, Los Angeles and Chicago,
(take a look at our teacher biographies).
The Preschool dance program is one we are very proud of, they require
the greatest amount of patience and skill to teach, but it is so
important to make sure that the love for dance is present first.
We love to see them blossom from shy little 2 year olds, to confident
children who love to express themselves. Every year Prodigy holds
a separate spring performance for our preschool age dancers and other
fun and exciting events.
Our major performance each year is a Benefit Concert. We have
sponsored United Families and Best Buddies through "Operation Kids" and
the Spina Bifida Association of Utah at
Primary Children's Hospital. We look forward to sponsoring more
wonderful charities in the future. Our dance Companies perform at
other events throughout the year. You are
welcome to stop in anytime and watch a class. You'll be surprised
at the emphasis on the individual, and on the art form itself.
Children need to learn respectful ways to dance and express
themselves. For information on Prodigy's tuition, schedules,
registration or to arrange a private audition for Company, please
browse the website or give us a call. Or even better, stop by and
visit.
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STAFF BIOGRAPHIES
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JAMILYN
BELL--CO-OWNER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND JAZZ
Jamilyn Jardine Bell lives to dance and to share that
love with anyone who will watch and listen. Born
in Bismarck, North Dakota, by age three,
Jamilyn was already tapping her way through several dance classes. The love of dance followed Jamilyn to Utah where she became
one of the most accomplished cloggers in the state.
Through nine years of
competition, Jamilyn won local, state and national championships! Her dances won the overall Grand National
Championship in short duet and freestyle. She
was also part of the Rocky Mountain All American Team.
Professional training
in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Tumbling (Cheer) and Modern dance followed.
Jamilyn’s
high school experience included being selected for three consecutive
years to Alta’s Dance Company. She
was also Head Varsity Cheerleader, choreographing routines and dances,
including three end-of-year performances with Dance Company.
In 2002, Jamilyn
entered the University of Utah.
She auditioned for and
was selected into the school’s nationally ranked Department of
Modern Dance. During this time, Jamilyn
was privileged to learn from master teachers including; Brent
Schneider, Kaye Richards, Stephen Koester and Eric Handman. These opportunities broadened her skills in
Folk Dance, Pilates, Modern, African, Ballet, Kinesiology and
Improvisational Dance. Jamilyn was
selected to perform in several concerts and choreographed a piece for
Senior Concert. The University experience
also taught Jamilyn all aspects of lighting, costuming and most
importantly, teaching and sharing all dance forms with children.
In her senior
year, Jamilyn was honored to be selected as an Arts Bridge Scholar. Only one student from each of the fine
Arts’ colleges receives this distinction. She
received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Utah in May 2008 with
a major in Modern Dance and a minor in Health Education.
At this time, she also
received her teaching certification.
According to
Jamilyn, dance is the purest form of expressing life and life’s
experiences. “I love dance and what
it can do to improve self esteem in young people! It
teaches discipline, teamwork, accountability and how to have fun in a
structured setting. I have taught in many
places; Hidden Valley Dancers, Salt Lake County Recreation programs,
Jordan School District, Calvert School of Dance, Children’s Dance
Theater (where I worked with the Dancers with Disabilities program and
Arts in Education) just to name a few. Now
I’m thrilled to be part of the Prodigy legacy.
I love this place and
I can’t wait to welcome back dancers I’ve come to know and
love from previous years, while anxiously anticipating the new faces
that will make up the 2008-2009 Prodigy Family!”
JENNIFER
WUNDERLI--CO-FOUNDER
Jennifer grew up in a small college town
close to Boston and only a
few hours away from New York City.
Visiting both cities often to attend the ballet, opera, Broadway
musicals, the theatre and art museums, instilled in Jennifer a lifelong
passion and commitment to the performing arts. Jennifer has
danced with studios all over New England,
studied at numerous workshops and conventions such as the famous
"Jacobs Pillow" in Hanover New
Hampshire. She majored in dance at the University
of Utah, were she met her
"very supportive" husband, Steve (he is the best backstage help there
is, but he is not for hire!) Much of Jennifer's life has been
spent serving children, from teaching the physically challenged and
volunteering at the local YMCA as a teenager, to the numerous and
diverse boards she has served on. Each effort had one thing in
mind: the welfare of children. Some were underserved
populations like the school children and orphans in Africa;
others were Downs Syndrome kids who wanted to learn to dance, still
others were average neighborhood kids who needed someone to help them
fulfill their dreams. Students of Jennifer's have gone on to
dance at major colleges and dance companies of note, but the students
she is most proud of are the ones who developed a stronger sense of
self, a better appreciation for the arts, and an ability to handle the
spotlight in life when it demands character. Where there is a need in
our community, you will generally find Jennifer, most likely
accompanied by her students. "Dance is a perfect way to improve a
child's life," Jennifer says, "It’s challenging physically
and mentally, developing the individual, while teaching her to be an
unselfish part of the bigger picture; the performance.”
JACKIE MOORE --C0-FOUNDER/OWNER/BUSINESS DIRECTOR
Jackie is very organized. Prodigy
would not "run" smoothly without her. Jackie has an extensive
background in office management. For 16 years Jackie was part
owner and office manager of BRW frozen foods, a very successful
business that was bought out in 2002 by Dreyer’s Ice Cream.
Now as a business director for Prodigy, she loves spending time with
the girls, the parents and a wonderful staff. "Having great
parents and a staff that does their job well makes my job much
easier." Jackie is looking forward to a fun and exciting future
at Prodigy.
Jackie grew up in Salt
Lake City. She has 3 wonderful boys and 2
great daughter-in-laws. She has dedicated most of her life to
being involved with her boys and all of the sports they have
participated in. She has worked with many youth groups, creating
and organizing activities and social events.
LEISL ALLEN--COMPANY JAZZ AND PRESCHOOL
Leisl Allen
has been dancing for 20 years. Leisl is a
versatile dancer, trained in various disciplines including jazz,
ballet, lyrical, hip hop, and novelty. She has danced at various
studios including Ballet Works, The Ballet School and Masquerade Dance
Studio. She has also trained extensively in New
York City and Los Angeles
and has attended numerous conventions and workshops in Utah
and throughout the United States.
While in High School she enjoyed the time she spent performing with the
Drill teams and Dance Companies for 3 years, two of which she was
captain. After graduating from High School, Leisl
was an assistant drill team coach for one year. Leisl has performed at many events, including
festivals, The Olympics, Charity Galas, and competitions. She
also helped create Sojourn Dance Company, now sponsored by Prodigy, for
advanced dancers ages 18 and up. Although, Leisl
loves to dance and perform, her main passion is to teach. In her
classes she finds it important to implement fun and creativity.
As she teaches and strengthens her student's technique, she also finds
it important to encourage confidence, self motivation, dedication, hard
work and showmanship. She believes these, along with technique
and style, are the key elements for dancers to have the best experience
possible. Leisl is married and has
three adorable children.
ELYSHA
BLACK--COMPANY JAZZ, LYRICAL AND HIP HOP
Elysha has had over ten years of professional
training in ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and tap. She has been
teaching for over 7 years and has loved every minute of it. Elysha has trained and performed all over the
country including Hawaii,
California,
Las Vegas, Florida
and on various Cruise Lines. She has trained under teachers
including Danny Thompson, Bonnie Story, Tamara Squires, and various
professional teachers in New York
and L.A. She was
selected to be part of the "shoot" in LA under the direction of Dee Caspary and the LA Dance Magic staff. She
was selected to perform with Odyssey in "Thriller"
and was then hired by Odyssey and Jeffrey Berk
Productions to be part of an elite company of dancers called "LiveWire" which performed all over Salt
Lake
representing the Mayor and his theme "Light up the Night." This
brought many media opportunities where she appeared on multiple news
stations and the Good Things Utah show. She has taught master
dance classes in L.A.
under the direction of Danny Thompson and has won multiple awards at
competitions, including "sweetheart" from I Love Dance Competition,
where she got to represent Utah
in a Las Vegas show.
She continues to perform all over the valley in events such as
pageants, conventions, and benefit concerts. She helped form the
company Sojourn where she continues to perform and choreograph solo and
group routines with her emphasis in Lyrical. She is passionate
about teaching, performing and sharing her love for dance, "Whatever
you want to do, do it! There are only so many tomorrows."
DRU POWERS—COMPANY JAZZ
Dru comes from a family of six girls who all
danced, so dancing has been an integral part in her life. Dru received her training in ballet, jazz and
lyrical at Salt Lake
Dance
Center.
During her many years there she was a part of the advanced jazz and
ballet companies with which she competed in several national dance
competitions each year. She received the top award at the competition
“I Love Dance” called the “Sweetheart” award
and was asked to travel to New York
to perform with the other winners/representatives from each of the
states. She also traveled with these companies to San
Francisco, L.A.
and Florida for various
workshops and performances. Dru performed
in Ballet West’s production of the Nutcracker three consecutive
years. At the age of 15 Dru spent a summer
in Seattle training at Pacific
Northwest Ballet Academy
where she spent 8 hours a day in ballet, jazz and character classes. At
Olympus
High School
she was the president of the Dance Company her senior year in
1999-2000. Upon graduation from high school she began teaching. She has
taught at Salt Lake
Dance
Center,
Jazz Tech Studios in Park City,
Clayton Productions, Silhouette Dance, and will now be returning for
her second year at Prodigy. One of the performances that is most memorable for Dru
is the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt
Lake City. For this production she worked with
nationally known choreographers Kenny Ortega and Bonnie Story. She is
now a member of Sojourn and has had the opportunity to perform at the
Dew Tour, Outdoor Retail Convention, many community events, concerts
and benefits as well as perform alongside the well-known LDS artists
Alex Boye and Jessie Clark Funk.
NICOLE MIDKIRK--COMPANY JAZZ
Nicole
was born and raised in Salt Lake City,
UT
where she developed
the passion for dance at a young age of 3. She
has received her training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, and
Hip-Hop from various studios across the Salt Lake Valley including: Salt Lake Dance Center, Dance Attack, and
Razz-Ma-Tazz Academy, where she performed and competed across the state
of
Utah. In high school Nicole was able to
express her love for dance while being a member of the Kearns High
Dance
Company and Drill Team. As an officer of
the Drill Team Nicole helped lead her team to receive the first ever
first place
award in the history of the school. As a
member of the Dance Company, Nicole had the opportunity to choreograph
for the
local Jr. High School Dance Companies to perform in their Spring Show. Nicole was also accepted into the
Ririe-Woodbury
Jr. Dance Company, where she received professional training in Modern
Dance.
“Dance has helped me through many troubling times in my life. And no matter what happens in life, I always
find my place on the dance floor.”
SHEENA M. BREINHOLT--BALLET
Sheena Breinholt was born in Salt
Lake City, Utah. She began her dance training at the age of
four, studying intensively in ballet and jazz at private studios, which
she continued to do until her graduation from high school.
While in high school
Sheena discovered another aspect of her dancing when she began to
choreograph for her high school dance company. Her
choreography took her to the district level where she received high
acclaim. Following her passion for the art
of dance she was accepted into the University
of Utah’s nationally
ranked Modern Dance Department, and as a freshman received one of two
Elizabeth R. Hayes full tuition scholarships. Within
the Modern Dance Department she performed with the department’s
acclaimed semi-professional company, Performing Dance Company. She also performed and choreographed for
Ballet Showcase and Senior Concert. Her
studies within the program included Modern, Ballet Technique, Pilates,
Composition, Kinesiology, Dance History, Dance Theory and Music. In 2006 Sheena received her B.F.A. in Modern
Dance with an emphasis in Performance and Choreography.
Sheena
has also had extensive teaching experience here in Salt
Lake. She has taught creative movement in the public
school system, and has taught and choreographed in private studios in Salt
Lake
and Park City. Her teaching philosophy, particularly in
Ballet, is to combine formal technical training with individual
inspiration to create a firm yet nurturing atmosphere in her classes. While teaching here at Prodigy continues to be
a source of fulfillment and creativity, Sheena continues her own dance
training and artistic exploration by taking various dance classes
around Salt Lake
and performing in different free-lance projects.
SHELLEY ELGGREN SWAPP--BALLET, PRESCHOOL, TAP
Shelley
grew up studying, performing and competing in tap, ballet, jazz, modern
and ballroom dance for nearly 20 years with companies such
as, Moving On, Buckles & Bows, Alta High School Ballroom
Company and the University of Utah Ballroom Dance Team. She has
performed throughout the state and competed in various local, national
and world dance championships. She has been teaching for over 17
years! Her experience includes teaching ballet for the Patty
Eisenhower School of Dance in Franklin, MA while also teaching and
coordinating preschool dance programs in Bellingham, MA. Later,
she taught and administered ballet and tap classes for two studios in
Falls Church, VA. She has also taught adapted dance classes for
Hartvigsen School in Salt Lake County. Since returning to Utah in
2004, she has taught ballet, technique, jazz and tap for studios across
the valley.
Shelley
has a special place in her heart for preschool and beginning dance
classes. She feels strongly that proper dance technique
introduced in a fun, disciplined and healthy environment develops a
foundation for a lifetime love of dance! Shelley is married to a
wonderful man and has 4 crazy (and wonderful) kids!
LINDSAY
PORTER--BALLET
Currently,
Lindsay is finishing up her senior year at the
University of Utah’s Department of Ballet. She will graduate with
a performance
emphasis in her field. Lindsay began her dance training at the age of
three
with Judi Pressick; there her love for dance began and grew. After the
sixth
grade, Lindsay decided to take her training to another level. She
started to
attend a pre-professional program, the Flint Institute of Performing
Arts, and
continued training there until she graduated high school. Throughout,
her
training she has had many opportunities to work with some amazing
people. This
list of people includes John Magnus, Judy Rice, Darrell Moultrie, Kevin
Thomas
and other accomplished people. She has also attended numerous summer
intensives,
such as the Joffery Midwest Workshop and the Grand Rapids Ballet Summer
Intensive. Although, ballet has always been Lindsay’s focus she
has had some
minimal training in tap, as well as some more extensive training in
modern
dance. Lindsay is enjoying teaching at
Prodigy and working with her students. Lindsay is looking forward to
the future
and what will come next for her and her husband.
CHLOE LANGLEY--BALLET
She received much of her
early dance training at ADX
where she was a student for twelve years and a member of the
apprenticeship program from 2000-2007. Chloé has studied ballet,
tap, jazz, hip hop, tumbling, West African dance, Ballet
Folklorico, Flamenco, and especially modern dance. Chloé competed with ADX's xtremeDancers for ten
years and was a member of Images Contemporary Dance Company and FIRE!
and was named 2006-2007 Adrenaline Dance
Regional Miss Adrenaline and was selected as a 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and
2008-2009 member of the Adrenaline Dance Crew.
Chloé
is attending the University of Utah where she was awarded the Etta Keith Eskridge and
George P. Bowers Scholarships. She is pursuing a dual major in Modern
Dance and Applied Mathematics.
TESSA
LANGLEY--TAP, HIP HOP
Tessa is a 2008 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing
and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas where she received high
honors in dance and academic high honors as well as the Dance
Coordinator's Award. She received an Honorable Mention in West African
Dance from the NFAA Presidential Scholar in the
Arts competition for 2007-2008. Tessa was a three year
member of the African Dance Ensemble and was a rehearsal captain for
the 2007-2008 year at BTW.
She received her early dance training at ADX in Grand Prairie, Texas where she was a
student for thirteen years and a member of the apprenticeship program
from 2000-2008. She has studied ballet, modern, tap, jazz, hip hop, and
tumbling. In addition, she has studied various forms of ethnic dance
including West African, Ballet Folklórico, Flamenco, Hawaiian,
and Tahitian dance. Tessa competed with the xtremeDancers from
1999-2008 and was a member of Images Contemporary Dance Company, FIRE!
and Águilas Azteca Ballet Folklórico and was selected was
selected as a 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 member of the Adrenaline Dance
Crew.
Tessa is currently a student at the University of Utah where she is pursuing a
major in Modern Dance.
JULIE
JEPPSEN-BOYE—COMPANY JAZZ AND HIP HOP
Julie has danced since she was little,
but got seriously involved at about age 15. She studied ballet
under the direction of Janet Gray for 6 years and did gymnastics at
Salt Lake Gymnastics for 5 years. After participating in the
Olympus High Dance Company for 3 years and Drill team for one, she
danced with Weber State
University
for one year on their dance line. She was privileged to be apart
of the 2002 Paralympic Opening Ceremonies,
performing with various artists such as Donny Osmond and Stevie Wonder. Julie also danced at the
Summer Jams Post-Party at Club Vesuvius for Snoop Dogg
and Dr. Dre. After returning from an
LDS mission in Asuncion Paraguay,
Julie was involved with Odyssey Dance Theater and received advanced
instruction from Bonnie Story at the University
of Utah, where Julie also
received her BA in Psychology and Spanish. Currently, she is
teaching Hip Hop and Jazz at Prodigy Dance Studio under the direction
of Jennifer Wunderli. Julie performs
with several professional dancers in a group called Sojourn. She
has taken professional classes in Los Angeles
and Salt Lake City and has
had the great privilege to be a part of Benefit Concerts and service
performances. "Dancing is what I love most and it is an honor to
share my talent with others!"
KIM
LAMBOURNE--SECRETARY
Kiim is from southern New
Hampshire and has worked in corporations in Massachusetts
and New Hampshire for
many years. She has 2 boys in their teens, and enjoys all the
sports and activities they are involved in. However, she does
need her girl time and that is what brought her to Prodigy. Kim
has been the secretary at Prodigy for 5 years. She enjoys working
with the teachers and especially taking care of the students
daily. “It is truly a pleasure to come to work. I do
remember the experiences I had as a dancer of 15 years and the great
memories I treasure."
Kim's responsibilities are secretarial and that of keeping an office
organized. She even unplugs toilets when needed. An office
must run smoothly and Prodigy does just that. Kim loves the
students and enjoys her work at Prodigy.
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