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Sue Bareis has been a dance instructor at Rec & Ed longer than any one else in her department. With an impressive 20 years of teaching Ballroom dancing, she still loves what she does. "Teaching dance is a joy, I have been able to see the transformation from beginning student to accomplished dancer many times over and it is still a wonderful experience!" Sue teaches Ballroom Dance. |
Couples Dance
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Debra Carver has been dancing to country music for 15 years. She first learned The Watermelon Crawl. She began attending classes, and after six months she joined the dance team. During this time she competed as a soloist and as a member of the team. For the last year of there dance team, she was the coach and business manager. Debra has been teaching for about 10 years now in Belleville and also teaches in Farmington Hills.
“I love dance and want everyone to love it the way I do. It doesn’t matter if you get the steps right, as long as your having fun. I wish everyone could feel the same as I do, and that is – Dance like no one is watching!”
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Line Dancing |
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Yung-Lien Chang began studying dance in Taiwan at the age of 4. She studied ballet, jazz, tap, and Chinese folk. She has experience teaching adults as well as children, which she currently teaches in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. A previous student, Dorte Junker says, "Instructor Chang is very spirited and spontaneous. She adapts to the level of the student."
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Tap
Jazz
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Tim Constant is a resident dance instructor for Delta Dancesport, Plymouth Canton Community Education, and Ann Arbor Rec and Ed.
In addition to teaching, choreography, and training in dance Tim also competes in national level dance competitions. At the 2002 Midwest Invitational Dance Championships, Tim and his students took 10 first place awards in the Pro-Am Division. In 2003 Tim and his students took 6 first place awards at the Michigan Dance Challenge. Then in 2004 he took first place in the Strictly Hustle and Hustle Jack & Jill Divisions at the Motor City Jam Dance Championships.
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Couples Dance |
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Dorian Deaver has over 30 years of experience as a professional DJ, and ballroom dance coach. In 1996 he received the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) Associate Certificate, and continues his own professional training with world class coaches.
Refer to the Dancing with Dorian site for his complete biography! |
Couples Dance
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Diane Dudley, our very dynamic and experienced creative movement teacher, has worked for Rec & Ed's First Steps and Cultural Arts Departments since 1999. In addition to teaching and raising four children, she manages to find time to be the Make A Wish Fundraiser Coordinator. Dianna says that she likes teaching parent/child classes because "I love watching the parents learn with their children and bond through active play." |
Creative Dance |
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Dianna Edmonson has been dancing ballet for over 20 years and danced with a small local company in Detroit for a few years. She has had extensive training and earned teaching certificates in Grades I, II, and III in the Cecchietti Council of America method of ballet. Currently she is training for Grade IV.
For more information, click here to be redirected to our ballet page. |
Ballet
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Nancy Goings (a.k.a. Nashira) has been involved in Middle Eastern dance for nearly 30 years. She has been a member of Troupe Ta'Amullat in Ann Arbor since 1977. Nancy has taken workshops from many well known dancers in the US and Canada and has traveled to Morocco and Turkey to study ethnic folk dances. She has taught Belly Dancing for Rec & Ed for nearly two years. She says that she "loves getting new students started on the path to loving this form of dance as much as she does."
For more information, click here to be redirected to our Belly Dance page. |
Belly Dance |
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Kelly Hunter-Bryner teaches parent-child classes throughout Ann Arbor for a number of organizations. She is the mother of two and has enjoyed participating in Rec and Ed's dance classes with her own daughter. Kelly has a strong love of music and movement and was heavily involved in musical dance theater productions throughout high school in her native California. Her interests include studying childhood development and she strives to include movement and activities in her classes that promote proper physical development. Kelly is happy to join Rec and Ed's dance staff and share her enthusiasm for music, movement, and child development with the community. |
Creative Dance |
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Beverly Robinson received her B.A. in Dance from Bowling Green State University and a M.F.A. in Dance from The University of Michigan. She has been teaching creative movement, ballet, tap and jazz to all ages in a variety of studios settings. Bev can occasionally be found teaching ballroom dance in Tecumseh where she resides with her husband and two boys.
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Tap
Jazz |
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Judy Seldin teaches a variety of fun contemporary dances to elementary school children. She is well-known at Eberwhite as the annual SockHop Coordinator, where she teaches dances of the decades. She enjoys working with kids and her goal is to create a high-energy, fun-filled experience for all participants. Judy has an 9-year-old daughter and also works as a counselor in private practice.
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Youth Dance
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Louise Tamres
“Louise makes you feel good about dancing, she stresses it’s not about being perfect or doing it right, but about dancing in a way that works for you.” Teri Murphy
“Louise is an excellent teacher – this is as far as I’ve ever gotten in a dance class. She’s made it very enjoyable! Something I’d like to pursue.” Steve Merritt
“Instructor is knowledgeable and class was fun – Great introduction.” Norma L. Beauchamp
“Our instructor made me feel very comfortable – I really enjoyed learning social dance and highly recommend this class. Louise is very inspirational!” Elaine Ledwon-Robinso |
Couples Dance
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Gina Danene Thompson received her dance certificate from San Francisco City College. Her techniques include Graham and Horton based Modern Afro Haitian classical ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap and street funk. She has been the Artistic Director of Project Universal Reflection (Pure) Dance ensemble since 2002. In addition to her work as a choreographer and dance instructor, Gina is an exercise instructor for Pilates, yoga, and dance. Gina directed the Dance Showcase for Rec & Ed last Fall.
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Hip Hop
Jazz |
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Amy Thurlow has been dancing her whole life. She is currently attending WCC and specializes in Jazz, Modern, lyrical and Ballet, with a little Hip Hop, and African thrown in for flavor.
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Youth Dance |
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Mary Weed (a.k.a. Zahra) has performed and taught throughout the USA and Canada, and is artistic director and featured soloist of Troupe Ta’amullat. An instructor, performer, researcher and choreographer. She brings a personal interpretation to such diverse areas as danse orientale, traditional and modern folklore, North African dances, and Near Eastern inspired interpretive works. She has extensive training in other classical and ethnic dance forms.
While under her co-directorship with Pauline Costianes/Ghalia, Troupe Ta’amullat became the first Near Eastern dance troupe recognized by the Arab Cultural Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), the Detroit International Institute and OmniArts in Education, and The Michigan Daily calls her “A natural and gifted dancer.”
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Belly Dance
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Anna Zielinski is from Okemos, MI and has been Irish Step Dancing for 11 years. Most of her dancing has been with the Quinn School of Irish Dance in Marshall, MI. She has participated in many competitions all over the midwest, including Oireachtas (Regionals). Currently she is a sophomore at the University of Michigan where she is manager of the Leim Irish Dance group.
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Irish Step Dancing
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Nina Lavi is is experienced in ballet, jazz, and pointe. She has performed in 6 studio-wide recitals at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. She has taught dance for several years in the Ann Arbor area. |
Youth Dance
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