Mynda grew up in Michigan where she danced with Lansing Ballet Company and Ann Arbor Civic Ballet. She studied under Lee Ann King (Former president of Cecchetti Council of America) and became certified in Cecchetti method. Mynda also trained in Vaganova method under Susan Vaughn and Stan Godfrey. Her jazz training led to working with Gus Giordano (God-Father of Jazz Dance) and performing his choreography. Mynda danced with Chicago City Ballet under the tutelage Maria Tallchief, Marjorie Tallchief, Hans Homer Byant, Allegra Kent, Joel Hall, and Dan Duell. After starting a family, she became a member of a professional dinner theater troupe and then opened her own dance studio Variations in Dance. Along with teaching ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and Pilates, Mynda has choreographed floor routines for gymnastics trained gymnasts in ballet and jazz techniques. She is a licensed and certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) instructor. Mynda is a certified Reiki Master and Level Two Healing Touch Practitioner offering Healing Touch sessions. She has volunteered for Hospice care for over 17 years. Currently, Mynda is a choreographer for Children's Theater of Madison’s (CTM) Summer Stage programs, a ballet instructor at Tutu School in Sun Prairie, and is a leader in Praise Dance ministry at Christ The Solid Rock, where she is a member. Mynda’s passions for dance, community, and service led her to create Variations Dance in Madison. Her mission is to create a space where all students are welcome, supported, and developed to their greatest potential.

Dara Zahorik is a dance major at University of Wisconsin-Madison pursuing a BFA in dance, BS in Educational Policy Studies, and certificate in Pilates. Dara is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and has been dancing for 16 years, training in styles including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip hop, and African diasporic movement. She was a member of a Louisville-based modern dance company: Vandiver Ford Dance Company (VFDC), a teacher and choreographer at Louisville Dance Alliance, and a Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts graduate. At UW-Madison, Dara serves as Vice President of the Dance Department Student Organization (DDSO) and a Cohort Representative of the UW-Madison Dance Department. She also competes with Dance Elite, UW-Madison’s official club dance team, performing at UW sporting events and competitions. During her time with the dance department, Dara has performed in Jin Wen Yu’s concert Resonate (2024), the H’Doubler Student Concert (2024), and two Faculty Concerts (2023, 2024), as well as trained at the DanceFest Akropoditi Festival Intensive (Summer 2024). As a dance educator, Dara is dedicated to creating a safe, challenging, and inclusive environment that fosters a lifelong love of dance!

Miss Juliette is from Arlington Heights, Illinois. She started dancing at the age of three years old. She has studied ballet, tap, modern, and jazz. She has a minor in dance from Southern Illinois University and danced with the Southern Illinois Dance Company throughout her college years as a member and choreographer for the company. She was also a competitive baton twirler for 16 years winning many Illinois State and Midwest Regional titles along with placing top five at the National Baton Twirling Championships. Juliette was a member and now, assistant coach of the National and World Champions, Silver Knights Baton Twirling Corps. She is very excited to share her love of dance with young dancers today.

Elizabeth started dancing at age 4. She has performed a variety of roles in Wisconsin Dance Ensemble’s (now Dance Wisconsin) Nutcracker, Peter Rabbit, La Fille mal Gardee, and Coppelia. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2003 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business & Economics from Northland College in 2005. She danced with the American National Ballet in Duluth, MN from 2004-06. She started teaching in 2005 in Minnesota. She is a member of Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM).

Celina graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2020 earning a BFA in Dance and Arts Management under the direction of Joan Karlen, Michael Estanich, Jeannie Hill, Pamala Luedtke and Sarah Olson, with additional summer training intensives at Milwaukee Ballet, Madison Ballet, Kanopy Dance, and Madison Contemporary where she was a company member. Additionally, she was a member of the UW-Stevens Point Dance Team performing at sporting events and competitions. Celina’s passion for dance began at the age of 5 at the Stoughton Center for the Performing Arts under Coleen Kehl. She enjoyed many years of competitive dance and training opportunities in Chicago and New York City where she studied at Broadway Dance Center, Steps On Broadway, Ripley-Grier Studios and has taken classes with the Radio City Rockettes. Celina is passionate about theater dance and makeup artistry. She has been a soloist in many productions with StageWorks Projects, Dracula, The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, and danced with Madison Ballet’s, The Nutcracker. She has received extensive training in ballet, point, jazz, tap, contemporary, modern, lyrical, musical theater, hip-hop, African dance and pom. Celina enjoys the creative freedom of expression and art through dance movement. She is excited to share this passion with her students, while helping them grow their talents, in a comforting and encouraging environment. Celina looks forward to a fantastic season with Variations Dance Academy!

Originally from East Troy, Wisconsin, Laura trained at the Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy for 9 years, studying the Cecchetti Method under the direction of Rolando Yanes and Michael Pink. While attending the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Laura continued to perform as a member and choreographer of Kathy Gorman’s Kinesis Dance Theatre. For nearly a decade, Laura taught for the La Crosse Area Family YMCA’s Dance Program, receiving significant mentorship from long-standing director, Tammy Addleman. During this time, Laura led the Y Performance Groups and eventually served as the director of the program until 2023. Laura is a certified dance judge through the Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches, as well as a member of the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, where she was awarded the 2019 Merit Scholarship. In addition, she has received several honors and recognitions for her choreography, including being awarded the 2022 Regional Choreographer of the Year by Platinum National Dance Competition. Laura currently works for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dance Department, where she enjoys working closely with the faculty, students, and guest artists.

I started at the age of three at WSPA in Madison, Wisconsin. At 12 years of age, I won a scholarship to dance at Joe Tremaine's studio in Hollywood, CA. I started teaching at the age of 13 many genres of dance including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop. I have traveled all over the United States and Europe performing and competing. I traveled with a dance company and performed in Russia, Denmark, and Alaska at the age of 15. I have trained and worked with Joe Tremaine, Doug Caldwell, Jackie Sleight, Marcia Lane, Dave Carter, and Mia Michaels. My choreography has won national awards over the years at many national and regional competitions. I have taught for over 40 years all diAerent ages and levels. I have also done commercials as well. In the summers I would train at Joe Tremaine studio in Hollywood, California.