Rachael:
When Rachael was three years old, she asked her mom to enroll her in dance classes and hasn’t stopped moving since. Throughout her life, she became intrigued by many activities: singing, playing music, reading and writing, but dance always took priority. Through her experiences choreographing swing, ballroom, modern and contemporary dance styles, Rachael discovered the joy of sharing her passion for moving creatively. Despite working towards her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Spanish at DePaul University, she has found herself back in the dance studio again and again! Whether it be teaching swing dance at Chicago universities, choreographing contemporary and modern dance pieces, or just dragging her friends out to social dance events around the city, Rachael always moves forward in her goal to show others this source of self-expression and inhibition that she has always enjoyed herself.

Lydia:
Ever since Lydia was young, dance has been a mainstay in her life. Starting ballet at age 4 and having her first ballet recital in her living room, she began her lifelong passion for movement and performance. All throughout high school, she studied ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance. It wasn’t until she choreographed her first dance that she realized she wanted dance to remain a focus in her life. She decided to move to Chicago and study dance full time at Columbia College Chicago. During her time at Columbia, she has focused primarily on modern dance, but she also enjoys exploring all kinds of movement, whether it be ballroom, contact improvisation or afro-contemporary.

Cathy:
Born to move, Cathy started walking at the early age of nine months, and at the age of two, started her first ballet class. She continued to study a wide variety of dance styles from tap to lyrical to African, and the more she learned, the more dance and movement became a source of inspiration and an outlet for creativity in her life. In high school, Cathy quickly became the assistant choreography for all of the musical productions and went on to achieve a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Columbia College Chicago with a minor in dance. It was in these years, through her experiences coaching others, that she discovered her joy for inspiring others to express themselves creatively and to connect with the world around them.