Kenosha Academy of Dance, Music, Drama

Annie Hackett, Artistic Director

Ms. Hackett is the owner and artistic director of the Kenosha Academy of Dance, Music & Drama. She is an adjunct professor of dance at Carthage College (Kenosha, WI) and has been a guest teacher at Columbia College and Roosevelt University (Chicago, IL). Ms. Hackett also teaches workshops and master classes all over Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Her students have been accepted into dance programs with The American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Chicago, and the Chicago Civic Ballet.

Her choreography has been seen at Chicago area theaters such as, Porchlight Music Theater, The Baliwick Repertory Theater, The Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, Northlight Performing Arts Center and The Paramount Arts Center. She has also choreographed for Carnival Cruise Lines and many industrial shows for organizations like State Farm, Pepsi, Give Kids the World, and Kraftmaid.

Locally she has choreographed multiple productions for Bradford High School and Carthage College.

Ms. Hackett has performed in many productions at theaters such as The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre, The Drury Lane Oakbrook, The Drury Lane Evergreen Park, Theatre at the Center, and the Fireside Playhouse. Other work includes regional theatre productions in New York and Florida, and industrial shows nationwide. She was a company member of the Zodiac Dance Company, the Buffalo Inner City Ballet, and the corps de ballet of the Greater Buffalo Opera Company.

After attending SUNY Buffalo, she was awarded a scholarship to study at Broadway Dance Center in New York City.

Ms. Hackett hopes to continue to share her passion for dance and inspire students of all ages.

Susan Myers

Susan Ojala Myers has been teaching and dancing for more than 20 years. A beautiful performer, she had the opportunity to dance with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Momenta, the resident performing arts company of The Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park, IL.

She then moved to New Jersey where she focused on teaching. While in New Jersey, she taught at both Dance Forum South and Mays Landing Dance Works. In addition, she was a regular guest artist at Chartertech School for the Arts.

A very patient and gifted teacher of young dancers, Susan helped create and teach an after-school enrichment program in the Absecon Public Schools. She also started a ballet program at the Ocean City Arts Center, an independent non-profit organization.

Susan holds a BA in Dance Performance from Northern Illinois University. She began her dance training at age nine at the Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park, IL. While in Chicago, she had the honor of studying with Stephanie Clemens, Joseph Holmes, Randy Duncan, Joel Hall, Randall Newsom, Judith Chitwood and Ernestine Stodelle, among others. Susan began her college career at CalArts, and while in Los Angeles was able to learn from Bella Lewitsky, John Pennington and Laurence Blake. Susan returned to the Midwest in 2007, her 20th year of teaching.

Valerie Gonzalez

Valerie Gonzalez received her MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from New York University-Tisch School of the Arts and BA in Dance from Western Michigan University. She has served on the faculty of several diverse New York and Chicago area studios where she taught Jazz, Modern and Ballet. Most recently, Valerie served as a guest artist in the dance department of WMU. She has trained and performed with notable companies such as Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago II, River North Chicago Dance Company, Chicago Arts Project, Joel Hall Dancers, and TJ & Co. Dance Theatre. She has choreographed for the Second Avenue Dance Company, TJ & Co. Dance Theatre, Terpsichore Dance Company as well as numerous high school musicals and orchesis groups. Valerie's experiences have allowed her to perform across the country and internationally. Valerie shapes her classes as a means to provide an outlet for personal and artistic expression.

Faith Mitchell

Faith Mitchell is an exquisite performer, innovative choreographer, and passionate teacher. Beginning her training at a young age Ms. Mitchell has stayed committed to her passion for dance by continuously achieving new levels of expertise and training. She now holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from San Francisco State University, a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and is a Certified STOTT Pilates Instructor who specialized in Essential to Advanced Matwork, Prenatal Pilates, & Injury Rehabilitation and Prevention.

With over 25 years of experience, Ms. Mitchell has studied, instructed, and performed all over the United States. She has had the privilege of working with world-renowned artists such as; Frank Hatchet, Arturo Fernandez, Albirda Rose, and Wendy Diamond. Additionally, Ms. Mitchell's extensive list of accolades includes Gainesville Ballet, GA; Embaje Dance Company, CA; and Imagine Dance Company, MN. She is an award-winning choreographer whose recent works include "The Nutcracker"(2006 & 2007), "West Side Story" (2008), "Anything Goes" (2007), "Reif Dance Company Showcase" (2007, 2008, & 2009), and "Innovation in Motion" (2009). Ms. Mitchell has also served as the Dance Director of the Myles Reif Performing Arts Center, a guest lecture artist and master class instructor for numerous events, and as a board panelist for the MN State Arts Board.

Ms. Mitchell is excited to make the move to Wisconsin and to be a part of the Kenosha Academy of Dance team. She thrives on inspiring young dancers and keeping the true art of dance alive. As you will see, her energetic style, commitment to technique, and passion for dance and fitness are the key ingredients to her success.

Jeff Bromstad

Jeff Bromstad could make you tap your toes before he could tie his own shoes, and he was performing in public by the time he was eight. Today, Jeff Bromstad is a highly adaptable freelance percussionist and songwriter with a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. Though he has experience playing all styles of music, Jeff’s signature sound is Latin Jazz, Jazz, Blues, and Funk. His stylistic influences include Omar Hakim, Manu Katchi, Olatonji, Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Buena Vista Social Club, and M. Santa Maria.

Jeff’s career as a paid performer began when he was 15. He spent his high school weekends with his musical family on the nightclub and wedding band circuit. When Jeff was 19, the family band began a two-year tour playing throughout the Midwest. Next, he helped found an all-original band called Beyond Us, which fused crunchy metal with Reggae and Latin Jazz. After a brief hiatus, Jeff joined Fractal, an innovative and experimental dance band that fused ambient guitar effects with hypnotic bass lines and exotic percussive rhythms, all backing a powerful female vocalist, whose Indian/Latino heritage helped sculpt their unique sound. Along the way, Jeff taught private lessons on guitar and drums at the Music Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin (4 years); Pacetti’s (4 years), also in Kenosha; and at the Zion Conservatory of Music (4 years).

Jeff currently devotes his time to freelance music consulting and composition for events, Web sites and presentations, in addition to the live performance scene with two original bands: Crush Proof, a rock band based in the Midwest, and L.A.-based United World Orchestra. Jeff is also a seasoned instructor of guitar, piano and percussion.

Vanessa Schroeder

Vanessa Schroeder started taking piano lessons at the young age of four from her grandmother, a church organist and music teacher. Shortly thereafter, Schroeder began playing during church services. At the age of 14, she was contracted to play for complete services at her home church in Zittau , WI.

Along with piano, the stage has often called to Schroeder. In high school she portrayed Aida in Wisconsin’s first non-professional production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. Later that year as a Carthage College freshman, Schroeder was awarded the top music scholarship and landed the lead role of Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers. Junior year she competed at the 2007 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competition, Upper College Women’s Music Theatre Division, where she was the first Carthage student to bring home a 1st place award. Schroeder also earned a nomination to compete at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) for her portrayal of Eve in Children of Eden, a Carthage production. Additional favorite credits include Lily Byrne (A Man of No Importance), Sour Kangaroo (Seussical! the Musical), and Muzzy (Thoroughly Modern Millie).

Beyond Carthage College, Schroeder has been cast in two shows at the Racine Theatre Guild: You Can’t Take it With You as Alice Sycamore and Beauty and the Beast as Belle, and held multiple roles at summer stock company, Festival Players Guild: Marmee (Little Women), Ginger (I Love a Piano), and Mother Superior (Nunsense), to name a few. She also helped with productions as a choreographer and assistant music director.

Schroeder graduated from Carthage College in Music with an emphasis in Music Theatre. Currently along with teaching at the Academy, Schroeder also instructs at an after school music program for Hope Institute of Learning through the Music Institute of Chicago.

Emily Kiefer

Emily Kiefer has carried a passion for the art of dance since the beginning of her training at age three. Ms. Kiefer studied with both local dance studios in her hometown of Freeport, Illinois and graduated Carthage College with a major in Social Work and a minor in Dance. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and lyrical. She has had the privilege to choreograph four routines for her former dance team and one work for the Guilford dance team that were performed at UDA camp, as well as various local events. Ms. Kiefer co-directed and choreographed a local dance production entitled Mass Wisteria.

At Carthage, Ms. Kiefer ran a dance team that celebrated four years in production. This team performed in the spring dance show at Carthage, the UWC fashion show, Carthage Christmas Festival, Carthage’s fall dance show, Showstoppers competition and Relay for Life. She was also a choreographer and performer with Carthage’s hip hop team, iluZion, for two years and has appeared in many works in on-campus dance productions. She was excited to be selected as the assistant choreographer in Carthage’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2009. In 2010, Ms. Kiefer was honored to receive Carthage’s first Leadership in Dance award and in 2011 to be selected as the concert coordinator for the student show.

Ms. Kiefer has decided to devote her time to teaching as it is her true passion. She hopes that through her teaching, she will be able to share her love of dance with students of all ages.

Rachel Renee

Rachel Renee has sung all over the world visiting all 7 continents on Japanese and British cruise ships. Studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rachel completed her Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Opera Performance and Vocal Music and a Bachelor degree in Acting.

Winner of more than 15 awards and scholarships she was honored to receive a special award created for her by the Racine Arts Council for Distinction in the Arts by a Young Artist. Equally at ease with opera and Broadway musical repertoire, Rachel enjoys singing all styles. Chosen to represent the University at its Sesquicentennial Celebrations, Rachel sang before 17,500 in the Kohl Center audience during the celebrations. She's sung with the Russian Folk Orchestra of Madison, WI, Japanese Sakura Trio in Japan and sang with West End Performer Anthony Stuart Lloyd in concert in England.

She has been in movies, TV and commercials in Chicago and Los Angeles. Rachel has taught music lessons at music conservatories in Los Angeles, California, Madison, WI and at Gymboree in Chicago. She taught in the Racine School district as a substitute teacher and has taught children of all ages music, drama and dance for many summers. She is a member of NATS and the Chicago Cabaret Professionals. This past year, Rachel was thrilled to perform at the Lyric Opera in Chicago and is looking forward to her upcoming performance with the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee as a salsa dancer.

Her teaching theory is this: It’s all about YOU and what YOU want to do. I’m here to guide you and get you to your goals in the shortest time possible, all the while having a giggle and many ‘lightbulb’ moments as you learn. If you are searching for an instructor who loves to teach and will help you in the direction of your goals, you've come to the right place! www.rachelrenee.com.

Emily Mullens

Emily Ruth Mullens hails from Burlington High School, where under the direction of Penny Yanke, she participated in acapella, show choir, and musicals, band orchestra and forensics.

She then landed a performance role as a singer/dancer for Six Flags in Chicago. She performed with the Wiggles and was an original cast member for the critically acclaimed “Dead Man’s Party."

Emily most recently performed as a singer/dancer for Walt Disney World in Orlando. Originally landing the character role of Cinderella, her talents were quickly discovered and she spent three years in the popular “High School Musical” and Pixar’s “Block Party Bash."

Currently, back in Burlington, Emily has found a calling to use her artistic talents to serve in ministry, as a musical director and performer and has established a small dance ministry called “Moved by Grace”. In addition, she teaches for the Kenosha Academy of Dance, Music and Drama.

Annette Thomann

Annette Thomann received her BFA in Dance Performance, graduating magna cum laude, from Northern Illinois University. Upon graduation, she performed with several independent choreographers and shortly became one of the founding members and Co-Artistic Director of Fox River Dance Company. Eventually, Annette branched out on her own and began producing and directing her own annual dance performance, Freespace, a program in which pre-professional and professional students and choreographers collaborate and raise money for charity. Annette has been teaching and choreographing in the Chicagoland area for 20 years and formerly served as Ballet Mistress for RASA Dance Chicago and Executive Director and Director of Ballet for State Street Dance Studio. She is currently Ballet Mistress for NoMi LaMad Dance Inc., a professional contemporary dance company in Chicago. In addition, her choreography has been performed by NoMi LaMad at the critically acclaimed Dance Chicago Festival. Thanks to a strong music background, Annette has had the pleasure of choreographing several musical theater productions including Les Miserables, Footloose, Into the Woods, Jekyll & Hyde, Snoopy, Once Upon a Mattress, Children of Eden, and Hairspray.

Jenna Jozefowski

Jenna Jozefowski graduated from The University of Akron in 2006 with a BA in Dance and a minor in Business Administration. During college, she performed with The University of Akron Dance Company and also choreographed several pieces for student performances. She has been teaching in the Chicagoland area for the past five years at Dance and Music Academy at both Edgebrook and Glenview, IL locations, where she helped design the syllabus for the dance program, and frequently choreographs for their award winning Allegro Performance Companies. Jenna also teaches Lake Forest Dance Academy in Lake Forest, IL, where she is the proud director of their student tap company, Euphony Tap Ensemble. Her students have received top honors and scholarships from Cathy Roe Ultimate Dance, VIP Dance, Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, and Cecchetti Council of America. They have been accepted into Chicago Academy for the Arts, ChiArts, American Ballet Theatre summer intensive, Ballet Chicago summer intensive, the Joffrey Ballet Nutcracker childrens cast, and several other award winning teen performance companies. She is a member of the Cecchetti Council of America, where she currently holds her Grade III Teacher's Certificate, and is studying for her Grade IV exam.

Professionally, Jenna has performed as a company member of the Joel Hall Dancers II, RASA Dance Chicago, and as a guest artist with Chicago Dance Crash. She is grateful to have had the opportunity to work with notable choreographers such as Joel Hall, Van Collins, Jon Lehrer, and Lizzie MacKenzie, among others. She is currently working as an independent performance artist and choreographer, performing and presenting her own work in Rebound Dance Festival, Dance Chicago, Chicago Freelance Dance, and a variety of other projects.

Jenna still loves taking dance classes just as much as teaching them, and supports her dance habit by taking part in the work study program at Visceral Dance Center under the direction of Nick Pupillo. Taking class regularly from her favorite teachers in Chicago keeps her inspired and energized for her own students. Outside of dance, she enjoys practicing yoga and recently completed CorePower Yoga's teacher training certification. She is excited to part of the teaching staff at Kenosha Academy of Dance Music and Drama!

Craig V

Craig V is a performing apprentice with Inaside Chicago Dance, and began his training in the Fine Arts Academy at Southfield-Lathrup High School under the direction of Stephanie Schinke-Justice. While being a part of the S-L Dance Co. and Dance Team, he trained with Motor City Dance Factory, under the tutelage of Nicole Burnett, and Brandon Lee. He attended Oakland University as a Merit Scholarship student and has performed with Oakland Dance Theatre and the Oakland Repertory Dance Company. Through Oakland University, he has twice received a Maggie Allesee Summer-Study Scholarship, and has trained with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, and the Ailey School summer intensives.

Craig was an apprentice for Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, and he was a full company member of the Michigan Dance Project. He has performed in works by Louis Falco, Amy Marshall, Sean Curran, Robert Moses, Joel Hall, Alonzo King, and Steve Koester, to name a few. As a guest artist, Craig has performed with the Macomb Ballet, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, and the Ypsilanti Area Dancers.

Craig has been teaching dance for the past seven years, and as a free-lance dance artist, he has set works on the Southfield-Lathrup High School Dance Company, Renaissance High School Workshop 2, Oakland Dance Theater, and Michigan Dance Project. Craig also performs improvised dance performances for his Church, teaches workshops and Master Classes.

Brittany Barnwell

Brittany has been dancing almost nonstop since she took her first steps and has extensive training in a wide variety of dance styles. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater -- Emphasis in Dance Performance plus a Minor in Spanish.

While at NIU, Brittany performed in Professional, Faculty, and Student Choreographed pieces and shows as well as showcased her own choreography in “Art For Life” and “The Student Choreographic Showcase”. In 2008, Brittany became a member of “From The Hip Dance Project”, a professional Jazz Dance Company based in Chicago, IL, performing professionally throughout the Chicago land area.

Throughout the summer, she spends her time working at Stage and Screen Musical Theater Camp in Deerfield, IL as their choreographer. Brittany was also the Choreographer for Deerfield Family Theater’s Fall 2010 Production of “Oliver” and is returning Fall 2011 as the Choreographer for ”Honk”. She has been working with the Deerfield Park District to diversify their dance program and continues to teach Contemporary and Jazz Funk dance classes there. In addition, she has been a guest dance instructor for their Kinder Club Program as well as their Daddy Daughter “Cinderella Ball” Dinner Dance. In addition, Brittany generously volunteers her time and skills teaching dance to students in the ‘We Can’ program of the North Shore Health Center plus the Nuestro Center in Illinois, while keeping her Spanish language skills current. She maintains her classical dance technique skills current through classes at both Lou Conte Dance Studio and Gus Giordano Dance School in Chicago, IL.

Amy Rose

Amy Rose trained, on scholarship, at the America Ballet Theater School, The Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance. Amy joined American Ballet Theatre at age 16 and performed as a soloist from 1979-1992. After leaving American Ballet Theatre, Amy joined Pacific Northwest Ballet. As a freelance dancer she guested with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Northwest Ballet and the Civic Ballet of Chicago. Amy is anABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 of the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum.

Adam Theisen

Adam Theisen, Managing Director of the Academy, is a performance professional with over 20 years experience both on the stage and off. Starting in high school in West Bend, WI, Adam sang professionally, acted in local dinner theatre, and was a performer with the Kids From Wisconsin. During college, Adam was a professional working in summer stock theatres in Ohio, Stevens Point, Colorado, and theme parks. After graduating magna cum laude from UW-Stevens Point in 1997, Adam performed in regional theatres including the Fireside Playhouse and a tour of “A Christmas Carol.” Other professional acting credits include “Greater Tuna,” “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Separate Tables,” “Camelot,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” Adam has also done commercial and television work where he was featured in “Real Stories of the Highway Patrol.”

Moving to Chicago, Adam pursued his professional interest in directing where his award-winning skills earned him the directing job of the Chicago mainstay holiday production of, “The Christmas Schooner,” as well as premiered several new plays including the critically acclaimed absurdist comedy “Toast,” and the Civil War epic “Raising Blue” written by author and playwright G. Riley Mills. Adam has worked with Greg Lougainis, David Zak, Larry Kramer, G. Riley Mills, Cory Krebsbach, and many other highly respected theatre professionals including his wife of 10 years Annie Hackett, whom he met while working at the Fireside Playhouse.

Regionally, Adam has been an audition representative for the Illinois Theatre Auditions, a master class educator on audition technique, scene study, and acting, as well as a casting assistant on several productions.

In Kenosha, Adam has directed several plays and musicals for the fantastic KUSD Theatre program, and was a guest teacher at Bradford High School in the theatre department. At the Academy, Adam teaches acting, both on-camera and stage, scene study, audition and monologue technique, and is the producter/director of the “KAD MADHouse Show!,” a children’s internet program in the style of Sesame Street. KAD MADHouse is written and filmed at the Academy.