MEET OUR FACULTY
Kristen Stilwell, School Coordinator/Administrator, graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Akron with a BFA in Dance Performance in 2005. She has trained with the School of Cleveland Ballet, Inna Stabrova, Andrew Carroll, Cydney Spohn and Tom Smith. She was a teaching assistant to The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in Cleveland for their Christmas Spectacular and has worked with renowned choreographers throughout her career. Kristen has taught dance workshops across the United States and currently teaches all our educational outreach programs, classes for Cuyahoga County adult activity centers, ballet, pre-pointe and junior company classes.
Mackenzie Clevenger, Dance Instructor, teaches modern for The School of Dancing Wheels and is a trainee with Inlet Dance Theatre, a Cleveland-based modern dance company. She has also been involved with Theatre Ninjas, The Cleveland Museum of Art and Cleveland Public Theatre, as well as teaching for several dance studios. Mackenzie is passionate about creating new and innovative art, teaching and demonstrating the importance of dance in our culture.
Frank Polk, Dance Instructor, teaches hip hop for the School of Dancing Wheels, has danced with the Cleveland Cavaliers “Scream Team” for two seasons and is also a competitive Capoeira practitioner and choreographer. Frank has trained with the Gemini Twins of Cirque du Soleil doing aerial, fabric and trapeze work and has also trained with Capoeira Gerais, Capoeira Narahari, Cordao De Ouro and Groupo Unidade. Frank currently works with the Motivation Through Excellence Program, teaching children break dance and drug prevention.
Chanda Ford, Dance Instructor, is a native of Syracuse, New York who began her dance studies with Cleveland Ballet. Her teaching credentials include Karamu, Ashtabula Arts Center, Cleveland Music Settlement and Cleveland School of the Arts. Chanda works with the Adult Activity Centers of Cuyahoga County teaching dance classes.
Heather Sakai, Dance Instructor, holds dual Masters degrees from Case Western Reserve University in Modern Dance and Social Service Administration. During her studies, Ms. Sakai was granted a scholarship to study at the prestigious Graham School in NYC. She has a wealth of experience studying and performing Graham technique as well as ballet, tap and jazz. Ms. Sakai currently teaches the Dancing Wheels program in Beachwood and works in the Wellness Department of the Downtown Cleveland YMCA.
Ryan Dick is a relative newcomer to Dancing Wheels, beginning his apprenticeship in 2009. He received formal training from Ohio University’s School of Dance, where he was awarded numerous scholarships for both dance and academic achievements. Ryan recently received personal trainer certification and is working to combine dance and fitness training into an exercise philosophy that can improve a person’s physical well being as well as their self-perception.
PLEASE WELCOME OUR INCREDIBLE 2009/2010 GUEST FACULTY
Ann Kuula, Visual Art Instructor, earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Ursuline College and has studied art therapy at MetroHealth Medical Center’s Art Studio. Ann has led recreational therapy activities with children, teens and the elderly and currently teaches visual arts for our annual Theatre Arts Camp.
William Morgan, Theatre Instructor, is the new Artistic Manager for The Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, where he manages the day-to-day activities of Signstage, a deafness awareness group. Bill’s experience includes writing, producing and implementing school residencies that integrate theatre arts programming with the Ohio Standards for the Arts. Bill is also co-owner of Sign Stage On Tour (SSonT), a professional children’s theatre company that produces deaf theatre productions and tours nationally. Bill teaches theatre for our annual Theatre Arts Camp.
Carrie Bodenger, Drama & Music Educator, Professional Vocalist, Actor, received her MFA in Arts Management from Drexel University. She also holds a BA in Theatre from Cleveland State University and an AMI Diploma in Montessori Training. She has spent many years directing Theatre Arts for Kids at several private schools in Cleveland Heights. She is the former owner of Heights Montessori school and currently teaches theatre for our annual Theatre Arts Camp.
Mark Tomasic, Guest Artist, Training Materials Creative Director, received his BFA in Theater from The University of Cincinnati. Mark has worked with renowned dance companies and choreographers including Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Ballet Contemporaneo de Buenos Aires and Verb Ballets. He has performed in works by Martha Graham, David Parsons, and Dennis Nahat, to name a few. His theatrical credits include the Cleveland Opera and Great Lakes Theater Festival. On TV, Mark played “Big Boss Man” in Blue Suede Shoes (PBS), danced on The Drew Carey Show (ABC) and was a featured performer on Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope (ABC). Mark has worked with Dancing Wheels as a dancer, tour manager and rehearsal director for eight years.
Michael Medcalf, former Dancing Wheels Company Member and Rehearsal Director, is a graduate of Cleveland School of the Arts with additional training from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Mr. Medcalf has received numerous accolades for his work as a dance educator, choreographer and performer, including the prestigious Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship (2001) and Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio’s “Sunshine Award” (2001).
Lisa K. Lock, Ballet Mistress for The Dancing Wheels Company, moved to Cleveland from Los Angeles in 2006. She received her BFA and MFA from The California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles and holds a ballet diploma from the Grande Ecole de Dance in Bern, Switzerland.
Keith Filip, Physical Therapist, Orientation & Mobility Specialist and Consultant, is a physical therapist for the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, the Cleveland Sight Center and the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. He has worked as a physical therapist in all aspects of patient rehabilitation including sports and dance medicine. As an outpatient therapist, he has worked with The Dancing Wheels Company, Cleveland Ballet, and the International Children’s Games. Keith has an MA in Special Education and certification as an Orientation & Mobility Specialist from Michigan State University, as well as an ME in Exercise Science and a BS in Physical Therapy from Cleveland State University. Keith is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America.
Lindsay Stanley, Visual Arts Instructor, is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art (Illustration) and Case Western Reserve University (Art Education). In her career, she has taught special needs students, and is currently freelancing in the Cleveland area, creating and selling her own art. She is thrilled to be rejoining Dancing Wheels and teaching Theatre Arts Camp.
