Jana Monson (Owner and Director) received her B.A. in Dance Education from BYU. She danced with BYU’s modern touring dance company, "The Dancer’s Company" and toured the U.S., Greece, Israel and Turkey. She graduated as the Valedictorian from the Department of Dance and taught courses part-time in BYU's Dance Department including Modern, Jazz, and Aerobics as well as teaching in BYU's Children's Creative Dance program. She has been teaching creative and modern dance to children for over 18 years. With her love of dance, she began the Creative Arts Academy in 2004. Her vision is a place where children can learn and explore all the art forms in a positive and imaginative environment. Her goal is to develop great individuals from the lessons and skills they have learned in the arts.
Leslie Hansen has been dancing for more than 25 years. She has extensive training in Ballet, Modern , Jazz and Hip Hop with a focus on Jazz. She received her BA from the U of U and received advanced dance training in Los Angeles and New York. She was the coach of Bountiful High School's Mandonelles from 1998 to 2003. With Leslie’s energetic and creative choreography the Mandonelles won the state championship for the State of Utah and the National Championship under her direction in 2003. She is currently a sought after professional choreographer and a member of the Utah Dance Judge Association.
Shannon Box is a current student at the University of Utah studying Exercise and Sports Science. She graduated from Bountiful High School as the sterling scholar in dance. She also participated as head drill mistress, cheerleading captain, and president of the dance company. After high school she attended Southern Utah University. There she studied Dance Education and received her associate’s degree. As a member of the Modern Dance Company, Orchesis, she had the privilege of choreographing, attending, and competing in two American College Dance Festivals. At ACDF, Long Beach, in 2005 her choreographed piece, “Rapid Eye Movement,” was selected and featured in the festivals adjudicated works. Shannon continues to share her passion for dance through her choreography and education. She has been a dance instructor for the last five years and this will be her third year teaching here at Creative Arts Academy. She is also the director of an after school dance program taught at local elementary schools, which provides affordable dance opportunities for all students.
Nannette Bayles began dancing when she was a little girl performing in many productions including the Ballet West Nutcracker. She continued in ballet training until she gained a love for modern dance during her years in high school. Nannette graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in dance/emphasis in modern. There she danced as a member and president of Dance Ensemble and received the prestigious Dee Winterton Award. She has been recognized and awarded for her choreography and contributions to the development of dance at Brigham Young University and in the community. She taught modern in the dance department at Brigham Young University, for the Young Dance Makers as well as assisting in choreographing the Nauvoo Pageant. She has taught at studios in the Salt Lake Valley where she teaches modern and creative dance. Nannette is co-founder and co-director of Bayles and Bott a developing dance company whose aim is to provide the community the opportunity to experience the arts. Nannette's other passions include her family, cello, music, film editing, any outdoor activity, and the Spanish language.
Sarah Franco joins us after teaching modern, jazz and movement science at the University of Oregon and the University of Utah. She received her Bachelors Degree in Ballet Performance from Brigham Young University and her Masters Degree in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. While at BYU she toured with BYU’s Theater Ballet Company and she has danced professionally in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago including with the Hubbard Street Dance Company in Chicago. In addition to her college teaching duties, Sarah is a sought after master teacher at dance conventions throughout the country.
Becky Gardner has been dancing for many years. She has been a member of the Royal School of Ballet in London, the International Dance Company of ISM, the Pamela Grey Academy in Yorkshire England, and has been a featured performer for the Young Ambassadors. Becky has performed with many companies in Utah including, Kingsbury Hall, The Grand Theatre, Hale Center Theatre, Scenemakers and Rodgers Memorial Theatre. She also performs for a variety of local artists across the Wasatch Front including Jon Schmidt.
Megan Call studied Theatre and English at Weber State. She has performed locally in many shows. Two of her favorite roles are Dolly Levi and Madame Thenardier. Prior to teaching at Creative Arts Academy, she ran her own musical theatre program for two years. She has choreographed and directed not only here, but at Bountiful High School. She loves teaching the students and watching the end result, knowing that they have improved leaps and bounds since the first day of class.
Sheri Cole -If there is one thing I love….it is teaching. Teaching opens up the world, and to be apart of introducing students to the world of Drama and Musical Theater is an exciting thing for me. I have a degree in Oral Communication and Theater. I’ve had my own dance studio. I’ve spent years in the public schools. I have taught speech, debate, drams, music and dance. I’ve also spent many years traveling about the country as a consultant with Franklin Covey teaching people how to organize their life and their time….and how to put first things first. I love working as a teacher with Creative Academy. It is a wonderful place to be. I am a director / producer and choreographer for Musical Theater. (I especially love teaching boys that dance and theater is not for sissy’s.) I have been involved with well over 100 musical productions….I’ve lost count along the way. I have had experience in ALL aspects of theater. I also enjoy directing “huge” events…..with casts of hundreds, of which I have done many. I have lived in Bountiful most of my life. I am married, and my husband Lyle and I have 5 children and 17 grandchildren. They all live close to us and we have a grand time together. I am looking forward to this coming year. I am sure we will have a grand time together.
Fred Lee has been dancing for 12 years. He has been a member of Swing Kids at BYU and the UVU touring Ballroom team since 2002 and has placed in various competitions in formation and couple teams across the nation. Fred has taught ballroom at a variety of High Schools across the Wasatch Front. He has performed with multiple companies in Utah including Hale Center Theatre, Children's Theatre of Salt Lake, Rogers Memorial Theatre, Scera Theatre, and Capitol Theatre. Fred has also been a featured performer for Ballet West and Scenemakers. He is trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern and Latin.
Liz Martineau began her training in Las Vegas where she studied at various studios. She attended programs such as Alvin Ailey, Kirov Academy, and North Carolina School of the Arts. Liz is a graduate of the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts High School after which she attended the University of Utah on a modern dance scholarship. Liz has performed in many television shows and commercials and performed with Orion Productions “Iron Beats” in Tampa, FL. Liz is in her 7th season with Odyssey Dance Theatre where she has toured around the United States and Europe. Liz performed with Booking Dance festival in China during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Liz has received numerous awards for her choreography including American Grand Prix, The American Ballet Competition, New York City Dance Alliance, Pulse, and West Coast Dance Explosion. Liz enjoys sharing her passion for dance with positive methods.
Lindsey Salmon received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah in Exercise and Sport Science. She graduated from Bountiful High where she was a member of the state and nationally recognized Drill Team. Lindsay was also vice-president of the dance company. She has taken classes, competed or performed in California, New York, Las Vegas and Texas. Since then, Lindsay has continued her love of dance by taking classes, teaching and judging various dance competitions.
Jaclyn Naegle grew up with a constant love and passion for dance despite almost being paralyzed from the waist down and having major back surgery at age 13. However, she never gave up and she has found great joy in her journey in dance. Jaclyn graduated from Brigham Young University in 2008 with a double major in Social Work and Dance. At BYU, she danced for a year and a half on the Dance Ensemble team. Jaclyn was also the secretary of BYU’s jazz club for one year and even received many scholarships from the dance department. With BYU, she also performed and studied dance abroad in China for seven weeks. Jaclyn is now Co-Director of the new Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company in Provo. She absolutely loves to dance. Performing and teaching are her favorite things to do. She is excited to be able to be a part of Creative Arts Academy and help others pursue their dreams
Julie Wilson Robinson joined BYU's Young Dance Makers at the age of 15. She received scholarships to dance at Brigham Young University and at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She performed and toured internationally with BYU's Dancer's Company, where she met and later married Ray Robinson. They attended University of Utah together and graduated with MFAs in modern dance performance. She then danced with Repertory Dance Theatre in SLC and taught both college and children's classes at BYU. Most recently she has co-directed a musical theatre group of young girls in Brighton, Michigan, and has helped teach the Nauvoo Pageant choreography since 2005. She and Ray now have five children, and have just moved to Bountiful. She is thrilled to have found the Creative Arts Academy here, and is grateful to join such an esteemed faculty.
Angie Dugdale started dancing over 27 years ago with the children's creative dance program at the University of Utah, dancing as the lead in multiple performances at the Capitol theater. During her adolescence she taught dance and directed performances for young dancers. She attended Brighton High School and performed and choreographed for the high school dance and drama departments receiving letters in Dance, Drama, and Music. Angie received a Dance Scholarship to Ricks College. At Ricks College Angie was selected to be a member of the Showtime Performance Group, touring throughout the East Coast. After receiving her associates from Ricks College, Angie received a scholarship into the dance program at Brigham Young University where she performed with the student choreography company “Dance Ensemble” and BYU’s modern touring company, “The Dancers Company”. After receiving her Bachelors Degree in Modern Dance Performance from BYU, Angie obtained her teaching certificate and taught dance at the middle school level in the Jordan School District for four years where she choreographed and directed eight dance concerts. Angie has a firm belief that dance can shape a child into an artist and a contributing member of society.
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165 South Main
Bountiful, UT
801-295-3798
Kate Crews-Linsley -- Ballet
Shauna Crandall began her professional ballet career at the age of 17 in San Diego, where she performed soloist roles in Cinderella and The Nutcracker, with La Jolla Festival Ballet. Shauna continued her dance training at both Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. She was the co-founder and president of Synergy Modern Dance Company at UVU, and had two choreographic works adjudicated at the American College Dance Festival. Her training led her to a love for teaching, and she subsequently owned and operated her own successful performing arts school for nine years. She also contiunes to teach workshops and choreography for middle schools and high schools throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
BALLET FACULTY
Kate Crews-Linsley was a soloist dancer with Ballet West for ten seasons, just recently retiring in June of 2010. She danced many amazing roles. Among her favorites were the principal roles in Lark Ascending and Carmina Burana, Myrthe in Giselle, Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, and the principal in Balanchine's Agon. Kate has also studied with Pacific Northwest Ballet and danced with Kansas City Ballet for 5 seasons. Kate has performed on many wonderful stages across the US, her favorites being The Kennedy Center and City Center in New York. One of Kate's highest achievements in her career was appearing on the cover of Dance Magazine in February of 2009. While still dancing she devoted time to her yoga practice and teaching yoga at Centered City Yoga. With many years of training, performing, and traveling, she was brought to yoga when searching for a balance in her career. She has been practicing yoga for 8 years and teaching for 4. Kate also teaches at Ballet West, The University of Utah as well as teaching ballet to youth at local studios. Kate works with D'ana Baptiste directing the Inbody Outreach Program at CCY. She connects non-profit organizations to skilled yoga teachers. Her passion is to connect all that might benefit from yoga for recovery and cannot afford it, seeing that they have a class available to them. Kate is looking to extend Inbody Outreach to include yoga and volunteerism retreats locally and around the world.
Jason Linsley trained with the, Deane Dance Center, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, where he was the recipient of the Ben Houk Honorary Scholarship. Jason joined Ballet West in 2000 where he performed ballets such as George Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Who Cares?, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as William Forsythe's Artifact II, Willam Christensen's Nothin' Doin' Bar, John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew, Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden, The Leaves Are Fading, and Offenbach in the Underworld, Christopher Bruce's Ghost Dances, Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs, Andrei Prokovsky's Three Musketeers, Hans van Manen's Black Cake, In and Out, Glen Tetley's The Rite of Spring, Bruce Marks' Lark Ascending, and Continuo, Captain Hook in Septime Webre's Peter Pan, and the Ugly Stepsister in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella. In 2008 Jason was promoted to Soloist at Ballet West. He choreographed for Ballet West in the Innovations program in 2009. He has been teaching and choreographing for local dance schools for since 2001. He retired from Ballet West in 2011 and is currently at Westminster College pursuing a Nursing Degree.
Misa Oga currently attends the University of Utah, majoring in Ballet with emphasis in Performance, Teaching and Character Dance. She has been a member of Utah Ballet, the University of Utah’s performing ballet company, since her freshman year. She received the highest scores in the Royal Academy of Dance exams ever recorded. Misa moved to Japan and was trained by Atsuko Okawa. She took part in many international competitions and performed soloist roles in Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia and Don Quizote. At 15 she moved to Southern California and trained with Victor and Tatiana Kasatsky and Maxim and Sylvia Tchernychev in the Vaganova method of ballet training. Misa has also been trained in jazz, character, modern, lyrical and contemporary. She has been recognized at many dance competitions and has won numerous awards.
Elissa Butler is currently a sophomore at the University of Utah as a Ballet Major, and hopes to share her joy of dance by teaching others while she continues to train for a professional career. She began training in classical ballet, but has also trained in jazz, contemporary, tap, and Irish. At 15, she joined her high schools dance company, and started training as an apprentice with Utah Regional Ballet under direction of Jacqueline College. She has performed all throughout Utah, Washington, and Nevada, as well as internationally in Moscow, Russia. Elissa has performed 3 years in Regional Dance America Festivals, and has been a performer in multiple award winning ballets. She has performed many title roles in classical ballets, including the Sugar Plum Fairy at age 14, Enchanted Garden Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, and a Paquita Demi-Soloist, as well as many others. She has also been a soloist in many jazz and contemporary performances and productions.
Jackie Russo is currently attending the University of Utah as a ballet major with a scholarship. She has had training from members of the Pennsylvania Ballet, New York City Ballet, Ballet West, and Brandywine Ballet Company. For high school she attended the Lehigh Valley School for the Performing Arts with a focus on dance. She has had the opportunity to dance with Salt Lake City Ballet and Hartford Ballet. As well as dance at United Nations, half time at Sixers games, and movie premiers. Jackie has worked as a ballet, jazz, and acrobatics teacher for years. She is constantly working towards becoming a better dancer and teacher.
Cynthia Jackson has received numerous scholarships for a variety of dance styles. She has performed with professional companies such as Odyssey Dance Theater, Mountain West Ballet, Divinity, Utah Regional Ballet and Salt Lake City Ballet. She has worked with members from companies such as Ballet West, Joffrey, Central West Ballet, New York City Ballet as well as contemporary and jazz artists such as Allison Holker, Allen Salazar and Thayne Jasperson. As of now, she’s majoring in Ballet at the University of Utah, emphasizing in Performance and Teaching. She is excited for the chance to teach and to spread the joy of dancing.
Penny Yarbrough is currently pursuing her PhD in Dance, and is thrilled to be teaching at the Creative Arts Academy.She has performed as an Oriental Servant in Ballet West’s production of The Nutcracker. She attended BYU and was accepted into the Ballet program, and danced with BYU’s choreographing company, Dance Ensemble. While at BYU, she also studied abroad in Paris, France where she trained in ballet and the Barre au Sol technique at Les Centre des Arts Vivants. Penny received her Masters in Dance Anthropology from Roehampton University in London, England. During that time she also danced and toured with Lahing Kayumanggi, a Philippine Dance Company based in London. Upon returning to the US, she recently danced her dream role of Sugar Plum Fairy in Timpanogos School of Dance’s production of The Nutcracker.
CREATIVE, CONTEMPORARY, AND JAZZ FACULTY
Tara McArthur is originally from Nevada City, California, where she began her dance training. She went on to receive a B.F.A. in Dance from California State University, Long Beach, where her choreography has been performed and was chosen as a finalist in the regional American College Dance Festival at University of California, Irvine. She has performed with Keith Johnson/Dancers and Ririe-Woodbury as a dancer in the Alwin Nikolais repertoire and has joined RW full-time this season.
Emily Nelson has been involved in the dance world for the last 20 years and wouldn’t have it any other way. Growing up dance was her life, competing locally and nationally for over 10 years. Emily graduated from high school locally where she held titles as Head Choreographer and Vice President for both her drill team and dance company. She received her BA in Broadcast Journalism from Brigham Young University. Emily specializes in teaching children and has a passion for bringing dance into their lives at a young age. Emily is also a certified fitness professional. She has been lucky enough to merge both her passions for dance and fitness and is a recognized Zumba instructor in the community.
HIP HOP, TAP, AND MUSICAL THEATER FACULTY
Sarah Pecht received her Bachelor's Degree from SUU in Dance Education and Health Education. While at SUU she was a member of the Waukeenyan Dance and Drill Team, and Orchesis Dance Company. She has been the dance instructor and dance company advisor at Jefferson Junior High for 4 years, and has has the opportunity to teach and choreograph at several studios and companies throughout the state of Utah.
Keanu Brady
Springer Stevens received her BS in Dance with an emphasis in performance from Eastern Michigan University. She has been teaching dance and fitness classes to children and adults on and off since 2000. As a child, she began studying ballet and tap at age four, later adding jazz, modern dance, and lyrical. During high school, she danced in competitive groups which received both state and national awards. Before completing her college studies, she received training to become a nationally certified massage therapist, which has greatly enhanced her understanding of anatomy and kinesiology. She also has developed a love for the practice of yoga and the deep kinesthetic awareness it brings.
