IGNITE DANCE INTENSIVE 2022

Amy Yakima grew up dancing at Noretta Dunworth School of Dance in Dearborn, Michigan. While training, she was casted in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as Clara for 3 years at the fox theatre in Detroit, MI and 1 year at the Radio City Music Hall in NYC. She is most notably know for winning season 10 of Fox's hit tv show "So You Think You Can Dance" and continuing to tour nationwide that fall with the top 10 contestants of that season, plus returned as an All-Star in Season 11. She toured with Travis Wall's Shaping Sound dance company and was a performer in Lindsey Stirling's Shatter Me national/international tour. She also was on the 2nd National Tour of Wicked in the featured track as the Witch’s Mother. She was a dancer in Carrie Underwood's "Something in the Water" music video, Ingrid Michaelson “Celebrate” music video, Emmy nominated Amazon Prime Tv show “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, John Oliver’s Late Night Tonight, and performed live on NBC in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2016/2017 and with Julianne Hough for New Years Eve 2020. She trained on scholarship for one year at Marymount Manhattan college, and was on faculty at Velocity Dance Convention, West Coast Dance Convention, Radix Dance Convention, Nuvo Dance Convention and Jump Dance Convention. She made her Broadway debut as Peter Pan in Finding Neverland in which she performed there for over a year and came back to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as an ensemble member in 2021.

Kyle Gene Molter comes to us from Monroe, Michigan. He is an award winning teacher and choreographer with 17 years of dance experience in the industry. In his early years of dance he studied and competed in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop and lyrical. Finding his true love in contemporary. As a performer he earned numerous technique and precision awards along with regional and national titles. Now working side by side with his wife and now daughters, he is the Owner of “PUSH” a summer intensive and Co-Owner and Director of Haja Dance Company in Newport, Michigan. His students are recognized for their amazing performance and technical excellence. His work has been recognize for numerous choreography awards including regional and national winning routines. His style is unique and has become the highlight of many studios across the United States. His work has also been recognized and nominated for the prestigious Industry Dance Awards for several years in a row.

Kyle was also honored to accept a position as one of the Regional Directors of In10sity Dance. He enjoys traveling and meeting so many different studio directors and their dancers. His role as a Regional Director allows him to see both sides of the competition world and he truly loves his new position. Kyle enjoys teaching his company dancers and sending a positive message of “Pushing Their Minds”, “Creativity” and “Technical Ability”. He has a magnetic personality that dancers and studio directors can relate to and feel comfortable exploring new movement, choreography or working to create a positive experience. Besides working with dancers, Kyle is also a Crossfit Level 1 Trainer. Working with athletes of all ages and helping them achieve their personal fitness goals. He is energetic, determined, and constantly on the go! Kyle is looking forward to working with your dancers very soon.

Miguel Paredes started dancing when he was 15 years old and began his training with Mary Skiba’s School of Dance. His repertoire includes Hip Hop, Jazz and Contemporary where he has won multiple mentions and awards for his choreography. As a dancer, Miguel has personally won many awards from competitions and has assisted at West Coast Dance Explosion and LA Dance Magic for choreographers Gev Manoukian and Will Thomas. Miguel has booked jobs dancing at the GAC Motors Car Reveal, dancing with the University of Michigan’s Dance Team, and has been featured numerous times at celebrations such as the grand opening of the Lululemon Store at Partridge Creek. Miguel was a lead dancer and choreographer for the United Shores Professional Baseball League Dance Crew. His passion is teaching and choreography, and he has taught multiple drop-ins and intensives at the following studios: Mary Skiba’s School of Dance, Dancers Only, Movement Project Dance Center, Turning Point, Rhythm N’ Jump, Element Dance Training, Release Detroit, Jordan Mac, and House of Legs Works NY. Miguel has also started his very own professional dance crew named Concrete Company. Miguel currently teaches Hip Hop, Jazz Funk, and Contemporary at Mary Skiba’s School of Dance, as well as being brought on faculty for Detroit’s newest drop-in studio, Release Detroit. Miguel will be working closely with a new competition dance studio called Inferno Dance Co as its artistic director as well as a key instructor.

Lauren Yakima trained in Dearborn, Michigan with the legendary Noretta Dunworth School of Dance. She is trained in all styles of dance, including ballroom. Lauren has competed for 15 years and has worked closely with many of the top choreographers in the industry. She competed on the NBC hit show World of Dance and danced on Disney Channels Summer Singalong. Within the past couple years, she was in music videos for singers AJ McLean, Christina Ricucci and Sam Tsui. She has performed at the Capezio ACE Awards, with the Radio City Rockettes as the role of Clara as well at Tony Robbins Birthday Fundraiser. She has been a member of RoyalFlux, a contemporary company directed by Jaci Royal, for over 2 years now and is a demonstrator at 24Seven Dance Convention. Lauren has most recently just finished touring with JoJo Siwa as a dancer i’m her D.R.E.A.M Tour.

Brennen James Maniaci

Originally from Sterling Heights, Michigan, Brennen started competing at a national level in 2005 and has since achieved 7 National Solo Titles, over 30 Regional Titles and 15 National Victory Cups with group performances.

He has been included in professional performances such as Broadways “Wizard of Oz” National Tour, BRAvo Charity Event sponsored by McLaren Health(for breast cancer awareness), Delta Airlines Annual Members Conference and other performances for corporate events through Corporate Production Services Group. Brennen has been recognized for his choreography and performance of flash mobs both for the MLB (Major League Baseball) and NFL (National Football League) through the radio station, “97.1 The Ticket”. He has been named DiscountDance/Capezio Dancer of the year during his years of training and has grown up under the amazing dance influence of Suzette Maniaci, Owner of “Suzette’s Masters of Dance”.

Newly recognized director and creator of the contemporary company “The Works” which includes concert and commercial performances including “Rise Above Apparel”.

Brennen is classically trained in Ballet both Cecchetti and Vaganova methods, Tap (classical and rhythm), Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theater, Hip Hop and Gymnastics. Not only has he been a performer for the last 15 years, he has also been an instructor and choreographer of Nationally award winning routines. Sought after choreographer for his authentic and contemporary choreography. Travels the country teaching and collaborating his unique skills with other studios, national dance conventions, and competitions. A passionate teacher who hopes to share his inheritance of dance, humanity and vast collection of training he’s gathered on his journey with all those who he’s fortunate enough to create with.

Brandon Koepsell is a Detroit native and graduate of the Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA. Brandon has served as a faculty member with the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters and Southern Association of Dance Masters and his alma mater in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is a current dancer with Take Root dance company, company instructor for Eisenhower Dance Detroit, and Dance for Parkinson’s disease instructor.

DIRECTOR: Laura Standlick has 35 years of training and experience at several of the most prestigious dance programs in North America including two seasons of training at The Royal Winnipeg School of Ballet and a 6 month work study program at New York City's Broadway Dance Center.

Laura danced for three years with the Detroit Shock dance team. She then majored in Dance at Western Michigan University where received and attended the Frank Hatchett scholarship program from Broadway Dance Center in NYC attended an intensive scholarship at the Edge Performing Arts in Los Angeles, California. She has performed on stage with Boyz II Men and in Gus Giordano's Sing, Sing, Sing.

While living in NYC for her work study, Laura performed professionally with The Double D Productions and was chosen to perform for Celebrity Cruise Lines. She then traveled the world and was selected as dance captain for several contracts. From there she began to choreograph and teach dance while still performing professionally at Motor City Casino, MGM Grand Casino, and with Max Pellicano’s Elvis impersonator show at Caesars Windsor Casino.

11 years later, Laura is a renowned choreographer and teacher who has taught many award winning routines. She has received numerous choreography awards at Regional and National competitions. She has been a GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPION for multiple pieces throughout the past decade and received her third INDUSTRY DANCE AWARDS NOMINEE. In the past 9 years, she has been a judge for multiple competitions such as KAR, Rainbow and now recently ENERGY. Laura choreographed the opening number for ENERGY Nationals.

These past two years she became a International judge for KAR and traveled AUSTRALIA for 6 weeks in 2019.

Laura is also the Director and Owner of IGNITE DANCE INTENSIVE. IGNITE is a successful dance convention that will soon be having its 7th season in the Metro Detroit Area. Attending students study and train in multiple styles with amazing teachers annually.

She enjoys seeing talent throughout the WORLD and is super excited to meet and INSPIRE MORE DANCERS.

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Host or Publisher Laura Standlick