Company Members
 Jessica Young: Founding Member
Ms. Young performs with several contemporary choreographers. She joined the Chicago Moving Company (CMC) in 2002 (artistic director, Nana Shineflug), in 2004 helped found Suite 132 Dance Company, now the Chicago Dance Theatre, and is currently performing with Jay-Son Dance Company, (artistic director, Derek Jay-Son Rusch), and Nicole Gifford. She has also performed with Cindy Brandle Dance Company (artistic director, Cindy Brandle), and the Humans (choreography by Rachel Bunting).Performances have included the Other Dance Festival, Dance Chicago, Around the Coyote, Solestance in addition to numerous concerts throughout Chicago and the Chicagoland area. Ms. Young is currently directing the dance department for the School of Performing Arts in Naperville, IL where she teaches Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Conditioning, and Creative Movement. She also teaches professional level Modern technique classes in Chicago, IL at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse as part of the CMC’s teaching roster. She has been very fortunate to introduce Modern Dance and Creative Movement in public schools to children who would otherwise have no exposure to the art through CMC’s outreach programs. Other teaching residencies have included Salt Creek Ballet, Ogden School, Talent Forum, Dance Motions Inc, and Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, IA. She is enthusiastic about every new project and continues to stretch her muscles to mold thoughtful, inspiring, and unique work.
 Samuel Turner
Samuel Turner, a Florida native, began dancing in high school at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts and the Academy of Ballet Florida. For two consecutively summer he was invited on full scholarship to study at Boston Ballet with many renowned teachers. He received a Bachelor of Science in ballet performance and kinesiology from Indiana University in May 2006 where he performed works by Violoette Verdy, John Clifford, Julie Kent, Jacques Cersbron, Guoping Wang and Emmy Award winner George Pinney. In the summer of 2006, Sam was invited to be apart of the scholarship program at the Lou Conte Studios where Hubbard Street Dance Chicago resides. He has also been cast as a member of the corp de ballet at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in there fall production of Iphigénie en Tauride. He is very excited to start his first season with Chicago Dance Theatre.
Elizabeth Douglas
Elizabeth Douglas started her Chicago dance career as a student of The School of Performing Arts and a member of The School of Performing Arts dance ensemble. She received a double degree in dance performance and accountancy from Northern Illinois University and performed such roles as the "Sugar Plum Fairy" in The Nutcracker. She has participated in summer intensive workshops at The Joffrey Ballet Midwest, BalletMet, Ballet Moscow, and was a summer scholarship student at Gus Giordano Dance Chicago. She has been an on and off member of Suite 132 for the past year and is very excited to now be a member of Chicago Dance Theatre.
Buenaventura Castrejon
(comming soon) |
 Kari Gregg
Ms. Gregg
is from Greenwood, IN, and began her dance training at the age of 4 with local dance instructors. At age 13, Kari was accepted into the early admission program at Butler University and continued her classical training there, graduating with a B.S. in Arts Administration with a dance concentration. While at Butler, she studied and trained in St. Petersburg, Russia at the Nikolai Rimsky- Korsacov Conservatory. Kari has performed as a guest artist in Ballet Internationale’s production of Giselle and as a dancer for The Indianapolis Opera’s Romeo and Juliet and Werther. She continued to pursue her professional career here in Chicago dancing in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Iphigénie en Tauride and now for Chicago Dance Theatre. In addition to her performing career, Kari enjoys teaching a broad range of dance techniques to students all over the Chicagoland area including The Joffrey Ballet’s educational programs.
Amy Roby
Amy Roby began her training at the Woodstock Ballet Studio in Woodstock, IL. She studied the art of ballet, pointe, modern, and jazz for twelve years in Woodstock and continued her training at various studios in the Chicagoland area. During this time she performed with The Without Shoes Modern Dance Co. in Rockford, IL and ViBe Dance Theater under the direction of Anne Newlin. In 2004, Amy was invited to join Joel Hall Dancers and continue her training with teachers such as Paul Sanasardo, Mike Gosney, and Joel Hall. In 2005, Amy worked with Thodos Dance Chicago and was also chosen to be a soloist in Paul Sanasardos choreography “In the Shadow of Nina Simone”. Currently, Amy is performing with Chicago Dance Theatre, Element Contemporary Ballet, DanceLoop Chicago, and Joel Hall Dancers. Amy has also been instructing children and adults in the art of ballet, pointe, modern, and jazz since 2001.
 Christina Diane Eltvedt
Christina began the study of dance at the age of three. Many years of experience has led her to train and perform all over the country. Christina has been apart of the Joel Hall Dance Company for two years, perfomed with Ballet Entre Nous, Frasz-Peskov Dance Company. and currently a new member of Chicago Dance Theatre. Most recently Christina was selected as a soloist to premiere renowned choreographer Paul Sanasardo’s “An Evening with Nina Simone.” Since 2002 Christina has taught and choreographed for many schools throughout the Chicago area. This year Christina is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance at the School of Performing Arts.
 Danielle Moyer
Danielle, originally from Allentown, PA, is looking forward to dancing with Chicago Dance Theater this season. Danielle spent last season with Paul Abrahamson's Chicago Ballet. Before moving to Chicago, Danielle was a member of the Dayton Ballet in Dayton, Ohio. In 2004 Danielle received her Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. Danielle has also been awarded two Monticello Awards from Regional Dance American- Northeast. Her works have been performed around the U.S. including Houston, Cincinnati and Walt Disney World, Florida. In addition to performing and choreographing, Danielle teaches in the Chicagoland area as well as the East Coast. Danielle would like to thank her mom and dad for all their love and support.
 Sara Williams: Apprentice
Miss Williams teaches at The School of Performing Arts in Naperville. Before joining the dance faculty she studied at SPA for 6 years, where she was a member of the Dance Ensemble. She is currently a scholarship student at Joel Hall Dance Center in Chicago and continues her training with various professional teachers and choreographers in the Chicago land area. Sara is excited to be a part of Chicago Dance Theatre. She is currently acquiring a degree in Speech-language pathology and Spanish at Elmhurst College.
 Katie Lunn: Apprentice
Katie Lunn is a recent graduate from Oklahoma City University where she received her degree in dance management. While attending Oklahoma City Universtiy, Katie was a member of the American Spirit Dance Company and was a member and choreographer for the Oklahoma City University Pep Dancers. Upon graduation Katie spent the summer dancing professionally for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Arena Football Dance Team and has recently received the position of the dance ensemble company manager and instructor at The School Of Performing Arts. Katie is very excited to be a new addition to The Chicago Dance Theatre and is looking forward to sharing her love of dance with audiences in the Chicago area.
 Rachel Christensen: Company Manager
Rachel is an honors graduate of Oklahoma City University where she received a BS in Dance Management. While at OCU she performed with the American Spirit Dance Company, Spirit of Grace Liturgical Company, and OCU Pep Dancers. An active member of Students of Arts Management at OCU she served as Vice President and President. Rachel has had the opportunity to work in several management and production capacities, including Stage Manager for International Dance Challenge and Showstoppers Competitions. Rachel has taught for Jill Rauscher’s School of Dance, Kennedy Dance Theatre, and Dance Tree. While in Oklahoma Rachel was an intern for the Festival of the Arts and an Assistant Company Manager for Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. Rachel is incredibly excited to be company manager of CDT.
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