Dixie Rairamo, Director/Educator/Choreographer:
As a student, Dixie Rairamo received most of her early training with Barbara Lotsberg and the Minnesota Dance Theatre where she performed with the Urban Arts Dance Program. In 1981, she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dance from Kansas State University and was a recipient of a Mistler Creativity Scholarship. Ms Rairamo began directing the ballet program at JAS Dance Centre in Burnsville in the fall of 1981 and held that position intermittently until the studio closed its door due to owner retirement in 2000. Under the direction of Ms Rairamo, the Youth Dance Ensemble was created in 1991 as a young performer dance company. A training school was introduced in 2001 to offer young people an opportunity to learn dance in its many forms. In addition to her responsibilities with the Youth Dance Ensemble, Ms Rairamo continues to instruct and choreograph throughout the metro area. Her work has been seen at Edina, Sibley and Shakopee high schools. She had the privilege of working at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Lee Massachusetts from 1986-1989. There she worked along side such greats as Judith Jamison, Mark Morris, and members of the New York City Ballet. Ms Rairamo continues her dance studies in Minneapolis and New York.
Joseph Bingham:
Joseph Bingham is thrilled to return for his sixth year of teaching at YDE! He recently graduated from the University of Minnesota where he studied dance and arts administration. In 2009, Joseph had the opportunity to perform the role of Dream Curly in Chanhassen Dinner Theatre's Oklahoma! He also recently stage managed the Walker Art Center's show Momentum: New Dance Works. Joseph has appeared in numerous ballets with Continental Ballet Company, including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, Coppelia, Cinderella and Rodeo. This year, he will also assist the Director and serve as Production Manager. In 2007 and 2008, he produced his own shows in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Conundrum and Conundrum Rehabbed.
Kristin Grohs:
Kristin Grohs graduated with a BA in Dance and a minor in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has been training since a young age in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Kristin is currently a member of the Eclectic Edge Ensemble, a jazz company in the Twin Cities, and has performed with Kinetic Evolutions and the Christopher Watson Dance Company. In 2008, Kristin finished a 2-year program to obtain a Minnesota teaching license in K-12 Dance. She has taught dance at Apple Valley High School and currently teaches at both Bloomington Kennedy and Jefferson high schools. Kristin also teaches at Premiere Dance Academy and Bauer Fine Arts Academy and is a free-lance teacher and choreographer in the Twin Cities metro area. She loves teaching dance and working with students of all levels!
Moira Berg:
Moira grew up in Ireland and spent over a decade learning and performing both Irish Dance and Ceili Dancing. She had the privilege of studying and assistant teaching with her dancing mentor, Brendan DeGlynn at the Brendan DeGlynn Academy of Irish Dance. A highlight of those years was when she qualified for and represented Ireland at the Irish Dancing World Championship Competition. When she moved to the U.S. 14yrs ago, she brought her love of these Irish Dance techniques with her. She always enjoys performing Irish Dances at weddings and other social events. Being able to share part of her heritage and love of Irish Dance with the students of YDE continues to be very exciting and emotionally rewarding for her.
Colleen Tague:
Colleen Tague has been dancing professionally for the past 25 plus years. She has performed on virtually every stage in the Metro Area and some on the East Coast. She has performed with Zenon Dance Company, Minnesota Jazz Dance Company, Ballet Arts Minnesota, Children's Theatre Company, Ballet of the Dolls, JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraceski, Metropolitan Ballet Company, and most recently with the St. Paul City Ballet. She has taught ballet and jazz all over the metro area, and taught classical jazz intensives at Ballet Arts Minnesota and Ballet Minnesota. She is currently choreographing with friends for the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She lives in Coon Rapids growing a yard full of flowers with her 2 cats!
Jill Patterson:
Jill Patterson received her MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah in 2004. While a graduate student she received the Dance Magazine/ACDFA National Outstanding Student Performer Award for her performance at the Kennedy Center for the Arts. Jill spent two seasons dancing with Rire-Woodbury Dance Company in Salt Lake City, UT, touring nationally, and internationally as part of Nikolais Dance Theatre. Currently, she performs with Christopher Watson Dance Company. Jill is very passionate about teaching Modern Dance and has loved every opportunity she has had teaching over the past ten years, guiding dance students from Kindergarten to the University level. Most recently Jill directed the dance program at Envision Academy of the Arts, and currently teaches for James Sewell Ballet in their summer dance camp series in Red Wing. Jill is very excited for the opportunity to work with the YDE dancers this year!
Kirsten Iiam:
Kirsten Iiams comes to us after 12 years and 21 shows at The Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. Favorites include Cats(Victoria), Seven Brides For Seven Brothers(Dorcas), Oklahoma(Dream Laurie), and Brigadoon. She has also performed with Ballet Of The Dolls, Red River Dance & Performing Company, Riverside Ballet Arts, at Radio City Music Hall, Equity Library Theater, Art Park, Cost tours, the theaters of Russia, and on the seas in between. She was also co founder and artistic director of Bismarck Dance Theatre and school, Teaching credits include Red River Dance, Bismarck Dance Theatre, The Lundstrum Center, Chanhassen Theater camps, River Valley, Riverside Ballet Arts,Trollwood Performing Arts School, and Sleepy Hollow Summer Theater. Choreography credits include The Music Man ,South Pacific, Anyone can Whistle, and assistant for Evita ,Cats ,Seven Brides, Annie ,.Anything Goes, Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, and Camalot . Kirsten has trained with The Joffrey Ballet, The San Francisco Ballet, Hartford Ballet ,Riverside Ballet Arts, David Howard ,Luigi, and Nanette Charisse. She is very excited to be here at YDE and is looking forward to a great year!