The Conservatory at DMA A Full-season Concert Dance Intensive

Ballet and contemporary students who wish to take their training to a more committed arena may audition for the Conservatory, a cutting edge program created with professional dance companies Trifecta Dance Collective and Chicago Repertory Ballet. Serious dance students interested in pursuing careers in professional concert dance or collegiate level programming are taught by the Conservatory's nationally-renowned faculty in accelerated classes with a weekly schedule of 10-12 hours a week. Conservatory students perform alongside the Trifecta Dance Collective and Chicago Repertory Ballet professional companies, learn professional repertory, receive exclusive master classes, and perform for industry leaders in the prestigious Conservatory Showcase. We are proud to offer this intensive training opportunity to dedicated dancers! Auditions for placement in the Conservatory program are given upon request. Email [email protected] if you would like to schedule an audition. There is no other program that allows dancers the opportunity to train and perform with TWO professional companies. Meet the Conservatory Faculty Krissie Odegard Geye is the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of the Expand Community Arts Alliance; a nationally recognized group of arts organizations dedicated to igniting community dialogue through an artistic lens. The alliance consists of three organizations that she operates; The Dance and Music Academy, The Trifecta Dance Collective, and the Metamorphosis; Fearless Evolution experience. She was selected to be a Conference Presenter at the International Dance Pedagogy Conference and Performance Festival. She has also served as a master class clinician at Peridance in NYC, the Big River Dance Festival WV, the CRU Dance Regionals in Minneapolis, and the US Tournament of Dance National Finals in Atlantic City. Her choreography has been selected for the Spring Choreography Showcase at Peridance in NYC, Jennifer Mueller's "Hatch" series in NYC, the Detroit Dance Festival, the Minnesota Fringe Festival, the Big River Dance Festival, the Exchange Choreography Festival in Tulsa, OK. She has produced 4 full length works in Anita's Way in Times Square. She was selected as one of 3 National Choreography Competition winners sponsored by Ovation TV. She is the co-director of three National Youth Companies that offer opportunities to hundreds of students each summer: The CRU Dance Heart and Soul National Company, the United States Tournament of Dance National Contemporary Team, and the Metamorphosis Performance Ensemble. Krissie has also been on staff for Goliard Concerts in New York City, the Ethnic Dance Theatre in St. Paul, MN, as well as clinician at the ATDI “Spirit of Tap” conference and a faculty member for the New York City Public School System.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Carrie Patterson began her training with the Atlanta Ballet and continued training in the summers with Houston Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Luna Negra Dance Theater. In 2011, Carrie graduated cum laude from Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Psychology. After graduation. Carrie choreographed and/or danced professionally with Louisville Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago, Project606 Dance, Nomi Dance Company, and Rephrase Dance Collective. She has directed national youth companies with CRU Dance, United States Tournament of Dance, and Metamorphosis Fearless Evolution. She has also served as a judge for various CRU Dance. Carrie currently serves as Co-Founder/ Artistic Director of the Trifecta Dance Collective and Trifecta Youth Company, Metamorphosis Fearless Evolution, and serves as an Administrative Director for the Expand Community Arts Alliance.Carrie is also a certified Progressing Ballet Technique instructor. In 2020, Carrie launched her own dancewear line, Illuminate Dancewear, of which 10% of each item goes to support local not-for-profits.

Wade Schaaf (They/Them) hails from the Chicago area and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater arts (emphasis dance performance). During their professional career Wade danced for multiple companies including the Ohio Ballet, State Street Ballet Santa Barbara, The Omaha Theater Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago, and River North Chicago Dance Company. During their time dancing, Wade worked with numerous choreographers like Septime Weber, Stephen Mills, Frank Chaves, Laurie Stallings, and the

Tony Award-winning choreographer Ann Reinking. Wade had the privilege to dance such roles as Tybalt in Robin Welche’s Romeo and Juliet, Snow King in Welche’s The Nutcracker, and Jonathan in Kennet Oberly’s “Dracula” as well, had the role of Mayor Carter Harrision set on him in the Thodos/Reinking collaboration, The White City. After retiring from the stage, Mx. Schaaf went on to open Chicago Repertory Ballet in November of 2011. The company premiered to the headline review, “A Bright Debut for Chicago Repertory Ballet.” (Sid Smith, The Chicago Tribune). Since the debut of CRB Wade has gone on to create such exceptional works as, Le Sacre de Printemps, The Four Seasons and their full length ballet adaptation of Shakespeare’s MACBETH. Mr. Schaaf continues to steer the company through their vision of challenging our concept of ballet both in form and structure to create ‘dance that defies labels’. Outside of the studio, Mx. Schaaf has a variety of interests ranging from visual art to health and wellness. Wade is certified in both the Pilates method (Through Power Pilates) and RedCord, and is happy to enrich the lives of many through fitness. Tori Stewart graduated Manga Cum Laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, receiving a B.A. in Dance, with a focus on Dance Performance, Choreography and Theory. She started dancing at the age of 12 at Linda Kinlaw School of Dance, a small studio in North Carolina, and continued her dance studies at a pre-professional level with Kim Jones, E.E. Balcos, Delia Neil, Rachel Tucker, and Missy Coyle. As a performer, she has worked with choreographers including Claudia Lavista, Matilde Demarchi, Leslie Seiters, Rachel Barker, Gretchen Alterowitz, Marcus White, and Sybil Huskey, performing in concerts at UNCC and American Dance Festival. Additionally, Tori has performed and choreographed works for the Charlotte Dance Festival, American College Dance Association, and Wake Forest Dance Festival. Internationally, she had the privilege to study dance and perform at Italian venues including the Palace of Venaria and Orsolina28. Based in Chicago, IL, she divides her time between dancing, instructing, and choreographing. Her passion for bringing awareness to and discussing mental health is brought to life in her choreographic works, in which she utilizes contemporary techniques and improvisational practices for movement generation. Tori is thrilled to be a principal dancer with the Trifecta dance Collective this season, and cannot wait to share her passion with the DMA Conservatory students!

Originally from Stillwater, Minnesota, Ava Wisher began her dance training at St.Croix Ballet at the age of 3. She furthered her dance training at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Harid Conservatory, Classical Ballet Academy, and Indiana University. In 2020 Ava graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Conservatory at the University of Missouri Kansas City where she received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with an emphasis in Ballet and a minor in Communications. While at UMKC she performed works by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Gregory Dawson, Cleo Parker Robinson, and Paula Weber. Ava is a member of the Trifecta Dance Collective. She has danced professionally with Kansas City Ballet, Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company, and performed the role of Louise in Musical Theatre Heritage production of Carousel. Ava has danced internationally in Athens, Greece at the 51st World Congress on Dance Research. Ava is delighted to be working with the DMA Conservatory students this season. She is excited to be a part of a company that has cultivated such strong group of dedicated and passionate dancers! Conservatory Weekly Class Requirements

Conservatory Ballet (twice a week) Conservatory Pointe (twice a week) Progressing Ballet Technique Conservatory Artistry Training Conservatory Modern/Contemporary Trifecta Youth or CRBYE rehearsal (highly recommended to do both companies)