Introducing The 2011 Starettes
Rachel Filippi is very excited to return to Minnesota PerformDance
for her second year as the Director of the Starettes. She started
dancing when she was five years old and just can't stop! Her formal
training includes years of studio lessons in jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical,
modern, pointe, and high-kick. Most recently, Rachel was training
for competitive ballroom dancing. Injuries from a car accident have
put that plan on hold, but she loves coaching and is grateful for the
opportunity to work with such a talented group of dancers. Rachel
started choreographing and teaching dance out of her basement
when she was 13 years old. She has coached the Bloomington
Kennedy Kolleens Dance Team, directed and choreographed for a
semi-pro basketball organization's performance team, and taught
dance-based programs and group fitness classes at Northwest
Athletic Club and Lifetime Fitness.
Rachel Filippi is very excited to return to Minnesota PerformDance
for her second year as the Director of the Starettes. She started
dancing when she was five years old and just can't stop! Her formal
training includes years of studio lessons in jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical,
modern, pointe, and high-kick. Most recently, Rachel was training
for competitive ballroom dancing. Injuries from a car accident have
put that plan on hold, but she loves coaching and is grateful for the
opportunity to work with such a talented group of dancers. Rachel
started choreographing and teaching dance out of her basement
when she was 13 years old. She has coached the Bloomington
Kennedy Kolleens Dance Team, directed and choreographed for a
semi-pro basketball organization's performance team, and taught
dance-based programs and group fitness classes at Northwest
Athletic Club and Lifetime Fitness.
Kari Strauman is proud to be a part of the Starettes for the second year, and serves as Dance Captain
this year. She began dancing at a young age doing tap, ballet, and jazz at private dance studios in the
Twin Cities. In high school she was a part of the State Champion Wayzata Trojet Dance Team, and was
recruited to teach at the Just for Kix summer dance camps during college. As an adult, Kari danced at
The Dance Shoppe performing and competing with the young adults group in jazz and lyrical. In addition
to these forms of dance, her other dance interests are salsa, flamenco, hip hop, funk, and Broadway.
Outside of dance, Kari works as an Account Executive for a medical company. Her other interests
include downhill skiing, traveling, and spending time with family, friends, and her new puppy Humphrey
Bogart.
Nika Antuanette is a Chicago native who began instruction in ballet, tap, and tumbling at age 4. Soon
after, she exposed herself to Irish dance, cheerleading, and theatre. In fifth grade, Nika started studio
dance lessons in the styles of lyrical, ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. She added modern and pointe to her
repertoire in her late teens and committed a great majority of her time to Varsity competitive
cheerleading. Her passion and love for theatre continued into college when she continued to perform in
plays and musicals including Aristophanes’ The Birds and the musical Hair. Currently, she is a
sophomore at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities pursuing a double major in Dance and
Psychology. She is honored and proud to be a member of the Starettes dance company. Nika enjoys
doing yoga, improvising to live music, singing and dancing with friends, and drinking lots of TEA from
her local teashop and beloved work-spot, TeaLula in Park Ridge, IL.
Amanda Ballensky has 17 years of experience in dance and cheer. She started her dance career
Scottish Highland dancing when she lived in Scotland, and after moving back to Minnesota, she
continued dancing at Macalester College and competing around the country. She was a member,
captain, choreographer, and all conference dancer for the State Champion Bloomington Kennedy High
School Dance Team. During college she was a member of the St. Cloud State University Dance Team
and graduated with a B.S. degree in Real Estate/Finance. She performed professionally for 3 years as
member of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders and is still the biggest Vikings fan you will ever meet.
Amanda currently is in her 13th year of judging dance with the Minnesota State High School League and
is also on the Board of Directors for the Judges Association of Minnesota Dance Teams (JAM). She has
judged many years at the Minnesota State Tournament and also at the UPA Nationals in Minneapolis.
This is Amanda’s first year with the Starettes, and she's absolutely thrilled to have dance in her life!
Laura Bohne graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Dance. At the University
of Wisconsin, Laura was honored to have performed for Chris Walker, Jeremy Nelson, Alan Sener,
Kathleen Hermesdorf, Jin-Wen Yu, Kate Corby, Li Chiao-Ping, Ashley Selmer, and Ella Rosewood. She
previously attended Virginia Tech where she earned a Marketing Management degree in 2006. While
attending Virginia Tech, Laura performed with the Contemporary Dance Ensemble where she had the
opportunity to dabble in many different dance genres including jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, modern,
Chinese, and Caribbean. Laura moved to Minneapolis in 2009 to take advantage of all the wonderful
dance opportunities the Twin Cities has to offer. She is proud to be the Education Assistant at The
Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts and a dance instructor at The Little Gym of Burnsville.
This is Laura’s second year with the Starettes, and is very honored to be a part of this amazing team.
Heather Conover has always loved performing, whether singing, dancing, or acting! She took her first
dance lessons in ballet and tap between the ages of 4 and 5 and studied ballet at the age of 12. She
spent most of her childhood (age 4-17) in gymnastics, where she progressed to level 9 club gymnastics
and then moved to varsity gymnastics at Edina High School 7th through 12th grade. She also
participated in synchronized swimming for 2 years and has appeared in a number of community
musicals such as Oliver!, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Secret Garden. In college, Heather performed and
competed in jazz/funk, pom, and high kick/precision with the Bethel University Dance Team and served
in a leadership position for three years, including her last year as captain. After college, she picked up
long-distance running, completing the Twin Cities Marathon in 2009 and Grandma’s Marathon in 2010.
A current Starettes member introduced Heather to the Starettes, and Heather is absolutely thrilled to be
reliving her passion for dance again!
Melissa Eichelberger grew up in Lake City, MN, and fell in love with dancing at the age of 3. Her mother
says she was shaking her behind before she could walk! She took class on and off throughout grade
school and high school, and joined the Lake City Varsity Dance Team in the 8th grade after 1 year on JV.
She was a captain senior year. Melissa then went onto college at Minnesota State University - Mankato
where she continued to grow through her passion for dance. She was honored to be part of a dance
piece that traveled to the American Collegiate Dance Festival Nationals in Washington D.C. at the
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also choreographed three pieces for the Student Dance
Concert in 2010. Melissa was a speaker at graduation and earned a double major in Dance and Mass
Communications. After completing an internship for the Dance Summit at Perpich Center for Arts
Education, she now works as an Account Coordinator at The Line Up and is thrilled to be a part of the
2011 Starettes! Melissa is truly enjoying her time as a rookie on the team and looking forward to their
upcoming performances!
Jessi Fett is happy to be back with the Starettes for her third season! Jessi graduated from Hamline
University with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance and has earned her K-12 teaching license. Jessica has
been an active member of the dance community since the age of 3, being a studio dancer for 16 years
where she competed regionally and nationally. She danced for 4 years in college on the Dance Team
and as a company member and choreographer on the Dance Ensemble. She has choreographed
numerous community theatre musicals including St. Thomas Moore’s production of Cinderella. From
2008-2010 Jessi was the dance teacher at Stage Coach Theatre Schools in St. Louis Park. She
currently is the Education Manager at The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts.
Nicole Greibrok spent the first 15 years of her dance career training at Joyce Matthies Dance Centre in
Albert Lea, MN, where she studied jazz, lyrical, tap, and ballet. During this time Nicole also danced in
various musical productions and was captain of the Albert Lea High School Dance Team. At the
University of Saint Thomas, Nicole was a member of the PULSE performing arts group, and during her
time abroad, studied at Pineapple Dance Studios in London, England. Nicole is presently an avid
ballroom dancer in both American and International styles at The Dancer’s Studio in St. Paul, MN. She
most recently competed and placed in Pro/Am in the American Smooth and Rhythm Freestyles divisions
at the Twin Cities Open 2010. Nicole graduated from the University of Saint Thomas in May of 2010 with
degrees in Marketing and Business Communication and is presently employed with Supervalu
Corporation in Eden Prairie, MN. This is Nicole’s first year with the company.
Jamie Jewison is excited for her second year performing with the Starettes. She began taking studio
dance lessons at the age of 5. Jamie spent 2 years competing with the University of Wisconsin - Stout
Dance Team. Jamie’s passion for dance has led her to take jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop classes with many
different dance studios throughout the Minneapolis - St. Paul area. Most recently, she spent 5 years
competing with the Summit Dance Shoppe young adults in both jazz and lyrical. Jamie also serves as a
dance team official with JAM (Judges Association of Minnesota Dance Teams) for the Minnesota State
High School League. In her free time, Jamie enjoys playing golf, watching Gopher football, and walking
her basset hound, Newman.
Ashley Klatte started dancing at age 3 at Dancing on Broadway in Brooklyn Park, MN, and has loved to
dance ever since. When Ashley was 14 she also began competing in gymnastics. In her senior year of
high school she went to state for the floor exercise and received a scholarship to practice gymnastics in
college. After a minor ankle injury, Ashley decided to put gymnastics on hold and continue with pursuing
her love of dance. While in college she moved to Australia for six months where she joined a local
Aussie dance company performing in their big end of the year dance showcase. When Ashley
arrived back in the states she performed in many dance productions at the University of Minnesota –
Duluth and in May of 2010 graduated with a degree in Communications and a minor in Dance. Currently
you can find her working in marketing and pursuing her MBA at Hamline University. In her free time
Ashley coaches high school gymnastics and loves her first season dancing with the Starettes!
Heather Lundgren began dancing to VH-1 music videos in her parents’ living room at the age of 3. A few
years later, they decided to put her in dance classes and she hasn’t looked back since! She grew up
dancing at Dance Escape Dance Studio in Duluth, MN. She competed in local and national
competitions from ages 9-18. Her senior year of high school, Heather and her teammates performed in
the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. She was also a member of her high school’s
dance team for 3 years and a captain for 1 year. Heather attended and graduated from the University of
Minnesota - Duluth where she minored in dance and was also a part of a student-run organization
called Attitudes Dance Association. At UMD, she had the opportunity to choreograph and perform for the
theater program’s annual dance production called Bare Bones. Most recently, Heather was a part of
Zenon Dance School’s Dance Zone Program where she had the wonderful opportunity of working with
local choreographers. She continues to take classes throughout the metro and is very excited about her
first season with the Starettes!
Rita Moseley is thrilled and honored to be continuing her dance career as a rookie member of the
Starettes! She feels extremely blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to add yet another chapter of
dance to her life. Rita's love for dance and performing began as child while she was involved with a local
childrens theatre, where she was blessed to participate in a production of FAME, as well as take clinics
conducted by members of the Alvin Ailey dance company. Her love for choreography also started young,
when she would create dance routines for friends, and children in the neighborhood. Rita was a
member of her high school dance team, and a 3 year member and choreographer of the St. Cloud State
University Dance Team, where she served as co-captain her final year. She was then fortunate to
achieve a long-time dream of being chosen as a member of the 2001 Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders
(MVC), and has since, also been a member and guest choreographer of the MVC Alumni team.
Following her professional dance pursuits, Rita went on to become a head coach, and during the non-
competitive season, choreographer of a varsity high school dance team for a total of three seasons. She
has also judged with JAM (Judges Association of Minnesota) as a Dance Team Official for the
Minnesota State High School League. One of Rita's most cherished experiences was as a preschool
dance instructor with the loving and supportive company, Dancercise Kids, a Minnesota-based
business. The relationships she developed with the children, their parents, and the support staff at
Dancercise made the experience unparalleled and something she will always treasure. Just a few of
her favorite dance memories include making it to Nationals in Orlando, FL, for two of the three years she
was a part of SCSU's Dance Team, teaching a hip-hop routine to the varsity football team as a high
school dance team coach, and being a part of the 2001 MVC that received a standing ovation from over
60,000 fans at the Metrodome after the squad performed a routine to "God Bless the USA" in late
September of that year. Some of Rita's interests include yoga, radio, writing, warm weather, gummy
bears, and photography, and she would especially like to thank her family and friends for always
supporting her dance pursuits. Rita's favorite color is ocean blue, she loves dogs, hockey, and the
"Jason & Alexis" show on Mytalk 107.1. Cherished childhood memory: as a little girl, looking out the
window over beautiful New York City from the top floor of the majestic World Trade Center. Fun Fact
about Rita: if you're driving around the Twin Cities and see someone singing and "seat" dancing "to the
beat" in their car -- it might be her! "I am amazed at the level of skill and talent of my teammates, and
even more impressed with the humility and grace with which they carry themselves in lieu of such
talents. Our first performance at the new Cowles Center on September 11 was incredible to experience.
I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store! Thank you, Twin Cities for your support!!
Rachelle Neuberger graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Theatre
Performance where she earned top honors in conspicuous theatre achievement and three nominations
for the American College Theatre Festival, Irene Ryan Scholarship. She finished her collegiate work at
the St. Petersburg Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia, under the study of renowned acting coach
Alisa Ivanova. Rachelle also has an extensive performance background in cheerleading and dance,
with previous employment as a cheerleading and dance instructor, director, and dance choreographer
for Stebens Children’s Theatre, producing educational theatre for the youth. Rachelle has been active in
the Minneapolis theater community since moving to Minneapolis in 2008. She recently performed with
the Minnesota Shakespeare Company in their production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream. Rachelle is currently employed as a credentialing specialist with CIGNA Behavioral Health
where job functions aid in maintaining the integrity of CIGNA's provider network. This is her first year
performing with the Starettes.
Kelli Wynia graduated from the University of Minnesota - Duluth in December of 2009 with a B.B.A. in
Marketing and a minor in Dance. At the University of Minnesota - Duluth she was a member of the
Attitudes Dance Association where she performed and choreographed. Kelli started dancing when she
was 3 years old at Lake Harriet Dance Center in Richfield, MN, where she studied ballet, tap, and jazz.
She took dance classes while studying abroad in Sydney, Australia, at the Sydney Dance Company.
Kelli currently works in Human Resources at Target Corporation, and is excited to be a part of the
Starettes for the first time this year!
this year. She began dancing at a young age doing tap, ballet, and jazz at private dance studios in the
Twin Cities. In high school she was a part of the State Champion Wayzata Trojet Dance Team, and was
recruited to teach at the Just for Kix summer dance camps during college. As an adult, Kari danced at
The Dance Shoppe performing and competing with the young adults group in jazz and lyrical. In addition
to these forms of dance, her other dance interests are salsa, flamenco, hip hop, funk, and Broadway.
Outside of dance, Kari works as an Account Executive for a medical company. Her other interests
include downhill skiing, traveling, and spending time with family, friends, and her new puppy Humphrey
Bogart.
Nika Antuanette is a Chicago native who began instruction in ballet, tap, and tumbling at age 4. Soon
after, she exposed herself to Irish dance, cheerleading, and theatre. In fifth grade, Nika started studio
dance lessons in the styles of lyrical, ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. She added modern and pointe to her
repertoire in her late teens and committed a great majority of her time to Varsity competitive
cheerleading. Her passion and love for theatre continued into college when she continued to perform in
plays and musicals including Aristophanes’ The Birds and the musical Hair. Currently, she is a
sophomore at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities pursuing a double major in Dance and
Psychology. She is honored and proud to be a member of the Starettes dance company. Nika enjoys
doing yoga, improvising to live music, singing and dancing with friends, and drinking lots of TEA from
her local teashop and beloved work-spot, TeaLula in Park Ridge, IL.
Amanda Ballensky has 17 years of experience in dance and cheer. She started her dance career
Scottish Highland dancing when she lived in Scotland, and after moving back to Minnesota, she
continued dancing at Macalester College and competing around the country. She was a member,
captain, choreographer, and all conference dancer for the State Champion Bloomington Kennedy High
School Dance Team. During college she was a member of the St. Cloud State University Dance Team
and graduated with a B.S. degree in Real Estate/Finance. She performed professionally for 3 years as
member of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders and is still the biggest Vikings fan you will ever meet.
Amanda currently is in her 13th year of judging dance with the Minnesota State High School League and
is also on the Board of Directors for the Judges Association of Minnesota Dance Teams (JAM). She has
judged many years at the Minnesota State Tournament and also at the UPA Nationals in Minneapolis.
This is Amanda’s first year with the Starettes, and she's absolutely thrilled to have dance in her life!
Laura Bohne graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Dance. At the University
of Wisconsin, Laura was honored to have performed for Chris Walker, Jeremy Nelson, Alan Sener,
Kathleen Hermesdorf, Jin-Wen Yu, Kate Corby, Li Chiao-Ping, Ashley Selmer, and Ella Rosewood. She
previously attended Virginia Tech where she earned a Marketing Management degree in 2006. While
attending Virginia Tech, Laura performed with the Contemporary Dance Ensemble where she had the
opportunity to dabble in many different dance genres including jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, modern,
Chinese, and Caribbean. Laura moved to Minneapolis in 2009 to take advantage of all the wonderful
dance opportunities the Twin Cities has to offer. She is proud to be the Education Assistant at The
Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts and a dance instructor at The Little Gym of Burnsville.
This is Laura’s second year with the Starettes, and is very honored to be a part of this amazing team.
Heather Conover has always loved performing, whether singing, dancing, or acting! She took her first
dance lessons in ballet and tap between the ages of 4 and 5 and studied ballet at the age of 12. She
spent most of her childhood (age 4-17) in gymnastics, where she progressed to level 9 club gymnastics
and then moved to varsity gymnastics at Edina High School 7th through 12th grade. She also
participated in synchronized swimming for 2 years and has appeared in a number of community
musicals such as Oliver!, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Secret Garden. In college, Heather performed and
competed in jazz/funk, pom, and high kick/precision with the Bethel University Dance Team and served
in a leadership position for three years, including her last year as captain. After college, she picked up
long-distance running, completing the Twin Cities Marathon in 2009 and Grandma’s Marathon in 2010.
A current Starettes member introduced Heather to the Starettes, and Heather is absolutely thrilled to be
reliving her passion for dance again!
Melissa Eichelberger grew up in Lake City, MN, and fell in love with dancing at the age of 3. Her mother
says she was shaking her behind before she could walk! She took class on and off throughout grade
school and high school, and joined the Lake City Varsity Dance Team in the 8th grade after 1 year on JV.
She was a captain senior year. Melissa then went onto college at Minnesota State University - Mankato
where she continued to grow through her passion for dance. She was honored to be part of a dance
piece that traveled to the American Collegiate Dance Festival Nationals in Washington D.C. at the
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also choreographed three pieces for the Student Dance
Concert in 2010. Melissa was a speaker at graduation and earned a double major in Dance and Mass
Communications. After completing an internship for the Dance Summit at Perpich Center for Arts
Education, she now works as an Account Coordinator at The Line Up and is thrilled to be a part of the
2011 Starettes! Melissa is truly enjoying her time as a rookie on the team and looking forward to their
upcoming performances!
Jessi Fett is happy to be back with the Starettes for her third season! Jessi graduated from Hamline
University with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance and has earned her K-12 teaching license. Jessica has
been an active member of the dance community since the age of 3, being a studio dancer for 16 years
where she competed regionally and nationally. She danced for 4 years in college on the Dance Team
and as a company member and choreographer on the Dance Ensemble. She has choreographed
numerous community theatre musicals including St. Thomas Moore’s production of Cinderella. From
2008-2010 Jessi was the dance teacher at Stage Coach Theatre Schools in St. Louis Park. She
currently is the Education Manager at The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts.
Nicole Greibrok spent the first 15 years of her dance career training at Joyce Matthies Dance Centre in
Albert Lea, MN, where she studied jazz, lyrical, tap, and ballet. During this time Nicole also danced in
various musical productions and was captain of the Albert Lea High School Dance Team. At the
University of Saint Thomas, Nicole was a member of the PULSE performing arts group, and during her
time abroad, studied at Pineapple Dance Studios in London, England. Nicole is presently an avid
ballroom dancer in both American and International styles at The Dancer’s Studio in St. Paul, MN. She
most recently competed and placed in Pro/Am in the American Smooth and Rhythm Freestyles divisions
at the Twin Cities Open 2010. Nicole graduated from the University of Saint Thomas in May of 2010 with
degrees in Marketing and Business Communication and is presently employed with Supervalu
Corporation in Eden Prairie, MN. This is Nicole’s first year with the company.
Jamie Jewison is excited for her second year performing with the Starettes. She began taking studio
dance lessons at the age of 5. Jamie spent 2 years competing with the University of Wisconsin - Stout
Dance Team. Jamie’s passion for dance has led her to take jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop classes with many
different dance studios throughout the Minneapolis - St. Paul area. Most recently, she spent 5 years
competing with the Summit Dance Shoppe young adults in both jazz and lyrical. Jamie also serves as a
dance team official with JAM (Judges Association of Minnesota Dance Teams) for the Minnesota State
High School League. In her free time, Jamie enjoys playing golf, watching Gopher football, and walking
her basset hound, Newman.
Ashley Klatte started dancing at age 3 at Dancing on Broadway in Brooklyn Park, MN, and has loved to
dance ever since. When Ashley was 14 she also began competing in gymnastics. In her senior year of
high school she went to state for the floor exercise and received a scholarship to practice gymnastics in
college. After a minor ankle injury, Ashley decided to put gymnastics on hold and continue with pursuing
her love of dance. While in college she moved to Australia for six months where she joined a local
Aussie dance company performing in their big end of the year dance showcase. When Ashley
arrived back in the states she performed in many dance productions at the University of Minnesota –
Duluth and in May of 2010 graduated with a degree in Communications and a minor in Dance. Currently
you can find her working in marketing and pursuing her MBA at Hamline University. In her free time
Ashley coaches high school gymnastics and loves her first season dancing with the Starettes!
Heather Lundgren began dancing to VH-1 music videos in her parents’ living room at the age of 3. A few
years later, they decided to put her in dance classes and she hasn’t looked back since! She grew up
dancing at Dance Escape Dance Studio in Duluth, MN. She competed in local and national
competitions from ages 9-18. Her senior year of high school, Heather and her teammates performed in
the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. She was also a member of her high school’s
dance team for 3 years and a captain for 1 year. Heather attended and graduated from the University of
Minnesota - Duluth where she minored in dance and was also a part of a student-run organization
called Attitudes Dance Association. At UMD, she had the opportunity to choreograph and perform for the
theater program’s annual dance production called Bare Bones. Most recently, Heather was a part of
Zenon Dance School’s Dance Zone Program where she had the wonderful opportunity of working with
local choreographers. She continues to take classes throughout the metro and is very excited about her
first season with the Starettes!
Rita Moseley is thrilled and honored to be continuing her dance career as a rookie member of the
Starettes! She feels extremely blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to add yet another chapter of
dance to her life. Rita's love for dance and performing began as child while she was involved with a local
childrens theatre, where she was blessed to participate in a production of FAME, as well as take clinics
conducted by members of the Alvin Ailey dance company. Her love for choreography also started young,
when she would create dance routines for friends, and children in the neighborhood. Rita was a
member of her high school dance team, and a 3 year member and choreographer of the St. Cloud State
University Dance Team, where she served as co-captain her final year. She was then fortunate to
achieve a long-time dream of being chosen as a member of the 2001 Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders
(MVC), and has since, also been a member and guest choreographer of the MVC Alumni team.
Following her professional dance pursuits, Rita went on to become a head coach, and during the non-
competitive season, choreographer of a varsity high school dance team for a total of three seasons. She
has also judged with JAM (Judges Association of Minnesota) as a Dance Team Official for the
Minnesota State High School League. One of Rita's most cherished experiences was as a preschool
dance instructor with the loving and supportive company, Dancercise Kids, a Minnesota-based
business. The relationships she developed with the children, their parents, and the support staff at
Dancercise made the experience unparalleled and something she will always treasure. Just a few of
her favorite dance memories include making it to Nationals in Orlando, FL, for two of the three years she
was a part of SCSU's Dance Team, teaching a hip-hop routine to the varsity football team as a high
school dance team coach, and being a part of the 2001 MVC that received a standing ovation from over
60,000 fans at the Metrodome after the squad performed a routine to "God Bless the USA" in late
September of that year. Some of Rita's interests include yoga, radio, writing, warm weather, gummy
bears, and photography, and she would especially like to thank her family and friends for always
supporting her dance pursuits. Rita's favorite color is ocean blue, she loves dogs, hockey, and the
"Jason & Alexis" show on Mytalk 107.1. Cherished childhood memory: as a little girl, looking out the
window over beautiful New York City from the top floor of the majestic World Trade Center. Fun Fact
about Rita: if you're driving around the Twin Cities and see someone singing and "seat" dancing "to the
beat" in their car -- it might be her! "I am amazed at the level of skill and talent of my teammates, and
even more impressed with the humility and grace with which they carry themselves in lieu of such
talents. Our first performance at the new Cowles Center on September 11 was incredible to experience.
I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store! Thank you, Twin Cities for your support!!
Rachelle Neuberger graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Theatre
Performance where she earned top honors in conspicuous theatre achievement and three nominations
for the American College Theatre Festival, Irene Ryan Scholarship. She finished her collegiate work at
the St. Petersburg Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia, under the study of renowned acting coach
Alisa Ivanova. Rachelle also has an extensive performance background in cheerleading and dance,
with previous employment as a cheerleading and dance instructor, director, and dance choreographer
for Stebens Children’s Theatre, producing educational theatre for the youth. Rachelle has been active in
the Minneapolis theater community since moving to Minneapolis in 2008. She recently performed with
the Minnesota Shakespeare Company in their production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream. Rachelle is currently employed as a credentialing specialist with CIGNA Behavioral Health
where job functions aid in maintaining the integrity of CIGNA's provider network. This is her first year
performing with the Starettes.
Kelli Wynia graduated from the University of Minnesota - Duluth in December of 2009 with a B.B.A. in
Marketing and a minor in Dance. At the University of Minnesota - Duluth she was a member of the
Attitudes Dance Association where she performed and choreographed. Kelli started dancing when she
was 3 years old at Lake Harriet Dance Center in Richfield, MN, where she studied ballet, tap, and jazz.
She took dance classes while studying abroad in Sydney, Australia, at the Sydney Dance Company.
Kelli currently works in Human Resources at Target Corporation, and is excited to be a part of the
Starettes for the first time this year!
| © Minnesota PerformDance Productions 2006-2011 Photos may not be used without permission of Minnesota PerformDance Productions Contact the site manager at admin@minnesotaperformdance.org |
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