Staff
Owner/Artistic Director/Choreographer
Recreational & Competitive Instructor
Kate has been dancing for over 20 years. After achieving recognition for her performances, she is now earning a reputation for her striking choreography and dedication to the art of dance. As a teacher and choreographer, she has had the pleasure of watching her own students carry on her success, winning overall high scores in various areas of dance, including contemporary, jazz, tap, lyrical, character, etc. An enthusiastic teacher, Kate thoroughly enjoys working with children of all ages and levels of experience.
Kate has trained in multiple studios in lower Michigan and is well versed in all forms of dance. During her competitive career, Kate received multiple overalls and scholarships for her studio solos and group pieces, and trained in many prestigious workshops and intensives. Kate is versatile in that she comes from a studio based technique background as well as high school & college dance team experience. In high school, Kate was named to the National Dance Alliance All-American team twice. Her senior year she was named “Top-Gun” dancer.
In college, Kate was a proud 4 year member and 2 year captain of the Western Michigan University Dance Team. As a freshman in the 2004-2005 season she was named Rookie Dancer of the year. Kate went on to be named Leader of the Year in both the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons. In 2007, Kate led the WMU Dance Team to their first ever National Competition appearance and 1st place championship. She finished her Dance Team career at WMU in 2008 when she was named 2007-2008 Leader of the year and Most Valuable Dancer, which resulted in being hired by WMU as an Assistant Coach for the 2008-2009 seasons. Kate has more recently accepted the position as Head Coach of WMU Dance Team. Also in 2008, Kate was hired by National Dance Alliance (NDA) to teach, judge, and critique high school and college dance teams nationwide. Kate also successfully petitioned Plainwell High School administration to form a dance team, and enjoyed three years as head coach to a wonderful and award winning group of dancers.
Additionally Kate is an experienced judge and has served on various panels critiquing for studio company auditions, high school and college dance team auditions, statewide dance team competitions, etc.
Kate's teaching experiences include planning curriculum, choreographing, and rehearsing numerous groups and solo works for both recreational and competitive dancers, Supervising company members at regional and national competitions and overseeing hundreds of dancers per year in annual recitals. Kate has taught recreational as well as pre-professional level jazz, ballet, lyrical, and tap. Kate is an award-winning choreographer with proven leadership skills.
Kate graduated in April 2009 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management & minors in Dance & Spanish from Western Michigan University. She is currently pursuing her MBA from WMU in Business Management. She also regularly travels the country taking class from reknowned choreographers & staying on top of the most current styles, choreography, and instructors. Kate is committed to continued dance education, as it is essential to growth.
Kate is a native of Clinton Township, MI but is proud to call Kalamazoo her home.
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor & Choreographer
Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary Lyrical, Jazz
Originally from the Detroit area, Kathryn Reese has been dancing for 16 years. She has danced competitively almost her whole life at Tina Marie School of Dance. During her competitive dance years she received many top awards, titles, scholarships and recognition for her solo, trios and group numbers at regional and national competitions. She was awarded American Dance Awards Michigan’s “Dancer of the Year” as well as earning the “Break the Ice” 1st overall for her duet at Fire and Ice National Competition, “Miss Dance KAR”, and many more. She has also earned many cash award scholarships and special awards for her performance ability and technique. Kathryn received the privilege of being a featured dancer for Mariah Carey during a Lion’s Thanksgiving Half-time Show. Recently she has been hired by Stiletto Entertainment and Royal Caribbean as a cruise line performer. Now, an established dancer trained in all areas of dance, Kathryn finds she is most passionate about the expressive energy of contemporary, ballet, and jazz.
Katie has trained outside of her studio by attending many workshops and intensives. She attended “Blue Lake Fine Arts Summer Program” where she was accepted into their International Ballet Ensemble which tours Europe and the Midwest. Katie also took frequent ballet classes at Oakland University as a junior high student and workshops with “The Royal Winnipeg Ballet”. Katie attended a two week workshop in Buffalo New York for Dance Master’s Student Honor’s Program. She has trained at the best studios in NYC and LA such as Broadway Dance Center in NYC, the EDGE Performing Arts Center and Debbie Reynolds’s Studio in Los Angeles CA taking classes in all areas of dance. Katie has also had the honors to train with prestigious dancers such as Doug Caldwell, Tom Relabate, Mandy Moore, Brian Friedman, and more.
During her high school years she was not only involved with dance but singing and acting as well in the musicals. She had lead parts in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Beauty and the Beast”. Katie is now a major at Western Michigan University, where she has the opportunity to further her studies and train as well as perform and choreograph. Katie is also a 2nd year member of Western Michigan University Dance Team. She recently was named to the National Dance Alliance All-American team. She also received the award “Top- Gun Leaps” award for execution of leaps.
Katie is energetic and goofy and hopes to open up the minds of young students, while challenging them to go above and beyond. Katie’s years of experience in teaching, performing, choreographing will help to further the development of dance at West Michigan Dance Center.
Rachel Siegel
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor
Hip Hop/Jazz/Contemporary/Lyrical
Coming Soon!
Jillian Gambino
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor
Jazz/Contemporary/Lyrical
Jillian Gambino has been dancing for 15 years. She grew up dancing at Dance City and Steps Dance Center in Kalamazoo, MI. During her competitive years, she won regional titles and scholarships at Star Systems, Hall of Fame Dance, and Showstoppers for her solos, duets, and trios. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and 2006, at Hall of Fame Dance Challenge. She won Critic's Choice award at NYCDA in 2006 and 2007 with her group routines. She won regional scholarships at the conventions; JUMP, NYCDA, and Break and Shake the Floor. Previously, Jillian taught for 4 years at Steps Dance Center, where her choreography won regional and national recognition at numerous competitions including V.I.P. Dance Challenge, Star Systems and Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Jillian began furthering her dance education at Western Michigan University. She has performed in WMU's Winter Concert of Dance in 2007 and 2008. She was honored as a freshman to be chosen to perform in the graduating presentations of the senior BFA's, and again as a sophomore in 2008. In 2007, she was a guest performer at the Dance Ensemble of Michigan's spring concert. Other than her training at Western, she has trained at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway in New York City and in Italy at World Dance Movement. She has trained with Michele Asaaf, Jason Parsons, Lauren Adams, Joey Dowling, Desmond Richardson, Derrick Evans, Erin Lamont, Wes Veldink, Chris Hale, and Calen Kurka.
Besides dance, Jillian has been involved in singing and acting. In high school, she was a member of "The Wiz," in which she obtained lead dancing roles. More recently she was seen at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre as the dance captain in "A Chorus Line," and played the part of Lori. She also appeared in "The Full Monty" as Estelle at the Civic this past spring. She is continuing to work towards a career on broadway through her dance and vocal training. In the future, Jillian plans to dance on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines or Norweigan Cruise Lines, and eventually move to New York City to pursue her dance career.
Jillian is very excited to start this next year teaching & choreographing at WMDC!
Stacey Cable
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor
Ballet/Pointe
Stacey has been dancing for 13 years and now is a freshman scholarship dance major at Western Michigan University. She has many years of competition experience with Body Language Dance Company and has received many awards. Her most recent accomplishment is National Grand Champion Senior Soloist at Talent on Parade Nationals 2009 in Des Moines, Iowa. Other titles include regional Miss Spotlight 2009, Miss Bravo 2008, Senior Miss Dance Xplosion 2007, regional and national Miss Spotlight 2007, Teen Miss Dance Xplosion 2006. Stacey's solos have also received many judges awards for 'Outstanding Technique'. Her groups have been awarded with both regional and national trophies.
Stacey has recently completed advanced ballet technique college courses at Grand Valley State University where she studied under Calin Radulescu. She was a member of the Great Lakes Youth Ballet Company under the direction of Jefferson Baum for three years. She was cast as Reed Flute, Flower, and Arabian in the Nutcracker; a friend in Coppelia, and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. When Moscow's Great Russian Nutcracker came to Grand Rapids Stacey was cast with different roles for three years. Stacey's ballet training began with the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet in which she completed examinations through grade five and received a scholarship to attend the Cecchettiti Council of America ballet camp at Hope College. Her training also includes ballet technique classes from Dawnell Dreja, 2 summers spent training as a scholarship recipient and member of the Dance Ensemble at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and summer classes at Grand Rapids Ballet School.
Stacey is excited to begin her college years at WMU and will be studying elementary education along with dance. She looks forward to being a part of WMDC!
Angela Literski
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor
Coming Soon!
Francesca Pileci
Competitive Company Ballet Instructor
Coming Soon!
Sayre Masters
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor
Coming Soon!
Alli Wilson
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor
Coming Soon!
Chris Wang
Competitive Company/Recreational Instructor
Gymnastics/Tumbling
Bio Coming Soon!
