Artistic Director
Wendi DuBois
Wendi DuBois began her dance training at the age of 12 at the Virginia School of Ballet under the direction of Oleg Tupine, formerly of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. After receiving a scholarship with the School of American Ballet in New York, she danced with Dayton Ballet Company studying with Jon Rodriguez, Stuart Sebastian, Daniel Duell, and Rebecca Wright among others. During this time, Wendi performed works by many prolific choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Loyce Houlton, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Eugene Loring. Wendi has taught in southeastern Michigan for more than 30 years including the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Eastern Michigan University, and numerous community schools as a faculty member and as a master teacher. Wendi has spent the last 20 years at Ballet Chelsea working to build curriculum and performance opportunities that serve serious young artists who show a passion for the arts and dance. In 2017, Michigan Dance Council selected Wendi as the Touchstone Dance Educator of the year, which she was honored to accept. Wendi received her undergraduate degree from The University of Michigan and a Masters Degree in American Studies with an emphasis on gender studies from Michigan State University. Wendi currently teaches at Ballet Chelsea while continuing to direct Ballet Chelsea’s performing company.
Assistant Artistic Director
Natalie Krienke
Natalie Krienke (she/her) began dancing with Ballet Chelsea at a young age and is always ready to share her love of dance with others. Pulling from her years of dance and movement-based education, she teaches a full complement of classes at Ballet Chelsea including Jazz, Contemporary, and Conditioning. Natalie graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Movement Science from the School of Kinesiology. Outside of Ballet Chelsea, Natalie works at MOVE Wellness in Ann Arbor as a Pilates trainer and is a certified Zumba Fitness Instructor.
Ballet Mistress
Stephanie Dehoorne
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Science from Loyola University Chicago. During her studies, she danced with Loyola Dance Theatre under the direction of Sandra Kaufmann, previously of the Martha Graham Dance Company. Stephanie’s collegiate experiences strengthened her ballet background and included the rigorous study of Graham and Humphrey modern techniques. While at Loyola, Stephanie received a faculty award for her dance performance, scholarship, and community service. Her Loyola stage credits include Randy Duncan’s Storm staged by Mari Jo Irbe Barker, Doris Humphrey’s Water staged by Deborah Goodman, and classical ballet works under Raúl Díaz-Maroto Casasola. Stephanie has returned to Ballet Chelsea to share her dance education with the next generation of its dancers. In addition to serving as Ballet Mistress, Stephanie teaches ballet and pointe.
Caitlin Burke
Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Caitlin Burke received her early training from TeDee Theofil of Studio 1 and Wendi Dubois of Ballet Chelsea. She also holds a BA in Dance with a minor in Arts Administration from Mercyhurst College. Caitlin danced professionally with Ohio Dance Theatre and taught at various studios throughout Cleveland, OH and Erie, PA. She has been featured in roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Dew Drop in “The Nutcracker”, the Lilac Fairy in “Sleeping Beauty” and the Summer Fairy in “Cinderella” as well as had the opportunity to perform contemporary works by ballet masters Bruce Marks and Carter Alexander. Since returning to Michigan, Caitlin has been fortunate to work for Ballet Chelsea as both an Instructor and Rehearsal Director for the past 2 years. She is also currently the Member Services Manager for the Dexter Wellness Center. Caitlin is excited to continue working with such a wonderful organization.
Mathieu Dehoorne
Lauren Miller
Lauren started studying ballet at age six at the Vaganova based Marsha Ismailoff Mark School of Ballet in Newtown, CT. Since then she has trained in many different ballet styles and techniques. She has studied and performed with schools and companies in Connecticut, Cambridge,UK, Chicago, NYC, Colorado and Michigan, and has been teaching dance on and off for over 20 years. She has studied locally with Carol Radovic, Wendy Dubois and Belen Guzman, and performed locally with Ann Arbor Ballet Theater and Ballet Detroit. Prior to living in Michigan Lauren worked, taught, choreographed and performed in Chicago as a freelance dancer and with the Joel Hall Dancers. She is a senior trainer and instructor trainer at MOVE Wellness in Ann Arbor and has been teaching Pilates and GYROTONIC® for the last 10 years. Lauren loves dance in general and ballet in particular and is devoted to the belief that everyone who wants to dance should be able to, regardless of background, skill level or previous training. Lauren holds a BA in English, a BFA in Theatre Performance, and an MS in Geological Sciences from the University of Michigan.
Nancy Giles Watkins, FCCA
Nancy Giles Watkins is a Permanent Examiner, Liaison Officer and National Executive Board Member of the Cecchetti Council of America. She was President of the Cecchetti Council in 2008 and 2009 and also has served as Assistant National Registrar, Eastern Michigan Registrar and Summer School Coordinator at Hope College. She began her training with Marjorie Randazzo, continuing at Joffrey Ballet in New York City. She accepted a scholarship and continued her training in the Professional Program at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In 2006 Nancy was the winner of the Margaret Marsh and Sylvia Hamer Memorial Scholarship, representing the United States during the Cecchetti Society’s Summer Seminar in England. She is the former owner and Artistic Director of La Danse in Canton, Michigan. Nancy currently teaches Master Classes throughout the United States and Canada in addition to being a faculty member at Ballet Chelsea. She received the Cecchetti Council of America Advanced Teaching Certification in 1990. As one of 30 examiners in the United States, Nancy travels extensively, certifying teachers and students in the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet.
Rhonda Kendzicky
Rhonda Kendzicky has been teaching ballet in Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, and the surrounding area for more than 20 years, specializing in the correct development of the young dancer, as well as the training of aspiring dance instructors through assistant and demonstrator opportunities.
She began her dance training at age 7 with her mother, and prima ballerina, Pamela Rutledge, later expanding her studies with Sylvia Hamer, Marjorie Randazzo, Nancy Abby, and Tony Randazzo, performing as a member of the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet Company and Rutledge Repertory Dancers.
Rhonda is a member of The Cecchetti Council of America, holding certificates in Grades I - IV as both a teacher and dancer, and has attended numerous Cecchetti workshops and seminars over the years. Rhonda is a current instructor for Ballet Chelsea and Dexter Community Education. Additional experience includes director of Miss Rhonda's Dance, past instructor for Dance Arts of Chelsea and Jackson School for the Arts, former Ballet Mistress, Board member,
and Young Childhood Director for Ballet Chelsea, formerly Youth Dance Theatre of Michigan, and former owner and artistic director of Broad Street Dance Theatre and Dance Arts of Manchester.
She is most proud of her many students who have gone on to become beautiful dancers, wonderful teachers, and amazing individuals, who continue the tradition of sharing their talents with the world around them!
Macks Kreps
Macks Kreps’ (they/them) love and passion for dance instruction, performance, and
choreography began at a local studio in south-east Michigan where they trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, modern, tap, acrobatics, musical theatre, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, and liturgical. Macks’ dance education includes time spent training with Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Kansas City Ballet, and the Russian Ballet Academy of Michigan/Academy of Russian Classical Ballet. Passing highly-commended on each level, Macks has completed the Cecchetti Method of Ballet, Grades I-V. Macks attended Eastern Michigan University on scholarship and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Dance Performance. In addition to teaching an array of styles at various local southern Michigan dance studios, Macks strives to share their love of dance and movement with as many people as possible and does this through their leadership in Ballet Chelsea’s Adaptive Dance Program, where they instruct dance and movement classes for folks of all ages and abilities across Washtenaw County.
Kaitlynn Schuster
Kaitlynn Schuster began dancing when she was two years old at Taylor Dance in Taylor, Michigan, continued her training with Ballet Americana under Joy Squire, Patricia Lorenz, and Leif Lorenz
and participated in Regional Dance America (RDA). Throughout her training Kaitlynn’s focus has been on ballet (pointe), tap, and jazz. Kaitlynn attended the Joffrey Ballet School summer intensive where she was able to study under John Magnus, Artistic Director of the Joffrey Midwest workshop.
Kaitlynn went on to earn her BS in Exercise Science from Western Michigan University. As a member of WMU’s Dance Team she continued to expand her dance vocabulary in jazz, pom, and hip hop and performed at football, volleyball, and basketball games. The team also took 6th place at the National Dance Alliance Nationals while Kaitlynn was a member.
In addition to working at Ballet Chelsea teaching Tap and Hip Hop on Tuesday evenings, Kaitlynn also works for the Dexter Wellness Center as their Fitness Supervisor and is a swim instructor, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor. Kaitlynn believes exercise and movement are important for everyone!
Student Facutly
Amanda Barron
Bryn Brighton
Kathryn Keith
Adaptive Dance Program Faculty
Reeves Devoe
Bio coming soon
Macks Kreps
Macks Kreps’ (they/them) love and passion for dance instruction, performance, and
choreography began at a local studio in south-east Michigan where they trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, modern, tap, acrobatics, musical theatre, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, and liturgical. Macks’ dance education includes time spent training with Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Kansas City Ballet, and the Russian Ballet Academy of Michigan/Academy of Russian Classical Ballet. Passing highly-commended on each level, Macks has completed the Cecchetti Method of Ballet, Grades I-V. Macks attended Eastern Michigan University on scholarship and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Dance Performance. In addition to teaching an array of styles at various local southern Michigan dance studios, Macks strives to share their love of dance and movement with as many people as possible and does this through their leadership in Ballet Chelsea’s Adaptive Dance Program, where they instruct dance and movement classes for folks of all ages and abilities across Washtenaw County.
Carrie Schotte
Carrie Schotte is from Martin, Ohio and received her early dance training from the Toledo Ballet School, The Martha Graham School, STEPS on Broadway, The Broadway Dance Center and The Lake Erie Ballet School. Later, Carrie graduated magna cum laude from Wright State University with a BFA in dance. At WSU, she was a part of the pre-professional Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the Contemporary Dance Ensemble where she had the opportunity to work with renowned choreographers such as Debbie Blunden-Diggs (current DCDC artistic director), Jon Rodriguez (former artistic director of the Dayton Ballet), Pat White and Suzanne Walker. Since graduation, Carrie traveled to North Carolina to work professionally with the Goldsboro Ballet, and also worked with Mary Helen Mayfield and John Dennis of the Greensboro Ballet Company. She performed in musical theater productions such as Guys and Dolls, Chicago and Oklahoma with the North Carolina Theatre; she worked at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was offered a contract by Jean Ann Ryan Productions and Norwegian Cruise Lines four times. Since moving to Michigan in 2001, Carrie has taught for Dance Arts of Chelsea and Ballet Chelsea, as well as founded her own jazz dance ensemble company. Carrie looks forward to the future; the continuation of motivating, encouraging and inspiring young artists to create and train with passion.