INSTRUCTORS

Jesse Rand Powers

Jesse Rand Powers is extremely happy to be the new studio owner of Danceworks of Michigan. He is also the Artistic Director of Children’s Ballet Theatre (CBT) and could not be more thrilled to back to his roots. Jesse was introduced to ballet at age 6 dancing with Bauer Dance Studio but started to take dance seriously when he joined CBT at age 11. He grew up through the company, performing lead roles in Nutcracker every Fall and lead roles in different Spring ballets, including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Don Quixote. Jesse also danced at several studios under the guidance of Diane Newman, Brigitt Boucha, Giuseppe Canale, Gregory M. George, Lisa Whiting-Dobson, and Patty Villanueva. Jesse danced in many CBT summer company performances as well as dancing at summer intensives including ABT and Blue Lake Fine Arts International. Jesse graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Arts in dance. At Grand Valley Jesse worked with esteemed artists such as Julie Blume, Amy Cova, Lauren Edson, Autumn Eckman, Anna Liceica, and Erica Fischbach. While at school he choreographed and lead a non-profit dance organization called Momentum for two years and was Treasurer a year before he became President. Jesse taught at Michigan Ballet Academy and guest danced at many studios throughout Michigan, including CBT, Caledonia Dance Center, West Michigan Youth Ballet, Michgan Ballet Academy, and more. He also choreographed and performed in DanceLansing. After college, Jesse danced two seasons with Inaside Chicago Dance as a Performing Apprentice. There he was able to work with Preston Miller, Kristen Harvey, Brandon DiCriscio, Eric Rivera, Robert Mckee, and Richard Smith. As well, he danced the Nutcracker with Schaumburg Dance Ensemble for two seasons, danced in Thodos’ New Dances Series, and performed with Alliance Dance Company. In New York, Jesse worked with ShawnBible Dance Co, Arch Contemporary Ballet, Jonathan Lassiter Co, and Judi Jaekel & Dancers. Jesse taught and trained with students in Chicago at several different studios and in New York at Art’s House School of Dance & Fine Arts. He choreographed several pieces in Brooklyn for BomDiggs’ Shifting Movement Series and in Chicago for Inaside’s Choreographic Sponsorship Event.

Elzbieta (Ela) Alabuszew-Kutek

Elzbieta (Ela) Alabuszew-Kutek is an accomplished teacher, choreographer and professional dancer trained at the National Ballet School in Warsaw and Gdansk, Poland, with an MFA in Pedagogy and Choreography from the National Institute of Theater Arts in Moscow, Russia. Ela has performed, taught, directed, and choreographed in Poland, Russia, England, Germany, France, United States, Denmark, and Norway. Since she moved to USA in 1996, she taught at Danceworks from 1997-2006, at Mark Taylor School of Dance from 2006-2015, and continues her artistic efforts as a master teacher, choreographer, and director throughout the state, and nationally. Ela was co-Artistic Director of Lansing Chamber Dance, a recognized dancer/adjudicator for Dancing with the Local Stars, a member of the National Dance Education Organization, and is the Lansing area representative to the Michigan Dance Council. For 23 years she has served as a master teacher, choreographer, and director at Lansing Community College. In 2014 she joined the faculty and in 2015 was appointed Ballet Mistress of Children's Ballet Theatre of Michigan. Her prestigious awards include Special Contribution in Developing Education for Artists (Poland, 1994), Outstanding Choreography Achievements for a production and choreography of the full-length ballet Snow White and Seven Dwarfs” (1995), Meritorious Artist of Culture (Poland, 2000), Dance Teacher of the Year nominee (2004), and Inspirational Teacher Award of Support and Encouragement (East Lansing High School, 2014) Her students are performing, teaching and choreographing in dance theaters around the world. This year Ela is celebrating 45 years of artistic work. She is happy to be a part of the Children’s Ballet Theatre of Michigan and Danceworks of Michigan, LLC again.

Brigitt Boucha

Brigitt Boucha is originally from Lansing. She grew up studying ballet and attended (on scholarship), Lansing Community College, The Lansing Ballet Company, Gus Giordano’s Dance Center, and Columbia College in Chicago, where she received a BA with honors in Teaching Dance Therapy. She has studied and performed Ballet, Jazz, and Modern works throughout major cities in the US. Ms. Boucha has conducted workshops, private classes, and year-long sessions in Ballet, Jazz, and Modern as well as Creative Movement for children and Theatre Dance. Her studies in Dance Arts, Dance Therapy, Anatomy, Kinesiology and Medical Massage Therapy have provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the theory and mechanics of teaching dance. Ms. Boucha provides the best possible training with a strong dance foundation. She previously served as Assistant Artistic Director for the Children’s Ballet Theatre from 1990-1995. In the fall of 1997 she founded and became Co-Director of the contemporary dance company, Lansing Chamber Dance. While on staff at Lansing Community College, Brigitt taught Ballet and Modern classes as well as choreographed for many dance concerts. She served on the Arts and Planning Council for the Greater Lansing Area and is also a member of the Michigan Dance Council, NDEO, NDA and MAHPERD. She is the Director of Danceworks of Michigan, LLC and will also be teaching ballet, pointe, body sculpting/conditioning and modern fusion this year, along with running her store, Allegra Dancewear. In 2009, she became Board Certified in Medical Massage Therapy. She owns Massage and Therapeutic Bodywork and, in addition, works at the Chiropractic Professional Center on Pine Tree Road.

Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith is a Lansing, MI native, who grew up dancing at Patsy Watson’s School of Dance, Lansing Dance Foundation, now Danceworks of MI and The Children’s Ballet Theater. After attending college at The Ohio State University where, she majored in Dance Performance and Business Operations Management, she pursued her passion of dance performing with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, in Beauty & The Beast at Walt Disney World, A’llure at Sea World Orlando, FL and The High School Musical Tour. She has studied at Broadway Dance Center and had the opportunity to perform with various artist at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. She is excited to share her passion and love of the art and hopes to inspire more to experience the joy she has found through dance.

Natalie Solace

Natalie (Otto) Solace is a Lansing native and has been dancing for 20 years. She started training at Danceworks 11 years ago in Jazz, Hip-Hop, Ballet, Lyrical and Tap. Natalie was on competition teams at other studios for several years and was one of the first dancers on the Danceworks competitive team. She has been teaching at the studio since 2012, predominantly tap and jazz. Natalie is a graduate of Michigan State University. Her focus for teaching students is to create a fun and educational environment where personalized relationships with students aids in their learning. Natalie is excited to be part of another year of growth for the students of Danceworks!

Sara Spanogle

Sara Spanogle started dancing at the age of three, right here at Danceworks. Over the next fifteen years she studied a wide range of styles including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, hip-hop, tap, acro, and musical theatre. For the last five years, Sara was a member of the competitive team. This was a great way to perform more often, which she loves, and to experience another side of the dancing world. Sara is in her first year of college at Michigan State University, where she will be studying Kinesiology in hopes of going to medical school. She is excited to return to Danceworks as a teacher and can’t wait to share her love and knowledge of dance with her students.

Jacklyn Taylor

Jacklyn (Helman) Taylor first began dancing at the age of three and has been apart of the Lansing dance scene since. Starting with a ballet class, taught by studio owner Brigitt Boucha, she developed a life long passion for dance. Jacklyn continued her training within local studios, including Danceworks, to which she was briefly a member of Chamber Dance Company. Jacklyn also had the great opportunity of attending two visual arts magnet schools from third grade through high school. These magnet programs allowed dance as an elective, providing regular dance education as apart of school curriculum. Jacklyn sought her dance education further, first at Lansing community college, later transferring to Eastern Michigan university. There she obtained her bachelors degree, minoring in dance. Dance education has always been a passion of hers, its very important to spread the history and movement of dance in a fun a positive manor.