Angelika Stegmann - Director, Dance Instructor for Ballet, Pointe, Creative Movement, Jazz, Tap, Choreography, and Company.

Angelika Stegmann was born and raised in Cologne, Germany. From an early age on she performed with her singer/songwriter father and her two sisters, dancing, singing, and later acting. She got her dance education from several private ballet schools and the Dance Academy of Cologne, while receiving a comprehensive music education from the Music High school / Humboldt Gymnasium and Rheinische Musikschule Koeln, including lessons in piano, voice, and bassoon.
Angelika studied several years the theory and methodology of classical ballet after Vaganova with Ursula Borrmann, Germany/Leningrad and Valentina Tsiruliova, Leningrad. Additionally, she studied character dance with Rita Prins, Netherlands / Moscow. Angelika’s jazz dance teachers among others were Dick O’Swanborn, Netherlands, Gus Giordano, Chicago, and Bruce Stegmann, Chicago/Nashville. The most influential tap teachers were Thierry Godfrey, France, Victor Cunot, Switzerland, Lane Alexander, Chicago, and Bruce Stegmann, Chicago/Nashville. After she danced with several companies in Germany, she operated her own ballet school in Lechenich, Germany for over ten years. In addition to teaching with her husband at their own school, Angelika is currently teaching ballet at workshops and conventions around the US.

Bruce Stegmann -   Director, Dance Instructor for Tap, Jazz, Company, and Choreography

Bruce Stegmann started teaching and choreographing in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since then he has taught for the major dance organizations NADAA, PDTA, DMA, and CNADM across the United States, and has conducted master classes and performed throughout Europe and the U.S. He has taught regularly on the faculty of several tap festivals around the world, and has performed with many of the tap legends, including Jimmy Slyde, Dianne Walker, Brenda Buffalino, Robert Reed, Van Porter, Sam Weber, Gregory Hines, and Savion Glover, just to name a few. Apart from choreographing for television, theater, dance companies, and universities, Bruce has also choreographed for the U.S. Army Soldier Show, and for a U.S. Rhythmic Gymnastic champion. In addition, he worked in Musical Theater throughout the Mid-West. He is the founder of Especially Tap Chicago, which has won both national and international acclaim. For twelve years Bruce was the head choreographer for the Gary Musick Company, which were responsible for the shows on the ships of Celebrity Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruise Line. Besides teaching with his wife at their school, Bruce is teaching at workshops and conventions around the US. Bruce offers private lessons for preparations for auditions and competitions and choreography for musical theater, videos and shows.

Tracy Ryan – Dance Instructor for Modern, Jazz, Ballet, and Yoga

Tracy Ryan began dancing at the age of 5. She primarily studied ballet and jazz in private studios in East Tennessee and the University of Tennessee, where she earned her Masters Degree in Business Education. In 1988, she joined the Appalachian Ballet Company. Mrs. Ryan performed in The Nutcracker,  Swan Lake and several original contemporary works from award-winning choreographers. While in high school and college, Mrs. Ryan followed her dream and began to teach dance. She was accepted into the TN Governor’s School of the Arts and attended and performed at many South Eastern Regional Ballet Association (SERBA) Festivals as well as the Picollo-Spoleto Dance Festival in Charleston, SC. She was the yoga instructor for the 2002 SERBA Festival in Knoxville, which was attended by over 800 dancers.
Some of the teachers she has worked with include Marcus Alford, William Pizzuto, Helen Starr, and Doug Keller. While attending UT Knoxville, she became interested in and performed modern dance pieces choreographed by students majoring in dance. Tracy Ryan continued to dance, practice and teach yoga while also teaching business classes in high schools over the past 10 years.
Her passions lie in dance and teaching, and she is excited about sharing her joy of dance with her students.

Virginia Hafer - Dance Instructor for Tap and Ballet

Virginia Hafer grew up in Sturgis, Michigan. Her doctor recommended dancing after an ankle injury when she was 8 years old and Virginia began taking classes in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. She attended a program for assistant teachers at an early age, and traveled repeatedly to Chicago and Grand Rapid for more seminars. Throughout her teenage years she danced in numerous productions. At the age of sixteen, tragic circumstances let Miss Hafer to take over the ballet school, where she had been an assistant. For more than fifteen years Miss Hafer taught Ballet, Jazz, and Tap while starting a family of her own.
In 1989, Virginia and her family moved to Spring Hill and she taught dance and Creative Movement in Columbia for several years in the 1990. Other places she taught are the Christian Heritage and St. Ignatius.
Virginia Hafer is pleased to have the opportunity to share her love of dance with the students of Stegmann’s School of Performing Arts.

Crystal Linde – Dance Instructor for Hip Hop and Competition Team

Crystal Linde has been dancing since she was four years old. She has studied Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Modern, Character, and Hip Hop at local studios in both Florida and Minnesota. While living in Minnesota, she danced with a competitive team where she participated in many competitions and conventions. After moving to Tennessee, Crystal joined her high school dance team. She had the opportunity to audition for the Universal Dance Association All-Star Team and traveled with the association to Paris, France and Rome, Italy. She was able to share her passion for dance with this part of the world, while also growing and learning as a dancer to continue to become the best she could be.
Since the fall of 2010, Crystal is attending Belmont University in Nashville to major in English and Secondary Education while continuing her dance education by minoring in dance.

Vickie Rose – Dance Instructor for Ballroom, Country Western, and Line Dancing

Vickie Rose was the principal owner/operator of Headquarters Dance Studio in Franklin, TN until 2005. She developed, owned, and operated the United Country Western Dance Counsil’s (UCWDC) largest dance event The Music City Dance Challenge in Nashville. Vickie was seven times UCWDC National Grand Champion, UCWDC World Champion in the Pro Por dividion in 2005 and Top Teacher awardee at national and world level events.
Vickie Rose is a UCWDC Master Level competitor, certified UCWDC International Judge and served on the UCWDC Judges Council. Vickie was the first instructor hired at The Wild Horse Saloon and danced/instructed on TV shows such as “The Wild Horse Saloon Show, Club Dance, and Dancing USA, which was shot on the Grand Ole Opry stage. She also had a guest appearance on Good Morning America where she instructed Joan Lunden and Charles Gibson in dance lessons. In addition, Vickie choreographed line dances and music video routines for various country music artists including the Elvis Presley Estate.
Vickie Rose is currently instructor for group classes at the Vanderbilt University Dance Program where she is teaching waltz, salsa, cha-cha, and swing, and the hottest dance style in the country, West Coast Swing.
Vickie offers professional services in classes/workshops, private lessons, judging, performances, choreography, proam, and event director/organizer.

Jesse Bunch - Student Dance Instructor for Tap

Jesse started her dance education at the age of four in Creative Movement. Gradually she added more dance styles to her schedule as she grew older. Jesse is now an accomplished competition and company dancer with an enormous love for dancing. She is excited to have an opportunity to share her love of dance with others through teaching.

Abbi Glenn – Student Dance Instructor for Jazz/Hip Hop

Abbi started her dance education at the age of four and never stopped learning to grow in every dance style possible. Abbi, like Jesse, is an accomplished competition and company dancer who is thrilled to pass on her love for dance to the next generation.

Shannon Tester - Dance Instructor for Hip Hop

As the daughter of a dancer, Shannon was exposed to dance from an early age on. Although an excellent ballet dancer, Shannon feels equally drawn to the other dance styles and puts her mark down with jazz, lyrical, modern, tap and hip hop. Shannon  is introducing kids to the newest  hip hop moves while making sure that lyrics and moves are clean and appropriate.

Amanda Black – Instructor for Drama/Acting, Glee Club/Show Choir, and Music Instructor for Saxophone

Amanda Black began playing the saxophone when she was ten years old. She continued playing through high school and college, where she focused on Marching and Jazz Band. Currently, she plays saxophone and sings at her church in addition to being the choir director of the adult and children’s choir.
Amanda’s band experiences have allowed her to perform with Wyclef Jean, Anne Murray, Barbara Mandrell, and many local bands. She has performed with pep bands for the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Pistons, and was honored to play with the pep band for President Clinton in 1995. Amanda is a graduate from the University of Michigan college of Literature, Science, and Letters. She also holds a BBA from Auinas College.
Amanda lives in Spring Hill with her husband and two daughters, where she has given private saxophone lessons to all levels for the last four years.

Alicia Snyder - Music Instructor for Voice, Piano, and Musical Theater

Alicia Snyder earned a degree in musical performance from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Her collegiate career included the role of Chava in”Fiddler On the Roof,” as well as many touring ensembles and two oratorio performances, including Handel’s Messiah. Her vocal studies included classical, jazz, musical theater, and a variety of different commercial styles. Alicia also pursued piano proficiencies, as well as various forms of dance. Upon graduation, Alicia secured a highly coveted role in Opryland’s Country Music, USA show. The resulting exposure led to opportunities to perform at the Grand Ole Opry and alongside such greats as George Jones, Peggy Lee, Porter Wagoner, and Lee Greenwood. She also performed two consecutive seasons of A Colorado Christmas show in Colorado Springs, CO. From there she went on to do studio work in Nashville before returning to Belmont University as an instructor in their preparatory program.
Alicia now lives in Spring Hill with her husband and her four children and continues to perform and teach in the Nashville area.

Zach Nichols - Music Instructor for Guitar (acoustic and electric), www.zachnicholsguitar.com

Zach Nichols picked up the guitar at age ten, inspired by his dad’s love of music, and continued his studies with Kevin May of Roomful of Blues throughout his high school years. He went on to study Jazz guitar at Wichita State University and Commercial Music at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, of which alumni include Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, Leann Womack, and Ron Block of Allison Krauss Union Station. Zach began teaching private guitar in 1993 and went on to teach guitar and commercial music ensembles at South Plains College from 2000 to 2005. All along Zach has performed live and in the studios with many independent artists and bands. Today he continues to perform locally with his wife Joni Nichols and other musicians. Zach and Joni are proud parents of two adorable children, Josiah and Johanna.

Joni Nichols – Music Instructor for Songwriting, Piano, and Preschool Music

Joni Nichols is an experienced singer-songwriter who has been writing and performing for over 15 years. Experienced in pop, folk, alternative, and country writing, and skilled on both piano and guitar, she has a natural ability and passion to help others develop their own voice and style and grow in their gifts wherever they are. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of The University of New Mexico with a bachelors degree in Literature and currently teaches American Literature at Franklin High School where she also teaches songwriting to Creative Writing Classes as a guest teacher each semester. She has co-written several songs with BMI staff hit songwriters Richie Brown (“Good Ride Cowboy,” Garth Brooks) and Jim “Moose” Brown (“It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere,” Alan Jackson) which are currently being pitched to country artists. Joni and her husband Zach are proud parents of two adorable children, Josiah and Johanna.