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Dancers Posing
About Just Dance

Just Dance, which was started in 2000, began as a group of dancers who focused on entertainment performances. Just Dance has now evolved into a studio with a yearly production, an annual Christmas show and many traveling opportunities.
Just Dance's previous  productions include;
"Peter Pan,""Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmatians,"  "Red Riding Hood,"  
"Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?," "Cinderella," "Let's Go to the Circus," and "Bedtime Stories, Dreams and Nightmares."

Just Dance has performed at many different locations including;  historic Buck Lake Ranch in Angola, Indiana, the nations oldest Women’s Congress show in Hillsdale, Mi,  Domino’s Pizza Farm Christmas Light Display, Ann Arbor, Mi,
Crossroads Village in Flint, Mi, the Michigan State Fair in Detroit, Mi,
the Camden Pageant in Camden, Mi, the Hillsdale Kiwanis Annual Chili Cook-off, Hillsdale, Mi,
the Imlay City Blueberry Festival in Imlay City, Mi, Capac Days in Capac, Mi,
Fox 66 Fall Festival "Bringing it Home" Flint, Mi, Imlay City Merchant Expo in Imlay City, Mi
and Pix Theatre in Lapeer, Mi.

All dancers will be taught classical Russian(Vaganova) Ballet technique because all dance stems from Ballet.  
In addition, the students will learn Rockette style Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Tumbling,
fun dance such as 50’s, Clogging, Hawaiian, German and Polish dancing.   

The philosophy of the studio/company is that each and every student can be a proficient dancer if they are willing to work.  
Every dancer will get their chance to shine if they have good attendance, a good attitude and work hard.  
Just Dance is about fun, close friendships, leadership skills, music appreciation and learning to move the body gracefully.  
While Just Dance aims very high in performance ability, Just Dance is very conscientious of what looks best on different body shapes and what is safe, healthy dancing.  Just Dance is also aware of what is appropriate dance music, costumes and dance moves for family entertainment and youth performing.
Teacherdance

About  Miss Merry

Merry Kalinowski is the owner/director/instructor of the program.
She is a graduate of Mott Community College with a degree in Business Office Management.  

Merry has been dancing since she was very small.  She currently keeps up to date with her ballet training with Denise
Paavola of the Paavola School of Dance in Flint who runs the Young People‘s Ballet Theatre and who has sent many
students off to be professionals.  She has been studying under Denise for 12 years.  In the past she has taken private
lessons with Joan VanArnsdalen, a woman taught classical tap by Detroit’s best professionals of the tap era,  and
danced with Timera Keefer, a Ballerina who was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet,  one of the prestigious professional
companies in Russia. She has danced with the Academy of Dance and Related Arts in Coldwater and danced 8 years
with the Oehrlein Dancers of Marlette.  

Merry also has attended many different dance conventions and camps including;
Tremaine dance convention,
Dance Makers Inc Workshops,
Showstoppers Dance Convention
Wild About Dance Convention
Joel Ruminer Summer Dance Camp
and Music Works Unlimited.

Merry  performed in Christmas at Whitings in Flint while taking lessons with the Dance Station, Christmas at the
Heritage in Saginaw with the Oehrlein Dancers, was an understudy in The Young People’s Ballet Theatre’s version of
Beauty and the Beast, played several parts in Young Michigan Dances version of The Nutcracker, was an amateur
opening act for Roy Clark and a few years later for Neil Sedaka at Chesaning Showboat. She has traveled across the
country and  performed in Las Vegas at Circus Circus and The Welk Champagne Theatre in Branson, MO. She has
performed many times at the Detroit State Fair, at many different Ethnic festivals around the state and has performed
in many recitals and competitions.

Miss Merry is classically trained in Russian (Vaganova) ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, showgirl style tap, ethnic
dancing, and tumbling.
 

About  Miss Jeni

Jennifer Kalinowski is the tumbling instructor/assistant director.
She is a graduate of Mott Community College with a degree in communications.

Miss Jeni has been tumbling and dancing for 20 years and has the same credentials as Miss Merry. Miss Jeni has taken many gymnastic and tumbling programs throughout Michigan including HPAC(Huron Physical Arts Center) and Southern Michigan Gymnastics.

 

About Miss Naomi

Naomi Butterfield-Halbedel is a 2009 high-school graduate. She currently assists with many of the classes and is the Beginning Tumbling Class. Miss Naomi has been dancing for 7 years. She continues her dance education by attending the advance classes and going to dance conventions throughout the year.

 

 

 

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