Summer Intensive 2026

**bring your own lunch daily, level 3 is Adv**
I HOPE YOU CAN ALL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS FUN
AND CHALLENGING WEEK!

Teachers

Guest Jazz Teacher/Choreographer: Miranda Payne holds a BFA in Dance from Webster University, and she is currently pursuing a MS in Higher Education Leadership. Miranda has trained throughout the United States, and she danced professionally for 15 years. Miranda is a founding Company Dancer of The Big Muddy Dance Company (now Saint Louis Dance Theatre), where she danced for 12 seasons. Miranda has also performed with Stages St. Louis, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Variety Theatre and The Shoji Tabuchi Theatre. Miranda now serves as Adjunct Dance Faculty for Missouri Baptist University and Lindenwood University, and recently returned to Webster University to set a piece for their New Works Concert.

Guest Modern Teacher/Choreographer: Meghan Lensmeyer received a BFA in Contemporary Dance and a minor in Arts Management from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem North Carolina. While studying at UNCSA, she was exposed to a range of dance styles and techniques, some including counter technique, West African, Limón, Trisha Brown technique, Cunningham, Horton, floorwork and Ballet. Her performance opportunities have included new works by Anthony Brynat, Jim Vincent, and Gina Patterson and repertory works by choreographers such as Shen Wei, Ming Lung-Yang, and José Limón. She is now dancing as a trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre.

Guest Ballet Teacher/Choreographer:Claire Rineberg graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  She has had the privilege of performing works by esteemed choreographers such as Sara Hook, Laura Chiaramonte, Paige Cunningham-Caldarella, Anna Peretz-Rogovoy, and Kemal C. Nance. In addition to her performance career, she is currently working toward a 200-hour registered Yoga Teacher certification. Her choreographic work has been showcased at The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts and featured in the St. Louis Dance Theatre’s choreographic festival. She is currently dancing as a trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre.

Guest Improv teacher: Ben Mielke received his BFA in Modern Dance from University of Illinois and his MFA in Modern Dance from University of Utah with a certification in Screen Dance (dance for camera).  From 2005-14 he served as technical director, aerial rigger, and featured performer with Robert Wood Dance New York. Ben has also served as our resident Drosselmeyer in our Nutcracker in recent years, as well as offered his expertise in all things improv and partnering/pas de deux work.

Pointe/Choreography: Elizabeth Conway –SSDC and DanceStation director – received her BFA in Dance Performance from Webster University and has attained the rare honor of being a Diploma Fellow of the CCA. She is also the former Dance Minor director of McKendree University and McKendree Dance Ensemble.