Dance Unlimited Faculty Artists |
Proud DU Teachers at Recital 2019Zorene Cruise
Owner/Artistic Director This year Zorene completed over 40 years of teaching dance. After dancing professionally for over a dozen years she seriously began studying the art of teaching dance. A graduate of Dance Masters of America Training Program held at Kent State and the State University in Buffalo, she continues to study dance and the art of educating children. In addition to her time at Dance Unlimited she has been invited to hold a position as Head Judge and Adjudicator on the national talent tour for Dance Xplosion. The great strides Dance Unlimited has made in performance, competition and dance education under her direction have not gone unnoticed. Her choreography, production and networking skills bring great opportunities for our dancers. Boundless energy and a positive attitude make working with Zorene productive and joyful. |
Jenna Barnett
Competition Team Director Jenna began her training at the Rising Stars Dance Academy before falling in love with ballet. She then danced with the Rotaru International Ballet Company of Atlanta, becoming an apprentice with Pavel Rotaru's company, Ballet du Soleil at just 16 years old. Upon graduation from high school, Jenna joined Colorado Ballet where she danced in classical and contemporary works. A highlight was touring to Tokyo, Japan to perform Paquita and excerpts from The Nutcracker. When she decided to go back to school, Jenna was asked to join the Academy of Colorado Ballet as an instructor, and she hasn't stopped teaching since. She has been teaching at Dance Unlimited since 2008. Jenna has a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education, as well as a Master's Degree in Business Administration. While she loves teaching high school mathematics in Colorado Springs, dance will always be her first love and she enjoys sharing this passion with DU. In 2018, Jenna became the Competition Team Director and continues to choreograph as well as teach technique classes. Jenna's choreography has received numerous awards, as she enjoys pushing herself more each year to keep up with the advancement of her students. While you can find Jenna at the studio most nights, she loves the occasional quiet evening at home with her husband John, and two daughters Layla and Brinley. |
Erica Colon Swaby
Erica Colon trained for most of her 15 years of dance at Dance Unlimited. At the State University in Buffalo, New York she attended Dance Masters of America Teaching Training School. Erica enjoyed coaching the Air Academy Dance Team. She earned her BA in Special Education from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs where she dances with UCCS Rhythm and Gold Dance Team. Erica earned her master degree in Education Administration while teaching at Centennial Elementary School in Harrison School District 2. This year Erica helped open an arts integrated elementary school in Falcon School District 49 where she teaches 4th grade. Erica was a member of Dance Unlimited's first performance team in 1990!
Logan Hathaway
Logan began dancing at the age of 10 in his hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He has received training in contemporary, jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, musical theatre, hip hop, and jazz funk. During his high school education, Logan fell in love with the discipline of choreography and teaching. He began teaching classes in a variety of styles and choreographing dances even during his high school career. Logan has trained with many artists such as Ade Obeyami, Melissa Sandvig, Alex Little, and other teachers from conventions across the country. Working alongside Robin Moore, he has been able to produce and choreograph for the Pikes Peak Performance Company's holiday performances since graduating in 2017 where they continue to raise money for charities across the Pikes Peak region. His group and solo choreography have won multiple high scoring awards and recognition for outstanding choreography at LA Dance Magic, Talent on Parade, Revolution, and Rainbow dance competitions. Using his knowledge of a variety of styles, Logan enjoys creating new and innovative movement that is technically proficient, musically adapt, and engaging to all audience members. Logan is currently pursuing a degree in Multimedia Graphic Design.
Jazmine Haddock Jazmine Grew up dancing in Colorado Springs at the age of 4 years old. She trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Modern and Musical Theatre. Jazmine started Traveling and Competing at Her studio at the age of 8 and never looked back. She's Competed in National Championships as well as taking classes from top ranked Choreographers. At the Age of 15 Jazmine started apprenticing at her studio and found that she loved to share her passion and her "escape from reality" with other dancers. Her senior year she Student taught and Choreographed until she graduated. Jazmine has taught and Choreographed for studios here in Colorado as well as some in Florida and California. She's also judged throughout her years in the dance world. Jazmine's Passion for dance continues to grow as she teaches and believes that dance should be an escape and accessible to all, she wants her students to remember to never stop following their dreams. |
Lauren Kleiman
Lauren is a professional tap dance choreographer, performer, and teacher of 15 years who loves to share her love of tap with everyone. She grew up studying and competing in tap, musical theater, jazz, contemporary, and ballet at The Dancer’s Pointe in Orlando, FL. In 2010, she founded Stomp the Swamp (STS), a tap dance company at the University of Florida, which still exists today! During her time leading STS, she spear-headed 3 annual charity showcases benefiting the national non-profit Dancers Responding to AIDS. After graduating in 2014, Lauren moved to New York City to study tap dance with the masters for the next few years. Lauren has focused heavily on tap dance improvisation under the mentorship of Barbara Duffy and Derick Grant. She studied regularly at Steps on Broadway and the American Tap Dance Foundation with Derick Grant, Barbara Duffy, Felipe Galganni, and Brenda Bufalino, and also participated in many tap dance workshops and festivals with masters like Michelle Dorrance and Nicholas Van Young. In 2017, Lauren returned to Florida and began traveling to teach tap dance workshops at studios focusing on improvisation, technique, history, and music theory. In Orlando, Lauren taught at regularly at Edge Dance Studio, Celebration Arts Academy, The Dancer’s Pointe, and Osceola Arts. In addition to teaching, Lauren also lead the tap company for Celebration Arts Academy, choreographed multiple award-winning competition routines for students, and choreographed Shrek the Musical and Hairspray Jr for the Young Actor’s Program at Osceola Arts. In 2019, Lauren founded Sole Expression, a professional tap dance company accompanied by Wheldon Street, a 6-piece jazz band. Sole Expression had the honor of performing before Blue Man Group at Creative City amongst other talented Orlando artists. Lauren moved to Colorado Springs in 2023 and is so excited to continue sharing her love of tap dance through teaching, choreographing, and performing. |
Kaley Montel
Kaley started her dance experience with Dance Unlimited at the age of three. She began studying ballet, tap, hip hop, contemporary, jazz, acre-tumbling and everything else but the kitchen sink. She continued following this path until graduating from high school. After graduating, she attended Chapman University in California to study dance and business. She has studied with The Young Americans performance group where she had the privilege of working with school outreach programs aimed to help troubled children. She has opened for the New York City Rockettes and has performed in a Todrick Hall music video. Kaley is currently attending UCCS to become a paralegal. We are excited that Kaley makes time to teach all her favorite kids at DU. Dance class is always the best part of her day.
Robin Moore
Robin Moore, former Owner/Director of Robin’s Danceworks and Founder and President of the Pikes Peak Performance Company, has been teaching the joy of dance to students of all ages for the past 33 years. Under her direction, her students are working professionals in the industry, succeeding in Professional Companies, Universities, and Stage Shows. Former students have gone on to develop their own companies and dance studios. Robin’s work has won numerous Outstanding Choreography awards as well as producing many national titles. Her love for stage performance has been seen in productions of Oklahoma, Little Shop of Horrors, Honk, Annie, Seussical, and Fiddler on the Roof. Establishing the Pikes Peak Performance Company in 2000 has enabled her to link her talents with our community. This non-profit dance company has raised over $100,000.00 for local children’s charities. Providing an outlet for dancers to use their talents to give to others has been her greatest professional accomplishment. Robin is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, with a degree in Elementary Education. While teaching and directing are her professional passions, her husband Mike and her daughters, Michaela and Madison, are her joy and inspiration. |
Jasmine Rice Jasmine has over 25 years of dance experience. This year begins her fifth year as a Division 1 Head Dance Coach at the United States Air Force Academy. She has completed extensive training in Ballet, Lyrical, Folkloric, Ballroom, Jazz, Tap and Pointe. Her professional career began at age 15 with Borinquen Dance Theatre of NY, training under internationally known Garth Fagan. Jasmine holds certifications in RAD Ballet, Pilates and Arthur Murray Ballroom Instruction. She has choreographed award winning competitive dances, musical theatre productions and semi-professional dance teams. Jasmine was a dancer with the Fayetteville Fire Ants Hockey Dance Team & the Fayetteville Guard Indoor Football Cheer Team. She holds an AAS in Education, BAS in Psychology-Counseling and a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology-Gifted Education. |
Debi Spencer
Debi has been a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer for more than 20 years. In her professional career, she toured with the Broadway musical 42nd Street through Europe, appeared in many musical theatre productions including West Side Story, Annie, Anything Goes, Sugar Babies, and Camelot to name a few. She has also danced at Walt Disney World in Beauty and the Beast, Hollywood Hollywood, and the Dick Tracy Show and many other productions in Japan and Europe. Debi has appeared in the movie “Tap”as well as many industrials shows. She has a Bachelor’s in Performing Arts from Oklahoma City University and a Masters in Education from University of Central Oklahoma. Most recently, she has taught and choreographed at Wake Forest University, Pine Creek High School, and Danceworks. Debi’s choreography has won many awards, including Apogee awards, entertainment awards and choreography awards. Aside from dancing, Debi has appeared in numerous national and regional television commercials, has been the spokesmodel for the Anthony’s stores and lent her voice to a variety of radio spots. Debi is thrilled to be joining Dance Unlimited where she can combine her love of teaching dance with her love of choreography. It is a great joy for her to be able to work and build relationships with the DU dancers. Watching them grow as artists and being a part of that growth is one of the most fulfilling aspects for her, as an artist and a teacher. |
Brenda Zeman
I received my secondary teaching certification in history with a minor in art from the University of Southern Colorado. I began studying dance in my early twenties at the Art Center in Pueblo. I continued my training with the Pueblo Civic ballet and Ballet Theater of Pueblo. I performed with all three companies in various ballets and children's theater. My husband and I moved our family to western New York where I discovered my love of teaching dance. I was ballet director for Dance Arts in Olean New York and Randolph School of Dance for ten years. i began working for the Chatauqua Youth Ballet during my last four years in New York state and was also offered the ballet directorship there. Unfortunately I was not able to accept that position as we decided to move back to Colorado to be near family. We settled in Colorado Springs and I began teaching at Encore Dance. This provided me with my first opportunity to be involved in a studio that did competition dance. I was given the chance to work with a few group of dancers and discovered I loved creating competition dances. When Encore closed I moved to Rocky Mountain Dance Academy where I continued in my role as ballet director. I have also taught at Derby Dance and Summit Danceworks. I began teaching a early movement dance class at the Hope Montessori schools in 2012 and am currently continuing in that endeavor. During my years as a competition teacher my dancers generally ranked in the top ten. I have won numerous choreography awards both locally and nationally. I am now thrilled to have the opportunity to bring my knowledge and love of dance to Dance Unlimited. I believe dance enriches the lives of our children and helps them to grow both cognitively and physically. Dance gives children confidence, grace, and joy of expression. I am looking forward to meeting my new dance family. |