LMDA Intensive

August 6th-8th, 2024

Accelerate your technique in time for try-outs!

Classes include Jazz, Contemporary, HipHop, NFL Cheer/Pom, Ballet, & Turns, Leaps and Tricks. Broken into 3 age categories, we have: “PRODIGY” for our Teenys and Tinys (2-7pm), “ELITE” for our Minis, Juniors and Petites (3-8pm), and “LEGEND” for our Teens and Seniors (4-9pm). Dancers need to register for the group that they were in for the 2023-2024 dance season. New to our competitive lines, or on a supplemental line only for the 2023-2024 season? No worries-Placement will be done by individual evaluation. Call/Email with questions.

Immerse yourself, surrounded by like-minded dancers in a fun, supportive environment! Our Intensive offers the same incredible dance convention style experience, but with much smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.

All dancers will receive an LMDA Intensive t-shirt. All try-out fees for our 2024-2025 Competition dance season are included. 15 hours of jam-packed fun, and learning! Cost is $350. Save $50, by registering early! Early-bird registration ends April 1, 2024. Register now. (Non-refundable $50 deposit charged to hold your spot at registration. $250 balance will be charged on July 1st.) Spots are limited, don’t wait!

Sarah liang

Sarah grew up from Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she began dancing at Cherie’s Dance Studio. Training in various styles (jazz, lyrical, tap, hip top, ballet) she spent 16 years developing a passion for performing and growing as a dancer. In high school, Sarah joined her high school dance team (LMVP) where she was a varsity member for 4 years and a team captain her senior year. While on LMVP, Sarah contributed to numerous state and regional titles and state solo placements. Sarah also competed at the national level, consistently placing in the top 5 at UDA Nationals, including 2nd place her freshman year. During her senior year, Sarah was offered a spot on the University of Minnesota Dance Team (UMDT), a now 21x national championship team. During her 2 seasons so far on the team, UMDT has won 2 camp home routines and has most recently placed first in both D1A Pom and Jazz at UDA College Nationals. While a member of the dance team, Sarah is a 2nd year nursing student at the UMN School of Nursing. She plans to continue fueling her love for dance while building a future career in healthcare.

Kiana Barkalow

Her personal training was founded in jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, hip hop, along with private instruction in tap from Sean Kaminski and ballet training from Edith Barragan (former ballerina in the Royal Ballet of Wallonie in Charleroi, Belgium). Kiana has continued her training by dancing at studios such as Broadway Dance Center (NYC), Dance Connection (Palo Alto, CA), Synergy Dance Academy (Colorado Springs, CO) and by attending dance master classes with artists such as Travis Wall, Savion Glover, Greg Russell, Helen Phillips, Kenny Wormald, and Stacey Tookey. She also performed in both the Moscow Ballet & Quad City Ballets Nutcracker, which are a few of her most memorable dance experiences. With choreography from artists such as Shannon Mather (Mather Dance Company) and Kari Herman, Kiana has won numerous regional and national titles as a soloist & duo/trio member. As for her work, Kiana has been recognized at competitions year after year for “Best Choreography” starting since the young age of 15 (Starz Dance Competition). You can also see her work throughout the Midwest which has received both regional and national titles.

Originally from Cedar Rapids, Kiana moved to Minneapolis during the spring of 2017. After settling in, Kiana has taught at studios including Larkin Dance Studio, CREO Arts & Dance Conservatory, Velocity Dance and Theatre, and Deanne’s Dance Studio. She has also choreographed shows at multiple theatres in the area such as Music Man (Westonka Community Theatre), Annie (Southwest Christian High School), and Scrooge!(Chaska Valley Family Theater). When not in the studio, Kiana also works as the Head Coach for the South West Stars Dance TeamHer personal training was founded in jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, hip hop, along with private instruction in tap from Sean Kaminski and ballet training from Edith Barragan (former ballerina in the Royal Ballet of Wallonie in Charleroi, Belgium). Kiana has continued her training by dancing at studios such as Broadway Dance Center (NYC), Dance Connection (Palo Alto, CA), Synergy Dance Academy (Colorado Springs, CO) and by attending dance master classes with artists such as Travis Wall, Savion Glover, Greg Russell, Helen Phillips, Kenny Wormald, and Stacey Tookey. She also performed in both the Moscow Ballet & Quad City Ballets Nutcracker, which are a few of her most memorable dance experiences. With choreography from artists such as Shannon Mather (Mather Dance Company) and Kari Herman, Kiana has won numerous regional and national titles as a soloist & duo/trio member. As for her work, Kiana has been recognized at competitions year after year for “Best Choreography” starting at the young age of 15 (Starz Dance Competition). You can also see her work throughout the Midwest which has received both regional and national titles.

Emma Shepley

Emma was born and raised in Burnsville, Minnesota. Her love of dance began at the young age of three when she walked into her first ballet class at Monique’s School of Dance in Apple Valley. Emma spent twelve years with Monique’s. During her time there, she enjoyed being a part of pieces choreographed by renowned choreographers such as Geno Forliti and Angelo Moio, and being cast as a backup dancer for R&B singer, Alexander O’Neal, at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

At age fifteen, Emma transitioned into the competitive dance world when she joined Studio Vibe in Eagan and the Burnsville High School Blazettes (dance team). She also began teaching jazz at Studio Vibe in high school and fell in love with helping students become the best dancer they could be. Currently,

Emma is a graduate at the University of Minnesota with a degree in Sociology. In addition to teaching dance, she is a former Minnesota Vikings Cheerleading and enjoyed cheering on the best team in the NFL from the sidelines for two seasons. She also assistant coaches the Varsity Jazz Burnsville Blazettes dance tame and has loved being back at her Alma mater.

The highlight of her career as a dancer/dance teacher thus far was the 4 months she spent in South Africa in the Spring of 2017. She spent her time there teaching tap-dance to kids living in impoverished townships. She is a strong believer that the performing arts is the best way to heal brokenness and spread love.

Essence Wilmington

“So you think you can dance!”