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A Step Above's Faculty Tamra Bisbee McKittrick, Director
Marsden Dieck Marsden is currently a junior at the UW-Madison studying speech pathology. She considers dance a major part of her life since she put on her first pair of ballet shoes at the age of six. After studying ballet at the Makaroff School of Ballet in Appleton, WI for several years, she joined her high school’s dance team. Marsden and her team’s four year commitment and dedication to developing individual and team skills in the areas of jazz, hip hop and pom culminated in a first place finish at nationals in Orlando, FL. Throughout high school, Marsden relished opportunities to mentor, choreograph and to teach you dance skills while working as a dance teacher at a local dance and cheer studio in Appleton. She is excited to utilize her knowledge and experience as well as her love of dance and children as she joins the A Step Above family. Jessica M. Duplessis Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theater, Conditioning, and Hip Hop Jessica grew up in New Hampshire. Starting her dance career at the age of four, Jessica's passion for the art never stopped growing. She began her education with the Jenkins School of Dance and Gymnastics and eventually became a member of their faculty. Jessica's teaching experience didn't stop with Jenkins; she continued to teach through an artist residency program at the Sunapee High School, coached two college teams and also began professionally judging cheerleading and dance competitions. Graduating from Keene State College in 2004 with a degree in Theatre Dance and Film Education with a specialization in Dance Education, Jessica continued work with the KSC dance team moving from team member and captain to coach. Jessica enrolled the team in their first competition in 2004 and they were an unstoppable force ever since. They have won over 8 first place regional titles, four grand champion titles and were also named the 2007 Reach the Beach National Champions. Jessica says the one thing she misses more than family in NH is her dance team. Jessica teaches all styles but favors contemporary, jazz and hip hop. While attending KSC, Jessica danced in numerous student and faculty works and had the chance to work with many choreographers such as Paul Tayler, Sean Curran, Sarah Parson, Momix and Pilabolous Dance Theatre. Jessica also works as a judge for the American Cheer and Dance Academy judging competitions up and down the East Coast. Her favorite competitions are the ones hosted in Ocean City, MD. Jessica is excited to be involved with the theatrical and dance community in Madison and is extremely happy to be with A Step Above. Kelly Ehresman Piano Kelly moved to Madison from Rochester, MN where she taught piano lessons at the Hovland Jost Conservatory of Music. From a very young age, Kelly has performed in front of congregations with voice and piano. During her high school years she was actively involved with the drama team and many vocal groups. She has traveled to many summer camps teaching drama, voice and various instruments to children of all ages. Throughout Kelly’s college career, she directed her church choir and helped the college choir during their tour. She has performed in Sweet Adalines, King’s Choristers, Adoration and Praise Bands. She has also accompanied many choirs and soloists as well as played for church services. Kelly has graduated cum laude with a Music Major at Crossroads College in Rochester, MN. She continues her education in the Madison area in the areas of teaching and performance. Kelly is excited to be a part of A Step Above’s Faculty and looks forward to encouraging her students to develop their abilities. Maria McDonough Voice and Piano Maria received her Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance from Wartburg College in Waverly, IA. She has been teaching and performing since the age of 6. An avid musician, she has toured over 11 countries and 45 states performing as a vocalist and a soloist in piano, trumpet, mellophone and French horn. She has been a member of the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps, the Knightliters Jazz Band, the Wartburg A-Cappella Choir, and many other touring ensembles. Maria has been teaching choir, piano and early childhood for over 15 years. Most recently, she was the director of the Men’s Choir in Arizona School for the Arts, ranked top 10 as last year’s Charter/Public School in Arizona. For 7 years, she worked as the assistant director at Prairie Music Academy. Maria believes that music should be enjoyed by everyone and sees teaching music as the greatest job EVER! It is her goal that everyone has the opportunity to experience the life changing joy of music study. Abigail Olsen Ballet and Modern Abigail began her ballet training in her hometown of Lynchburg, Virginia, studying for ten years under the direction of Colin and Sylvia Worth. While studying at the Fine Arts Center, Abigail performed in multiple productions as a member of the Lynchburg Regional Ballet Theatre, including numerous season of The Nutcracker, as well as Coppelia, Cinderella, The Tales of Beatrix Potter and selections from Swan Lake. After graduating from high school, she continued her dance training at Belhaven College, a Christ-centered liberal arts school located in Jackson, Mississippi. It was not until she attended Belhaven that she was introduced to modern dance. There she studied under Amy Roark-McIntosh, Stephen Wynne (founder of At Marah Dance Theatre), Yvette Koonce, Lauri Worrill-Bigs and Marc Arentsen (co-founder of Polarity Dance Theatre), and performed in various faculty and student choreographed works. Abigail has also worked under other instructors at different times, including Marcia Dale Weary, director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Greg Punswick Piano Gregg was raised in Cottage Grove, WI. He is a graduate of Monona Grove High school and then studied must at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Ohio. There he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano and Organ Performance. For most of his working life, Gregg has participated in a variety of musical activities, including teaching, accompanying, performing and church music. Currently Gregg served as a musician for the Olivet Congregational Church. He also accompanies in the choral program at Glacial Drumlin Middle School. Gregg also enjoys singing in the Madison Symphony Chorus and playing the piano in soirees. Gregg is very excited to be a part of A Step Above’s faculty and hopes to pass on his passion for music to his students. Nicole Rindt
Sara Rohs Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theater and Hip Hop Sara trained at many Twin Cities dance studios, including Zenon Dance Company, Ballet Arts, Stage Door Dance for Performing Arts, The FIRM, Dance Spectrum, The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts and the UW-Madison Dance Program. She danced for the Fairbault high school dance team which is a team that has taken 1st place in the state competition almost every year since 1997. She danced with and was captain of Augsburg College dance team and then stayed on for four years as coach. Sara started the Ascending Star Dance Team in 2004 and was the director and dancer for 3 years. Sara taught for Just for Kix summer camps and hosted workshops with the Augsburg College dance team. She has dance professionally for various events and was a member of the 2007 Swarm Performance Team. Recently, Sara has danced with the Diamond Dancers from the Milwaukee Brewers and The SweatShop Hip Hop Crew out of Madison. Sara is the artistic director for Madison Contemporary Vision Dance Company. Sara is the owner of Ascending Star Dance, an internet dance magazine. Her goal is to connect dancers and give them the opportunities and training to succeed. Sara has studied with Marlene Skog, Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Brian Friedman, LaurieAnn Gibson, Chris Judd, Joe Tremaine, Dave Scott, Tyce Diorio, Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, Tony Meredith, Melanie LaPatin, Doug Caldwell and Nick Lazzarini. She has taught dance and choreographed for many dance studios and dance teams including college and professional dance teams as well as dance companies. She is excited to join the faculty at A Step Above. Brienna Tipler Brienna began her dance training at the Markaroff School of Ballet in Appleton, WI where she studied under Juanita and Jeanette Markaroff for ten years. She was a member of the Youth Ballet Theater for five years, through which she had the opportunity to perform various community theaters and schools. At age 15, she was accepted into the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she intensively studied ballet under renowned instructors. After completing high school at the UNCSA, she went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Oklahoma on scholarship. There she was a member of both Contemporary Dance Oklahoma and Oklahoma Festival Ballet. She performed many works including The Nutcracker, Coppelia, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Swan Lake, Oklahoma!, Roma, Jean Erdman’s Daughters of the Lonesome Isle, and Vastus Silva. Brienna had the privilege to work with choreographers Dudley Williams, Betty Jones, Nancy Allison and Fritz Ludin among others. She developed her own choreography and repertoire including an African/Modern piece selected for the Young Choreographers Showcase. Throughout the years, she also studied on scholarship at Milwaukee Ballet, Joffery Midwest, Boston Ballet, Ballet Magnificat!, and Ad Deum. Brienna is currently performing with Kanopy Dance Company in Madison and studies the Graham Technique under Lisa Thurrell and Robert Cleary. It is her continuing passion to develop students’ technical foundation and strength to facilitate their freedom of movement and artistic expression in dance. Brienna is excited to join the A Step Above Faculty. Sara Williams Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical and Musical Theater Sara began her dance training at A Step Above in 1995 at the age of six. She has taken classes in ballet, jazz, tap and lyrical through her senior year of high school. She was a member of A Step Beyond Dance Company for 10 years where she performed and competed in solo and group dances in the Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago areas. She has attended Tremaine or NYCDA dance conventions each year. She also performed in the Peter Rabbit Ballet with the Wisconsin Dance Ensemble. Sara began assisting with classes in middle school and became a substitute teacher at the studio in high school. Sara was instrumental in implementing a summer program in dance within the Cottage Grove Recreation Department and taught classes to four to ten year olds for four summers. She has continued to teach as a substitute teacher at A Step Above since graduating from high school. Sara will be graduating from the UW-Whitewater with her degree in Early Childhood Education. Upon graduating she will have a dual licensure in special and regular education for birth through third grade. She continues to take dance class at the studio, through conventions and at UW-Whitewater. Sara is so excited to be a part of A Step Above’s Faculty. Cristen
Woolston Some of Cristen’s performance experience includes performing as a featured dancer for the Shoji Tabuchi show in Branson, MO, dancing as a member of the first cast to perform at the Hyperion Theater in Disneyland’s newest addition, Disney California Adventures, and traveling to Paris, France to perform as a magician’s assistant in a television special. Cristen would like to extend her gratitude to ‘A Step Above’ for allowing her the opportunity to become a part of the Madison dance community, and for giving her the opportunity to continue sharing her love for the art of dance and movement.
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