SUSAN'S SCHOOL OF DANCE - Key Persons
Jade began her dance training at Dance Gallery and Susan's School of Dance where she trained in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and hip hop. She had the opportunity to further her training through workshops and conventions and studied under Jay Fagan She was a member of Susan's Dance Company where she was awarded many overall titles traveling to regional and national competitions. Jade was also a member of the Wilbur Wright Dance Team and then later the Lake Central Centralettes. During her years of competitive dance, she won 7 IHSDTA state titles and 2 NDA national titles. She continued her dance education at M2 during high school under the direction of Kevin Mathis. After graduating, Jade had the opportunity to train with the Luvabull organization making it to the top 30 dancers. Besides dancing, she is also attending school to become a Botox Cosmetic Specialist. Jade is thrilled to be able to share her love of dance with a new generation of dancers.
Lauren began her love of gymnastics at an early age. She started mommy and me classes at 2 years old. She was a national champion on the trampoline at 10 years old and continued competing in tumbling and trampoline into her teen years. She took her love of flipping and twisting in a different direction and started diving competitively throughout middle school and highschool.
Lauren attended Purdue University. Upon graduation in 2009 she started teaching first grade and also coached diving for Lake Central High School and AAU club diving. Lauren continued to teach first grade for 10 years, received her licensure to teach gifted and talented students which she taught for 2 years, and received her licensure to teach English language learner students. She is currently teaching EL students K-4 at Nathan Hale Elementary in Lansing, Illinois.
Lauren has a daughter on the Susan's Dance Company team and has helped teach acro during two maternity leaves for Ms. Shelby. She is now teaching her own acro class and really loves being part of the studio as a teacher!
In her spare time, Lauren loves to watch her kids perform at the sports they love, spend time with her husband and three kids, and travel to Disney!
Ruth Sevlie is from Red Wing, Minnesota and began dancing at a local dance studio during her early years. She then began to train at Ashley Ballet Arts Academy under the direction of Ashley Burkland, where she trained in the pre-professional division and danced in the Ballet Arts Youth Ensemble. During Ruth's time there she performed many different roles in the Nutcracker including: Clara, Dewdrop, and Sugar Plum. Ruth trained during her summers at various schools such as Indiana Ballet Conservatory, Ellision Ballet in New York City, Sarasota Ballet in Florida, Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, and Ballet 5:8 in Chicago. She has trained under Tatiana Pali, Alyona Yakobleva-Randall, Edward Ellision, Jolanta Valeikaite, Margaret Barbieri, Christopher Hird, Dierdre Miles Burger, Mara Galeazzi, Ernst Meisner, Nanette Glushak, and Julianna Rubio Slager. Ruth went on to dance at the Sarasota Ballet as a Trainee where she worked alongside the Company and Studio Company performing and understudying different roles. Ruth has performed roles in ballets such as: Nutcracker, La Fille Mal Gardee, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sylvia, Stella Natalis, Sleeping Beauty, Misa Tango, and Shades of Refrain. She has also participated in many festivals and danced in the Sarasota Ballet's 29 th Year Gala. Ruth is currently dancing with Ballet 5:8 for the 2021-2022 season. Ruth loves teaching ballet and passing on the joys of dancing. She enjoys investing in and encouraging her students, not only as dancers, but as individuals. She hopes to pass along to her students the many valuable lessons she has learned through the years.
Miss Samantha has been dancing for 23 years. She started as a dancer and demonstrator here at Susan's and is now an instructor and head choreographer for the award-winning Susan's Dance Company.
Samantha choreographs for school teams, soloists, and ensembles, as well as teaching private lessons all over Indiana and Illinois. She was the Munster High School JV coach from 2011-2013 and continues to assist the Munster teams. Samantha's love of children extends through her work as a lead behavioral therapist focusing on individuals with behavioral disorders and delays. She has diverse training in everything from ballet to hip hop and continues her training at Lou Conte, Visceral, and The Lab. She has trained under Gigi Torres as part of the ‘Establish Your Empire' program and attends numerous intensives and master classes.
Samantha has appeared in numerous Nutcracker productions and was a member of Susan's Dance Company for 8 years. During that time, she received many high scores and was invited to compete in the Hip Hop World Finals in Germany. Samantha was a 4-year member and a 2-year captain of the State Champion Munster High School Dance Team. Samantha was also the head choreographer and Vice-President of Purdue's Higher Ground Dance Company, a student-run organization that gives back to charities that provide dance therapy. She has also had the opportunity to intensively train with Chicago's Boom Crack Dance Company and performed at World of Dance Chicago and Purdue.
Samantha is thankful to her family and Miss Denny for their continued love and support as well as her dancers and demonstrators for their hard work and dedication.
Shelby Bragg has been a part of the Susan's School of Dance family for 28 years. She began dancing at 2 years old and quickly moved up the ranks to demonstrating and then teaching in 2013. Shelby is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, hip hop, pom and acro. She was a founding member of Susan's competitive dance company and was a 4 year member of the Munster Dance Team. Shelby received many awards and accolades during her years of competitive dance and continued her dance education on Purdue's Higher Ground Dance Company. In addition to her dance, Shelby is also an accomplished tumbler/trampolinist. She was a 6 time national champion and member of Jumpstart, a national training program which afforded her the opportunity to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Shelby has single handedly designed the acro program at Susan's and is excited to see how her students and the program have grown. In addition to her teaching, Shelby also works at Top Tier Nutrition as a nutrition and wellness coach. Her knowledge of health and wellness is beneficial as she educates her students in the safest ways to gain the strength they need to fuel their bodies to tumble safely. Shelby's newest job is being mom to future SDC dancer Emilia and new baby, Harrison. As always, she is excited to embark on a new year of helping students reach their goals.
Shelli White started her love of dance as a member of the Griffith High School Pantherette Dance Team. After high school, she pursued an elementary education and early childhood degree at PNW where she cheered on PNW's cheer team and danced at Jeannie's School of Dance.
After graduation, Shelli began teaching Kindergarten and has been teaching Kindergarten for the past 19 years. In addition to being a full time teacher, she is also a wife and mother to 2 amazing children. Faith is a 4th grader this year and has been dancing at Susan's School of Dance since she turned 3 and has been a member of Susan's Dance Company for the past 3 years. Greyson is a 2nd grader and has a love for all things sports. When Shelli is not wearing ballet or tap shoes she puts on her sneakers for a game of catch with my little man.
Last year Shelli had the opportunity to teach and assist at Susan's School of Dance to complete her teacher training under the direction of Miss Denny Gurley, Miss Shelby Bragg, and Miss Samantha Taylor. This year she is excited to combine her love of teaching young children and her love of dance to nurture and teach the next generation of Susan's dancers.