OUR INSTRUCTORS

Phil’s domestic and international performing credits include 42nd Street, Into the Woods, and A Chorus Line. He has directed and choreographed productions for PBS, National Geographic, Fisher Price and more. His teaching credits include Director of Musical Theatre at Five Towns College in New York and Artistic Director of the first Musical Theater school in Seoul, South Korea. Phil holds a BFA in Musical Theatre & Dance Performance from Milikin University.

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Studio Director and Director of our Tap Program, Phil is also a nationwide Show Director and adjudicator for

Spotlight Dance Cup.

Dina studied at Dowling College under the direction of Sabatino Berlezza. She has performed throughout New York City with multiple dance companies. She has been instructing students in dance for the past 25 years. A national award winning performer herself, she has lead multiple STEPS dance companies to First Place awards at both the regional and national level.

Dina’s primary focus is Jazz Funk, Lyrical, and Contemporary. In addition to her role as studio Co-Director, she offers fitness classes throughout the community.

Julie began her dance training in Naperville, Illinois and continued at Lou Conte Dance Studio and River North in Chicago. She earned a BFA in Musical Theater with a minor in Dance from Roosevelt University. Her Chicago area theater credits include featured dance roles in “Evita”, “West Side Story” and “Oklahoma!” as well as productions of “A Chorus Line”, “Singin’ in the Rain” and many more.  Julie was a co-owner of Let’s Dance! in Naperville where she served as Director of the jazz program and the performing companies. She has over 20 years of teaching experience in jazz, ballet, tap and lyrical. As Director at STEPS her primary focus is our Jazz and Ballet programs.

Mr. Michael is a theater professional with more than 30 years experience, acting, directing, and producing in the Chicago area, New York City, and as part of many touring companies. His career as an educator is equally diverse. He was co-creator, and a member of the original artistic team that developed the Institute of Creative Arts in Seoul, South Korea. He also directed an after school arts program with Wingspan Arts in NYC and taught acting and musical theatre at the Gateway Playhouse Acting School in New York. In addition to his role at STEPS, he is currently the Theater Director at Central Westosha High School in Bristol, WI.

Nicole studied at Northwestern University, and earned a BS with Honors in Fine and Performing Arts. She has performed nationwide with many dance festivals, including ACDFA and Dance Links. She began her teaching career in Winter Park, FL with the Academy of Dance and Theatrical Arts.

In addition to teaching at STEPS, Nicole is the head Dance Team coach at Lakes Community High School. Nicole’s specific focus is Lyrical and Contemporary, but she loves teaching our younger dances the foundations of Ballet, Tap and Jazz. Nicole has been instructing with us for over ten years.

A STEPS alumni, Miss Jordan began dancing at 2 years old at the Lindenhurst Park District and has been dancing ever since. Jordan holds a bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Augustana College where she also toured internationally with the Augustana Choir. She enjoys singing, playing he piano, and crafting. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing the excitement on a students face when they finally get that step they’ve been struggling with, fittingly her favorite quote is, “Focus on the good and the good gets better.”

Miss Kylie began her love of performance and athletics with gymnastics at age three. Her multiple award winning floor routines proved to be a road leading straight to the dance studio, and she has been dancing and choreographing ever since. A STEPS alum and STEPS Company National Champion, Kylie spent many years with us as a student. We are so fortunate to have her back as an instructor! Miss Kylie lives in Lindenhurst, where she spends her down time taking care of her puppy, Tucker.

Miss Denise fell in love with Ballet when she was two years old and her mother took her to see the Nutcracker for the very first time. She danced throughout her childhood, earned her BFA in dance from the University of Illinois, and has been teaching dance since she was 14 years old. Her favorite ballet is Copelia, and her favorite thing about teaching dance is seeing young dancers grow and develop over time. Advice for dancers: good critique only makes you better, take every criticism and grow stronger than you were.

Paige is a University of Kentucky Alumni and a dancer and performer since the age of two. She has served as the Vice President and President of the UK Dance Ensemble during her 4 years as a member and choreographer. Her studies with the Department of Dance at the UK have solidified her passion for dance as an artistic expression of self and a tool for creative storytelling. 
She has choreographed numerous dances for the UK Department of Theatre and Dance, UK Dance Ensemble, STEPS Performing Arts Center, Lakes Community High School dance team, and Carmel Catholic's Orchesis Dance company.

Jenny Neumann is one of our drama teachers at STEPS. She studied at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and holds a B.F.A in Musical Theatre from The New School of Public Engagement. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA and has worked on numerous television shows and movies. She LOVES teaching Musical Theatre & Drama at STEPS and is grateful to help facilitate growth, confidence, and professionalism in her classes. In addition to Drama and acting, Jenny teaches Yoga at many area yoga studios.

Miss Brooke began dancing when she was three years old and has had a passion for it ever since. She was a part of the STEPS Company for 9 years until she graduated in 2022. Miss Brooke has won multiple national championships for dance and has assisted Mr. Phil in tap classes for 5 years, along with helping with the STEPS musicals every summer. Mr. Phil has inspired and taught her everything she knows to continue to have a successful dance career. 

Brooke is currently attending the College of Lake County to further her education and stay close to the studio she has grown up in and loves.  She loves sharing her love of dance with others and inspiring them to work hard, be their best and support one another through dance!

Tiffany started acting at the age of 9. She graduated from UW Whitewater with a BFA in Theater Performance. Her professional experience includes acting and directing in many traveling tours, as well as on-camera work for Chicago area productions and modeling in Chicago and Washington DC. She has earned her Masters Degree in Teaching and Special Education and has been teaching theater classes in the Chicagoland area for the last 4 years.  Tiffany is excited to be a part of the STEPS family and put her extensive knowledge of behind the scenes work, acting and teaching to good use here at the studio.