Melinda Jean Myers, Guest Choreographer
Melinda Jean Myers grew up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin where she trained in dance from a young age at her mother’s dance studio. She received her MFA from University of Iowa in 2012 and BFA from New York University in 2005. She was a member of Trisha Brown Dance Company from 2006-2010 and performed throughout Europe, South America and the U.S. She has restaged Trisha Brown’s repertory at BARD College and University of Iowa.
Melinda is currently working for Lucky Plush Productions and creating choreographic works in Chicago. Her choreography has been presented throughout the Midwest, NYC and internationally in Germany and South Korea. She is investigating theater, music, dance, improvisation and storytelling in her current classes and performance works.
Melinda is currently working for Lucky Plush Productions and creating choreographic works in Chicago. Her choreography has been presented throughout the Midwest, NYC and internationally in Germany and South Korea. She is investigating theater, music, dance, improvisation and storytelling in her current classes and performance works.
Joan Karlen
As a performer Joan originated many roles with New York-based companies, throughout the US and in Argentina. She has been active with the Dance Films Association Dance on Camera Festival (Lincoln Center, NYC) as a selection jury member, forum panelist and workshop presenter, and is a national panelist on Designing Dance Video Courses and Multidisciplinary/Multimedia Issues and Projects.
At UWSP Joan teaches interdisciplinary studies, camera dance and digital editing, dance composition and technique. She earned dance degrees from The Juilliard School and New York University, and participated in additional multimedia, telematics and video production training at The Ohio State University, New York University, and Arizona State University. Joan’s choreography was awarded a Wisconsin Arts Board Choreography Fellowship; her teaching has twice been recognized with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Teaching Excellence Award, and with the student-nominated University Leadership Mentor Award, the Who’s Who Among American Teachers Award, and the UW-System's Teaching Scholar Award.
Michael Estanich
Michael has been on the dance faculty at UWSP since 2006. He teaches modern dance, composition, dance pedagogy, movement analysis and dance history. He earned his MFA from The Ohio State University and his BFA from Denison University. His creative research currently examines ideas of space, architecture, landscape and habitation often resulting in dances supported by sculptural environments. He and Lucy Riner formed RE|Dance Group in 2009 as a means to explore long distance collaboration. Based in Chicago, RE|Dance Group has toured throughout the Midwest, to NYC and San Francisco, CA. Michael’s performance credits include Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak, Cerulean Dance Theatre, Rebecca Rosen, Melanie Bales, Bebe Miller and a reconstruction of Mark Morris’ acclaimed choreography All Fours. He teaches annually at the Trollwood Performing Arts School in Moorhead, MN and at the American College Dance Festival (ACDF). He is the North Central Regional Director of ACDF.
Jeannie Hill
Associate Professor Jeannie Hill teaches tap, jazz, musical theatre dance, composition and career seminar in addition to choreographing for Danstage and musicals at UWSP. In 2010 Jeannie founded Point Tap Festival (www.pointtap@wordpress.com), a three-day summer workshop gathering tap dancers from Wisconsin to Marseilles! She has enjoyed a varied international performing and teaching career and continues her affiliation with Chicago’s Jump Rhythm Jazz Project as guest teacher, performer and choreographer. Jeannie holds a BA in theatre from the University of Vermont and an MFA in dance from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, Peck School of the Arts. Recent interview: http://www.dancestudiolife.com/2012/12/higher-ed-voice-jazzed-by-jump-rhythm/Pamela Luedtke, head and tail Rehearsal Director
Pamela Luedtke was a soloist with the modern dance company Mary Anthony Dance Theatre for nine years in New York City. She also worked with choreographers Agnes de Mille, Anna Sokolow, Ernestine Stodelle, Ellen Margolis, Sophie Maslow, and Berthram Ross. In New York, Pamela taught at the Mary Anthony Dance Studio, the Herbert Berghoff School of Acting, and Dance Theater Workshop (DTW). Her choreography has been performed in New York, Washington D.C., California and Wisconsin. Pamela is currently instructing dance throughout Central Wisconsin and is an Associate Lecturer instructing ballet with UWSP's Dance Program. She is the founder and artistic director of Point Dance Ensemble, a non-profit dance company in Portage County consisting of dancers ages 10-18. Pamela is also certified in Educational Kinesiology (Brain Gym) as an instructor and a consultant for schools in Wisconsin, assisting in integration of neuromuscular movement curriculum. Pamela is also in the process of receiving Pilates Instructor Certification through the Balanced Body Institute.
