Veronika has a number of accomplished instructors working with her to teach the many dance styles available at her studio. Lyn Cole and Reggio McLaughlin teach beginning and advanced Tap classes. Michelle Nascimento teaches Flamenco, and Hip Hop is taught by Viola.

Michelle Nascimento “La Caoba” has been dancing most of her life. Extensively trained in Jazz & Ballet, she studied the art of Flamenco with the masters at the famous Flamenco Academy “Amor de Dios” in Madrid, Spain. Having also lived in Sevilla (Southern Spain), she deepens her knowledge with such great gipsy legends as Juana Amaya and the Farruco family, amongst others. Every year she travels to Sevilla in order to bring back the authentic Flamenco only seen in Spain.

In Chicago Michelle Nascimento is now an acclaimed Flamenco teacher, leading her independent classes at Vero Dance Studio. She also taught for the Hyde Park School of Ballet, Columbia College, NADAA, The Old Town School of Folk Music and Salt Creek Ballet etc. Her many years of experience give her the ability to teach all ages and levels, focusing on correct technique, interpretation & expression. She keeps receiving invitations to teach workshops nationally and internationally.

Michelle Nascimento is the artistic director of her own Flamenco company Flamenco Triana, and has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Northern Africa. She is a featured dancer/choreographer in George Bizet’s Opera Carmen in NY and at the Ravinia in Chicago. In the Midwest she performs and choreographs at various dance festivals and venues such as “Dance Chicago”, the yearly held “Nut Tapper” Christmas show, “Tappininthetwincities” in Minneapolis and the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in Milwaukee. She performs in many schools, libraries and museums, showing the origin and history of Flamenco. In Spain she is seen in several television shows as a regular principal dancer and is featured in magazines, newspapers, television news highlights and cultural programs.

It is her wish to bring this ancient art form to all people and to share her experience and knowledge with students, audiences and the community, contributing to the constant growing of the arts in everyday life, reaching a higher cultural awareness and a positive attitude towards the world and its environment.

You can contact Michelle at 773-704-5371 or visit her website at www.flamencotriana.com.

His program and energetic style of hoofing, has been profiled on educational television programs, numerous news highlights, magazines and books. He is currently appearing in a tap documentary called “JUBA” Masters of Tap, partnering the legendary Ernest “Brownie” Brown. His feet are featured tap dancing in a documentary about the legendary singer Nat King Cole.

His performance experience includes hundreds of colleges, libraries, museums and all the major tap festivals where he shared the stage with some of the best tap dancers in the world. Reggio was seen in two Duke Ellington musicals, “Beggars Holiday” and “Jump for Joy”. He did the theatre version of “The Sammy Davis Jr. Story” in Chicago, performing one of the principle roles, and has appeared on Broadway.

Through Reggio’s charisma and expertise he was invited to teach and perform in other countries such as Japan, Canada, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Venezuela etc., contributing to the raising of tap dancing to a status of recognition and admiration.

You can contact Reggio at 630-399-4474 or visit his website at www.reggiothehoofer.com.

A hip-hop dancer, teacher, choreographer, creative consultant, and former Artistic Director for Culture Shock Chicago, a professional hip-hop company. Founded by Angie Bunch, who developed a international family of troupes in San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Washington DC, Oakland, Atlanta, Canada, and New Zurich. Viola helped to form the Chicago troupe in 1998, and she became Artistic Director in 2001 til 2006, continuing the troupes mission to cultivate self-worth, dignity, and respect for all people, through the power of music and dance.

Creative founder of The R.A.G.E. Project (The Rhythm and Groove Exchange Project), Exchanging what you feel that’s negative for something that’s positive and releasing it through movement. Currently, she teaches or has taught her own unique self-taught style of street hip-hop at Joel Hall Dance Center, Vero Dance Studio, Crunch Fitness, Lincoln Park Athletic Club, and Evanston Athletic Club.

In addition to performing with Culture Shock and The R.A.G.E. Project, this unique woman has worked with top recording artist R. Kelly, and Nick Cannon, as well as local artist such as Awun and Feenix. Viola has been seen on the Dance Fever TV show hosted by ABC Family,where she competed with assistant Cathy Lamorena. Previously worked with director Ben Stokes in Earth People and M2 Vibravision.

You can contact Viola at 312-208-1416 or visit her website at www.rawfunkystreetflav.com. You can also see video clips of Viola’s classes at YouTube under groove2me

Lyn Cole started dancing in 1974 at Agnes Gleason School of Dance. She later moved to Ideal School of Dance in Evergreen Park with Jerry Ann Soule, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics and pointe. During college she took dance classes at University of Illinois at Chicago, a master class with Joel Hall and continued taking classes at Applause Dance Academy with Mary Marks. During this time Lyn was also choreographer, teacher and costume designer for Founders Footlites, a community showcase.

Lyn had a starring role in Reggio’s “The Nut Tapper” show since its inception in 1999. She currently has a tap dance group called Rhythm of the Street. Lyn continues to expand her knowledge and take dance classes whether in a workshop or a class. In addition to Reggio, Lyn has taken master classes with Diane “Lady Di” Walker, Van “The Man” Porter, Lane Alexander, Sam Weber, Barbara Duffy, Tony Waag, Margaret Morrison, Germaine Salsberg, Derek Grant, Ayodele Casel, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and Martin “Tre” Dumas and is currently studying with Bril Barrett of MADD Rhythms.

She is currently on faculty at Old Town School of Folk Music and Vero Dance Studio. Lyn Cole has been chosen to appear in the 2007-2008 edition of Who’s Who In American Women.