Our Friendly Teachers
Hello Parents and Dancers!
Our Friendly Dance Teachers
We take our mission seriously ‘to evolve our students through dance while creating heart-warming smiles!’ This means great, highly trained teachers. I hand pick them based on their teaching background, dance experience, charisma, and professionalism. New EvOLvE teachers must also complete teacher training before taking on their own classes and all are required to complete yearly Dance To EvOLvE professional development workshops. This continuous training ensures that our teachers are always growing and improving, which is what I believe sets our company apart.
BRITTANY WHITE GONZALEZ (aka Miss B)
Director & Owner
Brittany has over twenty years of teaching experience, a diverse dance background, and lived and danced in five countries. Studying with acclaimed dance instructors, she attended Gus Giordano Jazz Chicago and was awarded a dance scholarship from the nationally recognized dance program at the University of Arizona. She directed Ceroc Dance in London, the largest UK partner dance company. Brittany was a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin, Africa and attended graduate school at Hawaii Pacific University to earn a Masters of Business Administration.
Now settled in San Diego, Brittany started Dance To EvOLvE in 2008, including the unique EvOLvE dance program, a student-directed leadership dance program that develops dancers’ character, life-skills, and creativity through dance. Brittany creates a positive and dynamic class, combined with heartfelt energy, excitement, and a love for teaching. She teaches with a passion, realizing the direct impact dance has made on her character and professional career. Brittany teaches a diverse range of classes including jazz, contemporary, tap, ballet, and hip-hop from tiny tots to adults.
Settled in San Diego since 2006, Brittany started Dance To EvOLvE in 2008, including the unique Dance To EvOLvE program, a student-directed leadership dance program that develops dancers’ character, life-skills, and creativity through dance. Brittany creates a positive and dynamic class, combined with heartfelt energy, excitement, and a love for teaching. She teaches with a passion, realizing the direct impact dance has made on her character and professional career. Brittany teaches a diverse range of classes including jazz, contemporary, tap, ballet, and hip-hop from tiny tots to adults.
Parent’s Corner: “Miss B, you are just the best teacher. I feel like I have found Juilliard for my 4-year old. 🙂 I am telling all my friends as EvOLvE is the best program.” – Tiny Mover’s Mom at La Jolla Rec Center
MEGAN ELIZABETH LEWIS
EvOLvE Chicago Manager/ Teacher
Megan is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer from the Chicagoland area. While working as program manager and studio manager at Joel Hall Dancers & Center she has had the opportunity to teach a variety of ages and genres. Additionally, she has experience working with young students while teaching dance for after school programs at Bryant Recreational Center and Sabin Dual Language Magnet school. Megan majored in Dance with a focus on teaching at Columbia College Chicago with additionally studies in music education and dance at College of Lake County and Carthage College. She is skilled in a variety of styles including ballet, jazz, tap, and modern with a strong knowledge of Graham based technique. Above all, the dance education she provides encompasses all types of learners and creates a community between all ages, levels, ability, and aesthetics of dancers. She is excited to fulfill her desire in sharing the the joy of dancing with the young dancers of Chicago!
Cassandra P.
EvOLvE Teacher
Coming Soon!
ROSA S.
EvOLvE Teacher
Rosa began her training at the age of 4 at a small ballet in El Salvador. She moved to LA when she was 10 where she continued her dance training. She has trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Salsa, Lyrical and Contemporary. As she gained more experience she also trained at Debbie Reynolds and Millennium Dance Studio. Miss Rosa has participated in many recitals and competitions throughout her dance career. Some of her accomplishments are a couple of 1st place and 2nd Lyrical numbers, Salsa Team Champion in CA, some 1st places with her hip hop teams. She received her bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Dance at CSUN. Now that she is in Chicago she is ready and excited to continue teaching and bringing fun and excitement through dance!
Robin D.
EvOLvE Teacher
Robin Davis is a freelance dance-artist based in Chicago. Robin is a native North Carolinan who began her formal training at University of North Carolina School of the Arts High School Contemporary Dance Program. She graduated from New York Universities Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance and a BA in English on the Creative Writing Track in 2019. Throughout her professional career she has had the pleasure of working with the project-based Meadows Dance Collective and Mariah D Eastman, as well as showing her own choreography at DanceChance and Jello Performance Series. As a dance instructor Robin has a passion for sharing and instilling the joy of movement as well as healthy foundational biomechanics in her students. Her instruction is heavily informed by the functional movement certification she is in the process of obtaining! She believes in the power of dance and art as an essential source of community and that value drives her performance, choreography and teaching ethic. Robin is particularly passionate about the life-long impact (inside and outside of the studio) that dance can have on children in helping them build strength, discipline and a positive relationship with their bodies!
VANESSA M.
EvOLvE Teacher
Vanessa Maxwell started dancing at the age 4 and has experienced many styles over the years. She graduated with a BFA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago where she trained in her favorite styles: ballet, modern and hip hop. She has been teaching dance for over nine years to students aged 18 months old through the age 14 years old in a variety of styles such as creative movement, jazz, tap, ballet, and hip hop across the Chicagoland area. She currently directs the hip hop performing group Riff Raff at Studio Impulse in Mount Prospect. Vanessa hopes to bring her students a safe place to explore their technical dance skill and imagination in class.
EMILY R.
EvOLvE Teacher
Emily began her classical training at the age of seven in her home state of Michigan. She studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Alma, MI, for four years under the direction of Kathy Francis, as well as adjunct ballet professors of Alma College Jenifer Sarver and Hazel Sabas (former principal with Ballet Philippines). At the age of sixteen Emily moved to Grand Rapids, MI, to train with the Grand Rapids Ballet School under Attila Mosolygo. At GRBS she performed with the Junior Company and was involved in company performances of The Nutcracker (choreographed by Val Caniparoli) and Swan Lake. As a student she attended summer programs with American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Met, Grand Rapids Ballet, Ballet Magnificat, and Ballet 5:8.
Following high school Emily joined Chicago’s Ballet 5:8, was promoted from trainee to Company Artist in 2018, and to Solo Artist in 2019, remaining in residency until July 2020 and performing in theatres nation-wide. During her time at Ballet 5:8 Emily performed diverse company repertoire including Ripple Effect, Surprised by Joy, The Stor(ies) of You and Me (choreographed by Caleb Mitchell), Scarlet, All God’s Children, Strangers and Angels, Shades of Refrain, Four Seasons of the Soul, The Space in Between, 4501, Brothers and Sisters, Butterfly, Of Splendors and Horrors, and Still Waters (choreographed by Kevin Jenkins).
Emily had the pleasure of directing Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts Pre-Professional Program and Performing Ensemble from January 2018 to July 2020, teaching, choreographing, and coordinating performance opportunities for students ages 9-22. Currently she offers and teaches a variety of beginning thru advanced dance and creative movement classes on Outschool to over 400 students. In addition to teaching Pre-Ballet through Advanced Ballet and Pointe under influence of the Vaganova and Balanchine syllabuses, she is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique, and teaches Pre-Pointe, Beginning Tap, Beginning Hip Hop, Jazz/Lyrical, and Improv in the Chicago-area. Emily is so excited for the opportunity to be teaching with Dance to EvOLvE this year!
Kaite K.
EvOLvE Teacher
Katie is a dancer, performer, choreographer, and teacher originally from Alexandria, Virginia. She is currently completing her BFA in Musical Theatre with an emphasis in dance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. She has trained in a variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop, and theatre dance. Throughout her training she has attained many ballet scholarships and awards, including scholarships at the Richmond Ballet School. She also trained at the Washington Ballet School, and spent many years attending the Rockette Summer intensive. Katie has over 15 years of training in dance and has been a teacher and assistant for many years. She has had the opportunity to perform at Porchlight Music Theatre, as well as the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Katie is excited to continue performing and teaching in Chicago, and spreading her love for dance!
Jasmine G.
EvOLvE Teacher
Jasmine has been dancing since she was six years old. She grew up in Orange County, California and received studio training in hip hop, ballet, and jazz. She belonged to several hip hop youth and adult companies, performing at community shows and competing at showcases like World of Dance and KAR Dance Competition. She has years of experience assisting within the youth companies. After moving to Chicago for her undergrad and law school, she became a member of BoomCRACK! Dance Company, a professional hip hop company in the city. Jasmine is looking forward to continue spreading her passion for hip hop dance and working with kids!
