Message from the Director, Krista Juderjahn

07 Sep Message from the Director, Krista Juderjahn

First of all I would like to say how extremely blessed and honored I feel to be the new Director of Ignite Dance Studio.  Words cannot describe the amount of excitement that I am experiencing right now along with the multitude of innovative ideas that are swirling through my head and this passion of mine that is growing even stronger.   Never would I have imagined that my dance career would be taking me full circle, back to where it all began.

I grew up in Northeast Ohio and began dancing at the Mary Kay Manning Dance Studios when I was five years old.  From the moment I stepped onto that floor there was no other place I wanted to be.  I spent twelve years training at the studio alongside the best teachers who were not only my mentors but became my family.  During my years at the studio I trained in everything they had to offer.  I competed with solos, duets, large groups and productions for ten years.  I learned early on that dance was my passion and that I did not want to do anything else.
Upon graduation from high school I moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College Chicago in pursuit of my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance with concentrations in Performance and Teaching.  During my four years of college I refined my technical skills in multiple disciplines, learned the art of creating choreography, studied dance history and dance in other cultures as well as how to be an effective teacher of dance.  Most importantly I found myself as an artist.

Soon after I completed my education and earned my degree I accepted a position as a Performing Apprentice with Inaside Chicago Dance, a professional jazz company located in Chicago.  I danced on contract with them for one full year.  I then decided to pursue a different avenue of dance and joined The Puzzle League and most recently CODA, both hip hop crews based in Chicago.   I have competed with them in several professional competitions and performed many shows with them around the Chicagoland area.  I have also worked with and I am continuing to work and train with many independent artists whose work has been showcased at venues all throughout the city.

And now my career has brought me back to the studio where my passion was ignited.  Throughout my years of education and professional experience I have gained incredible amounts of insight and knowledge that I want to share with my original dance family.  I cannot wait to begin this new journey alongside Tammy and Mary, who have always been there for me since the beginning, as well as the many other incredible teachers that the Ignite family has.  I have wonderful plans and many ideas to make this studio the best that it can possibly be.  A place where family and fun is the center focus all while knowing the value of strong technical training and that with hard work and the right attitude anything is possible.  My mission is to ignite our students with passion, energy and excitement about dance.  Thank you all for joining me on this new adventure.