faculty
GENESIS Dance Company is proud to present our Talented, Amazing & Nurturing Teaching Faculty! Our teachers are so excited to bring dance education to our Genesis dancers and to cultivate and inspire new enthusiasm for dance in each one.
Jessi Handberg Rustad is the Director and Owner of Genesis Dance Company in Maple Grove. For well over a decade, Jessi has been bringing the youth of the northwest suburbs dance “beginnings” and high level training in innovative and approachable ways. Genesis means “the origin or beginning” and so our name was chosen to welcome families into our studio to “Begin” a new dance journey full of memories, connections and enrichments.
Jessi has been an integral part of the dance community in the Twin Cities area for over 20 years. She grew up dancing and performing right in this very community and went on to complete her Bachelor’s of Performing Arts Degree in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University. She has worked in the dance industry regionally, internationally and locally as a performer and choreographer. Some of her accolades include work for Holland America Cruiselines & Stiletto Entertainment, tours with OCU’s American Spirit Dance Company, Musical Theater choreography for Four Communities Theater, Guest Choreography for the Minnesota Dance Team Association and the Miss DanceTeam USA pageant to name a few. She is also the Franchise Owner of our thriving sister dance program, Tippi Toes® Dance Twin Cities, which teaches dance to little ones ages 18 months to 5+ years at our studio location and throughout our community’s Daycare, School and Parks & Rec programs. She was previously a member of the Dance Studio Owners Association and the “Inner Circle” for dance studio owners globally.
Jessi’s approach to children and our programs relies heavily on her training and studies in Child Development and on an ongoing obsession with offering the benefits of dance, music and the arts for children. Her dance teaching and leadership style incorporates Imagery, Visualization and Exploration through movement and she guides our amazing staff in using these tools and concepts as they teach as well. GDC dancers are encouraged to be creative and open to what dance can show them and we know each dancer “Begins” an amazing experience when they step into our dance studios.
Chrissy has been dancing in the Minneapolis area for over 20 years, and teaching and choreographing at various dance studios for the past 10. She trained in Plymouth, MN, competing and taking workshops across the country. She was a member of the state championship Wayzata Dance Team where she was named Most Valuable, All-Conference dancer, and captain. Chrissy received her BA in history from the University of Minnesota. She was a coach for the Eden Prairie Dance Team for 8 seasons, and continually strives to expand her dance knowledge. Chrissy has always been attracted to the world of costuming and her past creations have won regional and national awards. She teaches our Novice dance program and consults on costumes for group, duet/trio and solo dances each year.
Michelle began her dancing career at age 3 with tap and ballet. From ages 11-18 she moved to competitive dance, winning many high-point and over-all awards in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop and musical theater styles. This included both regional and national competitions.
She continued her study of dance throughout the United States and overseas, in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Amsterdam. Michelle has worked with Vanessa Williams with Walt Disney Productions and appeared on Broadway in the new Gerswhin musical “Crazy for You.” She has also traveled with Rocco Altobelli and danced for Polaris. Past work also included choreography for numerous studios as as Lori Line’s Christmas Shows.
Michelle has now been teaching professionally for 20 years, including such styles of dance as jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, hip hop and musical theater. She has won many awards including those in the categories of high-scores, overalls and entertainment and choreography. Many of Michlle’s trained dancers have gone on to cheer for the Timberwolves and Vikings, won Miss Teen Dance Team Minnesota, danced on the U of MN dance team and appeared on Broadway and Walt Disney World stages.
Taylor has been dancing for as long as she can remember. She grew up training as a competitive dancer in the Maple Grove & Plymouth area and at Genesis Dance Company, winning many regional and national awards. Besides being a Genesis Alumni, Taylor is also a proud alumnus of the Wayzata Trojet Dance Team where she participated and medaled in the State High School League Tournament, was a part of the choreographraphy committee, awarded most improved dancer and was captain of the team her senior year. Outside of teaching and attending the University of Minnesota where she is pursuring her degree in child education, Taylor is also a member of Crash Dance Production’s contemporary, pre-professional program where she continues her passion and love for dance, performance and choreography.
Liz started dancing at Summit School of Dance in Plymouth, MN at the age of 7. It was at Summit where she developed a passion for all types of dance but especially with ballet technique. Liz nurtured this desire to learn classical ballet technique by attending summer ballet intensives which included study at North Carolina Dance Theatre in Charlotte, The ROCK School in Philadelphia, The Washington Ballet in DC, Suzanne Farrell Ballet in Cedar Island, NY, and most notably The Juilliard School in New York City. In 2004, for the start of her freshman year of high school, Liz moved to Boca Raton, Florida to study Classical Vaganova Ballet at the HARID Conservatory on a full scholarship. In 2006, she returned to Minnesota to enjoy her last two years of high school. Liz made the Wayzata Varsity Trojet Dance Team and was named Varsity Captain her senior year. In her two years on the team, the Trojets placed first and second at the State Tournament. Liz was selected as an All State Athlete and a member of the All-Tournament Team 2007-2008 and is pictured on the wall of fame in the halls of Wayzata High School.
Upon graduating from Wayzata High School, she continued dancing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on their Division I Dance Team. She cheered and competed all four years of college for Wisconsin, placing as a top 10 dance team at national competitions each year. Liz traveled around the United States to support the Wisconsin Badger sports teams which included participating in two Rose Bowl Parades.
After the University of Wisconsin Dance Team, Liz’s time dancing was not finished. She performed professionally for two seasons with Crash Dance Productions in Minneapolis, MN. In addition, she coached one season of Wayzata Junior Varsity dance team, where the team placed first in all meets but one. Liz continues her passion for dance through working with dancers of all levels. Liz truly believes that ballet is the foundation of all movement and her goal in teaching is to form strong, confident dancers with solid technique to make them the best performers and true competitors.
McKay is a graduate and Alum of Genesis Dance Company and is currently finishing up her college degree at Mankato State University this year. McKay has jumped onboard with us for the role of Competitive Company Coordinator and is teaching at GDC in technique, coaching and solo/duet/trio capacities. Can’t wait to see all the awesome things she has planned for us this year!
Morgan started dancing at the Aberdeen Parks and Rec dance studio in Aberdeen, SD and started teaching as a dance assistant in 2012 at her dance studio. In the summer of 2017 she began teaching my studios’ camp classes. Last year she joined our Genesis and Tippi Toes® team to work with our dancers in various programs, styles and age levels. Dance has shaped her into the person she is today and instilled a love of movement, an appreciation for music, and has inspired multiple trips throughout the world.
She’s always been a natural teacher and remembers helping her peers learn choreography, or working with them to get better at a step or combo. She loves that dance teaching allows her to see the same changes in her students as they become more confident in their bodies and with their surroundings. When she’s not dancing she enjoys a good book, walks with her puppy, traveling, and spending time with friends.
Molly grew up dancing in the Metro area following her love for Tap dance and competitive dance. She went on to study and further perform her craft in New York City following high school and returned to the Twin Cities to continue to bring her Tap dancing love to her home town turf. Molly teaches Tap in our Pre-competitive and teamGen Competitive programs and we are so excited to have her on board with Genesis!
Linda Muir is a widely respected, Minneapolis based dance educator specializing in ballet and the complete training of both aspiring and established dancers. She is also an award winning choreographer and an accomplished dance administrator.She has been a member of the Minneapolis dance community for more than 20 years. Her accomplishments were nationally recognized in 2007 when she was awarded both Dance Teacher Magazine’s and Chicago regional Youth American Grand Prix’s “Dance Teacher of the Year” award.
Many of Linda’s students have gone on to success in such prestigious dance programs as Juilliard, University of Utah, Ailey-Fordam, SUNY-Purchase, NYU-Tisch, University of Southern California, Pace, and numerous others. Her students have also gone on to professional careers with The Netherlands Dance Theatre, Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Hubbard Street Dance, Ballet West, Alonzo Lines, Complexions, Hofesh Shecter Company, Staatstheater am Gartnerplatz, San Francisco Ballet, and others. Most importantly to Linda, thousands of her students have discovered a lifetime love of dance that comes from the caring, creative, collaborative studio environment that she creates – one that is attuned to the individual needs of the dancer.
Linda holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degree in Ballet from the University of Utah, and has taught at the university level at such institutions as University of Kansas, Kansas University, Kent State University, Queens College, and the University of Minnesota.As a dance educator and administrator, she was responsible for the creation of the dance curriculum at both primary and secondary levels of the Kansas City, Missouri School District and (in collaboration with others) The Main Street School of the Arts (later Performing Institute of Minnesota) in Minneapolis. In addition to her academic career, Linda danced with the ballet companies Ballet West, Rockford Dance Company, and Peoria Ballet and with the modern dance companies Susan Warden Dancers and Brousseau DanceWorks.
In the Minneapolis dance community, Linda created, developed and served as Director of the ballet program at Summit School of Dance (later Summit Dance Shoppe) and Artistic Director of Summit Ballet Theatre.She was the Founder and Director of the Summit Invitational Program - an intensive program organized in partnership with local school districts that focused on students seeking to continue their involvement with dance beyond their high school experience. Since leaving Summit, Linda has freelanced locally under MuirBallet teaching and coaching at area schools-most recently, Larkin Dance Studio in Maplewood. Linda is also a creative advisor to several local dance companies and is a former Board Member for the Minnesota Dance Medicine Foundation.
Payton grew up in Maple Grove, MN and has been involved in dance for over 15 years - training in a variety of styles including Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Ballet, Pom & Lyrical. During those years she trained across the country anywhere between New York & LA learning from a variety of talented choreographers and dancers.
She is currently in her second year as a Vikings Cheerleader and have enjoyed every aspect of that role whether it be cheering on the Vikes during games or being a part of the Vikings Junior Cheer program.
Dance has had a major influence in her life and she is eager to share her passion with future and current dancers in a big way!!!
Celeste has been a choreographer and dance educator in the Metro area for 20+ years. Before joining Genesis Celeste was the owner of her own dance studio and is now teaching various styles around the Twin Cities area! We are thrilled to have Celeste onboard at Genesis!