Our Awesome Staff
Miranda Cordes
Owner and Dimensions Dance Academy Artistic Director
Founder and Executive Director Dimensions Youth Ballet
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Miss Miranda began her journey at age 8 with Debbie’s Dance Dimensions in Dekalb, IL before transferring to the Beth Fowler School of Dance in Genoa, IL at age 12. At age 16 Miranda started her professional dance training with the Joffrey Ballet of New York before transitioning to Ballet Chicago and Joel Hall Dance Center. She has extensively performed with dance companies throughout the Chicagoland and Milwaukee areas including Elements Contemporary Ballet, Joel Hall II, Pastiche Dance Ensemble, and Lavender Cabaret.
In 2006 Miranda returned to Dekalb on scholarship to study with the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University before assuming ownership and overseeing the transition of Debbie’s Dance Dimensions, from the original location on 7th and 38th, to Dimensions Dance Academy (DDA) at the current location on 1st and 38th. Miranda is a member of the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM) and has earned teaching certifications in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), Acrobatic Arts, and American Ballet Theater’s national training curriculum levels pre-primary to 3.
Miss Miranda continues to train and perform as a dancer while teaching and inspiring others through her leadership at DDA and the Dimensions Youth Ballet. Miss Miranda teaches Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, and Acrobatic Arts.
Taryn Sarto
Dimensions Youth Ballet Assistant Director
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Miss Taryn has seventeen years of dance experience and has trained in a wide variety of styles, including ballet, pointe, pas de deux, modern, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap, hip hop, and Pilates. She began training at age 6 with the Beth Fowler School of Dance (BFSD), continuing through high school as an elite member of the Beth Fowler Dance Company and the BFSD competition team. Taryn has also competed as a member of the Genoa Kingston High School Dance Team, achieving 3rd place overall in the 1A division at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Finals.
Through academic and dance scholarships, Taryn graduated from Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance with a minor in Rehabilitation Counseling. As a member of NIU’s College of Visual and Performing arts, Taryn directed and choreographed for Northern Dance Theatre’s Student Choreographic Showcases, the annual “Art for Life” productions, and was the choreographer for Penguin Players, a musical theater organization starring a cast of adults with disabilities.
Taryn is currently an instructor with Dimensions Dance Academy and the Assistant Director of Dimensions Youth Ballet Company, where her passion is helping students grow as dancers to achieve their full potential. Miss Taryn teaches in the styles of Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, and Acrobatic Arts. Additionally, she teaches the Children's Division Tiny Tumblers and Small Fry Hip Hop classes.
Dimensions Youth Ballet Mini and Petite Company Director
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Miss Sammie has years of dance training in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, modern and hip hop. She began at Artistic Dance at age seven, moving on to Debbie’s Dance Dimensions at age nine where she remained through the transition to Dance Dimensions and now, Dimensions Dance Academy. Throughout those years she has been part of competition teams and traveled to Disney World twice to represent her dance studio as a performing troupe member.
Sammie currently serves as the Dimensions Youth Ballet Mini and Petite Company Director. She is an instructor for the Dimensions Dance Academy Children's Division, Tap, and Choreographer.
Samantha Wootton
Madelyn Maxwell
Instructor, Dimensions Dance Academy Children's Division
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Miss Madelyn has been studying dance since the age of three. She began dancing at Dimensions Dance Academy and has continued through high school. Madelyn has studied ballet, contemporary, jazz, and modern dance styles. At age 15, she attended a two-week-long intensive at Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago.
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With Dimensions Dance Academy Madelyn has performed many roles including Myrtha in Giselle, Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Odette in Swan Lake, and Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.
Madelyn is proud to be attending Northern Illinois University to pursue a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish and Dance. She has always had a passion for teaching and choreographing while working in a variety of settings with children of all ages.
Melissa Roseberg
Instructor, Adult Tap and Jazz
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Melissa Roseberg has been dancing and performing since she was 5 years old. She trained in tap, jazz, ballet and acrobatics and loves teaching all levels of dancers. She is currently a member of CNADM (Chicago National Association of Dance Masters) and part of Dimensions Dance Academy's performing Adult Company.
Melissa is a Physical Education Teacher at Sycamore High School, Assistant Director of Sycamore Orchesis program, Sycamore High School Musical Choreographer and has her Masters in Adapted Physical Education. Melissa also lends her talents to Stage Coach Players Community Theatre in DeKalb and has choreographed over 18 productions. Her passions are dance, physical education, and wellness. She loves to learn and grow in every aspect of life.
Jennifer Edmunds
Instructor, Adult Ballet
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Jennifer Edmunds has been studying dance since grade school, beginning at Ellis Duboulay in Chicago. She continued studying at Gus Giordano and Chicago City Ballet. Jennifer attended Butler University as a dance major for one year, then transferred and graduated from NIU with a B.A. in Dance.
After graduating from NIU, Jennifer moved to the east coast and performed with Princeton Ballet and Hamilton Ballet in New Jersey, focusing on Balanchine technique. She also worked with figure skaters and hockey players, teaching ballet classes during their competitive seasons. Jennifer returned to the Midwest and performed with the NIU Alumni Dance Company.