Dimensions Staff
Miranda Cordes
Dimensions Dance Academy Owner and Artistic Director
Dimensions Youth Ballet Founder and Executive Director
Instructor; Ballet and Pointe
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 Dimensions Youth Ballet.
Taryn Sarto
Dimensions Youth Ballet Assistant Director
Competition Team Director and Choreographer
Instructor; Ballet, Pointe, and Lyrical
Miss Taryn has extensive dance training 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 and 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.
Miss Taryn continues to pursue her dance career as a teacher, choreographer, and director at Dimensions, where her passion is cultivating a supportive environment to help her students grow and achieve their full potential.
Kenzie Brandon
Instructor; Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, and Children's Division
Competition Team Choreographer
Kenzie Brandon is a dance artist originally from the Salt Lake City area in Utah. Growing up, Kenzie was a competitive gymnast before finding a love for dance in high school. She joined a competitive dance team in Utah for 3 years before being accepted into Grand Canyon University's Department of Dance for her undergraduate degree. As of April 2024, Kenzie has a BA in Dance and a BS in Sport/Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University. Currently, Kenzie is a Masters student at Northern Illinois University, working towards her MS in Sport/Performance Psychology in the KNPE program.
Kenzie has been teaching dance since she was 16 years old, and is passionate about fostering both technical and artistic growth in her students. Alongside teaching, Kenzie is a dance photographer and filmmaker. She is also the co-director of DDA's new adult dance company Dimensions Art Collective.
Cameron Holst
Instructor; Jazz and Musical Theatre
Competition Team Choreographer
Cameron Holst has been dancing for twenty years in all styles of dance. She began her training at three years old at Beth Fowler School of Dance where she later danced as Clara in The Nutcracker and Fairy of Beauty in Sleeping Beauty. She has also trained at Underground Allegro and Dimensions Dance Academy. Cameron is a recent graduate of Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Acting and a minor in Stage Combat. While at ISU, she danced under Jocelyn Perez, Laina Werner-Powell, Kyle Ayers, and Will Gill doing different styles of dance including contemporary, jazz, and modern. Cameron had the privilege to train under Jane Lynch for three weeks, during which she played Gert in Lost in Yonkers. In addition to teaching at Dimensions Dance Academy, Cameron works for Axiom Dance Convention as a demonstrator along with being a stage manager at Legacy National Dance Championship. She is also signed with The Rock Talent Agency for modeling and acting.
Shannon Engel
Instructor; Tap
Miss Shannon started dancing at 2 years old. In first grade, she started dancing at Dance Images in Tinley Park, where she stayed for 12 years. While Shannon was there, she trained in ballet, pointe, modern, tap, jazz, musical theater, lyrical, and contemporary, as well as spent 6 years on their competitive team. Along with performances and competitions, she has also attended numerous dance conventions. After graduating, she majored in dance performance at Northern Illinois University for one semester. She then changed her major and is currently working towards a bachelors degree in electrical engineering. Shannon currently teaches at Dimensions Dance Academy, where she loves watching her students improve and grow both on the stage and off.
Melissa Roseberg
Instructor; Tap
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.
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 30 productions. Her passions are dance, physical education, and wellness.
Blair Vaudelle
Instructor; Ballet and Children's Division
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Ballet Honors Choreographer
​Blair was born in Houston, Texas and began training and performing with Cookie Joe, a student of Patsy Swayze. She later studied ballet with the Houston Ballet Academy, The Dallas Metropolitan Ballet School and the Atlanta School of Ballet. She was invited to attend ballet class at Northern Illinois University, at the age of 14, while training and performing with the Rockford Dance Company. She studied ballet at the University throughout her high school years and went on to receive her B.F.A in Dance Performance there after graduation. Professionally, Blair has worked with Ballet Nouveau (Colorado), Ballet Deviare (NYC), the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, and guested with the Civic Ballet of the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, the Faubourg Ballet, State Street Dance Studio, and Alma Ballet. She currently lives in Sycamore, Illinois and has been teaching dance for over 20 years. Blair has experience in teaching all styles, including a season working as a Universal Dance Association Instructor for Dance Teams. She is most proficient in Ballet and Contemporary styles and is the former Artistic Director of the Studio of Classical and Contemporary Dance. In 2015, Blair was honored with the opportunity of a Visiting Professor Position at Northern Illinois University, teaching Ballet and setting Contemporary Ballet works.