At Shine Dance and Performing Arts Academy we are dedicated in making every person shine. With our hard working staff we work to make you the best you can be. Below are the bio’s of the hard working individuals that make that happen:
Kara McKee
Owner/Director
Kara McKee is originally from Pittsburgh, PA where she received her BA in Dance from Point Park University. She has also studied at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Kara has performed on the national tours of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Alice) and Rugrats (featured tap dancer, original cast) which took her to 49 US states.
Kara’s regional theatre credits include; Cinderella, Peter Pan, Annie Warbucks and the Pittsburgh premier of Schoolhouse Rock Live! Stock credits include Funny Girl, Ruthless and Will Roger’s Follies. Other stock credits in which Kara performed the original Broadway choreography are Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Crazy for You.
While Kara was in Los Angeles, she helped to create and develop children’s theatre programs for the California Science Center and the Natural History Museum. The purpose of these programs were to help inner city children become interested in science.
Kara has been seen in Hollywood Fashion Machine (as Norma Shearer) for A&E and been featured in the film Jimmy Bones (with Costas Mandylor). She has been seen on TV as a hip hop dancer for the UK artist “Billie” for the Women’s World Cup theme song, as A Chorus Line dancer for Japanese TV and even had the opportunity to tap dance on The Today Show. While in NYC, Kara also performed at the world famous Radio City Music Hall.
Greg Kata
Artistic Director
Greg has recently performed in the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA on the Las Vegas Strip. He comes to Las Vegas directly from New York City, where he graduated from New York University’s TISCH School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama. He has toured with the First National Tour of Dora, the Explorer LIVE! and regional credits include Carnival, West Side Story, and A Chorus Line. Greg was a finalist on the reality show Looking for STARS! and was also seen on Veronica Mars, Guiding Light, and several appearances singing and dancing on The Today Show. His directing and choreography has been seen in some of New York’s finest performing spaces, including Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center, the Hammerstein Ballroom, Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre, Symphony Space, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Greg has always had a deep passion for teaching, and has instructed with such organizations as CAMP BROADWAY and BRAVO TV’s: On with the Show, a performing arts initiative aimed at restoring arts education programs back into the public school system. He also has taught and coached voice for several years, including here in the Las Vegas area. His first play, Viewer Discretion Advised, has received several awards and is currently being drafted for several regional theatre companies.
Jaqueline Pagone
Jacqueline Pagone has been professionally teaching and choreographing since 2000. As a student, she was an instructor teaching assistant and received grants and scholarships for her training at The Chicago Academy for the Arts and The Ruth Page Foundation. She has trained with Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theater and San Diego Ballet, and has traveled throughout the United States and Spain performing principal roles with regional Ballet Companies, Contemporary Dance Companies, and Choreography Showcases.
Jacqueline is a founding company member of The Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater under the direction of Bernard Gaddis. She has performed twice on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and currently performs in multiple shows nightly on the Las Vegas Strip, is a certified Yoga Instructor, and Licensed Massage Therapist through NCBTMB.
Courtney Combs
Courtney Combs is originally from Collinsville, IL just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. She began her early training with the National Cecchetti Council of America with examiner Doris Dieu. While still in high school she completed Grades 1 through 7- Advanced Cecchetti Student Exams. While a student at the American University of Paris, she continued her studies with Attilio Labis at Paris Centre de Danse and Wayne Byars at Centre de Danse du Marais. Upon returning to the United States, she graduated cum laude from the University of Arizona with a B.F.A. in Dance. After graduation, she relocated to Chicago, IL where she was a scholarship student at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, home to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Some of her performance credits include: National Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theatre, Luna Negra, Chicago Arts Project, Moose Project, Amsterdam Theatre Festival, LA Chamber Ballet (London’s Sadler’s Wells), Swing! (National and Japan tours), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Mexico City Cast), On the Town (LA Reprise). She is currently the Dance Captain for Phantom the Las Vegas Spectacular. Courtney has taught at many studios all around the country. She is a certified Cecchetti Council of America teacher in Grades 1 through 5 Elementary.
Rachel Miller
Rachel started dancing at the age of 3. She has traveled to Hawaii several times with the Cincinnati Connection Drill Team where she was captain and performed in several dances including the 5 mile long “King Kamehameha Parade” After high school, she went on to major in dance at Wright State University in Dayton Ohio where she received a BFA in dance. She performed in shows throughout college including Cabaret (as Fritzie), and choreographed several pieces at the University. Shortly after graduation she moved to Las Vegas to further her career in dance. Rachel has recently danced with the Las Vegas Gladiator Goddesses and performed in corporate event dance shows throughout the city. She is trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, and Lyrical and has experience teaching all styles of dance.
Cheryl Snow
Cheryl started out in gymnastics at a very young age. She became a competitive gymnast and competed at an optional level until the age of 14. After gymnastics she began to study dance and was on a competitive team with her local studio. She has also taught and choreographed at that studio for many seasons. Cheryl moved out to Las Vegas to attend UNLV and further her dance career. She has had the opportunity to perform and share her choreography internationally with UNLV and is currently working towards her BFA in dance with a minor in entrepreneurship.
Kyleen Pritchett
Kyleen grew up in Chandler, AZ. She has performing since the age of 3 and is trained in jazz, tap, ballet, musical theatre, lyrical and modern dance. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Music, Dance, and Theatre from Brigham Young University. Her favorite regional theatre credits include: The King and I, The Wizard of OZ, Bebe- A Chorus Line, Cinderella- Into the Woods, and Anita- West Side Story. Kyleen toured with the BYU Young Ambassador group to Russia, Japan, and Canada, performed in the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics production, Light of the World, the Walt Disney World Co., and played the role of Phyllis Dale/ Peggy Sawyer Understudy on the national touring company of 42nd Street. Here in Las Vegas, Kyleen has performed in many Cabarets, is a part of the “Believing in Christ” project, and sings with the Choral Artists of Southern Nevada. She has been a choreographer and dance teacher of 14 years, in AZ, UT, and NV, and has received many awards for her choreography. Along with her four sisters, Kyleen is set to release their first Christian Gospel album later this next year.
Lara Preister
Lara Preister has been dancing professionally for six years with professional ballet companies such as Georgia Ballet and Charleston Ballet Theater. She began her dance training as a young child and started training at the age of eighteen with the Atlanta Ballet. While in Atlanta, she also spent her time getting her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. Lara has performed in many dance companies throughout the USA and has even toured through Japan. Though her heart lies in the ballet world, she is currently lending her talents to Jubilee! at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Jason Kalish
When Jason was just sixteen, he performed with the original Broadway cast of 42nd Street as both Mack and the Thief. Then, Jason traveled from Atlanta to New York to take his best shot at becoming a Tap Dog. Jason toured with Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs for three consecutive years to virtually every major and minor city in the nation. Jason also had the privilege of opening up for Harry Connick Jr. and LeAnn Rimes during his tour with Tap Dogs. In 2002, Jason went to Honolulu, Hawaii to teach and performed all over the city in celebration of National Tap Dance Day. In March, 2003, Jason did his own show in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. He also had the pleasure of dancing along side Jack Black in the comedic film Run Ronnie Run. Jason has performed for a plethora of industrials and trade shows and has since filmed a screensaver for Microsoft. Most recently, he had the honor of opening up for the legendary Eagles alongside Canadian Sensation, Stephanie Cadman! Jason has been teaching and judging on the convention circuit over the past eight years for Florida Dance Masters, Manhattan Dance Project, StarQuest International, and Hollywood Connection ! Jason has had the great honor of tap dancing with and for the late Great Gregory Hines and got to jam with the late legendary Dr. Jimmy Slyde as well! He was the Co Choreographer for “Beat it Down” which made its debut in San Francisco. He recently returned from Buenos Aires, Argentina where he taught and performed in the Award winning cabaret show Master Tap!
Petya Ford
Born in Bulgaria, Petya Ford earned a master’s degree in piano performance from the State Academy of Music, Sofia and an artist diploma from the Hochschuhle fuer Musik, Munich, Germany, where after winning a scholarship, she worked extensively with professor Gerhard Oppitz. More studies include Master-classes with such famous European pianists as Badura-Skoda and Jorg Demus. Concerts as a soloist and with orchestras in Bulgaria and Germany were part of her studying years.
While in her native country, Bulgaria , she pursued a career as an assistant-professor, teaching piano at the State Academy of Music, Sofia and the University of V. Turnovo, Bulgaria. Her most recent musical endeavors were with Classic Music and Art Institute in Muscat, Oman and Performing Artist Academy, Honolulu, Hawaii, were she held piano teaching positions. Mrs. Ford has a passion for chamber music and accompaniment and is extensively sought after for her excellent sight-reading skills and fine musicianship.
Jenna Wurtzberger
Jenna began her dancing career at the age of 5 where she competed with the Dance Conservatory of Southern Minnesota, The Dance Shoppe of Performing Arts and Mankato Ballet Company. She received her BFA in Dance and BA in Psychology at UNLV fall of 2009. She has received numerous scholarships and recognition for her performance along with her choreography, recently receiving the Las Vegas “Tony” for her choreography on “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. She has assisted at the Jazz World Congress in Chicago for the Giordano Dance Company and has taught master classes nationally and internationally. She has performed throughout the United States, Germany, South Korea and Turks and Caicos. She continues to choreograph for local theatre companies and high schools.
Christine Hudman
Christine is an accomplished actress, singer, dancer and writer. She has performed and lived all over the world from Japan to Canada. Christine has been seen on stage in New York as well as Broadway touring companies of THE FULL MONTY and GREASE. Ms. Hudman has done voice-overs for Lexus and numerous recordings in Nashville, Los Angeles, Paris and Las Vegas. She appeared in the film WHATEVER IT TAKES last summer and just finished co-writing and performing in the Texas Department of Agriculture’s PSA for their “Bring It” campaign. She is the co-founder and partner for the band Aiming For Hudson and a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Christine is a native Texan who now lives in Las Vegas with her two young children.
Jamie Santangelo
Jamie is originally a native to Canada, and started his dance career at age seventeen. After studying at home, he went on to receive full scholarships at Gus Giordano Dance Center in Chicago, IL and Habour Dance Center in Vancouver, Canada. He then worked with Royal Caribbean for eight years as a dancer, dance captain, rehearsal teacher and assistant director. With numerous performances and teaching throughout, he is currently in Jubilee! at Ballys Las Vegas.
Annette Simmonds
 Born in Brighton, UK, Annette trained in musical theatre at Elmhurst Ballet School and Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts. After working for Celebrity Cruises as a dancer for 3 years, she then moved to Las Vegas where she has performed in many shows on the strip. Annette has also headlined as a singer for many corporate events in Las Vegas and Henderson. Credits include ‘Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage’, ‘Tournament Of Kings’, ‘Masquerade Show In The Sky’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘The Producers’. |
Angela Vennes
Angela’s formal ballet training began in Santa Monica California at Westside Academy of Dance. In 1996, she moved to Seattle, Washington to be a professional division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She has danced professionally with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, and Carolina Ballet. She has also done a great deal of musical theatre including Oklahoma, Cats, and Chicago. Her teaching include two years on the faculty of Olympic Ballet in Edmonds, Washington, one year with Competitive Edge Dance Center in Las Vegas, and substitute teaching around the country. Angela was also in the show Jubilee here in Las Vegas and danced for the Fercos Brothers on their Central American tour.
Amy Fichtenmayer
Amy is from Massachusetts has been dancing since the age of 2 where she danced competitively, both regionally and nationally. She became a member of the Hoctor Dance Caravan Kid Tour and also won the title as Miss Senior Dance Caravan. She has been a member of the Bridgewater State College Dance Company, Dance Ensemble, and Dance Team. She has choreographed and danced in the dance company and dance team performances as well as remained as dance team president for her last two years at BSC. She is a recent graduate of BSC with a degree in Dance Education.
