2024 Faculty & Judges
our Faculty chair is Ericka Olgaard faculty@dmm4.org
Kristen Quesada 2024 Pac Judge and Spring Workshop Tap Teacher
Kristen has been a dance educator and choreographer for 30 years, in addition to owning her own studio for 8 of those years. Her dance background includes professional training in all genres of dance, but her specialty is tap, musical theatre, jazz and jazz. She has directed and choreographed countless plays and musicals, some of her favorites being 42nd Street, Anything Goes, and Jekyll and Hyde. Many of Kristen’s students have gone on to win state and national titles, and overall high score awards. Her choreography has been recognized and awarded at regional and national levels at many different dance organizations over the years. Kristen’s passion for training students to maximize their performance potential has proven successful, as many of her former students are working professionally as dancers and actors for Disney World, Disney Tokyo, Hollywood Studios, Busch Gardens, in Las Vegas shows, on cruise ships, in music videos, on nationally televised award shows, in national commercials, for The Radio-City Music Hall Rockettes, in regional theaters, and even on Broadway. Kristen has been a long-time member of various professional organizations, including Dance Masters of Michigan and Dance Masters of America. In addition, Kristen has served as a dance adjudicator at the regional and national level for various dance organizations, and she also spent several years traveling the country as a spokesperson for the International Auto Show circuit for companies including Ford, Buick, and Cadillac.
Micaela Church 2024 PAC Judge and Spring Workshop Ballet Teacher
Micaela Church, MFA, is currently the Artistic Director of MAC & Company, a Phoenix 501c3 non-profit professional dance company, and the Dance Program Director and Communication & Fine Arts Division Chair for Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona. She received her MFA from Arizona State University, where she also taught as Faculty Associate. She has earned both her BA in Dance and a BM in Viola Performance from Alma College. While in Arizona, she choreographed and produced several works shown at ASU, CGCC, MCC and PVCC. Her choreography for MAC & Company has been chosen for performance at dance festivals in Arizona, California and Nevada. She has produced all of MAC & Company's full length performances and has toured the company throughout the Southwest. She has danced for several companies in addition to MAC & Company, including H.Lab Performance, Convergence Dance Project, Michigan Dance Collective, Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre, and the Blue Lake International Ballet. She has danced throughout the country and internationally in China and Europe. She presented her research on the integration of music and dance at the National Dance Education Organization's conference.
Molly Schuneman 2024 PAC Judge and Spring Workshop Jazz Teacher
Molly Schuneman has over 25 years of dance training, including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, modern, and choreography. Molly earned a BA in dance from the University of Iowa. While in college, she performed in numerous faculty and student produced pieces and was also a member of the pre-professional training company, UIowa Dancers In Company. Molly currently resides in Mt. Pleasant, MI and has been teaching dance and choreographing works in the Mt. Pleasant area since 2019. She teaches modern, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz classes. When not dancing, Molly works full-time as the Associate Director of Student Involvement & Organizations at Central Michigan University.
Jamie Lee Dain -PAC Judge and our National Area Director
Jamie Lee Dain began her journey with Dance Masters of America as a small child attending conventions and competing in the PASC. She knew as a young dancer that her DMA family would forever be a part of her life. At age 18, Jamie became a member of DMA and has been a member for over 25 years now. Jamie is the Owner and Artistic Director of Dain Dance Academy whose love for teaching led her to a Master’s Degree in Education as a learning Specialist, with certifications in Special Education and as a Reading Specialist. Her dance and teaching experience span a wide spectrum, including: ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary and acrobatics, certified by test to teach all phases of dance.
Jamie has served on the faculty of several dance studios throughout PA and NJ, served as the director of the Villanova University Dance Company for 13 years and has been a guest teacher at several studios, conventions and universities throughout the US. Jamie is a long-standing member of Dance Members of America. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Chapter #25 Pennsylvania Association of Dance Teachers, Inc. as President and has served in almost every position along the way, as well as Chairperson for their annual
Performing Arts Scholarship and Title Competitions. Jamie is a Nationally Certified Examiner for DMA and has happily served on the National Board of Directors as PADT’s Delegate to the National Convention for many years. Currently, she serves as a DMA National Area Director.
Jamie has choreographed many award winning pieces for several national championship studios and college dance teams and has earned numerous awards for outstanding choreography. Many of her students have gone on to study dance in college, served as nationally ranked title holders, worked for recording labels, have been spotted on VH1, the “Ellen” show, on SYTYCD, gone on to tour with world renown pop stars and dance companies such as Project Moshen and Sweet Bird Productions Rock the Ballet and grown to become members of DMA.
Jamie would like to wish all of the contestant’s the best of luck this week as they share each of their uniquely beautiful talents with us! We are all so blessed to do what we do and to be able to share a passion for this beautiful art form!