Diádié Bathily - West African Dance - is the artistic director of Afriky Lolo, a dance company based in St. Louis. Diádié has danced professionally for over 30 years on stages in Africa, Europe, and North America. He has conducted master classes and workshops throughout Europe and North America and has performed with, or choreographed, for such notable companies as The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, The Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts & Humanities, The School of Dance and Cultural Exchange with Ms. Marie Rose Guiraud, and Broadway Dance Center. Diádié is the recipient of the N’gowa Prize for dance in Ivory Coast and has performed at the United Nations, the Village of Arts and Humanities, and many other festivals and events around the United States.

Tracy Dupre - Tap, Jazz, Composition, History - has a cross-disciplinary focus in dance and digital media. She teaches at the Performing Arts Centre and has served as the Tap Dance Coordinator for COCA. In 2019, Tracy’s piece titled, “The Sweetest Sound,” was chosen to perform in a new choreographer’s showcase, “Something’s Afoot” produced by Brenda Bufalino’s American Tap Dance Festival in New York City. Choreography credits include the Bob Costas charity event, 60x60 Project, Spring to Dance Festival, Dancin’ In the Streets, St. Louis Billikens basketball team, St. Louis Panera Bread Company, the opening act for a Bobby McFerrin concert, as well as a Love & Unity town hall event here at Lindenwood University. She earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication & Digital Media from Stephens College, where she also studied dance.

Weiwei Fu - Traditional Chinese Dance - is the founder of WeiDanceArts and The St. Louis Modern Chinese School. After graduating from The Shanghai Dancing Academy, she worked for New Shanghai Circus in Branson, MO as a choreographer, rehearsal director, and stage manager. She has danced with Lehrer Dance Company in Buffalo, NY and with Leverage Dance Theater in St. Louis, MO. Her choreography has earned awards at The International Brotherhood of Magicians Convention, Kansas City, MO and The International Acrobatic Competition in Paris, France.

Amy Gammon - Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop - is a performer and co-founder of MoSTLy TAP, a St. Louis based tap dance company. She has taught for Tap The Map, Greater St. Louis Cecchetti Committee, and has set choreography on several area dance teams. Amy is a member of Dance Masters of America, a graduate at DMA’s Teachers Training School earning the Bachna Scholarship, and serves on the board of directors for The DANCE CO. of St. Charles. She holds a BA in Dance and a Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in Dance from Lindenwood University. Most recently, she was also named director and convention teacher with Beyond the Stars.

Alicia "Sunshine" Gbaho - Introduction to Dance - earned a BS in Mass Communication, a minor in Dance, and is certified through NASM (Nutrition Coach), AFFAA (Group Fitness) and ABT Curriculum (Ballet). She is also the Director/Founder of Beyond Measure, LLC. Alicia Sunshine began her dance career at the Katherine Dunham dance center in East St. Louis, IL where she was born and raised! She later evolved professionally & technically with her training at Illinois State University.

Mariko Kumanomido - Contemporary, Ballet - Mariko, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, studied at Alexandra School of Ballet under Alexandra Zaharias. She earned a BFA in Dance from The University of Missouri–Kansas City, and then moved to New York City with a Fellowship at The Ailey School. In New York she danced professionally with Buglisi Dance Theater, Jessica Danser/Dansfolk, and C.Eule Dance. In 2010–2011 she studied at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, completed the Graham Teacher Training Program, and performed with Graham II. While in NYC, she also taught beginning ballet and creative movement at Ballet Hispanico.

Leah Robertson - Pointe, Jazz - is a dance educator, choreographer and performing artist located in St. Louis. She received her BFA with a dual emphasis in modern and ballet from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri – Kansas City and her MFA in Dance from Washington University where her research focused on dance pedagogy and composition. She has danced professionally with Seamless Dance Theatre, Missouri Ballet Theater, and Common Thread Contemporary Dance Company and has choreographed for pre-professional and professional theatre and dance groups throughout the St. Louis and Kansas City area.

Arianna Russ - Jazz - Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Arianna moved to St. Louis to join the Modern American Dance Company (MADCO). While dancing with the main company, Arianna worked with artists such as Stephanie Martinez, Carl Flink, Joshua Peugh, Nejla Yatkin and a host of others. She was honored to become Artistic Director in 2023, and most recently finished choreographing and producing MADCO's latest evening-length work, "Right Here, Right Now." Arianna has also performed professionally in the NBA, with the Cedar Rapids Opera, and in dance festivals across the country including New York, Chicago and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since living in St. Louis, she has been on faculty at Lindenwood University, Southeast Missouri State University, and has been a Guest Teaching Artist at Webster University. Arianna received her MFA in Dance Performance from the University of Iowa in 2018.