Leadership
Lindsay & Matt Gopin | Founders
Meet Lindsay and Matt, founders of Rootz. As parents of five children in the North Shore, they are excited to be able to provide so many opportunities for our children, families, and amazing staff.
Lindsay has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Kinesiology from Indiana University and earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Loyola University. She grew up performing in both Dance and Theater and the performing arts remain strong in her heart. She loves the way theater, dance, music and movement provide such a wonderful opportunity to support the developing child. She also owns a private therapy practice specializing in children and families. Working with kids and impacting their lives is her greatest joy!
Matt studied business at the University of Iowa. He has spent the last 25+ years working in large corporations and consulting firms. He is also the President of the Board of Education for District 106. If you see him around town, he probably will be coaching a sports team or have a child in his arms. Matt runs the back office aspects of Rootz, so you may not see him at the front desk or in a classroom, but you will most likely hear from him from time to time.
Lisa Panizo | Senior Executive Director
Lisa brings multiple years of experience to the Rootz administrative team. A native of Deerfield, Lisa has worked with families on the North Shore for many years. Prior to joining the Rootz leadership team in 2017, Lisa was the Executive Director at Starland and also worked as the Early Childhood Director at the Glencoe Park District. Lisa has also worked as a year-round Director at Banner Day Camp. In addition to her administration experience, Lisa was a classroom teacher with children from pre-school through middle school. After attending the University of Texas for her undergraduate degree, Lisa went on to receive her Masters of Arts in Teaching from National-Louis University. Performing is a passion of Lisa’s. A previous board member of the Highland Park Players, Lisa has appeared on stage with multiple theater groups in the area, including Up and Coming Theater, Deerfield Family Theater, North Shore Theater of Wilmette, Center Stage Lake Forest, and many others.
Jordyn Frelk | Senior Director, Dance & Fitness
Jordyn is thrilled to bring Relevé Dance to Rootz! After 10 years at Starland, many spent as the Director of Dance, Jordyn created Relevé. Relevé is a program where dancers rise to their fullest potential in a nurturing and creative way. Jordyn has been teaching dance for over 20 years all around Chicago and danced professionally with Core Project and Irreverence Dance. Jordyn is most proud of her role as “mom” to her two boys, Charlie and Blake.
Shameeka Choice | Theater Director
Lauren Archibald | Director of Marketing & Development | Dance Company Co-Manager
Lauren has been involved in the dance world since the age of three. She started competing at age twelve across the United States. She currently holds two titles at Energy Dance and Legacy, for her competitive Hip hop group dance and Lyrical solo. Lauren continued her passions by teaching young dancers to pursue their talents and dreams. Lauren graduated Loyola University Chicago in 2023, with a Major in Business Marketing and Dance from Quinlan School of Business. She stands with Rootz to encourage every student to grow and flourish. With her education in digital marketing and development, she is dedicated to help Rootz grow as she grows too. She also attended and taught master classes throughout her college years to expand her knowledge and grow as a teacher. She has been trained in several genres including Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, and Jazz. She wants to take her knowledge and experience to inspire others. From a master class to a private session, she puts all of her efforts into a positive class.
Rori Soffer | Senior Manager, Deerfield
Rori holds a BA in Theater from Florida State University as well as a Masters in Special and General Education from Queens College in New York. Combining her passion for theater and education makes a fun match for teaching theater, dance and enrichment. She has taught for over 10 years in both public and private education before moving to raise her family in Deerfield. She has performed, danced and sang on the stage since she was a little girl and loves getting a chance to watch her daughters do the same!
Amber Giudice | Dance Company Co-Manager
Amber is from Lake Zurich and started dancing at the age of three. She studied dance through high school at Bataille Academie in Barrington and went on to minor in dance at Elmhurst College. While there she was involved with a growing dance program as well as the dance team, but Amber’s involvement doesn’t stop there! She was active with St. Anne Community Theater starting in 2003 until it ended in 2013. The last three years of the program she worked as a choreographer. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater dance, and social dance (cha-cha, fox trot, tango, waltz). Aside from dance and musical theater, Amber is also a golfer. She was on both the high school and college golf team where she became the captain senior year. The previous Dance Company Competition Manager at Starland, Amber is excited to bring her dance training and experience to Releve. She is beyond thrilled to be working with so many wonderful kids of all ages. “Live life to the fullest and never look back. There’s always something in the future waiting for you”.
Andrea Shekhter | Cheer/Tumble Manager
Andrea was born and raised in Deerfield, IL. Growing up, Andrea always had a competitive nature involved in many athletic events, however quickly fell in love with gymnastics and cheerleading. While studying at Illinois State University majoring in Kinesiology and Recreation, Andrea decided to go a different athletic route and joined Rugby all while continuing her love of cheerleading as a choreographer for the surrounding schools of Bloomington, Illinois. Upon Andrea’s homecoming, she had tried several different career paths involving her degree and found in her heart of hearts her passion lies with coaching. Andrea has worked with several different athletic facilities including Starland, however she decided to take a backseat to become a mother of now four children! While loving every minute of motherhood she is eager to get back into teaching and is beyond thrilled to join the Rootz family!
Instructors
Abigail Underwood
Abigail is from Tennessee and started dancing at the age of 3. She has been trained in classical Ballet, Tap, Modern, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, and Pointe. She danced many roles in The Nutcracker, including Sugar Plum and Clara, and competed on her studio’s competition team. She was on the Dance Team during high school and danced competitively as well, winning State for the kick line performance. She studied dance at Loyola and choreographed many pieces while there. She has worked with children her whole life and has taught many different styles of dance. She has choreographed several pieces in many different styles and is so excited to bring her experience and passion for dance to Rootz!
Amanda Nach
Amanda is so excited to return to Rootz! Full time, she is a Technology Learning Coach at a middle school. She graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in elementary education and she also has her Master’s in technology. Amanda has directed countless amounts of children’s shows and loves working at Rootz!
Amber Giudice
Amber is from Lake Zurich and started dancing at the age of three. She studied dance through high school at Bataille Academie in Barrington and went on to minor in dance at Elmhurst College. While there she was involved with a growing dance program as well as the dance team, but Amber’s involvement doesn’t stop there! She was active with St. Anne Community Theater starting in 2003 until it ended in 2013. The last three years of the program she worked as a choreographer. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater dance, and social dance (cha-cha, fox trot, tango, waltz). Aside from dance and musical theater, Amber is also a golfer. She was on both the high school and college golf team where she became the captain senior year. The previous Dance Company Competition Manager at Starland, Amber is excited to bring her dance training and experience to Releve. She is beyond thrilled to be working with so many wonderful kids of all ages. “Live life to the fullest and never look back. There’s always something in the future waiting for you”.
Andrea Shekhter
Andrea was born and raised in Deerfield, IL. Growing up, Andrea always had a competitive nature involved in many athletic events, however quickly fell in love with gymnastics and cheerleading. While studying at Illinois State University majoring in Kinesiology and Recreation, Andrea decided to go a different athletic route and joined Rugby all while continuing her love of cheerleading as a choreographer for the surrounding schools of Bloomington, Illinois. Upon Andrea’s homecoming, she had tried several different career paths involving her degree and found in her heart of hearts her passion lies with coaching. Andrea has worked with several different athletic facilities including Starland, however she decided to take a backseat to become a mother of now four children! While loving every minute of motherhood she is eager to get back into teaching and is beyond thrilled to join the Rootz family!
Anjelica Jaime
Anjelica is from Niles, IL, and has loved dancing since age 2. She started her dance journey with the Niles Park District until 4th grade and then started competing with Releve. During the 8 years she’s been dancing with Releve, she has competed in the lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, and jazz categories, with contemporary being her favorite. She also spent 3 years on the Niles West Dance Team (1 year on JV and 2 years on varsity), competing and performing in pom, jazz, contemporary and hip hop. Currently, Anjelica is finishing up her last year of high school as the Saint Viator Dance Team manager and competing with Releve.
Annika Brown
Annika demonstrated a love for dance early on and has been in immersive dance training since she was five years old. She’s been technically trained in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop and theater! She trained mostly at Dance Center Evanston, Evanston School of Ballet and Gus Giordano Dance School. She still actively trains and is always striving to improve her craft, with a huge love for tap and ballet. She has many future dance and theater goals. Annika loves the continuous learning process and loves being able to share her energy with her students and watch them grow. She appreciates being able to help each and every one of her students find their unique creativity and spark!
Bailey Gibrick
Bee Everidge
Bee (They/Them) was raised in southern Ohio where they founded their high school’s drama program. They went on to be president of the program as well as co-chair of marketing for their hometown’s civic theatre. Bee initially attended Ohio University-Chillicothe for theatre, where they acted as the school’s Theatre Assistant and received two Irene Ryan Award nominations. They went on to attend Columbia College Chicago for theatre with a concentration in directing. Bee has professional experience in many corners of theatre, including acting, direction, sound design, music direction, set design, and construction. They also have extensive childcare experience, including 2 years of infant and toddler teaching as well as 2 years of teaching after-school art programs for CPS schools. Bee is thrilled to join the Rootz team and ready to have some fun!
CeCe Hastreiter
CeCe is a versatile soprano known for her performances in both musical theater and classical repertoire. In 2019, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Nebraska Wesleyan, followed by the completion of her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at Roosevelt University in Chicago in 2021. Throughout her career, Hastreiter has excelled in several opera roles. Noteworthy performances include Adele in “Die Fledermaus,” Lola in “Gallantry,” Fiammetta in “Prima Donna,” and Athena in “Arachne.” She has also participated in young artist programs, including La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy, where she portrayed Despina in “Così fan tutte.” Hastreiter’s career has led her to perform with Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, St. John Cantius in Chicago, First Plymouth Church in Lincoln, NE, Opera Omaha, Résonance, Chicago Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Carnegie Hall, Rosemont Theatre, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, and Chanticleer Theatre. Notably, she premiered the role of Bibi in Daron Hagen’s new opera, “9/10: Love Before the Fall,” which was recently released as a film in September 2023. Most recently, Hastreiter made her solo debut at Lincoln Symphony in the “Deck the Halls” concert. In addition, she has portrayed the roles of Maureen in “RENT,” Lindsay in “Godspell,” and Mabel in “Pirates of Penzance.” Hastreiter has established herself as a concert soprano soloist, with performances in Handel’s Messiah, Brahms’s Requiem, Fauré’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Mass in C, and Bach’s Cantata “Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott.” Alongside her performing career, she finds joy in teaching aspiring vocal students through private instruction and musical direction.
Charley Gopin
Charley Gopin is a junior at Lake Forest Academy. As the oldest of 5, she has had plenty of experience working with children, and has spent the past 2 years assisting dance classes at Rootz. Her family has owned and operated Rootz since it opened in 2017, and she has grown up in the studio. Charley has been dancing since she was 2, and she loves competing at Releve!
Christine Bennie
Christine is a physical therapist and, former competitive gymnast, gymnastics coach, and loving wife and mother to four young children. With a Masters degree in physical therapy and ten years of hands on experience, Christine will surely enjoy using her skills to captivate your children. As a former level ten USGF national qualifying gymnast, Christine will definitely keep your children on the move. Christine also has two years experience in coaching recreational gymnastics with children ages five through 14. Christine is very excited to join Rootz and help develop your child’s love for movement and gymnastics.
Dayla Rosen
Dayla Rosen has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She started dancing with Miss Jordyn. She is currently going into her senior year at Lake Forest Academy and spends most of her free time dancing in Highland Park, watching musicals, or crocheting! She is so excited to be a lead teacher this year and can’t wait to meet everyone!
Diya Patel
With eight years of experience as a dedicated cheerleader and two years as a coach, Diya brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm to the cheerleading world. Diya’s journey began as a young athlete, honing skills in stunts, tumbling, and choreography. Over the years, Diya developed a deep love for the sport, mastering the techniques and teamwork required to excel. Transitioning from athlete to coach, Diya has spent the last two years mentoring and guiding cheer teams to success. Diya’s coaching style focuses on building strong, cohesive teams where every member feels valued and empowered. Diya emphasizes the importance of discipline, perseverance, and a positive attitude, both on and off the mat. Diya is committed to helping each cheerleader reach their full potential, whether they are perfecting a new routine or building confidence in their abilities. The goal is to create an environment where athletes can thrive, grow, and, most importantly, have fun while doing what they love.
Ellie Voigt
Ellie is so excited to teaching this year at Rootz! Ellie is a junior at Deerfield High School, and a dancer at Releve dance company at Rootz. She also is apart of her schools dance company. She has been dancing with Ms. Jordyn since she was 2, and loves dancing with Releve. After assisting classes the past few years, she is excited to be teaching her own classes. She wants to make sure everybody has fun, and everybody has a place where they can be themselves.
Ellie Winter
Ellie is so excited to be returning home to Deerfield after recently graduating with a degree in Marketing from the University of Illinois. She plans to spend the year freelancing in advertising and public relations work, as well as teaching dance. Ellie has been dancing since she was 3 years old, with Ms. Jordyn as her teacher at Starland at age 4. She competed in contemporary, jazz, and hip hop dance throughout middle and high school, and was a dedicated member and choreographer for Deerfield High School’s Dance Company. In college, Ellie continued to dance and choreograph as part of the Vitality Dance Team. She has a strong passion for working with children and has loved assisting in early childhood classes during her summers at home.
Hannah Bennie
Hannah is a junior at Deerfield High School and is on the DHS gymnastics team. She has one older sister and three younger siblings. Hannah loves working with children and she cannot wait to meet all the kids and hopes to create a very fun environment for them!
Jahne Jones
Jahne been cheering since 7th grade at Jackson Middle up until her senior year participating in both competitive / basketball season and football season on junior varsity and varsity at Willowbrook High School! Along with that she has been in child care services starting at the age of 14 years old with family friends and then progressing to a full time professional level! Jahne is so excited to start this journey with Rootz. She cannot wait to start the fun and work with the talented children!
Jordyn Frelk
Jordyn is thrilled to bring Relevé Dance to Rootz! After 10 years at Starland, many spent as the Director of Dance, Jordyn created Relevé. Relevé is a program where dancers rise to their fullest potential in a nurturing and creative way. Jordyn has been teaching dance for over 20 years all around Chicago and danced professionally with Core Project and Irreverence Dance. Jordyn is most proud of her role as “mom” to her two boys, Charlie and Blake.
Jorie Dwyer
Jorie has been involved in the cheerleading & tumbling world for over 22 years. She cheered competitively on various Allstar teams and at Stevenson High School, as well as at the University of Maryland. After graduating from college, Jorie coached the Stevenson cheerleading team for 10 years, most recently as their Head Coach. In this position, she led the Varsity team to their highest ever finish as the IHSA State Runner-Up. Jorie is also currently a school counselor at Stevenson, and she & her husband have a one year old daughter. Cheerleading and tumbling have always been, and always will be, one of her biggest passions. She is thrilled to be able to coach kids in her community and help them fall in love with the sport just as she did many years ago!
Julia Levenshteyn
Julia is determined to provide a safe and enriching dance experience for each child. She has an AFAA group fitness certification and a WERQ dance certification, continuing her learning to keep the classroom environment safe, innovative, and of course fun! Julia has been dancing since the age of 3. Julia graduated from Stevenson High School as a member of the National Dance Arts Honor Society. Now, she is studying chemistry at Lake Forest College. Julia instills passion in her dancers to follow their ambitions and be open to new learning opportunities and challenges. She has a tremendous passion and gift for working with children. She cannot wait to begin working with your kids to foster a love for movement and music in a tight-knit dance class setting.
Kaitlyn Soloway
Kaitlyn Soloway began dancing at three-years-old and hasn’t stopped! Her earliest dance training was in Chicago, performing, choreographing, and competing with a variety of dance teams and dance companies. She was the Captain of the Deerfield High School Varsity Warrior Dance Team that qualified for State and was a member of Fusion Dance Company for nine years. She continued dancing at the University of Michigan and received her BFA in Dance with highest honors from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. She has performed in works choreographed by Shannon Gillen, Meredith Monk, Jawole Willa Jo Zolar, Ron DeJesús, Laya Barak, Kellen Stancil, Bo Park, Josh Assor and many others. She also performed in the opera Candide directed by Matthew Ozawa with choreographers Todd Rhoades and Ann Evans Watson. Kaitlyn was the choreographer for Prologue, a short film directed by Timothy Meola and written by Melissa King and Let the Right One In, a play directed by James Harbaugh, Jr. She has taught dance and choreographed for TRA Choreography, LLC, Infinite Motion Performing Arts Academy, Cre8ivity In Motion, Star Performance Company, Creativities Studio and for a variety of dance teams and companies throughout the United States. Her award winning choreography has been recognized by the University of Illinois, the American College Dance Association (“ACDA”) and Dance Chicago. Over the years, she has trained with Movement Invention Project, Axis Connect, Gibney Dance Company, DanceWorks Chicago and Marcat Dance. Kaitlyn has performed on The Today Show, at Barclays Center, in Broadway Bares, Night of Life, the Selah Dance Collective, and for Creative Streak Entertainment. Kaitlyn is an instructor for Broadway Imagined led by Barry Busby and Leslie Flesner-Cruz. With a love of performance, Kaitlyn has made appearances on the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the Mean Girls Musical Movie, and in the upcoming Bob Dylan Biopic, A Complete Unknown, and a variety of commercials. A dancer, choreographer, teacher, and performer, Kaitlyn is passionate about the arts and is so excited to be back at Rootz! Follow along with Kaitlyn on Instagram @katiesoloway
Katie Phillips
A theater girl at heart, Katie has performed in, taught, and directed shows for over 20 years. Katie caught the theater bug when she entered high school at New Trier, having already spent countless hours dancing and singing around her house as a kid – anything from Disney to Sinatra Katie eventually took her love for being onstage to making the productions happen backstage. Later in high school and at the University of Illinois, Katie began to discover her love of directing and choreographing. She has since served as the camp and theater director for the Wilmette Park District’s Broadway Bound Camp, director and choreographer for multiple Edgewood Middle School musicals, and teacher/director/choreographer at Starland Kids for over five years. In addition to the stage, Katie’s other passion is kids! In 2009 she received her K-9 Master of Education from DePaul University.
Kelsey Boidanis
Kelsey Boidanis was born in Chicago, Illinois. At age 14 she was accepted into Chicago’s first performing arts high school, The Chicago School For The Performing Arts (ChiArts). As part of the inaugural class at ChiArts she trained in classical ballet (pointe), contemporary, and modern techniques including Graham, and Horton. She trained with well known figures which included: Lisa Johnson-Willingham (Alvin Ailey Creative Director), Suzanne Lopez (Joffrey Ballet Academy Director), Reginald Harris (Austin Ballet), and Lizzie Mackenzie (River North Dance Company).
In the midst, Kelsey participated in Miss Teen Illinois placing in the top 5 contestants in all categories.
Kelsey has choreographed scholarship awarded pieces for soloists entering into prestigious universities such as CalArts, Juilliard, and Columbia University.
Kelsey has worked with well known choreographers including Jojo Gomez, Ian Eastwood, and Mikey Dellavella. She has done promotional work for America’s Got Talent, NBC, and The Voice. Kelsey has also performed on stage at the El Capitan Theatre Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.
She also shares a passion for fitness as a Lead Instructor for Pure Barre LLC.
Kelsey currently resides in Arlington Heights Illinois, with her husband and two daughters Brooklyn, and Charlotte.
Klaudia Jaimes
Klaudia has just returned from Los Angeles, California from chasing her dreams as a professional dancer and model. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Klaudia was a part of the Chicago Bulls dance team and performed on court at the United Center for five years! During this time she was selected and sent to São Paulo, Brazil, to represent the Chicago Bulls during the 2019 NBA finals and featured throughout the Chicago 2020 NBA All-Star games. Klaudia has performed alongside artists such as Coolio, Armin Van Buuren T-Pain, and Lil Wayne. She recently performed in Medellín, Colombia, where she danced on tour with Nicky Jam!
Klaudia completed her Bachelor’s in Education with a minor in English as a Second Language from Depaul University. She is certified to teach kindergarten through sixth grade. Klaudia has also been teaching dance to kids ages 3 to 16 for the past six years.
Additionally, Klaudia was raised in a multilingual household and is trilingual. Having this multicultural background motivated her to get certified in teaching bilingual students. She became inspired to teach at a young age and her goal is to create a safe and welcoming learning environment, regardless of any outside factors children might experience.
Lauren Archibald
Lauren has been involved in the dance world since the age of three. She started competing at age twelve across the United States. She currently holds two titles at Energy Dance and Legacy, for her competitive Hip hop group dance and Lyrical solo. Lauren continued her passions by teaching young dancers to pursue their talents and dreams. Lauren graduated Loyola University Chicago in 2023, with a Major in Business Marketing and Dance from Quinlan School of Business. She stands with Rootz to encourage every student to grow and flourish. With her education in digital marketing and development, she is dedicated to help Rootz grow as she grows too. She also attended and taught master classes throughout her college years to expand her knowledge and grow as a teacher. She has been trained in several genres including Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, and Jazz. She wants to take her knowledge and experience to inspire others. From a master class to a private session, she puts all of her efforts into a positive class.
Lexie Van Skyock
Lexie has pursued dance since the age of six. From growing up in the studio realm (Jenny’s Dance Centre in Libertyville, IL) to receiving her Associate of Arts from the College of Lake County to finally her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Lexie has studied genres including modern, jazz, hip hop, improvisation and collaboration, ballet, and Umfundalai. She began teaching dance in 2017 and has been on faculty across numerous studios in the Lake and Cook County areas, specializing in the styles of jazz, contemporary, and hip hop. She is a member of the Carmel Catholic High School Dance Team coaching staff as well as the Assistant Director for the Carmel Catholic Orchesis Dance Company. Beyond the world of dance, Lexie takes pride in her role as a lead instructor at Pure Barre Vernon Hills and enjoys sharing her love of movement with everyone she encounters.
Lindsay Gopin
Lindsay and her husband Matt opened Rootz in 2017. Lindsay has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Kinesiology from Indiana University and earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Loyola University. She grew up performing in both Dance and Theater and the performing arts remain strong in her heart. She loves the way theater, dance, music and movement provide such a wonderful opportunity to support the developing child. She is a proud Mom to 5 kids and also owns a private therapy practice specializing in children and families. Working with kids and impacting their lives is her greatest joy!
Marchello "Chello" Lee
Chello is an accomplished professional dancer and master instructor who attended Columbia College and Northeastern Illinois University. He has performed across the world where his fusion of Hip Hop styles, break dance, house, jazz, and ballroom were spotlighted. His passion and versatility has led him to many lead roles as an actor and dancer. He has worked with renowned artists across the world including choreography featured in music videos, dance teams/ studio, and Winner of 2005 Chris Brown dance down. Chello formerly was an instructor at Starland and continued his dance teaching with Relevé starting in January 2017.
Michelle Goldstein
Michelle has been involved in dance in one way or another since she was 6 years old. She attended Marcia’s Dance Studio for 10 years and took classes in ballet, jazz, acrobatics, and many more, and years later became a dance teacher at the studio. She went on to be a member of the Buffalo Grove High School Dance Team for 4 years and then joined a dance troupe at the University of Illinois called 3 Spot. She graduated from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Community Health Education and Administration and then went on to get a Masters Degree from Depaul University in School Counseling. Since she was 18 years old, Michelle has worked for Personalities, Inc. as a dancer and emcee, and she has had some private choreography jobs. Maybe you have even seen Michelle at a Bar Mitzvah or a birthday party! She had an 11 year career as a School Counselor, but is now taking a step back and working other jobs in order to raise her twin 1 year old little girls! She is so excited to come to Rootz to teach parent/child dance classes! With all her dance experience and recent experience as a toddler mom, she can’t wait to have fun with all the little ones!
Robin Taxman
Robin taught special education for 10 years before becoming a mother of two and deciding to teach at her daughter’s pre-school. Her love of yoga inspired her to bring the practice to children of a young age. After realizing that she could combine her passion for yoga with her love of children, Robin became a certified children’s yoga instructor through Mini Yogi’s, and continues to grow with every yoga class she teaches. A previous teacher at Starland, she continues her yoga practice with The Movement Junkies.
Rori Soffer
Rori holds a BA in Theater from Florida State University as well as a Masters in Special and General Education from Queens College in New York. Combining her passion for theater and education makes a fun match for teaching theater, dance and enrichment. She has taught for over 10 years in both public and private education before moving to raise her family in Deerfield. She has performed, danced and sang on the stage since she was a little girl and loves getting a chance to watch her daughters do the same!
Samantha Eisenberg
Sara Dolins
Shameeka Choice
Stephanie Geist
Stephanie is a dedicated professional with a rich background in cheerleading and behavioral therapy. During her high school years, Stephanie excelled in competitive cheerleading, demonstrating both leadership and athletic prowess. Her passion for cheerleading transitioned into a career as a private tumbling coach for over two years, where she nurtured and developed young athletes’ skills. Currently, Stephanie works as a behavioral therapist specializing in supporting children with autism. Her commitment to making a positive impact in their lives is evident in her compassionate and effective approach. In addition to her therapy work, Stephanie continues to inspire and teach at Rootz, where she blends her cheerleading experience with her expertise in coaching to help students reach their full potential.
Terra Fiedler
Originally from Texas, Terra has been dancing for as long as she can remember. Growing up, they danced recreationally and competitively at multiple studios in the San Antonio area, as well as with their high school dance team, where she had the privilege of serving as Colonel and earning the title of Danceline National Champions in 2019. Terra recently graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Dance Science and a minor in Choreography. During her time there, she has had the opportunity to perform and choreograph in many different capacities, the most notable of which includes presenting her own choreography for adjudication at the American College Dance Association’s regional festival in 2023. She has also performed in works at ACDA’s regional and national festivals, as well as the Asheville Fringe Festival and Brazos Contemporary Dance Festival. She has taught at multiple studios throughout Texas, was on staff for MA Dance and a company member for Brazos Dance Collective. They are now working as a company trainee with Visceral Dance and teach at multiple studios in the Chicagoland area.
Tova Holleb | Customer Experience
Tova holds a BA in Communications and a specialty in the arts from The University of Illinois. She is originally from Buffalo Grove and now lives with her family in Deerfield. Tova also works as an executive assistant for an advertising agency in Chicago. Combining her passion for the arts, logistics, and family, she quickly wanted to become part of the Rootz team. Tova cannot wait to see her two daughters flourish at Rootz and help members of the community along the way.
Teaching Partners
Midwest Academy of Taekwondo
Beth Pieti | Stretch-N-Grow
“Coach” Beth has been teaching Stretch-n-Grow around the North Shore for the past 5 years. Beth’s passion for children and fitness led her to her career in leading Stretch-n-Grow’s EXERCITING movement sessions. Throughout her classes Coach Beth’s goal is to teach children the joy of living a healthy lifestyle and developing good habits to last a lifetime.
Taylor Ioannou | Ciao Bella Sewing
Taylor is a twenty something from Chicago and founder of Ciao Bella Sewing. Taylor’s extensive background in fashion design and construction, from the School of the Art Institute and DePaul University, prompted her to pursue her passion and do what she loves. Taylor has a true passion for fashion; she loves being creative and original. Taylor and the Ciao Bella Sewing team have been teaching on the North Shore for the past couple of years. The team of expert sewers and designers love working together and teaching students of all ages.