Leadership
Lindsay & Matt Gopin | Founders
Meet Lindsay and Matt, founders of Rootz. As parents of six 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 spent five years as 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 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.
Lexie Van Skyock | Director of Deerfield | Dance Company Manager
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.
Stacey Pea | Director of Vernon Hills
Stacey grew up in Libertyville where she fell in love with theater and dance. In her high school days, the performance bug bit, and she’s been drawn to the stage ever since!
Stacey started her professional performing career at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL in 2009 as a shows and parades performer at the iconic Disney parks for nearly a decade. After making the return home to Lake County, she performed for several seasons at Six Flags Great America as a singer and dancer.
Along with the arts, Stacey is passionate about working with kids! With 10+ years experience in various childcare/youth arts settings, it brings her great joy to be a source of support and love to kids as they grow as young people, performers, future world changers, and compassionate, kind, and confident individuals!
Fun facts: Stacey loves nature, her favorite creature is an orca, and she is a proud mama to Nora!
CeCe Glass | Theater Director
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.
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!
Lauren Bach | Dance Company Co-Manager
Lauren grew up training as a competitive dancer until the age of 18. She competed in a variety of genres and earned two national titles at Legacy Dance and Energy. She attended Loyola University Chicago, where she majored in Marketing and Management with a minor in Dance. Lauren loves sharing her passion for choreography and storytelling with students of all ages. She strives to create a positive classroom environment where dancers can learn, grow, and be themselves. She believes her students teach her just as much as she teaches them.
Lauren recently got married and also runs her own online boutique when she is not in the studio. She is so excited to be a part of the Rootz family!
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”.
Instructors
Alyssa Minogue | Community Ambassador
Alyssa “ALo” is a highly esteemed dance educator, choreographer, and adjudicator, recognized for her expertise in technical refinement and artistic development. With a career spanning over a decade, she has cultivated a reputation for excellence in training dancers at all levels, from aspiring young artists to pre-professional performers.
Her journey began at just 15 years old, choreographing and coaching for competitive programs, later serving as Artistic Director of her local YMCA dance program. At 19, she founded her first studio and has since owned and operated two successful training programs, building dynamic pre-professional curriculums rooted in rigorous technique and artistic growth.
Alyssa has adjudicated for multiple national dance competitions, where her keen eye for detail, performance quality, and stage presence has made her a respected voice in dancer evaluation. Her concise, educational feedback continues to be valued by dancers, parents, and studios alike.
She specializes in technique, jazz, musical theatre, lyrical, hip-hop, and various styles of heels dancing. Alyssa’s teaching philosophy is rooted in excellence, discipline, and artistic exploration. She is known for fostering an environment of growth, trust, and innovation, inspiring dancers to push beyond their limits and reach their full potential.
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!
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 Burger
Bee Everidge
Bee 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!
Ben Weiss
Ben is incredibly grateful to be working with Rootz as a theatre teaching artist. He graduated from North Central College with a degree in Theatre, and received the 2023 award for Outstanding Theatre Student at NCC’s honors convocation. Professional performance credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (No Dogs in the Kitchen), The Wizard of Oz (Big Noise Theatre), Charlottes Web (AlphaBet Soup Productions), Its a Wonderful Life (Oil Lamp Theatre), Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Northbrook Theatre), Is You Is (Chicago Musical Theatre Festival), Trial in the Delta (Collaboraction), Bright Lights, Big City (The Beautiful City Project), and Jesus Christ Superstar (The Beautiful City Project). He produced and starred in a one person concert called “Theatre on The Spectrum”, which detailed his experience as an actor with autism. He has a strong passion for teaching and loves helping students build confidence and grow their technique as singers and actors.
Carina Kroff
Carina is a dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher originally from Los Angeles and currently based in Chicago. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.A. in International Relations from Tulane University and is pursuing her Master’s in Arts Administration and Policy at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Carina has trained extensively in contemporary, jazz, ballet, hip hop, modern, musical theatre, and fusion. She has worked professionally as a dancer in both concert and commercial settings and most recently performed in The Maid of Orleans with Verismo Opera in New Orleans. She also works as a producer for the International Dance Festival New Orleans, collaborating with artists and choreographers from around the world.
As a dance teacher, Carina is passionate about helping students build a strong technical foundation while discovering their own artistic voice. She believes great training goes beyond turns and leaps, emphasizing musicality, movement quality, precision, dynamics, confidence, and collaboration. Having grown up in a competition studio that valued character as much as technical excellence, she strives to create a positive, encouraging environment where dancers are challenged to grow, support one another, and develop both on and off the stage.
CeCe Glass
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.
Chloe Van Skyock
Chloe has been dancing since she was 3. She grew up dancing at Jenny’s Dance Center in Lake Bluff and trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and hip hop. She has been part of the Carmel Catholic Dance Team since Freshman year and is entering her Senior Year season. She is also a current member of the Carmel Orchesis Dance Company.
Christina Patras
Christina is eager to share her admiration and passion for dance with the tiniest of dancers here at Rootz with Relevé Dance! Since she was a little girl, Christina has absolutely loved the way in which dance aided her self-expression and built up her confidence. Favoring styles such as Poms and Hip Hop, she continued to dance throughout her childhood. Christina has also always felt a strong calling for working with young children, leading her to study Early Childhood Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The reason she loves teaching dance is that it combines both of her passions into one! She has taught at numerous local studios, but can’t wait to bring her enthusiastic, nurturing style of teaching here to Rootz!
When she is not in the studio, you can find Christina working out at the gym, volunteering with local animal rescues, exploring the outdoors, doing anything crafty, and spending time with her family, friends, and boyfriend!
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.
Demi Agaiby
Demi is a dance educator and mental performance consultant based in Chicago, IL. Throughout 20 years of dance training, Demi has been immersed in both the concert and commercial dance realms.With a B.A in Dance and B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, Demi was convinced that the intersection of psychology and sport had powerful implications; this inspired Demi to pursue a M.S. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from California State University, Long Beach, where she also continued her professional dance training. After returning to Chicago, Demi established Beyond Horizons Performance, a mental performance consulting business for athletes and performers. Whether in consulting or dance teaching, Demi takes a relationship-centered approach and is committed to empowering young artists and athletes to achieve personal excellence.
Drake Elman
Drake is a dance instructor, choreographer, and performer with years of experience in both the competitive and commercial dance industry. He began his training at Rootz with Relevé Dance and has since earned multiple World of Dance Championship titles, choreographed numerous dance shows, performed as a background dancer for A$AP Rocky, and worked with entertainment companies including Bizar Entertainment and A–Z Entertainment.
Drake has trained extensively in a wide range of street styles, including popping, tutting, waving, house, Chicago footwork, krump, locking, breaking, and freestyle. As an instructor, he strives to preserve the foundations of hip-hop culture while helping dancers develop strong technique, musicality, confidence, and their own unique style in a fun, energetic, and supportive environment.
Emily Bassett
Emily is a December 2022 Graduate of Muhlenberg College where she graduated with a BA in Dance and Theatre, with a concentration in Dance Education. During her time in college, she was a part of the Muhlenberg Jazz Dance Team, and also performed in and choreographed for multiple departmental productions. After graduating, Emily started teaching dance in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, and recently moved to Chicago! She specializes in Acrobatic dance, Musical Theatre, Tap, Jazz and Contemporary. She most recently choreographed for a production of Heathers and Aladdin Jr. She is very excited for her second season with Rootz and the Relevé Dance Company.
Erica Rahill | Customer Experience
Erica has a Masters degree in Education and taught middle school science for over 10 years. After growing up in Buffalo Grove, she is excited to be back in Deerfield with her family. She spent her childhood as a dancer and gymnast, which led to her dedication to cheer. She participated as part of the Stevenson cheer team, as well as coaching throughout her time in education. Erica’s daughters started dancing at Rootz at the age of 1.5 years old, and she is looking forward to continuing her journey at Rootz as part of the team.
Felicity Cole
Felicity has been dancing since the age of three, exploring a wide variety of styles throughout her life. In high school, she found a true sense of joy and connection as part of her school’s dance team—an experience that sparked her passion for performing and led her to compete with the Division I dance team at DePaul University during college. Today, Felicity works as an elementary music teacher, sharing her love of the arts with students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Her background in both dance and music helps her connect with young learners in meaningful, creative ways. Felicity is excited and grateful to be part of the studio community, and she looks forward to growing alongside her students while helping them find confidence, joy, and expression through dance.
Jonathan Fine
Jonathan was born and raised in Arlington Heights, IL. He has been in and around the cheer world for the better half of a decade, and has grown to love all aspects of it. Jonathan was a cheerleader at the University of Kansas where he had the opportunity to perform on the Bandshell at the NCA College National Championships. Jonathan has been coaching cheerleading and tumbling for 7 years, working with students at a variety of ages and skill levels. Jonathan brings a positive, encouraging spirit as well as detail-oriented coaching.
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.
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 Katzung
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 Jaimes brings over 10 years of dance teaching experience and a passion for developing confident, well-rounded dancers. While attending DePaul University, she danced professionally for the Chicago Bulls for five seasons as an NBA dancer before moving to Los Angeles to further pursue her professional dance career. Her performance background has allowed her to train alongside industry professionals while developing a strong foundation in technique, performance quality, and artistry.
Outside of the studio, Klaudia is a fourth-grade teacher and is currently completing her master’s degree in Mathematics Education. She is also the founder and owner of Flower Haus, a luxury flower cart business specializing in elevated floral experiences throughout the Chicagoland area.
Klaudia is excited to return to the competitive dance world and is committed to creating a positive, motivating environment where dancers can build strong technique, confidence, discipline, and a lifelong love for dance.
Kristi Contreary
Kristi was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and graduated from Northwestern State University in 2022 with her Bachelors degree in Musical Theatre. She has performed with various companies around the nation such as National Theatre for Children, Thingamajig Theatre, TEXAS Outdoor Musical, Six Flags Over Texas, and Cedar Point Amusement Park. Most recently she was a resident actor at Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre in Virginia before ultimately deciding to plant herself here in Chicago! After years of experience performing as well as getting to work with children all over the country in various theatre camps and projects, she is so excited to share her passion for theatre with the students here at Rootz!
Lauren Bach
Lauren grew up training as a competitive dancer until the age of 18. She competed in a variety of genres and earned two national titles at Legacy Dance and Energy. She attended Loyola University Chicago, where she majored in Marketing and Management with a minor in Dance. Lauren loves sharing her passion for choreography and storytelling with students of all ages. She strives to create a positive classroom environment where dancers can learn, grow, and be themselves. She believes her students teach her just as much as she teaches them.
Lauren recently got married and also runs her own online boutique when she is not in the studio. She is so excited to be a part of the Rootz family!
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 six 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.
Mary Eliza Hendricks
Mary Eliza Hendricks is new to the Chicago area, and is excited to share her love of dance in a new place! Mary Eliza comes with training from Emory and Henry University and Chattanooga Centre For Creative Arts in Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre, and a variety of other styles. She has taught dance and movement to a variety of ages, and her choreography credits include, but are not limited to: Fiddler on the Roof, Footloose, Music Man Jr., Newsies, and Dragons Love Tacos. She aims to cultivate a safe and supportive environment to allow students to explore and grow. She is very excited to see you all in classes this fall!
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!
Paisley ForsterSaunders
Paisley is a Chicago transplant from the Central Coast of California. She holds a Bachelor’s in Musical Theatre from Carthage College and has performed professionally since 2019. Some of her professional credits include The Polar Express, Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre, and Three Brothers Theatre. Outside theatre, Paisley loves all things tumbling and has 10+ years of experience coaching competitive gymnastics. Paisley is passionate about working with kids and is excited to Sing, Tumble, and Act (oh my!) with the Rootz Family.
Rachel Bennie
Rachel Bennie is from Deerfield, IL and currently attends Deerfield High School. She mainly tumbled at Rootz, but also participated in dance, cheer, and gymnastics. Rachel has also assisted with dance, tumble, and cheer classes at Rootz for four years. Outside of Rootz, Rachel is a varsity soccer player, a tutor, a babysitter, and is highly involved in her high school symphony and chamber orchestra. She loves music, and the dance, cheer, and tumbling that goes with it!
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.
Samantha Grant
Sara Dolins
Shellie Kerzner
Sophia Truit
Born and raised in Mount Prospect, Sophia began her dance journey at McDonald Dance Academy, where she developed a strong technical foundation and a lifelong passion for movement.
She continued her training at Hope College, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education alongside a minor in Dance. Throughout her collegiate career, Sophia was an active leader and performer within the campus dance community, performing as a member of the Dutchmen Dance Team and with diverse student-led organizations, including Hip Hop Anonymous, Dance Club, and pre-professional performances including DanceX. Her time at Hope allowed her to merge her passion for dance performance with her background in pedagogy, refining her ability to instruct and inspire dancers across multiple styles—including ballet, hip hop, jazz, and poms.
Stacey Pea
Stacey grew up in Libertyville where she fell in love with theater and dance. In her high school days, the performance bug bit, and she’s been drawn to the stage ever since!
Stacey started her professional performing career at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL in 2009 as a shows and parades performer at the iconic Disney parks for nearly a decade. After making the return home to Lake County, she performed for several seasons at Six Flags Great America as a singer and dancer.
Along with the arts, Stacey is passionate about working with kids! With 10+ years experience in various childcare/youth arts settings, it brings her great joy to be a source of support and love to kids as they grow as young people, performers, future world changers, and compassionate, kind, and confident individuals!
Fun facts: Stacey loves nature, her favorite creature is an orca, and she is a proud mama to Nora!
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.
Sydney Panizo
Sydney Panizo is thrilled to join the Rootz Cheer and Tumbling staff! Sydney brings multiple years of experience as both a Spirit Cheerleader and Competitive Cheerleader. After spending the first 5 years of her cheerleading career training with Park Ridge Competitive Cheer, Sydney continued her cheerleading experience at Maine South High School in Park Ridge. A sideline cheerleader for Maine South for 3 years, Sydney also competed with Maine South for their Competition Cheer program for 2 years. She can’t wait to share her cheerleading experience with everyone at Rootz!
Teagan Morrison
Teagan recently relocated to Chicago from her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where she first discovered her passion for the performing arts. A graduate of Butler University, Teagan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre along with a degree in Creative Media and Entertainment. During her time at Butler, she expanded her skills both onstage and behind the scenes through numerous mainstage and student productions. She also served as President of the Omicron Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society.
Teagan’s love for theatre began at a musical theatre summer camp in Louisville, where she spent many years as a student before returning as an instructor and director. She has led productions of beloved shows such as The Addams Family Jr. and Matilda Jr., helping young performers build confidence and develop their talents. Teagan is thrilled to join the Rootz Team and looks forward to inspiring students, fostering their creativity, and helping them discover their own passion for performing.
Tiffany Tuck
Tiffany Tuck has been teaching theatre for over 20 years, starting as a high school drama teacher and director. She has taught dance to three-year-olds in an after-school program, film acting to neurodivergent adults in camp, and practically everything in between. She is currently a teaching artist and director in and around Chicago and New York. She is excited to share her love of theatre as a part of Rootz to empower young people to find their voices through communication skills, community building, and confidence development. In her spare time, Tiffany enjoys sewing, writing, and being a dog mom to the three best pups in the world.
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
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.