CARINA SCHELL
Carina started her dance training more than 16 years ago in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Her strong discipline as a student and leadership in the classroom as well as on stage led her to be offered a new role. She began teaching in 2000 and soon realized that this was her true passion and gift.
Following her dreams, Carina was accepted into the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Teaching Training Program, and studied with them for two years. There she trained professionally in teaching methods of Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Pointe, Men’s Work, Pas De Deux, Lyrical, Jazz, Pilates, Modern and Character. She also studied in classes such as Pedagogy, Anatomy, History of Dance, Eurythmics, and Music. Carina taught within the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Recreational Division and Satellite Program for two years. She is currently enrolled in the Dance Master’s of America Teacher’s Training School continuing study in teaching methods for Creative Movement, Ballet, Tap and Jazz as well as Lyrical, Pilates, Modern and Theater Dance. She emphasizes that it takes a solid foundation of knowledge to best discover the talents of every individual throughout their dance career, no matter where it may take them.
SHAR BERNS
Shar began her dance training at age three participating in Ballet and Tap. She continued studying for 15 years at her hometown studio, Ann’s School of Dance, also learning Jazz, Lyrical and Pointe. Additional dance training followed at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN with classes in Anatomy, Hellerwork, Ballet and Modern dance. A change in focus led to leaving St. Olaf and studying Communications and Spanish at Concordia College, but her passion for dance remained strong. Shar was a founding member of a Liturgical Dance Troupe during her time at Concordia. Liturgical Dance is a very expressive form of what is considered contemporary style dancing that is utilized to bring new inspirations through movement into the church. Shar also continued study through the Tri-College University studying Dance Production at MSUM, took classes at local studios and traveled to workshops such as The Manhattan Dance Project to learn new techniques throughout her college years.
This variety of dance experience proved beneficial when Shar began teaching in 1997. She has instructed many types of dance over the last decade including Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Pre-Ballet, Ballet and Ballroom. Even though Shar graduated from Concordia and had a successful 8-year career in sales and marketing her passion for movement remained so strong that she had to return to her heart’s desire with INSPIRE Dance. Shar continues her dance education through the Dance Master’s of America Teacher’s Training School mastering teaching methods for Creative Movement, Ballet, Tap and Jazz as well as Lyrical, Pilates, Modern, Theater Dance and is working on Hip Hop (which wasn’t a class in her childhood years). She has discovered a new joy in recent years working with adults and has added fitness certifications to her repertoire including AFAA Kickboxing and ZUMBA. NETA Cardio Dance and NETA Breathe, Relax, Stretch and Meditate and the Hoopnotica and Hoop Girl hoop dance methods are other additional areas of her study. Shar most recently attended the Rhee Gold’s DanceLife Teacher Conference and studied with industry masters Bill Evans, Greg Russell, Joe Lanteri, Joe Tremaine, Ofer Ben and Avi Miller, Brian Foley, John Crutchman, Diane Gudat, Finis Jhung, Larraine Susa and Desiree Robbins in all areas of dance and instructional techniques.
Inspirations away from the studio include the quality time spent with her husband, traveling, and cooking. She also enjoys swimming and being near or on the water. Shar is always on the lookout for new information in health, mind and body relationships. She feels some of the greatest joy is found in witnessing someone make a connection and find new understanding of the way that their body works in or out of the classroom. It’s a never ending discovery because our bodies change continually requiring us to be flexible with how we treat ourselves. One of her favorite quotes regarding dance comes from Paul Draper and that is, “To dance is to move in such a fashion that you make someone else feel something about the relationship if human beings to the rest of the world that they haven’t understood before”. Wellness is a continual life journey… dance your way!
RITA OLSON
Rita began her movement training in the basement of her childhood home. Many countless hours were spent singing and dancing either alone or with her younger sisters.
Instead of studying music or theater as she first dreamed she would, she pursued a career in nursing. She has worked as a nurse over the last 35 years in a variety of clinical settings including, maternal child health, dialysis, heart services and surgical services. She was a certified Lamaze instructor and taught Lamaze and a variety of classes related to maternal child health over the course of a 10 year period.
Nursing has been a true gift and has brought her into some of the most sacred and intimate places of peoples lives. She has been a witness and caregiver from the very beginning of life until its last breath and at many points in between. It is with gratitude that she can share her insights and knowledge gained as a nurse. It has given her great insight into the ways people view their state of health or disease and how their outlook affects their daily lives. Some very important lessons came from those people she met who in the worst situations still saw their good fortune.
Rita is a dedicated, loving wife and a proud mother to three talented young adult men. It was at the time that her youngest son started taking dance class that her desire to move that way again was sparked. She stood outside the window for 4 years wishing that she had not let the opportunity to dance pass her by. Then age 50 happened, and she decided to step in…. She enrolled in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Latin classes for adults. Actually though, her true claim to fame was being the oldest one in the Hip Hop class without breaking one.
Rita’s dancing came to a sudden stop on the side of a mountain in 2006. After knee surgery and a fall injuring the same knee a month later, she began searching for a way to recover Small divinely choreographed steps brought her to her first Nia class with Debbie Rosas one of the co-creators of Nia, at the National Wellness Convention in July 2007. The philosophy of Nia is “Through Movement We Find Health.” Rita knew a lot about disease in her body and was more than eager to find health.
Her new passion is to teach movement in a way that lets us come home to our bodies, to find the joy, and to view our movement with the fascination of a beginners mind. Rita recently received her White Belt in Nia, which stands for Neuromuscular Integrative Action. She is the first person in ND licensed to teach this method. Other certifications she has completed include AFAA Kickboxing, Zumba, and Faithfully Fit Forever.
Passions other than singing and dancing include reading, gardening, cooking, hula-hoop making, volunteering at church and at Trollwood Performing Arts School. Rita has no plans to suffer aging as if it is the only natural thing to do, but to age gracefully by encouraging the fluidity, stability, agility and balance of the body, mind, and spirit.
Come Dance with Me……….. The Best Time to Dance is NOW……………
ASHLEY BRITTON
Ashley began her dance training when she was 7 years old in her hometown of Sioux Falls, SD at a local dance studio. She was involved in Ballet and Jazz during her childhood and then progressed to Pointe and Tap as she came into her teens. After she graduated high school she attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD for one year and participated in the dance team on campus. Once she realized she needed more dance in her life she came across the most amazing dance program at the University of Montana in Missoula. During college Ashley mainly studied Modern, Ballet, and Jazz, with additional schooling in choreography, dance history, and creative movement. While taking classes Ashley also took part in performing and choreographing with her peers in showcases throughout each year. Following college graduation she moved back to Sioux Falls and did a few choreography projects and then another year later moved to Fargo, ND.
Dance has and will always be in Ashley’s life and she is excited to be a part of Inspire Dance and Wellness. She looks forward to sharing her love of movement with everyone.
