Courtney Oberlin is a Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. Her teaching license allows her to teach Pre-K through 3rd grade in a public school district. After dancing at Vivian Munson Dance Studio in Massillon, she continued to study dance at KSU through her dance minor. Due to time she was not able to finish this minor but enjoyed the experience. Recently she has become a photo blogger for the North Canton Patch. Courtney has been a part of The Ananda Center since 2005 and is eager about future happenings at The Center.

Kimberly received her Bachelor of Arts in dance from the University of Akron in 1991 and has been an adjunct faculty member teaching tap and jazz classes there since 2001. Collectively, Kimberly has been teaching for 25 years to students ages 3 to adult. She has taught classes in jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical, musical theatre, stretch and flexibility, baton, and tumbling.

Kimberly is also an instructor at the Dance Institute, a pre-professional dance program at the University of Akron. She was the Artistic Director of a dance studio and theatre for five years. Kimberly has also been the director and choreographer for her performance/competition team. Her students have won national titles and scholarships and have performed internationally in Italy and Spain.

In 2008, her choreography was chosen to perform at the World Dance Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Many of her former students have gone on to become professional dancers. One of her favorite experiences was teaching jazz classes in the Dominican Republic for a Cuban dance company.

For over 20 years, Kimberly has been a judge for dance competitions on a regional level and was also the regional director for the Dance USA Performing Arts Championships under the direction of Mark Marino. She has been the assistant coach and choreographer for the University of Akron Dance Team and the assistant director/choreographer for the University of Akron’s musical, Dames at Sea. Kimberly also choreographs for the University of Akron Dance Company.

In 2009, she was on the faculty for the American College Dance Festival Association. Throughout her years as a dance instructor, Kimberly has received teacher’s awards for “excellence” and “choreography”. At this time, Kimberly is finishing her Masters in Arts Administration at the University of Akron.

Anita Artzner studied dance at the Canton Ballet until attending Wright State University and dancing with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II. Enjoying muscials and other aspects of performance art, Anita has choreographed for the Canal Fulton Players and has acted in many of their plays. Her career is teaching Pilates exercises full-time at her studio in Canton and at Kent State University, Stark. A few years ago, she danced at Playhouse Square in the Kennedy Theatre with other Ananda dancers in XainGo! She is super excited to be teaching for this wonderful workshop of talented dancers.

Desmond’s "technical" dance history began in 2005 when he first enrolled at the University of Akron, where he majored in Dance/Buisness. Originally from Cleveland, Desmond began dancing in his middle school and high school show choir. In spring of 2007 at the University Desmond was awarded a dance scholarship from one of the dance faculty members.

Desmond’s first self choreography piece “State of Circumstances” was chosen to be a part of The University of Akron’s Dance Company Fall Performances. The piece was modern/contemporary dance, and was about everyday emotions and breaking points in life. Each fall semester, faculty members choose a students work which they feel will fit best in the faculty show. AkronNewsNow.com wrote, “Once intermission started, the crowd looked and found that it was a student who choreographed the dance. The audience was surprised that a student could create something so professional. ’State of Circumstances’ was perfect.”

While in college, Desmond has performed with the University of Akron Dance Company and various students works. He is also a member of the Akron-based hip-hop group ILL’U’SYN. This group performs all around the Akron, Canton, and Cleveland area but has also traveled to New York, Florida, and Nashville for various hip-hop competitions. ILL’U’SYN has been seen on BET’s 106 & Park, BET’s Spring Bling, and BET’s Blaze the Stage. Desmond specializes in hip-hop but also studies ballet, modern, tap, jazz, african dance, and jazz phunk.

In 2006 Desmond was given the title of Artistic Director at his studio in Canton, Ohio “The Turning Pointe School of Dance.” In 2010 Desmond taught and judged for "Dance Masters of Ohio" and has also taught classes for the "Cecchetti Council of Ohio" for the past 2 years. Desmond now does some choreography for the University of Akron's Dance Team, Marietta College Dance Team, Minerva High School Dance Team, Stow High School Show Choir, and just recently taught several workshops in Chicago and Michigan. Desmond now teaches dance at various studios and cities across the state of Ohio.

Ike Odimgbe, also known as ikey toocrisp in the dance world, started dancing at the age of 7. He danced with 2 competition teams during his teen years (show time allstars, NEO allstars). At the age of 19 Ike was contracted to a dance company called HDK productions. He is also a hip-hop and breakdancing instructor at Andrew Fulmer dance studios. He has danced and trained with hip-hop dancing celebrities such as Andrew Baterina, Brian Puspos, Ian Eastwood, and Madd Chadd.

Jonathan Green has been dancing since age 16. As a student he competed and won many awards including “Top Male Student in Ohio”. Once 18, he worked as a professional ballroom instructor and dancer all over the state of Ohio, during which time he coached at colleges including Akron University’s competition team, Kent State University Ballroom Club and Baldwin Wallace Dance Team.

In Canton he is recognized for the choreography of Canton’s Dancing With The Stars professional performance as well as the choreography for 7 of the 11 dance contestants in the show.

Jonathan is responsible for choreography, training and pro performance for Canton's annual Dancing With The Docs, a fundraiser for families in need.

He has done choreography and performances of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Canton’s flash mob, and Canton City Crew among others.

In 2010 he and a partner opened a dance studio in downtown Canton, OH. In 2011 he expanded and is now sole owner of Andrew Fulmer Dance Studios. He has been teaching and performing professionally ever since.

Lindsay Caddle LaPointe is a dancer, teacher, videographer and video editor. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in dance and technology from The Ohio State University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from Roger Williams University. She has taught modern, ballet and hip-hop at various universities in Ohio including: The Ohio State University, Ohio University and Muskingum University. Currently she is actively making work through video and performance in the Columbus area. Her most recent collaboration piece with Keely Shaffer-Glenn, “Black, White and Read All Over” was showcased at this years Ohio Dance Festival.

Through her own production company, Linden Tree Productions, she provides video support to dancers and artists. Her ongoing video dance project “OVERSIZED” takes her to sites that house large-scale artwork of everyday objects. The first four in this series, “CORN”, “STAMP”, “CHAIR” and “BASKET” were shown at The Urban Arts Space in Columbus, Ohio. Her video “Preserving Friendship” was selected by the Wexner Center for the Arts “Ohio Shorts” screening and its premiere at Feverhead was named one of the best events of 2011 by the Columbus ALIVE.

She is an active member of They Might Be Dancers and the Locality 2012 dance festival committee.