Our Mission
Artistry Dance Movement is fully committed to providing top level dance education in a positive, family friendly atmosphere. Our highly qualified, professional instructors encourage and nurture the discovery of individual artistry, self-confidence, and creativity in a caring and supportive environment that allows our students to cultivate and celebrate their artistic expression. Our students learn the values of dedication, discipline, commitment, perseverance and teamwork. Alongside building lasting friendships, our dancers experience the joy of dance at all levels and all ages. Whether dancing just for fun, or training for a career in dance, our students learn to become a positive role model within the community, perform at their personal best and express themselves in a creative and supportive environment!
Our Leadership
Meet our Artistic Director
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Stephanie McGill is a native of Colorado and received her early training from the Academy of Colorado Ballet and Dance Arts Studio, where she studied ballet, tap, modern and jazz. She attended Denver School of the Arts with a major in Dance and went on to earn a B.F.A. in Dance, graduating with honors from the University of Arizona. Stephanie has danced professionally and toured with many Colorado dance companies, including Boulder Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theatre, and 7 Dancers, performing in soloist and ensmeble roles. She has had the opportunity to work with many choreographers including Robert Sher-Machherndl, David Taylor, Kelly Archer, Chantal Robson and Mandy Moore. Stephanie is currently a company member with Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement where she also serves as Associate Artistic Director for the company as well as their supplemental training program Colorado Dance Initiative.
Stephanie began her teaching career at Dance Arts Studio (DAS), the studio she grew up at, and has over 24 years of instructing expertise with dancers of all ages and abilities. She has taught at many studios around Colorado, including masterclasses at Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop, dance residencies at Bal Swan Children's Center and has participated in multiple years of Broomfield Dancing with the Stars as a guest choreographer. She is an accomplished teacher of ballet, pointe, creative movement, tap, contemporary, and jazz. She has co-run the performing group companies and served as the director of the Pre-Professional program at DAS where she organized and produced the Pre-Professional concert with the input of the dancers involved. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and owner of Fluid Movement Pilates LLC, where she believes that movement is an essential healer for the mind and body.
Stephanie is excited to offer her new studio, Artistry Dance Movement, to the community where she can continue to share with her students her passion for dance and her belief that dance is a true form of expression that helps to shape and mold who we become, and can create a beauty that can help to change the world! She has had the joy of growing up in a studio and has watched her two boys do the same, and hopes that she can give her students and families that same experience. She wants her studio to be a home for dancers where they can experience the joy of dance, discover their inner artist and find their self confidence to carry them boldly into their community and beyond.
Associate Artistic Director
Emily Schoppert is a graduate of Minnesota State University Mankato, where she earned a BFA in Dance and a minor in Business Administration. Originally from Sioux Falls, SD, Emily moved to Colorado in the summer of 2017. She received many awards while studying in Mankato, including the Florence Sponberg Theatre Scholarship, the Richard and Mary Davenport Theatre Scholarship and several Outstanding Performance awards. She has performed works by Shapiro and Smith Dance Company, Zenon Dance Company, Allison Doughty Marquesen, Daniel Stark, Julie Kerr-berry, Lisa Conlin, Penelope Freeh, Jeffery Peterson, Eric Campros, and Tracy Stanfeld. In addition to her training at Minnesota State University Mankato, she has studied intensively at Balleraena Dance Studio in Sioux Falls, SD, studying many forms of dance including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern/Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Pointe. She has attended multiple summer intensives including Shapiro and Smith Dance Intensive (Minneapolis, MN), TU Dance (St. Paul, MN), and Synthesis Dance Project (New York City, NY). Emily has taught dance for more than 10 years as well as set choreography for the Balleraena Dance Company and her peers at Minnesota State University Mankato. She has also performed professionally with LiRa Dance Theater Company (SD) and Eclectic Edge Ensemble in Minneapolis, MN. She is so excited to be a part of Artistry Dance Movement!
Our Story
Stephanie started dancing at a young age and has always had a love and passion for dance. Her dance teachers nurtured that love and inspired her to share her passion with others, not only through performing but also through teaching. She returned to the studio she grew up at in Broomfield, and had the honor of teaching for one of her first dance teachers, Heidi Thomas, and is proud to be a part of the history of this studio, started by Jane Spain. It was through her teaching at her home studio, that she felt the wish to continue to bring the joy of dance to the community. She was inspired by the values of family, love, creativity, confidence and excellence in dance and had a desire to continue and build upon the legacy that was started over 60 years ago by her teachers. Stephanie created Artistry Dance Movement to provide dancers and families a place to grow, dance and feel at home!
ADM Staff
Kalia Thomas
Kalia was born and raised in Broomfield, Colorado, and began dancing the day she could put on a pair of tap shoes and stomp around. As the daughter of a dance teacher and studio owner, dance has always been a central part of her life. She was a member of both 3D and Fusion, the performance teams at Dance Arts Studio, throughout her high school years. During college, Kalia returned to Dance Arts to teach summer camps, programs at Bal Swan, Salvation Army after-school classes, and subbing classes when needed. In 2023, she officially joined the teaching staff at Dance Arts Studio and is excited to continue sharing her love of dance with Artistry Dance Movement as it carries forward the legacy of Dance Arts Studio.
Maddie Myers
Maddie Myers is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Pace University New York City with a BFA in Commercial Dance and a minor in Arts and Entertainment Management. Originally from Aurora, Colorado, she has over 20 years of experience with training spanning in classical, commercial, and contemporary styles. Maddie trained at a competitive studio and graduated from Denver School of the Arts High School. She moved to NYC and has since studied in both New York and LA with renowned artists like Mandy Moore, Al Blackstone, and Jillian Meyers. She has performed in stage, film, and theater as a soloist, ensemble dancer, dance captain, and rehearsal assistant. Her choreography has been featured in NYC showcases and competitive studio routines, and she made her directorial debut in LA with a dance concept film inspired by Aphrodite. Maddie is passionate about encouraging young dancers, being the best teacher she can be, injury prevention, and physical therapy, and plans to pursue postgraduate studies in these fields. She teaches a wide range of styles and is excited to continue her work through inspiration, motivation, and love in Colorado.
Mia Gallegos
Mia Gallegos is a hip hop dancer born and raised in Denver, CO. She attended Broomfield High School, where her hip hop dance team won the CHSAA State Championship three out of her four years on the team. Following high school, she attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, where she joined the school’s hip hop dance team: the GU Bomb Squad. Mia took up a captain role for the Bomb Squad during her senior year, which she just completed in May of 2025. She graduated from GU Magna Cum Laude with her B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Digital Marketing. She is passionate about hip hop dancing and is very excited to be a part of ADM’s staff for both the summer and regular season.
Katie Carothers
Katie Carothers grew up in Littleton, Colorado, where she received her primary training at Denver Academy of Ballet. Katie has also trained at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Saint Louis Dance Theatre, State Street Ballet, and in 2023 graduated from CU Boulder with a BFA in dance. While at college, Katie also pursued a BA in psychology and took up grant writing to fund supplemental dance research. She was invited to perform with Cleo Parker Robinson’s second company in August 2023, and accepted contracts for the company’s 53rd and 54th seasons. Katie started developing a passion for teaching several years ago, and during her time with Cleo II, taught dance intensives at a number of elementary schools. This year, she is thrilled to be joining both Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement as a company artist, and Artistry Dance Movement as a teacher.
Veva Heilmann
Veva Heilmann grew up in Denver, Colorado, with her love for ballet beginning at age 6. Over her many years of training, her love for dance has grown to include many different styles. At 7 years old, she joined the Colorado Ballet Academy and remained there from 2013-2025, learning Classical Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Gaga, Modern, Jazz, Character, and Flamenco. Veva graduated from CBA’s Preprofessional program in 2025. After 8 years of participating in academy roles in Colorado Ballet’s productions, Veva gained the position of assistant rehearsal director for CB’s productions of The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland. This has been a great joy as she loves passing on choreography to the next generation. Veva has additionally discovered a passion for choreography and has created various pieces in the styles of: Ballet, Contemporary, Swing Dance, and Jazz. Veva has also participated in Colorado Dance Initiative 2022-2024, becoming an apprentice with Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement in 2024, with which she currently remains to this day. She has intentionally pursued a diversity of training through intensives at Colorado Ballet (Denver, CO), The Rock School for Dance (Philadelphia, PA), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (New York City, NY), Nacho Duato Academy (Madrid, Spain), and Nashville Ballet (Nashville, TN). Veva is beyond excited to join the faculty at ADM and continue her passion for teaching and the joy of movement!
Kelly Sassone - Front Desk
Kelly has been working with young children since she was 17 and taught her first musical theater class to a group of excited five year olds. Since then, she has been a preschool dance teacher, tap dance teacher, and children's theater choreographer. After graduating from San Diego State University, she shifted gears and became an elementary school teacher. She was a classroom teacher for twenty years and a professor in the math department at UCLA, where she taught prospective teachers how to teach math in the classroom. She has been the elementary math specialist for the UCLA Curtis Center since 2019 where she writes curriculum for teachers and goes into schools to support classroom teacher development. She has spoken at more than 10 conferences around the nation on the importance of developing mathematical mindsets in young children. She is a published author and educator in education-centered publications. She is so excited to be a part of Artistry Dance Movement and is so grateful for this incredible studio that her young dancer calls "home".
