Gina Baumgarten is the proud owner of the Legere Dance Centre. Ms. Baumgarten has been a professional dancer, choreographer and a dance instructor for the past 35 years. Gina has served as a guest choreographer for Ballet Legere’s production of the Nutcracker.

Gina was an original Ballet Legere Company member, and has danced many principal roles. Ms Baumgarten formally directed Cheek to Cheek ballroom dance company that provided entertainment at corporate parties, galas and special events. Ms Baumgarten has taught master classes for the National Association of Dance both locally and out of state. Gina has experience in teaching all levels of Ballet, Jazz, and Ballroom dance. Her professional company credits include ZZAZZ, Dancewerks, Contemporary Dance of Chicago, Tango 21, Airflow Deluxe and The Entertainers. Ms Baumgarten’s film credits include the MTV video “Shadows of your Love”, and Gina portrayed John Travolta’s wife in “Eyes of an Angel”.

Donna Vittorio is the proud owner of the Légere Dance, as well as the Artistic Director of Ballet Légere.

For the past 39 years, Donna has produced, directed and choreographed the Nutcracker at Dominican University and Morton East High School.

Donna’s Ballet training began in Chicago with Edna McRae, and extended with Keith Allison, Lou Conte and Luigi. Mrs. Vittorio’s professional credits include various trade show and dinner theatres in the Midwest, The Apollo Opera Company and the St. Louis Municipal Opera. Donna has taught all levels of Ballet, Pointe and Jazz for the past 22 years.

Alberto Arias is a freelance professional dancer and choreographer from Chicago who has performed with several renowned dance companies in that region, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and River North Dance Chicago. Alberto has worked with many choreographers including; Margo Sappington, Twyla Tharp, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Daniel Czralow and Lou Conte, among others.

Other professional activities include choreography for MTV video, Assistant Choreographer to Harrison McEldowney on the musical version of Fame performance in various industrials, television commercials and films. Alberto received a Ruth Page nomination for Outstanding Dancer and was voted Best Dancer 1992 by Chicago Dance Magazine. Alberto set the choreography for two first place winners in the Miss Continental Pageant 2005-06. He was the former Ballet Master/Rehearsal /Director for Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and is currently a fitness instructor for Equinox Health Clubs.

Allen Desterhaft holds a BFA in dance from The Ohio State University. He has danced professionally with Chi-Town Jazz Dance Chicago, and Winifred Haun and Dancers. He has also performed as a guest artist with Dance for Life, Dance Theater North, Schaumburg Dance Ensemble, Evanston Dance Ensemble, Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble, and The Chicago Festival Ballet.

He was also a guest choreographer and performer for the Jofffrey Ballet in the production of “Salute to Vienna”. Allen is a Fellow of the Cecchetti Council of America, and holds The Maestro Cecchetti Diploma Certification. In addition, he has extensive formal training in competitive and social Dancesport and currently competes professionally in the American Smooth and Showdance categories. His award winning choreography is seen in both amateur and professional dancesport competitions throughout the United States. He is currently a faculty member of the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago where he teaches ballet to BA and BFA candidates.

Megan Davis started dancing in Austin, TX studying with Tri-Tone (under Tasha Lawson) and Tapestry Dance Company (under Acia Gray). In 2013, they moved to Chicago to pursue their dance and STEM career, earning a M.S. in pure mathematics in 2017. While studying, they were privileged to perform with MADD Rhythms (under Bril Barrett), Tapman Productions (under Tristan Bruns), Stone Soup Rhythms (under director Lane Alexander and artist in residence Daniel Borak), and currently dance with Queer Dance Freakout. In 2015, they debuted choreography in Chicago through Audible Odyssey’s artist in resonance program in “Persist: Tap Dance Made by Women”. In 2017 they were one of 25 dancers chosen to participate in the Jacob’s Pillow summer tap program directed by Michelle Dorrance and Dormeshia. Since then, their choreography has been presented at Navy Pier through the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm World Tap and Percussive Arts Festival and MADD Rhythms Chicago Tap Summit.

They have also performed internationally in Poznań, Poland and Zürich, Switzerland. Most notably, they have performed in “Rhythm ISS…Returns!”, “Feeling Good: A MADD Tribute to Nina Simone”, Dani Borak’s untitled anthology of work while in residency at Chicago Human Rhythm Project, “MADD Rhythms: A Journey of the Dance Through Music“, and “Hoofin’ It: The Untold Story of the History of Tap” and as a solo artist in and around the Chicagoland area. They continue to push their choreographic voice in finding unique ways to share their lived experience through their passion for dance and STEM.

Jesse Hoisington began his training at a young age in Milford, Michigan. Over the years he has trained extensively in modern, jazz, and ballet. In high school, he was accepted into Interlochen Arts Academy and studied for two years under the tutelage of Mark Borchelt, performing in full length ballets as well as dances created by esteemed guest choreographers. Jesse then went on to graduate from Western Michigan University’s Department of Dance with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, where he had the honor of dancing in works by Gerald Arpino, Alonzo King, KT Nelson, Autumn Eckman, Peter Chu, and many others. He was also chosen by a panel of adjudicators to present his choreography at the American College Dance Festival Association’s East Central Conference Final Gala Concert. Since moving to Chicago, Jesse has had the privilege of performing with Winifred Haun & Dancers, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, C5, Dance in the Parks, Hedwig Dances, and AJA Talent, where he currently serves as rehearsal manager. Most recently, Jesse had the opportunity to perform in Dessau, Germany as part of the Centenary Bauhaus Festival Stage TOTAL, an arts festival celebrating 100 years of the Bauhaus art & design movement.

As an active creator and choreographer, Jesse has presented his works all across the Midwest, from small studios to professional stages. His credits include: the Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival, Links Hall’s 40th Anniversary Season where he contributed solo material to Capillaries produced and directed by Mike Steele. And he choreographed stage plays, “Tango and The Killer”, receiving a 2020 Non-Equity Jeff Award nomination for Best Choreography.

Elyse began her life-long love for dance at the age of three when she started her training at The Turning Pointe Dance Studio in Elmwood Park, Illinois. She transferred to Legere Dance Center at age eight where she studied ballet, jazz, modern, pointe and Cecchetti. She performed in many Nutcracker performances with Ballet Legere as well as summer recitals.

Elyse graduated with a Bachelor or Science in Nursing and Dance Minor from Creighton University. During her time at Creighton, Elyse performed in a variety of productions including Vive!, The Nutcracker, and student choreography shows. Elyse studied Balanchine technique under former New York City Ballet company member Liz Alford who taught advanced ballet and pointe, as well as Fosse Technique in advanced jazz with Patrick Roddy at Creighton. While training at Creighton, Elyse discovered her enthusiasm for teaching ballet and pointe. She joined Dance Dynamics Studio in Omaha and taught ballet and pointe from 2022-2023. Since graduation, Elyse has continued her dance training at the Ruth Page Dance Center, Visceral Dance Studio and The Rooted Space

While Elyse enjoys dancing herself, she loves watching her students grow with the gift of dance!

Mary Meo is a movement artist from Chicago, Illinois. Her early dance education includes Légere Dance Centre, DeMaira Dance Studio, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Lou Conte Dance Studio. In 2021, Mary graduated summa cum laude from Ball State University where she obtained her BFA in Dance Performance. At Ball State, Mary had the privilege of working with artists such as Sidra Bell, Noa Shadur, Jamy Meek, Beverly Bautista, and Tweet Boogie. She was a part of Sidra Bell’s piece, “Work Within Dreams,” selected to be performed at the American College Dance Association South Conference in March of 2020.

Throughout her collegiate journey, she was able to discover her love for improvisation and how that contributes to the creative process. Upon graduation, Mary danced with Consuming Kinetics Dance Company in St. Louis, Missouri for four seasons. Currently, she is an Apprentice with Ardent Dance Company. As an educator, Mary strives to create an environment where the cultivation of curiosity exists at the forefront. She is super excited to be back at Légere Dance Centre as a teacher!

Kathryn began dancing at the age of 6 under the direction of Donna Vittorio. In her 12 years as a student at Légere Dance Centre, she had the opportunity to study with many great teachers, including Gina Baumgarten, Allen Desterhaft, Alberto Arias, and Winifred Haun.

She also had the pleasure of performing in Ballet Légere’s The Nutcracker, dancing various roles throughout her 12 years.

Kathryn went on to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning a BFA in Dance with High Honors. While at U of I, she was privileged to study under Jan Erkert, Linda Lehovec, Cynthia Oliver, Sara Hook, and Rebecca Nettl-Fiol, among others. During college, Kathryn received the Talented Student Award scholarship and was also selected to study with and shadow the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York. She had the opportunity to dance in original works with former Batsheva dancer Sahar Azimi, and Bessie award winner Darrell Jones. Kathryn has also studied at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina on scholarship, performing in Robert Battle’s Primate.

Kathryn is very excited to join the Légere Dance Centre faculty where she has been a substitute for various levels since graduating high school. Her teaching not only encompasses a lifetime study of the various styles of dance, but also includes training in anatomy, pedagogy, and creative dance for children. Kathryn not only wants to impart to her students her love of dance, but also strives to inspire each student to discover their unique and personal creativity and ability.

JZ Zaeske’s passion for dance and theater ignited at a young age and continues to fuel their career today. Trained by an exceptional group of instructors—including Shawn Short (owner of Dissonance Dance Theater Company), Broadway star Randy Skinner (four-time Tony Award nominee, three-time Drama Desk Award nominee, and four-time Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for choreography), Terry Fox (former Cirque du Soleil choreographer and owner of Underground Arts Connection), and Nick Gonzalez (Artistic Director and Co-Creator of NRG danceProject, and a standout on “So You Think You Can Dance” Seasons 1 and 2)—JZ has developed a rich and versatile skill set. They further refined their craft at prestigious programs such as Carnegie Mellon#8217;s pre-college summer program and the Broadway Theater Project.

JZ earned their Bachelor of Music from The Catholic University of America, majoring in Musical Theater with a minor in Psychology, graduating Cum Laude. They also received a Master of Arts in PR and Advertising from DePaul University, graduating with distinction.

While in undergrad, JZ founded and led their own dance company, Pure Alignment, where they combined artistic vision with leadership. They have performed in regional professional musical theater productions at Jedleka Performing Arts Center and Infinity Theater Company, where they showcased their ability to embody dynamic characters on stage. As resident choreographer for Windy City Music Theater, JZ’s choreography was recognized for its creativity and precision, bringing stories to life in impactful and unforgettable ways.

An enthusiastic educator, JZ has taught at Underground Arts Connection, Imagination Stage, Project Slide, and Paramount School of the Arts (substitute), with a focus on inspiring and nurturing the next generation of performers. They are committed to developing both the technical skills and artistic expression of their students, fostering an environment of creativity and growth.

As a versatile instructor, JZ excels in all dance formats, dedicating themselves to helping each student discover their unique artistic voice and reach their full potential.