ALI MORRISSEY
Dance Director
Ali started dancing at the age of 5, and she started competing at 6. She trained at Dyan’s World of Dance for seven years in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, and musical theater. Ali attended Eden Prairie High School, and she was a double varsity member of the Eagles dance team all four years. While on dance team, she received a number of awards and opportunities including the JFK Heather Habeck award, All State participant in ‘06 and ‘08, Wells Fargo All-Tournament Team member in ‘08, and competed on Team Minnesota in ’06. In high school, Ali was also involved in local theater productions both on stage and behind the scenes.
After high school, Ali became a company member of Crash Dance Productions, training in contemporary and improv, and she performed in four company productions. She was a Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader for three seasons, and while cheering, had the opportunity to travel across the US to perform at various military bases (and with the Beach Boys and John Stamos!).
Ali was a coach for the Eden Prairie Eagles dance team from 2011-2015, and has been coaching the Chaska Hawks dance team since 2015. She taught recreational and competitive dance from 2010-2014 before her family opened up VELOCITY in the summer of 2014.
After high school, Ali became a company member of Crash Dance Productions, training in contemporary and improv, and she performed in four company productions. She was a Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader for three seasons, and while cheering, had the opportunity to travel across the US to perform at various military bases (and with the Beach Boys and John Stamos!).
Ali was a coach for the Eden Prairie Eagles dance team from 2011-2015, and has been coaching the Chaska Hawks dance team since 2015. She taught recreational and competitive dance from 2010-2014 before her family opened up VELOCITY in the summer of 2014.
She’s received:
- 15 choreography awards, and awarded the BravO! Level Choreographer of the Year in 2019 at BravO! National Dance & Talent Nationals!
- a director’s award
- 30+ high point and title winners
- 5 grand championship titles
​Ali's goal as a teacher is to spread her passion and love for dance to her students.
HANNAH MORRISSEY
Theater Director, Recreational
Hannah grew up performing! She danced competitively studying tap, jazz, and ballet at Dyan’s World of Dance until the age of 11. At 14, she began learning the craft of theater at a variety of institutions, and she has performed in theater productions at Children’s Theater, Stages Theatre Company, Eden Prairie High School, Normandale Community College, the Sabes JCC, Eden Prairie Players, Chaska Valley Family Theater, Freshwater Theater, and the Minnesota Fringe Festival.
Hannah graduated from Eden Prairie High School and studied Theater Performance at Normandale Community College. Hannah also has performed on film: One Kind Thing and Lady Dynamite. She was a founding member of the Improv group, Wild Intentions, at SteppingStone Theatre in Saint Paul. She has done crew work for many shows at Stages Theatre Company, Artistry, and the Southern Theater.
Hannah graduated from Eden Prairie High School and studied Theater Performance at Normandale Community College. Hannah also has performed on film: One Kind Thing and Lady Dynamite. She was a founding member of the Improv group, Wild Intentions, at SteppingStone Theatre in Saint Paul. She has done crew work for many shows at Stages Theatre Company, Artistry, and the Southern Theater.
In addition to performing and crew work, Hannah has become a script writer. In her senior year of high school, she and her cast mates wrote a show based on personal bullying experiences called "Sticks and Stones." They added another weekend of performances due to high demand of tickets and offered talk-backs with middle schools on how to prevent bullying.
Although Hannah spends a great deal of time developing and planning her classes as the Theater Director at VELOCITY, she also finds time in her off hours to work with our local school's theater programs. In 2019 she was an assistant theater director Chaska High School during the Spring Play Production. Hannah also worked as a production assistant for the theater department at Minnetonka Middle School West during their Fall Play Production, along with continuing to work there this year in their production of the Winter Play performance. In 2020 Hannah is working as a Script Adapter for Stages Theater Company. She will be helping with their "Peace 4 the Ages" project, which is also having a documentary piece produced that will be premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Hannah has loved being a part of VELOCITY and has had such a joy seeing her students grow as performers.
“Creativity takes courage. Behind every performer is a beginner who fell in love with expression, storytelling and being set free.”
Although Hannah spends a great deal of time developing and planning her classes as the Theater Director at VELOCITY, she also finds time in her off hours to work with our local school's theater programs. In 2019 she was an assistant theater director Chaska High School during the Spring Play Production. Hannah also worked as a production assistant for the theater department at Minnetonka Middle School West during their Fall Play Production, along with continuing to work there this year in their production of the Winter Play performance. In 2020 Hannah is working as a Script Adapter for Stages Theater Company. She will be helping with their "Peace 4 the Ages" project, which is also having a documentary piece produced that will be premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Hannah has loved being a part of VELOCITY and has had such a joy seeing her students grow as performers.
“Creativity takes courage. Behind every performer is a beginner who fell in love with expression, storytelling and being set free.”
SYLVIA CHANDLER
Ballet, Floor Barre and Yin Yoga
Bio and headshot coming soon!
TRAVIS CAHILL
Competitive and Post-Dance Team
Travis found his love for dance when he was five years old. He grew up dancing at Mauri’s School of Dance in Burnsville, training in tap, jazz, lyrical, and musical theater. Following high school, he went to Minnesota State University - Mankato (MSU) earning a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. While at MSU, he took many classes in modern, tap, jazz, improv, and Afro-Caribbean. He began coaching fall dance team in 2012 and has spent the last five seasons with Maple Grove. On top of juggling the dance world, he is also a Project Manager at SAP Concur in Eden Prairie.
Travis enjoys teaching VELOCITY’s jazz and post-dance team classes, where he takes pride in watching his dancers grow with their movement quality and confidence.
Travis enjoys teaching VELOCITY’s jazz and post-dance team classes, where he takes pride in watching his dancers grow with their movement quality and confidence.
COURTNEY BERTHIAUME
Recreational, Competitive and Technique
Courtney’s passion for dance started as soon as she took her first class at three years old. She grew up dancing competitively at Legacy Dance Studio for eleven years, and Revolution Dance Studio (now known as Delmonico Dance) for two years. Her first two years of high school were spent at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists focusing on various forms of dance and dance history including tap, jazz, modern, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, and more. Once she transferred to a public school for her last two years of high school, she became a teacher at a studio in Lake Elmo.
Courtney attended college at Minnesota State University - Mankato which allowed her to move back home her last two years and teach recreational dance at Lifetime, while still completing school.
Courtney is an Elementary Special Education Teacher at Academy of Whole Learning in Minnetonka. She says, “Competition dance was my whole entire childhood, and now getting to be on the teacher side of it has only made my love grow fonder”. Her favorite part of teaching is the pure gratitude and love each student portrays for this art.
“Knowing that I get to express my emotion and feelings with people in a way with no words is something truly remarkable and fascinating, especially with those who are still learning to read or ride a bike. This next generation of dance is beyond my belief and I am so lucky to be a part of it!”
Courtney attended college at Minnesota State University - Mankato which allowed her to move back home her last two years and teach recreational dance at Lifetime, while still completing school.
Courtney is an Elementary Special Education Teacher at Academy of Whole Learning in Minnetonka. She says, “Competition dance was my whole entire childhood, and now getting to be on the teacher side of it has only made my love grow fonder”. Her favorite part of teaching is the pure gratitude and love each student portrays for this art.
“Knowing that I get to express my emotion and feelings with people in a way with no words is something truly remarkable and fascinating, especially with those who are still learning to read or ride a bike. This next generation of dance is beyond my belief and I am so lucky to be a part of it!”
CAROLYN RUPP
Competitive
CAYMAN FASCHING
Competitive
Cayman has been training and advancing both her skills and her passion for dance since the age of three. She grew up training in Chanhassen where she was a member of VELOCITY’s award-winning teams. While competing with VELOCITY, she also danced for her high school team, and later went on to dance for the University of Minnesota Duluth dance team. She and the UMD Bulldogs cheered at football and basketball games, performed at community events, and in 2017 and 2018 placed top 5 in the nation at UDA nationals in Orlando, Florida.
Cayman is working toward a B.S. in Exercise Science and a B.A. in Hispanic Studies, with hopes to pursue a career in the sports medicine field (and dance, too!) following her graduation in 2020. Recently, she spent 5 months studying and traveling in Australia, where she was fortunate enough to study dance as part of her curriculum abroad.
Cayman was thrilled to be invited onto the VELOCITY faculty following her high school graduation, and has been with the team ever since. Routines she’s collaborated on with other staff members have been awarded several choreography awards, and she has helped lead VDT’s teams to regional and national championship titles. In addition to teaching at the studio, she’s passionate about coaching the Chaska High School Dance Team.
When she’s not dancing or coaching, Cayman loves to spend time with her family and dogs, write, travel, and relax at the lake. She is overjoyed to welcome both new and returning athletes into the VDT family, and can’t wait for another incredible season!
Cayman is working toward a B.S. in Exercise Science and a B.A. in Hispanic Studies, with hopes to pursue a career in the sports medicine field (and dance, too!) following her graduation in 2020. Recently, she spent 5 months studying and traveling in Australia, where she was fortunate enough to study dance as part of her curriculum abroad.
Cayman was thrilled to be invited onto the VELOCITY faculty following her high school graduation, and has been with the team ever since. Routines she’s collaborated on with other staff members have been awarded several choreography awards, and she has helped lead VDT’s teams to regional and national championship titles. In addition to teaching at the studio, she’s passionate about coaching the Chaska High School Dance Team.
When she’s not dancing or coaching, Cayman loves to spend time with her family and dogs, write, travel, and relax at the lake. She is overjoyed to welcome both new and returning athletes into the VDT family, and can’t wait for another incredible season!
CHRISTINA HAMARI
Competitive, Technique, and Post-Dance Team
JORDAN FASCHING
Competitive and Post Dance Team
LEXCI HOUWMAN
Competitive
KYRSTEN WHIMS
Technique
COURTNEY RYDEEN
Post Dance Team
JESSICA STROHM
Technique and Post Dance Team
DORIAN BROOKE
Competitive
Bio and headshot coming soon!