Premiere Staff
Dawn Schulberg - Owner/Instructor
Dawn Schulberg has been working in the dance industry for over 30 years. She started her dance training at Barbara Sauer School of Dance and studied there for 10 years. She then went on to become very active in productions around Minnesota. Dawn was the producer, director, and choreographer for several productions including; Guys and Dolls, America Pride, I’ll be Home for Christmas, Emmanuel, Journey to Bethlehem, A Christmas Carol, and Rollin’ Down the River, to name a few. Dawn has also choreographed for the Regional Champion Sweet Adeline Chorus and for the local Miss Prior Lake Pageant. Dawn has been teaching dance for over 15 years, from ages 3 to 65! Dancers look forward to coming to the studio because of the enthusiasm and dedication she brings. Since opening the studio in 2003, Dawn and her daughters have been overjoyed to see the growth of the studio, as well as the community. She has been married to her wonderful husband Jerry for 33 years. They have three children together, Jason, Cassie and Callie, and are excited about their first granddaughter, Rylie! Dawn would like to thank everyone who has supported her through out this journey, and feels blessed to have such support throughout the studio, and the community
Cassie Schulberg - Owner/Instructor
Cassie Schulberg has been dancing since the age of three, and started teaching in 1998. After finishing high school, she went on to study at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and the University of Minnesota for a degree in Elementary Education. After college, she came back to Prior Lake to open Premiere Dance Academy along with her mother and sister. She has studied all types of dance, but has found that her favorite style to dance and to teach is tap. Cassie danced in the tap company “Keane Sense of Rhythm Youth Tap Ensemble”, under the instruction of Cathy Wind and Ellen Keane. She has studied several times in New York where she received training from choreographers such as Jared Grimes, Derek Grant, Germaine Salsberg, Ray Hesselink, and Lynn Schwab She has also had the chance to be a part of the “Chicago Human Rhythm Project” and has taken class from great artists such as Lane Alexander, Diane “Lady Di” Walker, and Jeni LeGon. She has also had the privilege to work with the Prior Lake Players and choreographed for “Grease” and “The Wizard of Oz.” Cassie loves working with kids and enjoys watching the progress that all of her students make from year to year.
Callie Schulberg - Owner/Instructor
Callie Schulberg has received her dance training from many studios throughout her dance career thus far, and has had the privilege to study with many masters from around the world. She is experienced in all forms of dance but specializes in Lyrical, Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, and Hip Hop. After graduating, she moved to New York City to train at Broadway Dance Center as an Intern. She was fortunate to work with various notable instructors and choreographers such as Jeff Amsden, Sheila Barker, Michele Assaf, Kat Wildish, Michelle Barber, Luam and Billy Larson. After New York, she then took an opportunity to travel to Tropea, Italy to study and perform at the Broadway A Tropea Festival where she worked with such artists as Desmond Richardson, Mandy Moore, Wes Veldink, and Jessica Hendricks. Callie is currently a company member of Crash Dance Productions and also performs with Alesso's Dance Spectrum. She feels blessed to be able to pursue her love of dance not only as a career, but also as a performer, teacher, and choreographer.
Cheryl Failor - Instructor
Cheryl began dancing at the age of 6 and continued taking dance until high school. She then was part of the high school danceline - the Roosevelt Rockettes. The Rockettes performed not only pom, pom dances but also tap and jazz on the stage. After graduating high school, Cheryl attended college in Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in business. After a long absence from dance, she resumed taking classes in tap, jazz and ballet. Cheryl then began teaching for Premiere in 2003. She has always had a passion for dance, and feels blessed to be able to share that passion with others. Cheryl is married to a wonderful man, and has four daughters who dance at Premiere. Cheryl believes dance is a great physical and mental sport, and she just plain LOVES TO DANCE!!
Tiffany Boozier - Instructor
Tiffany began her studio dance training at the age of three, and has an extensive background in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Kickline, Musical Production, and Hip-Hop. Tiffany is a graduate of Apple Valley High School where she was a member of the AVaire Dance Team, Captain of the Varsity Football Cheerleading Squad and student of the AVHS Educational Dance Department. Tiffany studied dance at the University of Minnesota and performed for two years with modern dance company Vox Medusa, and was also a member of the Minnesota Monsters AFL Performance Team. Tiffany has taken several Master classes with dance professionals from around the country. Tiffany has been a dance instructor at various studios throughout the metro area as well as coached and choreographed for high school cheer and dance teams.
Dani Wolf - Instructor
Dani Wolf recieved a BA in Dance from the University of Minnesota. While attending the
U of M, she had the opportunity to perform works by Jose Limon, Carl Flink, and HIJACK.
She has also studied at the Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts focusing on the
styles and choreography of Bob Fosse, Tommy Tune, Twyla Tharp and Michael Bennet.
Prior to attending the U of M, Dani traveled and performed with the international and
educational performing arts organization, "Up With People." In addition to her
dancetraining, she is also a STOTT Certified pilates instructor as well as an
ACE-certified personal trainer.
Lori Smith - Instructor
Lori Smith started dancing in 1969 at the age of five taking lessons from the Leffler
Sisters in Bloomington. In 1974 the Leffler’s closed their studio. Lori then moved
to the Barbi Lee Dance Studio in Edina where she studied Tap, Jazz and Ballet. She
started her competition years in 1976 when she was 12 years old. Loving every minute
of dance she decided to start assistant teaching at the age of 15 at the Barbi Lee
Dance Studio. In 1981 she started teaching classes; therefore, her assisting days
were over. In 2001, Lori decided to make the biggest change in her life teaching for
Prior Lake Dance Studio now Premiere Dance Academy. In 1985 Lori married Gary Smith
and they have resided in Savage since 2000 with their two children Dustin and Korina.
Lori really enjoys teaching dance because it gives her a great feeling doing something
she has loved all her life.
Anna Franzen - Instructor
Anna began dancing fifteen years ago with Minnesota Dance Theatre and School. Throughout high
school, she also studied at DanceAspen and The Jillana School, where she worked with notable
dancers such as Maria Tallchief, Alonso King, Merrill Ashley, Arthur Mitchell, and Allegra Kent.
Anna went on to graduate with derees in both dance and religion from Gustavus Adolphus College,
where she performed works by Gomez, Janczewski, Garner, and Mann. Throughout college she taught
ballet at the Dance Conservatory of Southern Minnesota. After college, Anna received her STOTT
pilates certifications and currently works as the Life Studio Coordinator at Lifetime Athletic,
Minnetonka. In addition to working as a pilates trainer, she works at her family’s law firm and
works operations for James Sewell Ballet in Minneapolis.
Kristin Grohs - Instructor
Kristin graduated with a BA in Dance and a minor in Education from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln and has been training since a young age in ballet, modern, jazz, and
tap. She has worked with many varied choreographers taking her to perform in New York
City, Washington DC, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. She is currently dancing
with Kinetic Evolutions, the Christopher Watson Dance Company, and the Eclectic Edge
Ensemble as well as teaching at Premiere Dance Academy in Prior Lake and Bauer Dance in
Jordan. Kristin is also attending school through Bemidji State, working to obtain her
Minnesota teaching license in dance, as well as working on her own choreography around
the city.
Dario Mejia - Instructor
Dario Mejia has been following his dreams ever since he was young. He started his formal
dance training at the age of eight and has been pursuing this career path ever since.
Receiving training through Larkin Dance Studio and graduating from Mahtomedi High
School with honors, he became well prepared for his future in the world of dance.
This lead him to become a National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts award
winner for dance in 2000. Dario continued his education at the Julliard School in
Manhattan to later join the Mark Morris Dance Group. Recently, Dario performed in
the film “Across the Universe,”with director Julie Taymor. He continued to travel
and perform with Nevada Ballet Theatre in 07’and Luna Negra Dance Theatre in 08’.
He is now returning from Chicago to pursue a career in teaching and choreography
for the community of the twin cities where he was raised.
Christine Donrbusch - Instructor
Christine Dornbusch is returning to Premiere where she was a student for 8 years before heading to college. She recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Gustavus Adolphus College with a BA in Dance and Biology along with a Neuroscience minor. While attending college, Christine was actively involved in the Gustavus Theatre and Dance Department as a dancer, actress, teaching assistant, and departmental academic assistant. She even had the unique opportunity to choreograph for her peers in a Musical Theatre Workshop course offered by the department. Christine was a member of the Gustavus Dance Company and performed works by Gutierrez-Garner, Rolnick, and Rusinko. She also had the privilege of performing in the 2009 American College Dance Festival Association’s North Central Regional Conference Gala. Christine currently serves as an AmeriCorps member with Admission Possible, a nonprofit college access program based in St. Paul, MN.
Theresa Spicer - Yoga Instructor
Theresa Spicer has been teaching various group fitness classes for the past 20 years
and has been instructing yoga for the past 3 ½ years. She is currently teaching yoga
at Premiere three mornings per week. Theresa is a certified YogaFit instructor. Her
yoga classes are based on the ancient fitness science of hatha yoga – blending balance,
strength, flexibility and power in a fitness format. YogaFit overcomes the mystery of
yoga by delivering a practical, user-friendly style, which is accessible,
understandable, and doable by individuals at any level of fitness.
