About Halcyon Dance
A little about where we come from
Our story begins many years ago when little Kristen took her first dance class. She fell in love with making friends, performing all over the state, and how the music made her feel. This developed into a life long passion for the arts, especially the ability they have to say through movement and music, what words sometimes simply cannot. Even with this passion, we know that the world of dance can be physically, mentally and emotionally hard on the dancers, the parents and the teachers. Knowing this, we strive to ensure that Halcyon Dance Studio is a prosperous, carefree, joyful environment and refuge, where everyone can thrive. We are dedicated to providing quality dance education and life lessons, through dance, for students and teachers that will stay with you for the rest of your lives. Dancing doesn’t only reside in a studio or on a stage, but In our hearts and souls. We thank you for trusting us to be here as you fail, learn, grow and shine. We couldn’t be here without you and your dreams to support.
Meet Our Staff
Ben Ukoh-Eke II
Ben Ukoh-Eke II
Ben Ukoh-Eke II
Alright, people, let’s do this one last time. My name is Ben Ukoh-Eke II (Wesley Swipes to most). I was bitten by a radioactive dancer. And for the last 15 years, I thought I was the one and only hip-hop/breakdance teacher I’m pretty sure you know the rest. You see, I danced for the city, fell in love with battling , danced for the city s
Alright, people, let’s do this one last time. My name is Ben Ukoh-Eke II (Wesley Swipes to most). I was bitten by a radioactive dancer. And for the last 15 years, I thought I was the one and only hip-hop/breakdance teacher I’m pretty sure you know the rest. You see, I danced for the city, fell in love with battling , danced for the city some more (Utah Jazz/NBA All Star weekend), maybe too much, made some dicey money choices (became a photographer),Then like fifteen years passed, blah, blah, blah, super boring, a drone flew into my face, broke some teeth on speaker, micro fractured my patella. But I handled it like a champion. ‘Cause you know what? No matter how many times I got hurt, I always get back up and kept dancing. And I got a lot of time to reflect and work on myself. And realized I enjoy teaching and it scared me. I'm pretty sure I’ll be your fifth favorite teacher. Flash forward, we are gonna have a great time in these classes!
derrick louizia
Ben Ukoh-Eke II
Ben Ukoh-Eke II
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Derrick Louizia is a true multifaceted professional whose journey began at the age of four, performing Haitian folklore dance in his mother’s dance group to connect with his roots. He went on to extensively train in a wide array of styles—including hip hop, contemporary, ballet, and Krump—studying
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Derrick Louizia is a true multifaceted professional whose journey began at the age of four, performing Haitian folklore dance in his mother’s dance group to connect with his roots. He went on to extensively train in a wide array of styles—including hip hop, contemporary, ballet, and Krump—studying at the Boston Arts Academy and later earning a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Dean College. Driven by a desire to expand his skill set, Derrick also went and furthered his knowledge in automotive technology, embodying the phrase, "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." Since relocating to Utah in 2017, he has booked prominent commercial dance gigs, including appearances on Disney's Andi Mack. Today, Derrick balances his passions flawlessly, teaching at Millennium Dance Complex and Junction Dance Studio while successfully operating his own automotive service business.
Eden Bertagnole
Ben Ukoh-Eke II
Eden Bertagnole
Eden started dance when she was 7 years old. She enjoys ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, modern, and Irish hard and soft shoe. Eden has trained with Nashville Ballet and Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev. Her training also includes the University of Wyoming under the direction of Marcia Knight and Margaret Wilson, the Boston Ballet, Dance Thea
Eden started dance when she was 7 years old. She enjoys ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, modern, and Irish hard and soft shoe. Eden has trained with Nashville Ballet and Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev. Her training also includes the University of Wyoming under the direction of Marcia Knight and Margaret Wilson, the Boston Ballet, Dance Theatre Harlem under Keith and Kelly Saunders. She has performed a contemporary ballet choreographed by Donald Wiliams. She also had the privilege of learning modern with both the Paul Taylor and José Limón dance companies.
Elly Anderson
Ben Ukoh-Eke II
Eden Bertagnole
Hi, I’m Elly! I love teaching ballet, contemporary, and jazz to all ages!! I’ve been dancing for 15 years, and trained pre-professionally at The Dance Conservatory mainly in ballet, so I bring that same passion and technique into every class I teach. I’m also a student at the University of Utah studying kinesiology and I’m on my way to b
Hi, I’m Elly! I love teaching ballet, contemporary, and jazz to all ages!! I’ve been dancing for 15 years, and trained pre-professionally at The Dance Conservatory mainly in ballet, so I bring that same passion and technique into every class I teach. I’m also a student at the University of Utah studying kinesiology and I’m on my way to becoming a physical therapist — my passions lie in movement, strength, and body awareness and how they all connect. My goal is to make students feel comfortable, confident, and supported!!
Emma Kelly
Kyohei Yoshida
Kramer snead
Emma was born and raised in Virginia. For the first decade of her life, she was an elite gymnast. Around middle school, she made the switch to dance and stumbled into her small town’s studio. Emma fell in love with dance and trained/competed at Degrasse Dance Studio, as well as performing with Potomac Ballet Company. Continuing her love f
Emma was born and raised in Virginia. For the first decade of her life, she was an elite gymnast. Around middle school, she made the switch to dance and stumbled into her small town’s studio. Emma fell in love with dance and trained/competed at Degrasse Dance Studio, as well as performing with Potomac Ballet Company. Continuing her love for dance in college, Emma was a member of Orchesis Dance Company and taught at studios in Centre County Pennsylvania. Now, she is excited to continue sharing her love for dance and storytelling with the Utah community!
Kramer snead
Kyohei Yoshida
Kramer snead
Kramer Snead was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of thirteen, Kramer moved to Fort Wayne Indiana where he was first introduced to dance at Sheekri Dance Style of Dance. He also trained at K.Monique's Studio of Dance and Elite Dance Center. At the age of fourteen he began training at Project Ballet in Fort Wayne. During th
Kramer Snead was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of thirteen, Kramer moved to Fort Wayne Indiana where he was first introduced to dance at Sheekri Dance Style of Dance. He also trained at K.Monique's Studio of Dance and Elite Dance Center. At the age of fourteen he began training at Project Ballet in Fort Wayne. During the next five years he focused on ballet technique and modern while working under Beth Mcleish. This training allowed him to dance with reputable dance institutions such as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance and Ballet Chicago. Through his ballet training, Kramer found a love for exploring other types of movement such as contemporary and hip hop. At the age of twenty-three he decided to slow down his training to give back to the dance community as a teacher. Now he teaches at Ballet West with a focus to help the students traverse in their execution of technique and movement while expanding their creativity as dancers.
Kyohei Yoshida
Kyohei Yoshida
Kyohei Yoshida
Kyohei is a former international professional ballet dancer who began his training in Tokyo, Japan. He was awarded full scholarships to study at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Ballet School, The Washington Ballet in Washington D.C., and the Elmhurst School in the United Kingdom, where he had the opp
Kyohei is a former international professional ballet dancer who began his training in Tokyo, Japan. He was awarded full scholarships to study at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Ballet School, The Washington Ballet in Washington D.C., and the Elmhurst School in the United Kingdom, where he had the opportunity to perform with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
During his dance career, he competed in many prestigious international ballet competitions, earning awards at the Youth America Grand Prix (New York Finalist), USA International Ballet Competition (Bronze Medal), the Shanghai International Ballet Competition (Finalist), the Brno International Ballet Competition (Silver Medal), and the Varna International Ballet Competition (Finalist). Kyohei went on to have a professional ballet career that took him to Slovakia, Japan, Michigan, Miami, and California. Throughout his career, he performed a wide range of principal roles, including Melancholic in George Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, Basil in Don Quixote, Ali in Le Corsaire, and Prince Siegfried in Kent Stowell's Swan Lake, in addition to many other classical roles. He also performed contemporary works, including the Principal Soloist in Kirk Peterson's Amazed in Burning Dreams, Iago in José Limón's The Moor's Pavane, and principal soloist roles in original works by Mario Radačovský.
Today, Kyohei is dedicated to sharing his experience as a teacher at Ballet West Academy and the University of Utah. He is passionate about passing on the knowledge he gained from world-renowned ballet masters. His mentors and coaches included artists and teachers from the Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Nederlands Dans Theater.
He is dedicated to teaching through the principles of anatomy, biomechanics, and physics, which he learned through teaching Pilates and applying it to ballet technique. He believes that a deeper understanding of how the body moves allows dancers to achieve greater freedom, artistry, and longevity. His approach honors the traditions of classical ballet while equipping students with the tools to dance in Balanchine, Vaganova, contemporary, and modern style.
Nikki Stookey
Kyohei Yoshida
Kyohei Yoshida
Nikki began dancing at age three and trained primarily in classical ballet. She has performed in productions including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and La Bayadère. Passionate about dance education, she enjoys sharing her love of movement and artistry with students of all ages. Nikki is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science
Nikki began dancing at age three and trained primarily in classical ballet. She has performed in productions including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and La Bayadère. Passionate about dance education, she enjoys sharing her love of movement and artistry with students of all ages. Nikki is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science to further expand her knowledge of movement and teaching.
Seth bertagnole
Seth bertagnole
Seth bertagnole
Seth Bertagnole graduated from the University of Michigan with his Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree in 2024. In 2021, he graduated with his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Science from the University of Wyoming where he trained in ballet, pas de deux, vertical dance, and studied several styles of modern dance including the Jos
Seth Bertagnole graduated from the University of Michigan with his Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree in 2024. In 2021, he graduated with his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Science from the University of Wyoming where he trained in ballet, pas de deux, vertical dance, and studied several styles of modern dance including the Jose Limon, Laban/Bartenieff, and Paul Taylor techniques. During his time at the University of Wyoming, Seth had the opportunity to work with professional dancers from the Limon Dance Company, the Paul Taylor Company, Dance Theater of Harlem, as well as the Boston Ballet. In Michigan while in physical therapy school, Seth continued his ballet training at the Flint Institute of Performing Arts. At the Flint Institute of Performing Arts, he worked with professionals from Collage Dance Collective and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. During the past decade, Seth has had the opportunity to be in several productions including The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Peter and the Wolf, Alice and Wonder Land, and A Midsummers Night Dream.