Originally from Belvidere, IL, her formal dance training began at Lewis Dance Progressions in Belvidere, IL. Since then, she has continued to train at the UW Dance Department, Millennium Dance Complex, and numerous studios throughout the Midwest and Western Europe.

Kate has served as a choreographer, teacher, and executive member of Optima, the largest dance organization on the UW campus. Throughout this time, she earned multiple awards, winning “Choreographer who is the Best Teacher Award” in 2013; “Best Teacher”, “Unique Choreography”, and “Best Music Award” in 2014; and “Best Teacher”, “Choreography”, and “Best Costumes” awards most recently in 2015.

While being heavily involved in Optima, Katie studied to obtain a degree in Biology and Life Sciences from UW-Madison. She is currently a marketing campaign manager at a healthcare marketing company, Influence Health, in Fitchburg. She also serves as a Communications Lead at GE Healthcare.

To Kate, teaching dance is the unique opportunity to share her passion with the next generation of dancers. She loves getting to know her students and their strengths to help them achieve their goals. One of her goals, meanwhile, is to pass along her love and passion for dance to each of her students just as her teachers did so for her. Her favorite part of dance is performance and showing passion through movement.

As a teacher and choreographer, Kate aims to make students feel engaged, challenged, and included in every class she teaches. Her goal is to empower students to grow as individuals and dancers through creative expression.

Fun facts: She grew up on a farm raising horses, chickens, and pigs. She has 4 siblings. She’s lived in Germany and Denmark.