Victoria McNamara - VDP Director

Victoria has over 30 years of dance and teaching experience. As a performer, Mrs. McNamara has appeared with stars such as Gloria Estefan and Savion Glover. Her choreography has received top honors throughout the nation winning awards such as Showbiz Talent Competitions' National Choreography Winner, Star Power Top Choreographer and Teacher of the Year. Many of Victoria’s students have gone on to professional careers on Broadway including Laura Osnes who is currently starring in "South Pacific". Additionally, her dancers perform with the New York City Rockettes, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves, national touring shows, off broadway and dance companies from coast to coast.

Victoria continues to keep her fingers on the pulse of the dance world as a judge for some of the top national talent competitions. She, along with her staff, strongly encourages academic achievement and challenges each dancer to reach their highest potential.

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Holly Winje

Holly is the Director of our Division A program. Mrs. Winje has a BFA in Dance Education from the University for the Arts in Philadelphia where she also taught and performed for over 10 years before settling to Minnesota in the fall of 2000.

Holly’s career at Victoria Dance Productions has spanned many years teaching all levels of dance. She continues her dance training in NY and LA each year. Teachers she has studied with are Judith Jamieson, Milton Myers, LaVaugh Robinson Roni Koresh, Mia Micheals.

Highlights of her career include dancing for Will Smith, with Grace Jones, and appearing in the movie Mannequin on the Move 2, teaching at Cab Calloway Middle School for the Arts and running dance camps for at Risk Kids.

Holly’s dedication to dance education is illustrated through her development of a creative movement program being taught in studios across the country. We are delighted to have Holly leading the way for Division A!!!

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Lauren Hutchison

Lauren is a VDP alumni, after starting with us in 1994 in our Opals class. Ms. Hutchison joined our competition teams two years later and went on to become a Regional and National Champion in tap, jazz, lyrical and ballet!

Since joining our staff 3 years ago, Lauren has choreographed solos and groups, including the National Championship Fabulous Feet lyrical routine for which she received the Showbiz National Choreography award!! Lauren's youth and enthusiasm mixed with her technical expertise and creative imagination make Lauren a fabulous addition to our staff.

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Eddie Strachen

Eddie Strachen has been a guest instructor/choreograph for Victoria Dance Productions for 3 years. We are delighted to welcome Eddie as a full time VDP staff member, where he will not only choreograph for our competition teams, but teach technique and his unique style to our dancers! Eddie Strachen trained in many disciplines spanning from tap dancing to lyrical, jazz, musical theater, and gymnastics and is one of the most versatile dancers today. Born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA, Eddie dances and has taught for many independent companies worldwide including Rhythmic Circus, Costa Rica Dance Fest, and has hosted master classes at the renowned Urban Dance Center, in Sydney, Australia. He has appeared on numerous TV shows including Ellyn, Dr. Phil, and Good Day L.A., and on ESPN. Eddie is currently on faculty with one of the nation's most highly regarded dance conventions, West Coast Dance Explosion.

Emily Heinen

Emily, a VDP alumni, began dancing with us in 1995 at the age of three. Emily was a National Champion with both her competition teams and her solos, winning titles in jazz, tap, and lyrical. In high school, Emily was a member of the Eastview High School Dance Team for 3 years, where they won the State Kick Championship in 2009. Besides dance, Emily also bring her gymnastics and tumbling background to her students. Emily loves working with the dancers and brings her enthusiasm and talent to every child she works with!

Jenny Pantano

Jenny began dancing at age 7. She trained at numerous studios throughout the Minneapolis area, including Victoria Dance Productions and Ballet Arts. At age 18, Jenny moved to Los Angeles, where she participated in the Performing Arts Center apprentice program under the direction of Jackie Sleight and Joseph Malone. Other teachers she studied with include Marguerite Derricks, Jerry Evans, Billy Goodson, Sallie Whalen, and Mark Goodman. Jenny performed with and acted as Dance Captain of the Mark Goodman Tap Company, touring throughout the Los Angeles area with the acclaimed show "World Tap". Other highlights of Jenny's career include dancing on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and teaching at various studios in Los Angeles.

Having grown up at VDP, Jenny is thrilled to be back after ten years and excited to share her love of dance with her students.

O'Calla Joslyn

O’Calla Joslyn attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she studied dance and theater, graduating with a bachelor in Community Development through the Performing and Visual Arts. While studying tap, jazz, ballet and theater at the University, she also studied dance abroad in Mexico (salsa) and India, while working on her Bachelor’s degree. After college O’Calla took the Director's position with Revolution Youth Theatre, an after-school theater and dance program at Independent School District #11, which she co-founded in 1995. O’Calla has choreographed for several theaters and studios throughout the Twin Cities since 1995, while continuing with her own dance performances.   She currently performs with April Sellers Dance Collective, a modern dance company. When time permits O’Calla continues her dance education taking class at Zenon Dance Company & School (Minneapolis), Broadway Dance Center (New York), and EDGE Performing Arts Center (Los Angeles). Victoria Dance Productions is delighted to welcome O’Calla back for another fabulous year!
 

Carolou Russell

Carolou comes to VDP from the Washington, D.C. area, where she founded four regional ballet schools and each school’s corresponding company. As an Artistic Director, Mrs. Russell had a distinguished career on the east coast where she choreographed and staged classical ballet, jazz, and modern performances in theaters and on television. In addition, Mrs. Russell has staged and choreographed numerous Broadway musicals in collaboration with regional theater directors.

Carolou's students are dancing on Broadway or with professional dance companies such as the New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Joffrey Ballet 2, Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Ballet West, Royal Ballet in England, and the Rockettes in New York, just to name of few of the dozens of companies influenced by Mrs. Russell's instruction. Many of her previous students have become dance teachers or choreographers themselves, such as Lisa Shriver, who has directed and choreographed numerous Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional performances (including Oklahoma!, The Producers, and Titanic), and several films (A Beautiful Mind, Hysterical Blindness, Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding, and House of D). Student Matthew Powell, a former dancer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet and Soloist with the Kansas City Ballet, is now teaching ballet at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and has most recently performed as A-rab in the international tour of West Side Story.

The Legacy that she brings to VDP…We are delighted to welcome Carolou to the VDP staff!

Michael Hlavac
Michael is the proud mother of two VDP dancers, Angelina and Wallace. Michael will be welcoming you from the Admin desk on Wednesday nights this year. She is the person to see to have all of your questions answered.

Stephani Calvert

Stephanie is a new face behind the VDP Admin desk this year. Stephanie, the mother of Star Dreamer Katie Calvert, is available on Thursday evenings to answer all of your questions. We are delighted to have Stephanie join us!

Lou Hutchison

Office Manager - Lou Hutchison is the VDP Office Manager. Lou began working at VDP one night a week, while her daughter Lauren took class. Now Lou keeps the studio organized. Mrs. Hutchison, in addition to being the smiling face that greets you behind the administrative desk 2 nights a week, Lou is in charge of the day to day operations of VDP.

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Jenn Heinen

Business Manager - Jenn Heinen joined the VDP family in 1995, when her daughter Emily, now a VDP instructor, starting dancing. Jenn, an Iowa State graduate, began working as our Accountant in 1996. Through the years, Jenn has taken on more and more responsibilities and tasks bringing her to her current position of VDP Business Manager. Mrs. Heinen is the proud mother of 5 beautiful children. We thank them for sharing their mom with us!

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Amy Shandis