Miss Shana

Miss Cassie

Miss Cassie grew up in Southern Minnesota on a farm in the middle of nowhere. With little to do but watch the corn grow, she busied herself by spending as much time upside down as possible, cartwheeling and flipping instead of walking. At the age of 4, she took tumbling and, believe it or not, baton twirling and performed in her first recital. The performing bug bit her hard and she looked for any opportunity to be in front of an audience, singing, and dancing. Cassie started training in gymnastics in 2nd grade and earned a spot on the traveling team in 4th grade. She was a varsity gymnast in 7th and 8th grade before being sidelined for life when she had major back surgery due to scoliosis. After a year of healing, Cassie continued to tumble whenever she could but moved her performances to the stage where she starred and co-starred in many high school musicals and community theater productions in college. Always wishing she had the opportunity to really learn how to dance, Cassie started taking adult dance lessons at Shana's Dance Studio in 2011. Her passion for dance led her to a coaching position with the Chaska Hawks Dance Team from 2014-2016. In 2016, she began teaching Acro to dancers at Shana's, combining her love of tumbling with the creativity of dance. Miss Cassie is also a full-time art teacher at Chaska High School, a Stitch Fix Stylist, and a Go Glam Stylist for Kelley Conley Reiter Photography. Above all, she is the mother of two gorgeous dancers who seem to be following in their mother's footsteps, spending more time upside down than right side up. Cassie lives in Savage with her husband, daughters, and cat.

Miss Emily

Miss Emily has been dancing from the moment she could walk. At 4 years old she started taking dance classes and instantly fell in love. She joined Shana’s dance studio at the age of 12 and joined the studio’s competition team in its inaugural year. As a student, Miss Emily assisted multiple dance classes at the studio. After graduating from Prior Lake High School, she shifted from student to teacher and began teaching her own classes here. Miss Emily went to Normandale Community College before transferring to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a Minor in French Studies. Later on, she obtained a teaching license for English Education. Here at Shana’s she often teaches Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Broadway, and Acro. She continues to dance outside of teaching and takes the adult classes offered at the studio. Outside of dance, Miss Emily is a substitute teacher in the surrounding area. Being an animal lover, she also works at a local dog daycare. Miss Emily strives to help our students grow and learn every day through the joy of dance.

Miss Käthe

Miss Käthe (kay-ta) has been dancing since she was 2½ years old and did the majority of her training at Lake Area Dance Center. She competed in pom jazz and participated recreationally in tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical. Beyond the studio, she was active in her middle and high school theatre departments where she was assistant choreographer for the high school musicals her junior and senior years. She studied directing and choreography for a year at Drake University, where she took jazz and contemporary classes and was assistant director for two mainstage shows before transferring to the University of Minnesota Duluth. There, she switched majors but stayed active in dance. She took ballet and performed and choreographed for the student-led group Attitudes Dance Association all three years at UMD. After college, Käthe spent several years teaching at studios in the southwest metro. She discovered the adult classes at Shana’s Dance Studio in 2022 and has been dancing there ever since. Käthe loves being part of such a welcoming community and is glad she gets to share the joy of dance with the students!