Dedicated Instructors, Exceptional Training

Emma has danced at DcD since she was three years old and she is a member of the East Dance Company as a senior at East High School. Emma enjoys all styles of dance, with ballet, hip hop, contemporary, and jazz among her favorites. In the summer of 2024, she trained at the Joffrey Ballet School. Outside of dance, Emma enjoys spending time with friends and family, babysitting, and baking. After teaching at DcD throughout last year, Emma is thrilled to return to the classroom this season. During the 2026 Triple Bill, she assisted with the intermediate jazz piece "Soda Pop" and choreographed, taught, and performed an original group piece titled "The Miraculous". Emma loves the Dance Conservatory of Denver and feels incredibly grateful to learn and teach in such a supportive, fun, and inspiring environment.

Jem Michalec is a senior Dance major at Denver School of the Arts, and has danced at DcD since the age of three. Jem is also a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Youth Ensemble, where he explores various techniques such as modern, West African dance, Latin dance, and contemporary. Throughout his dance life, he has visited and taken part in various dance environments, such as the Regional High School Dance Festival in Texas, Perry Mansfield summer dance intensive in Steamboat, CO, and Complexions Dance in New York City. Outside of the studio, Jem enjoys filmmaking, listening to his favorite music, and hanging out with friends and family. In the 2025-2026 DcD season, Jem taught a contemporary class with the goal of strengthening dynamic movement in dancers, and empowering the love for the art. In the 2026 Triple Bill, he choreographed a contemporary quartet titled "MULTIPLICITY." Jem is so thrilled to return to the studio as a modern dance teacher, and he can't wait to share his love for dance with the DcD community.

First dancing with the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater's "CONSORT" youth dance training and development program, Cedric Hall later became a full-time company member with the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater. While in High School he was featured in a number of musicals including The Wiz, West Side Story, and Footloose to name a few. He has also worked with renowned choreographers such as Terrence Green, Diane McIntyre, Gary Abbott, Kevin Iega Jeff, Christopher Huggins, Rennie Harris, Donald McKayle, and many more. Mr. Hall is on his 14th season with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble where he also serves on the faculty with the Cleo Parker Robinson Academy of Dance as the Director of the CPRD Junior Youth Ensemble and Rehearsal Director for the second company.

Juliet Michalec is an alumni dancer of Dance Conservatory of Denver, and was a DcD student from 2008-2023. Juliet graduated from Denver School of the Arts as a dance major. She currently attends Pennsylvania State University for architecture, and she is heavily involved in Volé, a dance club at Penn State, as a teacher, choreographer and performer.

Elena Bonilla grew up dancing in Denver, training in both ballet and contemporary technique. After dancing with DcD, she went on to study at Chapman University in Southern California. Her involvement with the dance program at Chapman provided opportunities to train and showcase original choreography. Back in Colorado, Elena has participated in P(art) Project's professional intensive training in contemporary movement, learning from many local dancer artists and taking part in an intense creative process. Dance is a special medium of expression that connects us in unique ways. Elena is grateful to be back with DcD to share that space again with young artists.

Dylan Duran was born and raised in Denver and began her dance training at the Dance Conservatory of Denver at the age of 3. Dylan graduated from Denver School of the Arts as a dance major and now attends Towson University as a double major in Dance Performance & Choreography and Forensic Chemistry on the Trace Evidence & Drug Analysis Track in the Honors College. At Towson, she apprentices with VTDance company under the guidance of Vincent E. Thomas, and studies with Catherine Horta-Hayden, Vincent E Thomas, Robert Kleinendorst, Caroline Rocker-Barnes, Runqiao Du and Alison Seidenstricker. Dylan has attended summer intensives with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Colorado State University, performing works by Paul Taylor and José Limon and studying under Chavar Monteiro, Robert Kleinendorst, Indah Mariana, Kellye Saunders, and Keith Sauders.