Owner / Director

Brook has been sharing her love for dance with student for over 16 years. She has been owner/ director of Storm Dance Alliance for five years, during which time, has instructed thousands of dancers, helping to guide them into successful dance careers, including college programs, teaching positions, choreographers, and work as professional dancers. Brook believes in the principles of providing Storm Dancers with a strong foundation in both technique and performance ability, thereby creating versatile, well trained dancers that are successful in any genre of dance.

Brook has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, lyrical, and tap, as well as acrobatics, poms, and modern. She completed her dance training at Northern Illinois University in their award winning dance program. While there, Brook also completed her bachelor of science in Nursing.

Brook has directed the Storm Dance Alliance Competition Company through five successful seasons. As director, the Company has grown to over 95 talented members, and has won many regional and national titles. Her choreography has won numerous awards, including several top petite and junior choreography awards,and teen and senior top entertainer titles at competitions in the 2009 season. Under her direction, the company has traveled to compete and perform in Myrtle Beach, Walt Disney World , Dance Chicago, and Branson, MO. The company and its’ dancers have been invited to dance in Germany, New York, Las Vegas, and more. Brook has also successfully implemented the new Poms Team to the studio, offering a wonderful opportunity for dancers wanting to experience the joy of competition at a less intense level.

Under her direction, the studio has developed a beautiful annual Nutcracker performance, which over the past five years has grown to a cast of over 200 dancers. Each December, Storm Dance Alliance has entertained dance lovers from the local and surrounding areas with its charming rendition of a classic holiday favorite.

Brook prides herself on providing a family friendly studio environment, and fulfilling dancers’ dreams of performing by ensuring that they receive training from the best teachers the area has to offer. All instructors at Storm are talented, current dancers who have the ability to inspire excellence from all of their students. She is extremely proud of the place that Storm has become, and strives for an even brighter future for the studio and all of its dancers.

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Christina Bedoe is a 2006 graduate from the University of Iowa with a B.F.A. in dance with an emphasis in ballet, modern, choreography, and dance kinesiology. She studied under esteemed instructors: Charlotte Adams- founding member of Tenth Street Danceworks, Armando Duarte- member of Cinse Negro Dance Company, Jennifer Kayle- founding member of Architectsdance, and George De La Pena and Eloy Barragan- both former members of American Ballet Theatre. Christina also had the exciting and unforgettable opportunity to take master classes from dance companies such as Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane, Pilobolus, Alvin Ailey, Hubbard Street, and Luna Negra dance theatre. Christina was a member of "Dancers in Company", the universities traveling dance troupe and she also danced a summer season with "Duarte Dance Works" in 2005. In the spring of 2006 Christina had the amazing opportunity to be able to participate in the American College Dance Festival where she was able to take classes from master teachers all over the country as well as perform and have her own choreography adjudicated.
Christina has taken her love of dance and has combined this with her love for children and been teaching since her graduation from college! Since joining the Storm staff in May of 2006, Christina has strived to teach the basic principles of technique, as well as a strong work ethic, and enthusiasm for the art of dancing to students both big and small. Christina has a strong belief in challenging students in the pre-school and kindergarten programs to learn and grow more than many think possible, while keeping it a fun and exciting classroom, a place where dancers look forward to coming to each week. Many of Christina’s dancers have gone on to pursue professional dance training at various colleges and pre-professional programs, some even following in her footsteps to pursue dance at the University of Iowa!
Christina has also had the wonderful opportunity to choreograph for the studio’s yearly production of the “Nutcracker”, and the pleasure of being one of the competition company’s teachers and choreographers. Christina’s routines have won many awards and high placements, truly showing her passion for dance, and her dedication to her students.

Leandra Groth began dancing at age four. By age eight she found herself intensely training in various styles of dance. She spent seven years training and competing with Ted Jackson’s Midwest Movement and achieved countless high score accolades and titles. Also, Leandra has studied with some of the most prominent ballet instructors in the Chicago land area, including Avnun Yakubov, Homer Bryant, and Peff Modelski -of New York- along with some of the country’s leading hip hop and jazz choreographers such as Brian Freidman, Tovaris Wilson, and Ray Leeper. Her performances include Avnun Yakubov’s United States premier of the ballet “Bambi”, and the opening performance for “Fat Joe” in Chicago. Having been teaching and choreographing for the past three years, she has been assistant teaching/choreographing throughout the United States and Canada as well since the age of 15. In 2009 Leandra toured with Co Dance convention as a 2008 AT (Assistant Teacher). Most recently she was one of few choreographers/dancers who created the dance on Oprah’s 24th season premier. At twenty years old with an associate’s degree from College of DuPage, Leandra continues to teach/choreograph while building her career as a professional dancer.

Sergio's dance career began at the age of 16. He started as a breakdancer & tumbler. He trained intensely for the next couple years and went on to compete all over the nation in various Breakdancing Competitions. Suffering from an injury that would force him to discontinue his training, he shifted his dance career into an entirely different & unexpected path. He was introduced to jazz & hip-hop choreography/training through Xtreme Dance Force. He quickly fell in love with the this new world of dance he was introduced too. He became a full-time dance student and took every possible class he could in any style. The majority of his training was focused toward Hip-Hop but he would also take the time to train in jazz/lyrical, contemporary & ballet. Training with Xtreme Dance Force also lead him to compete on the hit MTV show Americas Best Dance Crew with 6 other dancers from the troupe. Sergio has also had the opportunity to open up for artists like Tyrese, Ciara & Souljah Boi. Now a full-time dance instructor, Sergio hopes to continue sharing his experience and love for dance with any dancer willing to learn.

Experience: Singer / Dancer / Actor / Musician

Film: Featured in GRAN TORINO Clint Eastwood IMDB /NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS Alfredo De Villa Value City commercial 06 dancer back to school sale / Fox news channel 11 singer / Diversity Shoot Olympics O'Connor Casting / Inspiration Sensation season 2 finalist TLN / Every Six Days short film/Life friends and Steroids /My New Car short film / Dance Performance Singing: Toured with Mwah! Performing Arts Group / Xtreme Dance force/Teacher/Dancer Opening Acts for Ruben Studard Boys and Girls Club of America
Washington DC / Chingy Tyrese Chamillionare / Ciara/Twista Lupie fiasco/Hllary duff/Neyo/Puala De Anda/ Dude N Em/Opening act for f 07 Pepsi summer bash B 96 with Dj Spin Bridge view stadium,/Performed and many charity and international events as singer speaker appearances!

Print: Xtreme Dance Force, Beacon News, Daily Chronicle

Skills: Piano / Guitar
Sports: Baseball, basketball, football, golf
Dance Teacher: Break dancer, Aurora Idol 04, and awarded many high scores in competitions, now trains in dance in LA
Languages: English, Spanish

Avnun Yakubov was born in Russia and received a Masters Degree in Choreography and Arts Management from the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in Leningrad.

Mr. Yakubov was the Artistic Director and Head Choreographer Alumnus of the Moscow Ballet Theater in Russia from 1973-1993. From 1974-1988, he staged numerous works in Italy, Austria, Turkey, and Greece. By invitation of the Italian government in 1992, he choreographed and produced "An Evening with Strauss." He also choreographed different ballets for the Kirov Theater in Leningrad and the Vaganova Choreography College.

From 1993-1997, Mr. Yakubov appeared in the Chicago Festival Ballet’s "Nutcracker" as Herr Drosselmeyer and served as Ballet Master and Choreographer for the Chicago Festival Ballet School. He served as a choreography instructor for the Looking Glass Theater Company’s production of Bulgakov’s "Master and "Margarita" and taught at the Lou Conte Studio. 
Mr. Yakubov was the Ballet Master and Head Choreographer for the Faubourg Ballet Theater from 1995-2001. In 1997-1998 he staged and choreographed Ravel’s "Bolero" and "Paquita" with Alexander Lunev (principal dancer with the Kirov Ballet). In 1999-2000, he served as Ballet Master and choreographer at the Academy of Dance Arts. There he staged and choreographed "New Ballet Divertissement" and "Paquita" with Roger Van Fleteren (principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre) and Yumelia Garcia (principal dancer with Milwaukee Ballet).  

From June 2001 till August 2007 Mr. Yakubov was a Founder and Artistic Director of " Ballet Cultural Arts Center" and "Youth Ballet Theatre of Chicago - NFP"

In 2002 – Evening of Ballet was preformed at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts. Featured guest artists included Elena Martinson & Andrei Ustinov formerly principal dancers from the Kirov Ballet Theater and Mr. Yakubov’s Youth Ballet Theatre pre-professional division students. 

In the summer of 2004 Mr. Yakubov proudly presented his US Ballet Premier of “BAMBI”.  This full length ballet in 2 acts featuring original libretto stage version with staging and choreography by Mr. Yakubov.  Performances by Milwaukee Ballet Theater members Jennifer Provins and Christopher Fellows - 1 st Principal Soloists and Kirk Henning of Daytona Ballet Company – Principal Soloist.  Performing from the Youth Ballet Theater (YBT) NFP were Principal Soloists Renee Briglio, Lindsay Cregier and Kira Stiers and the pre-professional division students of the YBT.  This wonderful event was held at Hemmens Cultural Arts Center.

Starting in September 2009 Mr. Yakubov will continue his carrier with Golden’s School of Dance as Ballet Master Teacher. His classes will be featured every Wednesday evening.