Who We Are

Lake Michigan Dance Academy is an up-and-coming dance studio located in the heart of Allendale, Michigan, less than a half hour outside of Grand Rapids and just three hours outside of Chicago. We pride ourselves on developing the whole dancer - creatively, technically, and artistically. Lake Michigan Dance Academy will provide students with expert instruction by professional and pre-professional dancers, while fostering a safe and encouraging environment for our students to grow and mature in their art form.

Our Mission

Lake Michigan Dance Academy is dedicated to providing students with quality dance instruction,
​and instilling in them a passion for the art form that we share with our community.

Our Team

Alissa Tollefson
Founder, Director

Alissa graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hope College in December 2010 where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education and Dance Education. While at Hope, Alissa received the Distinguished Artist Award as well as the DeLong Dance Award for outstanding achievement in dance. Upon graduation, Alissa moved to Chicago to pursue her professional dance career. She apprenticed for River North Dance Chicago for two summers and participated in the Scholarship Program at Lou Conte Dance Studio before becoming a full-company member at Thodos Dance Chicago, a contemporary dance company. While dancing professionally, Alissa continued to pursue her passion for educating children in the art form, and spent five years teaching and choreographing for children and adolescents ages 3-25 at various studios and intensives throughout the Chicagoland area. Alissa spent four seasons with Thodos Dance Chicago, before moving to Allendale, Michigan. Alissa worked as a Part-Time Professor at Grand Valley State University for the 2015-16 and 2017-18 school year where she taught Modern and Jazz technique classes and choreographed pieces for the Fall and Spring Dance Concerts. She is also on faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp where she continues to inspire and influence young artists from around the country. Alissa is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3, and is excited to continue her education while imparting this knowledge to her students at Lake Michigan Dance Academy.

Caleb Tollefson
Founder, CFO

Caleb Tollefson graduated Summa Cum Laude from Grand Valley State University in December 2009 where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration. While at Grand Valley, Caleb interned at Herman Miller and assisted with preparing their quarterly financial statements. Upon graduation, Caleb worked in the assurance practice at Ernst and Young where he supervised audit teams, assisted clients with financial reporting, and ensured clients maintained adequate internal controls. During the time Caleb was at EY, he also served as Treasurer at Water of Life Community Church. As the Treasurer, Caleb created and implemented policies and procedures to promote the safeguarding of financial contributions. Caleb went on to become a Manager at Baker Tilly where he split his time between the assurance and advisory practices. He assisted clients in a wide array of areas ranging from financial reporting to providing recommendations on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes within their companies. Caleb continues to assist Baker Tilly as a contractor, and is blessed with the opportunity to work full-time at Lake Michigan Dance Academy.

Leah Fiore
Assistant Director

Leah originates from Libertyville, IL where she grew up dancing at Talent Forum under the instruction of many of Chicago's professional dancers. She performed with their youth jazz company, Forum Jazz Dance Theatre, for five years, including in Eddy Ocampo's Gold Shoe Award-Winning performance in the Leo's Dancewear Competition at Jazz Dance World Congress 2011. Upon graduation, Leah went on to study at the the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University where she performed works by Doug Varone, Douglass Bentz, and Alyson Laury. She graduated in 2012 with Honors and a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, along with a Business Management minor. After college, Leah trained and performed with jazz/modern company LehrerDance in Buffalo, NY and Inaside Chicago Dance in Chicago, IL, all the while continuing to teach a variety of styles and ages at dance studios in those areas. Leah completed Module 1 of her Acrobatic Arts Certification and is excited to grow this program at Lake Michigan Dance Academy as the Assistant Director.

Robin Beckman
​​Class Instructor

Robin grew up in Fenton, MI, graduating in 2016 from Milford High School. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business and Dance from Grand Valley State University, where she has worked with multiple guest artists in the styles of Ballet, Pointe, and Modern. As a child, Robin danced with Fenton Dance Academy, training in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Modern, and Musical Theatre. She received her Grade V Elementary Professional Cecchetti certifications under the instruction of Susan Carter. There she also worked as a student instructor for six years, and an instructor for two. Robin has also competed across the US, from Chicago to Savannah, Georgia, with the Academy. She attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in the summer of 2011, and has also worked with the Cambrians Dance Company, housed in Chicago. ​

Allie Cates
Class Instructor

Allie grew up in Charlotte, MI where she began her dance training at the age of 4. She was trained in ballet and pointe at The Dance Conservatory. Later she was accepted as a company member for Capital Ballet Theatre (formally known as Children’s Ballet Theatre), where she performed full length ballets including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Allie attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Grand Rapids Ballet Summer Intensive, and various Master Classes. Allie is a senior at Grand Valley State University where she studies elementary education and dance education. Here she has taken classes in ballet, pointe, partnering, modern, and jazz.

Karley Dorner
​​​Class Instructor

Karley, originally from Metro-Detroit, started exploring her love for dance at the age of 3. She trained at The Turning Pointe School for the Performing Arts where she studied an array of dance styles. As a member of the studio company, she danced competitively and regularly performed for the community. Her favorite performances include dancing in several Lion’s Thanksgiving halftime shows alongside Mariah Carey, Jesse McCartney, and The Goo Goo Dolls. Karley spent her summers training at workshops such as Giordano Dance Chicago, Break the Floor in NYC, and classes at The Edge Performing Arts Center and Millennium Dance Complex in LA. Her passion for dance led her to Grand Valley State University where she was a recipient of the Dance Department Scholarship, and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. During her time at GVSU, she had the privilege of working with many guest artists such as Charles Askegard, Julie Blume, Lauren Edson, and Autumn Eckman. Since graduating, Karley has spent the past 5 years teaching Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, and Lyrical at several studios in the Grand Rapids area, working with students ages 3-20. She was an Adjunct Professor at GVSU from 2016-2017 where she taught Jazz and Modern, and choreographed works for the Fall and Spring Dance Concerts. She has also had the opportunity to choreograph and perform for community events, the most recent being Bid for Bachelor’s 2019 which benefits Friends & Families of Cystic Fibrosis. Aside from her dance life, Karley works for Grand Rapids Public Schools as a Paraprofessional in the Special Education Department.

Shelby Franklin
Class Instructor

Shelby began her dance training at the age of 3 at Roxana's Dance Expressions in Clarkston, Michigan where she was able to study under the direction of her Mother. She then attended Grand Valley State University where she received her Bachelor of Science in dance and allied health sciences. Throughout college she had the opportunity to perform with the GVSU dance ensemble, be a Captain of the national award winning Laker Dance Team, and Vice President of Move 2 the beat dance crew. Shelby also holds her Doctorate of physical therapy from the University of Michigan and specializes in performing arts rehab in the greater Grand Rapids area. While attending PT school, Shelby performed professionally as a Detroit Lions Cheerleader and with Next Level Dance Company. Shelby loves to bring a flair of health, science, and fitness to her dance education and looks forward to sharing her talents on staff with Lake Michigan Dance Academy.

Jillian Gasper
Class Instructor

Jillian Gasper grew up in Gowen, Michigan where she began her dance training at the age of 11. She was classically trained in Ballet through the Cecchetti method and in many dance styles including Pointe work, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop as well as the opportunity to participate in competition teams. She is a 2011 graduate of Hope College where she earned a bachelors degree in dance with a focus on performance and choreography and a minor in psychology. During her time at Hope College she performed and choreographed many original pieces. Post graduation she had the opportunity to travel to Buffalo, New York and take part in the Lehrer Dance summer intensive.  She has enjoyed six years of teaching experience and continues to share her passion for dance by teaching and choreographing at various locations; including being a faculty member at the Grand Rapids Ballet School.

Danelle Hyde
Class Instructor

Danelle started dancing at the age of three, and grew up dancing at a studio in Grand Rapids, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary. Through high school she assistant taught and after graduating, became an instructor as well as an office administrator at the studio she grew up at. After high school, Danelle went to GRCC where she continued to study dance for 2 years while also dancing with the Grand Rapids Groove, and then graduated from Baker College with a degree in Veterinary Technology in 2010. She became a competitive team instructor after graduating college, winning several choreography awards for her routines in tap, contemporary, and lyrical. Danelle also is proud to say she is the lead choreographer for the nonprofit event Bid for Bachelors and Bachelorettes, which benefits the charity Friends and Family of Cystic Fibrosis.

Patty Villanueva
Class Instructor

Patricia graduated from Hope College with a B.A. in Dance. She has been a Lansing area teacher for many years, teaching at Happendance-Okemos, The Dance Conservatory-Charlotte, Nerve Dance Company-Lansing, Adjunct faculty at MSU Department of Theater and Dance, and summer sessions at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Her choreography has been shown in venues across the state of Michigan, as well as in Chicago and Martha’s Vineyard; in 2014 Patricia was a finalist for the Maggie Allesee Choreography Award. She has served as Repititeur and Ballet Mistress for the Children’s Ballet Theater of Michigan, the Junior Division of Greater Lansing Ballet Company, and the Junior Division of Holland Area Youth Ballet. In her former life she performed with Happendance Professional Company (now Velocity!), Happendance Education Exchange, Greater Lansing Ballet Company, and Aerial Dance Theater. She is now happy to pass the floor burn and blisters on to others and stick to the stressful-but-less- busive jobs as Artistic Director for both Velocity Concert Dance and Education Exchange Outreach Company, and as an assistant director with Impulse Student Dance Company. She lives in Eaton Rapids with her husband, Tony, a rotation of daughters and son-in-law, and 2 cats.

Jayma Tagliavia
Class Instructor

Jayma grew up in Ortonville, Michigan where she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandon High School in 2015. She spent the majority of her childhood at Creative Dance Center training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary and Hip Hop. In addition to training, she assisted instructors in classes for younger kids, worked as a substitute instructor, and performed administrative tasks for her home studio. Jayma attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp during the summers of 2011-2013, and performed in cities across Western Europe while touring with Blue Lake International Ballet during the summer of 2012. Jayma is currently a Senior at Grand Valley State University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training.

Lindsay Filcik
Class Instructor

Lindsay Filcik graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hope College in 2008 with a bachelors degree in elementary education. She went on to earn her masters degree in educational differentiation from Grand Valley State University. Lindsay grew up loving children, and pursued that love both by nannying, and by teaching preschool, and early childhood dance classes for her dance studio. After graduating college, Lindsay was hired as an elementary school teacher in Allendale, Michigan and has taught there for ten years. Lindsay grew up dancing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and chose Hope College for its high reputation in the dance community. She spent her four years at Hope dancing in faculty concerts, student choreographed concerts, and she also performed as a member of the IDT jazz and tap company. After she graduated, Lindsay danced with IDT for four more years until she became a mother. Lindsay is now a mother of three, continues her elementary teaching career, and sincerely enjoys bringing the joy of dance to the littlest dancers!