ATTA Connection, 901 N Edgelawn Dr, Aurora, IL (2026)

07/08/2026

Introducing Kendra Schroeder who will be a faculty member at the ATTA Summer Dance Intensive THIS WEEKEND at YPAC! 🕺

Originally from Newark, IL, Kendra graduated from Point Park University with a BA in Dance Performance. She moved to Chicago to begin her career with Joel Hall Dancers. She also performed with Rasa Dance Theatre and became an original member of Chicago Tap Theatre. Kendra was the rehearsal director/dancer for Chicago Tap Theatre for nine seasons. She created the first all female tap dance company in Chicago, jorsTAP Chicago. Performance credits include Dance Chicago, Giordano Jazz Dance World Congress, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Lollapalooza (with the Polyphonic Spree), Ravinia, Duets for my Valentine, and other performances in Chicago, France, Cincinnati, Pennsylvania, and NYC. Teaching credits include workshops in Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and numerous studios in the Chicagoland area. Judging credits include over 10 years of local and national competitions and in-studio workshops. Kendra is Senior Account Manager for Capezio Collective and is also certified to teach youth yoga. She leaves her mark on the world by sharing the powerful effect of mindfulness in all movement techniques.

We have more faculty joining this weekend, so stay tuned! 👀
You can learn from Kendra THIS WEEKEND!!! Just TEXT (815) 916-6285 if you want to register! 📲

07/07/2026

🕺 ATTA Summer Dance Intensive is THIS WEEKEND (July 11-12) at YPAC 🕺
You can still sign up! Hone your skills by getting training from expert teachers 💪

👉 Students ages 4-7 can join ATTA Kids a one day program geared to their age group.

This is event is open to anyone! So join the weekend if you want to refine your dance skills this summer!

TEXT (815) 916-6285 TO SIGN UP! 📲

07/07/2026

Check out the another faculty member joining the ATTA Summer Dance Intensive THIS WEEKEND at YPAC! Edson Barbosa is returning to another ATTA event and has a lot to teach our students 🕺

Barbosa joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2014 and has since performed an expansive
range of soloist and principal roles across classical and contemporary repertory.
Highlights include Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet (Pastor), Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid
(Neumeier), Basilio in Don Quixote (Possokhov), The Great Impresario in The
Nutcracker (Wheeldon), Escamillo in Carmen (Scarlett), Karenin in Anna Karenina
(Possokhov), Robbie in The Times Are Racing (Peck), Elegy in Serenade
(Balanchine), Lennie in Of Mice and Men (Marston), Saint John in Jane Eyre
(Marston) and the Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Wheeldon). He
has also danced leading roles in works by Jiri Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Justin Peck,
Alexander Ekman, Gerald Arpino, Stanton Welch, Chanel DaSilva and many others.
Beyond his work as a performer, Barbosa has established himself as a choreographer
and educator. His choreography has been featured in the Grainger Academy of The
Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works (On the Same Boat), Embarc (Heart Asks for Pleasure,
Moody Rhapsody), and International Ballet Greenville (Moody Rhapsody) and the
Grand Rapids Summer Festival (Indifferent). He has performed as a guest artist with
Grand Rapids Ballet, Michigan Ballet Theater, and Monarch Dance Academy,
Westside Ballet and Danzamérica Opening Ceremony in Argentina. He served as a
Guest Judge at the Prix de Lausanne in 2024. His choreographic voice continues to
develop alongside a celebrated performance career spanning over a decade with The
Joffrey Ballet.

We have more faculty joining this weekend, so stay tuned! 👀
TEXT (815) 916-6285 if you want to register! 📲

07/06/2026

ATTA Summer Dance Intensive is THIS WEEKEND at YPAC and we have a lot of amazing staff coming to teach our students! First, we are introducing the talented Lindy Wade! 🕺

Lindy Wade is a dance teacher, choreographer, and former studio owner with over 25 years experience working with children and adults. She is trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, pointe, contemporary and musical theater. Lindy has trained students who have gone on to dance on college dance teams as well as professionally in music videos, commercials, modern dance companies, cruise ships, Vegas shows and more. Her goal as a teacher is to help dancers find their voice through movement and to offer a space to learn without intimidation or fear. Lindy prides herself on creating an open environment while challenging dancers to become their best through technical training and impactful choreography.

Stay tuned to learn about other faculty joining the ATTA intensive 👀
TEXT (815) 916-6285 if you want to register! 📲

06/08/2026

A HUGE Congratulations to Nathan Lucrezio for winning a Tony Award for Schmigadoon!!! 🕺

Nathan has been a faculty member for at ATTA for past events and we are so proud to see his accomplishment. He not only shines on Broadway, but also shares his light with the next generation. We are so grateful for all he has done for us. 💖

Congratulations Nathan! 🥳

01/18/2026

Big congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients for Bloom Dance Competition, 360 Dance Festival, and Attas 2nd Chance To Dance 🩰✨ Keep dancing, dreaming, and shining!

01/16/2026

Our 3rd and final judge for the 2nd Chance to Dance competition coming TOMORROW is Richard Smith🕺

Richard Smith is the proud owner and executive director of 360° Dance Festival. Richard’s approach to teaching and directing dance is focused on alignment, strength, coordination, manipulation of the body, and the origination of movement. He believes that the only way to grow as a dancer is to understand the fundamentals of movement and to constantly work on mastering technique. Only by working on fundamentals and technique, can the dancer begin to tap into the personal connection of the movement and the music. Only after making that connection, can the dancer generate a performance from a vulnerable place of truth, making the dancer’s connection to the audience real and pure. It is this philosophy of finding truth through personal connection that keeps Richard passionate about teaching and helping dancers, dance teachers and choreographers reach their highest artistic potential. Richard has expertise in classical, lyrical and contemporary jazz, classical ballet and modern dance to dancers of all ages. He shares a special connection with pre-teen/youth dancers. He believes he learns the most about his teaching methods in the pre-teen/youth age group because they are very receptive to learning new concepts and they enjoy being exposed to new ideas.

Richard attended East Carolina University in North Carolina, where he earned a BFA in Dance Performance, with a concentration in Jazz Dance and Dance Education in 2000. After college, he moved to Chicago to train with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Richard’s former students can be found in dance programs around the country. Smith is the technique expert for More Than Just Great Dancing Affiliate Studios and serves on the advisory board for Youth Advocates Protection in Dance (YPAD). Richard is excited to be leader in the movement to promote the health and wellness of the whole dancer.

We are glad to have him back for our 2026 2nd Chance to Dance competition and can't wait to hear the valuable feedback he has for our dancers 💪

01/15/2026

Introducing our next judge for the 2nd Chance to Dance competition coming THIS SATURDAY!!! Meet Edson Barbosa 🕺

Edson Barbosa, raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, began his training in ballet, jazz, and tap at age 10 with Patricia Marques at Grupo Cultural de Dança, Ilha. He was named Best Male Dancer at the 2012 Festival de Dança de Joinville. A decorated competitor, Barbosa was a two-time Top 12 finalist at Youth America Grand Prix, a Top 6 finalist at the Beijing International Ballet Invitational. In 2012, he won a top prize at the Prix de Lausanne, where he was named Best Male Dancer of the competition’s 40th edition.

Barbosa joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2014 and has since performed an expansive range of soloist and principal roles across classical and contemporary repertory. Beyond his work as a performer, Barbosa has established himself as a choreographer and educator. His choreography has been featured in the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works (On the Same Boat), Embarc (Heart Asks for Pleasure, Moody Rhapsody), and International Ballet Greenville (Moody Rhapsody) and the Grand Rapids Summer Festival (Indifferent). He has performed as a guest artist with Grand Rapids Ballet, Michigan Ballet Theater, and Monarch Dance Academy, Westside Ballet and Danzamérica Opening Ceremony in Argentina. He served as a Guest Judge at the Prix de Lausanne in 2024. His choreographic voice continues to develop alongside a celebrated performance career spanning over a decade with The Joffrey Ballet.

We are glad to have him join in for our 2026 2nd Chance to Dance competition and can't wait to hear the valuable feedback he has for our dancers 💪

01/14/2026

Introducing our first judge for 2nd Chance to Dance coming THIS SATURDAY!!! 🕺
Meet Jacqueline Burnett:
JACQUELINE BURNETT (she/her, Pocatello, ID) received her formative classical ballet training in her hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, from Romanian Ballet Master Marius Zirra. She moved to New York City in 2005 to pursue the Ailey School/Fordham University joint BFA degree, graduating magna cm laude with departmental honors in 2009. She joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in January 2008 as a Center Apprentice while completing her degree and became a member of the main company in August 2009. She received a 2011 Princess Grace Honorarium for Dance and was a member of the HSDC contingent for DanceMotion USA 2013, a U.S. State Department/Brooklyn Academy of Music cultural diplomacy tour in Algeria, Morocco, and Spain. In addition to dancing with HSDC, she also teaches company class, has choreographed for the Create Summer Intensive, serves as a repetiteur for choreographies by Penny Saunders (Ballet Idaho, Grand Rapids Ballet, Seattle Dance Collective, Royal New Zealand Ballet), and is a freelance dancer with Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists. Her choreography has been commissioned by Chicago Movement Collective for the Claire Bataille Legacy Program, Danza Visual in Mexico City, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s production of Murder on the Orient Express under the direction of Annika Boras.

We are super excited to have her on board for our 2026 2nd Chance to Dance competition and can't wait to see how she helps our dancers improve 💪

04/26/2025

We are LIVE!!!! Check out the livestream of our 2nd Chance To Dance!

ATTA Connection

07/08/2026

07/07/2026

07/07/2026

07/06/2026

06/08/2026

01/18/2026

01/16/2026

01/15/2026

01/14/2026

04/26/2025

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