'83: John Fanthorpe has developed his own Farm Bureau Insurance agency in the Grand Rapids area. He has won many national sales awards from Farm Bureau of America.

'85: Kathy Kaehler is an aerobics instructor, choreographer, teacher, and private trainer for Hollywood and Los Angeles high society. She has a television show in the Los Angeles area and has made many videos, which have sold worldwide.

'85: Kim Karpanty is a performer, teacher, and choreographer across the United States and has a professional dance company called Traversity. She has finished her M.F.A. at Arizona State University and is an assistant professor of dance at a major University in Ohio. Kim was an award recipient in the professional division of the Arizona statewide choreographers’ competition.

'86: Karen Wuertz-Bhaskar is a medical doctor in Beloit, Wisconsin.

'91: Heather Blaukamp is a Certified Yoga Instructor in MI.

'91: Terri Filips, M.F.A., is a professor of dance at a University in Buffalo, New York.

'91: Patti Stegink-Villanueva is a teacher and choreographer for a professional company in Lansing, Michigan.

'92: William Crowley, M.F.A., is currently teaching and choreographing for an Arts Academy in Miami, Florida. He started the first modern dance company in Miami in 2003, and recently returned Hope College as guest choreographer to set "Kawabata Suite" on Aerial Dance Theater (fall 2004).

For Crowley, Founder and Artistic Director of Next Step Dance, it has been a very busy fourteen years since graduating from Hope in 1992. After studying in the Communications and Dance departments at Hope, Crowley was a part of Aerial Dance Theater in Holland for two years, and then went on to receive an MFA in Dance at the University of Michigan. He later moved all over the nation to pursue dance opportunities, starting in Ann Arbor, where he danced for Dance Gallery and Peter Sparling & Company for two years. Crowley later moved to Chicago to teach, and then to Denver for a year, where he danced in two dance companies. Finally, Crowley ended up in Miami, where he originally taught at New World School, and now teaches at Barry University and the University of Miami. Crowley also currently runs his dance company Next Step Dance.

As Founder and Artistic Director of the company, Crowley’s responsibilities include marketing, advertising, accounting, scheduling, and various creative tasks like choreographing and performing. He says, “There is no such thing as a typical day […] Each day holds something new.” For Crowley, that is what keeps his job interesting; the variety keeps him active and engaged both mentally and physically.

The variety in his job requirements calls for many skills, but most important are organizational skills, according to Crowley, because, he says, “You need to be able to keep a cool head and at the same time stay on task.” Crowley is very appreciative of the education and preparation that Hope gave him for this profession. He says that he learned not only technique, but also proper behavior and protocol that have proved to be invaluable in his Performing Arts career.

Crowley advises students considering similar careers that if you have major doubts, don’t do it, because in the Performing Arts an inner passion should drive you to pursue dreams. “I firmly believe that the Arts choose you, not the other way around. Once it gets a hold of you, it doesn’t let go,” he sates. His final words of advice are to follow your heart. For William Crowley, who followed his heart to a successful dance career, this motto has clearly paid off.

'92: Christy Guth-Ross performed professionally before becoming a teacher, and choreographer for a Ballet Academy in MI.

'93: Elizabeth Gormly dances professionally and is finishing her Ph.D. in performance/choreography at a University in Texas.

'93: Katherine Vickers is a Certified Yoga Instructor in Washington, D.C.. Her clients include major political figueres and diplomats.

'95: Brenda Benedict Saban is living and working in Corona, CA.

'95: Kathleen Dominiak, M.F.A., received her Pilates Certification and has developed a dance program at Valpraiso University in Indiana.

'97: Nathanael Buckley is working with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York. He and his wife Alison live in Astoria, Queens in New York.

'97: Nicole Flinn created a K-12 dance program including curriculum for the Owosso school district in MI.

'97: Jonathan Fly received his M.A. in film making at the University of Toronto and is currently Company Manager for the Joyce Theatre in New York, NY.

'97: Jodi James is an Assistant Research Professor in Dance and Computation with the Arts, Media and Engineering program at Arizona State University.

'97: Ann Paeth passed away in Fall, 2004 while working on her Ph.D. in dance history for the University of California at Riverside. Memorial by Jack Ridl.

'97: Casey Slayton passed away Sept. 10, 2006 of injuries suffered in a car accident near Pedee Oregon. Memorial by Graydon Megan.

'97: Ellen Tomer has completed her master's in social work at Columbia University in New York City and is working in Rochester, New York. She is performing and choreographing for Present Tense Dance.

'98: Melissa Altobelli teaches dance at Community College in Michigan.

'98: Erin Daly is working on her Ph.D. in clinical psychology, specializing in movement therapy, at a College in Boston, MA.

'98: Kirsten Heinrich is performing professionally with the San Diego Ballet in San Diego, California.

'98: Jessica VanOort is completing a Ph.D. in dance at a University in PA.

'99: Caroline (Enos) June is currently the owner of Just Dance! Studios and the founder/director of Straits Area Dance Company in St. Ignace, Michigan.

'99: Jill Donehoo-Landes teaches dance at the middle school and high school in Zeeland, Michigan.

'99: Jennifer Karr is working with Jennifer Muller/The Works, a New York City based professional dance company, as well as other small companies around the city. She is a certified personal trainer working on specialty certifications in yoga and Pilates. She also teaches dance and choreographs throughout New York at several performing arts centers in Westchester County.

'99: Sarah (Snyder) Hegg is working as a clinical psychologist in Traverse City, Michigan.

'00: Angella Huddleston dances, choreographs, and is artistic director for a professional sacred dance company in Houston, Texas.

'00: Philip Leete teaches at West Senior High School in Traverse City, Michigan and serves as Artistic Director for Michigan Dance Collective.

'01: Kelly Buwalda performs with professional dance companies in New York City.

'01: Laurie Chalifaux is currently attending medical school in Indiana for dance medicine.

'01: Anne Houseworth is teaching dance and music in the Chicago Public School System.

'01: Jodi Kurtze has been selected as the 2007 Hope College Young Alumni recipient. This award is given annually to alumni who graduated with the last 15 years to recognize commitment to excellence in post-graduate life and a significant or ongoing committment to extraordinary work, research or volunteerism. It is the highest honor the Hope College Alumni Association can bestow on a young alumnus.

'01: Christy Lutz is a dancer for a professional contemporary dance company in Chicago, IL.

'01: Emily Poel received a second Congressional Scholarship for participation in the Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, allowing her to live and study in Germany. She was an intern in the Tanzfabrik in Berlin and is currently performing professionally and working with key choreographers in Berlin, Germany.

'02: Matt Stehle is dancing with a key professional dance company in Detroit, MI.


RECENT GRADUATES:

'08: Julie Marie Carrico has been accepted to Columbia College to pursue a two-year Masters program in Performing Arts Management. She is also teaching, taking classes and doing arts administration work at Joel Hall Dancers and Center.

'08: Anna Jonkman will begin basic training for the Michigan Army National Guard. Upon completion of basic training, she will be transfered to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland where she will complete the Advance Individual Training for the National Guard. Anna plans on returning to Michigan to work on the ground work for the February 2010 BlackDanceMichigan.

'08: Ann Snow is choreographing West Side Story for Encore Theatre of Libertyville, IL. In the fall of 2008, she will be attending Columbia College to pursue her Masters in Dance Movement Therapy and Counseling.

'08: Jenna Witten is working for Herman Miller as an Associate Product Manager in the Marketing Department.

'07: Sommer Amundsen will be attending Kansas University in the Bioengineering graduate program.

'07: Jennifer Andrews was accepted into North Carolina School of Arts for Performance Arts Management.

'07: Rebecca Bombard is currently a trainee member of Inaside Chicago Dance led by Kelly Ann Vitacca. Rebecca is also teaching dance in the Chicago area.

'07: Laurie Parker has been accepted into the master's program for Occupational Therapy at Grand Valley University.

'07: Amanda Piagnarelli is co-director of Midwest Edge Dance Academy in Naperville, IL.

'07: Krista Stanton is furthering her education at Des Moines University for Osteopathic Medicine.

'07: Erin Whaley is performing with The Detroit Dance Collective, a professional company based in Detroit, Michigan.

'07: Kristi Joy Wilkins gave birth to a healthy baby girl, March 15, 2008, named Sabine Adora Wilkins-Berghorst.

'06: Emily Liang is teaching English in the Marshall Islands, off the coast of Australia.

'06: Jessica Mumford is a research assistant in the Arts Media Technology program at ASU.

'06: Peter Hammer is living in Chicago and working with Chicago Tap Theatre.

'06: Paula Grahmann is working in Chicago at Joel Hall Second Company.

'06: Amanda Gardynik is working at Battle Creek Central High School as their fine arts coordinator and elementary dance teacher.

'05: Madeline Crist is living in Chicago and working for the social service agency, Heartland Alliance. She is also a certified yoga instructor.

'05: Sarah Gardner is in her 3rd year of medical school in Philadelphia.

'05: Clarissa Gregory is making stop-motion animation, performances, paintings, and installations in the interdisciplinary graduate program at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. You can contact her at student.mica.edu/cgregory.

'05: Alison Rickey has been admitted into the counseling program at Northern Arizona University.

'05: Dolores Sanchez is performing in the Broadway bound "Imagine Tap"

'05: Teresa VanDenend Sorge is an intern for Koresh Dance Company and will begin her graduate studies at Temple University,Philadelphia, PA in the fall of 2008.

'04: Cynthia Bachhuber is Archivist for a major professional contemporary dance company in New York, NY.

'04: 'Kathleen Davenport recently graduated from medical school and will be moving to Seattle, Washington with her husband to pursue her medical residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Washington.

'04: Matthew Farmer is performing professionally with LehrerDance based in Buffalo, New York.

'04: Colette Harris is performing professionally on a Cruise Ships.

'04: Jessica Honeysett is a Giving Assistant for an Education Network in New York, NY.

'04: Timothy Heck is with Blue Man Group performing in Chicago.

'04: Tara Mistry is teaching dance in the public school system of Honduras.

'04: Lindsey Townsend is teaching high school mathematics in Aurora, IL and is the head dance team coach and musical choreographer.

'04: Abby Whitenight is teaching music and dance for an elementary school in Hudsonville, Michigan.

'03: Carla Carrozziere is dancing professionally with a sacred dance company in Houston, TX.

'03: Noelle Davids teaches in the North Carolina school system.

'03: Amanda Drozer is studying dance in New York City and performing with two small companies.

'03: Mary Dunlap is teaching Creative Movement for the Fine Arts PreSchool of a Performing Arts School in MI.

'03: Helen Meronek is teaching for a high school in Baltimore, Maryland.

'03: Amanda Olson is teaching dance in the Chicago school system.

'02: Charlotte VanCoeverden lives in Brussels and is finishing up a masters in film studies at ULB (Free University of Brussels). She is also busy working on a musical as a choreographer and co-writer and teaching improvisation and composition dance classes to adolescents.

'02: Jennifer Yoh is performing professionally with a sacred dance company in Houston, Texas.

'01: Hilary Peterson received her M.F.A. from Arizona State University and is a dance instructor for Southeast Missouri State University.

'01: Amy Vertalka is dancing is teaching dance in the Ossoso Public School system in MI.