Studio Y Dance Program
Meet Our Studio Y Dance Staff
Maeghan Johnson, Dance Program Coordinator
Maeghan has been the Dance Program Coordinator for the Neenah-Menasha YMCA since 2002. She administrates the Studio Y program and instructs many classes of all levels including competition teams and Pilates classes for the Studio Y program. Maeghan’s competition teams have been awarded
numerous first place and high score awards in their divisions. Maeghan completed her Directorship from YMCA of the USA in July, 2006. Maeghan also serves on the United Way, Strong Kids, Healthy Kids Day and Kindness Committees for the YMCA.Prior to coming to the Neenah-Menasha YMCA she was the Dance Program Director for the Stateline Family YMCA. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from UW-Stevens Point, where she was awarded the Anne Shierl Dance Scholarship. Maeghan was a professionally contracted ballet dancer from 1991-1997 and had the pleasure of touring internationally in her profession. She toured China with the Rockford Dance Company, representing the U.S. in the 1995 Shanghai International Arts Festival. She also toured seven countries in Europe while performing with the Music Ambassadors of Wisconsin and has performance credits with the Oakland Ballet (Oakland, CA), Milwaukee Ballet, and Tremaine Dance Conventions. In addition, Maeghan holds several regional and national dance competition titles in ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, tap and clogging.
Dana Buxton, Dance Program and Competition Team Instructor
Dana has been teaching dance at the YMCA the past six years. Dana has an extensive background in hip hop, poms and dance team training. She instructs pre-dance, jazz, hip hop, poms and competition teams. Dana has been the choreographer of the Studio Y Hip Hop Competition Teams for the past five
years and her teams have been awarded several first place and high honor awards in their divisions. Dana also performed in and choreographed “Jesus Christ Superstar” performed at the PAC.
Sheyre Boswell, Dance Program and Competition Team Instructor
Sheyre Boswell instructs ballet, Pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern, lyrical, musical theater, Middle Eastern Dance, Pilates, ballroom and pre-dance. An employee of the Neenah-Menasha YMCA for over 10 years, Sheyre also is a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, along with being a certified Pilates instructor. Sheyre is a Neenah native, graduating from Neenah High School in 1990. Starting college at the Tulane University of New Orleans, LA, she transferred to UW-Eau Claire, where she danced with the Orchesis Dance Company until she graduated with a BA in French with a Business minor, along with many college dance credits. Sheyre is also a graduate of the Ballroom Dance Teacher’s College in the smooth dances and rhythm dances. Sheyre performed in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the PAC, and both performed and choreographed “The Wizard of Oz” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”. In addition, Sheyre holds several regional and national dance competition titles in pointe and musical theater.
Blair Davis, Dance Program Instructor
Blair joined the Studio Y dance staff in 2008. She instructs pre-dance, tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop. Blair is a student at Neenah High School and has been training in dance since the age of five. Her dance studies include tap, jazz, hip hop, ballet and Polynesian dance. Blair enjoys taking a variety of dance classes and has been involved in competitive dance the last two years with Studio Y. “It is a wonderful feeling to watch students develop new dance skills and to share their excitement for the Studio Y recital. Thank you Neenah-Menasha YMCA for the opportunity to work with these delightful young dancers.”
Maripat Franke, Dance Program Instructo
Maripat has an impressive history with the YMCA. Maripat has been involved in dance performance, choreography for competition teams, and knowledgeable classroom instruction. She has been instructing dance classes at the YMCA for the past eleven years. She teaches pre-dance, ballet, tap, baton and classes for our Humanities department.
Adam Foat, Ballroom Instructor
Adam has been teaching at the YMCA for two years. He teaches multiple ballroom classes including waltz, rumba, hustle, cha-cha, salsa, foxtrot, swing, and more in beginning levels through advanced. Adam has a background in competitive ballroom dance and can be found every Friday night on the floor of the Crystal Ballroom.
John Peterson, Ballroom Instructor
John has a passion for dancing and especially enjoys introducing people to ballroom dancing. He is an advocate of dancing and its therapeutic value. John enjoys all of the American Smooth and Latin dances. He appreciates the creative and interpretive nature of the Argentine Tango. He was introduced to this form of Tango in New York and when taking lessons in Argentina got a feel for it. Johns is married this dance partner Kathy.
Kathy Peterson, Ballroom Instructor
Kathy is married to her dance partner, John. Together they have been teaching Introduction to Ballroom Dancing for Couples at the Neenah/Menasha YMCA since 2002. They have taught private couple lessons at the Y and have been instructors on the Norwegian Cruise Line.
Courtney Holcomb
Courtney Holcomb is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She is a double major in Dance and Spanish, with a minor in Nutrition. She has been dancing for eighteen years now, and this is her thirteenth year with the dance program at the Neenah-Menasha YMCA. She has been on staff for the
past four years now and has loved seeing her passion for dance grow through
the teaching it to the youth. This winter term she is going abroad to Thailand to
do work with the non-profit organization The Thailand Project that was
established to help at-risk children in Southeast Asia have an arts education. She will be running dance sessions at a school in Thailand and explore dancing in a whole new way, teaching children without an interpreter and having her art as the only means of communicating.
