Faculty
Shannon Labus, ACCA
Owner
Executive Director
Owner
Executive Director
After a childhood of dancing, Shannon graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Arts. Fortunate to have studied with amazing teachers, Bea Rashid, Evon Freund, Laurie Merriman, and Gayle Kassing, she developed progressive programs in both Ballet and Early Childhood for many studios around the South Suburbs. Finally in 2010, Shannon opened Wings Dance Studio with the goal of creating a training ground for both concert and competitive dancers in the suburbs. Along with realizing her dream of elevating the dance presence in the South Suburbs of Chicago, Shannon is an Associate member of the Cecchetti Council of America, a member of the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, co-director of Soar Dance Company, and resident choreographer for Lockport Homer Youth Theater. Shannon's students have been cast in professional productions such as Ballet West's The Sleeping Beauty, Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker, Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker, and performances at Drury Lane. Students have also gone on to dance in college programs, both as dance majors and as athletes on their collegiate dance teams. Shannon is very proud for Wings to have been awarded ADCC Studio of Excellence in 2017. Since 2023, Shannon has also been the Artistic Director of Dance Theater of Will County. Shannon's greatest accomplishment is to have raised 3 amazing kids who all dance to their own beat and amaze her every day.
Aimee Maley
Program Director
Program Director
Aimee started dancing when she was 3. She attended conventions and competitions throughout grade school and middle school dancing with some of the best teachers and dancers in Chicago. Aimee danced on the award winning Xtreme Dance Force team, was a competitive gymnast and studied ballet with Ms. Evon Freund. She was on a State Championship Poms team in high school and went on to graduate from St. Xavier's with a teaching degree. Aimee is the co-director of Soar Dance Company as well as tthe JV Coach of Lockport Township High School Dance Team.
Barb Cogan
Opperations Manager
After a long career in pediatric nursing, Barb is so happy to be in charge of the desk at Wings now. She has been a long time supporter of dance and the arts in general as Miss Shannon's mom, and is so happy now to have lots of little dancers to cheer on!
Diana Alcantara
Dance Educator
Diana Alcantara graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign ( UIUC) with a BS in Psychology and a Minor in Business. While studying at UIUC, she was a member of 3Spot Dance Troupe, a registered student organization specializing in many styles of dance, as well as Dance 2XS, an international hip-hop dance group. After graduating from UIUC, she was a principal dancer from 2011-2013 with Rodriguez Dance Theatre, a modern dance company located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. She later joined The Kate Jablonski Statement (KJS) from 2013-2019, a contemporary dance company, and trained with Artistic Director, Kate Jablonski.
Diana has had many performance opportunities with KJS, including Dance Chicago, Dance Chicago’s Dances from the Heart, The Xperience with Tyce Diorio , and Kate’s productions, Tabula Rasa (2014), Confidential(2015), Reflections (2016), Couture (2017), So You Think You Can Boogie (2018), and Dream State (2019).
Diana is currently the Head Varsity Dance Team Coach at Niles West High School. Outside of teaching dance, Diana continues to share her passion for movement as a yoga instructor. She completed her 200-hour RYT training in 2012 and has over 10 years of experience teaching yoga at Chicago studios including CorePower Yoga and Yoga Six. This has helped her create dance classes that educate dancers on how to prevent injury throughout their dance career while strengthening their technique. She loves challenging her dancers to try new skills and build their confidence to work towards new goals. She feels incredibly grateful to live a life where she can share her love of yoga and dance to others. Dance gives you the opportunity to connect with others and yoga allows you to truly connect to yourself.
Diana has had many performance opportunities with KJS, including Dance Chicago, Dance Chicago’s Dances from the Heart, The Xperience with Tyce Diorio , and Kate’s productions, Tabula Rasa (2014), Confidential(2015), Reflections (2016), Couture (2017), So You Think You Can Boogie (2018), and Dream State (2019).
Diana is currently the Head Varsity Dance Team Coach at Niles West High School. Outside of teaching dance, Diana continues to share her passion for movement as a yoga instructor. She completed her 200-hour RYT training in 2012 and has over 10 years of experience teaching yoga at Chicago studios including CorePower Yoga and Yoga Six. This has helped her create dance classes that educate dancers on how to prevent injury throughout their dance career while strengthening their technique. She loves challenging her dancers to try new skills and build their confidence to work towards new goals. She feels incredibly grateful to live a life where she can share her love of yoga and dance to others. Dance gives you the opportunity to connect with others and yoga allows you to truly connect to yourself.
Lindsey Beebe
Dance Educator
Lindsey Beebe began her dance training at age 8 in her hometown of Wichita, KS at Wichita Children’s Theatre and Dance Center. By age 13 she was performing with Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita, where she worked her way up to Company Soloist. Miss Beebe continued her training at Oklahoma City University, and Wichita State University. At WSU she was given the opportunity to work with internationally known mime/physical theatre company, Alithea Mime Theatre, performing in places such as Taiwan, Poland and the United Nations in New York. Miss Beebe also returned to Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita as an adult company member and danced various soloist roles in their annual Nutcracker, as well as many original works.
Teaching for over 20 years, Miss Beebe has had the privilege of working with students from all over the state of Kansas. She has also worked extensively as a freelance choreographer for many Kansas area high schools and organizations, including the Heart of America Men’s Chorus and Cabaret Old Town. Since moving to the Chicago Metropolitan Area in 2009 Miss Beebe has had the pleasure of working with Joel Hall Dancers and Center and Lou Conte Dance Studio. She has also had the opportunity to work with many outstanding Chicagoland area studios and youth companies. Her work has been presented at Dance Chicago, Regional Dance America, and on the Stars of Tomorrow Tour in Austria.
Teaching for over 20 years, Miss Beebe has had the privilege of working with students from all over the state of Kansas. She has also worked extensively as a freelance choreographer for many Kansas area high schools and organizations, including the Heart of America Men’s Chorus and Cabaret Old Town. Since moving to the Chicago Metropolitan Area in 2009 Miss Beebe has had the pleasure of working with Joel Hall Dancers and Center and Lou Conte Dance Studio. She has also had the opportunity to work with many outstanding Chicagoland area studios and youth companies. Her work has been presented at Dance Chicago, Regional Dance America, and on the Stars of Tomorrow Tour in Austria.
Emily Brooks
Dance Educator
Dance Educator
Emily Ann Brooks started dancing at age three, training at International Ballet Academy and Westlake Dance Center before attending Northwestern University to study Theatre with a concentration in Musical Theatre Performance and Choreography. She’s performed at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Beauty and the Beast), the Marriott Theatre (Zaneeta in The Music Man, Ermengarde in Hello Dolly, Big Fish, A Christmas Story, and The Wizard of Oz), Drury Lane Theatre (Cinderella and The Little Mermaid), and Northlight Theatre (The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk). Her creative credits include the Paramount Theatre (Waitress, assoc. director/choreographer), the Marriott (James and the Giant Peach, asst. director/choreographer), Theatre Wit (Inanimate, choreographer), First Floor Theatre (In His Hands, choreographer/asst. director), and Metropolis Performing Arts Center (A Christmas Carol,choreographer). Emily has also taught at Dance and Music Academy, Porchlight Music Theatre, and Glenwood Dance Studio, and is passionate about celebrating the unique creative voice and agency of each individual artist, encouraging confidence, empathy, discipline, and collaboration.
Christopher Kelley
Dance Educator
Dance Educator
Christopher Kelley started his dance training in High School with the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center under Homer Hans Bryant and The American Dance Center. Soon after, he continued on to college at the University of Cincinnati, College- Conservatory of Music studying Musical Theatre. Performing credits include: The Lyric Opera of Chicago (Fiddler on the Roof, La Fille Du Regiment), The MUNY (Gypsy), The Paramount Theatre (Billy Elliot, The Wizard of Oz, The Producers, Newsies, Beauty and The Beast, Kinky Boots, Cinderella, Rock of Ages), Drury Lane (A Chorus Line), The Marriott (Gypsy), Porchlight Music Theatre (How to Succeed…), and 3 seasons as an Artist with The Chicago Repertory Ballet. In Addition to teaching at Wings, Christopher has served on the faculty at AKA dance center, Le Jeune Classical Ballet, and Visceral Dance Center while teaching masterclasses and workshops at studios around the Chicago area.
Brenna Labus
Dance Educator
.Brenna started dancing when she was 2 and has never stopped! She danced on the Varsity dance Team at Lockport Township High School for 4 years. She competed with Soar Dance Company since 2013 and was awarded the Title of Miss Leap Sensation in Chicago. in 2021. In 2023, Brenna won the title of Regional Champion for Uproar Dance Competition, First place overall soloist at Fluid Dance Competition, as well as winning the Leap For the Stars competition with Leap Dance Competition. She has made her way through the Wings teacher Training program as well as the student choreographer program. Brenna is currently a double major in dance and business at the University of Iowa and is so excited to be a part of the Wings staff.
Colleen Panega
Dance Educator
Mrs. Panega studied dance with Hubbard Street, Ruth Page, Joel Hall and Gus Giordano. She has performed in Pickwick’s “Nutcracker” for five seasons. Colleen appeared in “Anything Goes” at Drury Lane Oakbrook; “Phantom of the Opera” at Drury Lane Water Tower. She has appeared in many industrial productions- including dancing with the Beach Boys. Her tap mentors are: Jay Fagan, Al Gilbert, Lane Alexander and Tracey Vonder Harr.
Katie Tracy
Dance Educator
Katie started dancing at Wings the first year we opened in 2010 and hasn’t left us since! Katie graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and goes from teaching elementary school during the day to teaching our foundations program in the evenings. Katie was part of the Soar Dance Company and has been teaching at Wings since 2019. Her favorite thing about teaching at Wings is being able to watch her young dancers continue to grow throughout the program and to be able to witness how far they’ve come since first learning a plié! Besides teaching education and dance, Katie loves to read and spend time with her two dogs and found time this summer to get married!
Ashley Kosciolek
Administration Specialist and Dance Educator
Ashley started dancing at age 3 and her love for dance has come out in many ways since. She studied many styles throughout her life and spent many years dancing alongside Ms. Aimee, a Wings fan favorite. Ashley practiced competitive dance during her school years but also had a strong pull towards ballet, studying with Ms. Evon Freund. Ashley taught dance to tiny ballerinas during high school and was part of the first dance team created at Marist High School. Dancing on and off since then, Ashley performed on the Ball State University Code Red Dance Team and as a dance minor. Wings has been a very welcoming and soft place to land for her more than once in her adult life as well. Her kids are also now tiny dancers and the legacy lives on. She is so excited to be on the administrative team at Wings and to watch a new generation of dancers take flight!
Dawn LaMorte
Administration Specialist
Bio coming soon
Leah Muska
Administration Specialist
Leah has been dancing at Wings for 11 years and has been a long standing member of SDC. She has also been on the Varsity Dance Team at LTHS for 4 years. She is a sweet, welcoming face at the desk at Wings.