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 concert 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. Shannon is very proud for Wings to have been awarded ADCC Studio of Excellence in 2017.
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.
Nicky Ignasiak
Managing Director
Managing Director
Nicky is a mom to three wonderful kids. Being a competitive cheerleader, she was ecstatic when her daughters started at the studio in 2012. After being impressed with what the studio stood for beyond dance skills, Nicky become part of the Wings family in 2015. As Managing Director, Nicky is in charge of account management and customer service.
Matt Casey
Dance Educator
Dance Educator
Matt Casey is a professional actor, singer, and dancer based in Chicago. He graduated from Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois in 2010 where he earned a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance. He dove right in to the professional theatre world and has performed on stages all around the country in many different theatre companies and in national tours, including the national tour of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”. Matt moved to Chicago about two years ago. Since then, he has danced in the ensemble of “Nice Work if You Can Get it” at Theatre at the Center in the Spring of 2016 and “Chicago” at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook this past Spring. He will also be spreading Christmas cheer this year as part of the ensemble of Paramount Theatre's production of “Elf” in Aurora.
In addition to being on stage, Matt has had many opportunities to be on the creative side of the table. He has taught Acting and Musical Theatre classes for students in grades 1 through 12, directed and choreographed numerous children's productions, and choreographed a production of “Anything Goes” for a professional regional theatre. Matt loves choreographing and directing just as much as performing, and he is thrilled to be able to teach and create with Wings Dance Studio.
In addition to being on stage, Matt has had many opportunities to be on the creative side of the table. He has taught Acting and Musical Theatre classes for students in grades 1 through 12, directed and choreographed numerous children's productions, and choreographed a production of “Anything Goes” for a professional regional theatre. Matt loves choreographing and directing just as much as performing, and he is thrilled to be able to teach and create with Wings Dance Studio.
Jacqueline Farina, DFCCA
Dance Educator
Jacqueline began her ballet training in Mexico. Having studied in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method she graduated through all the levels. She was the first student to present and pass in Mexico the highest level exam of Solo Seal. She performed in Germany with the “Theatre of Hagen”. Returning to Mexico she performed with the “Compañía Nacional de Danza Clásica de Mexico” where she was exposed to the Cuban Ballet method. She also danced with “Rhythme et Structure” in Paris, “Venetia Stifler and Concert Dance Inc.” and “Soul & Duende Spanish American Dance Theatre” in Chicago. In 2007 she began studying the Cecchetti method with Karla Harris. In 2017 she achieved the Cecchetti Council of America Diploma Teacher Certification.
Christopher Kelley
Dance Educator
Dance Educator
Christopher began his dance training at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center under Homer Hans Bryant. He then went on to do summer intensives there at CMDC, The American Dance Center, and The Broadway Theatre Project and then eventually went on to study Ballet at Butler University before transferring to the Musical Theatre Program at The University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music where he performed several roles in both Ballet and Musical Theatre repertoire. Recent Credits include: The Wizard of Oz, The Producers, Newsies (Dance Captain) and Beauty and the Beast (u/s Lumiere, Performed) at The Paramount. Carousel, Evita and Mary Poppins (Timberlake Playhouse) Gala 2020, New Faces Sing Broadway: Now and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Porchlight Theatre), Gypsy (The MUNY), Hairspray in Concert (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra). Christopher was recently a Guest Artist with Chicago Repertory Ballet for their spring 2020 season where he performed roles in Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and a New Work titled “All You Need Is…” choreographed by Taylor Mitchell. When not performing he enjoys to practice yoga while working towards his certification and to read and works at a used book store.
Maggi Leise
Dance Educator
Dance Educator
Maggi Leise received her degree in physical therapy from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2000. After graduation, she began her career in an Olympic weightlifting facility prior to guiding focus on manual therapy techniques. Maggi spent over a decade designing and progressing a pelvic health physical therapy program that is now nationally utilized.
Maggi returned to the Performing Arts arena nearly a decade ago and shifted her focus to injury treatment and prevention of dance athletes. While continuing to practice physical therapy, she is also a tap instructor at Wings Dance Studio. Maggi is passionate about not only the art of tap, but also guiding each student's awareness of their physical capabilities. Maggi believes the power of positivity is key to building success in life.
Maggi and her husband, Greg, have four very spunky daughters entertain them daily.
Maggi returned to the Performing Arts arena nearly a decade ago and shifted her focus to injury treatment and prevention of dance athletes. While continuing to practice physical therapy, she is also a tap instructor at Wings Dance Studio. Maggi is passionate about not only the art of tap, but also guiding each student's awareness of their physical capabilities. Maggi believes the power of positivity is key to building success in life.
Maggi and her husband, Greg, have four very spunky daughters entertain them daily.
Katie Ruane
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!
Nancy Spence
Dance Educator
Dance Educator
Nancy began her early dance training in Atlanta, Georgia and worked with many companies including Southern Ballet Theater, Florida Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, and Ballet New York. She performed principal and soloist roles from Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Les Sylphides, and Coppelia, as well as working with a wide variety of contemporary choreographers. Career highlights include touring and dancing with jazz legend Al Jarreau at Carnagie Hall and performing at Lincoln Center with the New York City Opera. Nancy has also worked extensively in musical theater and film, including the movie "Center Stage" and original Fosse choreography . Besides performing, Nancy teaching, coaching, and choreographing at schools and companies across the country.
Jeremy Taylor
Dance Educator
Jeremy Taylor is an alum of the Department of Dance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2020). Taylor has performed in a variety of choreographies from Danzel Thompson-Stout’s “Manifesting Our Movement; Manifesting Our Dance” to Isreali artist, Omri Drumlevich, in a reconstructed masterwork by Ohad Naharin called “(Segments from) Deca Dance”. May of 2018 & 2019, Taylor won the Lisa Carducci Award and ISSA Scholarship for excellence in choreography, artistry, achievements, and performance throughout his collegiate career in the BFA program. In August, he made his professional debut in Rennie Harris Puremovement’ “LIFTED” at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois. Taylor is also a member of the Black male dance initiative, A Nance Dance Collective, and performed at his first international venue at the Little Theatre in Kingston, Jamaica, for Stella Maris Dance Ensemble’s 26th Season of Dance immediately after his theatre debut performing as an original ‘City of Bones Dancer’ for August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. In April of 2020, he was chosen as a recipient for the Research Support Grant by the Office of Undergraduate Research to continue his research post-graduation for his project to explore street dance and African dance techniques while addressing a choreographic process he defines as The Groove Theory through dance and film. Taylor will continue training, exploring, creating, and teaching in the Chicagoland area and other states working as a professional freelance artist as he travels with his new formed organization, MVMNT (move-ment) Dance Collective.
Danny Dwaine Wells II
Dance Educator
Danny Dwaine Wells II is a well travelled and versed dancer; performing throughout the United States and Europe. An alumnus of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and a graduate of San Diego State University’s BFA Dance program, he has countless years of training in numerous dance techniques. He has also had the pleasure of training with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (Summer Intensives), Diavolo Dance Theater, and has performed works by Peter Kalivas, Michael Mizerany and Jeremy Mitchell. He continues to work as a performer and choreographer both in the U.S. and Internationally.
He currently teaches master technique classes throughout the country.
A few of his most recent performance credits are: Film- Waiting in the Wings, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story Commercial/Industry- Disneyland (Parade of Dreams/ Block Party Bash/ Fantasmic), Todrick Hall (Beauty and the Beat, Low music video) Regional Theatre- Elf the Musical(Featured Dancer), Cabaret (Ensemble) Saturday Night Fever (Male Swing), A New Brain (Minister/Ensemble), La Cage Aux Folles (Mercedes/ Dance Captain), Footloose (Male Swing), Hairspray (Male Swing#2), The Addams Family (Dance Captain), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Sebastian) National Tours (Non-Equity)- Hair (Hud U.S.), Sesame Street Live Tour 2014-15 (Cookie Monster/ Count Live Dancer)
He currently teaches master technique classes throughout the country.
A few of his most recent performance credits are: Film- Waiting in the Wings, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story Commercial/Industry- Disneyland (Parade of Dreams/ Block Party Bash/ Fantasmic), Todrick Hall (Beauty and the Beat, Low music video) Regional Theatre- Elf the Musical(Featured Dancer), Cabaret (Ensemble) Saturday Night Fever (Male Swing), A New Brain (Minister/Ensemble), La Cage Aux Folles (Mercedes/ Dance Captain), Footloose (Male Swing), Hairspray (Male Swing#2), The Addams Family (Dance Captain), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Sebastian) National Tours (Non-Equity)- Hair (Hud U.S.), Sesame Street Live Tour 2014-15 (Cookie Monster/ Count Live Dancer)