Home of the Action Dance Crew Dancers

Stacie Murray (Formerly Stacie Freda) is the Owner and Artistic Director of Lights, Camera, Dancin’ Dance Studio, Home of the ACTION DANCE CREW Dancers!  Stacie has over 20 years of experience as a performer and over 10 years of experience as a proficient choreographer and teacher. Stacie has been taking dance lessons since age two.  She has taken dance lessons from Dance Techniques, Gotta Dance Studio, and Lou Conte’s with master dance instructors such as Michelle Broviak, Ted Jackson, Jay Fagan, Roland DuPree, Kacy Combs, and Paula Abdul.  Stacie has extensive training in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Pointe, HipHop, Musical Theatre, and Modern Dance.  She danced competitively in Regional and National Competitions as a Star Lite dancer. 

While competing around the country, the Star Lite dancers won numerous prestigious awards such as Entertainment Awards, World Dance Champions, and National Dance Champions. Stacie also performed during the Chicago Human Rhythm Project under the direction of Jay Fagan. Since her competitive dance days, Stacie has been teaching all styles of dance to dancers ages two through adult and coordinating her own competitive and performing dance team for over 10 years. Her award winning dance team, Action Dance Crew, has been awarded countless Entertainment Awards, Top Choreography Awards, Studio Excellence Awards, High Score Awards, Special Awards, Overall Awards, National Dance Champions, and National Finals Showdown Grand Champions!

Stacie makes the most of her spare time and strives to be a positive role model for her students by volunteering and staying involved in the community. Stacie volunteers her time instructing dance classes for foster children through Hephzibah, coordinates the Flash Mob dance and entertainment portion for all participants during the American Cancer Society: Relay For Life, helps girl scouts earn their dance badge by donating her studio, time, and knowledge, teaches “Explore More Day” for children to experience dance and the possible careers in dance, volunteers in any way she can at local schools, and has also had her dance team participate in a competition that donates to a charity. She teaches her dancers to be good people in addition to being good dancers. Stacie brings a variety of her experiences to the classroom and all of the dancers enjoy having her as a teacher!

Dan started out as a Hip Hop dancer at the age of six. In 2006, when he began dancing competitively under the direction of Stacie Murray, he realized that dance was his true passion, so while furthering his Hip Hop training; he also began training in Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Ballet, and Musical Theatre.  After completing his journey as a dancer with Action Dance Crew, he danced as a member of the National Performance Team for Sophisticated Dance Productions in Wildwood, New Jersey and was a finalist for the So You Think You Can Dance 2012 Performance Team in Las Vegas.  In addition to teaching dance, he was also the choreographer and coach for Jay Stream Competitive Cheerleading for three consecutive seasons and has guest-choreographed for Miami of Ohio University’s Visions Dance Company. 

Over the years, Dan has won numerous awards and scholarships for dance and has had the great privilege of training with master instructors including Ian Eastwood, Thayne Jasperson, Ellenore Scott, Jaquel Knight, Jamal Simms, Chris Judd, Wade Robson, Mia Michaels, tWitch, Allison Holker, Tyce Diorio, Robert Hoffman, and Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo.  Dan is currently an Assistant Director for the Action Dance Crew competitive dance team at Lights, Camera, Dancin’ where his dances have received multiple choreography awards, entertainment awards, acknowledgments for creative concepts, and been titled National Final Showdown Champions.  In addition to teaching here, Dan is also a faculty member with Spotlight Dance Cup Dance Competition and has had many opportunities as a Dance Down Instructor/Choreographer, Show Director, and Event Manager to travel and work with competitive dancers across the country since 2015 including some fan favorites from Lifetime TV’s Dance Moms. He is always eager to pass his knowledge and experience on to his students and loves being a faculty member here at Lights, Camera, Dancin’. We are so proud of Dan’s accomplishments both as an LCD/ADC Alumni and as an instructor and we are thrilled to have him on our faculty!!

Sara Eagleton began her journey into the dance world at age five.  She has over 10 years of experience as a performer and over 15 years of extensive training in all styles of dance including: Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern, and Musical Theater. Sara received her technical training through professional dance studios with master instructors. Additionally, Sara has attended numerous dance conventions spending weekends training with the best in our country such as: Kari Anderson, Thayne Jasperson, Kobi Rozenfeld, and Ellenore Scott. Sara danced competitively in Regional and National dance competitions as an Action Dance Crew dancer. While competing, the Action Dance Crew dancers won numerous prestigious awards such as Entertainment Awards, Studio Excellence Awards, Studio Spirit Awards, and National Dance Champions. She has also shared her passion for dance with the community while performing at The Daley Center, Friendship Village, The American Cancer Society, and The Brookfield Zoo.

Since her competitive dance days, Sara has continued to stay active in the dance community. She is the Assistant Director for the competitive and performing dance team Action Dance Crew’s performance division, performed at the College of DuPage Dance Showcase, she co-choreographed and costumed the “Let’s Dance” and “Adult Tap” Holiday routines for the West Chicago Park District Recital, and has volunteered her time assisting in dance classes for foster children through Hephzibah as well as teaching the Flash Mob dance for all participants for the American Cancer Society. Sara is currently attending Elmhurst College to obtain her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Special Education. She also works with the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA) where she teaches students with special needs. Sara brings a variety of aspects from her training to the classroom. Parents recognize her natural ability to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome, all participants leave feeling confident and content, and there is never any question of her knowledge or passion for dance that she shares with each student. We are so lucky to have Sara as a teacher here!

Lindsey Winter received her formal ballet training under the tutelage of Sherry Moray, Avnun Yakubov, and Homer Bryant. She has performed in area Nutcracker ballets as well as danced as a member of Illinois Ballet Theatre in such ballets as Delibes Variations, Cannon in D, and La Boutique Fantasque. Miss Lindsey also studied tap with Joyce Lang and Cheryl Sayers and apprenticed tap instruction under Suzanne B. Asa. Lindsey has also choreographed the musical, Bye Bye Birdie, under the direction of Ms. Jan Barker from the Oak Brook Academy of Children’s Theater. A graduate of the University of Iowa and now a fourth grade teacher, Miss Lindsey has taught dance for the past fifteen years and is an excellent instructor for ballet students who enjoy her fresh and informative approach to teaching. Lindsey is a VALUED INSTRUCTOR here at Lights, Camera, Dancin’ and she is proud to pass on her knowledge of dance to her students specializing in Ballet Technique, Pointe, Stretch & Strengthening, Classical Variations, and Ballet Theory!

Julianne has been dancing since she was 2 years old and has trained in all styles of dance. She has been a competitive dancer for nearly 15 years. Julianne competed with Bloomingdale Beat, Dynamic Dance Force, and Action Dance Crew. Julianne has been awarded 1st overall for her solos at various competitions, Jr & Teen (2) Miss Sophisticated, The Miss Sweetheart Award, countless dance scholarships, and two DuPree Dance Allstar scholarships. Julianne also traveled to New Jersey with Action Dance Crew and performed on the famous Boardwalk. She was also chosen to be featured on Sophisticated Dance Productions National Competition Performance team where she was awarded a scholarship.

In addition to teaching here at Lights, Camera, Dancin’, she is also an assistant for DuPree Dance Convention and Competition as they tour the country. During High School, Julianne was also on her high school dance team, the Lake Park Lancettes, where she became captain and won the state championship both during her senior year. Now in college, Julianne is President of Visions Dance Company at Miami of Ohio University. Julianne has also shared her love for dance with the community by dancing for the American Cancer Society and other events around the Chicagoland area. Her favorite thing about dance is being able to forget everything she worries about and being able to enjoy and express herself on stage. She also loves to wear makeup and beautiful costumes! Julianne is always excited to teach at Lights, Camera, Dancin’, share her knowledge of dance, watch the students grow and improve, and pass down the traditions that she knows so well.

Carissa found a passion for dance when she was 7 years old and has been dancing ever since!  She started her training in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and pointe. She auditioned for a performance company, which she was a member of for nearly ten years. Dancing with this company allowed Carissa to share her love of dance with hundreds of audiences and also allowed her to train with professional instructors from The Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM) such as Connie Fagan and Matt Farmer. During high school, Carissa continued dancing as a Lake Park Varsity Lancette. Carissa has also had the honor of choreographing for numerous Lake Park Dance Ensemble shows.

As Carissa continued to grow in her talent, she began to take from proficient instructors and choreographers such as Rosa Abbruscato, Lindsey Winter, Kyle Hanagami, and Robert Hoffman. Carissa has continued her training at The University of Tampa in 2013 when she became a member of the National Finalist team, The Spartan Scarlets. She has competed across the country and has performed in multiple cities in Florida including Daytona and Orlando. She continues her formal dance training with Susan Lennon, Susannah LeMarquand, and Linda Lopez, all who have worked closely with Mia Michaels. Carissa is studying Elementary Education with a minor in Applied Dance at The University of Tampa and has continued to show her passion for dance through Dance Happening performances and community based contributions in Florida!  

In addition to teaching dance, Carissa is a school teacher as well.  Carissa is a wonderful person, a wonderful teacher, a wonderful role model, and we are so fortunate to have her here with us at Lights, Camera, Dancin’!

Daniela was born and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago. She has over 30 years of experience in the dance world as a performer, instructor and choreographer.   Daniela started dancing at the young age of 3 and has not stopped since. She has studied and trained in the genres of ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop.  She has taken dance at many reputable dance studios, danced in front of hundreds of audiences with her Performance Team, and studied with Master instructors such as Nick Pupillo and Jay Fagan. Daniela was also an Orchesis member for Addison Trail High School choreographing numerous number for their shows.  She traveled and performed throughout the United States with the Serbian Folklore Group “Oplenac” for nearly 15 years.

For nearly 20 years, Daniela has been an instructor and choreographer at local studios. She has spent nearly 10 years as a competitive dance choreographer leading her students to numerous first place overall awards. Her students have also been awarded with “Golden Tickets” for having the highest scoring routines at competition as well as being named Midwest Regional Champions. Daniela has received many prestigious awards for her choreography, entertainment awards, costume awards, and technique awards. Her teaching style and choreography is very precise and cutting edge. She expects her students to always give 100% in the classroom and on stage. Her goal is to instill confidence in her students and help them reach their full potential in and out of the dance world while having fun. Outside of the dance studio you can find Daniela in her kitchen cooking or watching her favorite reality TV shows. We absolutely LOVE Daniela and are so pleased to have her teaching with us this year!

Katie Dugan began her journey into the dance world at the young age of five. She is a well-rounded dancer and has studied all areas of dance. Katie danced competitively for nearly 10 years! With her dance team, she won many prestigious awards and had the opportunity to travel around the country sharing her love and joy of dance! Locally she has danced in downtown Chicago and at the Brookfield Zoo to name a few. She has also had the opportunity to dance on the boardwalk on the New Jersey shore, in Destin, Florida, and also in Branson, Missouri! Katie has also attended DuPree Dance convention one to two times per year during her time as a competitive dancer where she has trained with master instructors, competed with other dancers from around the country, and has been awarded Dance Scholarships from this dance convention! Katie is excited to be teaching at Lights, Camera, Dancin’ this summer!!! Dance, as well as Lights, Camera, Dancin’ has always been a safe environment for her that pushes her to be the best version of herself. Katie loves teaching dance because she gets the opportunity to watch kids learn, grow, and improve at something they both love! We are thrilled to have Katie here with us!

Courtney was born in California, but her extensive dance training began over two decades ago throughout the northwest suburbs of Chicago.  Courtney has studied a multitude of styles but specializes in contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and contemporary & classical ballet. Training as a competitive dancer, she had the honor to train with Joel Hall, Kirby Reed, William Gill, Lane Alexander, Richard Smith and many more as well as receive multiple convention scholarships.  Courtney has attended Chicago Dance Connection, Dupree Dance, CNADM, and Joel Hall Jazz Camp and has had the opportunity to travel around the country through dance!

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As a choreographer, Courtney’s has been competition work has earned notice through overall placements and judges’ awards.  In addition to her dance work, she choreographs award winning floor and beam routines for artistic and power gymnasts.  Courtney’s goal in teaching is to allow every dancer to explore their own movement in a passionate, fun and mindful way.  She brings a warm, loving and exciting energy to each class she teaches and she cannot wait to join in her first year with Lights, Camera, Dancin’!

Ashlyn has nearly twenty years of experience as a competitive dancer and performer and over five years as an excellent dance teacher and choreographer. She has trained in all genres of dance and has had the opportunity to train with master dance instructors throughout her lifetime. During Ashlyn’s time as a competitive dancer, she had the opportunity to compete both regionally and nationally around our Country, has been awarded many prestigious awards for both group and solo performances, and was crowned a title champion for her solos as well as receiving special invitations to perform her solo in an elite showcase for several years consecutively. As a dancer who attended dance conventions growing up, she was awarded several scholarships being recognized for her passion, technique, and connection to each dance. Ashlyn was a featured performer during the Orange Bowl for Joe Jonas on the Miami Dolphins’ football field and has always been so grateful and humble for each dance experience she has had. Ashlyn teaches dance at Lights, Camera, Dancin’ Dance Studio and assists with dance studio events, performances, and their award-winning competitive dance team, Action Dance Crew. Ashlyn’s love for teaching dance beams out of her and her energy is contagious. Her favorite parts of guiding the next generation of dancers are sharing her love, knowledge, and experience with her students as well as seeing their progress from the beginning to the end of the year. Ashlyn celebrates each students’ success as her own with equal excitement and loves to help her students reach their goals. Ashlyn’s contemporary choreography is unmatched, her attention to detail is beyond her years, and her students love and respect her as their teacher. We love having Ashlyn on staff and we are excited to continue to watch her grow and see how Ashlyn’s love for dance will continue to evolve!