Our faculty

Cathy Rosenberg, proud owner of Steps Dance Center, started as an educator.  She received an MSEd. from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.  Cathy has taught preschool, kindergarten, 3rd grade, and college courses.  She also was the assistant director of the Child Development Lab at U of I and a parent facilitator for an at risk preschool program.Her passion for working with children headed in a very different direction thanks to her family.  Cathy’s three daughters led her to the world of dance.  She feels very fortunate to continue working with children and families.  Cathy is proud to provide a well-rounded dance education, taught by an amazing faculty of dance professionals, for all of her Steps family.

Braeden Barnes, a native from Chicago, Illinois, received his training from Faubourg Ballet and San Francisco Ballet school. Braeden was then accepted into the Joffrey Ballet training program under the directors Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik.

Braeden has worked professionally with Balletmet, Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Ron de Jesus Dance, Billy Elliot the Musical, Cocodaco Dance Project, C5, Nevada Ballet Theatre and Visceral Dance Chicago. Braeden has performed both nationally and internationally. He has worked with choreographers such as James Canfield, Paul Vasterling, Danielle Agami, Kevin O’Day, Mónica Cervantes, Marguerite Donlon, Matthew Neenan, Lucas Crandall, Nick Pupillo, and Yoshito Sakuraba.

Braeden is an award-winning choreographer. His choreography has been featured in such cities as Chicago, Las Vegas, New York City, and Atlanta. Among these places, his work has won the first place audience choice award at REVERBDance Festival in New York, as well as first place for best choreography at YAGP. He has choreographed on various companies such as Nevada Ballet Theatre, Cirque Du Soleil, Visceral Dance Chicago, Peoria Ballet, Waterstreet Dance Milwaukee, A&A Ballet, Common Conservatory, Indiana University Contemporary Department and for New Dances: a collaboration between Danceworks and Thodos Dance Chicago.

In 2020, he started his own nonprofit company, Symbiosis Arts, which is based in Chicago. Symbiosis has produced full evening shows in Chicago and Denver and has commissioned choreographers such as Anna Long, Francisco Aviva, Shannan Alvis, Jason Parsons, and Noelle Kayser. For more information, visit symbiosisarts.org. 

Photo Katie Miller 

Mike Gosney, co-founder of Elements Ballet, has been teaching and privately coaching ballet for over 20 years. In addition to training many of the dancers in Elements Ballet, his students have been accepted into prestigious programs and schools such as American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet School, The Juilliard School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, Milwaukee Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey Academy, LINES Ballet, Tisch School of the Arts, and many others. As a choreographer, Mr. Gosney’s work has appeared in St. Louis Spring to Dance, The A.W.A.R.D. Show! 2010 at Dance Center of Columbia College, The Best of Dance Chicago, Looptopia, Around the Coyote Arts Festival, The Atlas Agenda, Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival, Evanston Arts Week, On the Prairie at the Chicago Cultural Center, productions with the Evanston Dance Ensemble and Evanston Symphony, and in many other Chicago area festivals and dance performances. In 2015 and 2016 Gosney co-conceptualized and co-choreographed Surge, and AYA, An Aerial Balletwith Elements’ Joseph Caruana and Chloe Jensen and Karen Fisher Doyle of Aerial Dance Chicago. Mike is on faculty at Extensions Dance Center, Dance Center Evanston, and Steps Dance Center, and has previously taught at Visceral Dance Center, Chicago Dance Academy, Joel Hall Dance Center, Lou Conte Dance Center, Gus Giordano Dance Center, DancenterNorth, Eastern Illinois University, and College of Lake County. Mr. Gosney has orchestrated events for Evanston Arts Week and DanceArt Outreach Program, and formerly served as Artistic Director of Koslynn Dance Academy and SASS Productions.

Ashley Michalek recently graduated from The University of Iowa with a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.A. in Elementary Education. Originally from Aurora, IL her training background was based heavily in classical ballet as she trained with Kenneth von Heidecke and many dancers from the Joffrey (a student of Maria Tallchief) at Chicago Festival Ballet. At the University of Iowa she was priveleged to work with George De la Pena, Charlotte Adams, Eloy Barragan, Deanna Carter, Armando Duarte, Jennifer Kayle, Alan Sener, Julie Bour, Jennifer Muller, and Melinda Myers (restaging a Trisha Brown work). She recently attended the Hubbard Street Summer Intensive and was chosen to be an intern/apprentice with Thodos Dance Chicago for the 2013-14 season. Hoping to incorporate her love for children and education, she has aspirations of getting involved with outreach programs in the city and suburbs to make a difference and increase accessibility and awareness of the arts for underprivileged individuals in struggling communities as well as just trying to spread the art form.

Jackie Nowicki originates from Chicago, Illinois. She received her BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University, where she graduated summa cum laude and was named Presidential Scholar in April 2008, and she was chosen as the Department of Dance's Distinguished Alumni for the 2016 school year. She danced for Pilobolus Dance Theater in their PCS company, performing for them all over the world, and is certified to teach for their Educational Outreach Program. Her professional credits also include dancing for Mike Esperanza's BARE Dance Company, Calen Kurka's :pushing progress, and Marlena Wolfe's The Wolfe Project. Jackie worked as a part-time faculty member at Western Michigan University's Department of Dance, and for ten years taught all over the New York dance scene including being on faculty at Peridance Capezio Center, and guesting at Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center. In Chicago, she is currently on faculty at Visceral Dance Center, COMMON Conservatory, The Rooted Space, Steps Dance Center, Exhibit Three Dance Company, and is the Assistant Company Director at Extensions Dance Center. Jackie’s athletic, daring, and unique approach to movement has also landed her numerous master classes and conventions throughout the United States and even internationally in Rome, Italy.  She is on faculty for Celebrity Dance Conventions, Dance Device Lab, Turn it Up Dance Challenge, and Stage Door Workshops, specializing in Contemporary and Improv classes. Jackie is the artistic director of her own contemporary dance company based out of New York and Chicago, NOW Dance Project. Her choreography has been commissioned by numerous dance companies, studios, and universities including The Ailey School, Dancing in the Parks, Elon University, The HARTT School, Salve Regina University, Western Michigan University, Urbanity, the Peridance Certificate Program, Wayne State University, Visceral Dance Chicago, and many more. Jackie’s work has received numerous acclamations and awards and was even selected to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, for the American College Dance Association's 2016 National Festival. 

Carrie Nicastro Ruiz, originally from Northbrook, IL, received her initial training under Cheri Rose, studying the Cecchetti Method of Ballet. Carrie continued her education at the University of Iowa and graduated with honors in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in both Dance and Psychology. After graduation, Carrie moved back to Chicago to accept a Company position with Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre, while also accepting a full scholarship to train at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, under the tutelage of Claire Bataille. After dancing with SPDW, Carrie participated in the work/study program at Visceral Dance Center, and continued on to hold positions with Hedwig Dances, Thodos Dance Chicago, Giordano II, LeveL Dance, and Hanna Brictson and Dancers. Carrie has also enjoyed dancing as a freelance artist and has had the honor of performing numerous times in Dance For Life, Thodos Dance Chicago New Dances, Dance Chicago, Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival, Danceworks Chicago’s Dance Chance, Carnival Choreographer’s Ball Chicago, and for many independent choreographers including Autumn Eckman, Becca Lemme, Lizzie Mackenzie, Jessica Miller-Tomlinson, and her husband, Ricky Ruiz. Additionally, Carrie is featured in the New York Times Bestseller, “Dancers Among Us” by Jordan Matter Photography. Carrie still performs when she can and is extremely grateful for every opportunity she has received in the Chicago dance community, and is especially grateful to Claire Bataille, Joanna Rosenthal, and Nick Pupillo for opening the door to her professional career. 

In addition to performing, Carrie enjoys working with the next generation of dancers, and has been teaching, coaching, and choreographing all over the Chicagoland area for over a decade. Carrie has received numerous awards for her choreography, including her work being selected as the 'Judge's Pick' for the 2011 Dance Chicago Dance Slam. She has also been recognized by the Industry Dance Awards twice- once as a finalist for her piece “All We Have” in 2015, and again in 2019 for winning Best Convention Performance for her piece “Life”. Additionally, Carrie was featured and interviewed in the article, “Poetry in Motion” in the October 2018 issue of Dance Spirit Magazine. She has been on faculty at The Academy of Dance Arts in Warrenville for 10 years, and has been the Contemporary/Modern Program Director, as well as a Company Director, at Steps Dance Center for the past 7 years. Carrie absolutely loves sharing her passion for dance with her students, and is thrilled to be a part of the Steps family!

Brian Rabenda was the Owner/Artistic Director of Award winning and nationally recognized B-Discovered Dance Company in Chicago IL, as well as a freelance teacher/choreographer. With well over a decade of teaching experience Brian strives to share his knowledge and experience with his students-providing not only exceptional technique but also to develop a strong work ethic. His choreography/training has won dancers countless awards, including top scores, and national titles. His students have gone on to the countries top Universities and Conservatories such as USC, Juilliard Summer Program and University of Arizona. Along with training dancers Brian is a master adjudicator for top conventions and competitions around the country. Brian is known for pushing his students to their ultimate potential, allowing them to discover the talent within. His movement comes from his heart, creating, and refining works of art to share with his audience. 

LisaMarie Woody is a seasoned performer and educator, specializing in children's and adult dance techniques: Acro, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, and Salsa, to name a few.  LisaMarie began dancing as a child in the San Francisco Bay area, with Studio S Broadway, under the direction of Shari McLeod.  As a youth, LM was privileged to be a member (and later Assistant Director and Choreographer) of the nationally acclaimed Dance Connection of Palo Alto's performing company.  Through DCPA, she competed often and claimed many regional and national titles, as well as received numerous recognitions for her choreography.

At fourteen years old, LisaMarie auditioned for the Foothill Repertory Company under the award-winning direction of Bubba Gong, where she earned her spot as the youngest member in the history of the company.  In following years, she would continue her dance studies with many renowned institutions and instructors including: The San Francisco School of Ballet, the Julliard School, San Francisco State University, The Edge School of Performing Arts, Debbie Allen, Joan Walton, Savion Glover, Mia Michaels, Joe Tremaine, and Jackie Sleight.  Having the opportunity to be featured in music videos, live performances, television, and film, LisaMarie's professional career now spans three decades. Even through a total hip replacement, her motivation and dedication to dance arts continues to expand exponentially.  Her journey back to dance, post-op, gave her a new perspective on the perseverance and dedication dance had taught her and how those powerful skills aided in her healing.  Enlightened, LM now shares her experience of "Positive Passion." She teaches how the skills learned through dance may be applied to one's life outside the studio, especially during times of struggle and self-doubt.

In addition to her love of dance, LisaMarie studied Early Childhood Education and Development in school, driving her to create dance and creative arts programs for children age three and under. After launching her Parent & Me programs for the City of San Francisco's Parks and Recreation department, she has continued to expand her programs for the very young and is excited for the opportunity to work with a new generation of young dancers and their families nationwide.