Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Hailey LaBond attended Western Michigan University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. During this time she had a chance to study technical skills of jazz, modern, and ballet aesthetic under Monique Haley, Whitney Moncrieff, Carolyn Palvik, and David Curwen. She also had a chance to perform in pieces choreographed by Melanie George and Carlos Funn. In her college career, she partook in local dance groups to enhance her hip-hop and tap skills. She also took time to intern with WMU’s football team and KAT Strength and Conditioning as a Strength and Conditioning Coach. This led her to earn her Personal Training and Nutrition Coach Certification through NASM this past year.

She plans to develop her career by establishing injury prevention programs for dancers. In these specific cross-training courses, she wants to help dancers gain strength in their areas of weaknesses during which they can maintain the physical desires placed on them in the world of dance. This allows her to achieve the goal she has always had of combining two of her passions into one during her professional pathway.

Hello everyone,

My name is Phoebe Houtkooper, and I am 18 years old. I began dancing at the age of two and started competing at eight at West Michigan Dance Center. Recently, I graduated from Season 5 at The Habitat Performing Arts Center and will be continuing my teaching career this season.

I have had the privilege of assisting as a Pro Reveler for Seasons 6 and 8 at Revel Dance Convention, where I traveled and assisted numerous accomplished choreographers and artists. My training spans a range of dance genres, including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, ballroom, lyrical, and jazz funk. Despite this diverse training, I am particularly passionate about hip hop and contemporary styles, which I love to teach and choreograph.

Throughout my journey, I have built relationships and collaborated with renowned choreographers such as Kevin Wilson, Teddy Forence, Gigi Torres, Ali Pfleger, and Rachel Siegel, among others. My deep love and passion for dance have been unwavering since the beginning. I am dedicated to creating a welcoming environment in the dance world and to instill the discipline, work ethic, and heart in aspiring dancers.

I am so excited to join The Space dance family and contribute to nurturing the next generation of exceptional dancers!!

Betty Kondo, originally from Bowie, Maryland has been a professional dancer for over 15 years. She received her training at Maryland Youth Ballet & spent several summers participating in summer programs throughout the country. She began her professional career with Orlando Ballet and has since then performed with many classical & contemporary ballet companies including Kansas City Ballet, Eugene Ballet & Owen/Cox Dance Group. She has competed & won high medals in the American Dance Competition as well as the Helsinki International Ballet Competition. In addition to performing, she has over ten years of experience teaching ballet, pointe, contemporary, conditioning and choreography. She feels honored to inspire the next generation of dancers to fall in love with ballet.

Originally from Bakersfield, California, Elise started her dance journey at the age of four and began competitively training at six. Her classical roots came from her studio in California and she began to dive into her modern/contemporary training when she moved to Michigan at eight. She trains in ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, acro,  lyrical, musical theatre, and contemporary, and trained for about five years in ballroom at Sharon’s Dance Studio. 

In the first year of her competitive dance journey, she became the 2013 national title holder of “Miss Small Fry DEA” at Dance Educators of America. Since then she has achieved numerous regional titles at convention/competitions such as In10sity, Intrigue Dance Intensive, Talent on Parade, and more. As her career progressed, Elise explored various aspects of choreography, including co-choreography, and found to appreciate the inner workings of the creative process. 

Her passion for dance deeply resonates with her passion for teaching, where she focuses on helping students connect their mental and physical processes to enhance their movement quality. Despite facing challenges, including dance-related injuries and hip dysplasia, Elise has leveraged her experiences with physical therapy to enrich her teaching practice. She has worked with many PTs and enjoys absorbing the knowledge to integrate it into her teachings when she can. 

Alongside her dance education, Elise had always prioritized her academics and assumed she would study medicine, but her undeniable dedication and passion for dance had superseded in the recent year, and she is committed to the 2025-2026 CLI Conservatory to pursue professional dance. Elise is very excited and grateful to continue her journey with The Space!

Kaelyn Janaè Parker was born in Richton Park, Illinois, and discovered her passion for dance at the age of three. She has been trained in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical , Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Footwork, Beyond dance, she enjoys singing, fashion, and makeup application. She is a featured vocalist on the somg You Can Build It, produced by Grammy nominee Eric “Esmoove” Miller.

Kaelyn is currently one of the coaches for the WM Elite Dance Team at Western Michigan University. She is an alum of the WM Elite Dance Team, the Western Michigan University Dance Team, Redemption Dance Team, and Andrew Varsity Dance Team. As a choreographer, she has led the Redemption Hip Hop Dance Team at Western Michigan to multiple 1st place finishes and choreographed WM Elite’s 2nd place routine at the College Classic National Championship in 2023. She has also choreographed for the Andrew Varsity Dance Team.

She has competed at UDA Nationals, DTU Nationals, and NDA Nationals and was honored to serve as a choreographer’s assistant alongside award-winning choreographers Kailey Kopel and Nathan Mattix. Their choreography led to recognition as IHSA Finalists, Sectional Champions, Conference Champions, and a Third-Place finish at the Dance Team Union National Championship in Orlando, Florida.

Throughout her journey, Kaelyn has been fortunate to train under some of the industry’s most talented choreographers, including Dexter Carr, Ysabelle Capitulè, Monyett Crump, Julian Deguzman, DJ Marv, and more.

Before her time at Western Michigan University, Kaelyn competed and started teaching Hip Hop at the age of 17 years old at Konquer Dance Company in Orland Park, Illinois. She is currently an artist signed to True Visionary Productions and SD Events/Productions. Her goal is to inspire dancers to use their talents to achieve their dreams and make an impact with the gifts they have been given.

Born and raised in Vietnam, Dylan Le moved to Michigan in 2020, where he discovered his passion for dance. In 2021, Dylan embarked on a self-taught exploration of dance, honing his skills and developing a unique style that blends intricate isolations, rich textures, and powerful dynamics. His dedication to the art form led him to formal training at the CLI Conservatory in September 2023.

During his transformative 10 months at CLI, Dylan had the privilege of training under esteemed choreographers such as Marlee Hightower, Kenichi Kasamatsu, Larkin Poynton, Deshawn Hawthorne, and more. His involvement in Tyrik J Patterson's creative film further enriched his understanding of dance as a storytelling medium.

Now fully immersed in his professional dance journey, Dylan Le continues to push boundaries with his choreography, infusing each piece with his signature blend of precise isolations, expressive textures, and compelling dynamics. As he looks toward the future, Dylan is planning on moving to LA committed to expanding his artistic horizons and sharing his passion for the dance world.

Nicholas (NIK) McNees was born and raised in Kalamazoo MI. He began his training at age four with Steps Dance Center in jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and contemporary styles of dance. In 2015, Nik joined the competitive team at West Michigan Dance Center where he worked with many industry professionals such as Teddy Forance, Adam McGaw, Katie Reese, Rachel Siegel, Christie Sirota-Jordan, Kate Clark-Martin, Angelica Stiskin, and many more!

After his time competing, Nik was accepted into the WMU Department of Dance where he received his Bachelor of Arts in June of 2023. Nik was a founding member of Western Michigan Elite Dance Team, as well as the first male performer on the Western Michigan University Dance Team. 

In addition to his work in the collegiate space, Nik also travels on tour with VIP National Dance Competition. In his fifth season with the company, he has had the chance to apprentice in current field positions such as event production. Nik's teaching background started with West Michigan Dance Center as a teacher's assistant, and he began instructing his own classes by age eighteen. Encompassing years of tangible experience to bring to any creative space, he is excited to share the knowledge he has learned with his students.

Hey! My name is Lily Graham and I’m from Kalamazoo, so I’ve been a part of this same dance community for a long time. I've been in ballet for 17 years, and in the past 2 years I have started teaching. Most of my personal training comes from Amy Russell and the staff at Ballet Kalamazoo, where is was given so many performance opportunity’s some of my favorites being, the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beaty and Sugar Plum in the Nutcracker. I'm continuing my dance training at Western Michigan University earning a minor in dance to go along with my major in Freshwater Science. I'm so excited to dance with you all and share my overwhelming love of ballet with the community that’s been so good to me for so long!

Hello, my name is Sasha! I teach the Munchkins and some beginner technique classes! I grew up in the dance world in the Grand Rapids area! I started teaching dance when I was 12 and continued until I was 23! I studied at Grand Valley where I majored in event planning and I was minoring in dance. I then stepped away to have my 4 kiddos! My daughters quickly found a love to perform and we jumped back into the dance world! I’ve helped build my older daughters dance career being her momager. I’ve gotten to coach her through modeling in new York fashion week and dancing for off broadway auditions. I’ve also become pretty savvy at working with brands through social media. My passion is working with littles and starting littles on their love for dance journey!  I can’t wait to see all the munchkins in the studio!