The DSD Team

Emily Boyd

Studio Owner, Director, Teacher

Emily has been dancing since the age of three years old, when she began studying dance at Jill Hoggard Academy of Dance. Her love of dance began there, and she started to take every opportunity she could to dance and take class. She was an assistant teacher throughout high school and went on to attend St. Olaf College where she graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and English. At St. Olaf, Emily was heavily involved in the dance department, dancing and choreographing for Companydance. After graduation, Emily went on to pursue her MFA in Dance at the University of Oregon, Eugene. She also was teaching hip hop in an area elementary school in her spare time. After moving back to MN, Emily taught at various studios around the Twin Cities and Northfield, as well as coached cheerleading, and received her certification to teach Stott Pilates. 

Emily earned her MBA from Hamline University in 2011, and took over Division Street Dance shortly thereafter. 

Emily danced with many guest artists and choreographers throughout her college and post graduate experience, as well as danced for eight seasons with Ethnic Dance Theatre in the Twin Cities. Emily's past work experience includes various department manager roles at Nordstrom, as well as Target Corporation.

Her love of dance continues to grow more and more with the opportunity to run DSD and spend time getting to know all of the dancers and their families. She is incredibly proud of the family atmosphere DSD has and is passionate about growing the love for dance in every kid and adult who comes through the door. She believes in constantly growing and continuing her education, and is now certified as a Preschool Acrobatic Arts teacher. She has also trained through the Tap Teachers Lounge and is a member of the Dance Studio Owners Association and National Dance Education Organization. Emily's favorite classes to teach are anything toddler and preschool-related as well as Tap and Hip Hop classes.

Emily currently resides in Owatonna with her two kids, Clara, 14, and Gavin, 10 and when she is not at DSD, you will likely find her teaching Zumba, attending football, basketball, or baseball games for Gavin, or watching Clara acting in a play or playing her violin.

Harper Foote

Teacher

Harper Foote recently moved back to Minnesota after spending the last 3 years living and dancing in NYC. Harper is originally from WI, went to St. Olaf College where she majored in Dance, and then spent a few years living and dancing in MN before moving to NY.

In Minnesota she danced with Alternative Motion Project and presented work at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. In New York City she presented work at GreenSpace, Waxworks, and the Ailey Studios.

Harper taught at Division Street Dance for 6 years from 2016-2021 and she is excited to be back teaching at DSD!

Jimmy Bartusek

Teacher

Jimmy began dancing at DSD back when it was Dance n Fitness and has never left!

Jimmy first started doing many different styles of dance such as Hip Hop, Tap, and Jazz, and quickly realized that his passion lay in Hip Hop, and soon he was dancing as much as he could and competing as well.

After Jimmy graduated from NHS in 2022, he began teaching with DSD, and although he has taught many different Hip Hop classes, his true drive is in sharing his love of dance with other boys and helping them to see that boys dance too!

Jimmy was an active athlete throughout his high school days, playing soccer and enjoying a number of other sports.

He is very excited to continue teaching at DSD, teaching the Boys Hip Hop group and helping them to have their own space and group within our studio.

Beth Pitchford

Teacher

The North Star School of Irish Dance started in August of 2009 when Deanne’s Dance Studio, an award-winning studio located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, brought in Beth to revive their Irish dance offering. Prior to this, Beth was teaching an adults-only class in Minneapolis and continuing her own Irish dance studies as a distance-learner with the school she started with in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2010, Beth expanded to Northfield to teach at Dance’N’Fitness in an Irish dance program started by Linda Doran. Dance’N’Fitness is now Division Street Dance and the Irish program continues to grow.

Beth, originally from Athens, Georgia, began dancing after returning home from living in Scotland. She was initially looking for Scottish dancing but stumbled on Irish céilí dancing and fell in love. Beth began competing in the adult age group with the Drake School of Irish Dance (Mary Brannick Ujda, TCRG) and then, after moving to Minnesota, eventually settled in at O’Shea Irish Dance where she still attends classes to improve her own dance skills.

When Beth is not dancing, she works as a mental health therapist at the Autism Society of Minnesota. Non-dance hobbies include gardening, graphic design, and anything to do with cats!



Jordyn Tesch

Teacher

Jordyn Tesch is a dancer and choreographer from Faribault, MN. She danced at a studio in Faribault for 13 years dancing high kick and jazz then increased her training by taking online courses for other styles such as musical theatre and lyrical. She has choreographed several musicals at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault and can not wait to share her passion and love for dance and the arts with her students at Division Street! She can’t wait to meet everyone! 

Maddie Klein

Teacher

Maddie Klein has been dancing since she was three years old. She grew up in Eden Prairie, MN and danced at Prairie School of Dance for fourteen years. She did jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, modern, and pointe. She also had the wonderful opportunity to be an assistant teacher for four years and absolutely loved interacting with her students and helping them grow as dancers and as people.

Maddie graduated from St. Olaf College where she studied Math and Chemistry. Maddie was a member of the St. Olaf Dance Team for four years and was a captain her Junior and Senior years. She holds an MD from the University of North Dakota and is currently a Pediatric Resident Physician at the University of Minnesota.

Maddie is so excited to continue teaching at DSD and work with all of the enthusiastic dancers!

Kylie Kasprick 

Teacher

Kylie Kasprick SPT, CSCS, grew up dancing and training in a broad range of styles as a competitive dancer in the Minneapolis area, winning many top awards both regionally and nationally. As a young dancer, Kylie also guest performed with Cities Classical Ballet Ensemble at Fringe Festival, the Kenny Kiser Show, and ARENA DANCES. Graduating with honors from the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA), Kylie had the privilege to work with some of Minnesota’s finest dance artists and companies, such as BRKFST Dance Company, Threads Dance Project, TU Dance, and Shapiro & Smith Dance.

Kylie attended St. Olaf College, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2023 with a double degree in Dance and Kinesiology with minors in Neuroscience and Media Studies. In her time at St. Olaf, she choreographed for and danced in Grammy artist Caliph’s live performance of Dummy, Synergy’s Concerto in D. Major, the Ole Tap Collective, St. Olaf’s production of Noye’s Fludde, and the 2022 and 2023 Company Dance Spring Concert, as well as guest performed with Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theatre. In addition to her studies at St. Olaf, Kylie lived in New York the winter of ‘23 where she trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps Dance Center, American Ballet Theatre, American Tap Foundation, Alvin Ailey, Peridance, Gibney Dance, and Mark Morris. 

As a DPT student at Mayo Clinic, Kylie is passionate about increasing awareness of safer training and injury prevention practices and holds certifications in Progressing Ballet Technique and Strength and Conditioning through the NSCA. 

Kate Sebes

Teacher

Kate Sebes is a 2023 graduate of St. Olaf College, where she pursued a degree in dance with concentrations in management studies and gender/sexuality studies. As a lifelong lover of the arts, Kate enjoyed performing and choreographing for St. Olaf's dance company, in addition to working for the admissions office and planning student events on campus.

Emma Gannon

Teacher

Emma grew up just south of the Twin Cities and began dancing at Shana's Dance Studio at age 5. She started taking hip hop classes around 13 years old and loved it. She continued dancing with Shana's Dance Studio through her senior year of high school. She then furthered her dance education by taking a choreography and improvisation class at St. Olaf along with performing at Fresh Space in fall of 2023. She looks forward to getting to know all the dancers each year!

Kira Cupp

Teacher

Kira was born and raised in Northfield, MN, and she started dancing at the age of six, and when she turned seven she started dancing at Division Street Dance. She continued dancing for ten years at DSD, where she joined the competition company at the studio in fifth grade, and continued with competitive dance until she graduated in June of 2024 from Northfield High School.

Throughout her years at DSD, Kira grew to love the styles of tap and hip hop, and her passion for these styles is what drew her to becoming a teacher. Kira has been a teacher for many years, and has enjoyed being able to work side by side with other teachers, Watching routines come together, and seeing the progress students can make with her assistance is something that Kira takes joy doing. Kira will be attending St. Olaf College in the fall of 2024 as a freshman, where she will be majoring in Psychology and continuing her tap dancing career by joining the Ole Tap Collective on campus. Being able to have the opportunity to still tap throughout college is what drew Kira to St. Olaf, but having the opportunity to come back and teach at DSD sealed the deal. Kira is excited to be able to give back to the studio with her love for dance, and can't wait to get to know all of the dancers!

Hailey Barnes

Teacher & Front Office

Hailey grew up dancing at unlimited possibilities dance studio in Albert Lea Minnesota. She danced there for 10 years as a competitive dancer. She did many different styles including musical theater, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, and ballet. Her favorite style of dance is either jazz or hip hop. She also have been a gymnastics coach for 5 years at the Albert Lea gymnastics club. She was able to work with their competitive gymnasts and choreograph their floor routines for competitions. She is currently going to school to get her elementary education degree as well. She is very excited to continue her love for coaching here at DSD!

Tatiana Salt

Teacher

Tatiana first started dance at 3 years old in her home state of Michigan where she spent most of her childhood and pre-teen years. After one year of ballet she stopped dancing so that she could attend other classes for things such as Karate which she did for 4 years. It wasn’t until her 11th birthday when she really found her love and interest for dance. Tatiana started dance once again at The Dance Shoppe in Waterford, MI where she did styles such as ballet, tap, and jazz. In 2020 Tatiana moved to Minnesota where she continued to dance at Division Street Dance and at Northfield Dance Academy. Tatiana has now been dancing for 8 years, doing styles such as ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and contemporary. The styles she loves most being contemporary, pointe, and ballet. 

Graduating high school with the class of 2025, Tatiana plans to attend South Central College for two years to get her Associate’s degree then to move onto MSU, Mankato to get a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a Minor in Dance. Tatiana is very excited to continue dancing and to help spread her love of dance here at DSD as a new teacher and can’t wait to get to know all the students!