Meet our Faculty
Angie Hahn
At five years old, Miss Angie began her dancing career at Bunny Sanford’s School of Dance where she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop. During that time she realized that her dream was to teach others to dance and she became a teacher at the age of 15. Miss Angie’s goal is to continue inspiring her students to have a love for dance and the arts. She strives to teach expression through movement and wants her dancers to have an understanding of why we dance. She is especially passionate about training dancers who want to perfect the art of ballet. Miss Angie has successfully trained many dancers who have gone on to pursue professional careers performing on Broadway, in various ballet companies, and other venues throughout the U.S.
Miss Angie has had extensive training with numerous dance companies and workshops including, the National Ballet School of Canada, Joffrey Chicago, Jazz Dance World Congress, Dance Master’s, and the Cecchetti Council of America Summer Intensives. In addition, Miss Angie has danced professionally for Dance Detroit, the Aretha Franklin tour, the Windsor Casino, and the Detroit Institute of Art film festival. She has also performed with the DSO and LSO in notable ballets such as the Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, and Coppélia.
Upon Bunny Sanford’s retirement in June 2011, Miss Angie acquired the studio and is now the proud owner and director of Angie Hahn’s Academy of Dance.
Marie Rabey
Marie began her ballet studies with Connie Reppa in Dearborn, Michigan, and continued her dance training at Bunny Sanford’s School of Dance. Also studying under Sandra Severo, and at the Interlochen Arts Camp, she went on to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance at Marygrove College, where she studied with Iacob Lascu. Performing as a principal dancer in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's annual Nutcracker for 17 years, Marie also acted as the production's Ballet Mistress.
Marie has also danced solo and principal roles in the Michigan Theater productions of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo and Juliet, and in several operas, including choreographing the dance sequences for La Traviata. Marie enjoyed the opportunity to dance in a national touring production of The Phantom of the Opera and danced on tour with the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin. Other companies she has performed with include Harbinger Dance Company, The Ohio Ballet, and More and More Dances.
Her teaching credits include four decades of teaching at Bunny Sanford’s School of Dance/Angie Hahn’s Academy of Dance, as well as teaching for other local schools and at Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University.
In addition to teaching, Marie enjoys taking ballet classes, practicing yoga, walking her dog, and cheering on her son Kyle, who is currently pursuing his dance degree and career in dance as well.
Christa Smutek
Christa studied at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and received her B.S. in Movement Science from the School of Kinesiology graduating with distinction and University Honors. Christa has performed professionally with companies including ArtLab J Dance, SueMo Dance Company, and Danceworks Performance Company. Additional performances include the Wisconsin ESPY Awards on ESPN, the Purple Veins Prince Tribute Tour, Urbanite, and World of Dance Chicago.
In addition to dancing, Christa has been teaching and choreographing for 10 years. Her contemporary choreography has been showcased at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, Detroit Dance City Festival, Detroit Dance Film Festival, Motor City Choreographer Collective, Brighton Dance Festival, Dance Canvas, RADfest Midwest, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, Columbus Arts Festival, Indiana Dance Festival, Spring to Dance in St. Louis. Her choreography was a finalist in the American Choreographic Festival 2018. She set choreography for US International Ballet in Wilmington, NC. She has received numerous choreography awards and IDA nominations for her competitive choreography.
In 2016 she established herself as Christa Smutek LLC. She is currently the Artistic Director of Artistic Edge Dance Centre, Director of the Collective Movement dance intensive, and continuing her freelance work throughout the country. Most recently, she is the proud mother of Eli Antony, born January 27, 2018.
Katina Nigro
Katina has been on faculty since 2015. She is a proud Unites States Marine mom. Her boys are Alek (Marine) and Joshua. Miss Katina is our strength and conditioning coach as well as our Rehearsal Director for our competitive dance company . Her performance credits include, recording artist Kristine W. And the Sting, American Superstars, Legends in Concert, Country Tonite, and The Dream King, which she also choreographed and was dance captain for. These are just to name a few ...
She is a past Tremaine scholarship winner and has been on faculty at numerous dance studios in Las Vegas, Michigan and Florida. She is also a certified member of Dance Masters of America in jazz and tap, certified in Sugar Foot Therapy, and NASM certified in corrective exercise. Miss Katina loves to watch the dancers at Angie Hahn’s grow as dancers and humans.
Devon Campbell
Devon Campbell known professionally as “Uri Mercury”, has been an active Michigan dancer/choreographer for the past 17 years. Some of his most notable work includes being a featured dancer on “Screamtour 2012” with Mindless Behavior, OMG Girls, and Diggy Simmons, opening for Lil Wayne, back up dancer/choreographer for The Shop Boys, R&B singers: LaBritney, Princeton, Loreal, Rocco, Ryan Allen, Nielle, Deleante Kareer, Cullen Emadrey, Remington Loyd, JaVon Lewis, Female Emcee B. Focus, Rodney Howard, Male Impersonator: Ric Key, as well as Drag Icons: Kourtney Breeze, and Melanie Von Kruz. Mr. Campbell also had the opportunity to choreograph 17 consecutive sets for Motor City Choreographers Collective, as well as a set choreography for the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade. Outside of studio work and commercial work, Uri’s true love comes from Dance Crews/Companies .
Shannon White
Based in Detroit, Shannon White is a performance/multimedia artist passionate about collaboration, vulnerability, shared experience and expanding accessibility of “the arts” in the city. Since graduating with a BFA in Dance from Wayne State University in 2019, she has explored concert and commercial realms through performing/collaborating with: BAIRA / Mvmnt Phlsophy, Biba Bell, BALLSHOUSE + Projects, Nick Cave, Imbue Detroit, Sam Austins, Sara Marie Barron, and more. Furthering her research in pedagogy and personal/collective growth via. movement, she teaches classes to metro-Detroit movers of all levels at local studios such as the Andy Arts Center, WSU, Big City Dance Center, Juliart and more. In response to the effects of COVID-19 on the performance industry, along with a new-found interest in filmmaking, she is currently exploring the worlds of creative directing, filming and editing along with choreography.
Evelyn Shymanski
Evelyn Shymanski began her dance studies at Angie Hahn's Academy of Dance at the age of 3. Since then, she has pursued training in contemporary, ballet, pointe, hip hop, jazz, modern and tap for 14 years. She has been a member of the AHAD company for 7 years and enjoys performing immensely.
Evelyn began as an assistant teacher at age 12, and became a permanent staff member in 2021. She is our youth contemporary and jazz instructor and has loved sharing her knowledge with the next generation of dancers at AHAD.
Additionally, Evelyn is the Social Media Manager and promotes the dancers' training on our Instagram platform.
Lindsey Humpert
Lindsey Humpert grew up in the Metro Detroit area, dancing since the age of 7. She is entering her 25th year of teaching and choreography. During her time of competing with groups between ages 5 and 18, she has won many overall national titles as well as choreography awards.
Lindsey has students that have gone on to dance at Marymount Manhattan, Loyola Marymount, SUNY, and Alvin Ailey to name a few. Her students have appeared on shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dance Moms. She is the teacher and choreographer of the 2013 Petite Miss Dance of Michigan who finished in the top ten at the national Miss America level.
Lindsey has traveled nationally, judging for many competitions in the circuit. Also teaching master classes for local studios and Dance Masters of New York.
Lindsey loves her students and loves to push them to be the best dancers they can be while also teaching them the love for the art and movement of dance. She loves to support her dancers at competitions, conventions and future dance plans.
Sarah Lanier
BIO coming soon!
Amanda Chizuk
Amanda Chizuk began dancing at age 3 at Angie Hahn’s Academy of Dance. Throughout her 13 years of dancing, she has trained in many styles including ballet, pointe, hip hop, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, and contemporary. She was Clara in her studio’s annual “Nutcracker” performance in 2018. Amanda has been competing with her studio the past 6 years in the styles of contemporary and jazz.
Amanda has also trained throughout her summers at numerous intensives including Complexions DSI, Cecchetti Council of America, and the University of Michigan-MPulse. She has worked with numerous artists including Kaitlyn Pollock, Jodie Randolph, and Bella Varon. She is a three-year company member of the preprofessional contemporary company Young Dancers Initiative.
Heather Wulff
Heather Wulff grew up in Mid-Michigan where she started dancing at 2 ½ and quickly found her passion for dance. At age 11, she became an assistant instructor. Soon after, she joined The Dance Company; dancing 6 to 7 days a week, year-round. Heather also had extensive tap training; including the opportunity to learn directly from Gregory Heinz, one of the most celebrated tappers. Performed in both STOMP and Riverdance productions. In college, Heather minored in Theater and Dance at Lake Forest College, IL. She also enjoyed being on their dance team. Throughout college, she also continued teaching and choreographing for young dancers in the Chicago area.
After graduation, Heather continued taking classes and started coaching the local high school dance team. In 2006, she moved to Plymouth to pursue her career in Medical/Surgical Sales and soon after met her husband, Mark. Together they have 3 children. After her twins were born, she trained to become a certified Barre instructor. She teaches group classes, as well as private lessons to aspiring dancers. These sessions focus on building strength, endurance, flexibility, and better balance by focusing on small muscle group training.
Natalie Hess
Natalie Hess began dancing at the age of 3 at the Livonia Rec Center. Soon after her introduction to dance, at the age of 4, Natalie began dancing at Angie Hahn’s Academy of Dance, formerly Bunny Sanford’s School of Dance, with Miss Angie as her ballet teacher. She competed with the studio for 3 years, and recently graduated in the class of 2021. She is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, modern, and hip-hop. In 2015, she began assisting in the classrooms, as well as studying hip-hop under Devon Campbell.
Natalie has also performed in numerous theatrical performances including Beauty & The Beast, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Disaster! The Musical, and Cinderella.
L.A. Gee
BIO coming soon!
Haley Galindo
At the age of 3, Haley began dancing at Bunny Sandfords School of Dance, where she trained in ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, pointe, and hip hop. Along with dancing at Angie Hahn’s Academy of Dance, Haley was on the Northville High School Varsity Dance Team for 4 years. During this time, she also performed some of Christa Smutek’s choreography at multiple events, including the Motor City Choreographers Collective, Youth American Grand Prix, and the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. Additionally, she took dance classes from Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company members for 4 summers. Before being a member of the studio staff, Haley loved coming back to the studio as a guest teacher anytime she came home from college. Over the past 6 years, she has also choreographed a few group pieces as well as multiple solos.
Apart from teaching and choreographing, Haley attended college for 4.5 years at Michigan Technological University, located in the Upper Peninsula. She graduated Cum Laude in December of 2020 with a BA in Communications and Media, as well as two minors in Psychology and Media Production.
Kyle Rabey
BIO coming soon!