Meet Our Staff
Sara Schreiner
Owner
Sara is a musician, dancer, and educator with a lifelong passion for the performing arts. She holds a B.A. from Elmhurst University (summa cum laude) where she studied voice, piano, guitar, percussion, musical theatre, music theory and dance. In continuing her arts education, she was privileged to study voice under Jeffrey Skouson in Las Vegas, and to study dance on a scholarship at both Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago and Broadway Dance Center in New York. Sara has performed with professional ensembles, theaters, and entertainment companies across Chicago and beyond, with credits spanning stage, concert, cruise lines, and recording studios.
As the founder of Beyond Center Stage, Sara has built a thriving program where she teaches Vaganova ballet, voice, piano, and guitar. She is also a sought-after arranger, composer, and clinician, working with nationally recognized show choirs for over two decades.
In addition to owning & teaching at BCS, Sara co-owns Villa Perk Coffee Co. in Villa Park with her husband, Brandon, and twin sister, Carrie. She loves coffee, accounting, and sharing her love of the arts with her son, Desmond.
Jennifer Nesbitt
Director of Dance, Marketing & Enrollment; Team Director
Ms. Jen has been dancing for over twenty-five years and is an experienced student, teacher, choreographer, and performer. Growing up in Elmhurst, Jen competed with local dance studios in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, and musical theater for nearly ten years. In addition to competing regionally and nationally, Jen also became captain of her state finalist high school dance team. Jen has had the opportunity to train with Emmy-winning choreographers Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, and Travis Wall, among others. She has also performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and with the American Ballet Theatre, and had the opportunity to train with New York City’s Broadway Dance Center. Jen attended Western Michigan University where she was a dancer and choreographer for their dance team for three years, receiving the “Most Valuable Dancer” award her sophomore year for her talent, hard work, and dedication.
Jen received her B.S. in Special Education and M.S.Ed in Literacy and ESL. She recently left the classroom to raise her two children, Elouise (2) and Nathan (1), and to focus on BCS full time. She is entering her 10th season at BCS as the Director, where she takes on many roles including marketing, event planning, scheduling, and choreography. Jen also developed and directs the Beyond Barriers program, an inclusive dance initiative for students of all abilities. She has received numerous awards for her choreography, including a National Championship and Highest Overall Score. Jen loves to share her passion for dance and looks forward to working with and meeting new students!
Emma Simmons
Assistant Team Director
Emma Simmons began her dance training at the age of 2 at Dorothy’s Dance Unlimited in Schaumburg. She has been dancing for 20 years, having trained in numerous styles such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Ballroom, Modern, Hip Hop, and Lyrical. Out of all of styles that she had been trained in, her favorite styles to dance and teach are Contemporary, Ballroom, Hip Hop, and Lyrical. She became involved with Christian Youth Theater company at the age of 5 and has been with the company for 17 years. She was in a total of 19 productions, but her favorites were Les Miserables, Singing in the Rain, and Hairspray. After she graduated high school, she began to choreograph full length productions and teach dance classes with CYT. Throughout her dance career, she started training at Joel Hall Dance Center in Chicago, where she got to work and learn from amazing instructors such as Rosetta Fair and David Leaf. Emma has been teaching dance for 7 years and is currently working towards earning her degree in Sports Medicine, with a Minor in Dance Therapy. She is so beyond thrilled to be working with this amazing company and hopes to inspire and have a positive impact on her students.
Jillian Butchki
Dance Instructor
Coming Soon!
Janae Hanson
Dance Instructor, BCS Alum
Janae is an experienced dance instructor, choreographer, performer, and BCS alum! She grew up dancing competitively in jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop styles, although she also trained in ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, pom, and pilates. Graduating from Hope College, she has degrees in dance performance, business, and dance pedagogy. Janae's training comes from Sharon Wong, former co-chair of the Jazz Department of the Alvin Ailey School, Matthew Farmer, Crystal Frazier, and Tracy Dunbar to name a few. Her professional dancing career includes being a member of StrikeTime Dance Company and H2 Dance Company. Most recently Janae was an ensemble dancer in the Christmas Show Brand New Hallelujah. Outside of performing, Janae has worked on the administrative team at The Joffrey Ballet School and as a dance competition judge. If you’d like to connect, follow her on Instagram @movement.by.janae!
Grace Kraidich
Voice & Piano instructor
Ms. Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts in Worship Arts with a minor in Communication Studies from Judson University. She hopes to continue her studies in Community Music after taking a year post-graduation to work and continue teaching voice lessons.
Grace is an experienced singer and musician; she has been singing in school choirs since the age of 8. Grace has participated in several OMEA solo and ensemble competitions and has helped her students prepare for similar events. Grace has participated in a number of choral and band ensembles including chamber choirs, university choir, and a women's barbershop quartet. She also has a background in musical theater, and loves incorporating musical theater into her lessons.
Grace loves to share her passion for music with others, especially kids, and loves helping others grow a love and appreciation for music.
Kaylee Krol
Studio Coordinator & Poms Instructor
Bio coming soon!
Tatyana Mazur
Ballet instructor
Tatyana Mazur was trained at the world famous Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg. Following her graduation from the Vaganova Academy she danced with the Odessa Opera in Ukraine and the Moscow Ballet where she enjoyed international touring to India, Ceylon, Jordan and Egypt.
After the termination of the Kiev Theatrical University and Kiyevo-Mogilyansky Academy of dance, Tatyana became the head of the choreography department of the Kiev’s School of The Arts, where she staged many classical ballets as well as her own choreography for the classical ensemble or the “Yaroslavna” ensemble. She served as Artistic Director for 10 years where she led tours to Germany, Israel, France and Poland.
After relocating to the USA, Tatyana worked for 5 years as a professor at Akron University, teaching their highest-level students. She moved to Chicago on 2002 forwork as the Ballet Mistress of Faubourg Ballet. From 2017-2019 she served as a key ballet teacher at Salt Creek Ballet.
Tatyana’s students have gone on to countless ballet companies across the United States, Canada and Europe.
Tatyana has prepared many students for participation in the prestigious competition Youth America Grand Prix where her students in 2005 and 2011 became winners in the Ensemble category and in 2011 one of her students was a winner at the New York finals. Tatyana was awarded the prestigious honor of “Best Ballet Teacher” in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 by YAGP.
Tatyana has staged and set various classical ballet’s and variations including Swan Lake, Snow Maden, Snow Queen, Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, Cippolini, Coppelius, Shopeniana.
Olivia Papa
Dance & Acro/Tumbling Instructor
Olivia Papa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a Business Minor from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has trained extensively in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance, beginning her early training under Ricky Ruiz, Sherry Moray, Irina Starovoitova, and Carrie Nicastro-Ruiz at The Academy of Dance Arts in Warrenville, IL.
During her time at Illinois, Olivia performed in works by renowned choreographers including Merce Cunningham and Tere O’Connor, as well as faculty artists Paige Cunningham-Caldarella, Anna Peretz Rogovoy, Anna Sapozhnikov, Jakki Kalogridis, and Abby Williams Chin. She also performed in several undergraduate thesis works with a strong emphasis on choreographic collaboration. She served as a Student Representative on the College of Fine and Applied Arts DEIA Committee and was awarded the Talented Student Scholarship.
Following graduation, Olivia has continued to engage in professional performance opportunities while maintaining an active training and rehearsal practice. Outside of performing, she is building a career in the dance-wellness field.
Alexa Petrando
Acting, music & tumbling instructor, admin, BCS Alum
Alexa Petrando is super excited to be a part of the BCS staff. Alexa developed a love for the performing arts when she was two years old at her mother’s summer show choir camp, Rising Stars. Alexa is proud to have trained with Ms. Sara at BCS for over 9 years (voice and piano). She also took a variety of dance classes at BCS through the years, and she is now a proud staff member since summer 2021. Alexa is currently studying Choral Music Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she enjoys singing in the choir, participating in student musicals, and having fun in social activities through her sorority and on campus. Alexa is grateful for the opportunity to continue her BCS journey and can’t wait to meet new students and families along the way!
Samantha Reyes
Tumbling instructor
Bio coming soon!
Rebecca Sterner
Early Dance Instructor
Bio coming soon!
Laura Thoresen
Acting Instructor
Laura is a performer and teacher who loves to help children grow and thrive in the arts. She is a Chicago native and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She has been teaching for the past several years and has worked with students of all ages. When she’s not teaching, she serves as a Speech and Debate coach at York High School in Elmhurst. Laura is thrilled to be joining the BCS family!
Sophia Vajdik
Studio Coordinator
Bio coming soon!