STAFF PROFILES

School of Dance Studies 2012

Staff Biographies

Sherisa Brands                                                                                                               SODS Director

Sherisa Brands has been dancing since she was three years old. When she was younger, her parents traveled with YWAM, and Sherisa continued training wherever and whenever possible. Her family eventually settled in Minnesota, and at age 9 she began training at St. Paul City Ballet, where she spent 8 years seriously studying ballet, character dance, and jazz. As a student, she had the opportunity to perform in 2 full-length ballets, as Carlotta Grisse in Pas de Quatre, lead corps des ballet in Les Sylphide, in segments from Swan Lake, Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty, at the Minnesota Renaissance Fesitval, Minnesota Dance Festival, and more. She has attended Decidedly Jazz Danceworks’ summer jazz intensive in Calgary, Canada, and spent a summer doing YWAM’s Summer of Dance with outreach in Taiwan.  During her senior year of high school, Sherisa took private acting and tap classes in addition to classes at Zenon Dance School in downtown Minneapolis. She spent her first year in college as a BFA Musical Theatre major at Shenandoah Conservatory before leaving to do a Performing Arts DTS with YWAM New York. In 2009, Sherisa transferred to Columbia College Chicago, eventually earning a degree in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management. While in Chicago, she regularly took classes at studios such as the Joffrey Ballet School and Lou Conte, the studio of Hubbard Street Dance Company. Sherisa has had the opportunity to take classes from teachers such as Gabriella Komleva, Lirena Braninski, Michelle Lucci, Victor Wesley, Hannah Stillwell, Joel Hall, and more. She came on staff with School of Dance Studies in December 2010, and ultimately hopes to pioneer the school in Kona, Hawaii.  Her heart for School of Dance Studies is to bring the beauty, love and truth of Christ to the world through dance and art, and to disciple, support, and partner with artists who are seeking to glorify God and increase His influence in their professional industries.                                                                           

Carla Boyd                                                                                                                             SODS Staff

Carla was first introduced to dance at age fourteen by a friend who was in the dance world, which began her first dance experience. Since then, Carla has strived to be involved in everything dance while furthering her training and overcoming challenging circumstances. Her breakthrough came in Montana during her School of Dance Studies in fall 2007. After her graduation Carla went back to her home in Costa Rica and joined “The Official National Company and School of Dance of Costa Rica”, receiving training in Ballet, Modern, and Hip Hop by professional dancers such as Jimmy Ortiz. Later, Carla joined “Step Up” studio directed by two of the most recognized dancers in Costa Rica, Paola and Katherina Madriz, where she further trained in Ballet and Jazz. Carla was married in 2009 and in 2010 she immigrated to the USA with her husband.  While in Arkansas she joined “Shuffles and Ballet II” studio run by the “Ballet Arkansas” Company where she had the opportunity to be trained by Allison Stodola, Michelle Alexander, and Paul Tillman. She is thrilled to be back in Montana where her official training began and her passion for dance and missions grew stronger.  Carla’s dream and goal is to bring the School of Dance Studies to Latin America where it would provide access for Spanish speaking individuals from around the globe.

Stephany Wichael                                                                                                                SODS Staff

Stephany was born and raised in Colorado and has been dancing for over 16 years.  Most of Stephany’s training has been in ballet, however she most loves contemporary dance. Stephany has taught ballet in studios for 7 years, and has choreographed for various school plays, dance studio performances and dance camps in Colorado. In 2007, She had the opportunity to create, choreograph, and perform her own rendition of the Christmas story through dance for Revive Dance Studio’s performance of Oh Holy Night. In 2007 she also had the privilege of traveling to teach and perform in Amsterdam with company members of Celebration Ministry of Arts and the founder and director of Anatasis Ballet. Stephany completed her DTS in Colorado Springs with outreach in Turkey.  Following her DTS, Stephany attended School of Dance Studies at YWAM Montana. During the school her love for dance exploded, and through the school Stephany’s passion for dance grew immensely, as well as her confidence in her abilities.  The school gave feet to her dreams of furthering professional Christian arts. Through School of Dance Studies she feels she has been equipped with knowledge and confidence needed to relate and create in the professional arts industry.  Her dream is to start a professional arts company that tours the world not only delivering excellent art but also instilling identity and purpose in the hearts of its audiences.  Stephany has a heart for the arts community, as well as for issues of social injustice, and wants to see those two passions collide.  She is so excited to be apart of School of Dance Studies 2012 and cannot wait to see what this next season has in store!  

Emily Sibernagel                                                                                                                  SODS Staff

Emily had some dance training as a young girl in dance line for half time entertainment, but it was not until she came to YWAM Montana in 2007 for her Discipleship Training School (DTS) that she was reintroduced to the art of dance and introduced to studio style dancing.  In September 2008, at the age of 21, she began her very first ballet class. Five months later, Emily went to Sydney, Australia where she studied dance and ministry at Hillsong International Leadership College. There she studied jazz, ballet, contemporary technique, performance class, and composition class. In December 2009 she returned home to Fargo, North Dakota and began training with Gaspers School of Dance. She studied ballet, modern, jazz, lyrical contemporary, and a few months of break dancing. This eventually led her to School of Dance 2011 with YWAM Montana. Emily is passionate about the arts, specifically dance, and hopes to continually use them to connect people to the living God.

Kate Espy                                                                                YWAM MT Dance Department Director

Kate Espy is from the lovely Pennsylvania county of Lancaster. Her exploration of dance began with ballet. Her studies broadened to include gymnastics, ballroom, jazz, tap, modern dance, and contact improvisation. She studied in Pennsylvania with Encore Dance Center, Danse Classique, Grant Street Dance Company, and Higher Call Performing Arts Group.

Kate graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She majored in Dance with a focus in choreography and dance criticism & history and minored in Historic Preservation. She was privileged to work with many of Goucher’s Guest Artists such as Mino Nicolas, Robert Weiss, and Adrienne Clancy of ClancyWorks Dance Company in Baltimore, as well as many talented college peers. 

Since then Kate has trained with the New Movement Center of Lancaster, Steve Rooks, Darren Stevenson, Lotte Haschke, Jolene Konkel, Marisa Roth of Northwest Ballet, and traveled to Mississippi for a Teacher’s Conference with Ballet Magnificat!

She came to Montana as School Of Dance Studies (SODS) staff in 2008, was the SODS Director from the summer of 2009 to 2011, and has just recently taken the role of YWAM MT Dance Department Director. She is passionate about educating and training international and national dancers in dance while encouraging them as Christians and missionaries.