Hey there! I'm Carissa Jiménez, your Lead Instructor, and I'm thrilled to welcome you to our Horizon Studio Dance Program at the Huntley Park District!

I've been immersed in the world of dance for over 20+ years, and my journey includes a decade in the fitness and health industry. Not only am I a huge dance enthusiast of all styles, but I'm also a multi-certified Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. After years of exploring different corners of the globe, I'm super excited to bring a touch spice to our studio.

Now, let me share some fun bits about myself:

👨‍👧‍👦 I'm a proud mom of two wonderful children – a lovely girl and a wild boy!

🗣️ We are a bilingual household of Spanish-English (¡Que divertido!)

💃 My favorite styles of dance are Tap, HipHop and Salsa.

👐 When I'm not choreographing, you'll find me enjoying quality time with my family and serving the community.

Ms. Carissa, Age 4

Ogechi’s passion for dance started at a young age when she began taking classes in many different dance styles. In high school, she was a 4-year member of Huntley High School’s Orchesis dance club. Ogechi went to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology with minors in Dance and Psychology. She continued her education at Marquette and received a Master of Science Degree in Speech Language Pathology. Ogechi was a dancer and choreographer for a student-led dance organization at Marquette called Dance Inc. Over the years, Ogechi has had many other dance teaching and performance opportunities. In 2021, Ogechi performed as a guest artist with the Catey Ott Dance Collective in a performance titled ‘Resilience.’ Most recently, Ogechi was a member of Outlet Dance Company and performed in their season 9 concert in September 2023. Outside of the studio, Ogechi works as a speech-language pathologist and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family! Ogechi is excited to be a part of Horizon Studio Dance and to aid in cultivating a positive and joyous dance environment for the community!

Kim has been an employee of the Huntley Park Distinct for 17 years and has taught fitness classes of all kinds. Kim has taught dance at a variety of locations for over 10 years.

Kim danced from age 3-7 in Michigan where she took ballet, tap, and jazz and competed in the Junior Company. I moved to Illinois where I continued my dance training through high school and joined Orchesis. I went to Eastern Illinois University and Majored in Education. I was a member of EIU Dancers where I was exposed to modern dance. We also performed Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz and Tap at multiple locations.

Upon graduation, I returned to my high school as a co-sponsor of Orchesis. I ran lights, music, and the costume closet for recitals. I also choreographed, organized rehearsals, and placed 75-100 dancers in individual dances.

I enjoy teaching dance to all ages. I’m excited to be a teacher and a team member of Horizon Dance!

Hello dancers and guardians! I am Jess Tudela, your teacher for ballet blossoms and dance exploration this season. I started dancing at age 3 just like so many of your little ones and I have never stopped dancing since. I started learning the basics of Ballet and Tap then later fell in love with different styles of dance such as Jazz, Hip Hop, and even Musical Theater. I attended my first dance class at my local park district and loved it! I hope the same for your little ones.

I am a certified group fitness instructor and have been watching children professionally and as a babysitter/nanny for about 20 years.  I am also a mom to an amazing little boy who clearly does not appreciate dance yet and always tells me “No mama” whenever I start dancing in the kitchen LOL.

While hip hop is my main choice of dance now, I still enjoy the structure and grace that ballet brings. I am so honored to be the one who will first show your child how to express themselves through song and movement. Don’t be surprised if you see your child twirling around the house from now on.  Please ask me any questions you may have and enjoy this time of fun and learning.

Hi! I'm Miss Jenna, and I've been dancing since I was five years old. I've taken ballet the longest, but I also love tap dancing. I'm a 4th grade teacher and a dog mama to my chihuahua mix, Mia. I'm looking forward to dancing with you in class!