Katelin Madsen (Irish Director)
Katelin started Allegro Dance Studio as a way to bring a positive, fun, and affordable Irish Dance option to Cache Valley. Katelin has been Irish Dancing for 20 years. She performed, contributed choreography, and helped to direct in the production of Celtic Night for the full 10 years that it ran at Ellen Eccles Theater. She has performed on countless stages across Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming and attended a Master Class taught by the Riverdance star, Jean Butler. She started teaching Irish Dance to young children when she was 14 years old, and has since taught students throughout the years from the ages of 3 up to 65. She earned her Bachelors Degree at USU in Secondary Education (Biological Science) and taught 7th grade science for one year before becoming a stay at home mom. She enjoys spending time with students of all ages and helping them learn, grow, and become self-confident. She currently lives with her husband and 4 young kids in Franklin, ID. Her favorite things include spending time outdoors with her family, reading a good book, and getting a full night of uninterrupted sleep.
Allison Lefler (Ballet Director)
Allison has been dancing since a very young age. Growing up in southern Arizona she was trained in ballet, tap, jazz, & dabbled in ballroom in college. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from UVU and taught 1st grade for four years before having children of her own. Her father was the high school drama teacher and from a young age Allison has been performing on stages and training in different styles of dance. Allison loves dance and the joy it brings. It has been a joy to combine her love of teaching with dance as she works with the students at Allegro. Allison believes that dance is a way to build confidence in individuals and is an outlet for creativity and self expression. Allison is no longer teaching classes at Allegro because she has returned to the classroom where she is currently teaching 2nd grade at Canyon Elementary.
Sadie Willey (Irish Instructor)
Sadie began Irish step-dancing in 2004 at the age of seven with the INISHFRE Dance Studio - under the tutelage of Julie Zufelt. She was a member of the Junior and then Senior Companies. She continued to keep her feet moving while going to Utah State University and graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting. She works full-time as a free lance artist. Her favorite hobbies are dancing, reading, cross-stitching, anything Disney, and traveling. She is thrilled to be dancing (and teaching) with Katelin again. Both of them are passionate about keeping traditional Irish dancing alive and thriving in the next generation of dancers.
Rachel Fillingim (Ballet Instructor)
Rachel began training in ballet at the age of 5 with the Ogden Ballet West Academy. At 9 she joined Imagine Ballet Theatre under the direction of Raymond Van Mason, (former principal with Ballet West,) where she performed in various roles in many ballets over 7 years with the company. Some of her favorites included Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Tigerlily in Alice: Adventures in Wonderland, and the Cat in Peter and the Wolf. During those 7 years she also attended 4-week summer intensives with IBT and Ballet West Academy where she studied ballet, jazz, hip hop, character, flamenco, Irish, African, and choreography with notable teachers from around the world. At 16 she competed at the Youth American Grand Prix in Denver, Colorado in both ballet and contemporary. During high school she interned and attended Creative Arts Academy where she substituted and assisted in teaching ballet to ages 3-14. She also substituted for Weber State University and was a guest artist for their ACDA competition.
Now, she lives with her husband in Logan where she loves to perform in musicals within Cache Valley’s theater community. Teaching ballet for Allegro is her dream job and Rachel works hard to merge fun and technique to ensure each dancer enjoys their time with her.
Now, she lives with her husband in Logan where she loves to perform in musicals within Cache Valley’s theater community. Teaching ballet for Allegro is her dream job and Rachel works hard to merge fun and technique to ensure each dancer enjoys their time with her.
Carissa Mathews
(Ballet Instructor)
Carissa has been a performer and storyteller her entire life. She started dance at the age three, working on tap, ballet, and jazz. When she was nine, fate took a turn and she no longer had the means to dance. Five years of missing the stage sorely encouraged her to jump headfirst into the world of Musical Theatre and other performing arts. Once she began, nothing could tear her away! Theatre has allowed her to find fulfillment, and over the years she has enjoyed many wonderful physical movement classes and workshops ballroom, tap, ballet, and others. Carissa is currently a student at Utah State University pursuing a degree in communication studies. She has been living her dream training and encouraging kids in the performing arts with Cache Theatre Company and Music Theatre West, and is now overjoyed to continue her passion with Allegro!
Abby Homer (Ballet & Lyrical Dance Instructor)
Abby is a sophomore at Utah State University. She is studying family and consumer sciences meaning she’ll get to teach the cooking and sewing classes! Long term she hopes to be a highschool principal or run a dance studio. Abby has been dancing since she was super little. Her mom kept encouraging her to try other sports and activities but she never liked anything as much as dance. Her mom let her stick with it and she’s now been dancing for over 10 years. She danced competitively at a studio until she was old enough to try out for her high school team! She made the team and loved that experience.
She misses dancing a lot and teaching dance fills that void a little bit! She started teaching just as a sub her senior year of highschool and then got hired on at Allegro her freshman year of college. She LOVES Allegro and each of the kids she get to teach!
Raegan Glenn (Irish Instructor)
Raegan has been dancing since she was three years old. She started Irish dance when she was 10, and has been hooked ever since. Outside of dance, Raegan does theater, debate, aerial silks, and has recently taken up crocheting. Raegan is so excited to have to opportunity to teach Irish dance at Allegro!!
