About Us
Serving the youth of southern Milwaukee County for more than 20 years, Next Step Dance Studio offers a variety of recreational classes for ages 18 months and up and competitive dance classes for ages 7 to 18. Classes include ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical and acro. Our studio at 3501 W. Ryan Road in Franklin, features three classrooms with mirrored walls and floating dance floors to protect the physical well-being of our students.
Our lobby has observation windows into the classrooms and a boutique offering dance shoes, tights, leotards and other dance apparel. Our teachers have college degrees in dance and/or professional dance experience. Our goals include helping our students to become better dancers and better people.
Thru dance, our students have the opportunity to build self-confidence and time management skills as they learn to work hard to reach their dance goals. We are very proud of the Next Step dancers, who have earned college scholarships based on both their dance skills and their academic achievements. Come dance with us!
Our Staff
Terri
Director
Elizabeth
Office & Social Media Staff
Anna
Office Manager
Miss Maya
Miss Katie
Miss Greta
Miss Stephanie
Miss Sonya
Miss Jacq
Miss Ellen
Miss Laura
Miss Morghan
Terri
Director
Miss Terri is the director of Next Step Dance Studio. She holds her Master Certification in dance from Chicago National Association of Dance Masters. She has served as a Board Member, Treasurer and currently is the Principal (hires Faculty for the organization). She earned her B.F.A. degree in dance from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She has over 30 years of teaching experience. Her passion is teaching children the love of dance.
Miss Laura
Miss Laura grew up in Madison, WI where she began taking dance at a young age. She trained at the Madison Professional Dance Center (MPDC) in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and modern dance for 10 years. Throughout her years there, she was also apart of their company, competing throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. In High School she joined the school’s dance team, performing at football and basketball games, and was captain her Junior and Senior years. At age 18, Miss Laura had the honor of dancing with her MPDC teachers, as well as other local dancers, in a production that was performed at the Overture Performing Arts Center. She then moved to Milwaukee, WI to attend the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, receiving a bachelors in Early Childhood Education. Miss Laura has been teaching kindergarten for Milwaukee Public Schools since 2015 and is going back to school at UWM for her masters. Miss Laura is so excited to join the Next Step Dance family and to help teach the new Twinkle Star dance program for our youngest dancers!
Miss Stephanie
Miss Stephanie started dancing at the age of 5 at Encore dance studio in Cudahy, WI under the direction of Lee Burke and Amy Brinkman (Danceworks). She then transitioned to one of Miss Terri’s first high school dancers when she opened in 1997 and completed her training at Next Step!!! She was also a member of the Franklin high school Pom Pom team. She continued her dance training and received a Bachelor or Arts degree in dance from UW Milwaukee and has been teaching dance intermittently to all ages ever since. She is also certified in Pilates, previous Zumba instructor and personal trainer. She has taught many classes at various local gyms and Rec departments and also choreographs musicals for a local high school. She also has a bachelor of science degree in nursing and works intermittently as a registered nurse. She is thrilled to be returning to her home studio and to be able to share her passion of dance with her students!!
Miss Jacq
Miss Jacq is excited to start her 4th year at Next Step Dance Studio! Miss Jacq started dancing when she was three years old and has loved it ever since! She received her BA in dance from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) and spent a summer in New York City attending the Dance Education Laboratory Summer Institute while continuing her training at Broadway Dance Center, Gibney Dance, and Steps on Broadway. Miss Jacq loves the Next Step community and is excited to share another year with the amazing dancers and families!
Miss Rachel
Rachel grew up in Stevens Point where she started dancing at 6 years old. In December of 2020 she received a BA in Dance and Arts Management at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point (UWSP). At UWSP she performed in many student and faculty choreographed works, her choreography was also featured in many student productions. She is certified in Pilates Mat and is currently finishing her Pilates Reformer training. Rachel is so excited to be working at Next Step this year!
Elizabeth
Anna
Miss Greta
Greta is so excited to be teaching at Next Step Dance Studio! She’s a dancer, teacher, and personal trainer in the Milwaukee area. She received her BFA in dance performance from Ball State University. She’s trained in the styles of ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, musical theatre, and clogging. She’s a certified personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise. Greta currently dances with Water Street Dance Milwaukee’s Trainee Program. She also enjoys choreographing for competitions and performances. Greta also teaches a variety of strength & conditioning classes structured to help dancers find strength in their technique. Let’s get dancing and have a great season!
Miss Sonya
Miss Katie
Katie grew up in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, where she was a competitive cheerleader for ten years. She competed on the JV and Varsity Co-ed cheerleading teams in high school. She also trained in Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Pointe at Dance With Pam for seven years. Katie has been teaching dance for over 6 years at the YMCA in La Crosse, for the city of Middleton Recreation Department, and for Dancercise Kids LLC. She was a KID from Wisconsin Singer/Dancer, and toured the state of Wisconsin for two summers. Katie loves sharing her passion for dance at Next Step and enjoys getting to know her young dancers and watch them develop their talents and confidence!
Miss Ellen
Ellen is so excited to be teaching at Next Step Dance Studio. She graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 2014 with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Dance. She has lived in Racine her whole life (except college), and spent the majority of her childhood in a dance studio. Her favorite style of dance is Ballet but also loves to teach Lyrical, Contemporary, Jazz, Acro and Pre-Pointe. She currently teaches 3k for Racine Unified so the littles definitely have a special place in her heart. She looks forward to meeting and getting to know everyone in the Next Step Family!
Miss Maya
Maya graduated college with a Bachelor in Arts-Dance major at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, May 2023. She trained at Next Step Dance Studio from the age of 2. Maya was trained in a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, pointe, lyrical and contemporary. Over the past years, she has had the opportunity to take several master classes at Dance Masters of Wisconsin and Chicago National Association of Dance Masters. She broadened her knowledge when she came to college that has offered her new styles such as modern, jump rhythm jazz, African dance, and theatre dance. She choreographed a piece for Afterimages and has been very involved in shows at UWSP. She is extremely excited to start her new chapter of her life back where it all started, here at Next Step Dance Studio!
Miss Morghan
Miss Morghan grew up in Indiana which is where she began her training and first found her love for dance. She started dancing at the age of 7 and trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dance at her first studio. She was also given the opportunity to be part of the studio’s performance company, with which she traveled to regional dance competitions, studied at dance conventions such as Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM), and performed at local community events. Later on, she transitioned to another studio, where she was able to additionally train in contemporary and acrobatic dance. She danced with this studio’s performance company as well, where she continued competing and attending conventions and workshops around the Midwest. She also pursued pre-professional ballet training at a local conservatory prior to her graduation. Miss Morghan began teaching in 2014, after having had several years of experience as an assistant instructor. She soon realized her passion for teaching and has continued to seek opportunities to improve her knowledge so she can better serve her students. Over the years, she has attended multiple conventions, workshops, and certification classes around the country and continues to find opportunities to improve her skills. She is currently certified to teach acrobatic dance through the Acrobatic Arts Program. She hopes to continue to inspire and pass along her knowledge and passion for dance to her students!