Meet Our DelMonico Dance Faculty

Kim DelMonico
Artistic Director / Studio Owner
Kim began her dance training in Minnesota and upon graduating high school, she joined the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleading squad. She then moved to Las Vegas to attend UNLV to study Kinesiology. While in Vegas she danced in numerous Industrial and casino shows such as “Legends in Concert” for Onstage Productions as well as a dancer in multiple shows for Dick Foster Productions at the Rio Resort and Casino. Upon her return to the Midwest Kim once again resumed her role as a Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader and took the title of “MVC Best Dancer” chosen by her teammates and coaches.

Kim has performed with the former Minneapolis based, Imagine Dance Company in “Broken” and with Hey Sugar Productions in various hair shows for Rocco Altobelli Salons. Kim was also a featured dancer in the former Minnesota celebrity impersonator show “Mythology” for two years prior to opening her own dance studio.

Kim has judged for various regional and national dance competitions throughout the United States including Legacy Dance Championships and Starz Dance Competition. She has judged for Copa Cuam Dance, Cheer, and Pom competition in Mexico and has also been a judge for the Arthur Murray Dance Studio charity event “Dancing with the Twin Cities Celebrities”. Kim continues to be involved with the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Alumni Association and has judged try-outs for hopeful Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders numerous times.

Kim teaches competitive and recreational level dancers and also has done free-lance choreography for professional dance teams including the Minnesota Timberwolves. Her choreography and students have won many top scoring awards and achievements at competitions at both the regional and national level! While the accolades her dancers receive are rewarding to her, the true gift comes from seeing her students develop as artists and performers more and more each year.

Bella Amerigo
Bella has been dancing for over 15 years, including competition studio and performance dance. She has also been a choreographer since the age of 12. Bella’s choreography has always caught the judges eye. Personally and with her students she has received numerous standout awards, judges awards, title awards, and choreography awards for her work at regional and national dance competitions. Bella and her dancers have received many scholarships to attend more workshops and conventions to keep growing as dancers.

Bella may be a young choreographer, but she certainly isn’t “green” by industry standards. Kim DelMonico first met Bella at a national dance competition in which she won with a duet she choreographed for herself and her little sister Angelina. Bella brings to us a unique style that is very student centered. She has a beautiful gift to emphasize the dancer’s strengths and a vision to help dancer’s grow and succeed. Bella loves teaching and working with kids. Dance is her passion and we are so proud to have her at DelMonico.

Kelly Nichols
Kelly Nichols is a native to North St. Paul, MN and started her first 12 years of dance training at Larkin Dance Studio. Throughout her dance training there she received many national awards and scholarships.

Growing up, Kelly was known for her love and energy that she brought to the stage, specializing in tap, jazz, and musical theater. Kelly’s performance experiences include Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls, The Pajama Game, Anything Goes, CBA La Crosse Bobcats, Ten Foot Five, Superbowl XXVI Halftime Show, Tostitos commercial, numerous fashion shows, and print work for Leo’s Dancewear. Kelly graduated from UW-La Crosse with a B.S. degree in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Business. She has been a full time personal trainer and Spinning instructor since 2001 at The Minneapolis Club, training the “who’s who” of the Twin Cities. She continually takes medically based classes specializing in PT, orthopedic injuries and surgeries, exercise physiology, bio-mechanics, Postural Restoration (PRI), and Functional Movement Screening (FMS) with local and nationally known doctors, surgeons and physical therapists. She likes to consider herself a “Movement Specialist.”

Currently, Kelly has been choreographing and teaching dance since 1998, giving her 37 years of combined experience with dance and exercise physiology. She has won numerous choreography awards and has enjoyed combining her passion for dance with her educational background, bringing a special enthusiasm to her teaching style.

Kelly can be found at DMD either teaching a masters class or choreographing a future award winning competition routine.

Deane Tasler
Deane’s first love was musical theatre, and he has appeared on the main stage at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in Anything Goes; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; as Bernardo in West Side Story; Singin’ in the Rain; 42nd Street; and Swing. He also had the great pleasure of joining the Metropolitan Ballet’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Agnes DeMille’s Rodeo at the Historic State Theatre. He continues in musical theatre as a choreographer/director for Ashland Productions and has choreographed for Maple Grove Senior high, where his work has been recognized at the annual Spotlight Awards.

Since he fell in love with tap dancing, he’s had the pleasure of taking class with tap greats Yukiko Misumi, Grant Swift, Jimmie Payne, Jr., Mark Yonally, Chloe Arnold, Jason Samuels Smith, Randy Skinner, Everett Smith, Derick Grant, Lisa La Touche, Jay Fagan, Dianne Walker, Dormeisha Sumbry-Edwards, Star Dixon, Nico Rubio, Jumanne Taylor, Guillem Alonso, Sam Weber, Jason Janas and others.

Deane has won several choreography awards and can be found tapping at several different studios in the Twin Cities. Happy Tapping!

Kacey Hauk
Kacey Hauk trained at Classical Ballet Academy and Larkin Dance Studio while growing up around the twin cities. At 13 she traveled to Washington D.C. to study at the Kirov Academy and when she was 17 she attended the Juilliard School’s Summer Intensive program for dance. Kacey graduated from the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists in 2008. That year, she received a national award for her first piece of choreography from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts’ YoungARTS Program in Miami, Florida. Later that year, she performed it again at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. where she was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

After high school Kacey moved to New York City to further her knowledge in classical ballet and modern dance at The Juilliard School where she graduated in 2012. There, she performed works by Lar Lubovitch, Mark Morris, Alexander Ekman and Nacho Duato. Kacey was a teaching artist for StART Osceola summer intensive in Kissimmee, Florida for one of Juilliard’s many outreach programs. She also performed with the Juilliard School for The National Dance Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland and has been featured on HBO’s documentary television series Masterclass as a rookie choreographer under the mentorship of Bill T. Jones.

Kacey has choreographed Merchant Hall’s production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Rutland, Vermont and Chuck Mee’s The Four Seasons performed at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City. She performed with Nai Ni Chen Dance Company based out of New York and the Summer Stage series at the ICA Theater in Boston, Massachusetts where she performed Merce Cunningham’s How to Pass Kick Fall and Run.

Since her return to the twin cities she has performed in Luke Olson-Elm’s Broken at the Southern Theater and Jes Nelson’s Equinox Suite. She has also participated in Live Arts at the SooVAC where she performed the grand pas de deux from Don Quixote as a solo with the accompaniment of a backpack, Kevin Iverson’s original choreography for the debut of Hackwith Design’s Bridal line at Paikka, and her own work at an in-studio workshop at TU Dance. Kacey is thrilled to be back in the twin cities and hopes to share her love of creativity and movement with as many aspiring young artists as possible.

Angelina Amerigo
Angelina Amerigo has been dancing for over 16 years. She was a proud DelMonico Dance Company member from 2014-2019, and was one of the captains for the Senior Company Team while she was a student at DelMonico Dance. Angelina achieved high honors at dance competitions such as top overall placements, title winner awards, and judge’s awards to name a few. She now continues to be a positive role model for our dancers to look up to as she teaches at DelMonico.

Angelina has years of experience in competition dance and also the dance convention world. From 2017-2019, Angelina was chosen as a Pro-Reveler assistant with Revel Dance Convention. She has been fortunate to learn from professional choreographers during select dance convention weekends, and connect with other dancers in this elite program. Not only does Angelina dance, but she sings and acts as well. Angelina has received Triple Threat awards at competitions recognizing her talents. She loves to inspire younger generations with her passion and love for the arts. Angelina was recently the lead dancer in a 2020 Black Friday advertisement for the company Best Buy.

She is currently continuing her college education with online college classes through Minnesota State Online. On top of her responsibilities, she is running for Miss Minnesota in June of 2021. She holds the regional title of Miss Heart of the Lakes. Since August of 2019, Angelina has shared her social impact initiative with the world, “One Bottle, One Straw, One Bag at a Time”, working to spread awareness on the ocean plastic crisis. Angelina has continued to advocate for this cause in many avenues. You can follow Angelina, @missheartofthelakes on Instagram to view her journey as she is on the road to Miss Minnesota.

Angelina’s time at DelMonico Dance helped shape her to be the person she is today. We are proud to now have Angelina on our team of teachers at DelMonico Dance.

Lauren Laier
Lauren has been dancing for 10+ years, three of those with DelMonico Dance on their Diamond Team! She has performed at numerous venues, from the Minnesota State Fair to local county fairs, parades, and countless convention and competition stages. Lauren has won title and top overall awards and was noticed by judges for her performance and spunk. She has embraced leadership roles throughout her dance career and is always eager to offer a helping hand. She strives to be the best role model and to cheer on fellow dancers.

Throughout school life, she has found opportunities to bring the joy of dance to others. Lauren has choreographed dance performances for special needs students at Lake Elmo Elementary finding creative ways to help others express themselves through dance regardless of limitations. She has also collaborated with gymnasts at Stillwater High School to add a little extra flair to their floor routines.

Lauren is currently a PSEO student taking classes at Century College with plans of pursuing a career in Nursing. She loves to put a smile on everyone’s face and encourage others’ love for dance. She has always seen dance as a place to express all emotions that can’t be said through words. Lauren’s time at DelMonico has created lifelong connections and taught her many lessons whether dance-related or not. Lauren is incredibly excited for this dance season!

Maggie Culp
Maggie graduated from Webster University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelors of Arts in Business. She founded, coached, and participated on the Webster University Danceline and was a member of the Webster University Ensemble. She has studied in Boston, Chicago, Kansas, New York, Florida and Las Vegas, both as a teacher and as a performer. Maggie worked with Jennifer Medina, Nick Pupillo, Louise Quick, Gary Hubler, Beckah Voigt, Dana Lewis, Dee Caspery, Lane Alexander, Michael Minery, and Dianne “Lady Di” Walker.

After college, Maggie returned to Minneapolis and began her professional career as a dancer and celebrity impersonator in Mythology. Since then she has been featured in Macy’s Glamorama performing with Big & Rich at the Orpheum and Chicago State Theatre, toured with Kat Perkins and appeared on the reality show Full Throttle Saloon.

Maggie performs with Enticing Entertainment at a variety of different events throughout MN. She choreographs and has been a featured performer with Divas Entertainment for corporate and private events. She is also a highly respected ‘senior’ member of Sole to Soul choreographing and performing as a company member, backup dancer, lead, and model for major productions at local community events as well as large national/international hair and fashion productions.

Combining the love of dance, theatre, photography, music, and the arts, Maggie created her dance theatre company, M-SHE Productions in 2012. Maggie has been fortunate enough to create seven full length original theatrical dance shows. M-SHE Productions has performed for: corporate events, Treasure Island Casino, Can Can Wonderland, The Phipps Center for the Arts, Ballet Minnesota, The Minnesota Fringe Festival, The Pour House in Minneapolis, The Minnesota Opera and has been recognized as a RAW Artist of Minnesota.

Growing up Maggie trained at: Larkin Dance Studio, Butterfield Gallery of Dance, Terps Performing Arts Center, and Pat Peare School of Dance as a competitive dancer for 12 years winning many awards including Pulse Convention Scholarships from Brian Friedman and Cris Judd, Missouri’s Dance Idol, Symposium’s Terpsichorean, Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest Winner, Statewide’s Performer of Excellence, Jr. Miss Showbiz, Miss Starpower, and Young Miss of America.

She has gone on to choreograph and perform with dance and theatre companies throughout the Midwest. Maggie has been certified for gymnastics training by Tumble Effect and is working on being certified in Dance Cirque. She also continues to share her talents as an instructor of: progressive ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, pointe, musical theatre, gymnastics, and baton at competitive studios throughout the twin cities. She has been recognized with national champion dances, photography awards, choreography awards, judge’s choice awards, encore performances, high points, and her students have received scholarships to dance across the nation. Maggie also enjoys judging dance and baton competitions throughout the midwest area and viewing all of the amazing talent the younger generations have.

In her words, “Passion drives me. I believe I have a shot at my dreams, which float amongst the clouds, and make me proud to think upon from one sunrise to the next… that’s me at my best. I do what I love everyday!”

Jenny Rodriguez
Jenny is so excited to become a part of the DelMonico team, teaching Acro classes! She is a married mother of 4 who enjoys spending time with her family and friends, working, shopping, having FUN….and beach vacations! She grew up as a dancer and gymnast and have never been able to let it go. It has been her passion her entire life!

For the past 19 years, she has been coaching gymnastics for the Park Gymnastics Program, also teaching classes at dance studios, and still currently working at Energy Pilates Fitness Studio(for the past 13 years) teaching Group Fitness of all different formats and Pilates Reformer, Personal Training and Private Acro lessons for dancers, cheerleaders and gymnasts. She absolutely LOVES her job and LOVES working with kids of all ages …..from beginner skills to advanced. She specializes in teaching proper form and technique for all skills and work through drills and progressions to teach safety and precision. She is a hands-on-spotter for all skills. She loves helping the kids learn to leap, jump, turns, advance in flexibility, strength and conditioning…. Also, walkovers, front and back handsprings, side and front aeriels, and even back tucks, and many more unique variations of many skills. She can’t wait to get started. She loves watching these kids progress and grow and feel so good about themselves when they master a new skill! She can’t wait!