Danika Bielek

Ms. Bielek graduated from Arizona State University with a B.F.A. cum laude in Dance Performance/Choreography as a scholarship recipient. While at ASU, she benefited from training with significant modern and ballet dance instructors, companies and choreographers such as Daniel Nagrin, Madame Zenia Christova, Bebe Miller, Joe Goode Performance Group, Ki Wan Han, Marion Kirk-Jones and Cliff Keuter.

Throughout her training at ASU, Ms. Bielek studied at The Phoenix School of Ballet under direction of Kelly Brown. After training, she joined Phoenix, Arizona's oldest modern dance company, Desert Dance Theater, where she choreographed & performed. She has danced in works by many influential choreographers such as Kelly Roth, Bill Evans and David Rousseve. Currently Ms. Bielek teaches many styles of modern dance, as well as: ballet, jazz dance, improvisation (with an emphasis on Ideo-Kinesis), dance history and specializes in choreographic instruction. To further her dance education, Ms. Bielek has had the honor of annually studying with Brazilian modern dance choreographer and instructor, Rosangela Silveste, creator of the exquisite Silvestre Technique.

Recent experiences have been a guest artist with Peak Ballet Theater of Colorado Springs, holding the position of Dance Department Chair at Pikes Peak Community College and recently taught at the American College Dance Festival.

Marla Blickhahn

Marla was raised in Anaheim, California and trained in the Los Angelos area in a variety of disciplines and teachers including jazz with Joe Tremain, ballet with Stanley Holden and ethnic dance at Orange Coast Community College.

She is in her sixth season on staff with ArtisTree's Dance Branch sharing the richness of her California training and teaching experiences.

She, her husband, Henry, Director of Christian Education for Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, and their son have lived in Hutchinson, Kansas for ten years.

Marla is also owner of Necessities, Past, Present & Future, a popular outdoor and indoor antique shop in Hutchinson's antique district.

When she's not at home, in her shop, on ArtisTree's dance floor or the stage of a local theatre, she can be found reading a good book, at the movies, antique-ing or shopping.

Melanie Green

Melanie was raised in Wichita and trained in classical ballet with June Landrith at the Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita and William Martin-Viscount at the Southwest Ballet Center in Fort Worth, Texas.  She attended the University of Kansas and continued her dance training with the University Dance Company under the direction of Patrick Suzeau and Muriel Cohen.

Melanie was on staff with Studio 3100 before earning a master's degree. She then worked as a physical therapist and grew her family to include three children. This is her second season on staff with the ArtisTree Dance Branch.

Melanie and her husband, Rob, a Hutchinson native, have been in Hutchinson for ten years.  

When Melanie is not busy with her children, she is involved with her church Sunday School classes and also loves to run, read and is learning to play the piano.

Marie Maugans-Coleman

Marie studied dance with Patrick and Jennifer Crommet from the Royal Winnapeg Ballet, Carol Iwasaki of Ballet West, and Annette Thornton, Artistic Director of the Newton Dance Center. She has studied with various dance teachers including Thalia Mara, William Christiansen, and Rosella Hightower.

She was a dance instructor and choreographer for over 25 years at The Newton Dance Center, Bethel College, and with Newton Community Theatre and a number of area high schools and colleges before coming to Hutchinson five years ago. Artistree has been her dance home for the last four years.

Full time she is an ARNP at Horizons Mental Health Center. Her husband is Dr. Robert Coleman, a podiatrist in Hutchinson for 25 years. Seven children and seven grandchildren keep her busy between working full time, gardening, and dancing.

Sarah Zongker Snider

Sarah began her dance training at the age of 6 at Studio 3100 with 'Miss Betsie' Andrews. During her training with Studio 3100 and later with ArtisTree, Sarah also studied under 'Miss Emily' Skala Hull, 'Miss Katie' Williamson Flindall, 'Miss Melanie' Green, and 'Miss Marla' Blickhahn. She is also a charter cast member of Prairie Nutcracker.

Sarah graduated from St. Gregory's University, Oklahoma as a scholarship recipient and with a B.F.A sum cum laude in Entertainment Management with an emphasis in dance. While attending St. Gregory's, she trained under Liz Reiter, of the Gus Giordano Jazz Company, and Kim Oplotnik, ballet instructor from Oklahoma University. Sarah participated in St. Gregory's dance company and performed at several venues including the American College Dance Festivals.

Upon graduating in May 2006, Sarah was hired by St. Gregory's as their ballet instructor and beginning jazz instructor. Sarah also became the director of the first St. Gregory's University Dance Academy for students ages 4-16.

Sarah and her husband, Preston Snider from Amarillo, Texas are newlyweds and have recently relocated to Buhler. Sarah is looking forward to rejoining the wonderful ArtisTree family!

Mara Whitaker

Guest Instructor

Mara Whitaker began her ballet training at the age of three in Tacoma, Washington. She has studied with David Howard, George de la Pena, Rebecca Wright, Kimberly Glasco, Boston Ballet School, Wichita State University, and chiefly with Nancy Hervey and Jill Landrith at Nancy Hervey School of Ballet in Wichita, Kansas.

In 1989, Mara joined Ballet Wichita, formerly Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita, as a junior member. In 1995 she was promoted to soloist, and to principal in 1998. Her roles include Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop Fairy, and nearly every other female role in "The Nutcracker", Effie in "La Sylphide", Mazurka in "Les Sylphide", "Paquita", Little Swan in "Swan Lake", Coppelia in "Coppelia" and many others. Mara created roles in Jill Landrith's "Merlin's Song", "Blue", "Torch", and others. Mara also worked with guest choreographers Sean Duus of Kansas City Ballet and Rebecca Wright, formerly of American Ballet Theatre. In 1999 Mara was awarded the Kansas Cultural Trust.

Mara has been a ballet teacher and choreographer in Kansas for over a decade. She loves to read and practices Pilates and yoga in her spare time.