Your 2013 Show Directors
Kim McKimmieInternational Director
Miss McKimmie began her dance career in Portland, Oregon, at the age of three and Dance has taken her all over the world ever since! She taught Dance at the university level as well as opened her first Dance Studio in 1979. She has either danced professionally, taught dance, or produced dance events in most major cities throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Japan and Australia. She has enjoyed producing I LOVE DANCE for thirty-five years, and every year creates a schedule that is a spectacular showcase for performers of all ages and ability levels.
Although Championship Conventions, Sweetheart & HeartThrob Floorshows, Dance Intensive Master Classes and the "Sweetheart Of The Year" Pageants have been thrilling events for her to produce all these years, this Season has those Finalé productions "On Hold" as Miss Kim pursues her own unique personal and professional goals. Kim is very proud of the many working Dancers who attribute their success to I LOVE DANCE and the Sweetheart & HeartThrob programs.
Ronda Copeland, Tina Skenes and Karen Lundy
Christine BrandtChristine owns and operates Dance Inc in Virginia State and has been teaching Dance for over 25 years. As a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Christine has built a program that includes Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Acrobatics, Ballroom and Irish Step Dancing. Her students have been the recipients of many I LOVE DANCE honors and awards. Several of her students have begun promising careers in professional dance. Known for her award-winning choreography and dynamic teaching style, Christine is in constant demand by theatre groups, pageant contestants, schools and service organizations. Christine earned the “Excellence Award” for several years as a competitor at I LOVE DANCE and served as a guest judge for over twelve years in various cities thoughout the United States. She joined the Show Director Staff for Competitions held in States other than the Virginias three years ago. Her background experience of many years on our Judging panels and first-hand knowledge as a Participating Studio compliment her friendly and most helpful spirit as an Announcer at our events.
Ronda Copeland 
Miss Ronda joins us this Season as Show Director once again. She was part of the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Sweetheart Of The Year Master Faculty. Ms. Copeland’s dance training in Canada began at the age of three - which no doubt helped her become Miss Toronto in 1998 -- and she placed in the Top 5 in the Miss Canada Pageant! (She’s judged Local and National Pageants in the USA and Canada.) Ronda has been teaching the art of dance for over 20 years now - and her studio, The Ronda Copeland School of Dance, offers classes in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Acrobatics, Lyrical, Hip-Hop and Vocal. She has been involved in Pro Cheerleading in the CFL (Canadian Football League) and was a former Dance Captain with the NFL Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders. Her students (when not competing at I LOVE DANCE) have appeared in a pilot episode of the Warner Bros. TV show The Gilmore Girls and in the Disney movie Santa Who? Ms. Ronda has trained many Dancers that have become members of the ILD Junior and Senior Sweetheart & HeartThrob groups.
Miss Ronda joins us this Season as Show Director once again. She was part of the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Sweetheart Of The Year Master Faculty. Ms. Copeland’s dance training in Canada began at the age of three - which no doubt helped her become Miss Toronto in 1998 -- and she placed in the Top 5 in the Miss Canada Pageant! (She’s judged Local and National Pageants in the USA and Canada.) Ronda has been teaching the art of dance for over 20 years now - and her studio, The Ronda Copeland School of Dance, offers classes in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Acrobatics, Lyrical, Hip-Hop and Vocal. She has been involved in Pro Cheerleading in the CFL (Canadian Football League) and was a former Dance Captain with the NFL Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders. Her students (when not competing at I LOVE DANCE) have appeared in a pilot episode of the Warner Bros. TV show The Gilmore Girls and in the Disney movie Santa Who? Ms. Ronda has trained many Dancers that have become members of the ILD Junior and Senior Sweetheart & HeartThrob groups.
Cheryl LeeCheryl began her dance training in Chicago at age three studying Ballet, Tap and Jazz, making it her life-long love. She has performed in many ballets and musicals on stage, television and on tour. Cheryl graduated magna cum laude from Barat College, Lake Forest, Illinois and spent one year abroad at Oxford University. During college, and while abroad, she continued to study and perform ballet with the college’s repertory company and at the Paris Opera Ballet. Her most recent ballet credits include The Nutcracker and Gaspar with Bay Ballet Theatre in Tampa, Florida. Her musical theatre choreography credits include Sound of Music, Oklahoma, Crazy for You, The King and I, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, Grease and West Side Story. Since 1989, her studio’s performing group, The Showstoppers, have been entertaining audiences across America and internationally, including on board Carnival Cruise Lines, in Jamaica and Mexico, at Walt Disney World, Caesars Palace Las Vegas, South Seaport Pier and Marriott Marquis in New York City. Cheryl Lee is also founding director of Les Jeunes Danseurs Youth Ballet. Graduates of her programs have performed in Broadway shows including: Lion King, Fosse, Movin Out, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Chorus Line, Phantom of the Opera, Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, on cruise ships, and in Miami City Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and New York City Ballet. As Director of "Friends of Dance" a non-profit arts organization, Cheryl produced "Celebrate St. Petersburg" starring Mikhail Baryshnikov. She is known nationally as a Master Teacher and Show Director for I LOVE DANCE.
Karen LundyKaren was dancing at age four and teaching dance at age fifteen. Her great success at educating others in the Art of Dance made the decision to devote her life to it very easy. She is dedicated to having her students excel at Ballet, Jazz, Acrobatics and even Baton--but her greatest love and area of expertise is Tap! She is known as a Master Tap Teacher herself and still her ongoing studies have been at the "feet" of the Master Tap Teachers who are known world-wide as famous, old-school Hoofers. She has performed on Television, in USO shows and at Theme Parks. She has choreographed numbers and entire musicals for Universities and Theaters and Beauty Pageants. Karen has taught non-stop in Florida since 1984. For more than twenty-five years, she has encouraged many students towards performing and teaching careers. Miss Karen had many students who were selected as members of the ILD Sweetheart Group - including her own dancing daughters. One of her daughters, Sarah Lundy, operates her own Dance Studio in the Orlando, Florida area (Sarah's School of Dance) and is indeed following in her Mother's footsteps. Mrs. Lundy has been part of the I LOVE DANCE Directing Staff for over twelve years.
Katrina DeGrossoMs. DelGrosso grew up in Massachusetts dancing for Suzanne's Dance in Burlington. She began dancing with I LOVE DANCE when she was eleven years old and as a teenager was a member of the ILD Sweetheart Performing Troupe two years in a row, performing at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Katrina is a graduate of Point Park University with a BA in dance. She has worked with well-known teachers of Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago. Katrina has performed seven original works and two full-length productions and was a member of the Playhouse Dance Company in Pittsburgh. She has performed numerous ballets with Dance Prism Ballet Company and is also currently performing with Enigmatic Contemporary Dance Company in the Boston area. Katrina was a very popular guest judge for ILD three seasons and we welcome her as a Show Director.
Tina Skenes Since 1975, Tina has been sharing her expertise and knowledge of Dance with students throughout the Carolinas. in addition to teaching, she has been responsible for Choreography and for Directing many successful shows including "High Steppin' Country," "The Nashville Opry," and "The Ferlin Husky Jubilee" where she was responsible for all the Dancers, Singers and Musicians. She specialized in competitive dance with a goal of producing Dancers ready for the world of Show Business. For many years she was co-owner and operator of "Elite Dance Centre" in South Carolina. She is now employed as the guest talent coordinator for Disney Florida. Tina was a popular member of the I LOVE DANCE Master Teaching Faculty and Staff member for many years of Sweetheart programs and continues to be a popular Show Director.
7507 SE Main Street, Portland, OR 97215 USA
Tel: (503) 253-2020
Tel: (503) 253-2020
