Dance PlayHouse

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Muskegon, MI
Dance PlayHouse

Dance PlayHouse is a professional dance company based in Muskegon, MI that exists to bring more dance, movement, and storytelling to the Lakeshore.

10/18/2026

Looking back at our piece, "Making the Bed, Starting the Fire" from this past summer.

Thank you West Michigan Dance Festival for the opportunity to show this work in Grand Rapids!

📸 Ryan Jackson

10/12/2026

AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT 📢

Intermediate & advanced dancers ages 13-18

🗓 Sunday, November 15th
⏰️ 1:00-2:45pm

We are seeking enthusiastic and dedicated dancers who are ready to enrich their artistry and deepen their commitment to their craft.

Under the artistic direction of Adrian Martinez, youth company members will learn original repertoire that they will perform in our annual concert at the Frauenthal Center, with additional performances in local/regional dance festivals. Unlike a competition team, our pre-professional company focuses on artistic development and performances that prepare young dancers for college dance programs and a career in concert dance. This is a chance for dancers to build their résumés and meaningful connections in the dance industry while they continue their training.

Applicants must be currently enrolled in at least two technique classes at a dance studio of their choosing to be eligible to audition. Dance PlayHouse works with local studio schedules to ensure company members can be active in their home studios, including their studios’ productions and competitive teams.

🔗 Link in bio to apply

10/05/2026

We had way too much fun in Milwaukee this past Saturday, where we performed at Nō Studios DanceFest. It was special to connect with new and familiar faces and honor the dance legend Frank Gatson 🤩

We can't wait to come back!

10/01/2026

MEET THE DANCE ARTISTS

LAUREN SAWSON | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Lauren Sawson (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who has been rooted in movement throughout her entire life. Entering her second season with Dance PlayHouse, Lauren is thrilled to amplify her involvement as the company’s Artistic Director.

Lauren’s professional journey is anchored by a BFA in Dance from Wayne State University. Following her degree, she moved to Dayton, Ohio, where she performed and choreographed for SMAG Dance Collective, sharpening her voice as a creator. Her formative training in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap has since expanded into a rich, versatile vocabulary including contemporary, West African, hip hop, and improvisation. Throughout her career, Lauren has had the honor of training with artists and educators from companies like Paul Taylor, Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, Complexions, The Joffrey Ballet, The Lion King and Movin' Out. This diverse technical foundation allows Lauren to produce thought-provoking choreography derived from her lived experiences, emphasizing a thoughtful, embodied approach informed by a deep understanding of pedagogy, anatomy, and kinesiology.

With nearly 20 years of teaching experience throughout the Midwest and along the Lakeshore, Lauren is dedicated to offering enriching movement education for all ages. Her passion for early childhood development is reflected in her training with the Discover Dance program, while her certification in Acrobatic Arts allows her to integrate athletic floor-work into her technical classes. Beyond the studio, she serves as the Co-Founder of HomeBody Retreats, a community-focused initiative dedicated to accessibility and collective care.

Lauren’s approach to dance is further supported by a comprehensive background in holistic wellness. She is a 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher and trained in the STOTT Pilates comprehensive mat program, as well as a Level II Usui Reiki Practitioner. By weaving these disciplines together, Lauren strives to encourage those in movement to create sustainable, mindful, and powerful relationships with their bodies, both on and off the stage.

📸 Jennifer Green

09/29/2026

MEET THE DANCE ARTISTS

ERIN SIEBERT | COMPANY MEMBER

Erin Siebert (she/her) trained at Relevé Dance Studio growing up, and has a dance minor from Central Michigan University (CMU). At CMU, Siebert performed with the University Theatre Dance Company, and performed and choreographed for the Dance Minor Showcase. This is her second season with Dance PlayHouse, and she recently earned a Doctorate of Audiology from Central Michigan University. In her free time, she loves to read and spend time going to coffee shops to drink chai.

📸 Jennifer Green

09/27/2026

MEET THE DANCE ARTISTS

ADRIAN MARTINEZ | COMPANY MEMBER

Adrian Martinez (she/her) is a Michigan-based dance artist and educator. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Western Michigan University, where she performed works by artists including Noelle Kayser, Mike Esperanza, and Marisa Bianan. Adrian has also performed with the touring dance company Western Dance Project (2025–2026), under the direction of Kelsey Paschich, sharing dance with communities throughout the Kalamazoo area. She has had the opportunity to perform at the Dance City Festival in Detroit and Art Hop in Kalamazoo. In 2026, she was selected to perform Lily of the Nile by Loie Fuller, reconstructed by Megan Slayter and Jessica Lindenburg Coxe, at the American College Dance Association Adjudication Concert and Closing Gala.

📸 Jennifer Green

09/25/2026

Tomorrow is our Muskegon premiere of "in the wake", choreographed by our 2026 Choreographer-In-Residence Alisha Jihn.

Come see us at 6:30pm at shorelinetheatrefest and stay after to see Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Co and Pier Pressure 🤍

09/24/2026

MEET THE DANCE ARTISTS

GINA JOHNSON | COMPANY MEMBER

This is Gina’s second season with Dance PlayHouse. She majored in dance and elementary education at Hope College, and minored in art. While at Hope, she performed with StrikeTime Dance Company under the leadership of Maxine DeBruyn and Aerial Dance Theatre, led by Linda Graham and Steven Iannacone. After college, Gina lived in the Twin Cities and had the opportunity to dance in the scholarship program with Zenon Dance Company. After becoming a mama, she found her way back to Michigan, where she was fortunate to work and perform with Dance in the Annex (Amy Wilson) and Jessica Bonanfant. Most recently, Gina showed her work at the daCi (dance and the child international) conference in Baltimore. She currently teaches 4th/5th grade at Black River Public School and dance at Avalon School of the Arts in Holland. She is so grateful to be a part of this dance community, it feeds her soul and keeps her young (at heart)!

📸 Jennifer Green

09/22/2026

MEET THE DANCE ARTISTS

ARIANA HAYTER | COMPANY MEMBER

Ariana’s love of dance began at the age of 2. She spent her youth training with various dance studios and recently completed her Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Grand Valley State University. During her time at GVSU, she had the honor of performing as a soloist and ensemble in works choreographed by various guest artists such as Andi Salazar, Christopher Page-Sanders, and Alex Goodreau. She has attended and performed at dance conferences such as ACDA and Grand Rapids Ballet Summer Dance Festival, which have expanded her approach and perspectives in dance. She has been a part of student-led choreography club, Momentum, for 7 semesters of her college journey and was a part of Executive Board under Media Coordination for 3. Ariana currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and this is her first season with Dance PlayHouse. She also has a passion for helping wildlife and is currently working towards completing her Bachelor of Science in Biology at GVSU.

📸 Jennifer Green

09/20/2026

MEET THE DANCE ARTISTS

KASEY ECKHARDT | COMPANY MEMBER

Kasey Eckhardt is a dancer and choreographer from Michigan. She received a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with a minor in Somatics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The primary focus of her training growing up was in ballet/pointe, Horton modern technique, and jazz. Part of her training for four years was attending Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, a two-week-long dance intensive, learning from a variety of teachers from across the country. During her time at UWM she worked with Maria Gillespie, Daniel Burkholder, Dan Schuchart, Gina Laurenzi, Dawn Spring, and Mair Culbreth, from whom she learned aerial ropes experience. Additionally, she worked with guest artists, Aysha Upchurch, Karlies Kelley, and David Rousseve. At UWM she was a part of the Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program under the direction of Maria Gillespie, delving into topics of auto-ethnographies, improvisation, and scribing movement. Her choreography has been presented in Danceworks MKE Get It Out There and Dance Collective, a student-run showcase. She attended and performed at the American College Dance Association (ACDA). She has performed professionally for Ashley Ray Garcia in the evening-length show For The Wolves and Little Sparrow. Her other performances include dancing in music videos for “Wild Cats” by The Quilz and “There’s a ghost!” by NESYA. In another opportunity, dancing for the camera, she performed in a short film, The Glamorous Life, by Ava Kahut. Eckhardt is interested in communication through movement that is embodied by both athletic and imaginative disciplines.

📸 Jennifer Green

Address

710 Alberta Street
Muskegon, MI
49441

Website

http://www.danceplayhouse.com/

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