BYDE Workshops

Each year, BYDE employs professional guest artist to conduct master dance seminars for advanced instruction in ballet, modern dance, jazz, and pas de deux. These classes are open to the public.

The Master Class Weekend will feature:

Modern Dance with Winifred Haun

We are thrilled to have long-time BYDE friend, advisor and choreographer Wini Haun joining us again during the summer session. Ms. Haun has been choreographer and artistic director of her own modern company, Winifred Haun & Dancers since 1991. She was a soloist with the internationally acclaimed Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre from 1985 to 1991. Wini has been nominated three times for the prestigious Ruth Page Award for Choreography and Performance, and in 1999, she won the Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Dance Community. Ms. Haun’s Choreography has been commissions by AMEBA Acrobatic and Aerial Dance, Zephyr Dance, and many other Midwest and national groups. She has taught dance and dance composition at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, Dance Center of Columbia College, Beijing National Dance Academy and at numerous festivals and workshops worldwide. Currently, Ms. Haun teaches modern dance at the Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard St. Dance Chicago.

Pas de Deux Workshop with Guillermo Leyva

Guillermo Leyva trained at the Professional School of Arts in Camaguey, Cuba. After graduating, he began dancing professionally at the Ballet de Camaguey under Fernando Alonso's direction. He joined the Company for 11 years as a principal dancer where he made several classic roles. Later he danced for 3 years with the Ballet de Monterrey in Mexico, under Ann Marie D' Angelo, Fernando Alonso, and Fernando Bujones' direction. He also danced as a principal dancer with Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Lexington Ballet, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Illinois Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, Chile, Ballet Royal de Wallonie and Belgium. Guillermo is co- Artistic Director of Alma Dance Company and a beloved ballet instructor and guest artist with BYDE as well as other Chicago area ballet studios. For BYDE, he has performed as The Cavalier, Herr Burgermeister, and Herr Drosselmeyer in Nutcracker, and as The Ring Master in Under the Big Top. In 2010, Mr. Leyva also served as ballet instructor and coach for the Chicago cast of the musical "Billy Elliot".

Upcoming Workshops