Lori Tochtrop: Director of cheer/ dance
Lori has been actively involved in dance, cheer, and gymnastics for over 28 years. At age 4 she started dancing and studied tap, jazz, and ballet at Dorthy Thomas School of Dance and then later switched to Dance Factory in Topeka, KS. At age 5 she began training in gymnastics and by age 7 was competing. Gymnastics was a main staple in Lori's life as she was a competitive gymnast for over 7 years. Lori was a member of Capitol City Gymnastics Class II optional competitive team. She trained upwards of 15 hours a week in gymnastics and then an additional 3-4 hours in dance, while still maintaining a high honor roll academic standard, as well as being a member of a competitive softball team. In HS Lori traded her competitive gymnastics skills for a spot on the Washburn Rural Varsity Cheerleading squad in which she was a 4 year member and served as Varsity Captain. Lori was an NCA All-American and participated in the Macy's Thankgiving Day parade. Lori was also the only senior female from Topeka that was asked to participate in a CO-ED All-Star team (Pro-Cheer Athletics) in Kansas City. She commuted over 3 hours (2-3 times weekly) to train on this team, which won a national title in Dallas, TX and was highlighted on ESPN Sports in Dec of 1992. Lori then went on to be a KU cheerleader for 3 years and also served as captain her senior year. Lori was given the leadership award through KU and ran and directed most of the Junior Hawkette camps. After studying engineering and child development for 4 years at KU, Lori decided it was her calling to teach all the skills she had acquired over the years and opened Dance City in 1997. As director-- Lori's teams and athletes have won over 25 National titles and earned over $5000 in cash prizes over the past 11 years. She was named "Director of the Year" in 1998 by American Dance Alliance and has won several choreography and studio awards. In 2005, Spirit of Kansas was honored and recognized as being one of the top 25 programs in the United States and had a full page article in American Cheerleader Magazine. In 2004 Lori finished her 3-year Dance Masters program through Dance Educators of America in New York City. This correspondence program allowed Lori to travel back and forth to New York to complete her degree. She was able to take classes from the greatest Broadway legends and was fortunate to be inspired by seeing many Broadway shows. Lori has a passion for teaching and embraces more than just teaching kids skills. She strives to make a difference in the kids she teaches and wants them to learn more than just dance, cheer, and tumbling. She strives to teach them a strong work ethic, time management skills, and great self discipline and respect. Lori enjoys receiving letters from past students sharing all their life experiences and how much she truly has inspired the youth of Lawrence.
Lori Neuenschwander: Ballet Instructor
Lori has danced for 21 years. She trained at the University of Kansas for 41/2 years, earning a BA in Dance. She has also trained at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in New York City for a year and a half. Lori was a member of the University Dance Company at KU for 3 semesters and was also a dancer in "Mirror of Illusions" in New York for one year. She currently teaches Ballet at Dance City.
Annie Werner: Tap Instructor
Annie started dancing when she was 3, at Dance Factory in Topeka, Kansas. She danced competitively from 5th grade through her Senior year in high school. She also danced with Topeka Ballet, Inc in high school, where she was a member of the Washburn Rural High School Dancin' Blues for four years. Annie has won a Tremaine Year-Long Convention Scholarship, a two-week scholarship to The Edge dance studio in Los Angeles, CA, and a scholarship to dance at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She has competed nationally her whole life, and was on the Dance Factory Senior Company her last year of high school. Annie student taught at Dance Factory from 7th-12th grade, and now teaches tap at Dance City.
Kelsey Parker: Gym Instructor
Kelsey Parker is currently a sophomore at the University of Kansas, where she is working towards becoming an elementary school teacher. She started coaching when she was 16-years-old and has experience in Gymnastics up to Level 6. She has competed in gymnastics and competitive cheerleading, and was a high school cheerleader for four years. Kelsey's real strength is in figure skating, which she has done for 17 years, where she tested up through Senior Level in both fieldmoves and freestyle. One of the accomplishments of which she is most proud is learning to do a backflip on ice.
