Isabella Hollingsworth-Sons Bio
Owner of Vision Arts
Isabella Hollingsworth-Sons, or Ms. Izy to her students, is an accomplished dance teacher, performer, choreographer, and dance competition judge.
Her love of dance started when she was only 5 years old, performing a little ballerina's version of Swan Lake. She trained in the competitive dance world at a local studio in Beecher, IL, competing in the advanced division in styles such as lyrical and ballet, before beginning pre-professional dance programs in Chicago. She became dedicated to learning at Ballet Chicago School and the Ruth Page School of Dance. She loved the experience of learning repertoire in addition to technique and the gracefulness of ballet, which led to her participation in summer intensives with the American Ballet Theater in Austin, Texas.
After high school, Isabella went on to earn her degree Cum Laude at Governors State University, a local school, majoring in Communications and earning a minor in dance. As an active learner, Isabella was highly involved in the GSU Dance Company, serving as President for two years. She was also involved with the university's Honors College, serving as secretary of the student council and participating in opportunities such as presenting research at Honors Conferences in Boston, MA. Feeling like the university was her home, Isabella stays connected. She serves on the Alumni Association Board, helping to create performing arts initiatives and mentoring for students, in addition to her work as an SMBA in the Marketing office. Now, Isabella takes pride as a dance educator and judge. Having trained in classical ballet, pointe, competition jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and modern dance, she has transformed her experience into a holistic teaching style. Throughout her career, she has honed her skills not only as a performer but also as a teacher, creating a well-rounded learning experience. She is proud to have helped countless students develop their skills, gain confidence, and find joy in dance. As an instructor, her curriculum includes technique, safe stretching, strength building, and dance history/terminology, so that dancers can not only experience dance but also understand its storied history and become more equitable performers. She believes dancers deserve a space that is safe and welcoming. In addition to her degree in dance, Isabella is Progressing Ballet Technique-certified, a revolutionary approach to teaching ballet technique that prioritizes dancers' safety and encourages diversity in ballet. She is also an accomplished dance competition adjudicator, helping dancers find confidence in themselves on stage and prioritizing anatomical corrections. She recently joined the roster of Impact Dance Adjudicators. Currently, Isabella is also the Dance Competition Director at Allegro Music & Dance Academy in Lemont/Lockport, IL.
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Brooke Maglish Bio
Visionairy
With a passion for dance beginning at the age of three, Brooke trained in all dance genres and competed nationally with some of the most decorated companies in the Chicagoland area. She found a love for the stage and knew that that’s what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She has trained as a competitive dancer since the age of five and has received various awards, titles, State Championships, and scholarships throughout her years. Training and performing with instructors such as Julianne and Derek Hough, Nappy Tabs, Brooke Lipton, Tessandra Chavez, Brian Friedman, and Chris Judd, as well as training as a protege for The Pulse On Tour. Her training continued as she professionally danced and performed for some of the world’s leading entertainment companies, such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, leading various parades, shows, and television performances.
She wanted to share my passion for dance with others- soon she fell in love with teaching and choreographing. From educating dancers as a director and social media manager of LM Premier Dance for the past 8 years to being the former head coach of Griffith Varsity Pantherettes to being a current faculty convention teacher and judge for Activate Your Artistry and now Vision Arts Dance Collective. She takes so much pride in her dancers, choreography, and the education she gets to share with every class that she’s privileged to teach. With award-winning choreography being nominated for Artistic Excellence- Choreographer of The Year 2024 & 2025, “Best Contemporary Studio” and “Best Choreography” at The Trifecta Contemporary Awards 2023 & 2024 and additionally top scoring, national and title winning choreography continuously for the past 5 years- She strives to take dancers to the next level with her unique and innovative choreography whether that is college dance, dance programs, the dance industry, and more! She hopes to continue to inspire and motivate dancers every single day. She can’t wait to share the classroom with you!
Julia Van Kalker Bio
Visionairy
Julia Van Kalker is a dance artist based in Chicago and St. Louis. She is set to graduate in the spring of 2027 from Lindenwood University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, specializing in contemporary. She values a diverse education in dance, and, alongside her collegiate education, has pursued this interest through intensives with Visceral Dance Chicago, Hot Crowd, and RESILIENCE Dance Company. Julia has performed in Lindenwood University Dance Program’s Fall, Winter, and Spring concerts in student and faculty works. In addition, she was selected to perform in guest artist works by Olivia Emert and Anna Hicks.
In the spring of 2026, she attended and performed at the American College Dance Association Central Conference with the cast of Emert’s piece “GRIT” where she learned from esteemed faculty from various universities. While pursuing her degree, Julia maintains a strong focus on honing her skills as a choreographer. She has presented two works titled “Flux” and “how much longer?” while at Lindenwood. Alongside her study of dance, she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Through this work, she gains a deeper understanding of empathy, cognition, and behavior. Julia finds her education in psychology makes her a better dancer and instructor–increasing her understanding of dancer’s needs, sustainable dance practice, and the importance of prioritizing mental health.
As a teaching artist, Julia values technical and individual growth. She leads class with an authentic positive attitude and invites students to make discoveries and challenge themselves. Within her classroom, students are encouraged to make mistakes and grow from them–nurturing both their technical and personal development. She believes dance has a powerful energy with an unmatched ability to facilitate connection, expression, self-understanding, and great enjoyment. Julia’s aim when conducting a class is to enrich her students' lives’ with the immeasurable power of dance. She aspires to guide dancers to further understand how dance fits into their bodies and lives. Julia seeks to investigate movement as a means of exploration, communication, and connection. She interprets dance as a timeless and universal tool used to express and understand individual and shared human experience. Her profound experiences with dance have led her to dedicate her life to the exploration and study of dance. In her career, Julia shares her deep passion for dance with others through instruction, choreography, and performance, while leading with compassion and curiosity.
Madison Rentner Bio
Visionairy
Madison has spent most of her life immersed in the world of dance, beginning her competitive journey at a young age with Artistry in Motion Dance Company in Des Plaines, Illinois. She developed a strong technical foundation early on and trained in a wide range of styles, including ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, musical theatre, and tap. She later continued her training with Vibe Dance Company, where she expanded her versatility and performance quality while competing at a high level.
Throughout high school, Madison was a dedicated member of the Rolling Meadows High School dance team, competing for four years and serving as captain during her senior year. In this leadership role, she mentored younger dancers, strengthened her teamwork skills, and built confidence both on and off the stage. Her time on the team played a key role in shaping both her abilities as a dancer and her passion for leadership.
In addition to performing, Madison discovered a love for teaching early on, beginning with classes at her local park district while still in high school. She has since led workshops for high school dancers and continued her teaching journey at Allegro Music and Dance Academy in Lemont, Illinois. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, building confidence in her students, and continuing to grow as both a dancer and educator.
Haley Walsh
Visionairy
Haley Walsh is an Open Championship Irish Dancer with 25 years of dance experience. Haley started Irish Dancing when she was in grammar school on the Southside of Chicago, an epicenter of Irish Dance culture, where she attended school in curlers before shows or competitions in the pre-wig days and scuffed up the gym floors every year for the school talent shows. She danced competitively for many years and took part in many Southside Irish parades, before having to take a hiatus from dance.
Haley went to Governors State University where she achieved a BA and MA in English, and returned to Governors State after graduation to work as a writer, English lecturer, and administrator. Haley re-entered the world of Irish Dance as an adult with McNulty School of Irish Dance, initially planning only to dance for fun—which lasted barely a year before Haley returned to the stage again at local feiseanna (competitions).
Since her return, Haley has won competitions across Mid-America and has secured the level of Open Championship—the highest level of Irish dance. Most notably, she was the 2025 Mid-America Oireachtas Champion in traditional set. Haley is trained and has competed in solo steps, traditional sets, contemporary sets, and ceilis—group dancing. In her most recent ceili competition, she achieved a top 10 finish with the four hand at the 2024 Mid-America Oireachtas. Haley is earnestly dedicated to the cultural aspects that underride all of Irish Dance, which is an activity deeply rooted in community and Irish heritage. She actively seeks out opportunities to invite others into the community (or invite adults back into the community!) and uses dance as the bridge that brings people together. Most important to Haley is the joy that is found in dance and the freedom that is found in training until technique becomes second nature and true self-expression can shine through.
Liz Yerkovich
Visionairy
Liz is a graduate from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and has performed in numerous musicals and plays in New York and Chicago. Liz is the Lincoln Way Central High School musical and play director and choreographer since 2011 and has been teaching dance since 2001.
