Collective Soles Arts Group

Kristen Jansen was born into dance, growing up under the guidance of her teacher and mother, Joan Seitz. She continued her studies at The Ohio State University and BalletMet Columbus, while simultaneously pursuing and receiving a B.S. degree in Pharmacy. As a professional dancer, Ms. Jansen was a founding member of the JazzMet Dance Company and Sound F/X Tap Co., and performed with BalletMet Columbus, as well as, Opera Columbus.

An accomplised Jazz and Ballet instructor, Ms. Jansen has been invited to teach at numerous conventions and dance festivals around the country, such as, Dansummer in Crested Butte, Colorado and at the Columbus Dance Theatre Ballet Intensive in Ohio. Most recently, Ms. Jansen has been a guest artist at the Atlanta Ballet Summer Dance Intensive. In addition to her many accopmlishments as a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer, Ms. Jansen was inducted in 2007 to the Lakeview, Ohio High School Hall of Fame for her Achievements in Track.

Ms. Jansen and her husband Troy, have three beautiful children, Julia, Jacqueline and Jon, who are their greatest inspiration.

Troy Jansen (Artistic Director) began his training when he was six under tutelage of Camille Sanfilippo in Westbury, NY. Professionally he has performed with the Bay Area Dance Co.(director), Columbus Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Sound F/X Tap Co. (director), Florida Orchestra,Tampa Bay Master Choral, BalletMet Columbus, JazzMet Dance Company, Opera Columbus, the Pan American Games, and with the late-great Frank Sinatra and theYvonne Parente Theatre Company. As a teacher, Mr. Jansen created and was director of BalletMet’s tap program in Columbus, Ohio, and was Co-Founder/Co-Director of the New Tampa Dance Theatre in Tampa, Florida and Howland Dance Theatre in Warren, Ohio.

Mr. Jansen has choreographed for the JazzMet Dance Company, the Southeast Chapter of AAA, Bob McGrath of Sesame Street, the Chocolate Nutcracker, the New Tampa Community Nutcracker and various musicals, including Anything Goes, Cabaret, Fiddler On The Roof, The Music Man, Oliver, and Once Upon A Mattress. Most recently, Mr. Jansen has choreographed for the Collective Soles Arts Group community Nutcracker and for his original-copyrighted contemporary production entitled "Goin' Nuts!".

Mr. Jansen has been invited to teach and choreograph at numerous schools and dance organizations around the country. In addition, Mr. Jansen has an Associate In Arts Degree fom Nassau Community College in New York and has been an adjunct faculty member at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio; the University of South Florida; and most recently, Youngstown State University. Currently, Mr. Jansen is Artistic Director of the Collective Soles Arts Group and Co-Director of the Jansen Dance Project with his wife and best friend Kristen, in Tampa, Florida.

Heidi Edwardson began dancing at the age of 10 in St. Petersburg, Florida at the Judith Lee Johnson Studio of Dance. She spent several summers at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet as well as Colorado Ballet and Cleveland/San Jose Ballet. Heidi was a member of Les Jeunes Dancers for 5 years.

Heidi began teaching dance for the city of St. Petersburg in 1998. In the Fall of 2000, Heidi began at the USF department of dance. During her second semester, she was invited to join Nevada Ballet Theatre under the direction of Bruce Steivel. Most recently, Heidi has been featured in the Collective Soles Arts Group productions of the Twelve Dancing Princesses and Cinderella. Heidi returned to Florida and completed her degree in elementary education at The University of South Florida. She currently teaches kindergarten for the Hillsborough County School District and has been a faculty member and ballet advisor with the Jansen Dance Project for 6 years.

Della Thompson is currently in her fourth season as a dancer and faculty member at the Jansen Dance Project teaching Ballet, Jazz and Creative Movement. She previously spent two seasons at the Columbus Dance Theatre under the direction of Tim Veach. Della recieved her training at the BalletMet Dance Academy and American Repertory Ballet's Princeton Ballet School. She has been delighted to perform in numerous contemporary and classical works and work with choreographers such as Tim Veach, Kennet Oberly, April Berry and Stella Kane. Currently, Della is performing with Shoes At The Door modern dance company and is a featured dancer in the Collective Soles Arts Group annual productions of Goin' Nuts! and the Nutcracker. This is Della's fourth season with the Jansen Dance Project.

Jasmine Jones is currently studying at The University of South Florida where she is majoring in psychology and sociology. Jasmine’s dance training has spanned over twenty years where she has performed various roles in The Nutcracker, Chocolate Nutcracker and was a founding member of The Rhythm Makers Improvisational Group. Most recently, Jasmine has performed at the ATDF New York City Tap Festival and is a featured performer in the Collective Soles Arts Group production of Goin' Nuts!. This is Jasmine's fifth season as a faculty member with the Jansen Dance Project.

Audrey Richter is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida, where she received a BFA in Dance Performance. During her time at USF, Audrey performed in numerous faculty pieces as well as works by guest choreographers, Claudia Lavista and Rick McCullough. Audrey also performed in the USF recreation of Bill T. Jones’ Serenade/ The Proposition. She recently performed in Talley Beatty’s Come and Get the Beauty of it Hot and as The Chosen One in Doug Varone’s Sacre du Printemps. Audrey has also studied and performed internationally in Paris, France with the USF Dance in Paris Program, Tunisia, Africa with Professor Jeanne Travers and Montreal, Canada. She has been teaching dance to students of all ages throughout the Bay Area. Audrey is currently taking on professional dance endeavors and has been offered jobs with both Florida Dance Theatre and The Tallahassee Ballet. She hopes to continue performing as much as possible for as long as possible! This is Audrey's first season as a faculty member with the Jansen Dance Project.

Merry Lynn Morris holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree in dance performance and choreography from Florida State University. She is an instructor/professor in the dance program at the University of South Florida, and she serves as the Academic Advisor for the School of Theatre and Dance. Her background experience and training in dance includes extensive classical ballet training expanded by undergraduate and graduate study in various modern dance techniques/styles and other dance forms. Ms. Morris’s early professional performance background includes performance and study with the Tampa Ballet. Ms. Morris also serves as an adjunct faculty member in dance at the University of Tampa, and regularly choreographs for their faculty dance concerts.

Ms. Morris seeks out interdisciplinary opportunities in which her movement background and expertise can be utilized and expanded. She enjoys opportunities to utilize dance in diverse, integrative, and therapeutic ways. She began exploring the venue of “mixed ability dance” 5 years ago, and as caregiver to a disabled father for the past 19 years, her interest and awareness in disability needs has been ever-present. She has choreographed mixed ability pieces involving able-bodied and disabled individuals in the community and currently serves as coordinator between many individuals in the community interested in exploring/pursuing dance. She serves as resident choreographer for Revolutions Dance (http://revdance.org), a mixed ability company in the Tampa community. Recent performance locations/events have included the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, HCC, PHCC, and the New Port Richey Library. Other venues have included educational outreach and special events at local schools, retirement/assisted living facilities and churches. Ms. Morris is currently working on an innovative collaborative project with the USF College of Engineering to develop a performance mobility device and (wheelchair) enhancement to allow individuals with and without disabilities innovative and interactive movement possibilities. The new chair design would be ideally suitable for many dance performance realms which may include stage, social settings, and other choreographic/theatrical venues (http://rdc.arts.usf.edu).

Ms. Morris continues to pursue research and study in the area of dance medicine/kinesiology and she is a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), an organization which unites dance educators and physicians to facilitate the exchange of new ideas and research in the expanding field of dance medicine/science. This is Ms. Morris' fourth season as a faulty member, choreogapher and academic advisor for the Jansen Dance Project.

Danielle Boe has been involved in music and dance since her teenage years, spending time competing with international drum corps and training at her local studio in Seminole, FL. This diverse background influenced her to go to the University of South Florida where she received her BFA in Modern Dance Performance. Upon completion of her degree, Danielle spent a summer dancing, choreographing and performing in Paris, France.

Danielle has been exploring the behind the scenes side of performances, gaining experience as both a stage manager and theatre technician. She has also continued to choreograph and perform in the area at venues such as Busch Gardens, the TBPAC’s Teco Theatre and for the Collective Soles Arts Group production of Goin' Nuts!. Danielle has a passion for choreographing authentic movement that expands a dancer’s range of movement as well as their emotional spectrum of expression. Her experience lies primarily in release technique, and she also incorporates gesture and partnering into her style. Currently, Danielle is Co-Director of Shoes At The Door modern dance company in Tampa, FL. This is Danielle's third season with the Jansen Dance Project.