Mackenzie Runksmeier
Co-Owner of Dancers Unlimited, Instructor, & Director of the DUDC
mackenzie.dancersunlimited@gmail.com
I am 26 years old and have been dancing for 23 years along with teaching for 11! I started dancing at Dancers Unlimited as soon as I could walk. After graduating I chose to continue my education and love for dance in Southern California. There I received my degree in Performing Arts and worked with the following amazing companies; Seaworld San Diego, Legoland, Mojalet, Mesa Dance Collective, and California Rhythm Project. Alongside school and performing myself, I continued to teach children throughout Southern California and on Coronado Island. I also have been so blessed to have my mom, Kathy Thate, take me to New York City and Orlando, Florida to train at Broadway Dance Center and compete in a national competition. Now I am located in Ledyard, Iowa with my husband and our little boy!
Teaching dance and children is my world and passion. Creating a safe place that they can come to and be active is my goal. The art of dance has so much to be shown to the world. I love being able to inspire kids to be unique, express themselves, and follow their dreams!
Kathy Thate
Co-Owner of Dancers Unlimited
dancers_unlimited@msn.com
Kathy Thate has been owner and operator of Dancers Unlimited for 36 years. She studied dance at Minnesota State University. She has choreographed for Show choirs, plays and National hip hop champions, performed with Weird Al Yankovich. She teaches Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz and Tumbling. She is available for choreography for any events and programs.
Owning studios and working with my company is not what I choose to do, but its who I am. Music itself feeds my soul and makes me feel a joy that cannot be put into words. It's my goal to share this excitement and love for dance and music with everyone.
Hannah Francisco
Instructor
hannahfrancisco11@gmail.com
Hannah Francisco is 27 years old and from San Diego, California. She found her passion for dance during her freshman year of highschool and has been dancing ever since. Hannah continued dancing through high school as well as training at the Beat Dance Academy in Las Vegas. After graduating, Hannah continued her dance journey at San Diego Mesa College training with professors such as Blythe Barton, Faith Jenson-Ismay, Donna Flournoy and Daniel Marshall. Throughout Hannah’s time at San Diego Mesa College, she had the opportunity to perform and train with outstanding companies like Mesa Dance Collective, Blythe Barton Dance, and Bite Dance Company. Hannah has also had the amazing opportunity of performing and sharing her own choreography at the well known Fringe Festival in Downtown San Diego. She has now taught dance at Dancers Unlimited for 3 years!
One of my favorite things about teaching dance is that we get to watch our students grow not only as dancers but as people too. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to inspire them and watch them accomplish their goals. Dance is a form of self expression and everyday we get to help our students express their personality and help them feel confident in themselves. I am beyond thankful Mackenzie convinced me to come out to the Midwest and that she asked me to teach! This is my third season with Dancers Unlimited and I could not be more thrilled to continue sharing my knowledge, experience, and love for dance!
Hannah Buffington
Instructor
Hannahkadow@gmail.com
Hi! I am Hannah Buffington and I am 32 years old. I started dancing at the age of 3 in Algona, Iowa. I trained with Michelle Clegg and Melissa Carr at Dance Connection by Michelle. There I danced ballet, tap, jazz, and pointe. I started competing at the age of 5. This took me all the way through graduation, where I assisted the main teachers while in high school. I was on the Algona High School Drill Team for 1 year as a senior, where I made the National Dance team and traveled to Hawaii to perform. After graduation and after getting my Cosmetology and Massage Therapy license, my life took me back to Algona to teach dance back at my old studio Dance Connection by Michelle. There I taught the littles! I taught ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and all boys hip hop. I assisted in the tumbling classes, and choreographed/taught a group of girls for their competition journey. After teaching my career took me to Kansas City where I joined the Kansas Coyotes cheerleading team for arena football. I have taken many teaching classes including a class located in Las Vegas for dance. Outside of dance, I have been a full time massage therapist since 2012 and have practiced at Dixon Family Chiropractic since 2016. I have 3 of the best kiddos! When I am not working you can find me with my kiddos and running them to their activities. I enjoy working out at Y-Fit in the YMCA, shopping, and watching my favorite teams. Go Chiefs! Hey White Sox, let’s try and win a game shall we?
It has been my dream since having a daughter, to have her love dance as much as I did. I’m so excited to join the Dancers Unlimited family and help in any way I can. Helping young dancers grow, there’s nothing like it! Blessed is an understatement!
