Staff
Julia Schaefer - Owner, Director, & Instructor
Meet Miss Julia Schaefer!
The one who started it all! We wouldn’t be here with Julia & her incredible vision brought to life in the form of LoMI Studios. Julia is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, educator, and now, studio owner. She is passionate about physical and emotional health and sharing the art of dance and movement with the community of Lowell & beyond.
Julia was a competitive gymnast until the age of 12, when she made the switch to dance. She began intensely training 20+ hours a week in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Modern, and Musical Theatre with Company Dance Traverse in Traverse City, MI. After high school, she danced professionally on Holland America Cruise Lines. She came back to Michigan to attend Western Michigan University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance, as well as her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a focus on injury prevention. Throughout her college career, she performed with a touring company called the Western Dance Project, was selected to perform and teach on a cultural immersion trip to China and Taiwan, co-founded a hip hop company, and worked with world renowned choreographers such as Peter Chu and Nelly VanBommel. In addition to her extensive college repertoire, Julia was named Outstanding Dancer at NYCDA, assisted at Interlochen Arts Academy’s summer programs, and was the dance captain in Miracle Productions shows of Hairspray, Tarzan, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Over the past decade, Julia has been on the teaching and administrative staff at various dance studios in Michigan. Two years ago, she opened LoMI Studios in Lowell, Michigan & began fostering the beautiful community atmosphere you all have come to know and love. She is so grateful for all the families who have trusted her and believed in her vision. Thank you for being here!
Olivia Gaudreau - Administrative Assistant & Instructor
Meet Miss Olivia Gaudreau!
Olivia has been a part of the LoMI Studios team since before we even opened our doors! She is our Administrative Assistant & and one of our Company Instructors. Starting dance at the age of 4, she has had extensive training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, and pointe. From 2014-2019, she had the pleasure of studying under Julia Schaefer, which is how she came to be a part of LoMI Studios several years later. Her performance experiences include local & national competitions, CDMC’s The Nutcracker, annual recitals, Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, college showcases, & more.
Olivia graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and International Business in 2022. While at GVSU, Olivia served as the Vice President for Professional Activities for Delta Sigma Pi, a global professional business fraternity, and Co-Treasurer & Social Media Manager of Momentum, a student-run dance organization. Through Momentum, Olivia gained experience setting choreography on dancers, running auditions, and performing pieces set by other students. Dance has always been a constant in her life & she is thrilled to be here at LoMI!
Alexandra Page - Ballet Director & Instructor
Meet Miss Alex Page!
Alex is our incredible Ballet Director & one of our Company Instructors! Alex began her dance training at age 4 at the FIM’s Flint School of Performing Arts, studying a pre-conservatory curriculum in ballet and modern dance. Growing up, Alex participated in Children’s Performance Workshop, Youth Dance Ensemble, Flint Youth Ballet, and from 2003-2011, Alex performed in over 9 productions of The Nutcracker with the Flint Symphony Orchestra at The Whiting. She also performed works by George Balanchine, Darrell Moultrie, Tyrone Brooks, Amy Hall Garner, among others, and attended summer dance intensives on scholarship at the Alvin Ailey School, Magnus Midwest, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Alex continued her training as a dance major at Western Michigan University’s Dance Department and attended intensives at DanceWorks Chicago before moving to Tallahassee, Florida to receive her Bachelor of Science in Criminology from Florida State University. As a college student, Alex performed in MFA student choreographed works with FSU’s School of Dance, served as a dance diplomat with FSU’s Movement Exchange Chapter in Panama City, Panama, and performed as a company member with Dance Tallahassee. Alex returned to Michigan in 2017 to attend law school, while performing as a company member with MSU’s Orchesis Dance Company and MSU’s Law Musical Theatre Revue. Alex earned her Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law and passed the Michigan Bar Exam in 2020.
During the day, Alex is a municipal attorney in Lansing, MI, providing general counsel to local governments and representing them in litigation throughout state and federal court. In the evening hours we are lucky enough to have her on staff at LoMI. We are eternally grateful to have Alex on board at LoMI!
Chris Worpel - Instructor
Meet Miss Chris Worpel!
Miss Chris is back for her second year at LoMI Studios teaching Tiny Twos, Tiny Dancers, & FUNdamentals! Chris joins us with years of experience in teaching preschool and elementary age children. Beginning with her love for music as a child, she studied piano into her high school years, was involved in band/choir, and is a self-taught guitarist. While homeschooling her 3 daughters, she directed the 3 year old Cherub Choir and helped direct a musical production with the West Michigan Homeschool Group.
Miss Chris leads Wee Luv Music preschool classes at AppleTree Daycares, teaching basic musical awareness, rhythm, & movement. Her other experiences include teaching piano, tutoring phonics, accompanying students at Solo Ensemble and leading worship at her church. Chris brings a fun and inspiring energy that sparks a love for music & dance in her students. We are so thankful that she is a part of our LoMI team!
Faith Allen - Instructor
Meet Miss Faith Allen!
Miss Faith is back for another season with LoMI & will be teaching our Tinys, FUNdamentals, & Ballet! Faith has been dancing since the age of three at Spirit Expressions Dance Studio in Laingsburg, MI and has found it to always have been her greatest passion. During her time at her studio, Faith trained in Ballet for fifteen years and also expanded her training through Pointe, Jazz, Contemporary, and Lyrical.
Beginning in Elementary School, Faith took part in her school's Band program, competing in national competitions with both marching and concert band. There, she was able to grow her love for the arts through music. Throughout her career in the band, Faith was named Section leader, as well as awarded the National Marching Band Award for her leadership abilities.
Faith is currently a second-year student at Grand Valley State University, where she is pursuing a degree in nursing with a concentration in the pediatric field. She prides herself on the safety and care of children and enforces it within her teaching. In the fall she will be joining the GVSU elite dance team where she can further her love and training for dance. Faith is an integral part of our LoMI Team & we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her here!
Faith Potter - Instructor
Meet Miss Faith Potter!
Faith will be joining the LoMI team as a Jazz & Ballet Instructor! Faith started dancing when she was 5 years old and quickly fell in love. She started competitive dance when she was 8 and continued through her senior year of high school, studying under Julia Schaefer for several years. She has trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and hip-hop. She has had the privilege to work with a variety of dance directors and teachers over the years. She has performed as Clara in The Nutcracker, danced at The Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, and participated in yearly dance recitals and competitions.
Faith recently graduated from Grand Rapids Community college with a degree in Child Psychology. After graduation, Faith spent the Spring & Summer of 2023 serving in Cancun, Mexico with Back2Back ministries as a volunteer staff member where she taught dance classes at the community center there and led workshops for children’s mental health. Upon returning to Michigan, Faith was offered a position at LoMI Studios. She is so excited to be back in a studio space & we are so grateful to have her joining us!
Emma Johnson (EmJ) - Instructor
Meet Miss Emma Johnson (EmJ)!
EmJ will be joining LoMI as a Street Dance & Tap instructor! EmJ has been studying dance since the bright age of 3 years old. What started out as a recreational activity quickly became her life passion. After competing in dance for 10 years, she decided to continue studying dance at a higher level in college. This fall, EmJ will be receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Grand Valley State University!
While at Grand Valley, EmJ has had the opportunity to perform in a wide range of shows through the Dance Department & Momentum, a student-run dance organization. She has choreographed for the Musical Theater Department, stage managed for the Dance Department, and more. She has had a lot of incredible experiences through dance and cannot wait to share that passion with her dancers. We couldn’t be more excited to have EmJ here at LoMI!
Jenna Altman - Instructor
Meet Miss Jenna Altman!
Jenna will be joining us on Mondays teaching Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, & FUNdamentals! Jenna started dancing when she was 3 years old. While exploring many styles, she developed a specific interest in Ballet. She studied the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet for 11 years through Ann Parsley School of Dance while performing and training with Macomb Ballet Company. Alongside this ballet training, she indulged in contemporary ballet, pointe, and partnering, while exploring styles of jazz, modern, and hip-hop.
Since then, Jenna has continued her dance journey at Grand Valley State University and pivoted her studies to focus more on modern techniques. As a rising senior, Jenna has had the opportunity to study many techniques while a part of the GVSU Dance Department, such as West African, Jazz, Urban Dance, and Ballet, as well as Choreography and Production courses.
She is coming to LoMI Studios ready to create an innovative environment with the space to experiment with various movement styles and creativity. She is eager to share her wealth of knowledge & we are so grateful to have her on our LoMI Team!
Katie Cornea - Instructor
Meet Miss Katie Cornea!
Katie will be joining us in the fall as our Acro Director & Instructor! Katie grew up as a competitive gymnast until the age of 15. She trained in Allendale, MI & spent all of her free time in the gym! She competed up to level 8 in the Junior Olympic program, and competed for two years in the Xcel program of USA Gymnastics. Katie chose to end her career as a gymnast in order to expand her athletic repertoire in high school; she enjoyed pole vaulting and downhill ski racing, and dabbled in cheerleading and diving.
Katie has a degree in Early Childhood Education from Calvin University. During college, she coached recreational gymnastics and was given the opportunity to start a competitive team program. She led many young girls through competitive training, routine construction/choreography, conditioning, self-discipline, and growth mindset.
Katie currently teaches Full-Day Preschool at Byron Center Christian. She absolutely loves walking alongside children in their development, encouraging and empowering them to be their best selves. Her strengths include building relationships with children and their families, high energy instruction, and passion for teaching & learning. We are so thrilled to have her join us here at LoMI Studios!