Daniel Klinkhammer, a Rochester native and former Rochester Dance Company member, began his dance training at the age of 7 and has been dancing ever since. His movement training began with Gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, and Diving before he started taking Jazz dance classes. Shortly after, he began taking Ballet, and eventually Ballroom, Hip-Hop, and Modern dance. During his time as an RDC Company Member, Daniel performed as Fritz in the Company’s inaugural performance of The Nutcracker, a role he reprised several times before being cast as the Mechanical Soldier, the Mouse King, a Russian dancer, and The Nutcracker.
While attending the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, he studied under prominent local dance artists and performed works created by U of M Faculty members and nationally recognized guest choreographers alike. In the spring of 2016, he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance.
Daniel currently teaches dance at Byron Dance Academy as well as The Dance Lab. He teaches Acro, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Modern dance as well as works with both studio’s competition teams. Mr. Klinkhammer is excited for the opportunity to give back to one of the core dance organizations that helped mold him into the artist he is today by stepping into the role of the co-Artistic Director.
Originally from the Rochester area, Morgan started taking dance classes at the age of two at Janet Lang Dance Studio. Studying various styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, and hip hop, the dance studio soon became her second home. Growing up, Morgan performed in several productions of The Nutcracker with Rochester Dance Company. Her favorite roles include Clara and the Dewdrop Fairy. She also danced competitively with the JLDS competition team.
Morgan continued her dance education at Minnesota State University, Mankato where she graduated in 2019 with a BFA in Dance. During her time at MSU, she studied under multiple dance artists and performed in countless dance productions and musicals. Her most memorable moments include studying abroad in Paris, France and performing at the ACDA National Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Professionally, Morgan has performed with Stark Dance in the Twin Cities and TheatreZone in Naples, Florida. She currently teaches at Dance Conservatory in Mankato and The Dance Lab here in Rochester. Morgan is ecstatic about the opportunity to return to Rochester Dance Company, this time as co-Artistic Director, and to continue to educate local dancers.
Ellie is absolutely thrilled to be back with Rochester Dance Company – an organization she has loved for over 15 years. Ellie started with the company as a little mouse, and has performed or understudied for almost every single role in the show, finishing her senior year performing as both Snow Queen and Coffee. Her time there overlapped with both Daniel and Morgan, and she remembers looking up to both of them as a young dancer. Even after graduating, Ellie prioritized returning to the Nutcracker (and the spring show!) every year to cheer on the dancers or help backstage. Now, she’s back at the Company officially as an Associate Instructor and Social Emotional Coach. She will assist in teaching classes and running rehearsals, as well as help dancers build resilience and confidence through providing emotional support, guiding them as they navigate setbacks, and teaching stress management techniques to foster a positive, inclusive, and balanced culture.
Beyond RDC, Ellie grew up dancing at Janet Lang Dance Studio and Byron Dance Academy. She learned under many of the same instructors as dancers in the Company today including Ted Sothern, Leila Friel, Joanie Mix, and Daniel Klinkhammer himself, as well as many many others. She currently teaches ballet, pointe, and lyrical classes at BDA, largely to middle and high school students.
Outside of dance, Ellie is currently pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Relations remotely from the University of Colorado-Denver, with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She works at Allina Health as a Grant Writing Intern where she hones her writing craft and enjoys spending time on projects in special areas of interest to her, particularly related to mental-health. In the past, she has spent time at Willow Creek Middle School shadowing in both English and Health classrooms with opportunities to lead class and prepare lessons. She also has several years at a daycare facility under her belt working primarily with toddlers, and pre-schoolers. Ellie is currently an ESP at Folwell Elementary and regularly works with a diverse population of students.
Ellie has long held a passion for working with and connecting with kids, and is looking forward to pairing her passion for dance and passion for social-emotional growth in kids in this role. She is so excited to connect with each and every dancer and help facilitate growth for every individual, and for the company overall.
You can reach the artistic directors at artisticdirector@rochesterdancecompany.org
