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Meet Stephanie Carlson, the newest member of the FWDC family!

Stephanie’s first experience with the Fort Wayne Dance Collective occurred in 1st grade where she was a student at Weisser Park Elementary School and participated in Liz Monnier’s modern dance class. It was there that she developed a love of the arts and the Fort Wayne Dance Collective. This love has grown into a passionate lifestyle of performing, teaching, and development work to keep the arts alive and thriving in Northeast Indiana. In July of 2019, Stephanie officially rejoined the FWDC family as a staff member. We are so lucky to have Stephanie as the new Program and Development Manager!

We encourage you to stop by our offices on the Arts Campus Fort Wayne to meet Stephanie! In the meantime, enjoy these tidbits about our newest team member.

What made you want to work at Fort Wayne Dance Collective? The work that Fort Wayne Dance Collective is doing is so valuable and vital to our community. I want to help increase our community’s awareness of the organization’s powerful mission and the full scope of its offerings.

What were you doing before you came to Fort Wayne Dance Collective? I served as the Director of Development and Education for Heartland Sings, where I developed and implemented an Arts Integrated Residency that uses the genre of opera to teach Language Arts and Literacy year-round in Northeast Indiana schools. I’m excited to continue the impact of this residency by incorporating the genre of movement and rhythm as the next step for participants and continue to use arts integration to impact the lives of Northeast Indiana students. 

What are you passionate about? Arts integration is something that I am incredibly passionate about. People process information in a multitude of different ways and Arts Integration uses “the arts” as a medium to teach information in a way that reaches every person. The arts are thriving and relevant in Fort Wayne and I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to raise money for something I truly believe in.

What makes Fort Wayne a good place for you to live and raise a family? I adore this city! I was born and raised here and this is where my friends and family are. Events and attractions in Fort Wayne make families a priority. 

What is your favorite thing to do in Fort Wayne? My family and I enjoy the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, the thriving arts scene in Fort Wayne, seasonal festivals, and the new Promenade Park!

What do you love about Fort Wayne Dance Collective? FWDC’s programming is for everyone! People of all ages, abilities, and from all walks of life have opportunities. As someone who never had the quintessential dancer’s body, I have always felt included and welcome at Fort Wayne Dance Collective.