Our Team of Dance Instructors

Kris Bergdahl 

Heidi Hamilton

Heidi graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse with a degree in Education, was a member of the UW-L Pom squad, and a guest performer in the Hartford Ballet Company.  She has been the recipient of a scholarship to the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters and Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles to continue studying dance.  She has studied in New York, Chicago, Colorado, and Los Angeles.  Heidi has choreographed for La Crosse area show choirs and dance teams, and the La Crosse Community Theatre.  Heidi has been on staff at Julie's School of Dance, Upward Bound, Misty's Dance Unlimited, and the Youth Dance Program at VMH.  She is thrilled to be one of the four founding members of Sole Expressions Dance Studio.

Melissa Johnson

Melissa or “Miss J.” as her students know her, is a graduate of Viterbo University with a degree in elementary education. In her early years, she danced locally from the time she was four at various studios in the Coulee Region. While in college, she danced with the open division of the Milwaukee Ballet, performed several roles in the Nutcracker with LaCrosse Dance Centre, and continued taking classes and workshops within the community whereever she was living. For the past ten years she has been an instructor at Nicole’s School of Dance working with both competitive and recreational dancers. She is an Elementary II (4th, 5th, and 6th grade) teacher at LaCrescent Montessori and STEM School where she has worked for fifteen years. She resides in LaCrosse with her husband, DJ, daughter, Greere, and her son, Darwin. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and listening to live music. She is so excited to share her passion with the Sole Expressions studio.

Kelsey Daines

Kelsey is so happy to be back with Sole Expressions, but this time as a teacher.  She grew up and graduated from Westby Area School District in 2016.  While in high school Kelsey danced at Sole Expressions for many years, including ballet, pointe, jazz, and hip hop.  After high school she attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and graduated in 2020 with an elementary and special education degree.  Kelsey is going into her second year of teaching at Kickapoo Elementary School as a reading intervention teacher.  In her free time she enjoys hiking/traveling with her fiance, spending time at her family cabin, and playing with her dogs.  Kelsey is excited to be teaching at the studio that made her fall in love with dance and can't wait for the dance season to start!