Happendance

Tim lives and works on a family owned dairy and crop farm. He has been attending Happendance performances for over 15 years and is glad to contribute to the organization by serving on the board.

Jim Linnemann is a physics professor at MSU. He spends much of his day attemting to outwit computers. He performs experiments in high energy physics at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, and participates in a cosmic ray experiment in New Mexico called Milagro. He's been interested in modern dance since his graduate school days at Cornell, when a fellow researcher started taking classes. He's followed Happendance with pleasure since his arrival in Lansing in 1984, and has been pleased to serve as a board member of Happendance since 1995.

Jim lives in Haslett with his wife Ruth Eggert Linnemann. Ruth works with the Michgan Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She invites you to visit the dance chime at the MSU children's garden. Their daughter Rachel has taken classes at Happendance since she was 3. On (rare) good days, Jim thinks of downhill skiing as a form of dance.

Rosy Goacher attended her first Happendance concert within a couple years of its 1976 founding, and has been one of its biggest fans ever since. She was part of the first Board when it incorporated in 1982, and except for a few years living overseas, has stayed active as a hard-working volunteer and Board member. All three of her children studied dance with Diane Newman/Happendance. Rosy obtained a degree to teach French (and a Fulbright to Bordeaux), but Happendance was instrumental in changing her career direction. In the mid-1980s she worked from home as Happendance Business Administrator, after which she became Manager of Business Operations for Wooden Skate Antiques, Jewelry and Gems in Okemos. During her 13 years there, the store won ten People’s Choice Awards. She also facilitated Happendance’s move to its current location, then owned by Wooden Skate. Now semi-retired, she works part-time for the nonprofit Old Town Business & Art Development Association. She is a pianist, organist, and former professional folk singer.

In response to a nomination by Happendance, which also acknowledged her extensive volunteer work on behalf of her church, in 2007 Rosy received the Adult Volunteer of the Year Award from Lansing’s Volunteer Center, administered by Capital Area United Way.

Diane has been active in developing dance in the Lansing area since 1968 while a student at Michigan State University. She received a B.S. degree in Zoology with a dance minor, completing a Master's Degree in Parks and Recreation Resources Administration in 1975. While a graduate student, Diane began teaching at Lansing Community College; helped form the MSU Repertory Dance Company; established Newman Dance Theater (now Happendance School) in 1974; began teaching dance mechanics to competitive athletes in 1975; and in 1976 founded Happendance, a non-profit organization and mid-Michigan's only professional contemporary dance company. In 1981 Diane was selected by the Michigan Dance Association as Michigan Dance Teacher of the Year. She served as Artistic Director of Children's Ballet Theatre of Lansing from 1991- 1995. She is currently the Executive Director of Happendance and continues to manage, teach, and develop the curriculum for Happendance School. Diane has co-authored a book with colleagues Beth Post and Dr. Lynnette Overby, published in 2005, to teach core curricula through dance, titled Interdisciplinary Learning through Dance: 101 MOVEntures. In 2007, Diane was selected by the Michigan Dance Council as Dance Educator of the Year. She teaches many levels of ballet, modern, composition, and creative classes for young children.

Missy Lilje (BFA in Dance, University of Michigan; MFA in Dance, Arizona State University) has toured nationally and over-seas, presenting her research and performing with the five professional companies she's been a part of (Happendance, 100th Monkey, A. Ludwig Dance Theater, Rayn Dance Theater and Travesty Dance Group.) Missy has a long history with Happendance and serves it in many capacities. She studied with Diane Newman from age seven through high school. Between her university studies in Ann Arbor and Phoenix she successfully auditioned for the Happendance professional company and taught at the school, and also served as Dance Faculty Liaison at Lansing Community College. From Arizona she moved back to Lansing and has been busy with Happendance ever since. She teaches at the school, is an Artistic Director for the professional dancers of the Winter Concert and the To Go outreach team, as well as the pre-professional dancers of Happendance 2. She is also an adjunct faculty member at MSU, LCC and Albion College. Missy serves on the Board of Directors of Happendance and of the Michigan Dance Council.

This will be Amy’s second season with the professional outreach performance team, Happendance To Go. She has studied and taught at various studios throughout mid-Michigan, expanding her training at numerous dance conventions and at Lansing Community College, where she performed in many JazzAbout and Hot Feet productions. Amy has been a professional dance educator for over 20 years. For the past eight years Amy was the full-time dance teacher at Pleasant View Magnet School for the Arts in the Lansing School District, developing its dance program curriculum. At Happendance School she teaches beginning and intermediate tap and jazz classes. In fall of 2011 she was elected as Artists’ Representative to the Happendance Board.

Information coming soon.

Nic joined the Happendance board in 2010, while a student of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities at MSU. He worked as a member of the RCAH Council, and was active in Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU), as a Funding Board, Academic Assembly, and Student Assembly member. Since graduating from MSU in May of 2011, he began part-time studies at Eastern Michigan University. He has an interest in environmental law and other legal issues, and plans to obtain his Juris Doctor/MBA.

Raised in Canton, Michigan, Nic has been an advocate for dance since his elementary school days, when it seemed that he alone enjoyed square-dancing. He lacks proper dance training, but fights to ensure no one else will suffer from such a deficiency!

Nic is an avid golfer and artist of sorts, conducting projects from fashioning furniture to drawing; other interests are museums, architectural landmarks and animals. He follows his slogan, “Art is a big word for such few letters”, and in addition to Happendance, he has partnered with such non-profit organizations as All Of-Us Express Children’s Theatre and My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), both working with children and behind the scenes. He would like to open a specialty restaurant that teaches kids to cook by allowing them to help cook their family’s meals.

Information coming soon.