Happendance

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. After working for the State of Michigan, and obtaining a degree to teach French (and a Fulbright to Bordeaux), she stayed home to raise three children (Heather, Matthew & Robyn), all of whom studied dance at Newman Dance Theater/Happendance School.

In the mid-1980s Rosy worked from a home office as Happendance Business Administrator, a grand title that she grew into by teaching herself accounting, marketing, grant-writing, desktop publishing and more. This prepared her to re-enter the work force in 1991 as 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, and Rosy honed more business skills, which in turn enhance what she has to offer Happendance. She is currently self-employed, as a court reporter and free-lance bookkeeper.

In response to a nomination by Happendance, which also acknowledged her extensive volunteer work on behalf of her church, Rosy received the 2006 Adult Volunteer of the Year Award from Lansing’s Volunteer Center, administered by Capital Area United Way.

Rosy is a musician (pianist, organist, and former professional folk singer), whose body doesn’t allow dancing, but whose soul dances. She is thrilled to now be working side by side with the next generation of Happendancers and volunteer workers, all ensuring that this amazing organization goes forward with an expanded ability to live up to its motto – “inspiring through dance.”

Janet Welch encountered Happendance’s exuberant spirit in the early performances on the banks of the Red Cedar, and has been a fan ever since. Her appreciation of Happendance deepened during her daughter Mara’s fourteen years of training at the Happendance School. A lawyer, Janet is the Executive Director of the State Bar of Michigan. She has had an extensive career in Michigan government, including service as Michigan Supreme Court Counsel. In 1998, the Council of State Governments named her a Toll Fellow for outstanding achievement and service to state government. Janet joined the Happendance Board in 2004.

Arlie was born in Lansing, Michigan and attended Everett High School, MSU and Aquinas College. She spent 20 years working in Human Resource Management and the last 14 as an HR/Payroll Software Consultant for Sage Abra HRMS. She has served as President of HRMAMM (Human Resource Management Association of Mid-Michigan) as well as on local, state, regional and national committees for the Society for Human Resource Management. She is a lifetime certified Senior Professional in Human Resource Management. She speaks at conferences on issues relating to Human Resources, Payroll and Technology.

Arlie married Michael Skory in 1975 and their daughter Robin currently lives in Cambridge, MA.

Arlie served as President of Children's Ballet Theatre before joining the Happendance Board in 2001. In her time on the board Arlie served as president from 2003-2007 and currently serves as secretary. Arlie has made it her mission to 'do what is needed to get the job done' including publishing the newsletter, volunteering on mailings, setting up the Happendance Paypal system, working on technology in general to bring Happendance into the present day, donating hardware and software, selling dancewear or tickets, and donating entertainment (along with her husband).

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.

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.

In 2002, Missy entered the graduate dance program at Arizona State University to earn an MFA degree in dance. After completing her degree Missy returned to Lansing where she currently serves as the Artistic Director of Happendance Professional Company, producing all concerts and outreach performances. At Happendance School, Missy teaches ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern dance and creative classes for young children in addition to running Happendance 2.

Missy is a former Happendance School student who also served as a teaching assistant to the program for 5 years. After graduation from Haslett High School, Missy attended the University of Michigan, completing her BFA in dance in 1998. Missy then auditioned and joined the Happendance professional company and Happendance School staff. She also served as the Dance Faculty Liaison at Lansing Community College from 1999-2002. Once again a Lansing area resident, Missy seeks to make dance her full-time career.

Daniel Holt has been dancing for three and a half years at Lansing Community College (LCC). He began dancing after watching his sister’s career through LCC’s dance program. During his time at LCC he has studied ballet, modern, jazz and tap with an emphasis on ballet. In addition, he has choreographed three pieces, including one in Happendance’s Community Dance Project 2007. Daniel currently serves as the Artists' Representative to the Happendance Board of Directors.

Heather hails from Fort Collins, Colorado where she grew up dancing. She went on to earn a degree in Dance Studies from Grinnell College in Iowa. She now resides in Ann Arbor where she teaches Pilates, Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® and performs as a freelance dancer. She has served on the Happendance Board of Directors since 2004 and is proud to be a part of Happendance’s many exciting dreams.

Katie was raised in Canton, Michigan. She studied Cecchetti ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and lyrical dance at studios throughout metropolitan Detroit. Katie performed with the Plymouth-Canton and the Livonia Civic ballet companies, and continued her study of advanced Cecchetti ballet as an undergraduate at Michigan State University. After receiving her B.A. in Political Theory with a specialization in French she worked in France for a year where she performed with a contemporary jazz company under the direction of Jean Greffet, formerly of the Paris Opera Ballet, and studied traditional French folk dancing. Katie auditioned for Happendance in September 2005 and was accepted as a full status artist performing in the 2006 Winter Concert and as a dancer with the company's education outreach team Happendance To Go. Since then she has taught tap and begun her studies in modern dance choreography as a guest choreographer for the Community Dance Project. Formerly the Artists' Representative to the Happendance Board of Directors, Katie now serves as a Member at Large.

Allison began dancing at age 3 and began studying at Happendance school in 1995. After college, she returned to Lansing and danced professionally with the company from 2003-2005, and was co-Artistic Director for Happendance's 2005 concert, PLACES. Currently, she serves on the Happendance Board of Directors. Allison is studying to be a certified pilates instructor and works in fund development for nonprofit organizations in the Detroit area.