Our Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Our team is dedicated to helping you feel welcome and part of the SlapStep family. We aren’t just a group of people that happen to be attending the same class, we are a family. A group of like-minded individuals that enjoy the company of each other. Your instructors are here to help you feel comfortable and help you to perform at your best potential.
Jackaline Rutter
Owner, Instructor
Founded on the basis that everyone can dance…Jackaline Rutter opened SlapStep Studios in June 2013 offering clogging only. In January of 2024, the studio expanded to include a wide vareity of dance fitness classes for adults.
Jackaline has been dancing for over thirty years and has has been the proud owner of several dance studios including Jackaline’s School of Dance – Home of Saco Sensation Cloggers and Dynamix. Both studios were based in Maine and were prominent in the New England communities. The clogging teams thrived at competition, often taking home several 1st place trophies. But the most important trophy, Spirit Award, was taken home three times by the dancers at Saco Sensation Cloggers. Jackie’s philosophy encourages unity with individuality and motivation creating one team with the goal of evolution in dance!
SlapStep Studios is founded on this same philosophy – everyone is welcome here! Every body, regardless of age and ability is designed for dance. For more information please feel free to email Jackie@slapstep.com or give me a call at 970-315-CLOG.
Marlene Cavanagh
Despite the different paths Marlene’s life has taken, dancing has been her constant! It has inspired and grounded her, since she slipped on her first ballet slippers at five.
In New York City, she was fortunate to study with Fosse great Anne Reinking, and jazz and tap master Billy Siegenfeld. In Los Angeles, while pursuing a communications and publicity career, she made sure to get her jazz and tap classes in and studied with Richard Kuller. His style harkens from “Old Hollywood” legends, like Donald O’Connor.
Flash forward to her current life in Colorado, where she studied with Broadway and 42nd Street veteran, Karen Kleber. She also had the privilege of participating in the Big Apple Tap Festival, and learning rhythm tap from masters Barbara Duffy, Brenda Buffalino and Dianne Walker.
She looks forward to sharing her lifetime love of dance with you!
Julie Woloszyn
Julie Woloszyn is very excited and honored to share her love of dance with you. Classically trained in the Cecchetti Method of ballet, she has over 40 years of dance experience in multiple disciplines including clogging, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and ballet, her first love. As an adult dancer, she has had the privilege to perform with The Lonely Juanas, Mussel Rock Cloggers, Silicon Valley Stompers, The Hip-Hop Mamas, and most recently, Slapstep Studio under the great Jackie Rutter. Whatever your skill level, dancing as an adult offers many benefits, rewards, and the freedom to express yourself. Whether you are just starting your dance journey or continuing it, Julie and her fellow instructors welcome you to come and explore the many dance opportunities to be had at Slapstep Studio.
Stacy Leadingham
Stacy Leadingham developed a love of dance as a child dabbling in jazz, tap, and ballet. Grown up life put all that on a shelf to focus on career and kids until 2022 whenshe took up line dancing in Fort Collins, CO. She has co-taught line dancing since 2023 at New Belgium Brewery and Sundance in Fort Collins and is now also teaching at Slapstep Dance Studio in Loveland.
Becky Bolinger
Becky's a scientist by day, clog dancer by night! She has a PhD in atmospheric science, and her work focuses on the climate of Colorado.
Dancing has been part of Becky's life at many different times. She did ballet, tap, and jazz in elementary school. Marching band was a big focus in high school. She joined in on the swing dancing craze in the late 1990s. And she's been clogging with Jackie for almost 11 years.
She's so excited to introduce new dancers to the fun of clogging!
Brittani Harrington
Hi friends! I'm Brittani and I've been practicing yoga for 5 years. My goal is to help you reconnect with the intelligence of your own body so you can feel calmer and more present in your own lives!
When we are able to feel calm and more connected to ourselves, we have more capacity and potential to create meaningful change in our lives, our work, and the world around us! I believe this work is vital for us to feel happier, calmer, and more alive!
I like to structure my classes to my students and what you need- it's your class! I specialize in Power Flow classes and Restorative classes, it would be an honor to practice with you!
Stephanie Bernazal
Stephanie Bernazal has been dancing since the age of 5. During her time in competitive drill team, Stephanie enjoyed learning many forms of dance including hip-hop, jazz, lyrical and modern. Stephanie began assistant teaching for her mother's studio while in high school and later taught her own classes throughout college. Her passion for dance has been with her since she was a little girl. She loves bringing happiness to others through dance. Stephanie is so excited to be a part of SlapStep Studios. She looks forward to sharing her gift and love of dance with everyone!
Kathy Vogel
Kathy Vogel has been teaching dance styles tap, ballet, jazz, musical theater, lyrical/contemporary, Improvisation, technique/stretch/strengthening classes, and Acrobatic/gymnastic/tumbling at all levels of training. Kathy has had her hand in helping various students that have gone on to become dancers in company’s country wide and in Japan such as Black Label Movement, Diavolo and Carolyn Dorfmand Dance Company and performers in live tours such as Phineas and Ferb/Disney tours and on cruise ships as well as students to open their own successful establishments. Most
recently as an eleventh year Rockette at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. Kathy was the owner of Rochester Academy of Dance Arts for 18 years. During that time, she was adjudicator for the PEEL MUSIC FESTIVAL in Canada, where the participants are accredited for participation through school education at a National Level. She had the pleasure of teaching the children for the touring troupe of Les Misérables and worked with the touring company of Cats. Ms. Vogel also worked with the members of The Fifth Dimension, helping them learn choreography for their final National tour.
She relocated to Florida and then to Maryland and worked with She has judged for Dance Masters of America and Florida Dance
Masters. She also judged the Jr Miss Dance Pageant and the Duets/Trios and Solo competitions for FDM. Was a judge for Rochester Institute of Technology’s Spring BEST DANCE CREW. Kathy looks forward to dancing with you!
Blythe Thompson
Blythe Thompson was born and raised in Colorado.
She began her love for dance at the age of two. Her passion only grew for the arts as she graduated from Denver School of the Arts as a dance major. She continued her dance training at Chapman University in California. After that she spent a year professionally dancing in LA.
Blythe is now training under the mentorship of Stacey Tookey in all aspects of art.
Blythe can’t wait to be a part of your teaching staff to share her passion for dance and artistry.