The Story of Illume
Cami and Emily became best friends on their middle school dance company and dreamed of creating a dance academy once day. After both dancing in high school they went separate ways to receive their degrees and begin their careers in dance. Over a decade later, they were reunited when Cami happened to move into a house a few doors down from Emily in Kaysville. Within months they were performing on stage together and beginning to share artistic dreams once again. Inspired by providing a wholesome dance education for their own children, Cami and Emily opened Illume Dance Company with the motto of “Sharing Light Through Movement.” In June 2021, Cami and Emily produced and directed their original story adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, licensed by the C.S. Lewis Company and performed by over 100 adults and students. Cami and Emily together were awarded dance educators of the year in 2021 by the Utah Dance Education Organization.
On August 31st, 2021 Cami suffered an amniotic fluid embolism and major stroke during the delivery of her 4th child, leaving her without the use of the left side of her body and cognitive deficits. As creative problem solvers, Cami and Emily are confident this challenge will provide new opportunities to champion dance as an invaluable form of self-expression, regardless of one’s physical or mental capabilities.
Meet the Staff
Emily Bokinskie - Owner/Director/Dance/Gymnastics
Emily Bokinskie grew up training in all styles of dance at a competition studio and in high school, Emily was a captain on a national champion winning drill team, a member of the All State Drill team and 2nd place Jr. soloist at the Contest of Champions National Competition. Emily received her BA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Weber State University where she participated in Orchesis Dance Theater, the Moving Company Outreach Program, the World Dance and Music Project and West Side Story. She was awarded Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Graduate, the Patti O’ Neal and the Lindquist Departmental Scholarships. Emily was also awarded scholarships to continue her studies with Repertory Dance Theater, Ririe Woodbury Dance Company and the San Diego Dance Theater. As a professional, Emily has performed with Scene Makers, Artistry Films, Brine Arts, Junction Dance, and Good Company Theatre.
Having a passion for teaching all ages, Emily has been an instructor at Spotlight Dance, B. Sharp School of Dance, Hollywood Kids Academy, Performing Arts Academy, a drill team coach at Ogden High School and Dance Adjunct Faculty at the University of Utah and Weber State University. Her choreography has been performed and adjudicated at Utah and Nevada studio and drill team competitions, the American College Dance Festival, the Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival, Junction Dance, Full Circle Dance, Brine Arts and Weber State University. Emily is currently raising three beautiful daughters with her supportive husband, Jimmy.
Cami Wardle - Owner
Cami has a degree in Dance Education from Brigham Young University where she performed throughout the country with the BYU Dancers’ Company and then taught/performed with the outreach company Kinnect. She served as the dance majors’ student representative and was awarded the Dee Winterton outstanding teacher scholarship.
Cami has taught for several dance studios and programs in Utah and Texas including the Children’s Ballet Theatre, Orem Dance Theatre, BYU Children’s Creative Dance, the San Angelo Civic Ballet, Lisa’s Dance Connection, and Downstairs Dance. She has also taught in elementary and high school settings with programs like Arts Bridge America and as the outreach coordinator for the San Angelo Civic Ballet, and as a special education mentor. She has received a grant from the Texas Arts Commission to create and implement cross-curricular dance/science lesson plans incorporating state educational science standards into creative dance lessons for 4th graders.
Cami and her husband Bret are blessed to raise four fantastic kids.
Rachel Stuker - Dance
Rachel Stuker has been teaching dance for ten years. She is passionate about making dance a fun and challenging atmosphere for her students where they learn much more that dance steps. She grew up dancing in Sandy, Ut where she got a variety of training in ballet, jazz, tap and tumbling. She got her first taste of competition dance in high school on an award winning drill team where she was an All State Drill team member. She would extend her training by attending summer intensives, getting opportunity’s to learn and perform classical pieces by George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson and other renowned choreographers. In 2005 she received a performance scholarship to UVU where she performed with the Repertory Ballet Ensemble. After graduating in 2009 with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, she stayed at home raising her children and teaching dance while living in two different states. She feels blessed everyday that she gets to share her love of dance with others.
Cherie Gurney - Dance/Musical Theater/Production Team
Cherie was born in Roosevelt, Utah to parents that loved performing arts and athleticism. She tumbled, sang, danced and acted throughout her childhood and youth. Cherie was the drill captain of the Union Cougarettes, lettered in weightlifting, became Dance Sterling Scholar and member of the All State Drill Team. She was a Sunburst dancer at USU, worked at the Jackson Hole Playhouse Theatre as Yolanda in “Paint your Wagon” then found her college home in Cedar City, Utah. Cherie graduated from SUU with a BS degree in Dance and Theatre in 2002. Cherie was the vice president of orchestras, voted Student Favorite Dancer, Faculty Favorite Character Dancer, Best Actress in a Black Box Performance, Most Talented T-bird (runner-up), most Outstanding Senior, Cherie received the top dance scholarship from the Burch Mann Foundation Titled “It’s the feet that carries us but the heart that dances”.
After college she served a mission for her church, taught dance and theatre at Wasatch High School, danced and choreographed for Indiana Jazz Dance Company. Cherie has taught in studios in Indiana, Texas and Utah. She is married to Mark and has four children.
Sarah Strong - Dance
Sarah has had a love for the arts her entire life. Growing up, she was always painting and creating with any materials she could find. In addition to the visual arts, Sarah grew up training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. She performed in the Clytie Adams Nutcracker and was a member of her high school drill team and dance company.
She continued her study of dance in college by taking dance classes alongside her BFA in Art Education. While at USU she studied Art and Design in Switzerland for two summers and was an ArtsBridge scholar. She interned at Tanner Dance at the University of Utah for a summer where she helped organize and attend professional development workshops, taught summer art camps, and had performance opportunities.
After college, she became an art teacher at a junior high school in Spanish Fork, UT. She enjoyed teaching ceramics, printmaking, drawing, and painting. She continued her study of dance while living in Boston with her family where she trained in a Horton-based modern class. She also has a love of yoga and is a certified yoga instructor. She is happiest when dancing and creating and is so excited to be a part of such a beautiful creative team at Illume. She and her husband are blessed to be raising four children.
Rebecca Martin - Dance
Rebecca grew up training at Jaqueline’s School of Ballet and the BYU Children’s Creative Dance, where she quickly fell in love with dance. Throughout high school and college, Rebecca was able to attend intensives by and perform with Ririe Woodbury Dance Company, Repertory Dance Company, The Ailey School, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She received her degree in Dance Performance from BYU, where she performed for several years with The Dancers’ Company and dancEnsemble.
Rebecca has eight years experience teaching for the BYU Children's Creative Dance, Jazz N’ Place Studio, and as a guest instructor and choreographer for several high schools in Utah, and at LaGuardia High School in New York City. Though she enjoys teaching all ages, little movers are where she feels most at home! She loves to dance, and aims to instill a love of self, movement and creativity in each of her students.
Rebecca and her husband, Jared, are currently raising three beautiful kiddos.
Emmy Gourley - Dance
Bio coming soon…
Angela Dugdale - Dance
Angela (Ramjoue) Dugdale is a lifelong student and teacher of the dance arts. At a very young age, and being inspired by frequent impromptu dance sessions with her down-syndrome older brother at home, Angie joined Children’s Dance Theater (CDT, University of Utah). She was selected as the lead soloist in CDT’s production of “Anna and the Echo-Catcher” in 1990 and “The Joy Keeper” in 1998. This association led to her interfacing with and learning from Utah dance legends Joan Woodbury, Shirley Ririe, and Marianne Lee.
Angie went on to participate as a dancer and choreographer in her middle-school and high-school dancers companies. Her love of teaching and choreography also led to her teaching dance lessons to her neighbor’s children during these formative years (there is no better dance floor than that which is created by rolling back the living room rug).
Angie pursued the performing arts after high-school and was selected as a singing/dancing performance member of the Rick’s College (now BYU-Idaho) touring group “Showtime”, where she toured throughout the east and mid-west. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from BYU in Dance Performance while participating in BYU’s Dancer’s Company.
Post college, Angie pursued a career teaching dance in the Jordan School District for four years and at various dance studios in Davis County. Directed, lighting, costumes sound and choreographed over 10 full length concerts and multiple single works.
Expression through movement is one of her greatest joys.
Annie Armstrong - Gymnastics/Tumbling
Annie fell in love with gymnastics and dance when she was 8 years old. She took gymnastics classes as a child and in college. She also loved taking dance classes in high school and college. She coached gymnastics for 2 years at Flip's where she developed a deep love for coaching and interacting with children.
Annie is thrilled to be starting her second season at Illume where she gets to do what she loves and help children pursue their love for gymnastics and tumbling. She is so grateful for the opportunity to teach where she is surrounded by amazing fellow teachers and students!
She is married to her best friend and they have 2 children. They love to rock climb and go backpacking as a family.
Berkeley Brunson - Dance
Berkeley Brunson has loved all things creative since she was a little girl. She began dancing at the age of six, and trained at Clytie Adams School of Ballet throughout her teenage years. Berkeley enjoyed performing in the Clytie Adams Nutcracker, and was a member of the Davis High Dance Company, serving as President her senior year. Berkeley also had the opportunity to perform in Davis Performing Arts Collective’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge!
Berkeley is currently attending Weber State University on scholarship, pursuing a Bachelors of Dance Education. She absolutely adores working with children and is so excited to share her love for dance at Illume!
Meryl Henrie - Dance/Production Team
Meryl has been passionate about dance since before she could walk. She grew up training in ballet, jazz and modern dance. While earning her degree in Dance Education from Brigham Young University, she also became versed in Folk, Latin and social dance genres. After teaching dance and yoga as the dance director at Viewmont High School for six years, she has enjoyed returning to the studio setting and working with the wonderful dancers at Illume!
Danielle Peterson - Dance
Danielle attended Brigham Young University where she received a BA in Dance Education with a minor in Family Life. She spent her time there performing with BYU’s DancEnsemble and Contemporary DAnce Theatre, as well as Theatre Engine: Dance Engine, a collaborative show with Michigan State University that explores the use of technology and dance.
Danielle has had the opportunity to perform both nationally and internationally, including Scotland and China, and has presented research at NDEO conferences in Washington D.C. and Texas. She currently directs the Viewmont High School dance and yoga department.
Caroline Solomon - Dance/Production Team
Caroline Solomon has had a passion for all kinds of movement since she was a little girl. Starting with 2 years of clogging, her love for dance blossomed and led her to other dance forms including ballet, jazz, and contemporary. Caroline graduated from Utah Valley University with her BS in Dance Education and was able to perform with multiple groups including the school’s two performing companies, The Penguin Lady Dance Collective, and The Tabernacle Choir. Although she loves to perform, her true passion is teaching!
Sherrie Burt - Dance
Bio coming soon….
Trisha Wasuita - Dance
Trisha loved ballet the moment she stepped into a ballet class at the age of 4. She has been doing ballet ever since that moment. She also found she loved sharing this passion with others and has been teaching ballet for 25 plus years! She spent most of the years teaching at Children's Ballet Theater. In recent years she has had the opportunity to choreograph for Oquirrh Mountain Youth Theatre. She is also part of Illume Dance Company's Narnia.
She is deeply grateful for her family's support! She is married and has 4 wonderful children whom she cherishes spending time with. There is often a dance party going on at home!
Mallory Wright - Dance
Mallory Wahlstrom Wright has a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree, with an emphasis in Harp Performance, from Brigham Young University. She is the founder of the Davis Performing Arts Collective and has nearly 15 years teaching experience in music and dance.
Mallory was a member of the Davis High Drill Team and performed in the Clytie Adams Nutcracker for 10 years performing many featured solos en pointe. She received a scholarship to study music at the University of Arizona where she was a member of Harpfusion, the largest touring harp ensemble in the world. She performed with Harpfusion in Belgium, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Brazil. Mallory graduated from BYU in 2010 with her Harp Performance Degree. She went on to play with the Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra as their principal harpist until 2015.
Mallory runs a private harp studio and has been teaching dance locally since 2015. She has been a dance instructor for Clytie Adams School of ballet, Ardour Dance Centre, Natalies Performing Arts, and the Davis Performing Arts Collective. She has experience teaching all ages and styles and is passionate about working with children. She is currently the Executive Director of DPAC’s production of Scrooge.
Mallory is married and has 6 children. She loves the fine arts and believes music and dance together have the power to instill confidence and beauty in the lives of all children. She is thrilled to be welcomed into the Illume family!
Avery Vickers - Dance
Bio coming soon…
Amy Alvord - Musical Theater/Dance
Amy Knowles Alvord has been immersed in dance since childhood, training in tap, ballet, jazz, character, along with any other style she could get into. She began teaching early, first as a student teacher at her dance company and later began and taught a community dance group with a wide variety of ages for seven years. Most recently, she was an assistant teacher for Farmington High School's dance company.
In high school, Amy expanded her repertoire to include musical theater and show choir, which led her to performing and choreographing with the Weber State University Singers. She toured across the United States and Canada, and took on leading roles in productions such as The Music Man (Marian Paroo), My Fair Lady (Eliza Doolittle), Guys and Dolls (Adelaide), 42nd Street (Dorothy Brock), and Brigadoon (Bonnie Jean). She also performed as a winter cast member for the Musical Moose Theater in West Yellowstone.
More recently, Amy has appeared in various roles in Savior of the World at the Salt Lake City Conference Center, and in the Nauvoo and British Pageants, including portraying Emma Smith. This past year, she served as Assistant Artistic Director for both pageants, contributing her creative vision and leadership.
Amy studied vocal pedagogy at Weber State University and has taught private voice lessons for over 26 years. She is thrilled to bring her passion for dance and performance to Illume this year. Next to being a wife and mother of three daughters, her favorite role is that of a teacher.
Meredith Wright - Dance
Meredith has over 20 years of dance teaching and choreography experience. She received the prestigious Willam F. Christensen ballet scholarship at the University of Utah. During her time there, she developed as a dancer and choreographer, dancing on stages in Las Vegas and Beijing China. She was awarded a pre-professional position at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance where she received rigorous training and danced with professional Lines Ballet dancers and choreographers. Meredith danced professionally with Poetic Rebound Performing Company in Iowa City, where she further developed a love of exploratory movement. She was the artistic director of Natalie's Performing Arts where she helped produce and choreograph dance productions. She is currently the artistic director of the Davis Performing Arts Collective, as well as the Davis High School Dance Company. Meredith is thrilled to be working with Illume Dance Company to develop kids into beautiful, confident artists.
Katherine Widdison - Dance
Bio coming soon…
Brooklyn Alvord - Dance
Bio coming soon…
Amy Gurney
Bio coming soon…