About Us
Come Dance with Us!
Our dance studio was founded over 40 years ago and welcomes dancers of all ages. Our class offerings include ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, dance line, musical theatre, creative movement, and more! Conveniently located at the Chaska Community Center, we offer affordable and professional dance education that fits your family's budget without the competitive atmosphere. Our emphasis is on building self-esteem, self-confidence, and personal development.
Our Team
Miss Jenny
Owner & Director
Jenny Pantano is the owner and director of Chaska Dance Center. She has been dancing her whole life and has been training dancers for over 25 years. Jenny trained at various dance studios throughout her childhood including The Dance Shoppe, Victoria Dance Productions, Hopkins Dance Center, and Ballet Arts. After graduating high school, Jenny moved to Los Angeles where she trained with the nation's top choreographers and instructors at the Performing Arts Center. She performed in the Jerry Lewis Telethon and with the Mark Goodman Tap Company as a dance captain. Her choreography has received top honors winning awards such as Outstanding Choreography at BravO! National Dance Competition and at Showbiz National Talent Competition in Daytona Beach, FL. Jenny holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master's Degree from UCLA. She has two daughters, Giselle and Mila, who both share her love of dance!
Miss Janet
Instructor
Janet Merckling has studied modern, ballet, jazz, and tap, and brings a lot of fun to our classes! She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the University of Minnesota. After college Janet taught dance for several Twin Cities studios, specialized in teaching younger students in ballet and tap. Janet lives in Chaska and has 1 son, Nathan, who attends St. Cloud State University and is serving in the Marine reserves.
Miss Mary
Instructor
Mary Pieper is an icon in the Chaska dance community. Mary founded the Chaska School of Dance in 1984 and has taught classes in ballet, tap and jazz to thousands of students in our community over the years. Her dedication, passion and the impact she has had on her students over the years is immeasurable. Mary currently teaches our Monday night preschool and kindergarten-1st grade classes. One of Mary's greatest joys is to welcome back former students and to now teach their daughters and sons.
Miss Regan
Instructor
With a rich background spanning two decades in dance education and choreography, Regan is an award winning, versatile and dedicated professional in the arts. Most recently serving as a Dance Educator and Choreographer at The Dance Warehouse since July 2014, she has honed the craft of creating and implementing engaging dance lesson plans for a diverse range of students, from recreational to advanced competition levels. Previously, Regan made significant contributions to The Phipps Dance Theater from August 2013 to December 2023. Regan is excited to start this new adventure with Chaska Dance Center!
Miss Allison
Instructor
Allison Wheeler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and began her dance journey training in ballet and studio competition dance styles. In high school, she attended Main Street School of Performing Arts and Arkansas Arts Academy where she fell in love with modern and contemporary dance. Allison recently graduated with a BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Allison has also been involved in the K-pop cover dance community teaching K-pop dance and performing in multiple cover dance groups and projects.
Miss Abby
Instructor
Abby Moldenhauer started dancing at the age of seven and graduated from Chaska Dance Center. She performed with our competitive teams for many years, winning multiple awards throughout her career, and worked as an assistant teacher for our younger classes throughout high school. Abby graduated from Chaska High School and currently works as an infant teacher at Kindercare Learning Center. We are excited to have Abby on staff co-teaching our preschool and K-1st grade classes.