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Born creative, Emily found her passion for dance at the young age of two, in small town rural Illinois. Overcoming physical limitations at a young age, she realized the fruits of her labor and the truth that hard work, applied consistently over a period of time, fosters massive improvement. The work ethic learned in the dance studio is the same work ethic that has helped her and her husband Brian build a family of companies including their multi-location performing arts center, real estate investment company, and wholesale retail company.
She has committed her life to serving others by passing on her philosophy that personal growth and accountability are the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and our world. As a pioneer of change herself, Emily has taken her experiences to intentionally influence leaders, entrepreneurs, families, and students from a variety of backgrounds and in locations around the world.
Emily gives credit to her mom, Jackie, for teaching her that you can do anything you put your mind to and that every person you meet matters. She gives credit to the arts for the great impact it has had on her life and credit to God for saving hers. Because of these influences, Emily works to pay it forward with their family mission to give every child access to the arts.
If Emily is not at the studio, she can be found in one of her two favorite places in the world-sitting on the porch listening to her husband Brian sing with their four children:
Nikki- Their passionate pursuer
Brinlee- Their intuitive strategist
Haven- Their creative artist
Gevyn- Their busy builder
The other is sharing life in Cite Soleil, Haiti. Emily believes we are given this life to share it and is thankful for each and every opportunity given to her to do so.
Brian has been a singer, musician and actor most of his life as he started performing at age 8. His passion for the arts lead him and Emily to open YPAC in the fall of 2013 as a place for people of all ages to experience community through the arts with a specific mission to give every child access to the arts. Brian graduated from Lincoln Christian University with a B.A. in Music and loves helping provide a community for artists. He loves helping with improving the YPAC experience and growing the center alongside Emily while watching their own children grow in the arts as well.
Mia Mellecker has been active in the field of art and musical theatre for 16 years. Mia possesses a love for performing, as well as an undeniable passion for creating the behind the scenes magic! She has appeared on stage as Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls” and in the ensembles of “Bye Bye Birdie” and Godspell Jr. Creating props, costumes and set designs is Mia’s favorite activity on a Saturday night. She was awarded the Lucille Gustafson Scholarship for Leadership by Waubonsee Community College where she received an A.S. in Liberal Arts. Her hopes are to inspire creativity, help others find confidence in their abilities, and showcase the amazing talents of the growing community at YPAC!
Andrea Stambaugh is very honored to be a member of the YPAC community. She comes from a background of public speaking and community / parent support. Andrea’s greatest joy and motivation in life is her son, Axel. She takes pride in being part of many community volunteer and outreach organizations for children with special needs. She grew up dancing and is excited to be in the atmosphere of performing arts again.
In her free time she enjoys entertaining, trying new restaurants, organizing events, and taking Axel to enjoy the world. She is eager to get to know the families at YPAC.
Ever since I was little and took tumbling classes myself I have wanted to become a teacher. I have been an intern at YPAC for 3 months as a tumbling and cheer coach. It’s been so much fun! I will be a senior at Yorkville High School and am currently taking classes at Waubonsee Community College. I enjoy spending time with the students and getting to know them. I cannot wait to continue my journey with YPAC!
Dancing since the age of three, Emily Diederich has always had a passion for dance. Emily has trained in various styles of dance such as Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, and Modern. At the age of eight, she began to dance competitively. Since then, she knew she wanted to perform or see her work on stage. After 11 years of dancing, Emily calls YPAC home. Since joining YPAC, Emily had been apart of their Dance Teacher Training program for two years to help her prepare for becoming a teacher. Emily is excited to share her passion for dance with others and continue her journey at YPAC.
Dancing since the age of three, Amanda Arnold has two decades of dance experience. Growing up she was a member of competitive dance and convention teams. She is a former student of YPAC owner, Emily Weber. Amanda is trained in the areas of Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Modern, and Lyrical. Amanda is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management and Dance minor. While dancing in college, she had the opportunity to work with numerous choreographers through exploring and performing a wide variety of new styles of dance. In addition, Amanda was selected to attend and perform at the American College Dance Association throughout her college career. From an early age, Amanda knew that she had a passion for teaching. She believes in the importance of a well-rounded dance environment where children are encouraged and challenged to reach their fullest potential. She is committed to helping children develop the skills needed to spark a passion for dance, just like former teachers have done for her. Amanda is thrilled to be the P.E.E.R. Ensemble Director. Her mission is to enhance each dancer’s talents while promoting a positive relationship with the community.
Kristi has been enjoying playing the piano since she was 8 years old. Her love of music transferred to college where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Therapy from Western Illinois University. Since then, she has been working with children and adults in a variety of settings. She worked as a music therapist, developmental therapist, and ABA therapist before having children. Once her children were born, Kristi began teaching private piano lessons out of her home and traveling to student’s homes. She enjoys learning about her students so she can pick music that will motivate them to practice, learn, and enjoy music as much as she does.
Kelly joined YPAC in April of 2014 with professional experience performing, teaching private music lessons, and working with musical theater groups. She has a great love for music and the performing arts and enjoys working with students of all ages. After receiving a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from Millikin University, she performed professionally in regional theater and national tours for 15 years. Favorite roles include Maria in West Side Story, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and the fiddler, MaryLou, in the first national tour of Cowgirls.
Kelly enjoys performing for weddings, memorials, and special occasions. She also loves to share the healing power of music with the residents of assisted living communities, and is a member of the Worship Team at New Life Church in Yorkville. Kelly maintains her strong belief that experiencing music and the performing arts is inspiring and life changing. She is happy to be part of the YPAC team!
Ever since I was little and took tumbling classes myself I have wanted to become a teacher. I have been an intern at YPAC for 3 months as a tumbling and cheer coach. It’s been so much fun! I will be a senior at Yorkville High School and am currently taking classes at Waubonsee Community College. I enjoy spending time with the students and getting to know them. I cannot wait to continue my journey with YPAC!
Tall, goofy, and still beardless, I joined YPAC team at the beginning of 2020. I began my guitar journey at the age of twelve, and have spent several years as a performing and recording musician. Since 2001, I have had the honor of teaching students ages anywhere from five to fifty. Although my expertise is in all forms of rock music, I am also quite proficient in blues and folk and have studied contemporary jazz with Professor Freddie Franken of Olivet Nazarene University. I still actively perform and create music, but I am also a passionate educator who is always excited to impart my knowledge to enthusiastic students.
Mary has been singing her entire life. From a very young age she knew she would love to perform on the stage. In 2004, she received her Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. While at Berklee, Mary studied voice with Jeannie Gagne and vocal jazz with Mili Bermejo. Mary has recorded with recording artist and world renown DJ, Morgan Page and has performed with country folk star Jonathan Edwards. Mary has performed on stage at Buddy Guys Legends in Chicago with the Chicago Blues Angels. Mary has taught voice lessons for 13 years and piano lessons for 8 years. She performs regularly with her group, the “Mary Hunt Band” around the Chicagoland area.
Andy is a graduate of Illinois State University and Aurora University where he graduated with high honors in Collaborative Piano and Piano Performance. He has performed full solo recitals and accompanied for many recitals. He has extensive accompanying experience in opera, focusing on vocal literature. He has played with several jazz combos and at special events for universities. As well as teaching, Andy accompanies at several churches within the local area. Andy’s goal in teaching is to help the student establish a technical and expressive foundation in piano playing to help them help play anything they want.
Mia Mellecker has been active in the field of art and musical theatre for 16 years. Mia possesses a love for performing, as well as an undeniable passion for creating the behind the scenes magic! She has appeared on stage as Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls” and in the ensembles of “Bye Bye Birdie” and Godspell Jr. Creating props, costumes and set designs is Mia’s favorite activity on a Saturday night. She was awarded the Lucille Gustafson Scholarship for Leadership by Waubonsee Community College where she received an A.S. in Liberal Arts. Her hopes are to inspire creativity, help others find confidence in their abilities, and showcase the amazing talents of the growing community at YPAC!
Dancing since the age of three, Amanda Arnold has two decades of dance experience. Growing up she was a member of competitive dance and convention teams. She is a former student of YPAC owner, Emily Weber. Amanda is trained in the areas of Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Modern, and Lyrical. Amanda is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management and Dance minor. While dancing in college, she had the opportunity to work with numerous choreographers through exploring and performing a wide variety of new styles of dance. In addition, Amanda was selected to attend and perform at the American College Dance Association throughout her college career. From an early age, Amanda knew that she had a passion for teaching. She believes in the importance of a well-rounded dance environment where children are encouraged and challenged to reach their fullest potential. She is committed to helping children develop the skills needed to spark a passion for dance, just like former teachers have done for her. Amanda is thrilled to be the P.E.E.R. Ensemble Director. Her mission is to enhance each dancer’s talents while promoting a positive relationship with the community.
