Instructors & Leaders
Chrissy Atterberry - Instructor/Choreographer
Chrissy, a native Chicagoan, began her training at Val’s Dance Studio, studying ballet, tap, and gymnastics. At age five, she continued her dance education at the Ruth Page School of Dance, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, character, and modern—most notably under the late Larry Long.
Throughout high school and college, Chrissy performed with the youth training company, The Civic Ballet of Chicago. Her performance experience spans over 30 years in Ruth Page’s The Nutcracker—in both children's and adult roles—as well as numerous roles with The Civic Ballet of Chicago and Ballet Chicago. She has danced several lead roles with the Indiana Youth Ballet and has traveled to Key West to perform in their production of TheNutcracker.
In addition to her work as an architect, Chrissy serves as the Children’s Co-Director at Ruth Page and Ballet Mistress with the Indiana Youth Ballet. She lives in Hobart, IN with her husband, daughter, son, and their beloved fur and feather babies. Chrissy is incredibly blessed to be a part of the Eclipse Performing Arts family!
Michele Brown - Owner
Founded and led by Michele’ Brown—former collegiate and professional dancer—Eclipse is more than a studio; it’s a community built on empowerment, growth, and belonging. Our mission is to inspire and uplift the next generation by instilling confidence, discipline, and authentic self-expression through the art of dance.
With a special focus on empowering young women and men, we help dancers recognize their strength, potential, and worth—on stage and in life. Under Michele’s direction, Eclipse alumni have advanced to collegiate and professional stages, supported by expert training and a nurturing, inclusive environment.
Whether your goals are professional, collegiate, or purely recreational, we tailor our instruction to your individual journey—meeting each dancer where they are and guiding them toward where they want to go.
Tina Zulich - Instructor/Choreographer
Tina Zulich began her ballet training in Northwest Indiana under Ms. Elizabeth Bathurst at Broadstreet Dance Company, where she also studied jazz and tap with professionals Jay Fagan and Bruce Stegmann. She continued her dance training at Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Cincinnati Ballet, and at University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music under Tricia Sundbeck-Bell and Jonnie Lynn Jacobs-Percer.
Tina has performed lead roles in several ballets, most notably in productions of the Nutcracker and Peter Pan by the Indiana Youth Ballet, and has danced and held lead roles in productions with Ballet Legere, The Empire State Ballet, Concert One Productions, choreographic works by Summer Rich, with CCM Prep, and with Paradise Ballet Theater. She choreographs and teaches in Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and is currently the ballet mistress at Eclipse Performing Arts in Chesterton, Indiana, as well as a resident choreographer and assistant director for the Indiana Youth Ballet.
Tina has continued her dance training, studying from master instructors at Ruth Page, and Visceral Dance, with a continued passion for performing whenever she has the chance. She has been teaching at Eclipse since 2011 and has loved bringing her technical expertise and the joy of dance to all her students that choose to further their training at Eclipse Performing Arts.
Ava Trpeska - Instructor/Choreographer
Ava Trpeska is a recent CLI Conservatory alum with director Teddy Forance and director of jazz Martha Nichols. At CLI she trained in a variety of styles including everything from contemporary, jazz, and musical theater to hip hop, heels, and other street styles like house and popping! CLI gave her the opportunities and ability to dance on camera for choreographers such as Christopher Scott, Monica Felice Smith, and Andrew Mulet while dancing on stage for choreographers Jakevis Thomson, James Alonzo, and Lucy Vallely.
Before CLI she started her dance journey at Indiana Youth Ballet with Ms. Elizebeth Bathurst performing in The Nutcracker and Peter Pan productions. Then she moved on to studying at Ruth Page School of Dance under Victor Alexander with Burutie Barodicaite, ,Patricia Klekovic, Dolores Lipinski Long, and Maray Gutierrez, focusing on classical ballet and modern with a hint of Afro-Cuban.
In-between this, Ava was selected at one of Chicago’s 6 Youth Artist Activists with Collaboraction Theater’s ‘The Light!’ With ‘The Light’ she has been able to perform on stages like Lollapalooza’s Kidzapalooza, Navy Pier’s Fresh Fest, and Silver Room Block Party. She toured parks and schools in the ChicagoLand area spreading her message and platform of Body Positivity and Eating Disorder Awareness with her movement through dance and spoken word poetry.
She soon found Terrence Marling and became the youngest dancer to join COMMON Conservatory at just 16 years old. Here she trained and studied concert, contemporary, and modern dance styles with choreographers and mentors such as Noelle Kayser ,Robyn Mineko Williams, and Drew Lewis.
Since graduating CLI Ava is back home in NWI, still performing and creating. She is super excited to share her knowledge with the new generation of dancers at Eclipse Performing Arts!
Amanda Ruhl - Competition Director /Coach Instructor/Choreographer
Amanda C. Ruhl is a multi‑disciplinary dancer, choreographer, adjudicator, and educator known for dynamic musicality, clean ensemble work, and story‑driven choreography across jazz, tap and toe tap, lyrical, contemporary, ballet/pointe, hip hop, modern, musical theater, and ballroom. She launched her professional career performing at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and went on to appear at Walt Disney World, expanding a portfolio that now spans national stages, regional theaters, film, and commercial modeling.
As a choreographer and creative, Amanda’s recent credits include Alice by Heart with PlayAct Theater, The Wizard of Oz with New Buffalo High School, Cabaret with Valparaiso University Other recent productions include SIX: Teen Edition, Seussical Jr., Hadestown: Teen Edition, Little Shop of Horrors and Willy Wonka She was a featured performer with RAW Artists and has contributed choreography and background performance to multiple Hallmark films.
Amanda is the founder and creator of Maximum Intensity, a high school training program offering master classes, workshops, performance opportunities, and media projects for aspiring pre‑professionals. As a dedicated educator and mentor, she currently serves with PlayAct Theater (choreographer and dance instructor) and Eclipse Performing Arts Studio (dance teacher, choreographer, and competition director)
Amanda has acquired many dance education certifications that include Broadway Dance Center Teacher Educator, Pulse Teacher Educator, and Dance Masters of America), alongside ongoing professional development through the National Dance Education Organization in dance pedagogy, kinesiology, and applied teaching practice.
Beyond the stage, Amanda is a professional model with international publications and covers, including iDance Magazine (cover/feature), Forever Model Magazine (inside cover/feature), Glam, Gezno, and Fabotiq Models Magazine, plus commercial work. She continues to train with industry leaders such as Savion Glover, Travis Wall, Sheila Barker, Brian Friedman, Tiler Peck, Rudy Abreu, Greg Zane, and many more.
From Las Vegas to Disney to regional theaters and national competitions, Amanda bridges performance, choreography, and education to develop confident, versatile artists prepared for professional work. She is Known for dynamic, musical storytelling and clean, ensemble-forward work. Amanda thrives in collaborative environments—bridging choreography, direction, and education to develop confident, versatile performers.
Rachel Bonk - Instructor/Choreographer
Rachel began dancing at just 18 months old at The American Dance Center, where she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical under the instruction of Kathleen Sims and Maria Villari. She later continued her training at several local studios before studying at The School of Ballet Chicago.
From the very beginning, Rachel knew her passion was working with young dancers. She has spent the past 25 years teaching preschool and early elementary students and has been a valued member of the Eclipse family since 2011. Known for her incredible patience and ability to connect with even the shyest or busiest little ones, she has lovingly earned the nickname “The Toddler Whisperer” among Eclipse families and staff.
Rachel has dedicated years to developing a curriculum specifically designed for young dancers, with a focus on building confidence, coordination, creativity, and age-appropriate gross motor development. With support and guidance from the former Director of Pediatric PT & OT at Lurie Children’s Hospital, she has created classes that nurture both technical foundations and childhood development in a fun, encouraging environment. Recently, Rachel expanded her youth programming to include classes designed for children with special needs, including autism and ADHD. She has discovered a deep passion for creating an inclusive space where every child feels supported, successful, and free to experience the joy of dance. Rachel believes every child deserves the opportunity to flourish, express themselves, and participate in extracurricular activities that help build confidence and connection.
Katie Koniarz - Front Desk Reception
EB - Instructor/ Choreographer
EB is a veteran dance educator, studio owner, and artistic director with decades of experience training dancers and developing youth companies. Training began in Northwest Indiana under Patricia Bathurst and continued in Chicago at The Stone-Camryn School of Ballet, The Ellis-DuBoulay School of Ballet, and Gus Giordano Dance. In 1976, EB became a member of the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters.
EB’s pedagogy blends classical rigor with contemporary practice, shaped by mentors including Patricia Bathurst, Thalia Mara (ballet teacher training), and Lea Darwin (jazz and teacher training). Additional influential teachers include Keri Kukral and Ed Cox. As a studio owner, EB also collaborated with and employed respected educators and artists such as Lea Darwin, Bruce Stegmann, Jay Fagan, Elise Flagg, and Richard Lyle.
EB is the Founding Director of Indiana Youth Ballet (est. 1996). EB owned and operated two highly successful studios in Northwest Indiana, where students have earned scholarships and awards and gone on to professional careers. Beyond dance, EB served six years as State Chairperson for the United States Tumbling and Trampoline Association in Indiana—teaching teacher training at the USTA National Congress—and five years as State Chairperson for the Amateur Athletic Union. As head coach, EB produced multiple state and national tumbling and trampoline champions.
Dedicated to cultivating strong technicians and confident performers, EB is known for clear, standards-based training that prepares dancers for collegiate, professional, and competitive pathways.
Rachel Smeja- Instructor/Choreographer