"teaching the next generation of dance"
Meet Our Team
Leigha Stevenson
Owner & Operator, Instructor/Choreographer
Leigha Stevenson grew up in Duluth, MN, where she began dancing at the age of 3. Growing up in a competition-based studio, she gained the experience of working in various styles, including Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, Musical Theater, and Dance Team. After earning multiple high point and judges awards, she was chosen to be a part of Starpower Talent Competition’s “Power Pack” which then sponsored her to travel across the nation teaching and learning with professional dancers and choreographers including Ray Leeper who works on “So You Think You Can Dance.” One of Leigha’s biggest accomplishments is when she won a first-place national title with her solo at Celebration Talent Competition’s first national finals in Wisconsin Dells, 2010, of which she choreographed herself.
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Her dance career brought her to Grand Forks, where she gained her bachelor’s degree in Communications, with a minor in Business and Marketing from the University of North Dakota. During her time at UND, Leigha danced and competed on the UND Dance Team as captain. This led Leigha to grow competition programs for students in the Grand Forks area. During her time as a competition director, she led teams to multiple first place wins, as well as showmanship and character awards at competitions across the midwest in regional and national settings. Leigha has been known as a vital competition instructor in the Grand Forks area for over a decade. Leigha also has worked with the Grand Forks Public Schools Summer Performing Arts program, Empire Theater choreography and multiple East Grand Forks High School musicals. She has always wanted to grow her dance family within the Grand Forks area, creating a comfortable environment and helping students to shine and achieve their goals!
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Leigha is currently the head coach of the Crookston High School Dance Team.
Leigha lives in the Grand Forks area with her husband Alex and their two children. She can’t wait for her kids to grow up in the studio and to teach them the passion for dance.
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Danika Ogawa
Instructor/Choreographer
Danika has been dancing since the age of 6, training in the styles of Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Dance Team, Modern, Contemporary, and Lyrical. She was raised in Grand Forks, where she gained her passion for dance. Danika began competing across the Midwest at the age of 14 with Leigha Stevenson as her mentor, she travelled to multiple regional and national competitions, earning high point and judges’ awards at all. Some of her specialties include Musical Theatre and Contemporary, earning performance awards in each style.
Danika is also trained in the Cecchetti method of ballet, having been cast in multiple ballet productions in the area, including “The Wizard of Oz” where she danced as Dorothy. A proud moment for Danika is when she traveled to Starz National Talent Competition’s national finals in Wisconsin Dells, 2019, where she placed in the top 20 with her solo in a category of over 150 routines.
With 9 years of teaching experience in the Grand Forks area, Danika has taught dancers of all ages. Danika has also traveled to Mandan, North Dakota alongside Leigha Stevenson, where she co-choreographed their high school dance team’s competition routines in 2018 and 2019, leading them to a first-place title. Danika is currently the Assistant Head Coach of the Crookston High School Dance Team
Danika graduated in the Spring of 2024 with a BA in English, minoring in Communications from the University of North Dakota. She is currently continuing her study in English and Composition at UND on track to gain her MA. Danika hopes to teach students the art of dance for the rest of her life.
Ainsley Holien
Instructor/Choreographer
Raised in St. Cloud, MN, Ainsley has had a love of dance since before she can remember. Having danced for Company North Crest in St. Cloud her entire dance career, Ainsley has always had a sense of leadership and growth from dance. Ainsley is experienced in a wide variety of dance styles, including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary and Dance Team. Her love of all genres pushed her to try out for the St. Cloud Cathedral Dance Team, to which she competed during high school, and also served as team captain her senior year.
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Her passion brought her across the Midwest to compete in multiple regional competitions. Through Company North Crest, she was given the opportunity to travel to Walt Disney World to compete in Nexstar’s National Finals in 2019.
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Ainsley is currently a graduate student at the University of North Dakota, where she has recently graduated with her Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology. She is on track to become an Occupational Therapist.
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Ainsley loves dancing, teaching, and is so excited to bring her enthusiasm to Dance Warehouse of ND!