Yvonne's Dance Academy
Yvonne's Dance Academy (IPR Studio), 1733 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613
About
Yvonne's Dance Academy offers classes in ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, tap, pre-pointe, pointe, leaps, tricks and turns, and an Elite Team & High School only class. The program also includes Mom and Tot classes, Adults Over Fifty classes, classical ballet, jazz, lyrical, gymnastics, modern, and performance opportunities through spring musicals, ES Christmas musicals, and SS Christmas Celebrations.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Class options are available on weekday afternoons and evenings at the IPR Studio and SBPS Studio.
Yvonne's Dance Academy was founded in 2008 and has grown from a one-room studio at St. Benedict Preparatory School to a family of close to 200 dancers within the North Center community. The academy was created eighteen years ago to educate students about dance in a healthy, positive, and innovative manner. Ms. Yvonne’s dance teaching experience began in 1989, and after completing her teacher training in 1993, she began teaching her own classes and continued teaching for Kathleen until 2000. In 2006, Ms. Yvonne Grabe-Liddell completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Developmental Psychology and Social Sciences at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and she has been on staff at St. Benedict Preparatory School for the past seventeen years. Yvonne's Dance Academy © 2020.
The academy’s mission states that it exists to educate and inspire children in a loving, safe, and nurturing manner in a structured environment that teaches developmentally appropriate skills while encouraging creative expression. The mission explains that the staff uses dance as a tool to build self-esteem and good character while cultivating an appreciation for dance, and that YDA strives to teach students that dance is a way to create, explore, and celebrate, regardless of age, level, or dance experience. The mission further states that ballet is a required class within the academy because it is believed to build a solid technical training base, and that dance is viewed as a form of physical education in a safe, non-competitive environment. According to the mission, dancers at YDA are taught to love their bodies and themselves through dance, and Ms. Yvonne believes dance offers children a chance to express creativity, allows time to be introspective, and contributes to the overall shaping of the child, with her goal being to provide a loving and safe atmosphere for students to take dance to whatever level they desire.
The leadership team includes Ms. Yvonne Grabe-Liddell, founder and artistic director of Yvonne’s Dance Academy; Ms. Mary Einhorn, the studio’s general manager and dance instructor; and dance instructors Ms. Callie Luckenbach, Mrs. Sarah Lammie, Ms. Cayla Skuran, and Ms. Neva Lang. Ms. Mary Einhorn graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University with her BFA in Acting. Ms. Callie Luckenbach graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Nonprofit Management from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. Cayla Skuran graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola University Chicago in Spring 2025 with a double major in Communication Studies and Dance and a minor in Mathematics. Ms. Neva Lang graduated with degrees in Dance and Psychology in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program from Loyola University Chicago in May of 2025.
Ms. Yvonne holds memberships with Youth Protection Advocates in Dance (YPAD), International Dance Entrepreneurs Association (IDEA), Unity of America’s Dance Organizations, Inc. (UNITY), National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), and Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). YDA is currently home to dancers from 20 Chicago-area schools and has grown to a family of close to 200 dancers within the North Center community, and Ms. Yvonne has been part of the St. Benedict Preparatory School community for the past seventeen years.
The program is still accepting students for the 2025–2026 season, and the 2025–2026 class schedule is now available, with registration open via Class Juggler. Ballet is a required class within the academy, and there is a breadth of leveled specialty classes in multiple styles, including an Elite Team & High School only class for dancers looking for additional opportunities. The IPR Studio includes a reception area with a live video feed into studios and a homework/kitchenette area for dancers and their families. Teachers use a variety of manipulatives during instruction, including ballet barres, scarves, stability balls, floor ladders, resistance bands, BOSU, stepping stones, and hand and ankle weights.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Class options are available on weekday afternoons and evenings at the IPR Studio and SBPS Studio.
Yvonne's Dance Academy was founded in 2008 and has grown from a one-room studio at St. Benedict Preparatory School to a family of close to 200 dancers within the North Center community. The academy was created eighteen years ago to educate students about dance in a healthy, positive, and innovative manner. Ms. Yvonne’s dance teaching experience began in 1989, and after completing her teacher training in 1993, she began teaching her own classes and continued teaching for Kathleen until 2000. In 2006, Ms. Yvonne Grabe-Liddell completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Developmental Psychology and Social Sciences at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and she has been on staff at St. Benedict Preparatory School for the past seventeen years. Yvonne's Dance Academy © 2020.
The academy’s mission states that it exists to educate and inspire children in a loving, safe, and nurturing manner in a structured environment that teaches developmentally appropriate skills while encouraging creative expression. The mission explains that the staff uses dance as a tool to build self-esteem and good character while cultivating an appreciation for dance, and that YDA strives to teach students that dance is a way to create, explore, and celebrate, regardless of age, level, or dance experience. The mission further states that ballet is a required class within the academy because it is believed to build a solid technical training base, and that dance is viewed as a form of physical education in a safe, non-competitive environment. According to the mission, dancers at YDA are taught to love their bodies and themselves through dance, and Ms. Yvonne believes dance offers children a chance to express creativity, allows time to be introspective, and contributes to the overall shaping of the child, with her goal being to provide a loving and safe atmosphere for students to take dance to whatever level they desire.
The leadership team includes Ms. Yvonne Grabe-Liddell, founder and artistic director of Yvonne’s Dance Academy; Ms. Mary Einhorn, the studio’s general manager and dance instructor; and dance instructors Ms. Callie Luckenbach, Mrs. Sarah Lammie, Ms. Cayla Skuran, and Ms. Neva Lang. Ms. Mary Einhorn graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University with her BFA in Acting. Ms. Callie Luckenbach graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Nonprofit Management from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. Cayla Skuran graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola University Chicago in Spring 2025 with a double major in Communication Studies and Dance and a minor in Mathematics. Ms. Neva Lang graduated with degrees in Dance and Psychology in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program from Loyola University Chicago in May of 2025.
Ms. Yvonne holds memberships with Youth Protection Advocates in Dance (YPAD), International Dance Entrepreneurs Association (IDEA), Unity of America’s Dance Organizations, Inc. (UNITY), National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), and Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). YDA is currently home to dancers from 20 Chicago-area schools and has grown to a family of close to 200 dancers within the North Center community, and Ms. Yvonne has been part of the St. Benedict Preparatory School community for the past seventeen years.
The program is still accepting students for the 2025–2026 season, and the 2025–2026 class schedule is now available, with registration open via Class Juggler. Ballet is a required class within the academy, and there is a breadth of leveled specialty classes in multiple styles, including an Elite Team & High School only class for dancers looking for additional opportunities. The IPR Studio includes a reception area with a live video feed into studios and a homework/kitchenette area for dancers and their families. Teachers use a variety of manipulatives during instruction, including ballet barres, scarves, stability balls, floor ladders, resistance bands, BOSU, stepping stones, and hand and ankle weights.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
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