AMB Summer Intensive 2026 Guest Faculty
Maeghan McHale
Maeghan McHale, named one of Dance Magazine’s Top 25 to Watch in 2010, was born in Baltimore, MD. She studied at the Baltimore School for the Arts where she performed works by Hinton Battle, David Parsons, David Grenke and John Clifford. She received a scholarship to Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she performed with the Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble. While living in NYC Maeghan studied at Steps on Broadway and performed with Extended Dance Company, as well as Off-Broadway under the direction of Tony Award Winner Hinton Battle. She has participated in the Chicago Dancing Festival, Jazz Dance World Congress, The Miss America Parade, Dancers Responding to Aids Benefit, Bald Ballerina’s No One Can Survive Alone Benefit Concert, and the Jazz Documentary UPROOTED: The Journey of Jazz Dance.
In 2005 Maeghan received a scholarship to the Giordano Dance School, and in 2006 became a Performing Apprentice. 2007 marked her first season with Giordano Dance Chicago, and she enjoyed 13 Seasons performing with the company in places such as Hawaii, Latvia, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Netherlands, Turkey, Guatemala, Italy and Israel. Along with establishing herself as a dancer, she has also had the opportunity to set her own work on the Giordano II Company. She had the honor of working with the dancers of First State Ballet Theatre setting her work “Out of the Silence” which premiered in November 2022. She returned to FSBT to premier a new work “Revolving Doors” in their Triple Bill Performance Feb 2024. Maeghan has had her work performed on the Joyce Theater Stage, through Dancin’ Downtown at the Joyce, as part of the DRA Benefit. In 2011 her piece “Angelica” won the Performance Award and performed in NYC for Central Park Summer Stage. Her piece “If” also a part of the DRA Benefit in 2013 won the Performance Award and they performed for Central Park Summer Stage as well.
Her choreography has been recognized with awards such as Outstanding Choreography/Choreographer, Regional Ensemble Winner and Outstanding Choreography Award at Youth America Grand Prix. Her work has placed first in the Ensemble Category at YAGP Finals in 2021, as well as 2018 YAGP National Choreographer Award with the opportunity to travel to Russia to set her work on the Bolshoi. Her Ensemble work had the honor of being a part of YAGP “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” tour. In the Summer of 2014, she was on the school faculty at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS and was invited to be on faculty at CNADM in the fall of 2015. She was a full time faculty member at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities for the 2021/2022 school year.
Maeghan is a faculty member of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, teaching jazz to Levels 2,3,4 and 6 as well as teaching Contemporary in the Graduate Program. She serves as a judge/teacher for Youth America Grand Prix Competition and DC Grand Prix Competition. She continues to travel and teach master classes and choreography across the States sharing her love for dance.
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Kim Sagami
Kim Sagami is a Chicago-based ballet teacher, répétiteur, and executive director of The Gerald Arpino Foundation. Her teaching style reflects the influences of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino as well as mentors Maggie Black, Hilary Cartwright (Yoga Narada founder), and Alonzo King (LINES).
She danced professionally with The Joffrey Ballet under the directorship of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino for fourteen years. Ms. Sagami earned an architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2004. She continues to use architectural concepts to inform her students on body alignment and structure.
Teaching credits include Joffrey Grainger Academy of Dance, Visceral Dance Center, Roosevelt University(CCPA), Chicago Ballet Arts, Ballet 5:8, Fort Wayne Ballet, Chicago High School of the Arts, Regional Dance America MidStates and Northeast Festival.
Film credits include the 1987 film of the Joffrey Ballet’s historic restoration of Nijinsky’s lost Le Sacre du Printemps and the film of BILLBOARDS, a full-length rock ballet with music by Prince. Musical Theater credits include the national US touring company of The Phantom of the Opera.
Ms. Sagami’s teaching certifications include the ABT National Training Curriculum, Zena Rommett Floor Barre™ and Yoga Narada founded by Hilary Cartwright. Ms. Sagami also serves as répétiteur for the Edward Stierle Family Trust.
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DeeAnna Hiett
DeeAnna Hiett, a Texas native, began her professional career with Ailey II following her receipt of a full merit scholarship to The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. She subsequently became a charter member of The Jamison Project under the artistic leadership of Judith Jamison and later performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Her distinguished performance career includes engagements with Ballet Hysell, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Quixotic, and Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Theater, where she also served as Co-Artistic Director. She has appeared as a guest artist with numerous companies, including the Kansas City Ballet, and has performed and choreographed for an array of operatic and commercial productions. Her notable appearances include a performance at Career Transitions for Dancers’ 22nd Anniversary Jubilee at New York City Center.
Ms. Hiett’s choreographic work has been presented nationally, highlighted by her piece Without a Word, performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Her artistic achievements have been recognized with the Generative Performing Artist Award from the Charlotte Street Foundation.
She currently serves as Professor and Chair of Dance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory, where she continues to foster excellence in dance performance, creation, and scholarship.