Jenny Raiche, Head Coach (10 years)
Jenny is a graduate of Totino Grace High School. Jenny has a
Bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College where she majored in Communication Studies and minored in Business
Management. She was also a member, choreographer and student coach of the nationally ranked Gustavus Dance Team. Jenny was
the Vice President of Camps and Special Events for Just For Kix. She is a former member of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader
coaching staff. She is the co-founder and director of the Miss Dance Team Minnesota Competition and has trained the last three
Miss Dance Team USA winners. Coach Raiche has been awarded Minnesota “Coach of the Year” and was also featured
in ‘Dance Spirit’ and ‘Dance Teacher’ magazines. Finally, Coach Raiche served on the Board of Directors
for the MN Association of Dance Teams and on the Activity Advisory Committee for the MN State High School League and was recently
inducted into the Minnesota Coaches Hall of Fame. She is also on the faculty at Larkin Dance Studio.
Shannen Pickens, Assistant Coach (6 years)
Shannen is a 2005 graduate of Eastview High
School and was a 4 year member and senior captain of the Lightning Dance Team. She was awarded All-Conference and All-State.
Her junior and senior years, Shannen was selected to represent Eastview and the state of Minnesota at the national Miss Dance
Drill Team USA competition. In 2005, she made it to the second round of finals placing 8th in the nation. Shannen
graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Graphic Design. She was a member of 2006 national champion, U
of M Dance Team. She works now as a Graphic Designer and is married to her husband, Scott.
Jessica Mahr, Assistant Coach (6 years)
Jessica Mahr is from Centennial, MN where
she was a member of the dance team in high school. Jessica went on to the University of Minnesota where she obtained her B.A.
in Dance. She traveled to Los Angeles where she was a dancer with the Bobby Ball agency. She was the Director of the Dance
Department and the Dance Coach at Taft High School in central Los Angeles for 6 years before coming back to Minnesota. She
is now the Director of the Dance Department at EVHS. Coach Mahr also has her MBA in secondary education. She has been the
captain of the MN Swarm Performance Team the past couple of seasons. Finally, Jessica was selected as the Class AAA 'Assistant
Coach of the Year' through the MN Association of Dance Teams in 2010 and 2011.
Toni Gabrielli, Assistant Coach
Toni began her dance career at
Larkin Dance Studio in Maplewood, Minnesota. After training 15 years at the studio she became a member of the nationally ranked
University of Minnesota Dance Team where she was a captain her junior and senior years. Toni is proud to have completed her
College dance career by winning two National Titles (Jazz and Pom) and Two World Titles (Jazz and Pom). Toni was a Camp
Instructor with the Universal Dance Association (UDA) and Innovate Dance. Toni has been a part of Minneapolis-based contemporary
dance company, Crash Dance Productions, and has modeled for both Kelle Company and Just for Kix catalogs. She is a graduate
student at the U of M and is an instructor at Core Power Yoga studios.
Stacey Weyandt, Assistant Coach
Stacey Weyandt started dancing at the age
of three and grew up training at Larkin Dance Studio. She graduated high school in 2005 and shortly after moved to New York
City to pursue a professional career in dance. While in NYC, she worked with acclaimed choreographers such as Marguerite
Derricks, Ray Leeper, and John Carrafa. Stacey also danced in projects for VH1 Fashion Rocks, Duran Duran,
Sandals Resort, Wal-Mart, The Editors, and Broadway Diva Night. Stacey also worked for the company Break The Floor, where she
was an assistant on the 2006-2007 JUMP national convention tour. Upon her return to Minneapolis, Stacey performed with the Minnesota
based company, Crash Dance Productions. In 2009 & 2010 Stacey was a proud member of the national
champion University of Minnesota Dance Team.
