Natalie Nemeckay was a company member of Madison Contemporary Vision Dance for many years. Her early training was primarily at Ballet Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. Throughout her training, one of her favorite memories and sources of inspiration was participating in “The Nutcracker” with Wisconsin Dance Ensemble. In addition to ballet, Natalie also trained in jazz, modern, and tap; also dancing in musicals and dancing on a poms team. She later continued her dance education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance.

After college, Natalie began teaching, performing, and choreographing in the Madison area. Her education and experience quickly led to the opening of her own studio, A Leap Above Dance, in Oregon, Wisconsin. She has been the Director and a teacher at her studio since 2002, becoming a competition award winning choreographer. She has also been featured in Dance Teacher Magazine in 2005, 2008, and 2011. Natalie still continues the Nutcracker tradition with her own studio’s production of  “The Nutcracker Dream”.