Artistic Director

Lizzie Mackenzie

Lizzie Mackenzie is known to students of all ages for her dynamic, loving and emotional teaching style.  Upon graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, Lizzie has danced professionally and toured internationally with Rivernorth Chicago Dance Company, Ron De Jesus Dance, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dance Chicago Touring Company ("The Stars of Dance Chicago"), Black Box Dance Company, The Boston Youth Ballet and the Michigan Classic Ballet. She has taught at the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, Buffalo and Mexico, The Chicago Dance Connection, Dance Masters of America,  Western Michigan University, SUNY, Grand Valley State University,  the Alabama Dance Festival, Rivernorth Workshops, Giordano Workshops, and has assisted Jazz legend Gus Giordano and his daughter Nan at Jazz Dance World congress and Starpower nationals.

She has been given many awards for her choreography from organizations such as L.A Dance Force, L.A Dance Magic, Adrenaline, Co. Dance, Showbiz, Hall Of Fame, Starpower, IDC and ADA to name a few. She was honored with the prestigious "New Voice" Outstanding Choreography award from Dance Chicago 2006 and in 2008 received the “Choreographer of the Year” award from Dance Chicago and the Cliff Dwellers Foundation.  In 2009, she was a top 12 finalist in the A.W.A.R.D. Show! for her piece on Nomi Lamad Dance Company entitled "Altered Interactions" and in 2011 she was honored as  a U.S. Presidential Scholar's Program Teacher Recognition Award. 

As a dancer Lizzie has worked and been in creative process with many of today’s biggest names in choreography including, Randy Duncan, Robert Battle, Gus Giordano, Ron De Jesus, Mia Michaels, Sidra Bell, Andrea Miller, Liz Imperio, Davis Robertson, Tony Powell, Frank Chavez, Laurie Stalllings, Kevin Iega Jeff, Lynn Taylor Corbit, Sherry Zunker and Harrison McEldowney. In August of 2002, she was featured on the cover of DANCE magazine and has since been featured in various magazines as a model for Leo’s Dancewear and Illinois Theatrical.

Lizzie spends most of her free time teaching and choreographing all over the U.S and her jazz class was listed in DanceSpirit magazine as one of the top 3 dance classes to take in Chicago. She is currently on faculty at ChiArts, Chicago's own public school for the arts,  Visceral Dance Studio in Chicago and Steps Dance Center in Naperville. Always on the move, Lizzie has taken her love of teaching to another level  founded Extensions Dance Company, and now Extensions Dance Studio in Chicago which will open February 1st of 2011. She also co-founded INTENSITY dance workshop in the summer of 2007.