Guest Choreographers

Monique Haley

Monique Haley is a graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performing arts specializing in jazz dance. Monique has danced with River North Chicago for eight seasons after training and performing with the Company as an apprentice. Her 22 years of training in competitive and professional dance experience include Chris Collins Dance Studio (Alexandria, VA); Gary Pates Superstars Show Troupe (Waldorf, MD); workshops sponsored by Dance Theatre of Harlem and Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago; training with Philadanco, the Philadelphia Dance Company; and working as an instructor of competitive dance with the Universal Dance Association.

Monique is a former member of the Bermuda Dance Company and the Eleone Dance Theatre of Philadelphia. In Chicago, she keeps busy teaching and performing in various commercial and industrial events. Monique would like to thank all of her friends and family for their love, everlasting faith, and support.

Harrison McEldowney

Harrison Mceldowney has lived in Chicago for 16 years and now considers himself a native of the greatest city in the world! Harrison has created original dances for special occasions of the 97th Birthday Celebration of noted dance historian, critic, and friend Ann Barzel, a work to open the 10th Anniversary of Dance for Life, the Finale for Dance Chicago’s 10 Year Anniversary, and for the past three years original pieces for Dance for Life. His choreography may be seen on dance companies around the world including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street 2, River North Chicago Dance Company (his work was featured as well on both companies nationally televised specials and a HSDC2 special aired in Europe), DanceWorks, the Civic Ballet of Chicago, the Cerqua/ Rivera Art Experience, Ballet Met, Louisville Ballet, Ballet Ensemble of Texas, American Repertory Ballet, Configurations, and Omaha Theater Ballet. Harrison is the inaugural recipient of the Prince Prize and has received the Ruth Page, After Dark, and Choo-San Goh Awards for choreography. He is also choreographer of the nationally renowned Baton Show Lounge.

He choreographed the 35th Anniversary Tour of American Bandstand and directed the Australian Tour of More Dirty Dancing. Harrison has done film, television, concert dance, played Broadway, off- Broadway, the West End, Carnegie Hall, and danced in the Barcelona Olympics’ Closing Ceremonies. He starred in the revival and re-imagining of the Ruth Page ballet Billy Sunday for both stage and the televised documentary of the same name, earning an Emmy nomination for his performance. Harrison is a Creative Director for Chicago’s Under the Radar and Wilson Dow Group, the latter leading to directing shows for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines including Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, and their production of the Broadway musical Hairspray. Also with Under the Radar he served as one of the directors of the John G. Shedd Aquarium’s new multi- species show Fantasea and is making his Chicago Lyric Opera debut as choreographer this fall.

Missy Ridgeway

Missy is the founder and sole director of the nationally acclaimed Perseverance Dance Company. The dancers Missy has trained have moved on to do many great things. Some of which include, appearing in the movie "Fame," performing with the highly regarded "Bad Boys of Dance" dance company, and performing at the MTV Video Music Awards behind the artist Rihanna. Also, Missy's dancers have competed on the popular TV show, "America's Got Talent." Apart from Perseverance, Missy has worked with multiple other dance companies, including Cardinelle Dance Team (Orem UT), Center Stage (Bloomingdale, Il), Dance House (Detroit, MI), Dance Impressions (Orem, UT), Dance Inc. (Ontario, Canada), Masters Upper Level (Houston, TX.), Noretta Dunworth School of Dance (Dearborn, MI.), and TJE Dance Force (Long Island, NY.). Missy not only prides herself in training dancers to eventually work professionally, but also in teaching her dancers to be hardworking, appreciative, and humble people, and hopes to continue to do so through the rest of her career.

Missy's piece, "The Way You Move" was set and performed by the company during the 2007-2008 Season.

Ricky Ruiz

Ricky Ruiz (Miami, FL) received his initial dance training in South Florida and was a graduate of Miami's Coral Reef Senior High Magnet Dance.  He attended the University of South Florida on academic and talent scholarships and graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance Performance.  While in college, he was an apprentice at Ann Reinking's Broadway Theatre Project for two consecutive summers.  Ricky has worked with such choreographers as Dan Karaty and Melissa Thodos and has performed repertory by José Limón and Bob Fosse. 

Ricky is also a teacher and choreographer.  Among the many teams and schools he choreographs for are FSU, GSU and OU.   He is a guest teacher throughout the US, and works permanently at Focal Point Dance Studios in Miami as well as Visceral Dance Chicago.   Ricky is thrilled to be in his third season with River North Chicago and would like to thank his family, friends, and dance teachers for their love and inspiration.

Ricky set the piece "Drift" on the company during the 2008-2009 Season.

TOKYO

TOKYO has a very unique induction into dance as he was not introduced to dance till he was a Senior in high school. TOKYO grew up in the martial arts and began training at age 5. By the age of 15 he attained several black belts and studied intensively in Shotokan Karate, Hwa Rang Do, Tae Kwon Do, Bagua, Ninjitsu, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Muay Thai, Boxing and MMA (Cage Fighting). By age 16 he was Head Instructor of what was considered by many to be one of the most successful competitive martial arts school in Hawaii.

At age 17, just a few months shy of making a professional career out of MMA (mixed martial arts/cage fighting), TOKYO discovered dance and his life changed drastically. Since leaving the fighting world and entering the dance world, TOKYO has been fortunate enough to have done master classes and choreography for many studios, companies, casinos and colleges, most notably the prestigious Juilliard School and Point Park University. Due to TOKYO's background in martial arts his approach to dance movement and teaching dance is very unique and has been received and loved by many. Other than teaching and choreographing TOKYO is currently the proud Co-Director of one of the largest dance
competitions in the industry, Hall Of Fame Dance Challenge.  TOKYO is excited to be able
to give back so much of what he has been given in life through the art of dance!!!

TOKYO set his piece "Svecounia" on the company during the 2009-2010 Season.