Mona Störling-Enna
Artistic Director

 

Mona received the Finnish Young Choreographers award in Helsinki for her work "In The Storm". Mrs. Enna toured with her first company, Kadosh, throughout Europe until she joined Eternia Dance Theater in 1992 as a soloist. She became ballet mistress as well as acclaimed costume designer for Eternia's production "Sacrifice".

 

Mona's choreography for "A Prayer For Bosnia" was requested for the vigil concert in the Blue Hall in Stockholm (home to the Nobel Peace Prize), to perform with the top conductors and orchestra in honor of the needs in Bosnia at the time. 

 

As co-founder of The Culture House and Artistic Director for Störling Dance Theater, Mona Enna has choreographed such productions as "Between Earth & Sky", "Sower", "Parables & Prayers", and has recently completed the full-length ballet, "The Prodigal Daughter". In "Sower" Mona worked together with videographer/animator Dana Farmer to create the powerful "thorn dance" which left audiences spell bound.In 2002,

 

Mrs. Enna premiered "The Prodigal Daughter" at the Lyric Theater in Kansas City establishing herself as a new and powerful voice in the dance scene in Kansas City. Repeated in 2003,

 

The Kansas City Star commented on Mona's skill with "(The Prodigal Daughter) was so ingeniously executed that it maintained the interest. Störling-Enna's choreography invention seemed to have no limits, and the costumes, lighting and stage designs were full of whimsy and fun."

 

 

Tobin James

 

Tobin James is a graduate of the Philadelphia University of the Arts and while on full scholarship, completed the training program of the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance. She danced with The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) and The Martha Graham Ensemble before launching a freelance career in the Christian music industry. She worked with artists such as Steve Green, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Ron Kenoly, and Cece Winans and toured for five seasons with The Young Messiah Tour featuring Sandi Patti, Larnell Harris, and Carmen, to name a few.

 

Tobin has choreographed for Philadanco, Ballet Magnificat, Sight and Sound, Störling Dance Theater, Dramatic Truth School of the Arts, and The Culture House Theater School.

 

This wife and mother of four, in her spare time, teaches Graham based modern dance for Dramatic Truth School of the Arts, The Culture House Artists Development program, University of Missouri Kansas City, and The Kansas City Ballet School.

 

 

Courtney Kierl-Bourman

 

Ms. Bourman's formal dance training began in Kansas City with Kathy and Dennis Landsman followed by two years of scholarship study at the San Francisco Ballet School. 

 

Prior to joining Störling Dance Theater, Ms. Bourman was a member of the Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Omaha, Kansas Regional Ballet (formerly American Youth Ballet), and was a premiere soloist with the Tulsa Ballet Theatre. 

 

With a performing career that has spanned more than two decades, Ms. Bourman has an extremely varied repertoire, performing principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Anthony Tudor, Leonide Massine, Frederic Franklin, Lew Christensen, John Butler, Andre Prokovsky, Arthur Mitchell, Todd Bolender, and others. 

 

Some of her memorable roles with Störling Dance Theater include "the woman with the red scarf" in Suspended Grace, the prostitute in Prodigal Daughter, Yearning, and High Heel Shoe Blues. 

 

Ms. Bourman has been the recipient of three national awards for choreography including the Monticello College Foundation Award for Best Female Emerging Choreographer in 2000 and the 2002 Regional Dance America Choreographic Recognition Plan Award. In April 2007, she was honored with the Choreographic Plan Award for a second time at RDA's national festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for her piece entitled Tribute which was created in memory of the victims of September eleventh. Originally choreographed for the Kansas Regional Ballet in 2003, this work entered the repertory of Störling Dance Theater during the 2006-2007 season.

 

 In addition to her work onstage, Ms. Bourman is an instructor at the American Dance Center, the Culture House School of Dance and the Artist Development Program. She is also the very proud mother of her two children, Aiden and Isabella. 

 

 

Tawny Gentry

 

Tawny recently relocated to Kansas City to study and perform with Störling Dance Theater. For the past 3 years, she resided in Houston and was a company member with Ad Deum Dance Company. There she had opportunities to dance several solo roles and work with such choreographers as Randall Flinn, Steve Rooks, Laura Morton, and Loreen Faigel. 

 

Originally from Los Angeles, she trained at Santa Clarita Ballet Academy, where she obtained full membership to the Royal Academy of Dance and was a soloist with the Santa Clarita Ballet

 

 

Marc Wayne

 

For twenty-five years, Marc has made his living as a professional entertainer. As dancer, choreographer, actor, singer, director, educator, and speaker, this seasoned professional has traveled coast to coast performing for audiences of over 71,000 people.

 

Marc began his training with Jeri Pinnell in a small one-room studio in Gahanna, Ohio.  His first ballet teacher was Gail Levan. He received his collegiate education at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where he majored in dance. He then continued his career and studies in Chicago where he studied at various studios including Gus Giordano Dance Center, Conservatory Of American Dance, and Joel Hall Dance Center.

 

His experience includes screen, television, and stage in music videos, video series, commercials, industrials, movies, musicals, amusement parks, and five US tours. Titles include Carman’s Raising The Standard and R.I.O.T. tours, Fiddler On The Roof, Barnum, Guys & Dolls, The King & I, Bibleman, and Störling Dance Theater’s Prodigal Daughter, Butterfly, Suspended Grace, and Underground. 

 

He has worked with and shared the stage with such artists as Carman, Willie Aames, Amy Grant, Ron Kenoly, Ben Vereen, and organizations and companies that include Dr. Pepper, KFC, Kings Island, Pamplin Entertainment, Nexxus, MGM, and Eastman Films.

Marc's company work includes Chicago based modern companies, CHICAGO MOVING COMPANY and CHICAGO DANCE MEDIUM and jazz and tap company, CHI-TOWN JAZZ DANCE. Also included is Kansas City based modern company, STÖRLING DANCE THEATER and guest appearances with Jackson, Mississippi based ballet company, BALLET MAGNIFICAT.

 

He is at present displaying his eclectic style of movement through his own highly acclaimed contemporary jazz/modern company, MAXXAS DANCE THEATRE.

 

Marc's joy is working with young people of all ages. Affirming their purpose and transforming that confidence, into their performance of art and life. His infectious zest for life and performing, has taken him as choreographer, director, speaker, educator, and judge to countless studios, churches, camps, workshops, master classes, and competitions sponsored by such organizations as Ad Deum, Ballet Magnificat, the Continental Singers, the Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders, and The Chicago National Association of Dance Masters.

 

Marc is currently on faculty at The Culture House as dance educator and director of the STAR Program, (Serving Teens At Risk) outreach; connecting at-risk and underprivileged youth with professional artists and the performing arts.

 

Marc and his incredible wife Anne (of Störling Dance Theater), have six children, Caleb, Mikayla, Noah, Madeline, Zion, and Elisabeth.