About Our Staff
Inclusion Dance is dedicated to teaching the sports of dance, gymnastics, acro, and ninja warrior parkour to athletes of all ages, genders, cultures, financial situations, and mental & physical abilities while emphasizing teamwork, fairness, hard work, and most of all, inclusiveness.
We strive to deliver the highest quality of athletic training while nurturing each student’s unique talent and creativity. We encourage our students to achieve their fullest potential and support them as they grow artistically and athletically and develop into well-rounded individuals.
Miranda Straka
Owner, Dance and Gymnastics Instructor
Miranda is the owner and manager of Inclusion Dance, as well as a dance and gymnastics teacher.
Miranda graduated from Northern Michigan University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Medicinal Plant Chemistry with a concentration in business. Miranda hails from Ann Arbor, and has been dancing since she was 7 years old. She attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for many summers as a Ballet student, and fell in love with the discipline, strength and artistry of Classical Ballet. During college, Miranda was the Co-Captain for the Hip Hop Dance Crew at Northern Michigan University and played on the NMU Women’s Rugby Team.
When Miranda is not sharing her passion for dance at Inclusion Dance, she can be found cooking and running shifts at a restaurant in Marquette. She lives with her best friend and their two feline companions, and an ever growing collection of house plants. Her interests extend beyond dance and the culinary arts, as she enjoys spending quality time with her partner, playing video games, and crafting of various mediums.
2025-2026 is Miranda’s eighth year teaching at Inclusion Dance.
Marla Bradley
Head Gymnastics Instructor
Marla Bradley is our head gymnastics teacher at Inclusion Dance.
Marla coached the Forest Park High School and Middle School Dance Teams for 8 years. During that time, the Dance Teams went to competitions and performed many routines. Marla has always focused on students’ abilities and how each dancer fits into the team. Each student’s special ability is emphasized to show that every person has different strengths. Marla believes it is very important that a team works together to help one another and strive to improve each other, not only as an athlete but also as a person. Being on a team teaches children to work hard, be punctual, work well with others, and support their teammates.
She started Inclusion Dance in 2017, and has owned and managed the studio for the last eight seasons. From the start, the vision of Inclusion Dance was that everyone was welcome and included. Fairness goes beyond equality; it provides individuals with the necessary tools and support to succeed. Recognizing and respecting individual differences is a cornerstone of her approach, ensuring everyone is treated fairly and included.
Marla teaches Gymnastics 3 and 4 classes. She loves working with the students and seeing them develop skills and succeeding in their goals. She can’t wait for another season of dance and gymnastics to begin!
2025-2026 is Marla’s third season teaching gymnastics.
Ziemia Curtis
Dance Instructor
Ziemia Curtis (aka Teacher Z) is an alumnus of Forest Park High School and a graduate of Western Michigan University, where they received a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in Gender and Women’s Studies with a minor in Dance.
Z’s passion for movement started as a child, drawing inspiration from superheroes and martial arts depicted in TV and film. Z took her first dance class in middle school, and it was love at first dance. Through the years, Ziemia has developed her technical and musical dance expertise in many styles but is particularly skilled in jazz technique and expressive improvisation. In addition to these skills, Z hopes to bring the love of music and emotional connection through dance to the students at Inclusion Dance.
Outside of the studio, Ziemia enjoys baking bread and sweets, spending time with loved ones, and consuming vast amounts of media—news, film, video games, podcasts, and more.
2024-2025 is Ziemia’s first year teaching at Inclusion Dance.
Kalei Rittenhouse
Gymnastics Instructor
For Kalei, dance had been a big part of her life for over 10 years, spanning various studios and styles like jazz, tap, hip hop, contemporary, kick, acro, and more. Kalei’s dance journey began at a studio in Neenah, Wisconsin, and later in Kingsford, Michigan, where she spent five years in competitive dance and had the incredible opportunity to perform at events, including dancing for the Milwaukee Bucks and other numerous community events. Her Kingsford dance studio became her second home, and she hopes to help Inclusion Dance students feel the same.
Kalei graduated from Kingsford High School and soon after took a leap of faith, moving to Texas for a fresh start. She recently moved back to the area and began working at Inclusion Dance in November 2024. Kalei is excited to reconnect with her love for dance and gymnastics and inspire kids to discover the same passion and joy it brought to her life!
Outside work, Kalei cherishes spending time with her furry companions—Tiana, her dog, and Charlie, her cat. She also enjoys hunting for unique rocks and painting them.
2025 is Kalei’s first year teaching at Inclusion Dance.