Duet Dance Studio

Szewai Lee is the founder and creative force behind Duet Dance Studio, a welcoming and inclusive space with locations in Chicago and Brookfield, IL. With a background in dance spanning years of training and performance, Szewai is passionate about making dance accessible and enjoyable for everyone, especially couples preparing for their wedding day. Her warm, encouraging teaching style and ability to break down even the most complex moves help students feel at ease, whether they’re complete beginners or seasoned dancers. Szewai specializes in creating personalized wedding dances, working closely with each couple to bring their unique vision to life—whether that’s a romantic first dance, a lively mashup, or a fun routine that captures their personality. Her mission with Duet is to foster an environment where everyone feels confident, celebrated, and ready to take on the dance floor with joy.

Madison has been dancing for as long as she can remember. During her pre-collegiate education in her home state of Nebraska, she studied modern, tap, jazz, and ballet. She also performed in other ways during high school such as band, show choir, speech/debate, and more. Continuing to pursue dance in college, she graduated with highest distinction from the University of Kansas, Spring 2022, with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Theatre. At KU, she performed in the university’s dance company and various student productions. She took a variety of dance classes including flamenco, hip hop, East Indian classical dance, and contemporary. Madison also brings what she learned from her pedagogical coursework to every lesson she teaches. Moving to Chicago shortly after graduation, she started dancing with Darvin Dances, Echo Modern Dance Collective, and in the work of independent choreographers. She was drawn to ballroom dance because of the connection that it cultivates between partners and the community it fosters. One of her favorite parts about teaching is watching her students leave their lessons feeling more upbeat and accomplished than when they came in. Madison strives to create a comfortable learning environment that pushes people to improve while not becoming overwhelmed. Outside of Duet you can find her in rehearsal, spending time with her cat, and exploring the city with her friends! In the studio she’ll always have a smile on her face and a notebook in hand.

Emily began dancing at age three in her home state of Ohio. She grew up performing ballet, jazz, lyrical, and tap in addition to her involvement in theater and piano. Emily was drawn to the big city and enrolled at Loyola University Chicago where she earned a B.A. in dance and B.S. in molecular biology. At Loyola, Emily studied and performed contemporary, ballet, jazz, and modern dance. She also developed her choreographic voice and premiered original work at Loyola’s main-stage dance concert. Since graduating, Emily has further pursued her choreographic practice with her work being commissioned and presented throughout Chicago area. She has also continued her dance practice through work with Rasa Dance Chicago, the Lucid Banter Project, and, most recently, The Humphrey-Weidman Artists Collective and Kindred which performs historic modern works. Emily’s teaching career began with children, but during Emily’s time at Duet she has enjoyed expanding her teaching practice to adults. She finds it rewarding to see her students fall in love with dancing, especially when it began as an unfamiliar pursuit. One of the best aspects of teaching for Emily is seeing students’ confidence grow. When she’s not in the studio, Emily volunteers as a nonfiction editor with Mulberry Literary and can frequently be found attempting to max out her library card.

Rhode Island native Mikaela Dalton initially started dancing after she saw an episode of Angelina Ballerina at age 3 and subsequently begged her mom to sign her up for classes. Once in the studio, Mikaela developed a deep and enduring passion for dance as an art form.Throughout her childhood, Mikaela trained intensively in ballet, and was fortunate enough to dance alongside professional dancers in productions such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty. In 2016, she moved to Florida to attend Jacksonville University where she began training in styles such as contemporary, commercial jazz, and contact improvisation. Upon receiving her BFA in dance in 2020, Mikaela moved back home to Rhode Island to dance as a trainee with Festival Ballet Providence during the pandemic before moving to Chicago in 2022 to pursue her teaching and choreographic career. Mikaela started teaching professionally after college, and quickly grew to love the job. She has been lucky enough to be able to work with a wide range of ages and backgrounds, from 3 year old baby ballerinas to Chicago public school students to adult beginners. She loves guiding her students to a deeper understanding and appreciation of dance as both an art form and as a casual past-time. When Mikaela isn't at the studio, you can find her walking along the lake, playing with her three beloved cats, or listening to the latest new music drop.

Meghan has been performing since the age of three, be it singing, speaking, dancing, or acting. She spent most of her childhood power tumbling, but after retiring at fourteen, she found a new passion in dance. She began studying jazz, ballet, and musical theatre at several local dance studios. After graduating high school, she went back to choreograph for the theatre department’s musicals. Meghan received an Arts degree from Illinois Central College with a focus in Theatre, and moved up to Chicago shortly after to pursue her love of performing arts. During Meghan’s career with Duet, she has discovered a deep love for social dancing, and she also adores creating and dancing for our online wedding dance program with one of her best friends, Brennen. Her favorite aspect of teaching dance is watching people who never thought they could dance fall in love with it. To Meghan, there’s nothing more rewarding than when she sees her students having fun personalizing their dance steps and making them their own. When Meghan isn’t dancing, you can find her meandering around her neighborhood searching for live music, good coffee, and the best places to set up her hammock and read!

Growing up with siblings who were all dancers, the art form quickly became a huge part of Brennen’s life. He started his first hip hop lessons when he was ten and slowly began taking more classes such as jazz, ballet and ballroom. It wasn’t long before Brennen realized how truly passionate he was about dance. Teaching dance is always exciting for Brennen because he knows the joy that it has brought him and wishes to share that joy with his students. His favorite part about being a dance teacher is witnessing a student accomplish something that they previously thought was impossible for them to do. He is a firm believer that you should never put limits on yourself because you never know what you have the potential for unless you give it a try. Brennen attended Cal State Fullerton where he earned his B.A. in Dance. During this time he also started teaching various dance styles at local students in the L.A/Orange County area. After graduating, Brennen opted to move to Chicago in order to begin his career as a professional dancer. His performance experience includes working with Golsanam Dance and Music, American Pacific Ballet Company, and Ballet Etudes. Brennen is currently a member of Thodos Dance Chicago and is returning for a second season with the company. When Brennen isn’t dancing, he loves seeing other performance art or a simple trip to the movies. He likes to keep up to date on tech and auto news but will take any excuse to get out and explore the world.