OUR FOUNDERS
The Heart Behind Curio
Founded in 2016, Curio Dance is a family-owned and operated dance school built on a shared passion for artistry, education, and connection. Our founders created Curio with the belief that every dancer deserves a welcoming place to learn, grow, and discover the joy and power of dance.
A Family Tradition
Meet the Owners
Together, our family leads with heart, humility, and a deep belief that dance has the power to shape confident, compassionate, and creative humans. Meet the four owners who bring Curio Dance to life each day.
Dario Mejia
Choreographer, instructor, dancer, Dario Mejia brings a lifetime of dance experiences to Curio Dance. His performance list includes: iLuminate in world tours; Drop The Mic! series in Minneapolis; off-Broadway production of Artists Of Light; Radio City Music Hall, Six Flags; Disney; Crystal Cruises; and the Minnesota Dance Theater.
Dario’s creativity has also been seen in television appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Ellen, Telemundo, and America’s Got Talent. In 2012 he also served as the Ambassador of Dance for the U.S. Embassy as a choreographer and spokesman for the United States Government on dance for Asia.
Dario received a full tuition scholarship to train at The Juilliard School in New York, studying under directors Lawrence Rhodes and Benjamin Harkarvy.
Giselle Mejia
Giselle’s performance and choreography experiences on the stage have drawn a wide-ranging map around the world. Her travels have included stops in St. Paul for roles at the Ordway Center in In The Heights and West Side Story, Artist of Light on Broadway, performing and choreographing with iLuminate internationally, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Hong Kong Dance Festival, JFK Center For Performing Arts in Washington, and Teatro Principal Burgos in Spain.
On television, Giselle has been featured on the Today Show, Ellen, America’s Got Talent and Telemundo.
Giselle graduated Cum Laude from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in Dance Performance. She earned her MFA from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
Caitlin Mejia
From the age of 3, Caitlin knew she was a dancer and built her life around the practice and performance of her first love, ballet. She has studied dance extensively with the School of the American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet West and Minnesota Dance Theatre.
She has performed in iLuminate on the New World Stages Off Broadway, Radio City Music Hall, Broadway in the Park and on television for America’s Got Talent.
Caitlin holds a BFA in Biology from the University of Minnesota and has been the ballet program director at prominent studios in the Twin Cities.
Patricia Schaber, PhD
Patricia will be the first to tell you of her lifelong love and appreciation of dance as a form of artistic expression. She danced while a college student, and as a parent recognized an even stronger love of and talent for dance in her children.
Thanks to her work overseeing the Curio Dance Sponsorship Fund, Curio can assure its students that cost does not have to be a barrier for anyone who wants to learn to dance.
Patricia holds a BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Minnesota, a Masters in Pastoral Studies from the University of St. Thomas, and a PhD in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota.
Be Curious
Try Your First Class Free!
612-250-3990
info@curiodance.com
We invite you to choose Curio Dance!