For Kayleigh Schadwinkel-Hickman ‘16, dance has always been a way to create possibilities. As an entrepreneur, choreographer and mentor, she’s passionate and unrelenting when it comes to finding unique and rewarding opportunities to expand her experiences, both for herself and the next generation of performers.
Home Grown
Growing up in western Nebraska, opportunities to pursue her passion for dance were limited.
“I knew I wanted to pursue dance,” Kayleigh recalls. “But there weren’t a lot of opportunities in my hometown.”
She sought to create those opportunities for herself and for others.
Kayleigh enrolled at Doane, majoring in business administration. The liberal arts education provided the building blocks she needed to take the leap toward her dreams.
One marketing class in particular, taught by Kathleen Zumpfe, associate professor of practice in business, set the stage for the creation of Put On Your Dancing Shoes, or POYDS, a dance studio business model originally developed as a class project.
Fast forward to today: Kayleigh is the founder and owner of two POYDS studios, located in Crete, Nebraska, and Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She continues her work as a dance entrepreneur and professional traveling choreographer. With an impressive and ever-growing list of accomplishments along the way, Kayleigh always has her sights set on what’s next.
A Career-Defining Opportunity
Kayleigh wanted to give all her students opportunities to explore the world of performing arts and what better way to do that than on Broadway? That big dream led her to create Broadway Bound, a pre-professional musical theater program.
What began in 2022 with just nine students from her Colorado studio has since grown into a troupe of performers ages 10 to 23, with more than 80 students making their Broadway debuts or returning for repeat performances. Kayleigh’s dancers have continued to take the stage each year at the annual Arts for Autism benefit concert, including a 2022 appearance at the Gershwin Theatre, home to “Wicked.”
During her dancers’ first technical rehearsal at the Gershwin Theatre, Kayleigh experienced what would become a defining moment in her career. Her dancers had been brought back on stage for adjustments, something unusual since a Broadway technical rehearsal is typically meant to be one-and-done. Recognizing her students needed guidance, she ran down four flights of upward-moving escalators and made her way up onto the stage. There, she began directing her students through their formation changes, determined to set them up for success.
Her unorthodox actions caught the attention of the stage manager.
“He was very tall, and I felt this presence looming over me,” Kayleigh said. “And I’m like, ‘Oh no, you’re about to get kicked out of the Gershwin for running down the escalator.’”
After the dancers finished performing, she turned to him, expecting to be reprimanded.
“He had tears in his eyes and told me he was so impressed with my students’ performance,” she said. “He’s now a dear friend and colleague of mine.”
That unexpected connection not only solidified her place in the Broadway community but also helped secure her students the honor of opening the show, a moment that marked both their performance and her career as unforgettable.
Connections
Through the relationships she’s built, Kayleigh has opened doors for her students to train with some of the industry’s best. From performers on Royal Caribbean cruise lines to original Broadway cast members in shows like “Mean Girls,” her students are experiencing high-level energy, hustle and collaboration.
Those professionals often return to work with Kayleigh’s students, drawn to the Midwest work ethic.
“I’m constantly encouraging my students to be kind, hardworking, motivated and hungry to push to the next level,” she said. “My colleagues recognize that drive, so it makes working together all the more enjoyable and rewarding.”
Her own career has flourished in the same way. In March, she landed her first Los Angeles choreography project, teaching
master classes at the California Thespian Festival. By summer, she was invited to make her official Broadway debut, stepping in as a swing during technical rehearsals.
When David Guzman, known for “Hamilton” and Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”, was unavailable during a rehearsal, the Broadway team turned to Kayleigh and asked her to fill in. The opportunity gave her the rare chance to sing, dance and help direct alongside the cast.
That visibility led to larger opportunities, including an introduction to the directors of the Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade. In November, she will join a faculty that includes an Alvin Ailey artist, a “So You Think You Can Dance” finalist and a member of the U.S. Olympic breakdancing team to lead master classes. Her dance troupe will perform in a coveted spot just before Santa, closing out the parade.
Kayleigh credits these milestones to the simple but powerful practice of showing up and speaking up.
“Word of mouth and talking to people, putting yourself out there, going to events and submitting your work to opportunities is where I’ve found the most success,” she said. “If you tell people what you need to reach your dreams and goals, you’d be surprised at how many doors open. Asking for connections, being honest and being bold has made all the difference.”
Fearlessly Authentic
When asked what lights her fire and keeps her going, Kayleigh doesn’t hesitate: It’s the smiles on her students’ faces and the knowledge that she’s making a real impact in their lives.
That influence has even become part of her students’ own creativity. When one of her interns was asked to design a T-shirt, they came up with the slogan “Fearlessly Authentic,” a phrase that perfectly captured what Kayleigh models every day.
“Miss Kayleigh really teaches us to love ourselves, to step out of our comfort zones, and to know we’re surrounded by people who care about us and want the best for us,” her intern said.
Ultimately, Kayleigh’s work is about more than dance — it’s about giving young people the confidence to believe in themselves the way she believes in them.
“If I can believe in my students, like so many believed in me, and set them up for success, then I know I’ve done my job,” she said.
Full Circle Moment
For Kayleigh, one of the most meaningful chapters of her journey has been coming full circle with Doane. Since launching her companies in 2016, she often reflects on how many people have poured into her dreams.
This past May, she experienced a surreal moment when she returned to Heckman Auditorium on Doane’s campus for the first time in nine years to host a recital with her POYDS students.
“Even after all that time, I knew exactly where the creaks were in the floor,” she said with a laugh.
Walking back onto the stage where she once performed as a student, she felt deeply humbled, bringing to life a dream that had started as a school project and blossomed into something much larger than she ever imagined.
“I’m just grateful for so many people who’ve been a part of this, even if it was just for a short time,” she said. “I’m thankful for my Doane education and where it has taken me, and I’m proud to represent being a Tiger wherever I go. I love telling people I’m a Doane alum.”
