Our Staff

Carolyn Nelson-Kavajecz is the CEO and founder of Sterling Silver Studio. She has a PhD in Management with a focus on leadership and organizational change. She serves on several city and statewide boards including Create Wisconsin’s Board of Directors, is the Chair of Regional Leaders Network, Chair of the Culture Events and Public Arts Commission, Ambassador for the Superior Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, President of Superior Activities, co-founder of Superior Spooktacular, Director of Superior’s Fourth of July Parade, President for the Superior Council of the Arts, and a member of the Superior Optimist Club. In addition, she is the coach for the Superior High School Spartan Twirlers and is a USTA certified coach. One of her favorite hobbies is serving as an advocate for the arts and the creative economy.

Carrie Lahr has been with Sterling Silver Studio since 1991. She has a B.S. in Performance Theatre with a minor in dance. In addition to studying at Sterling Silver, she has studied with Broadway Dance Center in New York City and Zenon in the Twin Cities, as well as studying internationally and has worked with legends such as Al Gilbert, Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, and Wade Robson. She has coached several State and National baton twirling and dance teams and has served as a choreographer for numerous high school and college musical theatre productions. Carrie’s favorite style of dance to teach is Lyrical, however, Hip Hop is her favorite style to perform. She is a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor and serves as a guest instructor at several studios throughout the Midwest.

Connie Thomson has been with Sterling Silver Studio since 2004 when she signed her daughter up for classes. In 2008 Connie became a certified Zumba instructor and started teaching at Sterling Silver Studio. Since then, Connie’s role has evolved into costume and finance manager. Connie’s favorite hobby is backpacking, and she hikes Isle Royale annually.

Emily Kidd has been with Sterling Silver Studio since she was five years old. While growing up with Sterling Silver Studio, Emily had the opportunity to twirl at hundreds of events throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota and twirled at America’s Youth on Parade for several years. She was a Spartan Twirler in their inaugural season, she has been featured in the Halftime Show at the Capital One Bowl and has performed throughout the Midwest when she was the feature twirler for the UMD Bulldog Marching Band. Emily is a USTA certified coach, is certified in Acrobatic Arts, holds a Master of Education and is passionate about sharing her love of the arts with her students.

Taylor Kittelson has been a member of the Sterling Silver Family since 2001 Taylor grew up dancing and twirling with Sterling Silver, completed the student apprenticeship program while in high school, and became a member of the coaching staff when she was in high school. Throughout her career as a performer, Taylor earned several Wisconsin State Champion twirling titles, was a member of the Spartan Twirlers, a Fire Twirler, a member of the National Champion Hip Hop Team, a member of the National Champion Dance Twirl Team, and served as Captain for the College of Saint Scholastica's Dance Team. Taylor holds a Master of Social Work and recently has moved to Madison Wisconsin and is continuing to work as a mental health therapist. She is passionate about combining her love of performing arts with mental health initiatives to create a more positive learning environment for all students at Sterling Silver Studio.

Emma Fornengo has been a member of the Sterling Silver Studio Family since 2008. Throughout her performing career with Sterling Silver, Emma was a member of the Senior Corps and Company 91, which provided her with the opportunity to travel and perform throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, & California. Emma was a member of the 2017 High School Baton Twirling National Champion Team, a member of the 2021 National Champion Hip Hop Team, and she holds numerous Wisconsin State Championship twirling titles. In addition to twirling and dancing, Emma was a collegiate athlete playing for the University of Wisconsin Superior Women's Soccer Team. She graduated in December of 2024 with an Exercise Science degree and a Health Minor. Emma will be attending UWS for her Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Jamie Nord started dancing at the age of 3. She has an Associate Degree in Accounting and Business Management and has applied that knowledge to managing a small business. Growing up, Jamie studied tap, jazz, ballet and lyrical. Shortly after bringing her daughter to her first Mommy and Me class in 2013, Jamie joined the faculty at Sterling Silver and began to teach preschool dance. Since then, Jamie has joined the CO91 staff and has been instrumental in building the summer camp program and the pointe curriculum. Her favorite thing about teaching dance is working with her students over several years and helping to shape them into accomplished performing artists.

Traxx Kavajecz is a life-long member of Sterling Silver Studio. He has won the Men’s National Baton Twirling Championship several times with both USTA and NBTA organizations. Traxx coaches baton twirling and hip hop teams and offers private and group lessons in music. Traxx plays several instruments including drums, guitar, and bass and is one of the founding members of the local band “Born Too Late”. In addition to teaching at Sterling Silver, Traxx is an instructor for the Music Resource Center located in Sacred Heart in Duluth, MN and serves as a home healthcare worker. He also owns the production company, “MoSoPro”.

Rokkyn Kavajecz grew up dancing and twirling at Sterling Silver Studio and danced in her first recital before her first birthday. In addition to being a member of CO91, she is a Sterling Silver fire twirler, a member of the Spartan Twirlers, and is the lead singer of the local band “Born Too Late”. Rokkyn is also part of the 2025 Harbor Monsters cheerleading squad.Rokkyn aspires to work in the mental health field and incorporates mental health awareness into the classes she teaches. She loves working with the younger students at Sterling Silver and helping to shape the next generation of performing artists.

Bella Olson has been a member of Sterling Silver Studio since preschool. She has studied baton twirling, as well as several styles of dance throughout her journey. She has traveled throughout the United States as a member of CO91 and has performed with the Sterling Silver Parade Corps in prestigious events such as the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade and the St. Paul Winter Carnival as well as hundreds of local community and fanfare events. Bella is an accomplished violinist; she is in the Chamber Orchestra and studies music at UMD where she aspires to be a music teacher. Bella is a featured twirler with the UMD Bulldog Marching Band.

Amanda Carlson was a twirler with Sterling Silver from 1992 to 1996. She was a member of CO91 and was a member of the Wisconsin State Champion tiny tot dance twirl team. Amanda returned to Sterling Silver when she enrolled her daughter Sadie in Sterling Silver Academy. She now shares her love of baton twirling with the students of Sterling Silver Studio and has been a leader in developing the Twinkle Star Dance Program. In addition to working with kids at Sterling Silver Studio, she is a professional in early childhood education.

Ariana Navarro first started out with Sterling Silver in a mommy and me class at the age of 3 and began competitive dance in 3rd grade. Throughout her performing career, Ariana was a 4 year member of the Eastview Lightning Dance team in high school where she was a part of 6 state championships in jazz and kick, medaled 7 times and received an All Conference Award. After high school, Ariana was a part of the UMD Dance Team her freshman year of college, placed 2nd in open jazz and 3rd in open pom at UDA Nationals. Currently, she is studying Psychology with a minor in Biology at UMD. Ariana is passionate about creating a welcoming environment for students to grow as dancers and people while fostering a sense of discipline and encouragement. 

Wallace Olson started out here at Sterling Silver as a dance dad for 17 years and as of 2023 he is the Community Events Coordinator for Sterling Silver Studio. As the Community Events Coordinator, he has organized performances at nursing homes, schools, and major city events like the SUperior 4th of July Parade and the Superior Spooktacular Parade. His commitment extends to environmental initiatives, such as the annual Earth Day celebration and park cleanup. Not only is he the Sterling Silver Community Events Coordinator but he is now a USTA-certified baton twirling coach and ambassador for Sterling Silver Studio within the Superior-Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce. Wallace strives to bring positive change through arts whether he is instructing our summer day camps, inspiring his young performers to express themselves or advocating the importance of connecting with their community. 

Emma Johnson has been part of the Sterling Silver Studio Family since the age of seven, growing into a versatile and accomplished performer. During her time at Superior High School, she joined the Spartan Twirlers and was a proud member of both the 2018 Wisconsin State Champion High School Twirling Team and the 2018 National Champion High School Twirling Team. Her competitive success continued as she became part of Sterling Silver’s 2021 National Hip Hop Championship Team and, most recently, the 2024 Senior Show Twirl National Championship Team. Beyond her achievements in dance and twirling, Emma has a deep passion for teaching, excelling in multiple styles and inspiring students with her expertise. Her dedication to the performing arts is matched by her strong academic background—she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Special Education, and Spanish from the College of St. Scholastica and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. With a commitment to both education and the arts, Emma continues to share her knowledge, mentor aspiring performers, and make a lasting impact in her field.