Hosanna Dance LLC - partners: Sunny Hannum, Sarah Easter, Joshua Easter
All instructors hold teaching certifications through the Cecchetti Council of America.
All instructors hold teaching certifications through the Cecchetti Council of America.
Artistic Director, Instructor, Co-Owner
Sunny HannumLCCA, Licentiate Member of the CCA
Holds Teacher CCA Grade Certificates Grades I-VI
Miss Sunny grew up on a local cattle ranch and studied dance in her teens with Marjorie Forney. She studied all forms of dance at The School at Jacobs Pillow in Lee, MA as a scholarship student in 1961 and 1962. She was a dance major at the University of Utah for a year in 1962 and performed in their productions of Peter Pan and the Nutcracker. In 1964 she joined Ballet Repertory in New York City under the direction of Thalia Mara and Arthur Mahoney and also performed with Radio City Music Hall Ballet in 1965. In 1966, she went to Europe as a member of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
Miss Sunny danced in musicals on and off-Broadway including Arabian Nights, Bagels & Yox Review, the Broadway musical Come Summer choreographed by Agnes de Mille, Call Me Madam, Dancing Waters Revue and Cabaret directed by Bert Convy.
For local theater groups, Miss Sunny has choreographed Anything Goes, The Amorous Flea, Guys & Dolls and Calamity Jane. She has directed all of MainStreet Dance Studio and Hosanna Dance productions: Hansel & Gretel, Babes In Toyland, Alice In Wonderland, Beauty & The Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Deliverer (Prince of Egypt), A Midsummer Nights Dream, Follow the Yellow Brick Road (Oz), Hadassah: A Story of Esther, The Greatest Gift of All (Nutcracker), I'll Fly Away (Peter Pan), The Lion's Roar (Narnia), Sleeping Beauty: The Bride of Christ, He Lives in You: Lion King and Beware a Frozen Heart (Frozen), A Snow White Christmas, and Cinderella.
We added the Cecchetti Ballet Method to our curriculum in January 2013 and Ms. Sunny and Ms. Sarah took Grade I exams that April. Cecchetti training is a rigorous method that pays careful attention to the laws of anatomy. It develops all of the qualities essential to the dancer: balance, poise, strength, elevation, elasticity, “ballon”, etc. It is classic in its purity and clear-cut style.Miss Sunny has completed teacher exams in Cecchetti Grades I-IV and Professional Elementary V and Intermediate Professional VI. She has been working on Professional Advanced VII and has taught all of the CCA’s first seven grades as well as their primary levels. As a Licentiate Member of the Cecchetti Council of America, she is a certified Cecchetti method ballet teacher. Miss Sunny attended the Cecchetti International Teachers Seminar at Hope College in Holland, MI in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023, and 2024.
She also trained in the Vaganova (Russian) ballet technique having studied three years at the National Academy of Ballet in New York with Thalia Mara. She has also studied with Nemtchinova, Swaboda, Heinz Poll, Yurek Lazowski, Leon Danielian, Richard & Barb Thomas, Phil Black, Luigi (jazz master) and other excellent dance teachers in New York and Europe. She continues to attend state and regional dance workshops and has traveled to New York, Mississippi, and Kansas City to study dance and expose dance students to other teachers and dance forms.
Miss Sunny, like most professionals, believes it is necessary for every dancer to be well trained in ballet to really become good in any dance style.
Instructors, Co-Owners
Associate member of the CCA
Holds Teacher CCA Grade Certificates I-V
Dance Network of SD Board Secretary
Miss Sarah moved to SD in 2004, working at the Dept of Education. She worked for a metropolitan library system in the KCMO metro prior.
Miss Sarah joined Hosanna Dance in 2006 and in addition to ballet, she teaches pre-pointe, pointe, modern, contemporary, and acro. She also coaches Cecchetti syllabus classes for students preparing for exams. She has coached students through Grades IV and V exams and is currently coaching a Grade II and Grade III class.
She also has had the joy of coaching dancers participating in competitions such as the YAGP International Ballet Competition.
She has performed in multiple ballets the studio has produced and performed various lead roles such as the White Witch in Narnia, the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Sven in Frozen, and even Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty. She also enjoys teaching choreography and choreographing original pieces.
Holds Teacher CCA Grade Certificates I-V
Dance Network of SD Board Secretary
Miss Sarah moved to SD in 2004, working at the Dept of Education. She worked for a metropolitan library system in the KCMO metro prior.
Miss Sarah joined Hosanna Dance in 2006 and in addition to ballet, she teaches pre-pointe, pointe, modern, contemporary, and acro. She also coaches Cecchetti syllabus classes for students preparing for exams. She has coached students through Grades IV and V exams and is currently coaching a Grade II and Grade III class.
She also has had the joy of coaching dancers participating in competitions such as the YAGP International Ballet Competition.
She has performed in multiple ballets the studio has produced and performed various lead roles such as the White Witch in Narnia, the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Sven in Frozen, and even Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty. She also enjoys teaching choreography and choreographing original pieces.
Miss Sarah has completed her Cecchetti teacher's grade I, grade II, grade III, grade IV, and grade V exams. She is currently working on Grade VI Professional Intermediate. She attended the Cecchetti International Teachers Seminar at Hope College in Holland, MI, in July 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023, and 2024. She is an Associate Member of the Cecchetti Council of America. She and her brother Josh went a step further to experience what it's like taking the exams as a student and spent many additional years going through exams "as a student" while also working on their teacher exams. Ms. Sarah got three additional exams under her belt in addition to the five CCA teacher exams.
Miss Sarah enjoys modern dance and has taken the Martha Graham School's summer intensive Graham Teacher Workshop and has taken the Alvin Ailey School's Summer Horton Teacher Workshop and Pedagogy with Ana Marie Forsythe.
She has taken many professional courses in the area of pointe technique and pointe preparation. As part of her love for all things ballet and pointe, she completed the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries and NYU School of Medicine's course - Principles of Dance Medicine Pointe Readiness. She has also taken many professional development courses with dance physical therapist specialist Lisa Howell including the Level 2 Teacher's Pointe Intensive.
She strongly believes in teaching correct pointe technique, alignment, and strength. Dancers must have a good foundation in ballet technique and be in ballet technique classes. Teachers must not sacrifice the safety of the students by teaching "a dance." Pointe shoes are a tool that must be used wisely and not treated simply as "cute costuming." She is a bit of a ballet and pointe nerd.
She also attends state and regional dance workshops including Dance Network of SD, Cecchetti Northern Plains workshops, and has attended various other workshops or summer intensives over the years including Ballet Magnificat!, Dramatic Truth, as well as Dance Gallery of South Dakota in Sioux Falls and the Cecchetti International Summer Course. She has gotten to take classes with instructors from New York, Chicago, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas City, Houston, North Carolina, England, South Africa,...
Miss Sarah has blessed Hosanna Dance with her research and knowledge of dance styles, technique, and instruction and is passionate about the importance of anatomy, strength and proper technique in dance training.
Joshua Easter, ACCA
She also attends state and regional dance workshops including Dance Network of SD, Cecchetti Northern Plains workshops, and has attended various other workshops or summer intensives over the years including Ballet Magnificat!, Dramatic Truth, as well as Dance Gallery of South Dakota in Sioux Falls and the Cecchetti International Summer Course. She has gotten to take classes with instructors from New York, Chicago, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas City, Houston, North Carolina, England, South Africa,...
Miss Sarah has blessed Hosanna Dance with her research and knowledge of dance styles, technique, and instruction and is passionate about the importance of anatomy, strength and proper technique in dance training.
Joshua Easter, ACCAAssociate member of the CCA
Holds Teacher CCA Grade Certificates I-V
Dance Network of SD Board President
Mr Josh started training at MainStreet Dance of Ft Pierre (now Hosanna Dance) with Ms. Sunny in Fall 2007 in men/boys ballet and pas de deux classes. Previous to that he performed the pantomime role of the Toymaker for MainStreet Dance's Babes in Toyland Christmas special in 2006 and was the stage manager for The Deliverer (Prince of Egypt) Spring 2007.
He has since performed in the Joyland Christmas Special, Midsummer Night's Dream, Follow the Yellow Brick Road (Wizard of Oz), Hadassah: the story of Esther, The Greatest Gift of All (Nutcracker), I'll Fly Away (Peter Pan), The Lion's Roar (Narnia-The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe) Spring & Winter performances, Sleeping Beauty: The Bride of Christ, and He Lives in You (Lion King), The Deliverer (Prince of Egypt), Beware a Frozen Heart (Frozen), Cinderella, and others.
He has performed various leading roles including Tin Man (Oz), Mordecai (Esther), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), Prince Desire' (Sleeping Beauty), Aslan (Narnia), Mufasa/Simba (Lion King), Moses (The Deliverer), Kristoff (Frozen), the Dance Master (Cinderella), and many others.
Mr Josh has completed his Cecchetti teacher grade I, grade II, grade III, grade IV, and grade V. He has also taken and passed student grades I/II, III, IV, and V. We started the Cecchetti Method in 2013. He attended the Cecchetti International Teachers Seminar at Hope College in Holland, MI, in July 2016, 2018, 2023, and 2024. Josh is a Associate Member of the Cecchetti Council of America.
He attends state and regional dance workshops including Dance Network of SD, Cecchetti Northern Plains workshops at Dance Gallery of South Dakota, and Ballet Magnificat!, and travels to summer dance intensives at Dramatic Truth in Kansas City. He has been certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). Josh became president of Dance Network of South Dakota in Fall 2020 and previously was secretary.
Josh and his sister Sarah are a great choreography and teaching team. Josh has a strong desire to share his love of dance with all. He believes dance offers the benefits of strength, coordination, balance, speed, agility, and musicality which are assets to athletes, musicians, and anyone at any age who wants to improve body awareness and control.
Holds Teacher CCA Grade Certificates I-V
Dance Network of SD Board President
Mr Josh started training at MainStreet Dance of Ft Pierre (now Hosanna Dance) with Ms. Sunny in Fall 2007 in men/boys ballet and pas de deux classes. Previous to that he performed the pantomime role of the Toymaker for MainStreet Dance's Babes in Toyland Christmas special in 2006 and was the stage manager for The Deliverer (Prince of Egypt) Spring 2007.
He has since performed in the Joyland Christmas Special, Midsummer Night's Dream, Follow the Yellow Brick Road (Wizard of Oz), Hadassah: the story of Esther, The Greatest Gift of All (Nutcracker), I'll Fly Away (Peter Pan), The Lion's Roar (Narnia-The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe) Spring & Winter performances, Sleeping Beauty: The Bride of Christ, and He Lives in You (Lion King), The Deliverer (Prince of Egypt), Beware a Frozen Heart (Frozen), Cinderella, and others.
He has performed various leading roles including Tin Man (Oz), Mordecai (Esther), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), Prince Desire' (Sleeping Beauty), Aslan (Narnia), Mufasa/Simba (Lion King), Moses (The Deliverer), Kristoff (Frozen), the Dance Master (Cinderella), and many others.
Mr Josh has completed his Cecchetti teacher grade I, grade II, grade III, grade IV, and grade V. He has also taken and passed student grades I/II, III, IV, and V. We started the Cecchetti Method in 2013. He attended the Cecchetti International Teachers Seminar at Hope College in Holland, MI, in July 2016, 2018, 2023, and 2024. Josh is a Associate Member of the Cecchetti Council of America.
He attends state and regional dance workshops including Dance Network of SD, Cecchetti Northern Plains workshops at Dance Gallery of South Dakota, and Ballet Magnificat!, and travels to summer dance intensives at Dramatic Truth in Kansas City. He has been certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). Josh became president of Dance Network of South Dakota in Fall 2020 and previously was secretary.
Josh and his sister Sarah are a great choreography and teaching team. Josh has a strong desire to share his love of dance with all. He believes dance offers the benefits of strength, coordination, balance, speed, agility, and musicality which are assets to athletes, musicians, and anyone at any age who wants to improve body awareness and control.
Instructors
- Guest Instructor
Hosanna Dance, Pierre, SD
dance classes