Our Judges

Director of Dance

Jill Grundstrom is Artistic Director, Assistant Department Head, and an Assistant Professor in Northern Michigan University’s Department of Theatre and Dance. She holds a B.S. from NMU in Secondary Education with majors in English and French, an M.A. in Dance Education from New York University, and an Ed.S. from NMU in Educational Leadership. Jill is pursuing an Ed.D. in Dance Education with a concentration in Dance Science at Columbia University. She is certified in the Luigi Jazz Technique, American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, is a Certified FLX Conditioning Specialist, and is a Hamrick Method Master Trainer. Jill has choreographed over 30 full-length musical and dance productions in New York City, Los Angeles, Italy, and the Upper Peninsula, including a full-length, original ballet, East of the Sun, West of the Moon (NMU). She also choreographed an independent feature-length film, Our State Fair. She has previously worked with Superior Arts Youth Theatre, the National Dance Education Organization, American Ballet Theatre, and Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. 

Elizabeth is a two-time loser of Dancing with Our Stars, competing in the first year of the event and then again in the Redemption Edition. She may not know what to do to win, but she knows how to do it wrong! And as they say….. If you can’t do…. judge. (She’s also known for getting common sayings wrong)

When she’s not perfecting her dance moves for her next chance at a mirror ball trophy you can find her on the TV6 Morning News and Upper Michigan Today. She’s an avid outdoor enthusiast and loves immersing herself in new experiences, adventures and hobbies. Her quest for experiencing all life has to offer recently brought her aboard the Lee A. Tregurtha, an ore boat on Lake Superior. She figures if she never wins the mirror ball trophy at least she has a shot at becoming a deckhand.

Shawn Beckman-Owsley is thrilled to be returning to the Dancing with Our Stars family as a judge for this year’s event! She and her husband, Chris, competed in the 2019 Disney Edition of Dancing with Our Stars just three weeks before they were married. They returned as guest performers in 2023 for the Heroes and Villains Edition and Shawn is so grateful to be back for another round of this crazy, hectic, and amazing community event!

Shawn works with the awesome team at Marquette County Title and also serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Marquette County. The Owsley’s love to spend time with their family at camp in Baraga County, or watching their nephew play hockey and their niece’s dance competitions. In the summer they are typically golfing or riding their e-bikes around town, but most often, they can be found at home in South Marquette with their dogs Zuri and Ollie.