Donna                            Isabella                           Elisabeth                            Liz                                   Hanna

Donna Gould Jessen - Artistic Director, all styles of dance.                                                                                           Donna has been the owner-director of the Academy since 1983 and has taught hundreds of students of all ages.  Donna has former students who are working as professional dancers, teachers and choreographers in Chicago, New York, LosAngeles  and on Cruise Lines as well as lawyers and doctors.  She is the producer-director of 28 innovative dance productions held at Hemmens Cultural Arts Center.  Donna is also director and a choreographer for the Gould Dance Company; she has received many platinum, first and 2^nd place overall awards for her style and choreography.  As a member of the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, Donna was honored to receive the Rising Star Award for being the teacher of the first Mr. Chicago National Association of Dance Masters.  Donna continually likes to upgrade her teaching methods and style by attending conventions.  In the summer of 2010 Donna attended the Dance Teacher Summit held in New York City.  In the summer of 2008 she attended classes at the San Francisco Dance Center, the summer of 2006 she attended classes at Steps on Broadway.   Donna has trained with Savion Glover, Lane Alexander, Robert Reed, LaVaughn Robinson, Van Porter, Joel Hall, Frank Hatchett, Lou Conte, Joe Tremaine, Gus Giordano, Mia Michaels, Mike Minery, Doug Caldwell, Rory Foster, Carol Walker, Anida Sedalia, Lisa Boehm and more.  Donna danced in the Jazz Troupe Dansation where she performed in commercial trade shows, film and video.  Her college background includes Barat College, Lake Forest, IL where she was a dance and theater major, and Elgin Community College, Early Childhood Education.  Donna was also student at Nouveau Riche University.  Donna loves to work with students of all ages in every style of dance and looks forward to the 29th year of the Gould Academy of Dance Arts.

Kelly Hill - Ballet, Pointe
Kelly was a founding member of the River North Dance in Chicago where she was a principal performer for eleven years. Kelly has a strong Classical Ballet background. She began her training at age eight in the Elgin area with Lisa Boehm and Shelia Straka and later concentrated her studies at the Ruth Page Foundation in Chicago. She was the first recipient of the Elgin Area Performing Arts Scholarship and later received a full scholarship to study at Lou Conte dance studio in Chicago. Kelly has toured internationally in various commercial and industrial trade shows. She also appeared in the Chicago films "The Visitors", "Sole Survivor" and Road To Perdition. Kelly was a dancer in the River North Dance Co. for ten years. She is currently a master teacher for the River North Dance Workshops held in Chicago. Kelly is also the Dance Director of the Larkin High School Fine Arts Academy- Dance Department. A teacher at Gould Academy since 1987, Kelly has former students who are now dancing and working professionally. Kelly is known for her Ballet training methods and her unique River North (concert style) of Lyrical Jazz.  Kelly also holds a B.A, from National Louis University.

Laura Olson - Ballet, Pre-Pointe, Pointe
Laura began ballet training at age seven in the Elgin area and later studied with Maria Talchief of the Chicago Ballet and the Ruth Page Dance Foundation where she performed in their annual production of the Nutcracker in Chicago.  Laura received an Associate of Dance Degree from Wright State University and a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Bradley University. She currently works for Fox TV News as a video editor and has taught Ballet at Gould for the love of it.  Currently Laura is on a leave of absence due to an injury.  Gada will have subs to fill in at  this time.

Nickie DelRe Masino - Jazz
Nickie is a professional jazz dancer who is known for her sizzling L.A. Jazz style, disciplined classes and award winning choreography. A dancer since age 3, she developed her unique style of jazz while on scholarship from the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles and also through other noted professionals from Chicago, California and New York City. She has toured and performed in many commercial and industrial videos throughout the U.S. Nickie has performed, as a Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, was featured jazz dancer in the Masquerade Village Show, and the Rio Suites Hotel in Vegas. Nickies Jazz chorography has won many top awards in Regional and National Competitions.

Hanna Brictson - Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary                                                                                                                 Hanna is currently a full time professional Jazz dancer in the River North Dancer Company in Chicago.  Hanna is an awesome dancer and choreographer who is very unique and innovative in her style of training.  Hanna trained at Gould Academy for sixteen years prior to her professional career. She currently trains with many noted professionals in Chicago and trained at ODC in San Francisco on scholarship. She also received a scholarship to Point Park University and Western Michigan University.  Hanna is a teacher for the River North Workshops as well as the River North Summer Intensive 2009 where she taught her Train Solo.  Hanna is also a guest chorographer for the Larkin Fine Arts Academy.   Hanna is also the Director of her own Pre-Professional Dancer Company,  Pure Dance.

Elisabeth Stonebreaker McCoy- Acro/Tumbling                                                                                                         Elizabeth is a former gymnast and dancer in the Gould Dance Company.  As an accomplished dancer, tumbler, and cheerleader, Elisabeth received a full scholarship to the University of Georgia to be on the Georgia Bulldogs Cheer Dance Squad.  Elizabeth holds a B.S. in Exercise Science and Education.  Elisabeth has served as a judge for numerous cheerleading tryouts and competitions in the suburban areas and is also President of the Elgin Junior Service Board.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lauren Schroeder – Pre-Ballet (Little Stars), Ballet-Tap (Broadway Babies), Giggle and Wiggles, Freedom To Move                                                                                                                                                                                           Lauren recently graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign with a BA in Special Education. In college she also studied dance and performed in various student choreography performances.    Lauren grew up at GADA studying all styles of dance for 13 years and also performed and competed with the Gould Dance Co where she won many awards.  Lauren also taught young children’s dance and tumbling classes at GADA   for  two years and students enjoyed her joy and age appropriate techniques of teaching.  She graduated from the Larkin High School Visual and Performing Arts Academy in 2005.   Lauren is great with kids and we are very excited to have her GADA to share her love for dance and teaching with our youngest dancers.                                                                                                                                                      

KatieMcLaughlin                                                                                                                                                                      Katie  has studied ballet, pointe, modern, and jazz for 13 years. Katie began her classical ballet training came from Faubourg School of Ballet under the direction of Watmora Casey and Tatianna Mazura. She also spent three years studying at San Francisco Ballet on full Scholarship. In 2005 and 2006, Katie was invited to train at the Stiefel and Stars performance project in Martha’s Vineyard, where she performed with Ethan Stiefel, Gillian Murphy, David Hallberg, Marcelo Gomes’, Alina Cojocaru and other ABT stars. At the age of sixteen, she was offered an apprenticeship with the Houston Ballet Company by the director Stanton Welch. Katie’s professional performances include: Marcleo Gomes’ world premiere “Loving”, Christopher Weldon’s “Carnival of the Animals”, Stanton Welch’s “Chairman” and “Long and Winding Road”, Lilac Fairy in Sleeping beauty for the Houston ballet, and Katrina Killian’s “Who Cares” solo Stairway to Paradise. Her other soloist roles consist of Black Swan, Paquita, Swanilda, Esmeralda, Aurora, Aegina, Snow Queen, Ballerina Doll, and Wendy in Peter Pan. More recently, Katie has been teaching ballet and pointe for the last 5 years at three different local dance studios. Some of Katie’s awards consist of taking first place in the Chicago regional Youth America Grand Prix and then going on to the New York finals to place in the top twelve dancers in the world in 2007. She has won first place scholarships, two years in a row, for the Carey Rose Winski competition. In 2001, Katie won a gold medal for power tumbling in the AAU USA Junior Olympics in Virginia Beach, VA.  Katie is currently  a student at Judson University majoring in Business Management.

 Mary Angela Granberry – Hip Hop, Contemporary                                                                                                             Mary Angela began her technical training at Faubourg School of Ballet in Hanover Park, IL, under the direction of Watmora Casey.  Having studied ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary and hip hop, she has had the opportunity to dance in works by Randy Duncan, Steve Ewing, Laura Gates, Paul Christiano, and Dionna Pridgeon. Her credits include being a dancer for the video “Oh Lord” by Warner Bros music group, Foxy Shazam; dancing onstage at Lollapalooza 2010 for DJ Dani Deahl; being both a dancer and assistant choreographer for the Sears’ “Chef Challenge” Chicago flash mob online commercial shot at Navy Pier; dancing at the Wild Orchid (fashion show) Benefit for Lupus hosted by Vince Vaughn’s family; and performing at Dance Chicago 2010 with the Renegade Dance Architects (of Chicago).  In the spring of 2011 Miss Granberry was a dancer for Beyoncé ‘s performance on Oprah’s surprise farewell show (Surprise, Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular Part 1) and performed at Chicago’s very first Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball held at Joe’s Bar in Chicago.  Currently, she is a member of hip hop groups Redefinition, Puzzle League, Project Relentless, Vicious, and teaches jazz, contemporary, and hip hop classes throughout the Chicagoland area as well as a subbing at Lou Conte and Visceral dance studios in Chicago.     

Taylor Slager – Tumbling                                                                                                                                                       Taylor has been training in dance and gymnastics for about 13 years.  She began her gymnastics training through Larkin High School’s recreational program then continued on as a USAG certified athlete at Bartlett Gymnastics Center, Spring Hill Gymnastics and Gymkhana.  Through Taylor’s competitive career she competed at levels 5,6,7,8 and 9 throughout the country and earned various state and regional titles.  Taylor has also trained at Gould Academy of Dance arts since she was 4 years old and is trained in styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop.  She has also trained in downtown Chicago at Lou Conte’s and Visceral in various styles of dance. Taylor completed one semester of school at Western Michigan University on scholarship as a dance major before sustaining an injury.  During her time at Western she joined EiLa, a contemporary dance group out of Kalamazoo, MI, and has enjoyed performing in shows throughout Michigan and Illinois.  Taylor is currently studying kinesiology with a concentration in movement science at Elgin Community College with plans to transfer to the University of Illinois at Chicago and apply for the physical therapy doctorate program.  Taylor feels honored and blessed to be back teaching at Gould Academy for the second year.

Courtney Dowell- Hip Hop Fitness                                                                                                                                     Courtney has been teaching in the Fox Valley area for nine years and is very excited to teach a dance fitness class for those who want to have fun and het in shape

                                                                   MASTER CLASS TEACHERS    

Ahmad Simmons- Contemporary Jazz                                                                                                                               Ahmad  is  a native of Fort Worth, Texas where he began his training at the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts. While in Texas, he trained extensively through the Dallas Black Dance Theater, the Debbie Allen Dance Institute and the Dian Clough West Dance Center. Ahmad holds a BFA in Dance from Point Park University and  is currently a dancer in River North Dance Company.

Isabella Jessen -Master Classes                                                                                                                                           Isabella began dance at age two when her mom developed one of the first two year old programs in the USA.  In the summer of 2010 Isabella performed in the premiere of the Beyond Words and Beneath The Surface production at the New World Stages and at the Dance Teacher Summit in New York city. Isabella also performed in the River North Intensive showcase held at the Ruth Page Theatre in Chicago in August.  Isabella has trained in all styles of dance from various teachers at Gould Academy.  She has also trained in Chicago at Hubbard Street Dance Center, Ruth Page Dance Foundation, Visceral Dance Studio, Joffrey Ballet and suburban Faubourg Ballet.  Isabella has attended numerous River North workshops and was selected in the River North Summer Intensive 2010 and 2009 where she had the opportunity to train with the River North Dance Co. and perform in the Student Intensive Showcase.  Isabella has attended the following summer intensives:  2008 Alonzo Kings Lines Ballet in SanFrancisco, 2007 Joffrey Ballet Intensive, 2006 Nutmeg Conservatory of The Arts and Steps on Broadway.  Isabella was  a dancer in Pure Dance Co. and was titled Miss Bravo 2009.   She has performed in the Gould Dance Co. for many years, was showcased in Dance Chicago and has won numerous overall awards in all styles of dance.  In 2003 and 2004 Isabella was cast in Joffrey Ballet of Chicago Nutcracker held at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.  In 2010-11 Isabella trained at GADA and at Visceral Dance studio and was a dancer in the Visceral Studio Company under the direction of Nick Pupillo.  Isabella  is currently a dance major on scholarship at Point Park University in Pittsburg.

Brittany Rice – African Master Classes                                                                                                                         Brittany, an Larkin High School alum, went on to explore her passion of dance at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she discovered her love of West African dance. She traveled to study dance in Ghana, West Africa and lived in South Africa in 2009. She teaches a fusion of Ghanian, South African, and Afro-Caribbean dance. She currently teaches at DePaul University in Chicago. She has previously taught master classes at Miami University (Ohio), Larkin High School (Elgin, IL). There are inherent techniques in thousands of dance cultures that exist in Africa. Brittany’s technique  draws from key movements from the African continent as well as the Diaspora. Movements are stylized in a way to best suite studio presentation and specific needs of students, usually trained in another discipline of dance. All classes incorporate of rhythm, high energy movement, isolations, footwork, polyrhythms. Her playlists include both current and traditional Caribbean (reggae/dancehall), South African (drumming/vocals), and West African (highlife/drumming).

Joanne Meyer - Academy Administration                                                                                                                          Joanne holds a BA and Masters in Education from National Louis University.