Staff Biographies
Jennifer Barber - Owner
Jennifer strives to provide a positive studio environment for children to learn and have fun. Our instructors are among the most talented in the industry. It would be our pleasure to put our extensive experience to work for you.
Mr. Matt (picture to come)
Matthew Stutsman grew up outside Chicago and attended a fine arts high school where he was first introduced to ballet and modern dance. He sought outside training, and under Teddi Burgess at Forest Hills Dance Academy in Rockford, IL he was exposed to the world of dance competitions and the professional studios in Chicago. By the time he was a senior in high school he had received Joe Tremaine’s single convention and National scholarship to study at his studio in Hollywood. He was receiving overall awards at numerous competitions as well as taking classes at Lou Conte’s, home of Hubbard Street Dance, in Chicago. Matthew attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana on a dance scholarship, trained in Chicago on scholarship, apprenticed, performed and taught jazz classes with Gus Giordano’s Jazz Dance Chicago, apprenticed with the River North Dance Company, and performed at the Chicago Theatre when Disney released Hercules. Matthew trained on scholarship in Hollywood at the Joe Tremaine Dance Center (getting signed by an agent out of class) attended classes at the Edge, and performed in Industrials while in California.
Matthew has performed in Hawaii for 7-Up, toured through Hong Kong and China alongside a European dance company, danced with Celebrity Cruise Lines on the Flag ship, is featured in Dance Caravan Break-down videos, and secured industrial dance work for Clairol while in Chicago.
In 2000, Matthew opened a dance school in Springfield, Missouri which was featured in Dance Spirit Magazine as one of the Top 50 Dance Schools on the Move in 2006. His students continue to achieve and surpass his expectations winning diamond, platinum, first places, scholarships, cash awards and Elite Dancer Awards. His choreography pushes to make the audience think, have a response, and an emotional reaction. Since 2001, Matthew's dancers broke onto the scene and continue to entertain and surprise their audience. Matthew additionally travels back to Chicago in the summer (usually with a group of dancers in tow) to take summer technique class and attend Jazz Dance World Congress.
Matthew has additionally trained dancers from scratch to become WCDE Elite Dancers whom, most recently, performed at WCDE Nationals dancing back-up for Deborah Cox (July, 2008) and then the following year for Patty Labelle!
In January 2009, Matthew traveled to Sydney, Australia and trained at Sydney Dance Company.
In May of 2009 his competitive ballet group won a choreography award.
Matthew has also taught clinics and was on staff at numerous other studios in and around the suburbs of Chicago, IL. (between 1993 - 1998)
Forest Hills Dance Academy, Rockford, IL.
The Talent Company of Rockford, Rockford, IL.
Centerstage in Dixon, IL.
Amboy Tumbling & Dance, Amboy, IL.
Bonnie Lindholm School of Dance in Paletine, IL.
Gus Giordanos Jazz Dance Chicago, Evanston, IL. (jazz)
Matthew currently lives in Orlando, judges for Starbound National Dance Competition, completed a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu and is a baker in College Park, and is excited to start his second season with Dance Etc!
Ms. Patricia StorelliBallet Teacher/Choreographer
Background:
Patricia Storelli is a professional Ballet Teacher and choreographer who taught in most European countries. She received her professional training at the “La Scala” Theatre Ballet School in Milan (Italy) and became a Member of the Company, where she performed in most ballets of the classical repertoire. She continued her training with world renowned teachers Yvette Chauviree and Daniel Frank from the Paris Opera, Anna-Marie Holmes, former Bolshoi’s principal Irek Muhamedov, David Howard, Rosella Hightower and English National Ballet’s Artistic Director Wayne Eagling. Storelli started her teaching career at age 25 and studied with the Royal Academy of Dance to obtain her teaching qualifications. She became a Registered Teacher and Member of the Royal Academy of Dance (in 1985) after obtaining the RAD Teaching Certificate and Teaching Diploma with Anatomy and History of Ballet.She is a Mentor for the RAD CBTS (New format of the old teaching Certificate) and she has been entering students for RAD exams since 1985 with a 100% rate of Pass. She is currently a freelance Teacher in the United States.
Dance Qualifications:
RAD Dance Education Syllabus Level I, II and III
RAD Intermediate
RAD Advanced 1
RAD Teaching certificate
RAD Teaching Diploma with Anatomy and History of Ballet
CHOREOGRAPHY
“Swan Lake” Tchaikovsky/Petipa 1986
“Nutcracker” Tchaikovsky/Petipa 1987-2004-2005-2006-2007-2008
“Les Sylphides” Chopin/Fokine 1988
“The Sleeping Beauty” Tchaikovsky/Petipa 1989-1996-2008
“Don Quixote” Minkus/Petipa/Gorsky 1990
“La Bayadere” Minkus/Petipa 1991-1997
“Raymonda” Glazunov/Petipa 1992
“Giselle” Adam/Coralli-Perrot 1993
“Grand Pas de Quatre” Pugni-Dolin/Perrot 1994-2004
“La Sylphide” Loevenskjoeld/Bournonville 1995-2005
“Napoli” A. Bournonville 2005-2006
Employment:
Jansen Dance Project – Tampa – Florida – 2008-2009
Ballet Mistress, directing the RAD curriculum
Sarasota Dance Theatre – Sarasota – Florida – 2007-2008
Ballet Mistress – Director of the RAD program
Etudes de Ballet - Naples – Florida – Teaching RAD classes and entering students for RAD Exams – 2003-2008
Centre for Dance and Drama – New Port Richey – Florida – 2003-2004
Ballet Mistress
Leggz dance Academy - Kissimmee – Florida – 2003-2008
Ballet Mistress
West Florida Youth Ballet – Safety Harbor – Florida – 2004-2006
Artistic Director
Universal Performing Arts Center – Port Charlotte – Florida -2006-2008
Ballet Mistress
Guest Teacher and choreographer for the following schools:
“Robin Dawn Dance Academy”, Cape Coral, Florida
“Frank Rey”, Tampa, Florida, “New Tampa Dance Theatre”, Tampa, Florida
“Brandon Ballet”, Brandon, Florida
University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
Blake Performing Arts School, Tampa, Florida
”Centre de Danse du Sud-Est”, Nice, France
“Fotis Dance Center”, Athens, Greece
The Tunisian Ministry of Culture, Tunis, Tunisia
“Central Ballet School”, Imperia, Italy
Awards & Competitions:
“Concours International Lion d’Or pour la Danse” – Nice (France), Theatre de Verdure, 1989
Winner of the first prize with the variation from “Raymonda”, Act III
“Premio Beato Angelico per la Danza” Sanremo, Italy, Teatro del Casino, 1990
Winner of the third prize with the variation from “Sleeping Beauty”, Act III.
Repertoire/Featured Roles
Swan Lake Petipa/Ivanov Odette/Odile
Giselle Coralli/Perrot Giselle
The Sleeping Beauty Petipa Princess Aurora, Lilac Fairy
La Bayadere Petipa/Gorsky Shade, Nikiya
Don Quixote Petipa/Gorsky Kitri
The Dying Swan Fokine the Swan
Nutcracker Petipa Clara, Sugar Plum Fairy
Manon McMillan Manon
Special Teaching Skills
R.A.D. Graded Examination Syllabus from Pre-Primary to Grade 8
R.A.D. Vocational Graded Examinations from Intermediate Foundation to Advanced 2
Teaching courses, Master classes, Anatomy,/Body basics, History of Ballet lecturer
Pointe work, pointe shoe fitter, pointe technique lecturer
Repertoire, Pas de Deux, Floor Barre, Benesh Notation (basic knowledge)
Free-lance writer for different dance publications and for the “Diary” of the Royal Academy of Dance, Competition adjudicator
Ms. Joye
Joye Major was born In Hampton, VA to Lt Colonel and Mrs. Timothy R. Major. She entered into the family being the younger sister to Brian who was 17 years older than her. After her arrival her father decided that being on active duty hindered seeing his only little girl grow up. Early on her mother noticed her love of dance and at the tender age of two she started her training in ballet at The Academy of Dance. Over the next three years she continued to take ballet and tap. Joye then transferred to Hampton University Dance Program where she found out there was even more dance classes she could take and signed up for all of them. For the next four years she took classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, African and Hip Hop. Because of her undeniable love for dance she took classes with many students who were many years older than her but she still managed to keep up. Joye later decided that she would stop dancing and would try Karate. She excelled in Karate as well and even won 3rd and 4th place at two of her tournaments. Discovering her new fascination for sports she played soccer for several years averaging almost a point every game. After a brief sports phase Joye found her way back to dance where she continued taking classes at several studios. Upon graduation she realized that dance is what she has always been good at and it made since to go to a school where she could study dance and ultimately obtain a degree. Joye decided to attend school at Hinds Community College in Raymond Ms. where she excelled in gaining more knowledge and understanding dance studies. In her freshman year she tried out and became a member of Montage Theater of Dance where she performed and assisted in planning many events for the company. Over her dancing career Joye has performed and trained with the Branson Shanghai Circus, and several Monsters of Hip Hop Choreographers. She has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC where her company has won an opportunity to perform at the 2012 Olympics. Her working experience includes teaching dance at local community centers, and having a special opportunity to teach dance to special needs children at a summer camp. She also was a member of the first cast in Sesame Street at Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg VA. Joye's future dreams are to own her own dance studio one where she can teach dance to passionate dancers like herself.
Ms. Christina
Hi, my name is Christina DeLisle and I love teaching Zumba! You don't even need to know how to dance. Just move your body and follow my lead. With these easy to follow Latin inspired dance move you'll shake and shimmy your way to healthier you! So don't wait Ditch the workout and Join the Party that is sweeping the world.
I'm licensed to teach Zumba, Zumba Gold, Zumba Toning, and Aquazumba so however your comfortable I have a Zumba class for you!
