Faculty

Jenny Beck

Rockford Dance Company Alumna / Instructor - Ballet & Musical theatre - Children/School Divisions

Jenny is an RDC alumna who performed in various ballets with RDC, and was featured in the following roles: Cinderella, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, and  Clara in the Nutcracker. While a student at RDC, Jenny received both the Joan Stonecipher scholarship and the Carolyn Bailey scholarship.

Jenny enjoys the artistry of dance and is pursuing a double major in Dance and Arts Management at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She received the Bukholt E. Family Dance and Performance scholarship as well as the First Year dance scholarship. For the past four semesters, Jenny has earned her place on the UWSP Dean’s Distinguished Achievement List .

Jenny has many years of musical theater experience and has participated in several local theaters including Starlight Theater, Hononegah High School, and The Studio Rockford. She played the youngest Fiona in Shrek, and a Newsboy in the Newsies, both at at Starlight theater. 

Jenny is employed by Orlando Ballet and Ballet West as a resident adviser for their summer ballet intensives. Jenny fully participates in the classes including technique, pointe, musical theater and more. As a faculty member, Jenny instructs classes at RDC in various dance forms and with different age groups. 

Kate Blair

Instructor

Kate Blair began working at Rockford Dance Company in November 2021. She is certified in Movement Fundamentals®, a holistic approach that celebrates all ages and all abilities, and inclusivity. She is also in the process of becoming a certified instructor through Moving for Life, an organization that offers dance classes to support healthy aging, and the prevention and recovery from cancer.

Kate studied at both St. Olaf College and Luther College, earning her B.A. in theatre and dance from Luther in 2008. Kate’s experiences include teaching dance at Espacio Mujeres in Mexico City, dancing as a member of New ARTiculations Dance Co. (AZ), and serving as a gardener and resident host at Earthdance (MA). Kate is grateful for her creative, supportive family, as well as her many teachers, including Jane Hawley, Amanda Hamp, Sherry Saterstrom, Martha Eddy, Brenda Harris, Andrea Vasquez-Aguirre, and others.

Kate’s teaching is also influenced by her experiences as a musician, gardener, chef, early childhood educator, and caregiver for children, elders, and individuals with diverse abilities.

Maria Castello

Instructor - Ballet, Modern, Partnering, Pointe & Variations - Student Division

Maria Castello graduated from the National School of Dance and the Contemporary Dance School of Teatro Municipal San Martin, both in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She holds a medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires. She is a Laban/Bartenieff Analyst of Movement (CMA) and holds a Master's Degree in Teaching with an endorsement in Bilingual Education.

Maria has been a dancer, choreographer, and teacher for more than 30 years. She has worked in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Her choreography has been presented internationally at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater and Dance Place in Washington, D.C., the Bay Area Dance Festival and Monterey Dance Festival in California, Espace Tangente in Montreal, Quebec, and the Toronto Fringe Festival in Ontario. From 1996 to 2004, Maria led the School of Rockford Dance Company as the first full-time school director. In 2001, Maria received a Finalist Award in choreography from the Illinois Arts Council. In 2002, she was honored with the Hispanic Heritage Award, given by La Voz Latina for her contributions to the cultural life of the community. Maria is the Artistic Director of the Without Shoes Modern Dance Company. She formerly taught in the Bilingual Department at Lathrop Elementary School.

Janae Gillette

Rockford Dance Company Alumna / Instructor - Ballet - Adult/Children Divisions

Janae Gillette began her dance education at 7 years old at RDC and other local studios. She became an RDC company member in 7th grade. During her time at RDC, she enjoyed studying under a variety of artists and instructors, including Lucas Segovia and Maria Castello, attending summer intensives, including at RDC and Ballet 5:8, and performing in both full productions and community events. Her favorite roles include Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and Mirlitons in the Nutcracker. Janae graduated from the program in 2022. After graduating, she went on to attend college at Olivet Nazarene University, where she continued to dance wherever she could while earning her Bachelor's degree in Data Science. She was a rehearsal company member and treasurer on ONU's dance team, performed in musical theater on campus, and was a substitute dance teacher at a local studio. She graduated from ONU in spring of 2024, and is now back at RDC teaching in the adult and children's divisions.

Brian Gosselin

Instructor - Social Dance - Adult Division

Brian Gosselin has been an avid dancer of swing and ballroom for more than 20 years. He began dancing in college and hasn't stopped since. He prides himself with learning many dances from a multitude of instructors, including learning Lindy Hop from the late, great Frankie Manning. Brian has taught many classes and hosted dances throughout the years and is a leader in Rockford's social dance community. For the past decade, he founded and has lead the Rockford team in the International Rally West Coast Swing, a global event that performs a West Coast Swing dance to celebrate unity and joy in dance. Along with teaching social dance, he has also choreographed performance routines, including numerous first dances for weddings.

When not on the dance floor, Brian is a chemist with a Master's degree in Polymer Science. His whole family is involved in RDC's productions, with wife, Kristen, and son, Luka. He dances while they makes costumes and manage backstage. Between productions they keep themselves busy fostering kittens with Noah's Ark.

Julienne Jackson

Instructor - Ballet - Student Division

Julienne Jackson has studied dance since age 7. She has taught and choreographed ballet and pointe for over 24 years in the Rockford area at various studios, including Rockford Dance Company, Steps to Grace Dance Studio, Dance Source Unlimited, and MaryLee's School of Dance. She has also taught Interpretive Worship in the Church and choreographed in Christian settings for over 20 years. She is a former member of the Rockford Dance Company, having studied under Joy Xu for five years. Julienne also studied under Jory Hancock and Melissa Lowe, both from the New York City Ballet, at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. She studied dance as a child with Janet Quilici, Chuck Hoenes and Jayne Poor from the Rockford Dance Company School, and Donna Bollinger from the YWCA. Later, she studied under Randy Newsom at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. Julienne earned an MFA in Art from Northern Illinois University. She teaches Art History at Rock Valley College. Julienne is married to Stephen, and they have two daughters, Ashley and Savannah.

Phairra Jones

Instructor - Hip Hop

Phairra Ahmani Jones is a professional dancer with eleven years in the business. Her journey began at Miss Andrea’s Dance Factory during her high school years at Hononegah High School, where she proudly danced on the junior varsity and varsity teams, serving as captain and earning the title of team MVP. Currently, Phairra is a student at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts as a Dance BFA major. She is also a proud member of their Panther Dance Team, where she was honored with the team MVP award this year. Since the age of 16, Phairra has had the privilege of teaching at numerous studios throughout Rockford, Illinois. Her first teaching position was at her home studio, Miss Andrea’s Dance Factory, leading to being on faculty at the Rockford Dance Company. Says Phairra, “My love for dance is unexplainable; it's my passion and the drive in this art form that I truly live for. I'm deeply grateful for the support from my community and family, which allows me to dance to my heart's content. I am beyond excited to be working with RDC this summer!”

Christy Munch

Instructor - Ballet & BeMoved® - Adult/Active Divisions

Christy Munch has been involved in the dance theatre profession for 30+ years, as a dancer, teacher, director, costumer, and independent choreographer. Her choreography has been produced at numerous dance venues in Chicago and was featured for five years in Chicago’s NEXT Dance Festival. It has also been reviewed in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Dance Magazine, and the Chicago Reader. In Chicago, Christy danced with Jan Bartoszek/Hedwig Dances, Bob Eisen, and Timothy Buckley, touring with them to Jacob’s Pillow International Dance Festival and Dance Theatre Workshop in New York. Influential teachers in her dance career are Gus Giordano, Joel Hall, Lou Conte, and Sherry Zunker.

Christy now focuses on teaching Adult Ballet, BeMoved (Artistry Level Certification), Yin Stretch, and Basic Giordano Jazz Dance Technique (NGCP Basic Level Certification). She teaches in Janesville, WI, and Rockford, IL. She holds a Master's in Interdisciplinary Arts and a Master’s in the Art of Teaching from Columbia College Chicago. Christy is the Artistic Director of the Rockford DanceMakers Festival.

Sofi Teske

Rockford Dance Company Alumna / Instructor - Children Division

Sofi Teske is an RDC alumna, where she trained and performed since she was 4 years old. She was a part of RDC’s company and graduated from high school in 2024. She has been a part of numerous major productions as a company member, including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, school performances, and multiple performances of The Nutcracker. Her final performance as a company dancer was with RDC’s 50th Anniversary showcase, marking the end of her time with the company. 

In addition to her classical dance background, Sofi has experience in musical theater as well, having been a part of multiple stage productions, including James and the Giant Peach, Mary Poppins, Tarzan, and Madagascar: A Musical Adventure.

During her time at RDC, she had the opportunity to work with several choreographers, including new Artistic Director Lucas Segovia. She is currently studying Journalism at the University of Kentucky and continues to share her passion and love for dance through teaching young dancers.