RDC Faculty
The performance component of Rockford Dance Company allows our students an opportunity to perform at various venues throughout the Rockford Community, often alongside professional dancers and orchestras. Our in-house costume department creates elaborate and opulent costumes for our dancers, adding another dimension to the overall performance opportunities for both dancers and costume designers.
Lucas Segovia
Artistic Director
Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lucas Segovia began his dance training at 16. Three years later, he joined Ballet Argentino as a Soloist under the direction of Julio Bocca, quickly rising to Principal Dancer and performing a solo in Bocca's farewell performance for an audience of over 300,000.
Lucas has danced with The Washington Ballet, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company (under Christopher Wheeldon), and The Joffrey Ballet, performing as a Soloist or Principal Dancer in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, Alexei Ratmansky, and William Forsythe, among others. His musical theatre credits include Bernardo in Drury Lane's West Side Story and the Broadway productions of An American in Paris and Brigadoon. He has performed in over 400 cities worldwide and received the Premio Clarín, one of Argentina's highest arts honors.
As an educator, Lucas has taught master classes across the U.S. and internationally, including in Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, and Amsterdam, and has served as a guest teacher at Northwestern University and Point Park University. He holds ongoing faculty roles at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago and Boca Ballet Theatre in Florida. As Chief Ballet Master at Yorkville Performing Arts Center, he led a student program with 100% retention.
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 Rockford Dance Company and other local studios, becoming 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.
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 now 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 11 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 in 2025.
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!”
Elle Keaggy
Instructor
Elle (Marielle) Keaggy is a dedicated ballet dancer currently training at the Illinois Dance Conservatory, where she is pursuing pre-professional studies with the goal of dancing professionally. She is a graduate of Rockford Dance Company’s upper-level program, where she trained extensively in classical ballet and performed in a wide range of repertoire. Marielle also studied at Ballet Chicago, where she deepened her technical foundation and artistic expression through the school’s rigorous, Balanchine-based curriculum. Her time there strengthened her musicality, discipline, and stage presence. Now continuing her development at Illinois Dance Conservatory, Marielle is focused on refining her technique, expanding her performance experience, and growing as a well-rounded artist. Known for her strong work ethic, expressive quality, and commitment to excellence, she is working toward a future in professional ballet.
Annie Kinney
instructor - Ballet
With over three decades of experience in dance education and performance, Annie brings experience and heart to every class she teaches. From ballet to ballroom, her instruction blends discipline with creativity, helping students of all ages to build confidence through movement.
Annie holds formal training from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Jacksonville University, where she began teaching ballet. She also studied extensively under Laurie Picinich-Byrd, while at the Florida Ballet at Jacksonville. Annie’s time there greatly influenced her teaching style and love of dance. Her diverse background encompasses ballroom, Latin, lyrical, jazz, tap, and liturgical dance, as well as certifications in yoga and Zumba. A passionate advocate for youth development and wellness, Annie’s teaching philosophy centers on inclusivity, empowerment, and artistic growth. Whether preparing students for the stage or helping couples shine at special events, Annie’s goal is the same: to inspire joy through dance.
Christy Munch
Instructor - Ballet & BeMoved® - Adult/Active Divisions; Student Division - Conditioning
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, with whom she toured 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 founder and artistic director of the Rockford DanceMakers Festival.
Sofi Teske
Rockford Dance Company Alumna / Instructor - Children Division
Sofi Teske is a Rockford Dance Company 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, 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.