INSTRUCTORS
Darla Andree
Owner, Director, Instructor
Darla received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Dance while earning her Bachelor Degree in Theater and Dance at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. She also studied with various professional instructors in the St Louis area whose methods included Cecchetti and Russian ballet technique. Darla's modern training includes the methods of Eric Hawkins and Martha Graham, combined with a mixture of other modern dance influences. She danced professionally with MADCO, a St. Louis based modern dance touring company, following which she earned an Associates Degree in Physical Therapy. Darla has been a guest choreographer for several of SIUE's annual Dance In Concert productions. She has choreographed musical theater productions for Triad High School in Troy, Illinois and for Curtain's Up Theater Company, a Metro-East based community theater organization. In 2010, she received Best Choreography award, presented by the St. Louis based Arts For Life, for her choreography for the Curtain's Up production of High School Musical 2. She has owned and operated a studio for 27 years.
Paula Clare Beals
Instructor
Paula holds a Master's Degree in Dance Education and is Emeritus Dance Faculty at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. She studied with several ballet masters during her training in New York. Her modern dance education included, among others, the techniques of Martha Graham and Lester Horton. Paula has certificates in the Cecchetti ballet method. For 15 years she studied with Mr. Cecchetti's personal assistant, Margaret Craske. During her career as a professional performer, she danced with the Baltimore City Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and the internationally known and highly acclaimed modern dance pioneer, Martha Graham. She was also a solo artist for several years in New York. Paula choreographs musical theater productions for Triad Middle School in Troy, Illinois and Alton Little Theater in Alton, Illinois. Paula has been teaching at Premiere Performance for 19 years.
Therese Hembruch
Instructor
- Therese has a B.F.A. in Dance Performance, a M.Ed. in Creative Arts and a B.S. in Elementary Education. She worked as a guest performer and choreographer for the Springfield Ballet for 6 years. Therese is the founder of the Spirit Moves dance ensemble, a group of local dancers that perform in area churches and at community events. Her choreography has been presented in the Springfield Area Liturgical Arts Festival. Currently, Therese is a teacher at Triad Middle School, where she is coach of the dance team. She has been teaching at Premiere Performance for 9 years.
Elizabeth Clarke
Instructor
Elizabeth trained professionally through Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School's Schenley Program and spent summers training at The National Ballet School of Canada, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Her professional performing career began when she was 17 with Ballet West II. She also danced with The National Ballet of Portugal and Ballet Arizona. Elizabeth's classical repertory includes Mauro Bigonsetti's Kazimir Colours, Ib Andreson's Play and 1052 and George Balanchine's The Four Temperaments. While a member of Ballet West II, she danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
Aiesha Dukes
Instructor
Aiesha is in her second year of teaching at Premiere Performance Dance Studio.