Faculty

Leah began her dance training at the age of three. By twelve, she was studying under Susan Snider at the City Center of the Performing Arts. The school later established the Pre-Professional Company Cassandra Manning Ballet Theater, of which Leah became a member. She performed in numerous ballets, including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Paquita, and Stars and Stripes.

​

At seventeen, Leah relocated to Virginia to attend the Virginia School of the Arts, led by Artistic Director Petrus Bosman, a former member of the Royal Ballet. After graduating, she was accepted into the University of Arizona Dance Program, where she trained with Jory Hancock, Melissa Lowe, and Susan Quinn Williams. During this time, she began working with Kyria Sabin, who introduced her to Ron Fletcher, one of Joseph Pilates' original students. Leah began her Pilates teacher training with Kyria and Ron, and has now been a Pilates instructor for 26 years. She has also completed Marcia Daley's CPYB teacher training program and is a Level 3 Progressive Ballet Instructor

​

Leah has passionately shared her expertise in dance and Pilates throughout the Fox Valley area, all while cherishing time with her two children.

Kaleigh was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She started training for her professional career at the age of 14, at the Faubourg School of Ballet in Hanover Park, IL, under the guidance of Watmora Casey and Tatyana Mazur.

​

At 16, Kaleigh moved to NYC to continue her training at Ellison Ballet-Professional Training Program with Edward Ellison. She continued to study at Ellison Ballet for three years. During her time at Ellison Ballet, she was a supplemental dancer with Cincinnati Ballet in 2007, and competed in the Youth American Grand Prix, where she was awarded a contract with Ballet West. Kaleigh joined their second company after graduation in 2008.

​

After two seasons with Ballet West, Kaleigh went to school at the University of Cincinnati. While there, she attained a BFA in Dance, a minor in Communications, and joined the Nevada Ballet Theatre in her Junior year in 2012.

​

While with Nevada Ballet, Kaleigh has danced roles that include: the Lead Russian Girl in Balanchine's 'Serenade', Striptease Girl in Balanchine's 'Slaughter on 10th Avenue', Lilac Fairy from 'Sleeping Beauty', Zelma from 'Giselle', and Summer Fairy in James Canfield's production of 'The Nutcracker'.

​

Since retiring, Kaleigh has been teaching and freelancing in the Chicagoland area.

​

Awards include: final round and top 12 in YAGP finals in 2007 and 2008, as well as top 12 in YAGP in the pas de deux category. In 2007, Kaleigh was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School of England's Graduate Level at the YAGP.

Elise was born in Detroit to Colonel John Flagg and Miriam Flagg, a music teacher with a trained operatic voice. Her cultured household exposed Ms. Elise Flagg to classical music and dance. The family moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where Ms. Flagg started ballet lessons under the direction of Linda Lorimer, who suggested that she audition for The School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York City. At the age of twelve, Ms. Flagg was selected by George Balanchine to attend SAB with a Ford Foundation Scholarship.

​

Elise spent the next four years training diligently at SAB. She was privileged to study with Alexandra Danilova, Felia Doubrovska, Pierre Vladimarov, and Stanley Williams. Later on in her career, she studied with David Howard, Rudolf Nureyev, and George Balanchine.

​

At sixteen, Ms. Flagg joined the New York City Ballet, where she spent the next nine years advancing from corps de ballet to soloist. She danced solo and principal roles with the New York City Ballet until the time she left to join the Zurich Ballet as a principal artist. Principal roles Ms. Flagg performed include Giselle, Don Quixote (with Rudolf Nureyev), Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night's Dream, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Serenade, Symphony in C, Jewels, Agon, Square Dance, Episodes, La Sonnambula, Apollo, and Concerto Barocco, among numerous others. Ms. Flagg's partners include Rudolf Nureyev, Edward Villella, Peter Schaufuss, John Clifford, Robert Weiss, Maximiliano Guerra, and Jonas Kage.

​

Ms. Flagg achieved pilates certification with Romana and Juanita Lopez at the Chicago Pilates Studio. Today, Ms. Flagg teaches a unique combination of classical ballet enhanced by her knowledge of pilates to achieve maximum grace and strength for her dancers. Ms. Flagg's students have been awarded scholarships for summer intensives as well as full-year programs at major ballet schools, including School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. One of her students was accepted to the second professional company of the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. Ms. Flagg continues to pass on what she learned in her thirty years of professional career in dancing and pilates.

Joyce Smith is a classically trained former dancer and certified Pilates instructor. She began her initial training in classical ballet and pointe with Lisa Boehm and continued studying in the Chicagoland area before later training in modern dance ( specifically the techniques of Martha Graham and Jose Limon) while earning her undergraduate degree as a scholarship dance performance major. She also studied at the Marth Graham School of Contemporary Dance and was fortunate to deepen her study with master classes and intensives in both classical ballet and modern dance with numerous dance artists such as former Balanchine ballerina Jilana, Randy Duncan, and Denise Vale, among others. With her range of training in both classical ballet and modern dance, Joyce enjoyed dancing professionally for independent choreographers as well as modern-based companies and feels fortunate for those opportunities to dance such a diverse repertory. 

​

With a lifelong dedication to the arts, Joyce has also spent years working behind the scenes in arts administration, dance production, and marketing for organizations that include The Juilliard School Dance Division, Vanderbilt Summer Dance Festival, Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre, New York State Summer School of the Arts School of Dance, the Illinois Summer School of the Arts, and Integrity School of Dance. 

​

Joyce has been teaching dance for over twenty years and Pilates for over a decade. She has also taught auditions, staged and rehearsed dances, and served as a rehearsal assistant for choreographers, companies, and schools. Known for her gentle nature and ability to meet people where they are, Joyce is devoted to helping young dancers grow in their technique and artistry, and helping everyone develop and maintain healthy, mobile bodies.

Jessica Brewster is a choreographer and storyteller whose work bridges dance, writing, and fine art. She began her dance training at Faubourg School of Ballet and Perseverance Dance Company, where she first learned to use dance as a tool to shape feeling into form. She went on to pursue degrees in dance, writing, and fine art, holding a degree in dance with a minor in the field, as well as an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, a program internationally recognized for its rigor and influence in contemporary art and design. Her choreographic approach is rooted in intention, where movement, music, and structure operate in dialogue. Drawing from an interdisciplinary background, she builds work through a process of deconstruction - taking ideas apart, reconfiguring them, and shaping them into movement that feels both precise and unexpected. She approaches choreography as ephemeral architecture, composing in space through weight, line, and energy. 

Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally. She is a 2025 Capezio A.C.E. Awards Finalist, a two-time recipient of the Youth American Grand Prix Choreography Award, and a recipient of the Tony Hepburn and Helen L. DeRoy Merit Scholarships at Cranbrook. Her dance films have also been recognized internationally, earning special distinction at the Montrose International Screendance Festival.

Abbey Thornton began her dance journey at the age of three and entered the competitive scene by five. Her passion and dedication led her to train pre-professionally for six years with the Visceral Studio Company in Chicago, led by Nick Pupillo, where she refined her technique and developed a deep appreciation for the artistry of dance. In high school, Abbey was a four-year member of her varsity dance team, serving as team captain for two years and earning MVP her senior year.

​

Abbey attended the University of Iowa, graduating in 2025 with a  major in Communications and a minor in Dance. While in college, she performed works by choreographers Marissa Horton, Annaliese Erickson, Cass Stahnke, Eloy Barragan, and Olivia Farmerie. In the summer of 2024, she traveled to Italy to perform at the Trentino Music Festival, where she had the opportunity to work with and perform choreography by Cesar Fernandes and Miki Orihara.

​

This past year, Abbey served as Head Coach of the Jacobs High School Dance Team and is currently assisting other high school dance teams throughout the surrounding area. Her journey has been shaped by a lifelong love of dance and a strong commitment to teaching, combining athleticism, creativity, and performance to inspire the next generation of dancers. 

Heather Farney has performed and taught in professional musical theatre for over 10 years. She is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and has a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Musical Theatre Performance from Kansas State University. Heather has performed in over 20 professional productions across the country, including shows like West Side Story, Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Mary Poppins. She has also been a master class guest artist at the collegiate level for musical theatre, tap, and jazz. Heather is thrilled to be sharing her love of dance and musical theatre with the students at Midwest Dance Conservatory!

Judith Chitwood is a professor and Coordinator of Dance at Northern Illinois University School of Theatre and Dance. She began her training in the Chicago area at the Academy of Movent and Music, Ruth Page Center for Dance, and the Evanston School of Ballet. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, where she studied the Horton technique of modern dance under James Truitte. Her performing career includes member of Cincinnati/New Orleans City Ballet Company, guest artist with MOMENTA in the reconstruction of Doris Humphrey/Charles Weidman works, and guest artist throughout Chicago. Ms. Chitwood is a certified Pilates instructor in Romana's Pilates, studying with Juanita Lopez. She is a member of the American College Dance Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Doris Humphrey Society.