About Our Instructors

 

 

Jacquie Franz

  Jacquie is the Owner/Director of Academy of Dance, located in Jacksonville, Florida.  She began her career as a dance instructor in 1978 at the Dance Center, Inc. in Miami, Florida where she spent 10 years instructing classes in Tap, Jazz, Modern, Classical Ballet, and Musical Theater.  During this time she also was employed by the Dade County Magnet School Program as a Jazz and Tap teacher, choreographer, and consultant.  Following this position, Jacquie was hired by Dance Works of Miami teaching Tap, Jazz, and Classical Ballet.  While there, she directed and produced six Musical Theater Summer Workshops. She has studied jazz extensively with Karen Finan of The Dance Center in Miami and Frederick Brather, formerly of the Alvin Ailey Dance Co. She has studied modern dance with Delma IIes, Director of the Momentum Dance Co. and classical ballet with Thomas Armor and Judith Newman of the Miami Conservatory. Jacquie has been trained in the teaching of the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus of Ballet in addition to being a F.A.P.A. Certified Tap Instructor.

Jacquie and her husband relocated to Jacksonville in September 1997 and was employed as the assistant director at the Nieden-Johnson Academy of Dance in Mandarin.  In August 2001, she acquired the business and became owner/director of what is now called Academy of Dance.  In addition to running the studio and instructing classes, Jacquie created Dance on Location 17 years ago.  This program offers instruction at area schools as part of their after school programs.  She is also a guest teacher at the Lavilla School of the Arts.

 

Jill Geiger

Jillian Geiger was born in South Korea and was raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She began dancing at the age of four and has developed a love of the art. Jill danced with the New England Repertory Dancers under the direction of Kathy Kozul and is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships from various competitions and conventions, including Showstoppers, Terpsichore and Dance Masters of America (DMA). Jill attended Jacksonville University, majoring in Dance Education, where her dance technique and choreography have also been recognized. In addition to teaching at local studios around Jacksonville since 1997, she completed JU internships at both Pine Forest Elementary as well as LaVilla School of the Arts. Jill graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2002 and has been an instructor at Academy of Dance since Jacquie Franz took over in 2001, where she not only teaches technique classes, but also coaches the Jr. and Sr. competition teams. Jill currently balances a full time job at Beeline, a local software company, in addition to her responsibilities at the studio. She plans to continue leading and inspiring young dancers through her teaching and love of dance.

 

Paige Ricci

Paige Ricci began ballet at the age of 13 studying under Kim Pauley and The Charleston Ballet in her hometown of Charleston, WV. She also performed professionally in the company dancing corps and soloist roles in ballets such as Paquita, Les Sylphides, Raymonda, and Graduation Ball. During this time, Paige attended summer programs such as Point Park College and Boston Ballet. In 2003, Paige graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN with a BS in Arts Administration with a Dance Concentration where she attended under a talent scholarship. While at Butler, Paige performed with the Butler Ballet and danced roles such as the Snow Queen in the Nutcracker and the Pas de Six in Napoli. Paige has been a freelance dancer and performed with Ballet Internationale, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, and several other ballet and modern companies.

Paige has been teaching since 2005 and has taught at studios, Jacksonville University, Florida State College of Jacksonville, American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and ABT’s Outreach Program. In January 2010 Paige received her Master of Arts in Ballet Pedagogy from New York University’s Steinhardt School in collaboration with American Ballet Theatre. Paige was one of twenty students chosen to be in the inaugural class and be fully certified in ABT’s National Training Curriculum. At NYU/ABT, Paige studied with Raymond Lukens and Franco DeVita (Principles of ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and creators of ABT’s National Training Curriculum) and choreographer Jessica Lang. Paige is an ABT® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training in Primary through Level 7 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Paige is also a Pilates Mat certified teacher.

 

  Emily Crawford

 Miss Emily is teaching Pre-Teen Hip Hop and Cheer Dance this year..  Emily is a cheerleader for "The Roar,"  the cheerleading squad for Jacksonville's professional football team, the Jaguars.  Emily started her dancing career almost 17 years ago.  She studied dance with the Academy of Dance for 9 years.  Emily placed in many competitions as a soloist with the studio.  As a student at Batram Trails High School, she became a member of the Varsity Hip-Hop Team and was captain of the Dance Team her senior year. Currently, Emily is attending the University of North Florida, where she will obtain her degree in nursing.

 

Fallon Hamilton

Fallon Hamilton began her dance career at the age of nine.  She started at Dancing with Denny, attended the Academy of Dance as well as the Starke Academy of Dance.  She has attended classes at Columbia College and Jacksonville University and is currently studying at Florida State University pursuing a degree in early childhood education.

 

This fall, in addition to her regular college classes,  Miss Fallon will continue teaching the Petite Company with Ms. Jacquie, and will take over on Saturday mornings, teaching the under six year old classes as well as musical theater.  We are so pleased that Miss Fallon has made Academy of Dance her home as a dance teacher!

Lauren Baroch

We are so pleased to have Lauren join our staff. She will be teaching Contemporary and Lyrical classes for the Academy of Dance, as well as the Advanced Turns class.  In 2008 she studied abroad in Thailand at the Mahidol University. She has just graduated from Jacksonville University, where she was the recipient of the B.F.A. Dance Major Scholarship.  

Mindy Dushane

Ms. Mindy Dushane is no stranger to the stage.  She has been a part of music and theater since the age of six.  She performed in show choir concerts at various venues around Florida.   In more recent years she assisted with The Saint Augustine Community Theatre in such areas as: vocals, audition monologues, and set design.  She also spends her summers as the drama and stage director for the North Florida Christian High School Fine Arts Camp. We are pleased to have her lead our Musical Theater classes in the fall!

 

 

 

 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

 

   

 

12276 San Jose Blvd Suite 613 / Jacksonville, Florida 32223  /Email