Peggy's Dance Studio

 

Peggy's Dance Studio Teaching Staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peggy  Benton - Hebert:  Mrs. Peggy has danced for over 40 years.  She will soon be celebrating her 34th year in business, instructing 2 generations of dancers!  Her love of dance took her to Mexico, where she danced as a foriegn exchange student.  She has performed in numerous productions of The Nutcracker as a member of The Baton Rouge Ballet Theate for over 10 years and has also served as the rehearsal director for the BRBT .  Mrs Peggy  is the founder of Dance Baton Rouge and served as director/choreographer for the St. Isidore Cardinalettes for 10 years.   For over 20 years, Mrs. Peggy has trained solo dancers as well as competition dance groups, bringing them to state and national dance competitions.   Mrs. Peggy is a long time member of the Dixie Dance Masters and also of Dance Masters of Ameica.  While running a business and rearing her children, Mrs. Peggy returned to college and received a Bachleor of Science in Marine Biology from Louisiana State University.  She has choreographed for the Baker Little Theater, as well as staged disco shows for many Baton Rouge Clubs.  Mrs. Peggy is the choreographer for the LLBTR Mardi Gras Ball, where she stages and directs elaborate productions.  She has had students participate in the Baker Christmas Parade and Zachary Christmas Parade for 30th years.  Mrs Peggy  has continued to develop her dance education through out the years, under the direction of many Master Dance Instructors from across the country.  She and her husband, Jimmy, share 4 great children and 4 grand children.

 

Christine Watson  -  Granier:  This will be Christine's 13th year teaching at P.D.S.  She is a Dance Masters of America certified dance instructor as well a member or Dixie Dance Masters.    She has received a Teachers Training School Diploma from the Dance Teachers Training School of Dance Masters of America held at the University of Buffalo, Buffalo New York.  Scoring a 98.25 on her Jazz Exam, 97 on her Ballet Exam and 95.5 on her Tap Exam.  Christine is a former competative baton twirler , holding state and regional title throughout the USTA, NBTA and AAU twirling organizations.  She is a United States Twirling Association certified baton twirling coach.  She has been instructing, advising and choreographing for dance teams, color guards and majorette lines and feature twirlers through out the state and also in Texas  for over 16 years being awarded choreography and high point awards in all genres.  She has been very active as a choreographer, instructor and consultant in the Indoor Guard as well as Marching Band circuits for over 15 years.  Christine is also director and choreographer for our competition dance troupe "The Elite Danstarz" and our competition twirling team "Pizzazz".  Her teams and soloist's have competed through out Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabamba, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina as well as out of state National Dance Competitions and National Twirling competitions.  She continues to offer private instruction in dance, twirling, color guard and modeling.  Christine has instructed daycare dance  & tumbling programs at First Baptist Church daycare, Kiddie Junction, The Universal Learning Center and  The Rock Daycare Center , all located in Zachary Louisiana.   She has former students on College lines as well as  having had them on staff with National dance team camp organizations.  Christine continues her dance education by attending classes and conventions in New York and thoughout the South, studying with Master teachers, to bring the most up to date dance training home to her students.  She was cast as a baton twirler in the 1995 movie "Kingfish" starring John Goodman, and served as Baton Twirling Instructor in 1994 and 1995 for the Louisiana All Star Marching Band Association.  Christine has been involved in dance, baton twirling and modeling for over 30 years and has been teaching for over 17 years.    She have modeled in runway shows under the direction of Universal Productions and has judged and Choreographed opening numbers for  pageants in the Baton Rouge Area.  She is a graduate of Baker High School, for which she was  dance team captain and feature twirler. She has acted with the Baker Little Theatre as well as performing in local musical theatre shows under the direction of Tom Jones.  She continues to entertain crowds w/ dance and twirling performances throughout our region. Mrs. Christine is currently working with the The Central High School Dance team, "The Kittens", the Live Oak High School Colorguard, the Zachary High School Guard, the Morgan City High School Baton Twirlers and the Morgan City Junior High School Twirlers.  Mrs. Christine and her husband, Chad, share his son Tanis and their son Dale.  Mrs. Christine teaches all ages and levels of Dance as well as Baton Twirling and Preschool Tumbling for PDS.

 

Lisa Easterly:   Ms. Lisa has been teaching for Mrs. Peggy for 19 years, and coaches all ages and levels of gymnastics.   She is a former competative gymnast, and the proud mother of 3 gymnast.  She served as the head coach for the mens and womens Scotlandville Magnet High School Gymnastic Team, and was the Istroma Middle Magnet School gymnastics coach for 2 years.  Lisa is a certified member of the U.S.A.G., and is a nationally rated judge for the N.A.W.G.J.  She has coached members of the Louisiana State University, Southern University, and Southeastern Louisiana University Cheerleader Lines, both male and female.    Lisa coaches privately as well as in gyms throughout the Greater Baton Rouge area, and has been saftey certified for 15 years in CPR and first aid.

 

 

Robbie Quick - Guilbeau :  Miss Robbie began her dance training in 1974.  She is one of the original students to dance at Peggy's when the business began in 1975.  Over the next 15 years, Mrs. Robbie participated in numerous dance competitions with P.D.S.  as well as cheerleading.  Over the past 30 years she has attended numerous workshops and conventions to continue her dance training, such as Tremaine, Marcus Alford, La. Danceforce, DMA as well as many others.  Mrs. Robbie began teaching at P.D.S. in 1988.  She is a graduate of Baker High School as well as Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.  She also has time toward her Masters degree in secondary education.  She is currently a full time auditor with Lousiana Workers Compensation Corp. as well as sharing her passion for dance with her students..  Robbie has also been the Sponsor for the Junior Bronco Cheerleaders in Zachary Louisiana.  She is married to Mr. Raymond Guilbeau  (Guilbeau Construction) and has a nine year old daughter named Logan. 

Chrisy Bourg-Wilbert : Mrs. Chrisy is a life long member of Peggy's Dance Studio.  She began her dance education at the age of 2, making this her 28th year at PDS.  Mrs. Chrisy graduated from Zachary High School in 1995, where she was a Bronco Belle for 4 years--serving as Secretary and Co-Captain.  She was also a member of the ZHS Drama Club, where she choreographed Children's Theatre and directed drama productions.  Mrs. Chrisy traveled to Hawaii--where she danced on a cruise ship and at a Shriner's Hospital as a member of the All American All-Star Dance Team.  She has performed in many productions of The Nutcracker Ballet by the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, and in the opening productions for LLBTR Mardi Gras Ball.  Mrs. Chrisy has also competed in many dance competetions around the South throughout her career, all the while studing under Master Instructors at Dance Masters Conventions and Joe Tremaine Conventions.  Mrs. Chrisy began her teaching career in middle school when she demonstrated at PDS, then moving on to become an assistant teacher.  After high school, she attended Northeast Louisiana University, where she was a member of the Warbonnet Dance Team and a Little Indian (pom-pom squad).  She recieved a Bacholar of Science in 1999.  Mrs. Chrisy has taught at PDS for 7 years, and has taught  dance/gymnastic at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in Zachary.  Mrs. Chrisy teaches all levels and styles of Dance as well as Preschool Tumbling.  She is a Dance Masters of America certified dance instructor and a member of the Dixie Dance Masters Chapter here in Baton Rouge. Mrs. Chrisy was the 2007- 2008  Sponsor and Choreographer for the Zachary High School Dance Team, the Bronco Belles.   Mrs. Chrisy and her husband, Blair, have recently purchased a home in the Central area and have welcomed into their family a hansome set of twin boys!

 

Laurie Brown - Thomas: Laurie  won't give me her bio, so here it goes (such a rebel!):

Mrs. Laurie began her dance training here at Peggy's Dance Studio at the age of 9.  She was the 1994 Peggy's Dance Studio Scholarship Winner.  Laurie then attended Southern University receiving her Bacholar Degree in Education.  Mrs. Laurie has been a member of the PDS Staff now for 12 years teaching all ages and levels of dance classes.  Mrs. Laurie's husband (Mr. Wally) was also active at Southern University serving as a cheerleader and also privately coaching cheer teams in our area.  Mrs. Laurie and Mr. Wally  share his son and have a 8 year old daughter, 5 year old son an a 3 year old son

 

Amanda Mills - Ackman:  Mrs. Amanda is a life long resident of Zachary.  She is a Dance Masters of America certifed dance instructor and a member of Dixie Dance Masters, instructing all ages and levels of dance.   This is Mrs. Amanda's 9th year as a member of the Mrs. Peggy's teaching staff, and will be celebrating her 24th year as a student of Mrs. Peggy. Amanda has instructed our Preschool Dance Classes as well as Beginner and Intermediate Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Lyrical classes and Advanced Ballet. She received a Bachleor of Science degree from Louisiana State University in 2001, while at the same time attending classes and conventions through out Lousiana to continue her dance training.  Mrs. Amanda was the 1997 Peggy's Dance Studio Scholarship Winner.  She is a 1997 graduate of Zachary High School, where she served as captain of the Bronco Belles her senior year.   Mrs. Amanda and her husband, Michael, have  a seven year old son Thomas and a set of beautiful twin boys Cooper and Caleb.

 

Amy Cupit - Phillips:  Mrs. Amy has been involved in dance for over 15 years.  She began her dance training very young with Mrs. Peggy, and danced her way onto the Northeastern Louisiana University Pom - Pom girls dance team.  She has received a Bachlor's Degree in Nursing, and enjoys a Nursing carreer--while at the same time teaching classes here at PDS.  She has been a dance educator teaching Tap, Ballet and Jazz for over 8years here at PDS, also having attended conventions in Louisiana, Alabama and Texas.  She has taught our Preschool Dance, Beginner Jazz , Tap and Ballet as well as our Intermediate Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Lyrical Classes.   Mrs. Amy and her husband, Keith,  have an adorable 6 year old son named Carter and a beautiful daughter Caroline.

 

  

 Mikki Smith:   Miss Mikki has attended classes at Peggys Dance Studio for 15 years, and has served as a class demonstrator and assistant teacher for 4  years.    She was a member of the PDS competition dance team for 5 years, attending conventions and competitons thoughout Louisiana and Mississippi.  Mikki is a honor graduate from Central High School dancing on the Central High School Kittens Dance Team serving as Co-Captain her senior year..   Miss Mikki is attending  Louisiana State University  as a Senior and is  majoring  in Physical Therapy.    She one day hopes to open her own dance studio. Miss Mikki has taught our  Preschool Dance Classes  as well as Beginner  Tap, Ballet and Jazz classes 

 

Jasmine Jackson:    Miss Jasmine  began her dance training at Peggy’s Dance Studio at the age of 3.  She has been a Class Demonstrator and Assistant at Peggy’s for 3 years.  As  an original member of PDS Pizazz Twirling Team, she  attended competitions throughout Louisiana.  Jasmine was also honored at Peggy’s Dance Studio with a PDS Studio Star Award in  2008.

 Jasmine choreographs and dances with her church dance team at Star Hill Baptist Church in St. Francisville, LA. Jasmine is a Senior at Bethany Christian School.  She is on the Volleyball Team, and is a Beta Club Member, maintaining a 4.14 grade point average.  

Miss Jasmine will be joining our Preschool Education Team this year and looks forward to sharingher love of dance with her students! 

 

 

Guest Instructors:

 

Mary Witty (Jazzercise):  Ms. Mary has been instructing Jazzercise in the Baker/Zachary area since 1986.