LilburnDance Academy
Kristin Talley Tap/Jazz/Ballet Instructor/Company Choreographer
Kristin trained at Susan Chambers School of Theatre Dance from 2000-2015 and is trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, and musical theatre. She is a recent Young Harris College graduate and recent member of the Aurora Theatre’s 2019-2020 Apprentice Company. In 2019, she graduated from Young Harris College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and a minor in history. Some of her previous roles with the Aurora Theatre include Featured Ensemble (Christmas Canteen 2019), Judy U/S (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime), and Ensemble (On Your Feet). While attending Young Harris, Kristin had many opportunities to teach and choreograph. She choreographed two mainstage shows for Theatre Young Harris (Everyman and The Taming of The Shrew) as well as The Music Man at the
Peacock Theatre in Hayesville, NC. After graduating college in 2019, she was cast as a principal dancer in a new Netflix movie musical that will air in Winter 2020. She is currently a working Atlanta teaching artist, actor, singer and dancer.
Instructors
Jessica Mingorance Pereira Musical Theater Instructor
Jessica is a born and raised Georgia native. She has been singing and dancing, playing the piano and performing since she was a toddler. She entered a full time arts training program in high school as she prepared for college auditions for musical theatre. She attended the conservatory at Webster University and then transferred to Brigham Young University, where she was a triple major in dance, music and acting. After living in Curitiba, Brazil she embarked on her professional career, booking roles at some of the West’s most prestigious regional theatres. While performing and rehearsing in the evening, Jessica began her teaching career in voice, acting, daance, and musical direction. She is passionate about using her college and professional experience to hone her clients' technical skills so they stand out in auditions, college presecreens, and on stage. Jessica is married to Juliano Pereira and they are excited about putting down roots once again in Atlanta!Type your paragraph here.
Lance Washington Hip Hop Instructor
Lance Washington spent ten years as a principal dancer with the Patti Rutland Jazz company in Dothan, Alabama. He is originally from Chicago, Illinois. He received his professional hip-hop training from Maurice Fulkon in Chicago, Joshua Allen in Texas and Vincent Johnson from Atlanta. His professional credits include industrial television work in Chicago. National awards in choreography include, the Platinum Power Award from Platinum National Dance Competition, . In 2012, Lance made it through to Vegas for the hit television series So You Think You Can Dance. Lance also taught within the Patti Rutland Jazz Arts in Education Outreach program. This is the largest outreach program in the state of Alabama. It includes teaching over 6000 elementary and middle school children weekly. Currently Lance Washington is located in Georgia teaching for, Dancentre South, and N-step dance academy. Lance Washington has also taught for the Jazz on Tap convention in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by Marcus Alford and Annie Day, and the Alabama Dance Festival. Lance has also taught and danced along side of Rustin Matthew, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb, Rob Hoffman, Balta Monkiki, Nick Wilson, Nicole Kirkland,and Jimmy Locust. He also works as a hip-hop choreographer for many other groups throughout the Southeast and has won numerous regional choreography awards. Lance is very excited about how his career is taking him to so many places where he is meeting more and more talented dancers, choreographers and friends. Type your paragraph here.
Noel Dupuis Guest Teacher
Trained with the School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, Miami Conservatory and the Martha Mahr School of Dance. During the early years of his career he danced with the Atlanta Ballet, Southern Ballet Theatre, Memphis Concert Ballet and the Nashville Ballet prior to joining Ballet West as a Senior Artist. While at Ballet West he was under the direction of Jon Hart and Jonas Kage and performed in a number of ballets including Cinderella, Swan Lake, Peter Pan and The Nutcracker. He also performed in a number of ballets choreographed by Ashton, Forsythe, Hans van Manen, Val Canniparoli and George Balanchine. In 2003 Noel moved to Louisville Ballet as a Soloist under the direction of Bruce Simpson. While there he danced the role of Vronsky in Anna Karenina and as Arabian, Spanish and Waltz of the Flowers Cavalier in The Nutcracker. After two season, Noel moved to the Charleston Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer and Company Teacher. He performed as the Cavalier in Nutcracker, Captain Hook in Peter Pan and Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Noel had the privilege of performing at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Cultural Olympiad and the Sixth Annual China Arts Festival. Since 2006 Noel has been working as a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer. Noel and Christina married in April of 2015 and have a son and a daughter.
Christina Dupuis Director
Trained with Druid Hills Dance Centre, Rotaru International Children's Ballet, Miami City Ballet and Simply Dancing. She danced on scholarship at EDGE Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles for 2 years. Christina was fortunate enough to perform in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games as a dancer. Professionally, she performed as a lead dancer, singer, cast captain and choreographers assistant at Wild Adventures Theme Park where she performed in various song a dance shows as well as a large prop magic show. She traveled with her choreographer Aurelio "Tony" Padron to set choreography on other projects.
Christina performed as a Guest Artist with North Georgia Performing Arts Academy. She performed the roles of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Christina also danced with About Face ATL, a jazz and contemporary company, for 3 years. Christina and Noel married in April of 2015 and have a son and a daughter.