Miss Erika
Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Modern
This season will be Miss Erika’s 3rd year with The Dance Gallery! She is thrilled to have returned to her hometown and become a part of her family’s business!
She is the leader of our ballet program.
Miss Erika has seven years of experience performing, teaching and adjudicating in New York City! As a performer, she was seen as Enid Hoopes on the International Tour of “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” making stops in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore. As a teacher, she has been on faculty with AMDA NY’s College/Conservatory, AMDA NY’s High School Summer Conservatory and The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. As an adjudicator, Miss Erika has been welcomed onto the judging panel at World Dance Championship, World Dance Pageant, Artists Simply Human, REVEL Dance Convention, StarQuest Dance Competition and the Miss America Organization. She spent the 2020-2021 season as the Head Judge at Artists Simply Human Dance Convention.
Miss Erika is a graduate of the Professional Semester at Broadway Dance Center and the Dance Theatre Conservatory at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (“AMDA”), both in New York City.
She is a recipient of the Edward Brake Award for Excellence in Classical Ballet, the Performing Arts Alliance’s Entertainer of the Year Award, and a YNOT Award.
Alongside teaching, Miss Erika is currently completing her undergraduate education with The University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Leadership and Communication and minoring in Professional Writing. She also enjoys watching game shows, going to the movies and traveling!
Miss Hilary
Hip-Hop, Tap, Jazz, Acro, and Adult Classes
This season will be Miss Hilary’s 15th year with The Dance Gallery!
She is the leader of our hip-hop program.
Miss Hilary studied at Berks County’s Marie Shaw School of Dance for 15 years and worked as an assistant teacher for 3 years. She also trained annually at the New York City Dance Alliance. She is experienced in jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, pointe, hip-hop, partnering and musical theatre.
She has performed as a part of the Reading Phillies Dance Team, the Reading Express Smokinʼ Hot Steam Team and the Reading Raptors Spirit Squad. Her performance career also includes shows at the Rainbow Dinner Theatre and the Blatt Dinner Theatre.
She has been teaching dance for a total of 26 years, with 14 of those years at The Dance Gallery.
When Miss Hilary is not at the studio, she loves to hike, bike, kayak, and ski!
Miss Jess
Acro, Tap and Jazz
This season will be Miss Jess’s 16th year with The Dance Gallery!
She is the leader of our acro program.
Miss Jess has been dancing since she was 3 years old at local Berks County studios, including The Dance Gallery! She began assistant teaching when she was 14 and was given her first teaching opportunity at 16.
She is our resident acro specialist, but is also highly skilled in tap, jazz, musical theatre, and pantomime! She is one of the dedicated leaders of the Stars Competition Team. She has trained students who have been successful in pageants, theaters, and local dance teams. Her work has won choreography awards, top high score awards, and specialty awards at multiple dance competitions. She pushes her students to accomplish their goals through creativity, fun, and a lot of hard work!
Miss Jess has her Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Kutztown University. Aside from teaching dance, she is a Guidance Counselor at Muhlenberg Elementary Center. She also loves spending time at the beach and being with her family and friends!
Miss Leila
Tap and Jazz
This season will be Miss Leila’s 9th year with The Dance Gallery!
She is the leader of our tap/jazz combination program.
Miss Leila began dancing when she was 3 years old at a studio in her hometown in Southern New Jersey. There, she trained in a variety of styles of dance including jazz, tap, lyrical, and ballet. She was a member of her studio’s competition team, which provided her with opportunities to perform at competitions, community events and dance conventions. While attending college at Temple University, she had the opportunity to take jazz classes, helping broaden her knowledge of the style.
She is our resident specialist for young and new dancers. She is also one of the leaders of the Stars Competition Team. Over the years, she has lead her hard-working students to win high score awards, entertainment awards, and other specialty awards at a variety of dance competitions.
Miss Leila has her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Temple University. In addition to teaching dance, she is an Assistant Principal at Muhlenberg Elementary Center. She also enjoys spending time with her family and traveling!
Miss Sue
Office Staff
Every night of the week, you’ll be greeted by Miss Sue in the office. Most of our students and staff lovingly call her “Nana,” and you can too!
Nana has been a part of The Dance Gallery since it was under its original ownership in the 80’s. Her daughter danced at The Dance Gallery, and now her granddaughter is one of our students! Nana is passionate about dance and the lifelong benefits a child receives from a dance education. She loves sewing costumes, attending dance competitions and recitals, and seeing the studio full of young children learning to love dance!
Nana is available to help you in most ways you’ll need while you’re family attends classes at the studio.
Outside of the studio, Nana is also a paraprofessional for the Schuylkill Valley School District. She loves spending time with her husband, two daughters, and four grandchildren!