Our Faculty...

Wendy Daw - Owner/Director
     Preschool, Kinderdance, Ballet, Tap, Lyrical & Jazz  Instructor.  

Erica Sanderson
Clogging, Tap & Jazz Instructor.

Jane Peele
     Preschool, Kinderdance, Jazz, & Modern Instructor.

Jeanne Williams
Hip Hop, Jazz & Preschool Instructor.

Joan V. Taylor
 Ballet & Pointe Instructor.

Jaclyn Pugh
Ballet & Lyrical Instructor.

Kaitlyn Lewis
 Belly Dance Instructor.

Krissy Boccia
 Kindermusik Instructor.

Diana Betts
 Kindermusik Instructor.

Christina Washburn 
Zumba^® Instructor.


Paige Whitley-Bauguess
   Guest Master Teacher for Advanced Ballet & Pointe.

Galina Panova
     Guest Master Teacher for Advanced Ballet & Pointe.

  Faculty Biographies

Director & Primary Instructor

Wendy is a native of Burlington, NC, and is in her 12^th year at Down East Dance where she is currently in her 10th year as Owner/Director of the dance school.  She  instructs Preschool, Kinderdance, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Lyrical classes at Down East Dance.  Wendy holds a  BS degree in Dance Education from East Carolina University with K-12 certification.  While at ECU, Wendy studied modern dance with Pat Pertalion and Patti Weeks, Tap and Jazz with Alan Arnett, Ballet with Joe Carow and Dr. Dawn Clark, performed in various choreography projects, including Dance Theatre, the yearly faculty choreographed spring performance, Madrigal Dinners, and was a member of Wheel Power, a dance performance group for dancers with disabilities.  Wendy also studied tap with Gene Medler, director of the nationally-praised NC Youth Tap Ensemble, while at the Burlington Academy of Dance Arts.  As a dance educator Wendy spent four years educating through dance at Oaks Road Elementary School in New Bern and also 4 years as dance educator at St. Paul Education Center, also in New Bern.  Mrs. Daw has also donated her time in  various community dance projects.  She was a founding member of the New Bern Dance Ensemble which was the primary dance group for the USO in Jacksonville, NC.  As a member of NBDE, Wendy has performed in various shows and had the opportunity to dance aboard the USS Saipan for members of the US Military who were coming home from Iraq.  She has also choreographed productions at New Bern Civic Theatre including Kiss Me Kate, The King and I, and Carousel  as well as Chicago with the Craven Early College.  Mrs. Daw also serves as Dance Educator for the Craven Arts Council’s annual Summer Arts Camp.  Wendy and her husband Lloyd are the proud parents of their two children, Marina and Dylan.

Joan V. Taylor

Ballet & Pointe Instructor

Joan Vermilyea Taylor began her ballet instruction at the age of 8 in Fredericksburg, VA under the instruction of Joan Limerick at the Fredericksburg School of Ballet.  She continued with Victoria Shiflett of the American Ballet Theatre, and Wilfred Schumann of the New York City Ballet.  Under their instruction she enjoyed all aspects of classical ballet and Pointe. At age 13 the family moved to Yuma, AZ where Joan began dancing at Dancer’s Workshop.  Instructors included Daniel Job, and John Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair from the San Francisco Ballet.  She received her BA in English from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1990.  Joan has been an instructor at Down East Dance since 1991 teaching all levels of Classical Ballet and Pointe.  She has resided in New Bern since 1990, is married to John Taylor of New Bern, and is proud mother to Max, Jake and Mimi Taylor.

 
Erica Sanderson

Clogging, Tap & Jazz Instructor

Mrs. Erica Parker Sanderson is a graduate of East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Education.  During Mrs. Erica’s high school years, she was titled “Miss Dance” with the Universal Dance Association of North Carolina, while dancing with New Bern High School’s Drill Team.  Ms. Erica is one of the founding members and a former Assistant Coach for New Bern High School’s Terpsichore dance team.  Being a member of The Twin River Country Dancer’s, Ms. Erica appeared in many episodes of the Wild Horse Saloon; a country music dance show that aired on the Nashville Network.  Ms. Erica was also a member of The Craven Historical Dancers where she studied 18^th Century Baroque and 16^th Century Renaissance dance under the leadership of Paige Whitley-Baugess at Down East Dance. Ms. Erica currently performs with the world renowned Green Grass Cloggers, which has allowed her the honor and opportunity of performing with the famous Ira Bernstein on several occasions.  Ms. Erica is in her 5th year of teaching at Down East Dance.

Jeanne Williams

Preschool, Jazz, & Hip Hop Instructor

Jeanne Williams graduated from East Carolina University with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a concentration in Early Childhood Development.  She began her dancing career as a young girl in Baton Rouge, LA.  Most of her training comes from Oceanside Dance Academy in Oceanside, CA where she focused mainly on ballet. She continued to dance when she and her family moved to NC at Down East Dance in New Bern, NC where she later became a dance instructor. She was a cheerleader, drill team member, and dance team member at New Bern High School. She has danced competitively in high school and college and has competed in both UDA and NDA Nationals. She was also a member of the ECU Dance Team for four years and was elected Captain her senior year.

Jeanne has taught all levels of jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and creative movement, with both Down East Dance and Terpsichore A Moving Experience in Southern Pines, NC.　 Her unique choreography has been used for high school cheerleaders, high school and college dance teams, the Arts Council of Moore County, and local dance studios in NC. This is Jeanne’s 5th season with Down East Dance as an instructor and she enjoys the energy and talent of her students and is honored to be a part of their dance growth and lives. Jeanne and her husband Taylor, and　their daughter Kenley, reside in Greenville.

Jane Peele

Preschool, Kinderdance, Jazz, & Modern Instructor

Jane Atkinson Peele is a native of New Bern where she has been Dance Educator with Craven County Schools since 1992.  She graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts high school program.  Jane also received BS degrees from East Carolina University in both Dance Education and Physical Education, as well as her MA Ed.  She has toured nationally with Jim Henson’s Muppet Show on Tour and has worked with several regional modern and jazz companies in California and New York.  She was an original member of Atlantic Dance Theatre and an original member of Collectively Speaking, a modern dance company in Greenville, NC.  Jane is the proud mother of her daughter Carlee.