GRACE LUTTRELL NANAVATI

Grace is the owner/director of Dance Arts Studio, Inc. She has a B.A. in Dance from Butler University

and a M.A. in Community Arts Management from UIS. She was the founder and Artistic Director for the

Springfield Ballet Company (1975-1997) and prior to that was the artistic director for the Copper Coin

Ballet Company (1973-1975). She is presently the Director Emeritus for the Springfield Ballet Company.

She has choreographed many productions for the Muni Opera, the Springfield Theatre Center, and the

Springfield Opera Theatre as well as Sacred Heart Academy and Springfield High School. She also

choreographed for Medical Madness and Health First Clinic. She has received many awards in the Springfield

Community, including the 1990 Illinois Times Best of Springfield - Outstanding Dancer and Outstanding Dance

Studio. She is the Master Teacher for Artist In Residence, working with over 8,000 students a year. Grace is

very active in the Arts in Springfield, she is past President of the Springfield Art Associationand currently

Trustee of the Hoogland Center for the Arts serving as Vice President and Director of Operations.

JULIE DUNN

Julie Dunn is the Artistic Director of the Springfield Ballet Company. She received her B.S. in Dance

Performance/Choreography from Illinois State University and was a full scholarship Graduate

Fellow in Exercise Physiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation at Northeastern Illinois University. She has

performed with the SBC, ISU University Dance Theatre, Twin Cities Ballet Company, Scottish

American Ballet Company in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the Harvard University Summer Dance

Program. She studied dance in Chicago at Ruth Page, Lou Conte and Joseph Holmes dance studios.

Julie returned to Springfield in 1981 joining the staff of Dance and Studio and becoming Ballet Mistress

for the Springfield Ballet Company. She has received the Springfield Area Arts Council City Arts choreography

award and was a member of the Illinois Arts Council Dance Panel. Julie has choreographed Camelot and

Scrooge for Springfield Theater Center, and How to Succeed in Business..., Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,

Annie Warbucks and Miss Saigon for The Muni. She performed the role of Mona in Muni's Chicago,

co-choreographed CATS and co-directed and choreographed Urinetown: The Musical for Over the Moon

Productions Julie is a member of the Illinois Arts Council “Partners in Excellence” panel.

GINA DECROIX

Gina DeCroix holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Communication from the University at Illinois at Springfield.

She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Dance Performance from Illinois State University and is the Ballet

Mistress for the Springfield Ballet Company. Gina has performed in and choreographed for countless SBC

productions and has performed with the Scottish American Ballet in the Edinburgh Arts Festival Fringe.

She has choreographed SHG's productions of Beauty & the Beast, Suessical: The Musical, and State Fair,

and is the choreographer for SHG's Encore! and Premiere. Gina is actively involved in community theatre,

having performed the role of Rumpleteazer in CATS and Little Becky Two-Shoes/Mrs. Millennium in Urinetown:

The Musical for Over the Moon Productions, and as Bebe in A Chorus Line and in Miss Saigon for Muni.

GARY SHULL

Gary has taught dance at Milikin University for over twebty years. He is a member of the Internationsl Tap

Association ane the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. As Gary returnd to central Illinois,

his feet have never slowed. He is currently teaching ballroom, theatre jazz and tap at Dance Arts Studio.

He recently co-directed CHICAGO at Springfield Muni Opera, co-directed Into the woods at TIP,

co-choreographed CATS for Over the Moon Productions and choreographed The World Goes Round

for Gordon Productions.