Barrington Dance Academy Faculty

Mary Brennan, owner and director of The Studio, has over 25 years of teaching experience in the field of dance. Her dance education includes study with Michael Maule, Gus Giordano, Pamela Jonhson Tanis, Judith Svalander, Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay and the Royal Academy of Dance in London. Mary earned a Theatre Education Degree from the University of Illinois while studying and performing with the National Academy of dance. After graduation Mary held the position of drama director for the public school system in Champaign, IL. Later, she owned and directed a private school for Dance and Dramatic Arts while doing post graduate work in dance at the U of I and performing with regional companies. After relocating to the Chicagoland area, Mary was on staff with the Judith Svalander School of Ballet. She opened her present school in 1984 and has served as artistic director for the Barrington Youth Dance Ensemble since 1989.

Karen Janet joined the BDA faculty in 1997. With an extensive training and performance resume in classical ballet, Ms Janet possesses a sharp and creative eye for choreography, which is second only to her kind and motivating spirit. She received her early classical ballet training from Ruby Gaba, Joyce Lang, Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay. Her training gave her the opportunity to be awarded a scholarship to travel Europe as a dance member of the Talented Teens performing arts group where she performed in France, Germany, England, Holland and Switzerland. She then became a member of the DuPage Ballet Company under the direction of Lloyd Labit. After a leg injury halted her career, Ms Janet began training with Patricia Sigurdson, Artistic Director of the Salt Creek Ballet and was able to return to performance status. Throughout her dance career, Ms Janet has performed numerous roles including her favorites, Firebird, Sugar Plum Fairy, Swan Lake, Variations on Rococo Theme and Fledermaus. After retiring from performance level, she was asked to assist in Salt Creek Ballet School's curriculum and operations. Relocating to the McHenry County area, Ms Janet joined the faculty of the Woodstock Ballet Studio and later became Artistic Director of its company, setting original and classical ballet pieces until joining the Barrington Dance Academy in August 1997. In addition to teaching classes at BDA, Ms Janet has been serving as a rehearsal mistress for the BYDE for over 6 years, working on our annual Nutcracker production, as well as Coppelia, Under the Big Top and our currently, The Sleeping Beauty. Ms Janet has also shared her choreographic talent with the BYDE setting 2 original pieces, Altering Attitudes and Love Letters. Her love of teaching stems from a love of perfoming. Ms Janet has taken the stage as a performer with the BYDE in her roles as the Mother in the Nutcracher and the Fancy Lady in Under the Big Top.

Jessica Till received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999 from the University of Iowa, where she majored in dance and communications. She received her formal training from the Barrington Dance Academy and was one of the original members of the BYDE. Ms. Gumowski's performance credits include lead dancing roles in productions of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Peter and the Wolf, West Side Story, Oklahoma, Anything Goes, 42nd Street, and On the Town. In addition to her teaching, she holds the position of Executive Director of the BYDE and is the General Manager of Production for the Company.

Pamela Johnson Tanis is a former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet (New York) and also danced with American Ballet Theatre, Maria Tallchief’s Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Illinois Ballet. She was coached in principal roles by Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, George Balanchine, Leonide Massine, Danilova, Bronislava Nijinska, Todd Bolender, Jerome Robbins and Alvin Ailey, among others. She trained with Richard Ellis & Christine Du Boulay, Robert Joffrey, Hector Zaraspe, and Basil Thompson. She has taught at Dartmouth College, Ballet Folk of Moscow (Idaho), Gus Giordano’s Dance Studio, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and served on the faculties of Northern Illinois University (co-director), Columbia College Dance Center (Chicago) and Barat College Dance Conservatory (Lake Forest). She is a biographee in the Marquis Who’s Who in Entertainment. Pam is on the faculty of North Shore School of Dance and the Joel Hall Dance Center where she also serves as ballet mistress for the Joel Hall Dancers.

Roberta Pfeil-Begley began teaching at the Dance Academy in 1993. Ms. Begley came to the school with an extensive resume including professional performance credits, years of teaching experience and directing credits including the Redwoood Empire Ballet Co., and Ballet Theater North. An expert in the classroom as both an instructor and a rehearsal coach, the Dance Acedmy is privileged to have Ms. Begley on staff. Roberta started her early dance studies in Chicago with Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay, performing under their direction with the Illinois Ballet Company. She went on to perform professionally with the Ruth Page' s Chicago Ballet, Geneva Ballet of Switzerland, and San Francisco Ballet. She founded Dancer's Workshop, her own school and company in California before returning to Chicago where she continues to teach and choreograph. Ms. Begley's pieces have been featured nationally at Regional Ballet Festivals and throughout the Chicago area. Currently, Roberta serves as the Head Rehearsal Mistress for BYDE.

Guillermo Leyva Barley was born in Camaguey Cuba, where he began dancing at the age of nine at the Escuela Profesional de Artes. Having graduated in 1981 at the top of his class, Mr. Barley went on to dance with the Ballet de Camaguey, under the direction of Fernando Alonso, where he quickly rose to the status of principal dancer. Mr. Barley has participated in several international competitions, including Varna, Bulgaria and Osaka, Japan. Upon leaving Cuba, he joined Ballet de Monterrey, Mexico, directed by Ann-Marie D’Angelo, Fernando Alonso and Fernando Bujones. Mr. Barley has danced with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and presently is a principal with Ballet Theatre of Chicago. Mr. Barley has performed extensively in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. As a principal dancer he has performed Albrecht in Giselle, the Corsaire Pas de Deux, Franz in Coppelia, Sugar Plum Cavalier in The Nutcracker and Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake.

Amy Vandenbergh is thrilled to be part of the Barrington Dance Academy. Amy is a former student who danced with BYDE until 1999 when she went to Marquette University. Amy came on board as a teacher for the academy in March 2004. She teaches the creative movement and pre-ballet ballet students and is having a great time. Amy also just completed her student teaching in seventh grade English at Barrington Middle School- Station Campus and is now substitute teaching for District 220 until she lands a full-time position.