From 2008 to 2016, she owned her own dance studio in Orange County, California leaving only to focus on her growing family. Jackie is now super excited and honored to be teaching again for Dance Arts Iowa.
Any comments, questions or concerns should be addressed to Jackie. The contact information is 319.558.9202 or [email protected].
Tap, Ballet and Contemporary Ballet
Miss Courtenay has fifteen years of experience in Tap and Ballet from the Carousel Dance Studio in Clinton, IA. She danced with the Gateway Contemporary Ballet Company (a pre-professional company) in 1991 and was a founding member of the Pizzaz Tap Company in 1987-1089. Miss Courtenay has choreographed numerous shows such as The Baker’s Wife (2004), Hair (2003) at Cornell College and Is There Life After High School? (1995) at the University of Northern Iowa. Miss Courtenay also participated in numerous performances including The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, A Tribute to Fred Astaire, Godspell, and Annie. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Secondary Theatre, Speech, and English Education, University of Northern Iowa (1995) and from the University of Iowa with an MBA (2019). She serves as Treasurer for the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Theatre, for which she has directed recent productions of Peter and the Starcatcher (2023) and Jesus Christ Superstar (2025). She is also the Secretary of the Iowa Community Theatre Association.
Hannah Day
Irish Step, Dance Teams and Ballet
Miss Hannah is teaching at DAI while pursuing a degree in Business Administration: Management & Entrepreneurship at Kirkwood Community College where she is also a member of the Kirkwood Dance Team. She has been a teacher and student at DAI for thirteen years as a student of Ballet, Contemporary Ballet, Jazz, and Irish Step. Hannah was a member of the Maolisa Irish Step dance troupe. She enjoys passing on the love of dance to her students!
Musical Theatre
Miss Jill is the Events Director for NewBoCo, a non-profit located in Cedar Rapids. She has a major in communications with a public relations emphasis and a minor in Theatre from Wartburg College. Miss Jill has enjoyed performing in many productions including area productions of Shrek, Beauty and The Beast and Nunsense. Miss Jill has choreographed over 18 musical productions for area high schools including the Mount Vernon High School musicals for the past 8 years.
Ella Krob
Irish Dance I
Ella Krob danced for 8 years with Dance Arts Iowa. While at Dance Arts Iowa she has participated in several different classes, including in Musical Theatre and Irish. She is excited to return to teaching Irish Step.
Ellis Gatewood Elliott, Founder and Artistic Consultant
Ellis Gatewood Elliott founded Dance Arts Iowa in 2004 and developed the studio into what it is today- a viable and technically sound dance studio for dancers ages three to eighteen years. She set the standard for students to obtain a dance education in a fun environment while developing a successful business in the community. She and Kaleena Marshall and later Taylor Koch taught classes and choreographed the spring dance concerts performed by Dance Arts Iowa students. Miss Ellis and Tim Elliott married in 2011 and now live out of state. We are forever grateful to her for creation of Dance Arts Iowa and the legacy she left the Mount Vernon-Lisbon community.
NOTE: This biographical information is only a summary of the teachers’ skills and accomplishments.
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