Meet Our Team
Meet the Heart of Our Studio
The heart of our studio lies in our dedicated dance teachers. Passionate, experienced, and inspiring, our instructors are committed to nurturing each student’s love for dance while fostering confidence, discipline, and creativity. Their unwavering support and mentorship create a positive, motivating environment where students can grow both as dancers and individuals. It’s through their guidance that our studio truly comes alive, making every dance journey special and meaningful.​​
Ms. Gretchen
Dance Instructor
Gretchen is the proud mother of Emily Jane Striegel and a cherished member of our EJDC family. Originally from Joplin, Missouri, she has over 15 years of dance experience, including her time as a member of the Joplin Civic Ballet Company. She continued her passion for dance through ballet and tap classes during her college years.
Gretchen earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and later obtained a master’s degree in communication arts from Webster University. Before retiring, she dedicated many years to teaching kindergarten through second grade, inspiring young minds with patience and creativity.
She and her husband, David, are proud parents of four grown children—three daughters and a son—and proud grandparents to Avery, a talented young dancer on the EJDC Competition Team.
Gretchen is excited to continue supporting EJDC’s growth and mission. She is passionate about helping children not only learn and enjoy dance but also build confidence, discipline, and a strong work ethic—values she believes are essential for every student’s personal and artistic development.
Ms. Evan
Dance Instructor &
Competitive Admin Assistant
Evan grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where her passion for dance and performance began at the age of three. Throughout her youth, she explored a variety of dance styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, poms, and hip-hop. She competed extensively at her dance studio and was also a proud member of the Marquette High School Mystique dance team.
Evan pursued her education at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, earning a B.A. in Psychology. During her time there, she served as president and choreographer for the E-Motion dance team and choreographed jazz, hip-hop, and modern dance pieces for the university’s multicultural dance collective’s biannual recital.
After graduating, Evan returned to St. Louis and spent years working with children as a nanny and tutor. Now, she is thrilled to reconnect with her love of dance and is excited to create a welcoming, supportive environment where all dancers can enjoy expressing themselves through movement.
Ms. Kelsie
Dance Instructor &
Competitive Admin Assistant
Kelsie started dancing at age 3 in her hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Throughout her childhood, she competed with her studio team and earned numerous top overall scores. After high school, she attended the University of Iowa, where she earned a B.A. in Health and Human Physiology with a focus on Health Promotion. During college, Kelsie was a proud member of the nationally ranked Iowa Dance Team, helping them achieve their highest score in school history at UDA Nationals.
Outside of dance, Kelsie serves as the assistant dance team coach at Eureka High School. In her free time, she loves spending quality time with her family, playing with her dogs, Lulu and Kinnick, and staying active through pickleball and golfing. She is excited to share her passion for dance with her students, inspiring them to work hard, have fun, and find joy in movement just as she does!
Ms. Aubrey
Dance Instructor
Growing up in Cullman, Alabama, Aubrey began her dance training at Cullman Ballet Theatre and the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She also received early instruction from Natalya Getman and Andrei Bossov at the Bossov Ballet Theatre School in Pittsfield, Maine. In 2009, she traveled with Bossov Ballet to St. Petersburg, Russia, where she performed at the prestigious International Ballet Festival.
In 2010, Aubrey launched her professional dance career as a trainee with Nashville Ballet, later being promoted to company apprentice in 2015. Under the direction of Paul Vasterling, she performed in a variety of productions including Carmina Burana, Peter Pan, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker (as the Spanish role), as well as Seasons and Something Wicked. During her time with Nashville Ballet, she worked with renowned choreographers such as Gina Patterson, Banning Bouldin, and resident choreographer Christopher Stuart. In 2017, Aubrey performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where Nashville Ballet made its debut appearance performing The Ben Folds Project as part of the Ballet Across America series.
From 2016 to 2018, Aubrey danced with Ballet Quad Cities, taking on featured roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy and Rat Queen in The Nutcracker, the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, and Lucy in Deanna Carter’s Dracula. Since relocating to St. Louis, she has performed with MADCO (Modern American Dance Company) and is currently a member of Ballet 314.
With over 13 years of performance, teaching, and choreography experience, Aubrey has taught ballet at all levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—at Vitality Ballet, Belleville School of Ballet, and currently at Dynamic Edge Dance Center. She is passionate about sharing her artistry and love of ballet, and she is excited to continue inspiring students at Emily Jane Dance Center.
Ms. Ana
Dance Instructor
Ana has been dancing since age three. She grew up dancing at a local studio in a small town outside of Chicago. She moved to Madison, WI when she was 14 to begin more intensive training at the Monona Academy of Dance. Under the direction of Artistic Director, JoJean Retrum, Ana participated in competitive dance as well as in pre-professional Dance Wisconsin performances. She trained in as many styles as she could including Ballet, Pointe, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Character, Musical Theater, Ballroom, and Hip Hop. Over the course of 4 years, Ana performed various repertoire each year from both resident and guest choreographers. She was recognized for her work by Youth America Grand Prix by being awarded 1st Place Senior Contemporary in Chicago and by Regional Dance America MidStates as Senior Outstanding Soloist for three consecutive years. Ana also danced in several ballets including “The Wizard of Oz”, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, and The “Nutcracker”. To diversify her training, Ana danced with Barrio Dance in Madison, focusing on Urban Dance styles.
After graduating from high school, Ana spent a year at the The Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago as a Contemporary Ballet Trainee, under Director Katlin Michael Bourgeois. There, she danced with artists from around the world while receiving training in contemporary, Countertechnique, Graham, Horton, ballet and West African dance. She performed in pieces choreographed by Manoela Goncalves, Jainil Mehta, and was a soloist in a piece set by Martha Nichols.
Ana then spent a season in Oklahoma City to train under Director of School and Studio Company, Rachel Nye, at Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School and was a company member with RACE Dance Collective under Executive Director Sheri Hayden and Founder Hui Cha Poos. Ana recently moved to St. Louis to begin her professional career with Resilience Dance St. Louis under director Emily Haussler. She is excited to be performing while teaching with Emily Jane Dance Center this year!
Ana has taught for numerous studios over the years for students of all ages and levels. Ana is passionate about sharing the love of dance while establishing a strong foundation, knowledge and technique for each style of dance. She is looking forward to meeting all the dancers and teaching at Emily Jane Dance Center for her first year!