Rocky Duvall - Artistic Director

Rocky has been performing all of his life. He got his start at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and completed his training on full scholarship with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance in Chicago. He has travelled extensively performing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and worked successfully in all facets of the South Florida professional theatre community as a member of Actors Equity Association. In recognition of Rocky’s choreography in the year 2000, he was nominated for a Carbonell Award (a South Florida Theater Critics Award). In addition to his career as a performer, Rocky has taught master classes at prestigious dance studios from Palm Beach through the Fort Lauderdale area. He has also held the position of Director of the Dance Department at the North Broward Preparatory Schools in Coconut Creek, instructed and choreographed for Olympic Heights High School in Boca Raton, the Palm Beach Principal Players, the Wellington High School Dance Team and for Avi Hoffman’s New Vista Theater Company in Boca Raton.  For the past 8 years he has owned and operated the Dance Arts Conservatory in Wellington, FL with his wife Dorie.  Their combined artistic vision at DAC has created a diverse dance program from which their students emerge with a powerfully rounded dance experience. Now, they introduce the arts to the community at a whole new level, as they align with Ballet Master Jesse Hammel as Artistic Director to launch the Wellington Ballet Theatre, a not for profit dance company and charitable organization providing cultural enrichment through the art of dance and performance.

    Dorie Duvall

With over 26 years experience in dance education, 13 years in professional bodywork, and as a mother of three beautiful children, Dorie is every grateful for each way she is able to continue to touch lives  through movement, dance and the arts. She began her formal dance education here in South Florida at the Dance Academy of Deerfield Beach and the Dillard High School of Performing Arts. Moving to New York, she continued her dance education at STEPS, studying with Susie Taylor, Joe Lanteri and Michelle Assaf. Professionally, Dorie has instructed dance programs and performance companies at numerous studios in New York and Florida. She has performed world wide with Norwegian and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a featured performer. She has also enjoyed an artistic career in the musical theatre industry, performing in many productions as a member of Actors Equity Association. As an adjunct to her dancing, Dorie is a Florida Licensed L.M.T specializing in the ancient healing art of Traditional Thai bodywork. She enjoys blending her knowledge of anatomy and physiology into her dance programming, inspiring her students to a deeper understanding of their dance experience. For the past 8 years she has owned and operated the Dance Arts Conservatory in Wellington, FL with her husband Rocky.  Their combined artistic vision at DAC has created a diverse dance program from which their students emerge with a powerfully rounded dance experience. Now, they introduce the arts to the community at a whole new level, as they align with Ballet Master Jesse Hammel as Artistic Director to launch the Wellington Ballet Theatre, a not for profit dance company and charitable organization providing cultural enrichment through the art of dance and performance.

  Fran Peters

Fran Peters was the owner and artistic director of Fran’s Studio of Dance in Oxon Hill Maryland for 31 years. She has served as the artistic director for the PM Dance Institute, a 501c3 organization, for 27 years and currently directs and choreographs for the PM Dance Company. Over the course of her career, Fran Peters has helped numerous students achieve professional careers in the arts. Her passion and direct approach are known through out the industry. Fran believes dance and competition foster confidence in the hearts of her students. This belief guides her in mentoring and teaching her students skills that take them beyond the dance floor. Her students have appeared on shows like Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Star Search, and So You Think You Can Dance. They have also performed at Disney World, Disney Land, The Kennedy Center, and Children’s Hospital with our then First Lady Hillary Clinton, NBC, The National Theater, the Cherry Blossom Parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The White House, Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas, and the NBA All Star half time show. At this time, her students can be seen in theme parks, cruise lines and as New York City Rockettes. Broadway credits include Lion King, Music Man, Sweet Charity, Aida, and Wicked, which resulted in one of her students receiving the prestigious “Gypsy Robe” award. She has also coached several international gold medalists, including Rasta Thomas and Michele Wiles. Karla Garcia, So You Think You Can Dance Top 14, Season 5 is a student of Fran Peters. During Fran’s illustrious career, she has been the recipient of the Bill Como Award, the Capezio and the David de Marie award for choreography.Fran has taught for every major dance organization including Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America, Dance Teachers of Boston, N.A.D.A., Maryland Council of Dance, and the Professional Dance Teachers of America. She has taught tap and jazz internationality and consults for many private studios setting choreography and teaching dance technique. She is certified by the National Council of Dance, and is in great demand as a performing arts judge. She has served as the National Scholarship Chairperson and the National Director of Performing Arts competition and was a member of the board of directors for Dance Masters of America. She is a founding member of Dance Masters of America chapter 45 and serves as the Convention Chairman, and Faculty Chairperson. She is also responsible for securing judges for the performing arts competitions hosted by Dance Masters of America Chapter 45. She was the regional director for the Fred Astaire Performing Arts Competition. Fran has served on the national board of directors for Dance Educators of America and as a faculty member of the dance department at Suitland Center for the Visual and Performing Arts High School; she implemented the tap and jazz program, which is still flourishing today. Thus setting the standard for other dance departments in the Maryland public school system. Articles about Fran Peters have appeared in Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit and Dancer Magazine.She has appeared on several panels and lead discussions on competitions, costuming, makeup,and choreography.

  Sandra Goodnough

Sandra Goodnough received her formal dance training in South Florida under the direction of Betty d’Avray.  She has danced professionally with several Ballet and Modern Dance companies in South Florida and Texas including: Freddick Bratcher & Company, Momentum Dance Company, Corpus Christi Ballet Theatre and Contemporary Dance Theatre.  Sandra founded and was the Artistic Director for the Contemporary Dance Company of  Boca Raton; a non-profit dance company that offered professional dancers and advanced students a venue to perform and serve the community through artistic outreach.  She also owned and operated the Dance Conservatory; a school dedicated to quality dance education and instruction.  Sandra is trained in many forms of dance, specializing in all levels of Classical and Contemporary Ballet and Modern Dance.

  Melissa Waters

Melissa grew up in sunny South Florida. She attended Palm Beach County School of the Arts for ballet and modern dance and attended through middle and high school. She attended several schools including Florida Dance Conservatory, Boca Ballet Theater, and Klein Dance for deeper concentration in ballet and modern dance. She also had the opportunity to study the R.A.D. syllabus early in her teaching career. She danced with many companies throughout South Florida including Boca Ballet Theater, Corps Chameleon, Millennium Dance Syndicate, and performed as a guest artist with many different companies as well. She was also accepted to North Carolina School of the Arts for college, but declined and continued dancing and teaching locally in South Florida.  In 2007, Melissa moved to Los Angeles to teach and continue her training. She was on scholarship with many great teachers, while teaching at several different schools. While training in Los Angeles, she built a ballet program and two performing ballet companies at Le Studio Dance in Pasadena. She choreographed an hour long Nutcracker and a short ballet "Alice in Wonderland" along with many other short ballets and contemporary pieces. Le Studio was later voted “Best Dance Studio” of Pasadena. Melissa has had students accepted into many programs such as ABT, Gelsey Kirland's Academy, Julliard, Los Angeles School of the Arts, Arizona University, and the Colburn Pre-Professional Training Program on scholarship. She is also working on her B.A. in psychology and believes these studies have been a tremendous help in understanding her students and their development.

    Lawrence Albright

We are thrilled to have Larry on our faculty once again as our hip hop guru!! Larry has been teaching, dancing and performing his style of hip hop for 11 years in shows throughout the states of NY, NJ, PA and FL. He has choreographed for P-FUNK dance company, Infinite DS, Like Clockwork, Sean’s Dance Factory and Next Level, and for Rutgers and Florida International University dance teams. His teaching experience is extensive having taught many dance programs and conducted master classes for many conventions including the Dance Masters of America, StreetStylz, Pick the Stars International, The Winter Dance Festival at the Florida School of the Arts, and the Broadway Bound Dance Intensive from Star Systems Dance Competition. He has also been part of the opening acts for such artist’s as Lil Mo, Fabolous, Common, and Nelly. Larry is a father of three, and his teaching is top notch.