Our Instructors and Staff

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 Ballet, Pointe, Pre Pointe Instructor

Bonnie Gombos, former Director of the Darien Arts Center Dance Program, has been teaching for over

35 years in Queens and Fairfield County. She has been at DAC for more than 26 years working with

students from ages three to adult; beginner to company, with a wide range of dance styles from classical

ballet, to jazz and modern. She has also worked at the Connecticut Ballet for many years as a teaching

artist; working with Kids in Crisis, Trailblazers and in Juvenile Detention Centers. Bonnie was a Dance

Theater major at Queens College, N.Y. and received most of her training from Hannah Kroner, Finis

Jhung and the New York School of Ballet, and has received a degree in Avionics from the College of

Aeronautics. Bonnie is currently a teaching artist at Orlando Ballet.

Contemporary/Jazz/ Technique Instructor

Lonnel has been teaching dance for over 30 years! A national scholarship recipient at both Tremaine Dance Center and Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, she has performed on cruise ships, taught in competitive studios, and even ran her own dance studio in Colorado for two years. She has taught all ages in jazz, tap, musical theatre, contemporary, ballet, and choreography, and loves helping dancers grow in confidence, teamwork, and creativity. As a proud mom, she brings the same love, energy, and encouragement to her students that she does at home, sharing the joy of dance with everyone who steps into her class!

 Preschool, Musical Theater, Jazz, Lyrical

Miss. Gloria, affectionately known as Miss. G, began dancing at the age of three and continued her training through college. She has studied a variety of styles including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary and musical theater.

With years of experience teaching, choreographing, and coaching competitive dance teams across Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Miss Gloria brings both technical knowledge, inspiration and positivity to her classes. Her teaching style blends discipline with encouragement, helping dancers build confidence while refining their technique. Her favorite part of teaching is watching her students shine with confidence on stage!

When she is not in the studio, Miss Gloria enjoys exploring local theme parks, listening to live music, and spending time with her family.

Preschool, Acrobatics

Jessica Leasure has been a dancer since the age of two, and dance has been her lifelong passion! She began dancing competitively at the age of 5 and continued all the way through her senior year of high school. She is trained extensively in jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and acrobatics. Her primary specialties are jazz, tap, and ballet.

Jessica has spent the past six years teaching dance full-time to students of all ages and has extensive experience directing and choreographing. As a senior dance instructor and teams director, she directed an elite performance team that performed at the NASCAR Championship Race and Tucson Roadrunners hockey game. She also lead her previous studio’s Disneyland Parade Team to dance down Main Street with Dance the Magic. She has choreographed numerous recital and production numbers each year, developed new classes, directed summer camps, and mentored student assistants. She finds great joy in working with young dancers to help them build their technical skills and confidence.

Jessica’s performance background extends beyond dance. She is a classically trained singer and has performed in numerous theater productions. Some of her most notable include Roxie Hart in Chicago and The Ghost of Christmas Past in A Lyrical Christmas Carol, both with Pittsburgh Musical Theater. She has also performed in many other shows across theater companies, including playing Jo March in Little Women, Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, Alice in Alice in Alice in Wonderland, and Wendy Darling in Peter Pan. She has also extended this love of theater into choreographing entire productions, including Fiddler on the Roof and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Her theater training, combined with her dance and acrobatic training, give her a well-rounded approach to performance and choreography.

Above all, Jessica is passionate about creating a positive environment where students feel encouraged to challenge themselves, build confidence, and develop a genuine love for dance.