Gerami Academy Faculty
"The Stars of Tomorrow are Created from the Teachers of Today."
12 THINGS THAT OUR TEACHERS DO!
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We encourage children to lead inspired lives with our positive reinforcement in every class.
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Whether a child is outgoing or timid, naturally gifted or struggling through class, they are all gifts and will always leave class feeling loved.
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We make a conscious effort to know each student personally.
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We are aware that a smile is worth a thousand words.
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We will check on a child that has missed consecutive classes. We care.
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We establish rules for everyone, including ourselves. We don't check our cell phones and we are always dressed according to our dress code.
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We are consistent with our class expectations, no matter what mood we are in.
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We are energetic, enthusiastic and enjoy our job.
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We are the authority figure in the class and we will have limits and structure.
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All of our comments are constructive and motivational.
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We are positive with all students in their abilities and weaknesses.
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We will apologize when we have made a mistake, overreact, or say something harsh in class.
Rebecca Landry
Gerami Academy proprietress Rebecca D. Landry is a graduate of Gerami Academy herself, as well a Joeffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theatre scholarship winner, and attaining Graduate Instructor of Dance Masters of America, Graduate Instructor of Dance Educators of America, Graduate Instructor of the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists, Graduate Instructor of International Dance and Exercise Association and Certified Instructor of the National Ballroom Association.
In addition to her work with students at Gerami and numerous civic activities and awards, she has provided entertainment, choreography and technical direction for dozens of special events, including a wide range of Mardi Gras Krewe events; Junior Miss of Louisiana; Performing Arts Society of Acadiana special events; and numerous special events, local festivals and associations, and civic functions.
Jade Gauthreaux
Jade Landry Gauthreaux has been involved with Gerami Academy since the age of three. She is the daughter of Rebecca Landry and has assisted and taught at Gerami Academy for over 20 years. Jade is an Assistant Artistic Director of Jazz Extensions Dance Co. and Classical Connections of Louisiana. Jade is a 1992 Graduate of Gerami Academy. She received a full scholarship for Basketball at the University of Southwestern Louisiana where she received her BA Degree in Criminal Justice. Jade and her husband, Glenn have one daughter, Jenna. Jade continues to perform and choreograph throughout Acadiana as part of the Gerami Academy Faculty.
Corie Wells
Corie Wells has been dancing at Gerami Academy since the age of four. She has been on staff for 20 years. At present, she is teaching Jazz, Tumbling, Kick & Punch, Tap, and Ballet.
Corie is a member of Jazz Extensions Dance Company and Classical Connections of Louisiana. She is also the proud mother of two boys, Dakota and Solon.
Mona Izzo
Mona Izzo began dancing lessons at Gerami Acadent at age four. She has been a member of Gerami's Exercise Classes for over 20 years.
She retired from teaching Math at Paul Breaux Middle School. She is married to photographer, Danny Izzo, owner of Nouveau Photeau.
She has grown daughters, Jill, Sara, Michelle, and Thia. Two of her grandchildren are students at Gerami Academy. Mona teaches Step Aerobics and Cardio Kick & Punch classes at Gerami Academy.
Telecia Broussard
Telecia Broussard graduated from St. Martinville Senior High in 2008. She is currently attending UL Lafayette, majoring in Early Childhood Education. She will graduate in the Fall of 2012 and plans to continue her studies to obtain her Masters Degree.
Telecia graduated from Gerami Academy in 2008 in the subjects of Tap, Ballet, and Jazz. She has assisted at Gerami Academy since the age of 16 and presently teaches Pre-School and Primary levels. She is also an active member of Classical Connections of Louisiana and Jazz Extensions Dance Company. Telecia loves dance and plans to continue dancing through college and the years after.
Olivia Arceneaux
Olivia Arceneaux enrolled in dancing at the age of two. She graduated from Gerami Academy in 2012 in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Tumbling. Olivia is the Coach of the Gerami Tumbling Team.
Starting as an assistant in 2001 in Ballet, Tap, Tumbling, Jazz, and Exercise classes, Olivia has worked to full fledged instructor at Gerami's and still has time to perform for Classical Connections of Louisiana and Jazz Extension Dance Company.
Olivia graduated from Acadiana High School in 2008 and is a former member of their dance team. She was a Universal Dance Association All-Star for two years, and a veteran Cheerleader for the Lafayette Wildcatter Professional Football Team and the Louisiana Icegators.
She is currently enrolled at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette majoring in Exercise Science with a concentration in Dance.
Sarah Mallory
Sarah Mallory graduated from Lafayette High in 2008. In the spring of 2012, she graduated from UL Lafayette with a major in Elementary Education. She is currently working at Academy of Sacred Heart while beginning work on her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a Reading Specialist Certification.
Sarah has been dancing for many years, but, has been at Gerami's since 2006. She graduated from Gerami Academy in 2010 and has assisted at the studio since then. Sarah teaches Pre-School and Primary Level classes, and Yoga Exercise. She has also assisted Tap, Tumbling, and Ballet from the Pre-School Level through Level I.
Rachel LaValley
Rachel LaValley graduated from Acadiana High School in 1999 and UL Lafayette in 2003, majoring in Business Management. Rachel began at Gerami Academy at the age of seven and graduated from Gerami Academy in 1998 in Ballet, Jazz, and Tumbling.
Rachel teaches Jazz, Ballet, Pointe and Exercise classes. She is also a member of Classical Connections of La. and Jazz Extensions Dance Co. Rachel hopes to continue dancing for as long as she can walk!
Abigail Halle
Abigail Halle started dancing at Gerami Academy at the age of four. She graduated in 2016 in Jazz, Ballet, Tap and Acrobatics. She is a member of the Jazz Extensions Company and performs in a variety of functions across Acadiana. While attending Gerami Academy, she also performed for four years in the production of “The Nutcracker” with the Lafayette Ballet Theatre. She became an assistant instructor in 2012 and currently teaches the Pre-school and Primary levels, as well as assists various dance and exercise classes.
Abigail graduated from Lafayette High in 2017 and is currently attending UL at Lafayette. She is majoring in Elementary Education and will graduate in 2021. Gerami Academy has always been a place for Abigail to express herself and share her love of dance with an incredible community. She will continue her dancing and teaching career at Gerami Academy for many years to come.
Morgan Ryckman
Morgan Ryckman graduated from Lafayette High in 2007. She is currently attending UL Lafayette with a major in Business.
Morgan graduated from Gerami Academy in 2006 in the subjects of Ballet, Jazz, and Tumbling. Assisting and teaching since 2008 in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Tumbling, and Hip Hop, Morgan is involved in every level at the studio. Currently, Morgan is a member of Classical Connections of Louisiana and Jazz Extensions Dance Company. She is a former member of Gerami's Performing Tumbling Team and now serves as the Assistant Coach. Morgan plan to continue her dance involvement through college and the years after.
Claire Dugas
Claire Dugas graduated from St. Thomas More High School in 2016 and is attending UL Lafayette majoring in Health Services Administration.
Claire has been dancing at Gerami Academy since age 3 taking Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Tumbling, and Hip Hop classes. She began assisting classes in 2014 assisting all subjects and ages. Claire graduated from Gerami Academy in 2016 in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Tumbling. She is now an instructor of all ages at the studio. Claire is also currently a member of Classical Connections of Louisiana and Jazz Extensions Dance Company.
Ted Viator
Ted Viator graduated in 1973 from the Lester Mae School of Dance in New Iberia, Louisiana. He has taught Tap, Tumbling, Baton and Adagio classes in New Iberia and Lafayette.
Ted was a contestant for Dancing with the Stars/Sacred Heart, and Ascension School’s Blue Gator Boogie. Ted is part of the Gerami Family as Prop Master for their productions and bi-annual Dance Revue.
Ted’s charity projects include the Alzheimer’s Association of Louisiana, Shadows on the Teche, ULL Alumni, and the League for Equality. Ted is an award winning licensed Landscape Architect, licensed Florist and is the owner of a full service floral shop, “The Gardenaire”, located in Lafayette. Ted has put a smile on the faces of many brides with his many skills as a Wedding Planner!
Ted teaches Kick and Punch , Drummin’, and Zumba at Gerami’s.
Rebecca Fisher
Rebecca Fisher has been dancing at Gerami Academy since the age of three. She is a 2016 graduate of the studio in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Tumbling. She has been teaching and assisting all subjects and ages at Gerami’s for the past 5 years. Rebecca is currently the Assistant Coach for the Gerami Academy Tumbling Team.
Rebecca enrolled currently at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a major in Biology. She plans on attending Optometry school after graduating.
Kelsey Whitmeyer
Kelsey Whitmeyer graduated from Lafayette High in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2013. She was a four year member of the Performing Arts Academy and an LHS Dance Team Captain in her Senior year. Currently a Junior enrolled at ULL, she is in the B. I. Moody III College of Business Administration majoring in Marketing.
Kelsey has been dancing at Gerami Academy of Fine Arts since the age of 3. She graduated from Gerami’s in 2012 in Ballet, Jazz, and Tap. She is an Office Assistant and currently teaching and assisting all forms of Dance, Exercise and Tumbling. She has performed for all major Carnival Krewes, Fundraisers, and Industrial Shows.
When not attending school or dancing, Kelsey enjoys spending time with family and friends, listening to music, attending concerts, and traveling to the Beach!
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Kathleen Daly
Kathleen Daly began dancing at the age of 4 and graduated from Gerami Academy at age 15. As a student of Gerami Academy, she danced for numerous Mardi Gras Balls and was a member of Dance Masters of America and Louisiana Association of Dance Masters. Kathleen and her sister, Toni, owned and operated numerous dance schools. The sisters, also, were Directors and Choreographers for the Sweethearts Dance Team at USL.
Kathleen attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida and has lived in Navarre, Destin, St. Augustine, and Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Back at Gerami Academy, she is the Office Assistant and looking forward to teaching again.
Blair Anderson
Blair Anderson started her dancing career at the age of three at Gerami Academy. She is a 2014 Gerami Graduate and is attending ULL, where she is pursuing a degree in Nursing and a minor in Dance.
As a 2014 Graduate of Lafayette High, she was involved in LHS P)erforming Arts and Dance Academy, where she performed in several Fall and Spring recitals. She was a three year member of the LHS Dancae Team, competing at UDA Camps, both state and national. In 2012, Blair competed in a pageant sponsored by the National Association of University of Women, where she was crowned Miss Teen NAUW.
Blair is currently a member of Jazz Extensions and Classical Connections Dance Company. She continues to perform for Carnival Krewes, State Organizations, and functions throughout Acadiana.
Lance Leger
Danny Izzo
Lance Leger is the webmaster for Gerami's and also a past student. He has been managing the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus communications for almost 15 years but recently decided to move back home. He is the proud founder of Naked Turtle; a brand he started while living the lifestyle in Florida that has the slogan, "Step Outside Your Shell." He has been a SCUBA instructor and avid spearfisherman for the past 30 years.
Cassie Romero
Danny was raised up in Peru, Illinois, with frequent visits to Mechanicville, NY. He grew up believing his mother was mostly Irish and his father was the son of two Italian immigrants. He also was raised to believe Sicilians were pretty close to pond scum. Recently he has discovered a mind-boggling, life altering truth – his paternal grandmother was actually part Sicilian. This kind of news might cause a lesser man to fade but Danny presses ever onward with the stigma of his newly discovered lineage. At least he’s still part Irish and, so far as we know, a direct descendant of the Revolutionary War hero/scoundrel Ethan Allen.
In his spare time Danny runs Nouveau Photeau, a full service photography studio in Lafayette’s Oil Center. Assisted by his incredible wife of 20+ years, Mona, and his incredibly talented assistants Nikki, Erin, Justin and Samuel Danny and Nouveau Photeau continue to provide Lafayette with high quality photography.
In his other spare time he dotes on his three granddaughters, Ava, Caelyn and Emma as well as his two animal rescues, Marvin, a 60 pound lab mix, and Shadow, a 12 pound 4 year old black feline Lucifer.
If you already knew all this about Danny, you know him better than he knows himself since some of it was made up yesterday afternoon. (joke).
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