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Debra Baile began dancing at the age of 3 at DTOJ. She started dancing competitively at the age of 6 years old.

She studied under Desiree LeFebvre, Bridget Stone, Larry Payne and, of course, Debbie T. Baile, her mother and owner of Dance Theatre of Jacksonville.

She started assisting dance teachers at the age of 13 and started her dance teaching career at the age of 18. Under her direction, students have won regional and national honors at various competitions.

As a dance teacher, she has won choreography awards, top score awards, technical awards. DTOJ students and staff won the "Super Sport" award for good sportsmanship four times and the "Class Act" award at NYCDA for the most age appropriate choreography.

Debra has a deep passion for innovative and fresh choreography and instilling new concepts into her choreography. Debra also choreographs and directs the DTOJ Musical Theatre productions. For the past three years, she was hired as the choreographer / co-director of Broadway Junior Musical at DeLalio Elementary School in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Debra continues to educate herself on dance styles and improve her dance skills by attending conventions, workshops and master classes.

Maura Herrera grew up in Dover, Delaware. Under the direction of Daniel Kaiser and Victoria Voshell Maura began her ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary training at the Central Delaware Dance Academy. She was a principle member of the Delaware Ballet performing such roles as "Sugar Plum Fairy" in The Nutcracker, "Juliet" in Romeo and Juliet, and "Cinderella" in Cinderella. Maura also had the distinct opportunity to be a dancer for the Delaware Opera in performances such as Eugene Onegin.

Maura Herrera attended Towson University in Towson, Maryland on a dance recruitment scholarship. She graduated a year early in 2006 with a BFA in Dance Performance. While at Towson Maura was accepted into the Towson University Dance Company. With TUDC she performed leading roles such as "Sugar Plum Fairy", "Snow Queen" and "The Black Swan". She also had the opportunity to perform soloist roles in pieces set by world renowned choreographers such as, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Nani Chen, Stephanie Powell, Linda Denise Fisher-Harrell, Yanis Pikjeris, and Michael Uthoff. Maura also had the distinct opportunity of serving as rehearsal assistant for Linda Denise Fisher-Harrell of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Maura served as the student representative for the dance department throughout her time at Towson. She was awarded the Jean Snyder Technical Excellence Award out of her graduating class. Maura's choreography can be seen on companies such as the Delaware Ballet, and On Holy Ground Dance Ministries. She has taught at pre-professional dance programs in Delaware and private studios in Virginia, and New Jersey. In April, Maura moved to Jacksonville with her husband who is a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Debbie Baile, owner of Dance Theatre of Jacksonville, is now in her 33rd year as a dance teacher. She majored in Primary Education at East Carolina University while continuing her dance training. After marrying and starting a family, Debbie combined her love of children with her dance and is now teaching children of many of her former students.

Debbie's goal is to offer the best training by the most qualified instructors and to develop a love for dance in a warm and wholesome environment.

Heather has taught tap, ballet, pointe, and jazz for every age, for several years. She has taught at private studios in Durham and Wake Forest. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance, with a concentration in jazz, at East Carolina University. While attending ECU, she studied under Tommi Galaska, Elie Lazar (from the Joffrey Ballet), Joseph Carow, Timour Bourtansenkov (Carolina Ballet principal), and world renowned Galina Panova. Heather has also had the opportunity to perform in "Sharing the Legacy" in New York, at the American College Dance Festival in Ohio and Florida, and perform as a Miss North Carolina Pageant dancer for 4 years.

Tiffany was born and raised in central California. She started dancing at the age of three at Kings Dance Center.Tiffany's grandmother was a ballet dancer who danced with the USO from 1945 to 1952. Her Great Uncle was a Dance Instructor in Los Angeles and trained her mother in Tap, Ballet and Ballroom. Tiffany has been trained in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Contemporary and Musical Theatre.
At the age of six Tiffany started performing musical theatre with The Kings Players and at the age of twelve started voice training. At the age of 13, while still in middle school she was accepted into the Chamber Singers, the high schools honor choir and was able to perform and compete at colleges throughout California and had the privelage of singing at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Throughout her time doing musical theatre she has had many lead roles in origional works by local writers, and also had lead roles in "Closer than Ever," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Wizard of Oz" to name a few.
Tiffany started competing with Kings Dance Center at the age of 12 winning numerous awards with her teams and also performed at talent showcases in Los Angeles. At the age of fifteen Tiffany started extensive ballet training with Severance School of Ballet and at that time also started her assistant teaching.
From 2000 to 2004 she performed in The Nutcracker as a soloist in "Waltz of the Flowers," "Marzipan," and was the "Spanish Chocolate" soloist two years in a row.
Tiffany began her teaching career at the age of seventeen teaching ages three to adult. She was a Ballet Ensemble choreogapher and coach with Kings Dance Center building classical and contemporary ballet pieces that they performed throughout California. She recieved recognition for her choreography and the ensemble did very well competitively.Tiffany has a passion for teaching and choreographing and and is excited to share her ideas and style with DTOJ.
In 2005 Tiffany went to Paul Mitchell and got her cosmetology liscence. In 2007 she met her desire to keep learning and growing as a choreographer and dancer and went back to school at Fresno City as a dance major. She performed many original works choreogaphed by the dance staff at the college. Tiffany had to leave due to a severe injury but hopes to start school again soon in North Carolina.
Tiffany is stationed in Jacksonville at Camp Lejeune with her son Kamden and her husband, who is a Marine.

Ryan Ricks, a native of Raleigh, NC, started dancing at the age of 16.
Since then he has immersed himself in the world of dance and musical theatre and has performed as a featured dancer in musicals such as The Wiz and The Producers, and has held lead roles in Raleigh as "Riff" in West Side Story and Gene Kelly's role of "Donald Lockwood" in Singin' in the Rain. In 2006, Ryan moved to Wilmington to pursue a 4-year Business degree at UNCW. Since moving to Wilmington, Ryan has performed in numerous dance performances. Some of which include: the Dance-A-Lorus segment of the annual Cucalorus Film Festival presented by The Dance Cooperative and being a featured hip hop dancer on the new HBO television series East Bound and Down. He choreographed a waltz for UNCW's Student Production of Mr. Marmalade. He also teaches miscellaneous hip hop classes around Wilmington.