Stephanie Clemens

Stephanie Clemens, Director of the Academy of Movement & Music, “founded” the Academy in 1971 in her Oak Park living room when she rolled up the rug and began giving dance lessons to neighborhood children.  Since that time the Academy has grown into a real village Institution, home to approximately 1000 students: 200 families in the A.R.T.S. preschool program, the rest in dance and music classes.  Stephanie studied dance at Juilliard and took a B.A. in Physical Anthropology at U.C.L.A. where she did research on the evolution of the human locomotor system.  Stephanie spends her time at the Academy teaching in the dance division and has developed the Introduction to Ballet program for preschool age children.  She is a Co-Director of MOMENTA, the Academy’s resident performing company.  She has three grown sons, Jason 39, Justin 37 and James-Paul 27, all of whom grew up in Academy classes ~ and three granddaughters – two of whom have been students at the Academy – and a grandson. 

Niki Merrick

Niki Merrick, Downstairs A.R.T.S. Director (Music), received her B.S. and M.S. in Speech Pathology from the University of Illinois and has done post graduate work in Early Childhood. She has worked with preschool aged children both as a volunteer (Sunday School teacher/15 years) and as a Speech and Language Pathologist (early intervention/special education programs). She joined the Academy staff in 1988 as a co-teacher in the Physical Fitness room for the Kinder A.R.T.S. program. Since then she has worked as a Physical Fitness aide/teacher and then as Music teacher in the Downstairs A.R.T.S. program. Her love of music began in grade school with years of membership in school and church choruses including the Acapella Choir at OPRF and the University Chorus at U of I. Niki has had instruction in piano, guitar, and voice. Her life outside the Academy includes her husband Larry and their four children, one daughter-in-law and first grandchild who have helped provide a wealth of parenting experiences. She is also a member of both the American Speech and Hearing Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Donna Pries

Donna Pries, Upstairs A.R.T.S. Director (Art, Cultural Awareness, Literature, Production Shop, Science), received a B.A. from North Central College in Elementary Education and Religion. Upon graduation, she spent the summer as a playground director in Santa Cruz, New Mexico, then taught 4th grade for 5 years in Naperville. She took oil painting and pottery classes. When Donna quit teaching to raise her children, Adam (35) and Rebecca (33), she made stoneware plaques and mirrors to sell at art fairs. The Pries family came to The Academy when they lived in Cicero. Adam and Rebecca were taking ballet, but Donna wanted a school where other boys were also taking ballet. Rebecca teaches ballet at the Academy and has worked in the office. Adam and Rebecca were both involved with MOMENTA. Adam was a professional ballet dancer for six years. Donna also took dance classes - ballet, tap and jazz - here at The Academy. Donna also cleans and organizes costumes for recitals at the Academy. She has been involved with the Academy for 30 years. As well as teaching at The Academy, Donna is a director of a Sacred Dance Troupe, and teaches workshops in area churches and retreats. In 1996, Donna was nominated for the Kohl-McCormick fellowship for Early Education and in 1998 she received the Orrin Kayan Memorial Excellence in Teaching Award. Donna has attended seminars on both the Montessori and Reggio Emilia methods of early childhood education.

Patricia Ackerman

Patricia Ackerman, Creative Movement (Downstairs), studied early childhood at Triton College and early childhood and theatre at Mundelein/Loyola University. Patricia came to the Academy in the summer of 1985 to study dance and began aiding in the Kinder A.R.T.S. program. She has worked as a floating aide, physical fitness aide, Montessori aide, music aide, and one summer as the Downstairs art teacher. She has demonstrated for many ballet classes and spent two years as an aide for a student with cerebral palsy. Patricia joined MOMENTA in 1986 and has been in many reconstructions of Doris Humphrey and Ruth St. Denis dances. She is now involved in passing some of those dances on to the younger members of MOMENTA and watching her daughters perform, and sometimes even performing with them. Her daughters, Rachel (14), and Madeline (10) have grown up here at the Academy. Patricia loves being part of the Academy family.

Judy Bianchi

Judy Bianchi, Physical Fitness and Montessori (Downstairs), has been on staff at the Academy since 1999. She began as an aide for the Physical Fitness class and has emerged through the Academy programs. She has taught Physical Fitness, Downstairs Montessori and Upstairs Friday Montessori. She has also experienced the Creative Movement class. Judy is married and has three daughters. Her daughter Talia was a dancer at the Academy and Judy is now taking dance classes at the Academy as well. As a student Judy was a gymnast. She competed in many competitions and has performed many routines. Floor Exercise was her specialty. Judy has also learned the art of Rhythmic Gymnastics. Judy has taught teens Floor Exercise at summer camps at Maine East H.S. in Park Ridge. She also has volunteered at Whittier Elementary School as a classroom aide helping children better develop their reading skills and comprehension skills. Judy truly enjoys working with young children and is very happy and gratified to have the opportunity to work in all of the creative programs at the Academy.

Rosa DePerlinghi-Gobien

Rosa DePerlinghi-Gobien, Downstairs Aide, has an educational background in Ancient History. Before moving to the US Rosa traveled from Europe to Asia, South America to Australian and on to Africa in search of different cultures and societies and whenever possible she also accompanied her husband in his travels as a photojournalist and portraitist.  In August of 2000 she moved with her family to Oak Park.  Rosa's three children, Guillaume (18), Celine (16) and Sarah (14) attended the Academy for a number of years.  "Thanks to my children I met the team at the Academy - they made me feel at home at once and it's been a lovely experience for me to be able to work here."  Rosa worked in the A.R.T.S. program as a floating aide, a physical fitness aide and creative movement aide.  For the past three years Rosa has also worked in the Academy office.

Anita Fillmore

Anita Fillmore, Physical Fitness (Downstairs), is a native Oak Parker who has been on staff at the Academy since 1997. Anita grew up at the Academy, dancing and playing the piano. She holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Dance from Barat College, and an M.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Since returning to Oak Park, she has continued her longstanding relationship with the Academy in a variety of roles. For the last 11 years Anita has taught dance to all ages at the Academy, and performed and choreographed for MOMENTA. Most recently, her roles have expanded to include administrative work, and teaching in the Preschool. Anita began teaching in the Downstairs A.R.T.S. Program in January of 2007 as the Physical Fitness aide in the mornings, and teacher in the afternoons. Outside of the Academy, she enjoys dancing with Breakbone Dance Company.

Rachel Gorgol

Rachel Gorgol, Downstairs Aide, has a B.S. in Psychology with a minor concentration in Art Therapy from Loyola University.  Rachel had an undergraduate internship doing one-on-one Art Therapy and assisting in the 5th grade BD classroom at Loyola's Therapeutic Day School.  After graduation she worked as a private agency caseworker for children placed in relative foster care by DCFS.  She left that job after 2 years when her first child was born, deciding to stay at home with him.  Rachel provided daycare in her home for 2 years, while her son was a baby.  For the past 8 years Rachel has been doing data entry for a state-funded project working with teen mothers.  When her son joined MOMENTA Rachel became involved in creating sets and backdrops for the shows.  She started working as a Downstairs A.R.T.S. aide last fall and has enjoyed it very much.  Rachel finds it a great way to get back into working outside the home before her youngest child starts full-time school.  Rachel's two oldest children Max (13) and Helena (8) attended the A.R.T.S. preschool and are now dance students at the Academy.  Estella (4) is a current preschool student in the A.R.T.S. program.

Philomena Harbaugh

Philomena Harbaugh, Montessori (Downstairs) and Upstairs Aide, has a BA in Spanish and Politicial Science from Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania.  Philomena and her husband moved to Oak Park from Pennsylvania in 1995.  She worked for a year at the Language and Music School in Oak Park as an Assistant Spanish Teacher, as an English as a Second Language Instructor (child and adult) and as the Office Manager.  Philomena worked for five years at the Oak Park Public Library as the Database Manager.  When her daughter Meenah was born, Philomena chose to be a full time mom.  Oncer her daughter Meenah began preschool in the Downstairs A.R.T.S. program, Philomena started volunteering at the Academy.  Three years ago, Philomena joined the Academy staff as an official faculty member, working as an Upstairs Aide.  After attending MECA Seton's (Montessori Education Centers Associated) Paraprofessional Program in Clarendon Hills, IL, in the summer of 2008, Philomena began to work in the Downstairs A.R.T.S. Montessori program.  Philomena's daughter Meenah, now 7, still attends ballet and summer A.R.T.S. at the Academy.  Philomena also acts as a PTO volunteer, a classroom volunteer and a Girl Scout Daisy Troop Leader at Holmes Elementary School where her daughter attends.  Philomena is thrilled to begin her third year here at the Academy!

Larry Ippel

Larry Ippel, Creative Movement (Downstairs) and Creative Movement, Physical Fitness, Montessori (Upstairs), is a native of Chicago. Larry has been on the faculty of the Academy of Movement and Music since 1975. He has a B.S. in Comprehensive Art Education from Illinois State University. He completed three years of graduate study at the California Institute of the Arts before performing with the Chicago Dance Theatre from 1973 to 1979 and with the Arve Connection Dance Company from 1976 to 1983. Larry is a co-founder, co-director, and choreographer for MOMENTA, the dance company in residency at the Academy for 25 years. He performed with the American Dance Repertory Theatre in New York and at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Larry received the first Orrin Kayan Memorial award for excellence in dance teaching, and he is also listed in Who’s Who in American Education. Larry was a finalist for the Kohl-McCormick Early Childhood Education award. For many years he presented his creative movement approach to problem solving at the annual conference of the Chicago Metropolitan Association and /or Du Page County Association for the Education of Young Children. In addition, Larry has conducted teachers’ workshops for CEDA’s Headstart Program and conducted creative movement workshops in elementary schools throughout the Chicago-land area. In January of 2000, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Chicago Dance Coalition. Also in 2000, he restaged, with Lynn DeCinni, Richard Arve’s men’s trio “Naja” for MOMENTA’s fall season and for Dance Chicago 2000. Larry performed his original role in this 1976 work. In 2001 Larry, again with Ms. DeCinni, set this work on Gus Giordano’s Jazz Dance Chicago Company for their 2001-2002 season. Larry was accepted onto the Doris Humphrey Society board in 2001. In 2003 MOMENTA, with Larry as choreographer, was selected to take part in the American Composer’s Forum’s Dance Residency program. Larry completed the work “Sharing the Moment” in collaboration with composer Ilya Levinson in March. Ilya’s score was commissioned by the Chicago Chapter of American Composer’s Forum and funded by the Chicago Community Trust. In addition, this work was also funded by grants from the Village of Oak Park. “Sharing the Moment” was featured on WFMT’s Art Beat Chicago and at Oak Park’s 2003 Universal Access Forum. Larry and Ilya's third collaboration, a performance piece structured on Ruth Bragg's children's book Colors of the Day, was premiered in MOMENTA's 25th consecutive fall season children's matinee series in November of 2007.

Mara Leonard

Mara Leonard, Music (Upstairs), has her Bachelor of Music, Cello Performance, from North Park College and her Masters of Music, Cello Performance, from Roosevelt University. She has been teaching music (cello, piano, and violin) in Oak Park since 1976. Mara is a member of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed with Northwest Indiana Civic Orchestra and continues to free-lance in the Chicago area. She has also been an administrator at Sherwood Conservatory of Music (Program Coordinator for the String Department) and has been on the faculty at Sherwood Conservatory and Elmhurst College. Since becoming a mom, and even before, Mara has become more and more interested in child development and working with children and adults through the medium of music. She has a private music studio in Oak Park and continues to look for new ways to teach music. Mara is delighted to be on board at the Academy and working with the A.R.T.S. program. Her daughter, Karina, is studying dance at the Academy.

Mary Lou Powell

Mary Lou Powell, Upstairs Aide, joined the Academy nine years ago as an aide in the Downstairs A.R.T.S. program. She is the mother of five children. While raising her children Mary Lou worked full and part time in the medical field. She has spent many years as a tutor, room mother, Brownie and Cub Scout leader, and classroom volunteer. Mary Lou attended Barat College.

Linda Preston

Linda Preston, Montessori Directress (Upstairs), directed the Montessori environment in the Kinder A.R.T.S. program (predecessor to Upstairs A.R.T.S.) and taught in the Art/Music/Montessori classroom in the A.R.T.S. program for 7 years, from the mid-80’s to the early 90’s. Linda’s son Elisha (28) spent a year in the Kinder A.R.T.S. program and still thinks of the Academy as home. Linda obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Education from Beloit College in 1967 and a second Bachelor’s in Judaic Studies in 1978. In 1985 she completed her Montessori training and received a Montessori Pre-Primary Certificate. After teaching at the Academy, Linda worked at the University of Illinois Circle Campus teaching adults with developmental disabilities. Linda received a Master of Arts from DePaul University in 2002. In addition to her duties in the Montessori section of Upstairs A.R.T.S., she works part time as a health educator for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities and part time as an advocate for her son. In her spare time Linda is a volunteer religious educator.

Rebecca Pries

Rebecca Pries, Upstairs A.R.T.S. Dance and Aide, has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Washington University and a M.S. in Early Childhood Education from the Erikson Institute. Rebecca began attending ballet classes at the Academy when she was five years old. She continued to study ballet through college, but chose a professional career working with children. After graduating from Wash U, she lived and worked in Chile, where she met her husband. Upon returning to the United States, she worked as Director of the School Age Program at Casa Central in Chicago for five years. After completing an M.S. in Early Childhood Education with Type 04 teaching certificate from the Erikson Institute, Rebecca taught in the Chicago Public Schools’ Head Start program. Since 1999, Rebecca has continued to teach ballet at the Academy part-time and work in the A.R.T.S. program during summers. This will be her second year in the A.R.T.S. program working with her mother, Donna Pries.

Gina Sigismondi

Gina Sigismondi, Downstairs Aide, has her B.A. in Dance Theatre from Northern Illinois University. She has taught ballet and jazz at the Academy since 1989 to students ranging in age from preschool to high school. She has been a performer and choreographer for MOMENTA since 1986. Gina has worked in the A.R.T.S. program in the past, teaching Creative Movement in Downstairs A.R.T.S. for three years and Creative Movement and Physical Fitness in the Upstairs program for one year. She returned to the A.R.T.S. program this summer as an aide in the Physical Fitness room. Both of Gina’s children are at the Academy, Dominick (7) has graduated from the A.R.T.S. program and takes dance and Talia (4) is in the A.R.T.S. program and ballet.

Marion Steffen

Marion Steffen, Aide and Friday Special Projects Teacher (Upstairs), has worked in the A.R.T.S. program for sixteen years as an aide both Downstairs and Upstairs and as a Montessori Teacher in the Practical Life Area. Her association with the Academy is even longer; three of her four children have been students here in both the dance and A.R.T.S. classes. Marion attended Harper College. She was trained as a Dental Hygienist and as an instructor for the Red Cross in Community CPR and First Aid. She has also worked part-time at the Early Childhood Department and Resource Center, Concordia University in River Forest and for the West Suburban Satellite Day Care Action Council. In addition, Marion is a graduate of the American Airlines Training School in Fort Worth/Dallas. Over the years, Marion has volunteered in her own children’s classrooms and has been both a Brownie and a Cub Scout leader.

Ruth Tazelaar

Ruth Tazelaar, Art (Downstairs), has been married for thirty-six years and is the mother of four children and soon to be grandmother of ten. When she became a mother, she chose to remain at home. Before coming to the Academy, for the last 30 years, she has helped raise many children as a home day care giver. She has also taught at Church schools, taught a dance class, cooking classes and has had a catering business. Through her life experiences and learning, Ruth feels she can teach much to the children at the Academy. She has been at the Academy for fourteen years, beginning as an aide and moving to the Creative Movement Room in Downstairs A.R.T.S. before becoming the art teacher. Ruth attended Triton College and Trinity Christian College.