ESP Faculty & Staff
Linda Elower-Sicilia
Studio Owner
Miss Linda started dancing at the age of 5 and trained in the Frederick and Baltimore areas throughout her career. Since opening the studio here in Thurmont in 1969, the studio has transformed from one room at the fire house to the existing studio at 15 Water Street. Over the years, Linda and her staff have taught so many young people to love dance. What makes ESP so special is that Linda sees potential in each student who walks through the door. There is no set mold that ESP dancers have to fit info and every dancer can find a forever home at ESP. Linda believes that when you take a love for dance and couple it with hard work and determination, that dancer can turn their dream into a reality.
​
​
Toni Marceron
ESP Performing Company Director
Toni has been dancing since she was two years old at Elower-Sicilia Productions. Inspired by her mother, grandmother and aunts who instilled the dancing bug in her at an early age, Toni continues to spread her love for dance to her students. Although trained in all forms of dance, Toni developed a love for Tap and Jazz early on. Keith Clifton, Tom Alexander, and Mark Goodman are at the top of Toni's list of influences and teachers she calls friends. Toni has won multiple scholarships and award over the years, all of which comes second to her love for teaching others.
Kela Marceron
Kela Sicilia-Marceron graduated from the visual performing arts program at Thomas Johnson High School and Frederick Community College before transferring to Mount Saint Mary's University. As a dancer and singer, Kela's performances include, among others, performing with the Tap Sounds Underground and the Clifton Drum Trio in a show at the Valentine's Theater in Ohio and performing in the National Institutes Production "Phat City" at the Kennedy Center for President Clinton. Kela has received numerous voice and dance scholarships and has studied in Los Angeles and New York. Kela was also a member of a Washington DC professional dance company an is a Power Pilates certified teacher. Nationally, Kela is known and respected as an award winning choreographer with numerous national choreography awards.
Taylor McIlrath
Taylor is an ESP alumni and has continued to share her love for dance with the students at ESP. As an ESP dancer, Taylor received many scholarships and awards along with her years of training that she now brings to her classes at the studio. Taylor is also a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor.
Ashley Boyer
Ashley was born and raised in Frederick County and is a graduate of Walkersville High School. She began dancing at the age of 2 with ESP. During her years of classes and competing she was recognized and received many accolades and awards. Some which consist of outstanding dancer and scholarships to study in Los Angeles and New York. She has worked with many well known choreographers such as Rhonda Miller, Eliana Alexander, Jeff Amsden, Joey Dowling, and Gil Stroming to name a few. At the age of eighteen she was invited to teach for Eliana Alexander for her Kids Dance LA Convention and Competition. Ashley continued her passion for dance auditioning and teaching until she met her husband and started a beautiful family. She has recently returned to teaching and is sharing her passion and talents with her students and children.
Briannin Howard
Briannin has been dancing since she was 2 years old in her hometown of Frostburg, MD. She has experience ranging in most styles of dance: ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and tap. Bri grew up competing in dance competitions and pageants. She choreographed for her high school dance team for 2 years, as well as her college dance team. Upon returning from college, Bri joined her local studio as an instructor and taught pre-dance through pre-teen classes. Soon after she had to take a break from dance while she completed her Master’s Degree in Education, got married, moved to Thurmont, and started a family. She has been a local elementary school teacher/teacher specialist for 8 years in Frederick County. Bri is so excited to be back in the studio to share her love of dance with students again.
Abby Dickerson
Abby Dickerson started dancing at 4 years old and continued to train in the Frederick area for 15 years. She has trained in hip hop, jazz, contemporary, ballet, and tap. While in high school, Abby participated in the FCPS Academy for the Fine Arts program, where she gained knowledge in anatomy, dance history, and choreography. Abby has been choreographing pieces for 5 years and loves to tell stories through music and movement.
Rachel Smith
Rachel Smith graduated from Shenandoah University with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with a focus on Education. While at Shenandoah she also completed a 40+ hour training program with Pilates Method Alliance to become a certified Pilates mat instructor. She began her dance training with Gettysburg International Ballet, New York Ballet Institute, and Gettysburg Dance Center. She has performed in the Czech. Republic, Disney World, Spain, Taiwan, and Ireland, as well as throughout the NYC area including Carnegie Hall and the Broadway Dance Center Choreographers Showcase, After college Rachel was a member of Danco 2, Philadanco’s second company. While there she studied under such dance masters as Joan Myers Brown, Don Martin, Bill Thomas, Camille Brown, Virginia Johnson, Dudley Williams, Christopher Huggins, Kayoko Amemiya, Kimberly Bears-Baily, and Donald Lunsford. Rachel was owner of Gettysburg Dance Center from 2010 until 2019 when GDC merged with Gettysburg Community Theatre to become their dance program. Rachel currently teaches dance, Pilates, and barre fitness in the Adams County and surrounding areas.
Amanda Naecker
Amanda is a Performer, Educator and award-winning choreographer in the competition circuit who carries over 25 years of training in Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet, and Musical Theater with over 15 years of experience. For much of her pre-professional career she trained at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City, traveling to dance conventions/competitions and has been represented by Clear Talent Group: Talent Agency. Her love for performing led her to dance on stages such as City Walk at Universal Studios and to receive numerous awards on the competitive dance circuit. While teaching and choreographing Amanda continues to train with various Hip Hop Dance Companys/Crews in the DMV area and has trained under Laura Edwards in her adult company LED as well as in Culture Shock D.C. Amanda strives to provide dancers with a positive, high-energy dance environment where she can inspire self-confidence and support them in reaching their full potential within themselves.
Gabby J David
Gabby J David is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer and social media personality signed to Go2 Talent Agency and Selter Media. Gabby has been training in dance for 24 years, she is trained in ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, street jazz, Bollywood, shuffling, cutting shapes, house, and more. Gabby’s love for choreography started very early on in her dance career, she has gone on to be hired as a choreographer for epic games. She created the choreography for the Electro Shuffle Emote in Fortnite, and was also hired as the choreographer for international DJ Don Diablo. She has choreographed and danced in 5 music videos and multiple commercials for brands such as; DSW Shoes, Under Armor, Polaroid, Snyders Pretzels, Ellie Activewear, Electric Styles, and more. She was able to get an early start on teaching and how to approach teaching under some of the absolute best in the industry as a touring assistant to West Coast Dance Explosion, Artists Simply Human, Ihollywood, and more! She has toured teaching at multiple studios across the US, Cerdafied Takeover Convention, and is now a resident teacher at 24/7 Dance Studio and Cerdafied Dance Studio. She was an assistant teacher in episodes of Raising Asia and Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition. Gabby has danced for brands and artists such as; Tiesto, CID, Chris Lake, San Holo, Oliver Heldens, Insomniac, Bang Energy, Dimmak, Steve Aoki, Night Bass, Musical Freedom and more! Gabby’s approach to dance, choreography, and teaching is unique and refreshing and heavily focuses on making the environment a safe and fun place for all.
Katie Hamberger
Katie has been dancing for 15 years and choreographing for competition for 6 years. She began her training at age 3 at Conservatory Ballet in Reston, Virginia. At age 9 she began her training with Ashburn Academy of Dance, where she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop as well as completing The Ballet Method syllabus. She was a member of the Ballet Theatre of Ashburn for 9 years and of the Edge Dance Company for 8 years, and now works with both as a company choreographer. She is thrilled to be working with ESP for this dance season.
Katie Beliveau
Guest Instructor
Katie received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet with teaching and performance emphases from the University of Utah. Her training also includes Caryl Maxwell Classical Ballet, Ballet West Conservatory, Shenandoah Conservatory and Frederick Classical Ballet. She danced professionally with Ballet Theatre of Maryland under the direction of Edward Stewart for four seasons. Ms. Katie spent five years teaching dance in the Maryland and Virginia area before co-founding the Ashburn Academy of Dance in 2001. As co-founder, she, alongside Anne Marie Kimmell, has grown the Ashburn Academy of Dance into a respected dance school in Loudoun County. She is also the co-artistic director of Ballet Theatre of Ashburn, a non-profit 501c3 ballet company founded in 2004, which provides performance opportunities for dancers in the Loudoun County area. Each year the company produces a full stage “Nutcracker” production as well as takes the company members to local nursing homes and retirement centers to bring art into the community. In 2011, she co-founded the “Edge Performance Company” which is a contemporary dance company sponsored by the Ballet Theatre of Ashburn.
Alexa Conway
Alexa has been a passionate arts educator for the past 20 years in studios, private and public schools. Alexa grew up training in all styles of dance at Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts. Upon high school graduation, she attended Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York and Towson University where she performed in works by Barbara Duffy, Neta Pulvermacher, Doug Elkins, Vincent E. Thomas, and Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. In 2010, she completed her BFA degree in Dance Performance and Dance Education. Her choreography has been featured in Emily Bufferd's Young Choreographer's Festival at the Symphony Space in New York City, danceRINK Dance Concert, and various studios throughout the country. Alexa has worked at the world renowned Joffrey Ballet during their International Summer Dance Intensive, as well as touring the United States with Showbiz National Dance Competition. She was a board member of Maryland Dance Educators Association, a chapter leader for NDEO, amnd certified in Acrobatic Arts and Progressing Ballet Technique. Currently, she is owner and director of Supernova Dance Company in Forest Hill, MD. She believes that having strong fundamentals is the best gift dance educators can give their students to make them the most confident performers they can be!
Laurel Crans
Laurel Crans grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania studying the Cecchetti method with Carla Prucnal at Johnstown Concert Ballet. In 2015 she began training at Allegheny Ballet Company under Connor Weigand. Here, she had the opportunity to work with former New York City Ballet dancer and Balanchine Trust Repetiteur Paul Boos as well as former New York City Ballet Dancer Tim Fox, learning the principal role in Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie and multiple sections of Balanchine’s Serenade. Upon graduation, she attended Butler University and majored in Dance and Arts Administration. While at Butler, she studied classical ballet, pointe, contemporary and classical variations, choreography, jazz, modern, character dance, African, acting, Laban Notation, and partnering. In addition to her classes, she had the chance to learn and perform corps de ballet and leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Coppélia, La Bayadere, Animated Frescoes, and The Nutcracker. In the summers of 2018 and 2019, Laurel performed as a company member in Boundless Bodies Contemporary Ballet, performing and originating roles in neo-classical, modern, and contemporary works in State College, Pennsylvania and Sarnia, Candada. The company performed to raise money for Be the Match Foundation. Following graduation, Laurel was a founding member and marketing associate of Confluence Ballet Company, a company built on the ideals of equality and diversity. As dancer and administrator, Laurel performed and learned lead roles in the Firebird and Durante Verzola’s Spirited Syncopations while helping to direct all marketing, advertising, fundraising, event planning, and development. Laurel has been teaching since 2015, but transitioned from performer to full time teacher in 2022. She has taught at Johnstown Concert Ballet, Allegheny Ballet, Dance Mechanics, The Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania under Connor Weigand and Paul Gibson, Creative Dance Center, and Elite Feet. During her time at Creative Dance Center, she acted as the Artistic Director of their Nutcracker production for two years, choreographing multiple classical and contemporary pieces, auditioning and casting upwards of eighty students, and leading rehearsals and artistic efforts. She has extensive experience teaching beginner, intermediate, and advanced ballet as well as creative movement, pointe, variations, and jazz to students ranging in age from three to seventy! Laurel is passionate about creating a safe space for students to learn and grow their love of dance.