Jan's Dance Studio

 Jan Regan Burghart (owner)

      Jan grew up in Springfield Illinois, and started her dance training at the age of three at the Mack Professional School of Dance under Betty Jo and Joey Mack. Jan, was on scholarship at the Stone and Cameron School of Ballet in Chicago, before she audition and was chosen to tour the country with the "Lenore Sutton Dance Troupe".

      In 1982, Jan opened the doors to Jan's Dance Studio and found a place to combine her experience as a professional dancer and her passion for dance education. Her business flourished and moved progressively through numerous locations to reside at her current location in Chatham, Illinois.

      Jan has studied at the Broadway Dance Center in NYC and the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood CA.  She also travels with her students and teachers to several Conventions and Competitions every year to ensure that her students are receiving the best and most current dance education.She is also a certified active member of Chicago National Association of Dance Masters and currently holds an elected position on the board of directors for the Southern Association of Dance Masters.  She has been active in the dance community locally, choreographing and performing at the Springfield Muni and Springfield Theater Center, sharing the joy of dance nursing homes and presenting an annual performance at the Hoglan Center for the Arts.

      Her students have received national talent scholarships, choreography awards, and professional contracts in the dance and entertainment fields.  Jan currently has several students majoring in dance at the college level. 

Gretchen Burghart (Company Director)

Is a proud JDS Alumni!  She has taught Master classes and performed in shows all over the country.  She is also an talent judge for numerous dance competitions and has taught on Southern National Association of Dance Masters Conventions.This year she will join the faculty of Millikin University as an adjuct Professor of Dance!

In addition she has had a successful career as a professional performer and most recently completed a contract as "Enid Hoopes" in the First National Broadway Tour of "Legally Blonde".  Prior to Legally Blonde Gretchen was in the Natiional Tour of "Fame: the Musical" and in an off Broadway Production of "On the Town."  She is also a seasoned regional performer staring in roles at the Little Theater on the Square, Wagon Wheel Theater, Portland Center Stage and Geva Theater Center to name a few.  Gretchen got her theater start right her at the Springfield Muni Opera and went on to hone her skills studying at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, Lou Conte, Gus Girdano, Edge Performing Arts Center, LA Performing Arts Center just to name a few! She has a B.F.A. from Millikin University in Decatur IL in Musical Theater and a minor in Dance.

She will be teaching dance classes as well as the Glee inspired Musical Theater experience and the Care-taker and Me Music Classes and will head up our Dazzler Performance Company.

Bridget Armstrong

Bridget is currently a first grade teacher at Auburn Elementary.  Bridget grew up dancing at Jan's Dance studio and was part of the Dazzler Competition team and has been awarded numerous awards for performance and choreography from National dance competitions.  She has also performed at Disney World, Disney Land and aboard several cruise ships.  She has a BFA in English from UIS and a BSA from ISU in education. She is a certified dance educator through SADM.

Guest Teacher/Denise Bennett

Denise Bennett is a recent graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA with a B.A. in Dance.  While attending she performed works by several world-renowned choreographers with the Playhouse Dance Company.  Upon graduation she completed a contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.  She has studied extensively with Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago, IL and on work scholarships at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway in New York City.  This summer she will be performing, New Dances in Chicago with Thodos Dance Chicago.