Cornerstone Academy Instructors
Jessie Williams
Artistic Director
Level 2/3/4/5 Ballet | Level 4/5 Modern | Level 4/5 Contemporary Ballet | Level 4/5 Pointe
Jessie Williams, now in her second season as Artistic Director of Central Illinois Ballet, is a graduate of Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance. Originally from Suwanee, Georgia, Jessie began her dance training at Northeast Atlanta Ballet under Jennifer Gordon and later joined Next Generation Ballet as a trainee under Peter Stark.
While at Butler, Jessie had the privilege of performing corps, soloist, and principal roles in major classical ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Cinderella, and Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments. She also danced principal and soloist roles in contemporary works, including a piece by David Ingram featured at the Indiana Governor’s Arts Awards. Jessie’s passion for choreography blossomed during a summer spent training with Sidra Bell, where she contributed to the premiere of Middle Prayer. Later in her studies, Jessie toured Eastern Europe, premiering two of her own contemporary works at the National Opera House in Warsaw.
Following college, Jessie joined Central Illinois Ballet, where she quickly advanced from
company dancer to Soloist. Over the years, she has performed numerous soloist and principal roles with the company, including favorites like Phlegmatic in The Four Temperaments, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
Jessie’s choreographic achievements include staging Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty in 2021, as well as the professional company’s production of Giselle and a brand-new, original version of The Nutcracker, both of which premiered in 2024. Additionally, her full-length ballet Sweeney Todd premiered in 2021 at the Scottish Rite Theater and was revived in 2023 to great acclaim.
Before stepping into her current role as Artistic Director, Jessie served Central Illinois Ballet for four years as Academy Director and Associate Artistic Director. With her diverse experience as a dancer, choreographer, and educator, Jessie is committed to continuing to elevate Central Illinois Ballet’s artistic vision and offering inspiring opportunities for both dancers and audiences.
Maya de Leon
Academy Director and Principal Dancer
Beginning Adult Ballet | Level 1/2/3 Jazz | Level 1/2/3 Tap | Level 2/3/4/5 Ballet | Level 3/4 Pointe
Maya de Leon is a Filipino-American dancer and instructor who began her training at the age of 4 at Greater Lansing Academy of Dance and Greater Lansing Ballet Company under the direction of Barbara Banasikowski Smith. She trained primarily in the Vaganova ballet technique as well as jazz, modern, character, Polish folk dance, and tap. As a student, she received scholarships to many summer intensives all over the US including Utah, Colorado, Michigan, and Mississippi. In 2014, she was selected to perform with Regional Dance America at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Maya continued her dance training at Point Park University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in dance. At Point Park, Maya had the pleasure of being cast in pieces by Jae Man Joo, Matthew Powell, Helen Simoneau, Christopher Wheeldon, and Edwaard Liang among others. She began her professional career at the age of 19 touring Michigan with Third Coast Dance Company under the direction of Kristin Bennett Harrison and Lynn Bowman. Maya began her time in Peoria as an apprentice with Central Illinois Ballet in 2020
and was promoted to principal dancer in 2022. During her time in the company she has had opportunities to perform some of her favorite roles such as Mina (Dracula), Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), Tinker Bell (Peter Pan), Juliet (excerpts from Romeo and Juliet), and Odette (excerpts from Swan Lake). Maya has spearheaded outreach programs through CIB enjoyed by Peoria Public Schools, central Illinois' homeschool community, the Montessori School of Peoria, and more. She has taught in many dance schools in Illinois in Peoria, Washington, and Pekin and out of state in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. In addition to dance, Maya is also trained in piano and enjoys making music, drawing, and reading. She is a certified Youth Protection Advocate in Dance and is excited to see dance taking strides toward wellness and inclusion. Maya hopes to continue the mission and vision of Cornerstone to help enrich the Peoria community through the arts and nurture the next generation to not only be good dancers, but great people.
Dyson Ramey
Principal Dancer and Associate Artistic Director, Instructor
Intro to Jazz | Level 2/3/4/5 Tumbling | Level 2/3/4/5 Hip Hop | Level 4/5 Ballet | Level 4/5 Jazz | Partnering
Dyson Ramey is a dancer and dance teacher born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He has studied dance in all genres for 15 years including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Tap, Hip-Hop, and Musical Theater. Dyson started his journey as a competitive dancer, but started focusing on ballet and theater dance his freshman year of high school. He attended Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, PA for his high school years, where he did several performances including The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Swing!, Matilda, and Singin’ in the Rain. At Lincoln Park he was trained by Jennifer Verba, Krista Shovlin, Stephanie Anderson, Mindy Silver, and Jeremy Czarniak. His musical theater training was by Justin Fortunado and Sharon Schaller. Dyson has performed with Allegro Ballet Academy in The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, where he met Rebekah Von Rathonyi and Joshua Gullet and was asked to join CIB as a soloist. Since joining Central Illinois Ballet, Dyson has performed numerous characters in numerous performances such as, The Nutcracker and Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Monsieur Marius in Les Misérables, Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, and Romeo in Peoria Symphony’s
Romance. He also debuted his choreography titled Aura in CIB’s performance of Illuminations. Dyson is an academy instructor with Cornerstone Academy for Performing Arts where he teaches jazz, ballet, hip-hop, modern, and men’s technique. He has choreographed jazz and contemporary pieces for the students in their spring gala. Dyson is so excited for his third season with Central Illinois Ballet!
Gillian Letonoff
Company Artist, Instructor
Intermediate Adult Ballet | Level 4/5 Conditioning | Ballet 2/3/5 | Level 5 Variations
Gillian started dancing in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. From second grade to eighth grade, Gillian attended Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville, Delaware. While at SDSA, she studied visual art, instrumental music, vocal music, acting and dance. In 2006, she began training with Kate Downes Walker at Sussex Dance Academy. There, she concentrated on ballet but supplemented her dance education by studying jazz and contemporary. During the summers, Gillian trained at the Rock School for Dance Education, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, and Oklahoma City Ballet to which she received a scholarship. Throughout her high school years, Gillian attended classes at First State Ballet under Pasha Kambalov. Upon graduating high school, Gillian accepted a trainee position with Ballet Theatre of Maryland where she danced with the company through 2018. In 2018, Gillian accepted a trainee position with the Oklahoma City Ballet where she danced two seasons. From 2020-2022 Gillian danced with American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Ethan Stiefel. During her summers, Gillian dances with Burklyn Ballet and acts as their ballet mistress under Joanne Whitehill, in Johnson Vermont. This is her fourth season with CIB.
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Don Coven
Instructor
Advanced Tap and Ballroom
Don Coven is a native Peorian who began tap lessons at the age of three at the Merkel-Ford Studios in 1950. He danced professionally with Ann Miller in "Anything Goes", Gene Kelly in "Take Me Along", and Ruby Keeler in "No No Nanette". Mr. Don's dance expertise won him a complete scholarship for his Master of Fine Arts in Dance from S.M.U’s Meadows School of the Arts in 1983. Mr. Don's dance students in Peoria have won first place awards in dance competitions throughout the country. Central Illinois Ballet and Cornerstone Academy has also had the honor of having Mr. Don in many of our main stage productions such as The Nutcracker and Les Misérables!
Isabella Weeks
Apprentice, Instructor
Creative Movement | Beginning Dance | Pre-Dance | Level 4 Tap | Level 1 Ballet
Isabella has trained at Cornerstone Academy for the past 8 years and is excited to teach on faculty for her third season. Isabella values the outstanding training, character development, and the strong family environment at Cornerstone. She has had numerous teaching opportunities through the years, such as being an assistant teacher in the children’s summer camps for 3 years and in Creative Movement for 2 years. Her time training in classical ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, and contemporary with Jessie Williams and Maya de Leon, as well as her 8 years of studying tap with Mr. Don Coven, has well prepared her to lead the classroom. In addition to teaching and dancing, Isabella is a full-time student, pursuing a degree in Organizational Leadership at the Pennsylvania State University. She is excited to share her love of dance with her students this year!
Rylee Ray
Instructor
Kinder Dance
Rylee Ray, 22, is a devoted dance educator with over 15 years of training and performance experience. She began dancing with Jennifer Hand and later trained under Jessie Williams at Cornerstone Academy, where her love for ballet truly flourished. Rylee went on to dance professionally with Central Illinois Ballet for three seasons—two years as a trainee and one as a junior company member—before focusing fully on her passion for teaching.
Now in her third year teaching at Cornerstone Academy, Rylee is honored to be giving back to the studio that shaped her as a dancer. With five years of teaching experience across four Central Illinois studios, she has worked with students of all ages, from tiny dancers just starting out to older students refining their artistry. Rylee also serves as a preschool aide in District 150, where her love for early childhood education continues to grow. She’s thrilled to return for another season of learning, growth, and joy with the Cornerstone community.
Carole Krohn
Youth Program and Business Development Consultant
Carole Krohn, a central Illinois native, formerly of Peoria Ballet and long time Colorado resident is thrilled return to the greater Peoria area after many years of study, performance and teaching classical ballet in Chicago and Colorado. In Colorado, Carole performed and received pedagogical training under Mrs. Julie Sneden Carlson, Artistic Director of Ballet Northwest, and performed several seasons with Steamboat Dance Theater. Highlighting her repertoire are roles as soloist, character and corp de ballet in many classical works including, The Firebird, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Dracula, Rodeo and The Nutcracker, in addition to many contemporary and original works. As a dedicated student of classical ballet for over 40 years, Carole has received training at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts under the direction of Mr. Larry Long, Steamboat Springs Ballet under the Master Classes of Michael Vernon, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Aspen-Santa Fe Ballet, Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Academy, Denver Dance Center, Vail International Festival of Dance, The Academy of Colorado Ballet, Dance Aspen, Purdue University, Colorado Mountain College and the University of Illinois. Carole received a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors from Purdue University, Phi Beta Kappa, where she was a member of the Purdue
Golduster Dance Team and a founding member of the Purdue Gymnastics Club. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1989. In addition to being a sought after ballet instructor in both Colorado and Illinois, Carole has maintained an active law practice for over 25 years and has served as Guardian ad Litem for the State of Colorado, Office of the Child’s Legal Representative. Carole teaches all levels of ballet from the very youngest of students to adults and professionals and is particularly interested in early grade ballet program and curriculum development as well as nurturing and guiding the youngest students in their first steps on stage to and to instill in them a life long appreciation for music and performing arts as part of early and middle childhood development.