Artistic Staff
Suzann DeLay
Founding Director/Executive Director
Co-Owner, Central Indiana Academy of Dance
suzannd@cidedance.org
Suzann Siler DeLay received her early dance training in California with Deane and Barbara Crockett, founders of The Sacramento Ballet. She went on to dance a variety of contemporary and classical roles while a member of The Sacramento Ballet. She also had a brief career with Pacific Northwest Ballet until injury forced her to retire. She has been fortunate to study with some of the master teachers of our time such as Violette Verdy, Robert Barnett, Robert Joffrey, Janet Reed, and David Howard just to name a few. Suzann appeared in several musicals including Princess and the Pea and Lil’ Abner. She has also appeared in several PBS specials in the California area.
Suzann has taught, choreographed and performed throughout the United States, including the official School for Sacramento Ballet, and occasionally teaches for the Contemporary Dance Department at Indiana University. She brings with her a vast knowledge of classical ballet and has taught Ballet, Pointe, Variations and Pas de Deux to students six through adult. She also specializes in a creative dance program for children ages three through six. She has been recognized with numerous awards for choreography works in ballet and contemporary.
In 1999, Suzann founded the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, which is successfully celebrating their 21st season. Alumni of Central Indiana Academy of Dance have gone on to professional careers with Ballet West, Dayton Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nashville Ballet II, Nevada Ballet, Boston Ballet and North Carolina Dance Theatre. In addition many alumni have been accepted with scholarships to top level summer intensives, residencies and universities.
In 2009, she opened Central Indiana Academy of Dance to provide pre-professional training for the resident pre-professional company, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, an honor company with Regional Dance America. In 2012 & 2014 Central Indiana Academy of Dance was awarded the Youth American Grand Prix “Outstanding School” Award.
She has been honored by being on the cover of the December 2008 issue of Indianapolis Woman and was invited and attended the National Teachers Weekend at the School of American Ballet in 2010. She is the former President for the Mid-States Board of Directors of Regional Dance America.
Trained in Cecchetti and Russian techniques, she was a student of the Crockett’s for many years and is dedicated to carrying on their teachings. Suzann is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Michael Casey Clark
Co-Artistic Director and Rehearsal Director
Michael Casey Clark is originally from Fishers, Indiana, Casey started dancing at the age of 19. He attended Ball State University graduating with a BS in Dance Performance with a minor in Theatre. While at Ball State, he was encouraged to attend dance classes and audition for the Ball State Performing Dance Company where he was accepted as an Apprentice. A year later he became a company member. While studying at Ball State, he also performed with the Anderson Young Ballet Theatre, directed by Lou Ann Young. He received many scholarships and was the first to receive the Lynette Jordan Schisla Scholarship.
At Ball State, Casey developed his choreography skills. He was one of several students to have their works adjudicated and performed at the American College Dance Festival, representing Ball State. Casey also choreographed many musicals at Ball State. “Dancing at Laughnasa” was adjudicated and presented at the American College Theatre Festival. He was also voted Best Student Choreographer.
Casey has studied and worked with many outstanding choreographers and master teachers including Gail Gilbert (David Parsons Dance Company), Franciose Martinett (Joffrey Ballet), Sylvia Waters (Alvin Ailey), Trinette Singleton (Joffrey Ballet), Luigi and Twyla Tharp, just to name a few.
Summer of 2003, Casey was accepted to the Glenda Brown Choreography Project in Austin, Texas, where he worked with Margo Sappington. Casey attended this project as a choreographer where he was inspired to create eight dances in thirteen days.
Casey is very excited to be expanding his teaching and choreography responsibilities at Central Indiana Academy of Dance. Casey would like to thank Suzann DeLay for her insight and astute knowledge she has shared with him.
Casey is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Ashley Jacobs
Co-Artistic Director, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble
Co-Owner, Central Indiana Academy of Dance
Ashley began her formal ballet training at the age of 10 with Suzann DeLay, and was a founding member of the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble. While with CIDE, she performed soloist roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, and Rose in The Nutcracker, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella in Cinderella, and Wendy in Peter Pan.
While dancing Ashley attended summer programs with The Washington Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Boston Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre.
Ashley attended the University of Utah as a ballet major, and in her sophomore year transferred to Indiana University to study in the Contemporary Dance Program, where she received the Jane Fox Dance Scholarship from the Kinesiology Department. While at IU she danced with The Ben Munisteri Dance Company of New York City, Connie Denapoli from Paul Taylor Dance Company and The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange of Washington D. C.
In addition to performing, she was a featured choreographer in IU’s “Hammer and Nail 2008”. She has choreographed for the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble and was recognized at the Regional Dance America - MidStates Festival held in Indianapolis.
Ashley has taught at many local studios, including Indiana University’s Pre-College Dance Program, and was an assistant teacher for the freshman dance major’s modern class at IU. Ashley is currently a supervising teacher for Butler University’s Ballet Department Pedagogy Major.
Ashley graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Dance Performance.
Ashley is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Ashley was also recently certified in all three levels of Progressing Ballet Technique.
Jillian Godwin
Assistant to the Artistic Directors
Jillian Godwin began her dance training in Indianapolis at Dance Magic Performing Arts Center and graduated from Broad Ripple High School, Center for the Performing and Visual Arts. While in high school, she competed in the Prelude Awards and was a finalist in the dance category in 2001 and 2003. Jillian danced as an apprentice for Dance Kaleidoscope for one season before she was promoted to dancer. She has also trained at Chautauqua Institution School of Dance in Chautauqua, New York, and American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive in Detroit. Jillian was accepted to River North Chicago Company's Summer Intensive, where she trained with Sara Bibik, Sherry Zunker and Laura Wade. She was one of only 33 dancers chosen nationally to attend the 10-day workshop. She was named one of Indy's top ten most intriguing artists in 2012. She also had the honor of sharing the stage with Michael Feinstein, Liza Minnelli, and Rita Moreno at the 2013 Encore Awards Celebration held at the Palladium. She has also spent time at the Graham School in NYC in 2015 and 2016 on scholarship during their winter intensives. Jillian's mother Donna, even in spirit, continues to feed her drive and passion for art, as well as her father Gregory, the DK family and David H. Jillian just retired In October 2020 from the stage after 17 seasons with Dance Kaleidoscope.
Skylar Thomas
Youth Company Director and Communications Coordinator, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble
Skylar Thomas is a dancer, teacher, and certified Pilates instructor. She has been dancing since she was six years old. She began her training in 2006 at Dance Creations in Indianapolis. Her training continued with Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre in 2013 in Carmel Indiana, where she was a part of their pre-professional program “G2” from 2013 to 2018. From 2017 to 2018 Skylar also served as an intern to GHDT’s professional company. She is the 2018 recipient of the Florence Marie Hancock scholarship.
Skylar continued her education at Indiana University where she earned her BFA in Dance, as well as a minor BA in Psychology. While at IU Skylar studied extensively in many different styles of dance including Ballet, Contemporary, Horton, Graham, Musical Theatre, African Diaspora, and Aerial silks. Skylar performed in many shows with IU Contemporary Dance including the annual faculty concerts in 2019, 2020, and 2021 as well as many student-led shows and independent projects. In addition to performing, Skylar has also choreographed several pieces, “Homage” (2020) and “Wrays of Light” (2022), which appeared in IU Contemporary Dance’s shows Framing Figures and New Moves, respectively.
Skylar Thomas looks forward to advancing and refining her teaching and choreographic skills with Central Indiana Academy of Dance.
Guest Faculty
Oleg Gorboulev
Kristin Hakala
Svetlana Kravtova
Eddy Ocampo
Vadium Pijicov
Judy Rice
Richard Rein
Zhanna Sinitsyna
Price Suddarth
Mara Vinson
Tong Wang
Guest Choreographers
Joe Istre
Eddie Moffat
Richard Rein
Ashley (Sass) Walton
Zhanna Sinitsyna
Price Suddarth
Tong Wang
Eddy Ocampo
Mauro Villanueva
Mary Geiger