Judges

Ashley Claybrook has been a dancer for over 25 years training in various styles of dance. She began her training at Columbia Performing Arts Centre. She began her choreography journey at a very young age. Ashley danced professionally in St. Louis, MO with the AshleyLiane Dance Company for 10 years and served as the Assistant Director/Contributing Choreographer for the Junior Training Program for many years while with the company.

Ashley has worn many hats in the dance industry as many artists do. She is a dance instructor, an award-winning choreographer for several studios and dance teams in the St. Louis, Columbia and Illinois areas, has taught a plethora of master classes and travels as an adjudicator for Nexstar National Dance Competition to share her love of dance with many.

Ashley has adored her seven years as the Owner/Artistic Director in her long time home, DPU Dance. Ashley has taught and choreographed for DPU for over 15 years. Ashley opened her second location in August of 2022. She is unbelievably honored to teach so many wonderful students and she has gained so much on this adventure as the Artistic Director of DPU Dance and FDC Dance. She is very humbled by the overwhelming support of the dance community along this journey. Ashley has beautiful plans in store for the progression of both her studios and her dance community.

Catherine Donadee was the Recreational Director at Studio 32 Dance Company, in Canfield, Ohio, where she also taught for 13 years. Before that, she began her teaching career at Center Stage Dance Studio. Catie began her dance training at an early age and has over 25 years of experience in the industry.  Trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Lyrical, Catie was a part of award-winning competition groups on the Regional, State, and National levels.  Catie has attended Dance Masters of America Teacher’s Training School where she had the privilege of studying under some of the industry’s greatest.  Ambitious to maintain a strong foundation, Catie continues to educate herself any chance she can. For over 15 years she choreographed routines on the competitive level and received numerous special judges’ awards along with being awarded for her choreography.  Her routines have been awarded on the Overall level both Regionally and Nationally, also qualifying and attending the World Dance Championship.  Sharing her love for dance and technique with her students is her passion, but watching them develop, explore, and express their own love for the art is an added bonus! Catie has recently branched out her love for dance and is in her second season as the head coach of the Austintown Fitch High School Danceline. She has choreographed multiple routines that the team performs during halftime of the Varsity home basketball games. When she is not coaching, Catie can be found at home with her family in Ohio.  Catie is very excited to be back judging for her eleventh season and wishes all the performers the best of luck this weekend. 

Gail Cannaday is a Professional Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer, and Adjudicator from Chesapeake, Virginia that now resides in Morehead City, North Carolina. Gail started training, competing, and setting choreography at an early age. Her training under Arnora Hummell, Melissa Moore, and Andre Yemelianov includes: Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Character, Modern, and Contemporary. In 2010 she joined the Dance Program at East Carolina University where she continued her dance training under Tommi Galaska, Dirk Lumbard, Galina Panova, Clarine Powell, Teal Darkenwald, and John Dixon. While at ECU she performed in various works and toured such pieces in concerts throughout North Carolina, Virginia, and Chicago, IL. She was also selected to have her own choreography performed alongside faculty pieces as well as teach alongside her faculty mentors at ECU during the Day of Dance, the Roots Festivals, in Musical Theatre Tap Classes, and for the East Carolina Tap Ensemble. Gail graduated from ECU in 2014 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance. Gail’s further training includes the North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival, Rhythm World Chicago, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Denise Wall’s Dance Energy, Millennium Dance Complex in Chicago, IL, #Taplife NY, and Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan, NY. In 2013, Gail was an apprentice with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project where she furthered her training and teaching career. She also had the opportunity to study closely under Tap Dance Masters Derick K. Grant and Charles Renato at that time. Since then, she has been teaching master classes and setting choreography at various studios along the East Coast in North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. Gail currently teaches Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip Hop at Justice Elite Dance Company in Morehead City, North Carolina.