Meet our staff
Belinda Richardson: Owner/Artistic Director
Ms. Belinda trained with the Deborah Case Dance Academy in McAllen, TX studying the Vaganova method since the age of 10. She worked closely with Prima Ballerina Galina Mezentseva of The Kirov Ballet. Her passion for teaching led her to further her education in dance pedagogy, earning a Masters Degree in Dance from Texas Woman's University in 2012. Since then, she has presented her research at the North Texas Philosophical Association in Denton, TX and published: La Femme Grotesque: The Disruptive Performance Art of Marie Chouinard and Orlan.
Her choreography won PHD 2nd place for Best Contemporary Dance at the Tremaine Dance Convention. As an instructor, Belinda specializes in the art of classical ballet with an emphasis on somatic awareness.
Brittany golden: Assistant Director
Ms. Brittany Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor where she cheered competitively, starred in several school theater and film productions, and taught gymnastics and dance. She studied theater and art in London and has a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Dallas Baptist University.
Ms. Brittany is passionate about performances of all kinds, especially Jazz, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater. Brittany is dedicated to excellence in the classroom and always makes you feel at home when you’re at PHD. She also runs several of our afterschool dance programs at nearby schools.
You’ll find her smiling face both inside the classroom and the office, helping parents and students get acclimated to our studio.
RACHEL ELLIS
Ms. Rachel Graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Belhaven University, was inducted into the National Dance Education Organization, and successfully graduated their program with honors. Ms. Rachel has choreographed over 24 dances as well as works for team performances and competitions. She was a guest instructor for All Star Dance Academy's summer intensive, teaching ballet and contemporary classes. Ms. Rachel received her training at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy in Encino, a Royal Academy of Dance-certified studio.
Throughout her time at LABA and Belhaven, she worked directly with Andrea Paris Gutierrez, Conny Mathot, Nichelle Bane, Kee Juan Han, Betsy McMillan, Caleb Mitchell, Laura Morton and others.
Ms. Rachel is one of our leading ballet instructors and is in charge of our performance team. We are thrilled to have her at PHD!
Lindzay Duplessis
Ms. Zay Graduated from Sam Houston State University with her Bachelor Of Fine Arts in Dance. Her training includes four years of the Cecchetti method from the Chamberlain School of Ballet and two summer intensives with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. She has performed in works by Teoma Naccarato, David Cross, Muscle Memory Dance, and IMPulse Dance. She was a company dancer with B. Moore Dance 2019-2021.
Ms. Zay enjoys teaching children of all ages and incorporates an element of fun in her methodology. You can find her teaching pre-ballet, tap, hip hop, and jazz! She’s been a part of our PHD family for over 7 years!
Ms. Zay is also a licensed massage therapist and bodywork specialist, offering stretch and mobility classes for adults.
Madilyn hill
Ms. Maddie has been dancing for 24 years, she received her training with The Tuzer Ballet and The Kirov Ballet Academy, and went on to dance professionally with the Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet for 5 years. Ms. Maddie teaches our students the importance of kinesthetic awareness to prevent injury and create better ease of movement. She is also the owner and creative director of Bishop Street Ballet.
With her extensive training in the Vaganova method, she is passionate about teaching this beautiful art form. You’ll find her in many of our intermediate/advanced level ballet classes as well as beginner pointe classes. We love having her at PHD!
Maricsa Perez
Ms. Misca is a dancer and choreographer with the Dallas Mavericks. She creates a highly energetic, fun, and welcoming environment for students of all levels and we love her passion for performing!
Ms. Misca teaches our students hip-hop and jazz fundamentals, she also assists younger students in ballet and contemporary. She is currently a part of the Dallas Maverick’s “D-Town Crew” offering local master classes in hip-hop choreography and Latin styles. We love having her at PHD!
