Staff Biographies

Ms. Guibord-Stay

Director of Guibord’s North Country School of Ballet

Artistic Director of The North Country Ballet Ensemble

Associate Diploma & Licentiate Cecchetti USA

BFA Degree in Dance

Member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London England

Appointed to serve on the Eastern Committe of Cecchetti USA

Movement Instructor for: Seton Academy  North Country Kids   Kaleidoscope 

L ittle Saints  Sure Wee Daycare      Busy Bee Daycare    

Ms. Deborah Guibord is a former member of Stephen’s Dance Company and Mark Ryder’s Dancers.  She opened Guibord’s in September 1973 and continues to direct and teach dancers of all ages at the school.  Under her direction, Guibord’s is dedicated to providing a positive environment for dancers of all ages, keeping in mind that each student is a unique and special individual.

Her training after attaining her undergraduate degree includes the following:

Ballet; 1974-1980  Madame Zare Montreal

           6 week Summer courses (Modern, Ballet, Choreography)

           Johnson State, Harvard, Toronto, San Francisco

           Jean Spear, Cecchetti method 10 years commuting to Watertown, NY

           Joyce Shietze, Cecchetti method 3 years comminuting to Ottawa

           1978-79 Graduate Program in “Movement” University of CT.

           Summer of 2002 attended Cecchetti USA International Summer School

           Summer of 2006 attended Canadian Cecchetti Seminar in Quebec City.

           Summer of 2007 attended Cecchetti USA International Summer School

           December 2007  Teacher's Cecchetti Workshop/Licentiate Level

           November, December, January 2008-2009   Teacher's training under the direction of Mary Ross, Fellow and Examiner;

         Cecchetti Society of Canada    (The School of Dance, Ottawa, Canada)  Licentiate level

         January 19, 2009  Cheshire, CT   Passed Licentiate Exam; Cecchetti USA   This is a teacher's ballet exam. 

         August 2009 attended the Cecchetti USA Intensive in Beaumont, Texas

         August 2010 attended the Cecchetti USA Intensive in Santa Barbara, California 

         Oct 2009-July 2010  Training in Advance 2/Grade 10 in Montreal; Suzanne Plante, Fellow and Examiner,

         Cecchetti Society of Canada & Examiner National Dances/Ballet I.S.T.D., London England  

Ms. Bonnie

Ms. Bonnie Black attained her BA in English with a minor in Theatre from PSUNY followed by an MA in Liberal Studies from PSUNY.  As a dance teacher at Guibord's School of Dance since 1979, Bonnie has enjoyed working with dancers ages 4 through adult in ballet and tap dance.  In addition to being an Assistant Artistic Director and Rehearsal Mistress for the North Country Ballet Ensemble, her expertise in the technical aspects of theatrical production has been as asset to the organization.  Part of the artistic community of the North Country for almost three decades, Ms. Bonnie is a founding member and Business Manager of the community theatre group Friends of Theatre, Inc and a Past President (twice over) for the Council on the Arts for Clinton County.  Teaching Humanities and Theatre courses at Clinton Community College since 1992, Bonnie enjoys guiding students to the many resources for the arts in our community.

Ms. Schonbek

Certified Instructor through ABT National Training Curriculum

Ms. Alice Schonbek holds an MA in Dance Performance from the Tisch School/Gallatin Division of NYU.  While living in New York, she studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center where she was a merit scholar, and also was a scholarship student at Steps on Broadway.  She danced with the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble and was an apprentice with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Ms. Schonbek moved to Plattsburgh in 1983 and began teaching at PSU and Guibord’s School, in addition to studying and performing in Montreal. She was a founding member of the NCBE, and is an associate Artistic Director and Rehearsal Mistress there. She continues to teach ballet and modern dance at Guibord’s School. Her other artistic and community affiliations include sitting on the advisory board of Rebecca Kelly Ballet. Furthermore, she continues to play a vital role in the development of the Strand Performing Arts Center, where in the future she will be involved in arts programming.

                              Marne Timon

                              Teacher in Training  for Ballet

                              Instructor for Modern

                             Marne is a graduate of Guibord's and the Lake Placid School of Ballet.  She holds her Advance 1/Grade 9 certificate from Cecchetti USA

                            She is returning to teach at Guibord's after a year in the pre-professional Certificate Program for Ballet/Contemporary/Modern at Peridance     Capezio Center in NYC, where she trained primarily in contemporary dance.  She trained with Igal Perry, founder of Peridance, Liza Kovacs, Sidra Bell,

Janna Hicks, Milton Meyers and others.  She has performed in a variety of pieces, including an original work by Sidra Bell and Igal Perry's contemporary Nutcracker.  She has performed for four years in NCBE's Nutcracker.  Currently, she is a full time student at PSUC as an anthropology major.  She is training for her Advanced 2/Grade 10 Cecchetti exam as well as setting goals to attain a Associate in teaching the Cecchetti method.  She is thrilled to be back at Guibord's and excited to pass on the contemporary techniques she loves to younger dancers!

Kelsey Guibord Stay

Ballet & Modern Guest Instructor

Affiliated Member Cecchetti USA

Kelsey started dancing at the age of 4 years old.  By age 6 she had completed her first ballet exam.  She has performed annually in NCBE's Nutcracker from corp roles to solos as well as all other venues NCBE has offered to her.  Kelsey became a "apprentice" teacher in middle school.  She has instructed dance at Guibord's for the past three years.  April 2008, Kelsey was awarded the prestigious "Children's Grades Teaching Certificate" by Cecchetti USA.  To date she is the youngest dancer to successfully complete the examination designed specifically for students and teachers around the world to uphold the highest level of dance consistent with international standards.  Stay becomes an "Affiliate" of Cecchett USA,an honor for a young teacher!  Kelsey now attends Nazareth College of Rochester as an Art Education Major/Language Minor.  She desires to continue her dance training and teaching creditionals.  Kelsey returned to dance in Snow, Russian & The Nutcracker in Battle for Nutcracker 2008/2009 as well as choreographing "Candy Canes" for the prodcution.

Instuctor for Modern

Katherine Hausrath

Guest Instructor

Korinne Stay who is attending Dean College, Franklin MA as a Dance Major.

She holds her Advance 1/Grade 9 certificate from Cecchetti USA and is working on her Advance 2/Grade 10 professional exam.

Korinne's goal is to dance in a Modern Dance Company.  She is also exremely interested in enviromental science.

Guibord's will welcome Korinne as a guest instructor when she is home on holidays.

Guibord's North Country School of Ballet   427 Margaret Street   Plattsburgh, NY 12901   561-5550