InStep Dance Studios, LLC

Jilissa Cotten, Owner and Director of InStep Dance Studios, LLC

As the Director/Owner of InStep Dance Studios Ms. Jilissa Cotten brings qualified, trained experience to this southside studio.  She has an Masters in Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance from Sam Houston State University.  Ms. Cotten also has 20 years experience in the classroom, teaching all ages and levels of ballet, jazz and contemporary dance.  She has been trained in ballet, jazz, modern, Laban movement analysis, creative dance and body conditioning.  Ms. Cotten has danced professionally throughout South Texas and has choreographed throughout the nation.  Her choreography includes musicals, classical ballet and contemporary works that have earned her national recognition.

Brandy Calcote is thrilled to be back for a second year here at InStep to teach 3-5 year old Ball/Tap, Kinder Dance, Tap 1-2, and Musical Theatre Kids.  She has over 10 years of experience in musical theatre and graduated Suma Sum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting/Directing from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.  During her time there she was awarded 2 Best Actress Awards, the Outstanding Theatre Major Award, and Best New Playwright Award.  She studied dance with Jilissa Cotten, voice with Flicka Rahn, and was selected to study in an exclusive acting workshop under Jason Alexander.  Recent performance credits include "Penny Pingleton" in Hairspray and "Amneris" in Aida at Harbor Playhouse for which she was awarded Best Supporting Actress.  Throughout the past year, Brandy has discovered her passion for teaching, directing, and choreography for children's theatre.  Brandy was honored to serve as the artistic director for the 2011 InStep production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  In the future, Brandy plans to open her own children's production company and to start a family with her wonderful fiance Jake.

Sarah Thomas is a Theatre Major at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. She has been performing since she was nine years old and has studied all dance forms from movement for actors to classical ballet.   Since attending TAMUCC her choreography has appeared in numerous main stage productions for the Theatre Dept. where she was awarded Outstanding Student Director 2010 and Best Actress 2011.  After college, Sarah plans on auditioning for musical theatre companies at NETC, UPTA, and Straw Hat Auditions.  Sarah lives for performing and loves being able to share her passion for the arts here at Instep Dance Studios.

Victoria DelBosque has been trained in ballet and jazz for the past 17 years under the instruction of Nancy Sulik and Jilissa Cotton at Corpus Christi Concert Ballet. During this time she was a company member for four years where she performed in productions like The Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, and Bailando. At King High School she was a part of the dance team Royalettes where she served as a line member her first year, Major her second, and Colonel her third year.  She competed at MA Dance Competitions where she won at the Regional Level as one of the top 10 soloists in 2009. That same year, she was invited to New York City to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as one of the Mike Miller dancers. She has been to conventions like NUVO in 2011 where she trained  with SYTYCD choreographers: Ray Leeper, Travis Wall, and Stacey Tookey. Victoria has been subbing at Instep for 2 years and will start her second year as a ballet teacher. She is currently attending Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and hoping to become a Special Education teacher and dance team coach.