Arlington Dance Academy
Arlington Dance Academy, 25 S. Dunton, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
About
Arlington Dance Academy offers classes in ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, contemporary, and tap. Classes take place at the Arlington Dance Academy studio.
Arlington Dance Academy is under the ownership of co-owners Laura Gates and Jeanette Aylward, who purchased the studio in 2022 from founder Linda McDonald. The studio was formerly known as McDonald Dance Academy, and Linda McDonald started the concepts 28 years ago. The program states that it is dedicated to teaching correct dance technique, theory, and terminology for beginning through advanced students.
Jeanette Aylward studied ballet at the University of Illinois while earning her BS in Actuarial Sciences and has worked as a teacher and choreographer in Chicago and the Northwest Suburbs for over 20 years. Laura Gates holds degrees in Dance and Psychology from the University of Iowa and danced professionally with Swallow Cliff Dance Company, Concert Dance, Inc., several independent choreographers, and Thodos Dance Chicago. She served Thodos Dance Chicago for twelve years as Rehearsal Director, Ballet Mistress, Artistic Associate, and New Dances Project Manager, and she has taught throughout the Chicago area and on the faculty of intensive programs including TDC, CNADM, Dance Masters of Wisconsin, Inaside Chicago Dance, Gus Giordano Dance School, the Illinois State Dance Festival, and the Midwest Cecchetti Council Ballet Workshop.
The program states that its goal is to foster a love and appreciation for dance in a welcoming environment and to help dancers grow as people, artists, and dancers. Arlington Dance Academy hosts guest teachers and choreographers from the Chicagoland professional dance community who work with Ensemble members and teach intensives. Students have performed in local productions, participated in their high school Orchesis programs and dance teams, and some have gone on to continue their dance training at the college level and to dance professionally. Arlington Dance Academy students have been awarded scholarships from the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters.
Last updated February 21, 2026.
Arlington Dance Academy is under the ownership of co-owners Laura Gates and Jeanette Aylward, who purchased the studio in 2022 from founder Linda McDonald. The studio was formerly known as McDonald Dance Academy, and Linda McDonald started the concepts 28 years ago. The program states that it is dedicated to teaching correct dance technique, theory, and terminology for beginning through advanced students.
Jeanette Aylward studied ballet at the University of Illinois while earning her BS in Actuarial Sciences and has worked as a teacher and choreographer in Chicago and the Northwest Suburbs for over 20 years. Laura Gates holds degrees in Dance and Psychology from the University of Iowa and danced professionally with Swallow Cliff Dance Company, Concert Dance, Inc., several independent choreographers, and Thodos Dance Chicago. She served Thodos Dance Chicago for twelve years as Rehearsal Director, Ballet Mistress, Artistic Associate, and New Dances Project Manager, and she has taught throughout the Chicago area and on the faculty of intensive programs including TDC, CNADM, Dance Masters of Wisconsin, Inaside Chicago Dance, Gus Giordano Dance School, the Illinois State Dance Festival, and the Midwest Cecchetti Council Ballet Workshop.
The program states that its goal is to foster a love and appreciation for dance in a welcoming environment and to help dancers grow as people, artists, and dancers. Arlington Dance Academy hosts guest teachers and choreographers from the Chicagoland professional dance community who work with Ensemble members and teach intensives. Students have performed in local productions, participated in their high school Orchesis programs and dance teams, and some have gone on to continue their dance training at the college level and to dance professionally. Arlington Dance Academy students have been awarded scholarships from the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters.
Last updated February 21, 2026.
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