FACULTY

Born in Metairie, Joseph Giacobbe graduated cum laude from Tulane University. He is the owner/director of Giacobbe Academy of Dance, which has provided the highest quality dance training since 1943 and has been featured in Dance Magazine. He is the artistic director and co-founder of Delta Festival Ballet. Since 1958, Giacobbe has taught master classes throughout the US and Canada and served on many regional and national committees and organizations including as President of Louisiana Association of Dance Masters, Vice-President of Dance Masters of America, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and resident choreographer of the New Orleans Opera Association. He has adjudicated for the Southeast and Northwest Regional Ballet Association Festivals and the Southeast College Dance Festival.

Holds an M.F.A. in dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a B.A. from Louisiana State University. As a Baton Rouge native, Brown trained with Dancers' Workshop and Lemoine Chatelain Dance Center as well as Burklyn Ballet Theatre (Vermont), The Rock School (Philadelphia Ballet) and American Repertory Ballet (Princeton). She performed with Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Mid City Dance Project and LSU Dance Ensemble. In New York City, she worked for Trisha Brown Dance Company, touring and producing international dance and opera productions and working closely with the legendary Trisha Brown, whose mentorship was profound both in and out of the dance studio. Additionally, she performed with several NYC based contemporary choreographers, and the Second Avenue Dance Company in original works by Deborah Jowitt and Tere O'Connor. She directed Raw Delivery Dance Company and co-owned The Red Bean Studios. Currently, Brown is the Delta Festival Ballet administrative director, and teaches dance at Academy of the Sacred Heart where she is chair of the Creative Arts Department. She also coaches the ASH Dance Team and is the resident choreographer for the Avenue Players. She is a member of Louisiana Dance Masters and Dance Masters of America.

is a New Orleans native and a graduate of Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the LSU Dance Ensemble and assistant to Vonnie Brown's ballroom and folk dance classes. After graduation, he continued training and performing with contemporary choreographers in Houston. He then moved to New York City, where he taught ballroom and social dance for Arthur Murray in Manhattan and Long Island, as well as New Dance Group. He participated in ProAm competitions and events with numerous private social clubs on the UES. He co-owned the Red Bean Studios where he continued teaching and hosting weekly ballroom events. He is happy to bring all of this experience back to New Orleans and continue his family's legacy of lifelong learning and love of dance. Brown serves on the board of Delta Festival Ballet.

Trained at the Giacobbe Academy of Dance and danced with Delta Festival Ballet before commencing her professional dance career at Houston Ballet. There she quickly rose to the rank of soloist, dancing with the company for 14 seasons. She then joined the touring production of the Phantom of the Opera as a singer/dancer.  After being promoted to the Dance Captain/Swing position she was put her in charge of the musical staging of the show as well as covering all chorus and dancer roles. After 14 years of touring she moved to Broadway where she was the Dance Captain for the production at the Majestic Theater in New York City, retiring after 19 years with the show. In 2018 Laurie was part of the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University after which she joined the Musical Theater faculty at the University of Utah as a visiting assistant professor.  Thrilled to be back in her hometown, Laurie loves teaching and sharing her diverse dance background with students!

Trained at Giacobbe Academy of Dance and a native of New Orleans. She was a member of the New Orleans Youth Ballet, and was a soloist with Delta Festival Ballet. McCaffery is currently training with Dance Masters of America, and is continuing her education in Exercise Physiology. She has done summer intensives with New Orleans Ballet Association and Giacobbe Academy of Dance, and has also appeared in Mardi Gras balls. She also studied at the University of Southern Mississippi as a dance major where she trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and dance production. She is excited to continue to pass on her joy and knowledge of dance. 

Received her B.A. in Education from The University of New Orleans and has served on the faculty of Giacobbe Academy for over 20 years. She is the Archbishop Rummel High School director of the Chapellette Dance Team. She trained at Giacobbe and attended the Boston Ballet Summer Intensive on scholarship. Surcouf Pelle was a soloist with the New Orleans Youth Ballet and Delta Festival Ballet. She has performed with Young Audiences, New Orleans Opera, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. She has appeared in Mardi Gras balls, festivals, in the feature film Fletch Lives, and as Ariel for Disney’s movie premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She won the title of LADM Miss Dance of Louisiana 1992. Surcouf Pelle is a graduate of Archbishop Chapelle High School where she was vice-president of the Chapellette Dance Team. She is a member of Louisiana Dance Masters and Dance Masters of America.

Trained in New Orleans and in New York City on scholarship with American Ballet Theatre School. He has performed with many local dance organizations and was a guest artist for both the New Orleans Opera and the Houston Grand Opera. He joined Delta Festival Ballet as a soloist in 1986, and has served as the Regisseur for New Orleans Youth Ballet and Ballet Master for Delta. Rholdon has created many full-length ballets as well as shorter divertissements over his many years with Delta.

Is a native of New Orleans. Touchet trained at Giacobbe Academy of Dance, Hartford Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. She performed principal roles with Delta Festival Ballet as well as Lexington Ballet, la JAZDANZ and Smuin Ballet (San Francisco). Touchet has been on faculty at Cincinnati Ballet School and is the youth corps rehearsal assistant for Delta Festival Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

Trained with Giacobbe Academy of Dance and performed principal roles with Delta Festival Ballet from 1997-2018. Van Vrancken holds a B.S. from Louisiana State University and a J.D. from Loyola. She practices law with the Department of Labor and is Board Secretary of Delta Festival Ballet.

Began her dance training at Giacobbe Academy of Dance under Joseph and Maria Giacobbe. She was a member of the New Orleans Youth Ballet, performing with Delta Festival Ballet in numerous professional productions. She joined DFB as a company member in 2006, and became a Giacobbe Academy faculty member in 2008. Whittle received an M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans in 2013, and went on to work at The Alabama Ballet, New Orleans Ballet Association, and the box office at Delta Festival Ballet. She is proud to remain a part of the Giacobbe faculty and pass on her knowledge of dance to the students of today.