Our Staff

Gina Dewey

Owner & Director

Gina has been dancing all of her life, however, she started Irish dancing in 2003 with her daughters.   She enjoyed competing as much as they did and achieved Open Level status in competition.   She has always been an avid teacher, so it was natural that she began teaching Irish Dance in 2008 and helped her students with competitions and performing.  Over the years the NLIDA has gone from just a traditional school to professional dance company, and so much more.

Elizabeth Dewey

Owner, Studio Manager, Ballet Director

Elizabeth Dewey grew up in Cadillac, MI loving to dance. She started her dance journey at a small local studio at the age of three. Throughout her childhood she traveled to Traverse City and later Grand Rapids for classes. Elizabeth did the majority of her classical ballet training at the School of the Grand Rapids Ballet. She also spent her summers frequenting dance intensives, such as; Ballet Magnificat! and the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet. At age 17, Elizabeth was excepted as a trainee with the premier Christian ballet company Ballet Magnificat! After dancing with them for two years and serving a the trainee costume mistress, she took a job in Florence, Italy running an art gallery that used art, music, and dance to share the gospel.

Elizabeth has been teaching dance since she was 16, and has taught a variety of styles. Though her main love is to teach Ballet, she also enjoys teaching Irish, Contemporary, Lyrical, Worship, and more.

Jubilee Hoekwater

Teacher & Assistant

Jubilee started dancing at 3 years old with the Northern Lights Irish Dance academy.  She is one of 9 siblings, 7 of whom dance(d) with the NLID.  She has been performing and competing since she was 4, and has been assistant teaching since she was 12. Jubilee’s main love is Irish dance, but she has also studied contemporary dance and ballet. 

Although she graduated high school in 2021, Jubilee continues to dance, compete and perform with the NLID.  She made the decision to start teaching last year, and we are excited for her to take on some of our Irish dance classes! 

Jubilee recently became a certified natural health practitioner, and is furthering her education in natural medicine.