PDS Faculty
Meet Our Instructors
Janis Gunnoe
Artistic Director, Founder, &
Dancer-of-All-Things
Mrs. Gunnoe started late in dance, beginning at the age of 11. She originally studied with Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Rose of Dance Theatre School in Beckley, WV. Studying tap, classical ballet, jazz and pointe. Through her studies there she became a member of their company class performing in many things. At the age of 15 she was chosen to perform in a summer show entitled the “Aqua Follies” which also traveled to several states to perform.
Gunnoe was also a member of the Rose Dancers and a teacher at Dance Theatre School and Bluefield Dance Theatre. Through her artistic career she has been a choreographer and adjunct teacher for colleges, universities, theater programs and many show choirs. She is a former President of Dance West Virginia and a member for many years. She has studied under many master teachers and choreographers.
In 1980 she chose to open her own studio and it has been a successful business and dance studio for over 40 years! Her students have placed high in competitions and even won National titles. They have also have gone on to many wonderful careers as dancers, ballroom studio owners, doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, mothers, fathers, accountants, successful members of our community and many other careers. Mrs. Gunnoe lives in Princeton with her husband of 47 years, she has 3 children and 6 grandchildren.
Lynn Clayton
Pointe & Ballet
A native of New York, Lynn Clayton started her dance education at the age of five, and studied
under the tutelage of Dorothy Singer, a former prima ballerina with the New York Metropolitan Opera. During Lynn's junior and senior years in high school, Lynn was also granted permission to travel to NYC once a week to continue her ballet training at American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey School. Lynn continued her studies with Dorothy Singer's School of Dance, until she graduated at the age of 18. After high school, Lynn expanded her dance training, studying with several renowned teachers. Additional
training includes; theatre jazz, Hawaiian and Polynesian dance, Middle Eastern Dance, and Flamenco. In addition to teaching dance, giving private lessons, and coaching, Lynn has performed in a variety of dance styles throughout her career including: classical ballet and pointe, theatre jazz, lyrical jazz, hula
auana and hula kahiko, Middle Eastern dance and Flamenco.
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During her time in New York, Lynn taught dance at the following venues; Long Island Academy
of Dance, Reflections Dance Academy, Rainbow Studio Dance Academy, Stage Door School of Dance, All Star Dance Academy, Silhouette School of Dance, Ginny Santangello School of Dance, Studio One School of Dance, and Dance Dynamics Dance Academy. Lynn performed as a guest artist at Columbia University, Hofstra University and the Lincoln Center Dance Library. Lynn has danced with Design
Theatrical Agency, Signorelli Ballet, and Serena Studios where she performed as a soloist and an
ensemble dancer at Lincoln Center, Damrosch Park. Lynn was also the artistic director and performed with her Polynesian Dance Company, "Halau Hula Na Whines O Mokupuni Loihi". "Halau Hula Na Wahines O Mokupuni Loihi", received glowing reviews in the New York Times.
While living in Virginia, Lynn taught various forms of dance as an adjunct at Ferrum College, and worked as a teacher, adjudicator, and summer intensive teacher for Roanoke Ballet Theatre. She has performed as a guest artist with Post School of Ballet, Roanoke Ballet Theatre and Longwood University. In addition to teaching dance as an adjunct at Concord University in West Virginia, Lynn graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ferrum College, and after moving to West Virginia, she completed her Master's Degree in the Art of Health Promotion from Concord University. She currently resides in West Virginia where she teaches ballet and pointe at Princeton Dance Studio.
K.D. Coleman
Power & Grace
KD Flanigan Coleman. Avid adventurist, personal trainer and passionate dancer. I began dancing when I was two years old. I was a PPAC member 1991-1999. During college I began teaching dance and group fitness classes which led me to a passion for yoga, Pilates, and all things dance. Join me for Power & Grace. A class that combines all of my passions to build strong and passionate dancers.
Chelsea Goins
Contemporary
Chelsea is the instructor of the contemporary and stretch class at Princeton Dance Studio. She recognizes the studio as a second home as she has spent every year dancing since she was two years old. Chelsea has performed in over 17 recitals where she was often a featured dancer including the Snow Queen throughout her dancing career at Princeton Dance Studio. She continues to return as an honorable guest in the studio’s annual recitals. She was honored to be asked to join the Princeton Performing Arts Company as one of the youngest ages accepted, 10 years old.
Throughout her years of being in the Company, she danced in competitions across the country. The Princeton Performing Arts Company received "Grand Champions” and multiple completions. She worked to receive various scholarships from competitions. One scholarship offering her to attend a fully funded trip to widen her dance knowledge at the Broadway Dance Studio in New York City earned to her at a national competition in Myrtle Beach, SC. She was a cheerleader at Concord University where in Spring 2016 and 2018 she competed the UCA Competition located in Orlando, Florida.
Chelsea has completed two bachelor’s degrees from Concord University and her Master’s of Business Administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport.
Chelsea is now a Business Education Teacher and Head Dance Team Coach at Princeton Senior High School. She choreographs for various dance studios, dance and cheerleading teams, and weddings. Chelsea coaches fitness classes at Evolution Fitness, a personal training gym in Princeton.
Choskie Harmon
Hip-Hop
Choskie Harmon has been involved in the arts from a very young age. A graduate from Princeton Senior High School, Harmon was a member of the elite Madrigal Singers and the first African American from PSHS to attend the Governor’s School for the Arts for vocal training.
Harmon then attended Concord University where he studied English and Secondary Education. While pursuing his bachelor’s degree, Harmon began teaching dance at Princeton Dance Studio where he continues to teach today. Through his involvement with Princeton Dance Studio, he has won awards for his choreography and has choreographed for various organizations locally and statewide in West Virginia and Virginia.
He has also performed in, choreographed, and produced pageants for the Miss West Virginia’s Outstanding Teen and Miss West Virginia International. Additionally during this time, he was the sales director for Hoctor’s Dance Caravan, a national touring dance competition.
After graduating with honors from Concord University, Harmon taught middle and high school English for six years and, most recently, theatre at Bluefield High School. He has also performed numerous times at the West Virginia Dance Festival in Charleston, WV under the direction of Janis Gunnoe.
Virginia Hull-Janutalo
Modern
Virginia was born and raised in Spanishburg, WV. She studied dance with Janis Gunnoe at Princeton Dance Studio from age 10 until Graduating from Princeton High School. She was accepted and attended Radford University with a double major in Dance and Psychology. Virginia was involved in staging, lighting, costumes, and managing Radford University’s major ballet productions of Giselle, and The Nutcracker. She studied ballet under ballet master Frano Jelincic and former principal ballet dancer Dagmar Kessler.
After graduating from Radford She was accepted into University of North Carolina Greensboro’s Masters of Dance program. She completed this program while teaching at her own dance studio in Narrows, Virginia. She has served as adjunct professor at Concord University where she offer classes in intro to Dance. Virginia was also a guest Choreographer in Concord’s production of Cabaret. Virginia completed her Masters in Physician Assistant and is a practitioner at the Beckley VA Mental Health Department where she serves our nation’s heroes.
Virginia teaches modern dance at Princeton Dance Studio and enjoys farming, reading, and the great outdoors in her spare time.
Abbey Stafford
Contemporary
& Jazz
Abbey Stafford took dance classes at Princeton Dance Studio from age 3 to 18. During that time, she was a member of the Princeton Performing Arts Company for seven years, with which she traveled around the state and region participating and performing at many festivals, conventions, and competitions. While in high school, Abbey was also member of the Princeton Senior High School Dance Team.
Following graduation from high school, Abbey continued dancing as a member of the Virginia Tech collegiate dance team, the HighTechs. While on the team, Abbey danced at countless games, events, and concerts. She was captain of the team her junior and senior years. She annually competed with the team at the National Dance Association (NDA) collegiate championship at Daytona Beach, Florida, at which the team regularly placed. While a part of the team, she was able to dance as part of productions with performers such as Brad Paisley and Taboo, a member of the Black Eyed Peas.
Abbey has choreographed for various shows, events, and talent portions of pageants, specifically including for Miss West Virginia at the Miss America competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2018.
Abbey returned home to Princeton following graduation from West Virginia University College of Law, where she earned her JD and MBA. She works in Bluefield, Virginia as an attorney and teaches and choreographs jazz and contemporary styles at Princeton Dance Studio.
Kayla Stafford
Jazz
Kayla Stafford started dancing with Mrs. Gunnoe at Princeton Dance Studio before she was two years old. During her time as a student at Princeton Dance Studio, she studied Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Pointe, and Modern. Kayla also danced with the Princeton Performing Arts Company for 7 years as they performed at the West Virginia Dance Festival and various dance competitions and performances around the community. Kayla was also a member of the Princeton Senior High School Dance Team while dancing with Mrs. Gunnoe.
After graduating high school, Kayla attended Marshall University and was on the Marshall University Dance Team for three years and helped coordinate the team as the Graduate Assistant for a year.
Kayla now enjoys giving back to her home dance studio by teaching and sharing her love for the art with her students. Kayla’s favorite style of dance is Jazz and her favorite thing about Princeton Dance Studio is the life lessons and memories she has made there.