Debra Giunta began her dance training at age 3 immediately after watching Shirley Temple tap up the stairs with Bill Bojangles. Though Debra has trained in ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop for over 22 years, tap remains her favorite.

She found that dance offered a very grounded and positive influence in her life whether she was in the studio or imitating Paula Abdul in the mirror. As a teenager, Debra took initiative to share this influence by starting a dance program in her town. Since then, her passion for dance education has continued to grow as she has been on staff as a teacher or choreographer at over 20 locations throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

Debra implements a very specific teaching style and vision in her classes and in 2008, she opened Design Dance as a way to cultivate that vision with other like-minded dancers.

Debra’s goal for Design Dance is to allow her students to understand technique in a variety of dance disciplines while allowing them to find their own meaningful place in their dancing.

When Debra isn’t teaching or working for Design Dance, she enjoys writing fiction, driving down Lake Shore Drive at night, and orange dulce tea.