Podcast Episodes

Episode 139: Jill Pelhan Day [Belhaven Dance Alumni – Part Twelve]

by Rachel Caldwell

We are wrapping up our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series with the very first graduate of the Belhaven Dance Department, Jill Pelhan Day! It was such a joy to spend this time with Jill and hear more about the beginnings of the dance program. While so much has changed over the years, we both reflect on how the heart of Belhaven has remained the same.

Jill shares her inspiring journey from a small town in South Carolina to becoming a pioneer in the Belhaven Dance Department. She reflects on her experiences at Belhaven, the evolution of dance education, and the importance of community and personal growth along the way. Jill also opens up about health challenges she’s faced in recent years and the journey of healing.

We chat about the significance of authenticity and pursuing what God calls you to in your life. Jill offers such valuable wisdom, encouraging each of us to embrace failure, enjoy the journey, and remain open to change.

Several other Belhaven Dance Alumni have shared their stories on the podcast over the years, so we’ve gathered all the episodes together in a playlist for you! Check out the playlist on Spotify!

You can watch the show on YouTube or Spotify, or listen through your favorite podcast app (ie. Apple Podcasts, Spotify). You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing wherever you prefer to connect! We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

About Jill:

Originally from the Carolinas, Jill Pelhan Day founded and directed the Laurel Ballet Academy (2002-2017) and has taught dance professionally for over 18 years. Most recently, Jill has been busy choreographing the Singing Christmas Tree for the past 3 years at First Baptist Biloxi. She currently lives in Pass Christian, MS with her husband – Brad, stepson-Andrew, daughter- Kate, and lots of cats. Jill is obsessed with listening to books on Audible, watching “Severance” on appletv, and cleaning and working around the house while listening to Pink and Coldplay.

In May of 1999, Jill earned a BA in Dance and a BA in Biblical Studies from Belhaven University in Jackson, MS. Jill’s teaching career includes employment as a dance instructor at the following places: University of Southern Mississippi Dance Department, Kim’s School of Dance in Hattiesburg, Academy of Ballet in Jackson MS, Hattiesburg YMCA, Fort Bend YMCA, Power APAC Magnet School (Jackson Public Schools), and West University Dance Center in Houston, TX. Jill was the owner and director of “The Dance Program” at 1st Presbyterian Kosciusko for 5 years. For 5 years Jill directed the dance ministry, “Streams of Worship…Rivers of Praise,” at River of Life Church in Hattiesburg, MS. From 1997-2009, Jill was a guest teacher for ZCWA in Charlotte, NC with whom she has toured as both a teacher and performer in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Jill also directed and choreographed for the Laurel Ballet Academy Performance Company from 2011 to 2017.

Jill began her formal ballet training in Charlotte, NC under the instruction of Catherine Lash at the Theatre School of Dance, Melissa Hale-Coyle and Claudia Folts at The Ballet School of Charlotte, and from Gay Porter-Spear at The Charlotte School of Ballet. Jill also studied at Ballet Magnificat! School of the Arts, North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Dance Place, the Winthrop College Community Dance Program, and with Henry Danton of Sadler’s Wells. Jill has also studied dance at both the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and the North Carolina School of the Arts Modern program where she was privileged to study under Shapiro and Smith, Penny Hutchinson, Edward Villella, Mel Tomlinson, and Anita Ashley. While in college, Jill pursued studies the Royal Academy of Dance passing the Grade 8, Elementary, and Intermediate Examinations in the RAD program.

Jill has been a professional dancer with Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston, TX with whom she toured across the mid-West and parts of California, Poland, and Austria. While with Ad Deum, she performed pieces by Loreen Fajgel, Randall Flinn, and Steve Rooks. As a dancer with The Messiah Project, Jill also spent a month touring across Japan. From 1996-1999, Jill was a member of Ballet Magnificat II! in which she performed throughout Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana in such ballets as “Thy Kingdom Come,” “A Christmas Festival,” “Sandi Songs,” “ Praise Magnificat,” “ God Gets the Glory,” and “Unveiled Hope.” Pre-professionally, she also performed in “Pas de Quatre” and “Les Sylphides” as part of the Belhaven College Dance Ensemble. As a member of the Charlotte City Ballet, Jill performed in “The Little Match Girl,” “The Singing Ringing Tree”, Arabian and Waltz of the Flowers in “The Nutcracker,” and the Pas de Trois from “Swan Lake.” Jill also performed with the Pine Belt Youth Ballet in “Coppelia,” “Firebird,” and “The Nutcracker.”

Links from the Show:

Connect with Jill:

On Facebook

jillpelhan@hotmail.com