The Owners
Chicago Dance is proud to be the home of US and World Champions Tommye Giacchino and Gregory Day.
Tommye Giacchino
Tommye Giacchino began her career in her mother’s dance studio in Chicago, where taking class every day was a way of life. Baton twirling and modeling were Tommye’s serious hobbies in her younger years, becoming a National Twirling Champion at 12 years old, then coaching two teams and one individual to State Championships by the ripe age of 15. In addition to twirling, Tommye’s modeling career was taking off with her resume building with more than 100 television and radio commercials, national print and placements, professional theatre performance and numerous beauty pageant titles.
Tommye’s ballroom dance career began by studying ballet and other forms of dance for over 26 years. After seeing a live ballroom dance competition, she was hooked. She soon began competing in Amateur Standard and then had numerous Rising Star successes in American Smooth after turning professional. After partnering with Gregory Day in 1996, the winning was immediate. In just three short years together, the two became US Rising Star Champions, US Open Cabaret Champions and the winners of the British Open Invitational Exhibition Championship, their most prestigious title. Gregory and Tommye have since traveled the world to perform and coach, taking them all through Asia, Europe and almost every state in the USA. They have performed extensively with major symphonies such as The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and The Elgin Symphony. World-renowned jazz and ballet companies: Gus Giordano, River North Dance Company and The Joffrey. As well as being featured artists on television programs around the world. PBS’s Championship Ballroom Dancing, and “America’s Ballroom Challenge” Europsort’s French Spectacular, and an expert commentary on ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WGN.
Tommye’s business career began by working in marketing for the Marriott’s, which turned into traveling the country and covering projects for Hanna Barbara, Hallmark Cards, United Artists, and special events at the White House. That training gave her an edge to take over and grow a family manufacturing business. The family business was not a passion like dancing always was but working the company for years and making it grow allowed Tommye to sell the company and turn her passion of ballroom dancing into co- creating the area’s most successful ballroom competition Chicago’s Crystal Ball and also into her most rewarding and successful business adventure yet -Chicago’s most popular Latin and Ballroom dance schools, Chicago Dance.
On any given day you can find Tommye at Chicago Dance training staff as well as top amateur and professional dancers. She travels the country as one of the top competiting Pro/am females and judge in the country and is sought after to train staff and students in other schools throughout the U.S. She tirelessly works to make Latin and ballroom dance accessible to everyone in the Chicagoland area by advising schools, festivals, and dance programs on curriculum as well as by offering expert commentary at public events and frequently on television.
Gregory Day
Born in Oakland, California, Gregory grew up swimming and playing soccer and volleyball. He also learned to figure skate with his father and grandfather.
Originally trained in ballet and many forms of modern dance, particularly Graham and Cunningham, he danced with the San Francisco Ballet, the Milwaukee Ballet the American Folk Ballet, and many other smaller ballet and modern dance companies. Being also a French and British citizen, he had the opportunity to live and dance in Paris and in Lyon. While living in the San Francisco Bay Area he also studied Flamenco and African Dance. In ballet he was trained in both the Ceccheti style and the Vaganova style.Gregory is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, which he attended on scholarship. In college he also studied acting and singing in addition to dance and technical stage craft.Gregory Day and Tommye Giacchino started their partnership in 1996 and were almost immediately succesful as two time United States Champions (defeating the then US & World Champions) and capturing the 'World Invitational Exhibition title at the British Open (Blackpool).
Tommye and Gregory have been featured on PBS' "Champinship Ballroom Dancing" for several years as well as being part of shows for major networks in the US and abroad, including BBC, ESPN and Eurosport, and are featured in a popular children's video.
They are proud to own Chicago's most popular latin and ballroom school, Chicago Dance and to have founded the national Dancesport competition: Chicago's Crystal Ball. They are currently on the staff at the schools of Gus Giordano and of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, as well as having been part of the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program.
