Jackie Graney is the founder and Director of Studio 22 and the High TeK Competitive Dance Program.



Jackie is graduate of DePaul University and holds a degree in Communications and Media. As part of her final senior project, Jackie developed a business plan to open a dance studio. Shortly after graduation, at the young age 22, Jackie brought that vision to life and opened Studio 22 High TeK. Over the past decade, the studio has grown both in size and reputation for excellence, drawing talent from across the Chicago area and achieving success at the international level. In addition to serving as the founder and Director of Studio 22, Jackie has been an active instructor, coach and choreographer, helping garnish numerous national titles for the studio.



Jackie danced for three seasons as a Chicago Luvabull with the Chicago Bulls at NBA games and press events and two seasons as a Chicago Adrenaline Rush Dancer performing at AFL games. These experiences have provided Jackie the opportunity to perform with world-renowned artists such as Paul McCartney, Time Flies, and Snoop Dog, and at major events such as Super Bowl XXXIX, the Capital One Bowl, and the House of Blues.



Jackie also spent 11 seasons as the Head Varsity Coach for the award-winning Maine South Hawkettes. During her tenure as Head Varsity Coach, Jackie’s teams achieved great success at both the state and national levels, including the 2011 UDA National Championship in the High Kick category – a first for any team from Illinois! Additionally, the Maine South Varsity Hawkettes won the inaugural Illinois High School Association State Championship in 2013. The 2013 Hawkettes were also awarded the UDA All American School Spirit Award for their commitment to community volunteer efforts with organizations including CureSMA, Feed My Starving Children, and many more. The team and its award were featured on an five-minute ESPN segment during the televised portion of the UDA National Championships. Jackie capped off her last season coaching the Hawkettes with another UDA High Kick National Championship in 2017. Jackie then continued her involvement with the Hawkette program, with fellow Studio 22 instructor Rachel Rosales, choreographing the team’s National’s Kick routines for the UDA National Championships in 2018 (Kick runner-up) and 2019 (UDA National Kick Champions).

In addition to her high school and studio experience, Jackie coached the Chicago BullsKidz dance team for 11 years. Jackie has also choreographed features for the Chicago Luvabulls. Jackie has been featured on the Comcast series “Making of the Chicago Luvabulls” and ESPN has aired several features of her dance teams’ successes. She has also given back to the local community, providing choreography and instruction for the Village of Niles Police Department’s 2018 Lip Sync Challenge.

Further, Jackie is AAC2 certified through Acrobatic Arts, Alixa flexibility and is certified as a Progressing Ballet Instructor. Jackie is a proud mother of two and resides in the community with her husband and family.