Instructor Bios
Pacific Dance is proud to have the finest professional teachers in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas.
Lori Murphy - Owner/Director has been a teacher at The Irvine School of Dance since 1985. She has had the pleasure of owning Pacific Dance since 1994.
As a professional dancer her credits include: dancing aboard the Azure Seas Cruise Ship, Disneyland, The Elvira Show at Knott's Halloween Haunt, and various industrials at the LA Mart, for Pacific Bell, Nordstrom, May Co. and Saks Fifth Avenue. She also performed for the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Community Education Program.
Lori earned her MFA in Dance at UC Irvine. During her time at UCI, Lori was chosen to choreograph for the Chancellor's Inauguration Ball. She has taught at various community colleges and studios in LA and Orange County and enjoys teaching dancers from age 3 to 93.
Her emphasis is on building strong technical dancers who are prepared to meet the challenges in the ever changing dance world and on helping kids to enjoy dance and have a great time in class.
Sara Arvizu first discovered the joy of dance through a week long dance outreach program offered at her elementary school by the Wooden Floor (formerly known as Saint Joseph Ballet). She was accepted into the Wooden Floor program at the age of 9 where she continued until graduating at the age of 18, taking regular classes and performing yearly in their programs and concerts. Through the Wooden Floor she was able to perform in works choreographed by renown choreographers such as Mark Heim, Sally Silvers, Sean Curran, Melanie Rios Glaser, Beth Burns and others. After high school she attended Santa Ana Community College where she participated in the dance program under the direction of Heather Gillette. There, she participated and was recognized for her two choreographic works presented at the American College Dance Festival. Her piece "Hold Fast" (2010) was honored at the Gala concert 2011 at the Southwest region among ten works by choreographers Christian Burns from Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Mike Esperanza, Teresa Jankovic and others. Sara graduated from the Dance Department at Santa Ana College and went on to pursue teaching as her passion while also continuing to take part in annual summer workshops for the Limón Dance company, the Jenny Backhaus dance company and Keith Johnson to extend her dance education and experience. Teaching her first class back in 2012 opened up a new path which she enjoys very much and only wishes to continue as long as she can. In teaching kids her wish is to share her appreciation for dance and to best prepare these dancers for a long and successful journey in the field.
Jennifer Beith is from right here in Irvine. Jennifer began dancing at 5 years old at The Irvine School of Dance which later became Pacific Dance. She started with Jazz and quickly expanded her training to include Tap, Pointe, Lyrical and Hip Hop. As part of the studio's competition group she competed and performed all over Southern California. Jennifer had the privilege of performing with Ballet Pacifica in their production of "The Nutcracker" for 4 years. She continued to dance throughout high school and went on to attend Loyola Marymount University from which she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance, graduating in 2003. While there, she studied modern and musical theater, and also trained at Edge PAC with many notable teachers and choreographers in all genres of dance.
Since 2006, Jennifer has been working in the Entertainment Department at the Disneyland Resort performing in numerous parades, shows, and special events including the 2007 Rose Parade, and dancing back-up for such Disney stars as Demi Lovato and the cast of High School Musical. During that time she also had the privilege of doing a contract at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan dancing in their highly acclaimed show, "One Man's Dream II." She has also performed in summer shows at Knott's Berry Farm as well as during Halloween Haunt, danced and sang in musicals such as "Anything Goes" and "Guys and Dolls" with local theater companies, been a featured performer on the comedy sketch television show "Whose Line is it Anyway," and danced in music videos for artists Leki and DreadStarr. For the last 4 years she has been traveling the world as a dancer onboard the Holland America Cruise Line, where she met her British husband. Now that she is back home, Jennifer is excited to get back into teaching and hopes to instill in her students great technique and her passion for the art of dance.
Calista Bennett was born and raised in Glendora, CA, and began her training at Encore Dance Centre in San Dimas. It was there that she pursued a variety of styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, modern, and contemporary. She was then accepted into the Classical Dance Conservatory at the California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley. Here she became Dance Captain, maintained the highest level of technique at the school, and was a choreographer as well as assistant director in the student-run choreography showcase. She also branched out into different areas, performing with the LA Phil Harmonics, dancing at Grand Park in Los Angeles, dancing in several musicals, and performing in various soloist and demi-soloist parts in “The Nutcracker”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and more. Calista is now pursuing a Bachelor of Arts for her dance major at the University of California Irvine. She is also on UCI’s dance team as well as she is a part of the Community Student Advising Committee for the dancers in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Over the years she has learned and grown so much through dance as both a dancer and a person, and she hopes to leave the same impact on the students she is lucky enough to teach!
Laura Berbaum, a seasoned teacher, has been teaching for over 20 years and brings a wealth of experience to Pacific Dance. She began her pre-professional ballet training and performing at Dieman and Bennett, the school for Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This is where Laura became acquainted with "real" ballet, performed her first "Nutcracker", and fell in love with the classical music, high standards, and the beauty and timelessness of ballet. Laura continued her training in California, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance at the University of California, Irvine. After graduation, Laura taught, choreographed, and performed professionally with the Lake Arrowhead Classical Ballet Company. There, she performed as a company corps de ballet dancer as well as a soloist, a 6 year tenure that left her with a valuable and pleasant memory and learning experience.
Most recently Laura is pleased to associate with Stela Viorica of the Stella Dance Company and with Lois Ellyn of the Nouveau Chamber Ballet. Laura continues to choreograph, perform and take class, and she teaches in the classical tradition so the art of ballet remains pure.
Kristen Canady was born and raised in Santa Clarita, CA, and began training with the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy at the age of three. She trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, and Modern. She danced with Santa Clarita Ballet academy from ages 3-11 and then continued on with their pre-professional ballet company from ages 12-18. During this time Kristen performed in numerous principal roles as Snow Queen, Arabian, and Spanish in SCB’s annual “Nutcracker”. While dancing with Santa Clarita Ballet Company, Kristen performed in their annual ballet productions including “Coppelia,” “Alice and Wonderland,” and “Snow White.” Kristen also trained intensively through the Royal Academy of Dance program at Santa Clarita Ballet and has earned every examination certificate from Primary to Advanced 2. Kristen has also participated in Joffrey’s Summer Intensive program. During high school, she joined her high school dance team and began training and competing more intensively in jazz and hip-hop. She helped organize and run the dance team’s annual showcases and competed in numerous SHARP competitions. Kristen is now training and performing at the University of California, Irvine as a dance major and is working towards her Bachelor of Arts degree. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge and passion with her students at Pacific Dance!
Jestoni Dagdag was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to the United States at the age of 14. He is a freelance dancer, instructor, and choreographer based in Southern California. He graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a BFA in Dance Performance in 2015. There, he trained under the tutelage of sought after ballet faculty such as Tong Wang, Molly Lynch, Diane Diefenderfer, and Shaun Boyle. Currently, he trains under Paula Vreulink, director of Southern California Dance Theatre, and performs principal roles in their ballet productions such as the Nutcracker and Cinderella. He has performed with companies such as Shaun Boyle & Artists, Multiplex Dance, Donald Mckayle’s Etude Ensemble, Re:born Dance Interactive, and Kelly Alvarez & Artists to name a few. In 2017, he founded a project-based contemporary dance company called, DAGDAG Dance, whose mission is to create collaborative works with local artists through live performances, photography, and screendance. In the same year, he co-coordinated SoCal Dance and Choreo Festival hosted by Southern California Dance Theatre. He teaches ballet, contemporary/modern, and jazz at various dance studios in Orange County and Los Angeles area. He also has taught master classes at several venues such as West Hollywood Dance Festival in 2016, Fuse Dance Co. Intensive in 2016, and Pasadena Dance Festival in 2017. He hopes to inspire people through teaching and creating dance.
Pili Doheny is thrilled to be back at Pacific Dance where she began her teaching career while her daughter; Megan was a student at the school. Ms. Lori’s encouragement gave her the opportunity to combine a passion for ballet, youth and learning to inspire young dancers. Pili was introduced to ballet as a young child and received her early training from Maria de Varona, a ballerina with the National Ballet of Cuba. Today, she strives to expose her students to the beauty and benefits of dance.
For the past 10 years, she was Director of the Young Dancers Program at the former Maple Conservatory of Dance and Ballet Mistress for the Maple Youth Ballet. While working for the school directors, Charles Maple and Kathy Crade, she assisted in areas of administration, production, rehearsals, auditions, casting and summer programs. As a teacher, she was mentored by master teachers who impacted and deepened the love for this art form. Most memorable opportunities included performing in Charles Maples’ productions of The Nutcracker and The Wizard of Oz. She also taught Pilates conditioning during the School of American Ballet Young Dancers workshop held at Maple in the summer since 2014.
Pili stays current on dance education by seeking opportunities to enhance her knowledge and is passionate about dancers well being. She holds certifications in Pilates from Studio du Corps in Orange Country and Radiant Child Yoga from founder Shakta Khalsa. She also received Horton Pedagogy training from Ana Marie Forsythe at the Alvin Ailey School in New York. Additionally, she has attended teacher trainings for the Royal Academy of Dance ballet curriculum, Lisa Howell’s dancer conditioning program and Finis Jhung’s ballet technique. Most recently she was certified to teach the Progressive Ballet Technique an innovative conditioning program created by Marie Walton-Mahon to assist dancers in enhancing their technique by improving their muscle memory.
Pili’s goal as a teacher is to provide an environment in her classes where students develop their fullest physical and technical potential as well as explore their creative side. She looks forward to having you in class!
Brandi Freas-Cusick, born and raised in Southern California, started dancing at the age of seven. In her younger years she trained at Clifton Dance Project, ABDA, Dance Precisions and Edge PAC. She started working professionally at the age of 16, and has been fortunate enough to travel the world dancing professionally. Her works include five contracts at Tokyo Disney for "One Man's Dream 2", Knotts Scary Farm, Glory of Christmas, and Holland America cruise line. She has also performed for artists such as Heather Smalls, Zoey Badwi, and Ellenie Galestian. Film includes High School Musical 2 dancer, dancer for Panic at the Disco music video and various commercials for Tokyo Disney Resort. She has also performed for magicians such as Ed Alonzo, Chris Mitchell and Leo Ward, and has performed in multiple shows around Japan and here in Southern California. Her passion for dance is why she continues to expand her knowledge and expertise in the field, and is eager to share and teach others.
Gracie Gunawan was born and raised in Southern California. Gracie is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona. She grew up in the SoCal figure skating scene and trained in ballet, lyrical, and jazz to compliment her programs. I found my love for K-pop in 2015 and eventually opened a dance account on Instagram to track my progress. I am currently the Co-Dance Director for my Korean Culture club at CPP and still a growing dancer who loves any opportunity to learn. I am super excited to begin teaching and sharing my love for K-pop at Pacific Dance!
Kirra Healey grew up in Carlsbad, California where she began dancing at San Elijo Dance Academy at age 2. From then on she began training in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Musical Theater and Tap. At the age of 8 she began competing at San Elijo Dance Academy. At the age of 13, Kirra was casted in American Ballet Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty as a violin page. She later attended ABT’s summer intensive here in Irvine in 2015. In later years she also competed at Evoke Dance Movement. Throughout her years of competing she won several scholarships and awards at competitions and conventions such as ASH, Hollywood Vibe, Jump, Velocity etc. Whilst attending high school she joined La Costa Canyon High School’s dance team where she was on Varsity all four years. In her senior year she was captain of her team. She choreographed several half times and dances in her annual shows at LCC. She also starred as Liz in the musical Chicago, as well as other dance roles in musicals The Addams Family and Westside Story with her high school’s theater department. Kirra is currently continuing her education and training as a dance major at the University of California, Irvine where she is also pursuing a double major in Psychological Sciences as well as the BFA in Choreography. Kirra is extremely excited to join the Pacific Dance family and share her love for dance!
Erin Jefferson-Foley’s passion for dance and performing started the very moment that she stepped into the studio for the first time at three years old. Her dance training has spanned decades and includes notable teachers from the Southern California area, as well as professionals throughout the world. Erin has trained professionally in several genres of dance including but not limited to Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Flamenco, Acrobatics, Hip Hop and Contemporary.
Her professional career has included performances with American Ballet Theater and Metropolitan Ballet. Erin was an original cast member for Disneyland's "Hunchback of Notre Dame" show. She is a former company member of Mandala Danceworks, a modern dance company in Orange County. She also has been a dancer and actress at the granddaddy of all haunted events, Knott's Scary Farm for several years, as well as appearances in musical theater and cabaret shows throughout southern California.
Erin has been teaching and choreographing for 25 years. She has been teaching at studios in the Irvine/Tustin area since 1997. In 2004, Erin finally found her home and dance family at Pacific Dance. At Pacific Dance she teaches Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical and Combo Classes for our youngest dancers.
Erin's performing groups take the stage each season in various genres from Jazz to Musical Theater, and her choreography has won several awards at the regional and national levels (including the Outstanding Choreography Award at the Youth American Grand Prix). Her dedication and enthusiasm towards her students is a priority, as well as passing down the love and appreciation for all things dance. Her mission is to inspire and mold dancers who are marketable by being well rounded; whether or not their goal is to become a professional dancer.
Known for her colorful and creative hair that matches her personality, you can find Erin at her home away from home Pacific Dance five days a week. When she is not at the dance studio, you can find Erin on her laptop writing. She is an accomplished columnist for a popular website.
Erin has an amazingly supportive husband who can be seen helping with props, and is the keeper of bobby pins at competitions/recitals. She also has two children who love dance just as much as she does. She also accepts bribes in the form of coffee or chocolate.
Lissa Stone Johnson is a high-energy teacher who strives to instill her creative style and passion for dance in her students. She works hard to prep students interested in obtaining college scholarships as well as pursuing a professional dance career.
While completing her academic career at Cal State University Long Beach, she trained with Joe Tremaine, Jackie Sleight, Liz Imperio, Mia Michaels and many other instructors who helped her to develop a strong technique base. She also trained with Lois Ellyn for strict ballet instruction.
Lissa professionally danced alongside Gene Kelly and Liza Minnelli in the Liberty Celebration in New York. She was a principal dancer for the Disney Channel, and was chosen to perform in the 1984 Olympics at the Los Angeles Coliseum. After being an entrepreneur of her own dance studio, Lissa now instructs at Pacific Dance.
Pierce Johnson started dancing at Pacific Dance at age 5. His accolades include winning Youth American Grand Prix regionals and qualifying for the world ballet competition in New York where he won the bronze for the USA. Through his competition years at Pacific Dance, he has been title winner for male dancers at KAR, Spotlight and various other competitions and was a featured model for the Marcea Dance costume catalog for 2 years.
Pierce has had extensive Ballet training including summer intensives at the Bolshoi and Royal Ballet academies and performed in various Nutcrakers. At Pacific Dance he has trained under the instruction of Erin Foley, Lissa Stone Johnson, Jeng Halili and Natasha Miroshnyk and is currently under the instruction of Saleemah E. Knight from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Pierce has acquired his Acrobatic Arts Certification and looks forward to taking his Acro students to the next level. Pierce loves teaching multiple genres of dance and looks forward to utilizing his many years of knowledge and skills in his classes.
Kristen Jones started dancing at age 3 and continued through her college years as a competitive dancer and cheerleader.
During high school, she worked at Good Shepard pre-school as an aid where she learned the teaching skills and love for young students.
Kristen has three kids. Her girls have been dancing since 2017 and are current competitive dancers. Kristen loves watching them compete as it reminds her of her own wonderful dance experiences. The Jones family consider Pacific Dance to be their second home and we are excited to have Kristen join our mommy and me team!
Jenna Josserand is honored to be teaching at Pacific Dance! She has danced at PD since she was 2 years old. Jenna has danced competitively for over eight years, earning various awards for group and solo dances as well as performing at Disneyland. Throughout her years of competitive dance, she studied ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, musical theatre, hip-hop, and contemporary. Jenna has been a dedicated substitute teacher for the past 2 years and her students and parents love her classes. She has a passion for performing, choreographing, and teaching. This has lead to her success in cheerleading, acting, and singing, starring in various plays and musicals, earning artistic and leadership awards for her efforts in theatre. Jenna is currently attending the University of California, Irvine to earn her Bachelor’s Degrees in History and in Education, respectively. She is so excited to teach your dancer!
MUSICAL THEATER
Roberta Kay has been directing and/or choreographing musicals for summer stock, civic light opera, grand opera, night clubs, community theater, private schools and educational programs for over 29 years. Some of her credits include, LITTLE WOMEN, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, NUNSENSE, GUYS AND DOLLS, CINDERELLA, ANYTHING GOES, MY FAIR LADY, PAJAMA GAME, WONDERFUL TOWN, BELLS ARE RINGING, SWEET CHARITY, OLIVER, WOMAN OF THE YEAR, OKLAHOMA, THE WIZ, BRUNDIBAR, and DIE FLEIDERMAUS.
Starting out as a singer/dancer/actress at age four, Roberta's stage career took her to the Sahara in Las Vegas, Mexico City, New York, Boston and Los Angeles. Some of her favorite roles are: Molly (UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN), Charity, (SWEET CHARITY), Adelaide, (GUYS AND DOLLS) and April (COMPANY.) She also appeared on national television for: The Tonight Show, The Andy Williams Show, and various NBC specials.
After raising a family, she switched gears and had an outstanding 22 year career at KOCE-TV, PBS, as the Director of Programming. She also produced and field-directed various local PBS programs, was KOCE'S on air-Pledge drive host/writer for over 15 years and appeared in national PBS television series and specials: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, MATHWISE, THINKABOUT, PROJECT UNIVERSE and DOLLARS AND SENSE, for which she garnered a Los Angeles area Emmy award.
Jadyn Kerr is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area where she began her dance training at 3 years old. She trained in various styles, including ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, tap, and musical theater. Later, she continued her dance training in the teen training program with Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco, CA. She has attended summer intensives with the Joffrey Ballet School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Jadyn has taught tap, ballet, lyrical, and hip-hop at a small local dance studio and choreographed various pieces on her high school’s dance team as well. She is now going into her senior year at the University of California, Irvine, where she is perusing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance performance & choreography, and a minor in digital art. Jadyn is so excited to be joining the team of teachers at Pacific Dance this year and cannot wait to help her students grow as both dancers and people.
Hannah Kon grew up at Pacific Dance and has been dancing at the studio since she was 6. She danced competitively for over 7 year and won many awards at different competitions like YAGP and Showstoppers. Hannah’s love for dance led her to the Orange County School of the Arts where she was in the Commercial Dance conservatory for 6 years. She studied tap, ballet, hiphop, modern, contemporary, and musical theater. She now attends UCI for Education Sciences to pursue her passion in teaching. Hannah loves to dance and is on MCIA a hiphop exhibition team at UCI.
Chloe Koutroulis- Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Stretch and Strength
Chloe started dancing as soon as she could walk. She started as a commercial dancer. At age 12 she discovered her passion for classical ballet under the guidance and mentorship of Lauren Richter. She embraced the Vaganova ballet technique and attended summer intensives with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. During her training, she was selected on scholarship as an ambassador to the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) in Moscow, Russia. At the completion of her program she was invited to attend the Bolshoi Ballet Academy year round program in Moscow trained by Olga Dozortseva, Natalya Revich, Nika Sergeeva and other staff. Chloe continued broadening her training studying various techniques at the Paris Opera Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Brussels International Ballet, Arizona Ballet, Colorado Ballet and State Street Ballet.
Chloe has performed principal and soloist roles in ballets such as the Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Giselle, Paquita, Grad Ball and various neo-classical and contemporary works. Chloe received awards from Youth American Grand Prix as a dancer and choreographer. She choreographed an excerpt for the Colorado Philharmonic Symphony’s performance of Rodeo and has created various contemporary and jazz pieces for Colorado Ballet’s Saturday Soirees. Chloe has taught dance at various studios in Orange County emphasizing artistry and technicality. Chloe enjoys teaching, choreographing, and inspiring artists! She looks forward to sharing her knowledge and love for the beautiful art form of dance!
Lauren Matsuno prefers to go by her stage name, “Lo”. In her 20 years of dance, she has closely studied jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, modern and many more. Like most dancers, Lo fell in love with competitive dance at a young age and eventually discovered an avenue in the print and entertainment industry. At the age of 12, she elevated herself by signing with Movement Talent Agency and DDO Artists Agency. Since then, Lo has appeared in music videos, films, and award shows with featuring artists such as SIA, Hailee Steinfeld, and Paula Abdul. She has modeled in multiple campaigns consisting of Lululemon’s sister company Ivivva and Universal Studios. Lo has had the pleasure of traveling all over North America training under the guidance of distinguished teachers/choreographers such as Liz Imperio, Brian Friedman, Kyle Hanagami, and Tessandra Chavez, to name a few. Alongside her 10 years of training at Pacific Dance and Hubbard Street, she has attended the Orange County School of the Arts’ Commercial Dance Conservatory and the University of California, Los Angeles’ World Arts and Culture dance program. Lo looks forward to influencing young dancers, helping them find their passion for the performing arts while exploring her talents in choreography. See you at the studio!
Andrew Medrano is beyond excited and extremely grateful to be a part of the Pacific Dance Family. Andrew, born and raised in Southern California started his journey with dance at the age of 15 in Moreno Valley, CA with Dancing Images Dance Center. His training continued with Shannon Mather at Mather Dance Company where he was accepted to the Bridge Into the Industry Program. Andrew was signed by Movement Talent Agency and has had the honor to pursue dance as a career in Los Angeles. His professional credits include Embodiment All Male Contemporary Company directed by Rudy Abreu where he had the opportunity to perform and travel doing various shows, gigs, and competitions including the A.C.E Awards, World of Dance and Emmys Governor’s Ball. One of Andrew’s most memorable highlights was being awarded Senior Male Core Performer at Radix Dance Convention by choreographers and teachers who have always inspired him and who he has always admired. Andrew’s professional career also includes work with Nappy Tabs for Disney Channel, performances & music videos with Blake McGrath, Opening Numbers and Dance Visuals. Along the way, Andrew has been mentored and trained by some amazing teachers including Allen Cooper, Kolanie Marks and Cameron Lee. He aspires to continue learning, growing, and sharing his love and passion for dance.
Natasha Miroshnyk graduated in 1988 from the Kiev Academic Choreography School, where she was trained under the Honorable Ukrainian Actress A.G. Calchenko. After graduation, she was invited to join the Odessa Academic State Opera and Ballet Theatre. She toured Japan, China, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, Finland, Lebanon, and other countries, and performed with them as a soloist until 2000. From 2001 to 2003, she was a principal dancer with the First State Ballet Theater in Delaware. In 2003, Natasha became a soloist and audition director for the Moscow Ballet where she remained until 2013. She has performed in many ballet repertoire including: The Nutcracker (Pas de Deux/Snow), Giselle, Swan Lake, Flames of Paris, The Sleeping Beauty, Walpurgis Night, La Bayadère, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Carnival in Venice,Chopiniana, Carmen Suite, Pas de Quatre, Don Quixote and more.
Natasha began her teaching career in 2000 at Dance Elite ballet school in Doylestown, PA, where she taught ballet technique to beginning through advanced level classes and pointe. She prepared choreography for their annual performance of “The Nutcracker” and “The Wizard of Oz”. She continued teaching and choreographing while working with students at Media Dance School in Media, PA, and the Russian Ballet Center in Newport, DE before taking her role in 2003 as soloist with the Moscow Ballet. Natasha has taught in the San Diego and Orange County areas from 2013 to the present. Natasha’s dancers have won various awards including 1st and 3rd places at YAGP in San Diego and Los Angeles in 2019. Natasha looks forward to training the dancers at Pacific Dance, improving their technique and sharing her love of ballet.
Chad Moreau Like most dancers, Chadd started his love for dance at an early age by watching Michael Jackson’s “Moonwalker“ over and over again (he still has the VHS in his room). During junior high, he would discover his love for hip-hop dance through freestyling, popping, locking, & breaking. In high school, he committed four years to the dance program understanding choreography and learning how to perform. Through those four years, he decided that this was his passion and he never looked back.
When Chadd turned 18 he was signed to a dance agent and started training and auditioning professionally. Chadd has had the honor of working with such choreographers as Courtney Miller Jr., Super Dave, Fatima, and Debbie Allen just to name a few. In 2005 he became a member of Cal State Fullerton‘s collegiate hip-hop competitive group Team Millenia & in 2012 he became a member of hip-hop dance company Boogie Zone Breed where after his first year, would become artistic director and also start up an all-male dance exhibition group “Nobility Mob”. During this time, Chadd would perfect his choreography style and hone in on his skills as a dance instructor teaching at many dance studios around Southern California, and from 2011 through 2018 was the hip-hop dance instructor for the commercial dance department at the Orange County high school of the arts.
Chadd‘s love for the arts does not stop at his passion for dance. He is also a musician, and a producer, and has created a name for himself as a professional DJ. Chadd’s main goal was always to inspire people to dance, whether it was in the dance room or on the dance floor.
Bridget Nagel graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2022 with a B.F.A. in Dance Choreography. Bridget has been dancing from the age of 10, specializing in Contemporary, Modern, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Ballet. At UC Irvine, she studied under many esteemed professors, such as Charlotte Griffin, Loretta Livingston, Kate Skarpetowksa, Tong Wang, Chad M. Hall, and more. Bridget has had the privilege of collaborating internationally multiple times, including choreographing and dancing for the Nabla Festival in Italy and dancing for distinguished choreographers Nitzan Lederman and Noa Wertheim in Israel. Bridget has premiered many of her choreographic works at UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts and through the Woodbridge High School Dance Team. She has danced for Emergent Dance Company as a second company member. She currently dances at Disneyland as a parade performer, teaches tri-weekly classes at LMNL Space in Orange, CA, and serves as Artistic Director for competitive hip hop team The G.O.O.D. Project.
Stacey Orleans was born and raised in Mountain View, CA, and began her life as a dancer at the age of four. Throughout her teen years, she was a core dancer in The Dance Company of San Francisco under the direction of Chris Jacobsen. In 2003, Stacey moved the Los Angeles to attend her dream school, UCLA, where she received Bachelors Degrees in both Psychology and World Arts and Cultures with a concentration in Dance. During her years at UCLA, she was a Director for NSU Modern as well as a dancer on the award winning hip-hop group, Team Millennia. After college, Stacey traveled the world as a principal dancer and company manager on the beautiful Holland America Line cruise ship, the ms Amsterdam. Some of Stacey's other credits include Viennie V, Quadron, and Unity Dance Company (under the direction of Tessandra Chavez), to name a few. Stacey is currently represented for dance and on-camera by MSA. In 2013, Stacey founded In Studio Dance and she currently travels around the country sharing her passion for teaching with dancers of all ages.
Jeffrey Raschiatore began his movement training as a martial artist in the style of Shaolin Kempo Karate in 1987 under the tutelage of 10th Degree Black Belt Master, Robert Bombalier; and in 2000, Jeffrey launched his dance career as a lindy Hop and west coast swing dancer having trained under internationally renowned educators, Sylvia Sykes and Audrey Wilson. Jeffrey began his classical dance training in 2005 after studying Business Administration at California State University, Fullerton; he then trained extensively with Jenny Backhaus, Charles Maple, Alaine Haubert, Melissa A. Bowman, Christine Baltes, Marie de la Palme, and Linda Sohl-Ellison.
After 3 years of classical dance training, Jeffrey became a trainee at Backhausdance, and has danced with Architexture Dance Company, Nickerson-Rossi Dance, Keith Glassman and Dancers, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, The Maple Ballet, Motion-Tribe, and the critically acclaimed Backhausdance. Jeffrey has 20 years of martial arts and dance teaching experience and has been a guest artist at, Saddleback College, Irvine Valley College, and Kansas University. Jeffrey has taught ballet, modern, and contemporary dance styles at The California Conservatory of Dance, Pacific Coast Academy of Dance, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company Summer Intensives, Jimmie Defore Dance Center, Maple Conservatory of Dance, and Pacific Dance in Irvine, CA.
Jeffrey operates as a freelance choreographer, videographer and photographer; he has been awarded grants on behalf of arts organizations, and during his dance career, Jeffrey concurrently held administrative positions across several Southern California arts organizations as Education Director, Communications and Digital Marketing Director, Social Media Manager, Summer Intensive Coordinator and Ballet Master.
Michelle Rizzuto Richey received her education in dance from California State University, Long Beach and California State University, Fullerton. She worked for United Spirit Association (USA) for 6 years as a songleading head coach. For over 10 years, Michelle made her home at Disneyland® Park, performing in both parades and live shows such as the “Queen Mary” and the “Spruce Goose” show. She has performed for many superstars like Milton Berle, Dustin Hoffman, Michael Jackson and Frankie Avalon. Some of her choreography credits include “Grease”, “Anything Goes”, “Cabaret”, “Oliver”, “Peter Pan”, “Bye Bye Birdie”, “Godspell”, “The Wiz” and “Beauty and the Beast”. Michelle also was the proud owner of MKR Productions, which is now part of the Dance Precisions family. Her choreography and students have been the recipients of many regional and national titles. Many of her students have performed on TV and in music videos, receiving scholarships to major universities, and become nationally ranked choreographers themselves. Michelle also works for Kids Artistic Revue, and is in her 9th year on staff for KAR conventions. She was honored this year to be one of the judges to be part of the first KAR live in Australia. She is known for her warm heart and huge hugs!
Courtney Sessions began dancing at 5 years old and continued competitive and professional training all through high school and college. Courtney received her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah, where she was featured in several prominent performances and choreographed her own works. Courtney has extensive training in jazz, contemporary, modern, improvisation, acrobatics, and aerial work. Professionally, Courtney is honored to have danced and performed with Next Reflex Collective Dance Company, Carla & Company, and InFlux Dance Company, as well as The Aerial Studio (fka Airealistic), a professional aerial and acrobatics company. Courtney has also spent time in Berlin, Germany, dancing with Staaliche Ballettschule und Schule für Artisik. In addition to performing personally, Courtney has choreographed for various studios and schools across the United States, in addition to teaching for the last 16 years. Courtney moved to Orange County in 2017 where she still resides with her husband and three amazing children (Lucas, Scarlett, and Tommy). She is very excited to share her love and passion for dance, art, and movement with Pacific Dance!
Cierra Torres is a highly motivated and passionate Artist. Cierra Graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance, from the University of California Irvine. Cierra is a devoted Dance Instructor/Choreographer and Professional Dancer with experience in multiple Dance styles and studios throughout California. Cierra focuses on facilitating a supportive space while developing strong technique, stage presence, artistic exploration and enjoyment through Movement!
Alexa Wade grew up in Irvine, CA and began dancing at Pacific Dance at the age of 4. She quickly developed her path towards the arts as she continued her training competitively for 10 years. Alexa earned consecutive top ten recognitions and scholarships for her solos, duet/trios, and performing groups. She has trained in numerous dance genres such as ballet, lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, and acrobatics- where she is now certified as an Acrobatic Arts instructor. Alexa currently studies at UC Irvine as a dance major with an emphasis in education. She demonstrates her creativity through teaching choreography- leading Pacific Dance summer workshops, working with her high school dance department, and contributing to UCI thesis research with an emphasis in disability justice. Soon she will begin working with underprivileged communities to enhance their arts-based education programs. Alexa looks forward to inspiring her students to grow within their dance journeys.
Nicky Wagg began dancing at the age of four. She received her ballet training under the direction of Glenda Carhart and Mary Lynn at the prestigious Riverside Ballet Arts School. There she performed in various roles with the company including Swan Lake and Nutcracker as well as performing as a company soloist.
Nicky is a graduate of University of California Riverside where she played on the tennis team and started teaching lessons to children and teens. She received the MVP award and was nominated for the U.C. Riverside Academic Athletic Award for her accomplishments as a college player.
She taught tennis for many years, but was drawn back to dance, especially after both of her daughters began to dance.
Both parents and students enjoy Nicky's patient and fun style of teaching.