Heather Dale
Heather M. Dale graduated with honors from UCSD with a BA in Dance (double emphsis: jazz and modern) in the spring of 2004. Heather has been fortunate enough to train with some of the most talented artists in the area including Patricia Rincon, Faith Jensen-Ismay, Jean Isaacs, Tony Caligagan, Katie McIver, Kevin Herman, Sue Gilson, Judy Sharp, and Molly Faulkner along with LA-based choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Doug Caldwell, and Keri LaGrande. She teaches regularly at Dance FX in San Marcos where she has created many award-winning dances and has also set work for various high school teams and productions throughout Southern California. Heather enjoys dancing regularly for Heatwave Productions under the direction of Tony Caligagan and also working with Joey Doucette Entertainment out of Las Vegas, Nevada. She teaches annually at the CAPHERD Southwest Dance, Movement and Sports Workshop in Palm Springs. Heather was honored to spend the summer of 2006 teaching and training in Konstanz, Germany at the Czerner Dance Academy under the direction of Peter Czerner. Heather also performed in San Diego Dance Theatre’s 2006 “Trolley Dances” under the direction of Jean Isaacs and famed New York choreographer Monica Bill-Barnes. She has performed as a guest artist with Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, d’shire Dance Core, and various performances with Mojalet Dance Collective, including the 2007 Southern California tour of “Rhythm Talk”. In 2006 Heather founded her professional dance ensemble, OPUS MIXTUS Post Jazz, www.opusmixtus.org and has been developing her dancers and new works ever since. Heather travels to Los Angeles regularly to continue her dance training at the prestigious EDGE Performing Arts Center and hopes to pursue her Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Dance Performance in the near future.
Kaitlin Collins
Kaitlin Collins, 23, began dancing at the early age of five, the same year in which she won her first National title at the Hoctors Dance Convention. She has studied dance in several areas including tap, jazz, ballet, clogging, musical theater and hip-hop. Dancing with several studios over the years she has won numerous awards and competitions, one award being, Outstanding Junior Dancer at Broadway Bound Competition. She has taken several master classes in both Los Angeles and San Diego with the top choreographers including Chris Judd, Shane Sparks, and Wade Robson. In high school Kaitlin was very involved in the dance program. Taking dance all four years as a fine art and as a member of the dance team, the Lancers Dancers, her last two. She was co-captain her senior year and was an assistant teacher to other dance classes at CHS. The Carlsbad high school dance team traveled to Florida where they were awarded the title of National Champions in both her 2002 and 2003 years on the team. In 2002 she was hired as a dancer in Lego Land’s Bionical Jam show. She is now in her third year of working with Dance FX and enjoying every minute of it. She continues to choreograph for other schools and teams and is currently coaching the jazz team at Mission Hills High School. In the future Kaitlin would love to open her own studio where she could share her love for dance with others.
Andrea Shoquist
Andrea Shoquist has been teaching ballet for over 20 years. Six of those years, she was the ballet director for Rhodes Dance Studio, now known as Dance FX. While at Rhodes, she has choreographed and presented two comprehensive ballets; Cinderella and Peter Pan. In addition, she conducted the Performance Award Program offered through the American Academy of Ballet in New York. Andrea was raised in Central California where she trained at the Central Valley School of Ballet. Her performing experience includes dancing in ballets of Nutcracker, Firebird, Don Quixote, and many other originals with the Central Valley Dance Company. She also performed Spanish in the Nutcracker with Oakland Ballet Company. Other professional teaching experience includes: music director at Calvary Escondido Christian School, choreography coach for Turlock High School's Gymnastic team that placed at both regional and national competitions, and currently the choreographer for Center Stage Productions. Andrea has choreographed Fiddler on the Roof Jr., Beauty and the Beast, Les Misérables School Edition, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and many more. Andrea earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from California State University, San Bernardino.
Kimberly Mowry
Kimmie Mowry began dancing at the age of 2 with Medlyn’s Tap N’ Jazz, now known as Dance FX. She has trained in many styles of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, clogging, and hip-hop, and has competed in genres of tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and clogging. She has been a member of the Mission Hills Varsity dance team for four years, and will be entering her second year as a member of the Mission Hills Varsity Cheer Squad. Kimmie has participated in master classes with choreographers, including Chris Judd, Mia Michaels, Shane Sparks, Dave Scott, Laurie Ann Gibson, Tyce Diorio and Wade Robson. Kimmie was a teacher’s aid for Heather Dale at the 2009 CAHPERD Southwest Dance, Movement and Sports Workshop in Palm Springs. Kimmie has been a teacher’s aid in jazz, tap and combo classes, and is now teaching a beginning tap class.
Brenna Fleeman
Brenna holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Ballet from Wichita, Kansas where she grew up. She worked with professional companies in New York, Canada, Japan, and Kansas and has performed as a lead and solo dancer in productions of “Carousel, “Grand Hotel”, “The Nutcracker”, “Firebird”, and “Romeo and Juliet”. Brenna also spent four years traveling around the world with Crystal Cruises as a featured dancer in many Broadway reviews. After hanging up her dance shoes to move to California and become a mommy, she found her love for teaching. She still performs in various productions at the Lawrence Welk Theatre and Moonlight Stage Productions. She plans to continue teaching and performing as long as she is walking.
Tryston Loucado
Trystan Loucado began his training with Svetlana's Kanivets in Temecula, CA, later having the honor to study under Ahita Ardalan (Paris Opera Ballet). After attending the Boston Ballet's SDP on scholarship in 2006, he joined Nevada Ballet Theater for the 2007-2008 season. He enjoyed performances with Cirque du Sole's Mystere', as well as many well known ballets such as Twyla Tharp's "Nine Sinatra Songs", Valanchine's "Rubies" and "Who Cares", and James Canfield's "Equinox. Trystan is now under contract with San Diego Ballet, Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theatre, and Malashock Dance.
Sara Molini
Sara Molini started dancing in Sacramento at the age of 4, when her Mom noticed that she couldn’t sit still. Who knew it would become a marriage made in heaven! She has now been dancing for over 20 years! Until she was 18, she danced competitively with her studio’s Company. She also has performed in Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, and several areas of Italy. Along with international travels, she has performed at State Fairs, Charity Events, and Disneyland. Sara has taken a number of Master Classes including from such Broadway Dancers as Anthony LoCascio and Savion Glover, and many more. Before leaving for college she won the top scholarship form the Sacramento Area Dance Alliance. In 2000, she moved to San Diego and began teaching Tap & Jazz at Rhodes Dance Studio. She also began to dance for the professional team Fire & Ice USA, which toured to several US Ice Hockey games and performed directly on the ice, (a feat still not widely done in the US to this day). As a result of her experience with F&I, she has now performed for a number of events, promotions, and charities in the San Diego area. In 2005, Sara graduated with her BA in Social Sciences and with a minor in VPA. Also, in 2005 she left, the now, Dance FX, and well as other Teams and Dance Troupes to start her “grown-up career”, but has since returned to the dance world!!! Her Mom knew she couldn’t sit still for too long… And as well as teaching at Dance FX, she dances for Ms Heather’s dance company, Opus Mixtus.
Kadi Hull
Kadi Hull, now 17, has been dancing since she was 7 years old and competing since she was 8. She has been trained in a number of styles including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, lyrical, tumbling, ballroom, and several others. She has won numerous Platinum awards and scholarships at competitions through out California and has traveled to Las Vegas and New York to compete in National Competitions. Among the awards she has earned, are a second place title in 2002 at Spotlight Dance Cup in Las Vegas and 1st place at this years regional's for Dance Educators of America. Kadi has performed for the last three years at the San Diego's Celebrate Dance Festival under the direction of Heather Dale and Opus Mixtus. Kadi has assisted in Combo, Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, and tumbling classes for many years, and is now teaching Combo and Hip Hop classes. She also teaches Hip Hop with Kids College, a local after school program. She enjoys sharing her love and knowledge of dance with children of all ages.
Allison Haynie
Allison Haynie started dancing at age 4, with Rhodes Dance Studio. She has trained in many styles of dance including jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, clogging, swing and hip-hop. She started competing at age 7, and since then has been a consistent member of the studio competition teams. She has been award Top Overall at multiple competitions, and has also received dance scholarships from Dance Educators of America. Her freshman year she was a member of the varsity dance team at San Pasqual high school and has performed at many community events, including her church. Ali currently co-teaches a Combo class with Kadi Hull, and has assisted with many classes at Dance FX. She would like to major in dance and continue teaching at a dance studio.
Robin Worley
Bio coming soon!
Darnay Luckie
Darnay Luckie - I started dancing at age 16 with friends at the Boys & Girls Club. From Breakdancing at lunch time, to dancing with artists like, Rhianna, Beyonce, Brooke Hogan, Alexandra Burke and more. I told myself that I would become a Professional Dancer and I worked at it every day. Dance has shown me to never give up on your dreams and that anything is possible! I started using dance to release problems I had growing up at home. Now, it's my career. But most importantly, its the enjoyment and freedom it gives me. My goal as a dancer is to own a Boys & Girls/Dance Studio for kids to continue dreaming big!
Mandy Santiago
Mandy was born in Brisbane Australia and started her training at the early age of 3 at the Conroy Dance Centre. At the age of 15 she started working professionally throughout Australia. She has toured with the Boogie Woogies children show around Australia. Mandy has been with Princess Cruise lines for 3 years and been able to travel the world with the company. In Australia she has been in many commercial shows and events, and choreographed the TV commercial "KICKS". She has staged, choreographed and modeled for Schwarzkopf (hair shows) and has been involved in Ariel Angels production team and Salsa Mania in Australia. She has been blessed to have been working along side world renowned choreographers here in the USA and Australia. She performed with the dance company UDANCEELECTRA, a San Francisco based dance company, recently showcasing San Franciscan fashion artist Joui Turandot in 'Vagadu'. Dance is about Passion, love and hardwork, she hopes to deliever that message to her students in a fun, loving, nuturing and inspiring way.