Conservatory Faculty & Staff

• Conservatory Staff
  Charles Maple, Conservatory Director;  Kathy Crade, Conservatory Administrative Director;  Pili Doheny, Director, Young Dancers Program,  Kim Olmos, Director of Student Management
• Conservatory Faculty
  Ballet Faculty:  Pili Doheny (Beg. Ballet), Patrick Frantz, Kristin Hakala (Ballet & Yoga), Alyssa Hustedt, Steven Inskeep, Charles Maple, Kim Olmos (Ballet & Modern), Noelle Snavely (Beg. Ballet), Cinamin Stulik (Beg. Ballet), Stela Viorica (Ballet & Character Dance), Suzanne Westmoreland (Beg Ballet)
  
  Adjunct Faculty:  Marci Tuttle Bendheim (Modern), Patricia Davis (Conditioning), Vincent Hardy (Jazz), Chihiro Sano (Jazz & Modern), Adrienne Weidert (Conditioning)

Learn more about our Conservatory Program and how to enroll!

Conservatory Staff

• Charles Maple, Conservatory Director
  View Charles Maple's biography below  
• Kathy Crade, Conservatory Administrative Director
  A Note From Kathy…  Read about Ms. Crade's personal story & vision for the Maple Conservatory of Dance
• Pili Doheny, Director, Young Dancers Program
  View Pili Doheny's biography below  
• Kim Olmos, Director of Student Management
  View Kim Olmos' biography below  

Ballet Faculty

Charles Maple, Conservatory Director

Charles' Web Blog… Read Charles' new series of web blogs, including his writeup on attending the American Ballet Theatre Reunion in New York and his experiences directing the ABT Alabama summer program!

Charles Maple began his training with Evelyn LeMone, the founder of Pasadena Dance Theatre. He continued his studies with Andrei Tremaine and Stanley Holden until 1972 when he received a Ford Foundation scholarship to the School of American Ballet. At the age of nineteen he joined American Ballet Theatre and rapidly rose through the ranks to become a featured soloist. In 1979 he made numerous guest appearances with the National Ballet of Mexico and danced the leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, and La Fille Mal Gardee. In 1983 Mr. Maple became a principal dancer with the Basel Ballet of Switzerland.

Over the course of his 20 year career as a dancer, Mr. Maple has worked with such choreographers as George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Agnes De Mille, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Jirí Kylián, Michael Baryshnikov, William Forsythe, Natalia Makarova, Erik Bruhn and Nacho Duato. He has danced and been coached by such greats as Baryshnikov, Makarova, Ivan Nagy, Cynthia Gregory, Fernando Bujones, Gelsey Kirkland, Rudolf Nureyev, Cynthia Harvey, Martine Van Hamel, Kevin McKenzie, Mikko Nissenen and Helgi Tomasson, among others.

He has made numerous television appearances with ABT in the Dance in America and Live from Lincoln Center T.V. series as well as figuring prominently with Baryshnikov in the 1983 BBC movie, Dancer and the Dance. In 1982, Mr. Maple was selected by Jerome Robbins to perform with Barysnhikov in Fancy Free and Opus Jazz at the Spoleto Festival in Italy. He also joined Helgi Tomasson and Violet Verdy and the Stars of American Ballet for tours to South Africa and Belgium in 1976 and 1978 and he has appeared as a frequent guest artist with dance companies throughout the U.S. and Europe.

In 1992 Mr. Maple began creating his own works. He has since received a steady stream of commissions, awards and a growing reputation as a freelance choreographer. Companies in Regional Dance America have presented several of his works. Two of his works for Rosella Hightower's Ballet La Jeunesse were presented with top awards at the 1992 La Baule Festval in France. In 1993 he attended the Tokyo International Choreographers Competition where his works received international recognition and critical acclaim. In 1993 Mr. Maple's The Angel of the Abyss was created to open the televised Posada Aids Procession in Los Angeles.

In 1995, his new version of La Fille Mal Gardee for Pasadena Dance Theatre opened to rave reviews. In 1997 he created a new version of The Nutcracker for Black Hills Dance Theatre and Symphony. His work Latcho Drom was selected by Regional Dance America to be shown at the 1998 International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Maple has created numerous original works for American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive programs. Mr. Maple's choreography represents a diversity of dance styles that are firmly rooted in the traditions of classical ballet. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Choreography Award for Youth America Grand Prix in Los Angeles in 2005. To date, Mr. Maple has choreographed over seventy-five ballets.

In 1994 and 1995 Mr. Maple directed Pasadena Dance Theatre. He then founded Charles Maple and Dancers to concentrate on developing his own creations. Mr. Maple has been an active advocate for Regional Dance America. He has served as an adjudicator as well as a faculty member at numerous RDA Festivals. Mr. Maple has also acted as the artistic coordinator for the American Ballet Theatre summer intensive programs in Alabama and California. He is co-founder of American Ballet Intensives, a rigorous ballet workshop that provides serious students the opportunity to study with professionals in the field. Mr. Maple is also a certified teaching in the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum in all levels, Primary through Level 7.

In 2007 he co-founded with Kathy Crade the Maple Conservatory of Dance, a classical ballet school with a curriculum that combines state-of-the-art scientific principals with choice elements from the classic French, Italian and Russian schools of training. The school and its performing entity, the Maple Youth Ballet, are dedicated to nurturing dancers with the highest standard of excellence in a caring and healthy environment.

Over the span of 20 years, Mr. Maple has earned a well-deserved reputation for cultivating and nurturing talented young dancers through his comprehensive and rigorous training principals that are designed to teach dancers the techniques and discipline to hone and apply their talents. Students Mr. Maple has trained or coached have gone onto successful careers in many of the world's major dance companies including American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, as well as: Aalto Ballett Theatre Essen, Ballet Idaho, Ballet West, Corella Ballet, The Dutch National Ballet, The Eifman Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Miami City Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, The Washington Ballet and Zurich Ballet. Mr. Maple's students have also successfully competed in prestigious international dance competitions including finalists in the Prix de Lausanne, the USA International Ballet Competition, the Youth America Grand Prix and ten Grand Prize Finalists in the Los Angeles County Music Center Spotlight Awards.

Pili Doheny, Director, Young Dancers Program
(Ballet, Conditioning, Yoga)

Pili Doheny was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and began her training at age 3 under Maria De Varona, a former ballerina with the National Ballet of Cuba. Ms. Doheny became a member of Ms. De Varona's ballet company at age 9 and was promoted to soloist the following year. She also completed several levels of ballet examinations receiving top honors.

Her performance credits include The Nutcracker, the Petite Swan in Swan Lake, the Toymaker's Granddaughter in La Boutique Fantastique, plus several different roles in Sleeping Beauty. Her favorites included the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain and Act III Pas de Trois as Florestan's Sister. As a member of the Youth Company, Ms. Doheny had the privilege of dancing with members of Ballet de San Juan and had several television appearances for the Walter Mercado Show.

In 1985, Ms. Doheny graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development. In the 1990s Ms. Doheny trained and performed at The Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia under the direction of Madame Solange Binda. There she helped the director in several areas with particular emphasis on administrative tasks and working with parents in preparation for their annual recital.

After years of involvement as a dance parent, Ms. Doheny began teaching at the Irvine School of Dance/Pacific Dance. Ms. Doheny combines her passion for ballet and learning to develop a program for her students that is appropriate and technically sound. She likes to challenge each student to develop their fullest physical and creative potential. Ms. Doheny strives to inspire and enrich her students by exposing them to the benefits of dance. She considers teaching a privilege and looks forward to the opportunity to inspire a new generation of young dancers.

Ms. Doheny enhances her dance training knowledge by continuing to attend dance workshops and conferences across the U.S. She is certified by Ana Marie Forsythe at The Alvin Ailey School to teach the Horton Technique. She has also received certificates in Pilates Mat Work from Diane Diefenderfer at Studio Du Corps and in Radiant Child Yoga Levels 1-3 from Shakta Kalsa. Ms. Doheny has also attended workshops on Healthy Approaches in the Training of Dancers at Chapman University Dept. of Dance, Functional Fitness with Jayne Persch, The M.E.L.T Method® with Niki Parker, and Ballet Teacher’s Training with Finis Jhung. Ms. Doheny is also a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine in which she keeps current on the latest research in dance medicine.

Ms. Doheny aims to help her students develop awareness and understand the benefits of the mind-and-body connection, which in turn, help her students improve their dancing and remain injury-free!

Patrick Frantz

Patrick Frantz was born and raised in Paris, France. He began his training at the Paris Opera Ballet School while simultaneously pursuing serious musical studies. At the age of 22 he became Premier Danseur with the Paris Opera Ballet, then shortly after, Pedagogue and Choreographer with the company — all the while continuing his second vocation as a concert pianist.

Later, Mr. Frantz moved to the United States where he became Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer with the Pennsylvania Ballet and continued his career as choreographer and teacher. In 1975 he was named Artistic Director of Ballet Tucson and founded its company-affiliated school. Three years later, he was named Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre where he also founded the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.

Mr. Frantz's critically acclaimed ballets have been performed internationally by companies including the Pennsylvania Ballet, the San Diego Ballet, Ballet Tucson, and the Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin. He has worked with the greatest names of the dance world including George Balanchine, Mikhael Baryshnikov, Maurice Behart, Yvette Chauvire, Kenneth MacMillan and Jerome Robbins.

Mr. Frantz is Artistic Director and Choreographer of La Danserie, a contemporary ballet company in Los Angeles and a faculty member of Idyllwild Arts Academy as well as his own La Danserie Conservatory. He also is a guest teacher at: the Colburn School's Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Ecole Supérieure De Ballet Contemporain, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and the University of Utah. Mr. Frantz also guest teaches regularly in Montpellier, France, and has been invited to teach and choreograph for the Paris Conservatoire and the Dansheus in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Kristin Hakala (Ballet & Yoga)

Kristin Hakala received her formative dance training in Michigan with Cornelia Sampson, along with studies at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School.

She began her professional career at the age of sixteen with the Nashville Ballet. Most recently, Ms. Hakala was a principal dancer with Ballet West where she performed the title roles in many ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Amedeo Amodio's Carmen, Birgit Cullberg's Miss Julie, Ronald Hynd's Rosalinda and Ben Stevenson's Cinderella, as well as a full range of contemporary, classical and neoclassical works.

Her experience includes the work of acclaimed choreographers such as George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Paul Taylor, Choo-san Goh, Hans Van Manen and Jerome Robbins, to name a few. She has performed internationally in China and Europe including appearances in the 2004 Edinburgh International Festival. She also performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy in a nationally televised broadcast on PBS.

Ms. Hakala is also a certified yoga teacher, a practice she finds particularly complementary to the demands of ballet training. She has taught for places such as Ballet West and Ballet West Conservatory, and Michigan Ballet Theatre, in addition to teaching national master classes. From 2005 to 2007, she taught as an adjunct professor at Wright State University and as a faculty member of Pontecorvo Ballet School/Gem City Ballet. From 2008 to 2011, she served on the faculty of the Indianapolis School of Ballet and the Central Indiana Academy of Dance.

Her husband, Tong Wang, is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Dance at University California, Irvine.

Alyssa Hustedt

Alyssa Hustedt was raised in North San Diego County where she began her ballet training at age eleven. She spent her high school summers training at The Joffrey Ballet Workshop, the Bolshoi Ballet Academy at Vail and American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive. At the age of 18, Alyssa moved to Jackson, MS to enter the Ballet Magnificat Trainee Program. She was promoted to Apprentice, then to a full-time company member.

During her nine years of dancing with Ballet Magnificat, Ms. Hustedt received the unique experience of traveling and performing across the U.S. and internationally, as well as performing in main roles in the company's production of A Christmas Dream and The Scarlet Cord.

In 2004 she began to develop her passion for teaching, teaching ballet technique, pointe, variations and conditioning classes as well as choreographing and rehearsing dances for beginning through advanced-level dancers. Ms. Hustedt is also a certified personal trainer through the International Sports Conditioning Association (ISCA) and has trained and monitored clients in resistance training, cardio workout and nutrition.

Steven Inskeep

Steven Inskeep has an extensive background in dance, including performing, choreography, and teaching. He has trained and been accepted to prestigious companies such as Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco School of Ballet, Ballet West School in Aspen, Washington Ballet School, Ballet Pacifica, Ballet Austin, and Indianapolis Ballet Theatre.

Mr. Inskeep was a founding faculty member of the former Ballet Pacifica Conservatory. He has choreographed many ballets, including Jack and the Beanstalk, In the Garden, and Ferdinand the Bull, all showcased in the former Ballet For Children series at Ballet Pacifica.

Mr. Inskeep has performed leading roles such as Valse Fantasy, Allegro Brilliante, and Concierto Baroquo by Balanchine, Snow King and Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux and Copellia, Don Quixote by Petipa, and the Prince in Firebird.

Kim Olmos, Director of Student Management (Ballet & Modern)



Kim Olmos began her ballet training in Torrance, Calif. with Diane Lauridsen where she danced leading roles in original works by Charles Maple, Jon Crisafori and Terri Lewis. Later, while earning her B.A. in Dance from California State University, Long Beach, Ms. Olmos continued her dance training by studying with Gloria Newman, Gus Solomon and Rebecca Wright.

Ms. Olmos spent five seasons as a company member with the former Ballet Pacifica, where she performed in ballets by Peter Pucci, Ann Marie De Angelo, Choo-San Goh, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Molly Lynch. She was also a faculty member and the school's Registrar at the former Ballet Pacifica Conservatory where she taught ballet and modern and choreographed for the conservatory. Ms. Olmos's choreographic credits include On The Third Day…, Brother’s Keeper, This Mystery I Pose, Summer Sunday and Le Do Gra — all of which were chosen to be performed at Regional Dance America, Pacific Region's annual dance festival.

Ms. Olmos is currently an instructor and the Director of Student Management at Maple Conservatory of Dance as well as Rehearsal Assistant and Ballet Mistress for Backhausdance, Orange County’s award-winning contemporary dance company. Backhausdance is in residence at the Maple Conservatory of Dance. She is also on the adjunct dance faculty at Chapman University in Orange, California.

Noelle Snavely (Beg. Ballet)

Noelle Snavely holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from University California, Irvine and is currently seeking her Master’s Degree. Her formal training includes studying with dance masters David Allen, Donald McKayle, Loretta Livingston, Linda Sohl-Ellison and Molly Lynch. Dancing since the age of three, Ms. Snavely has been teaching and choreographing for the past 13 years. Her teaching styles include ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, modern, swing and Latin dance. As a diverse dancer, she has performed with Ballet Pacifica, Dance N' ETC, Fiesta Latina, Orange Coast College and UCI Jazz Ensemble.

Ms. Snavely began her teaching career at age 16 at Irvine Dance Academy, where she continued to teach for eight years until its closure. For five years, Noelle assisted the administration office and was a faculty member of the Ballet Pacifica Conservatory. She collaborated with the annual Ballet Pacifica production of The Nutcracker, the Ballet for Children Series and other company productions. While choreographing for Ballet Pacifica’s Summer Intensive program, Ms. Snavely facilitated summer enrollment and Nutcracker auditions. Before Ballet Pacifica’s retirement, Ms. Snavely performed in Robert Sund’s production of Alice in Wonderland.

Ms. Snavely has studied acting with South Coast Repertory and performed in SCR's Much Ado About Nothing with Tony nominee, Douglass Sills. She has appeared on the television production The Great Pretenders and has been featured in Orange Coast Magazine as well as Dance Magazine. Ms. Snavely competed in the professional division of Palm Desert's Dance Under the Stars festival dancing in Blue Java. Ms. Snavely was also honored as a top solo performer with the original choreography of The Awakening which continues to be requested by audiences. Ms. Snavely's awards for teaching and choreography include the Karen Shanley Scholarship, Anita Mann Grossmann Memorial Scholarship, Tremaine Dance Scholarship and the OCC Dance Award.

Ms. Snavely is also on faculty at Focus Dance Center where she is Assistant Head of their ballet department, Assistant Co-Directory of the Focus Ballet Conservatory and teaches a myriad of other forms of dance. Ms. Snavely is also a member of the Orange County-based ArchiTexture Dance Company which has performed in various sites such as The Pilgrim in Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano Mission and in San Francisco.

Cinamin Stulik (Beg. Ballet)

Cinamin Stulik has trained professionally in classical ballet for most of her life. Ms. Stulik received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the University of California, Irvine and she has also studied at various summer intensive programs including The Joffrey Ballet School and the Boston Ballet School.

When Ms. Stulik was only 16 years old, she was introduced to Pilates while studying ballet at the Academy of Ballet in San Francisco. While dancing at UCI, Ms. Stulik performed in a number of leading roles, but also learned more about movement and how it relates to the human body. she continued her study of Pilates during her years in college. After graduating Ms. Stulik pursued a career in the field of movement and completed her Pilates certification with DK Body Balancing and the University of Nevada which is accredited through the Nevada State Board of Physical Therapy. Ms. Stulik is also a certified to teach Pilates for the sport of golf.

Currently, Ms. Stulik enjoys teaching and taking ballet classes on a regular basis.

Stela Viorica (Ballet and Character Dance)

Stela Viorica is a former principal dancer with National Ballet of Romania. She is a graduate of the National Academy of Ballet in Bucharest and has had the privilege to be coached by Maestro Umrihin, a teacher from the Vaganova Institute. During her career as a professional dancer, Ms. Viorica toured extensively throughout Europe with the National Ballet of Romania and has been featured in principal roles in various ballets such as Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee and Swan Lake, among others.

After traveling throughout Europe, Ms. Viorica relocated to California in 1985 where she began to extend her work into choreography, staging, teaching and coaching. As the residential choreographer & founding artistic director of the Stella Dance Company, Ms. Viorica created seven full-length productions including Alice and Wonderland, Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol and Open Audition. Ms. Viorica has also created numerous other works including Black and White in 1994 to celebrate the opening of Hoag Hospital's Cancer Research Center. She received a special award, Outstanding Choreographer, at the prestigious Grand Prix Ballet Competition in 2000 in Long Beach and at the Festival of Dance in Laguna Beach in 2003.

Ms. Viorica believes that art nourishes the soul. Her goal is to promote, preserve and de-mystify the art of dance in the community, to teach aspiring dancers, and to be a resource for performing arts education and entertainment in Orange County.

Suzanne Westmoreland (Beg. Ballet)

Suzanne Westmoreland is a native Californian, born in Hollywood and raised in Los Angeles. She has been a student of ballet since the age of five, studying as a child with Sheila Rozann, then later as an adult with Stanley Holden and Margaret Hills. In 1990 Ms. Westmoreland and her husband moved to Orange County where she continued to pursue her passion for dance. She has been a student in the Adult Open Division at the Maple Conservatory of Dance since our inception in 2007.

Ms. Westmoreland completed her undergraduate work at the University of California at San Diego and received her B.A. in Fine Arts and Humanities as well as her Elementary Teaching credential from San Diego State University. She received her M.S. in Educational Administration from Pepperdine University. Ms. Westmoreland recently retired after a 38-year career in education with the last 21 years spent as an elementary school principal in Los Angeles and Orange County.

While recovering from a hip injury, Ms. Westmoreland discovered the benefits of Pilates and it was two years later that she entered into a certification course. Her training included 200 hours of observation as well as student teaching, anatomy classes and specialized workshops with Ron Fletcher, Karen Shanley and Karen Clippinger. She completed her certification course with Diane Diefenderfer in 2003 and at that time was invited to become a member of the staff at Studio du Corps where she teaches private and group classes. Ms. Westmoreland is also a certified American Ballet Theatre Cerififed Teacher in Primary Level through Level 3.

Ms. Westmoreland's experience teaching students of all grades, K-6, and as an elementary principal in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District has reinforced her belief in the academic, social and emotional benefits of disciplined physical training for children and young adults. Ms. Westmoreland has taught Pilates mat classes at Jimmie DeFore Dance Center, South County Classical Ballet and at the Tustin Dance Center Summer Intensive. In addition, she has taught dance to elementary-age children in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, the Saddleback Recreation Department, and at the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. Ms. Westmoreland continues to refine her craft by participating in annual ballet intensives and performing in local events.

Adjunct Faculty

Marci Tuttle Bendheim (Modern)

Marci Tuttle Bendheim comes to the Maple Conservatory from the University of California, Irvine where she earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance. Originally, Ms. Bendheim is from Utah where she earned her undergraduate degree in Dance Education at Brigham Young University and was actively involved in dance education in the public school systems as well as Utah Valley University as an adjunct faculty member.

Ms. Bendheim has performed in a wide range of choregraphed pieces with various professional and pre-professional companies including: the Merce Cunningham Dance Project (which resulted in a documentary titled "A Merce Happening in the Making" that aired on KOED); an untitled collaborative improvisation with New York's Corbin Dance at the Laguna Dance Festival; Vacant House with Loretta Livingston and Dancers; Persuasion and Vacant House in the Dance Vision concert at UC Irvine; and the NYU Telematic Performance in New York.

Ms. Bendheim has choreographed numerous dance creations including: Two to Support and Facing which were performed at the Rocky Mountain Dance Experience; Shadows and Surfaces which was performed at the Laguna Dance Festival; and Voise, Dance Escape, To The Extent Of and 2007 which were all performed at UC Irvine's graduate concert,

Ms. Bendheim has won numerous awards & scholarships both as a teacher and as a dance student at UC Irvine and BYU including Provo High School Teacher of the Year, a full fellowhsip & teacher assistant at UC Irvine, and BYU's Dance Department scholarship for three consecutive years.

Patricia Davis (Conditioning)

Patricia Davis was born in Los Angeles, California. At an early age, she was awarded a Ford Foundation Scholarship to the School of American Ballet. At age 17, Ms. Davis joined Stuttgart Ballet in Germany, learning the Cranko repertory. Later, she returned to New York where she danced with Harkness Ballet, American Ballet Theater and Ballet Repertory. Marrying Paris Opera Choreographic & Premier Danseur Patrick Frantz, she joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theater in 1978 as a Soloist and was promoted to Principal Ballerina in 1980.

Ms. Davis has danced many of the lead roles in the classical repertory including Giselle, Odette/Odile, and Swanhilda in Coppelia. Rave reviews followed her moving rendition of Michael Smuin’s Harp Concerto Pas de Deux. Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times stated, "Davis...has a special purity of classical dancing. She is so extremely well placed and schooled, with a beautiful floating jump and an effortless technique." These qualities inspired many of the leads in Patrick Frantz’s contemporary ballets, among them Firebird, Romeo and Juliet, and The Triumph of Dance.

Since moving back to Los Angeles, Patti and Patrick acquired the 36-year-old Rozann Zimmerman Ballet Center where they taught for nearly 20 years. After enjoying a fulfilling career as a ballerina, Ms. Davis launched rzbcPilates in October 2004, a Pilates Reformer studio which offers certified Pilates instructors, all trained in the classical New York style.

Vincent Hardy (Jazz)

Vincent Hardy is a native of San Diego. During his childhood he started as a praise (liturgical) dancer & director. Mr. Hardy's interest in studying other forms of dance began in high school under the direction of Sandra Foster-King at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. Later he continued his dance training under scholarship at the Academy of Performing Arts in San Diego.

After high school, Mr. Hardy attended the University of the Arts (UArts), School of Dance in Philadelphia where he received a BFA in Ballet Performance. He later became a company member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet under the direction of Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden.

Recently Mr. Hardy moved to Los Angeles where he is working as a commercial dancer in television, film and video projects. He is also a choreography at various Southern California dance studios including the International Dance Academy in Hollywood and the Athletic Garage in Pasadena. Mr. Hardy is also a graduate student in the Masters in Fine Arts program at the University of California, Irvine, Department of Dance.

Chihiro Sano (Jazz & Modern)

Chihiro Sano, originally from Japan, began her modern dance training at the age of seven under the direction of Akiko Ishii. Ms. Sano came to the United States in 2005 to attend Santa Ana College, Dept. of Dance where she continued her dance training with Heather Gillette, Kari Jensen, Michelle Perez, among others.

After graduating from Santa Ana College in 2007, Ms. Sano joined Backhausdance as an Apprentice and has been a full company member since 2010. She has been performing with Backhausdance throughout the country at venues including the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, The Irvine Barclay Theater, at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina, and at the Joyce Theater in New York City.

Ms. Sano is a Rehearsal Assistant to Jennifer Backhaus, the Artistic Director of Backhausdance. She also works on freelance dance projects and has assisted on the faculty at the Irvine Valley College, the East Valley Dance Project at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, and the Old Town Temecula Community Theater Dance Project. Ms. Sano is a certified yoga instructor and is passionate about sharing her love of dance and yoga with people of all ages.

Adrienne Weidert (Conditioning)

Adrienne Weidert began her Pilates training in 1994 with one of Orange County's first certified instructors, Audrey Wilson, who was certified through the Pilates Guild of New York and who trained under Master Instructors Romana Kryzanowska and Bob Liekens. Ms. Weidert used Pilates for dance conditioning, to build core strength and as a rehabilitation tool. She began her Pilates teaching career, gaining further understanding of proper body biomechanics, human abnatomy, and the injury rehabilitation benefits of Pilates while student teaching under Miss Wilson.

Later, Ms. Weidert entered Long Beach Dance Conditioning's Pilates Teacher Training Certification and Continuing Education program under the directorship of Master Instructor Marie-Jose Blom Lawrence. It was the faculty at Long Beach Dance Conditioning's studio who introduced Ms. Weidert to GYROKINESIS and GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM. Adrienne began delving into these systems during her private sessions with Alicia Head, GYROKINESIS Master Trainer. Under Ms. Head's guidance, Adrienne completed her GYROKINESIS certification. Adrienne continued by certifying on the GYROTONIC Tower in the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM under tutelage of Master Trainer Donna Place and physical therapist and Master Pre-Trainer Suzie Mann.

Currently, Ms. Weidert teaches GYROKINESIS, GYROTONIC and Pilates at studios on Balboa Island, in Tustin and in Irvine. She previously administrated the Core Pilates Studio at Laguna Dance Theatre, working with classically-trained dancers.

Due to her passion for dance, Ms. Weidert has dedicated the majority of her life studying and developing movement quality. As a classically trained dancer she had the opportunity to integrate GYRO and Pilates Mat instruction into dance company warm-ups. She studied ballet at Laguna Dance Theatre, Milwaukee School of Ballet, Boston Ballet School, London's Royal Academy of Dance, Urdang Dance Academy, and Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Gardens, England. As well as her classical ballet training Ms. Weidert also studied jazz, modern, tap and continues to compete, perform and choreograph historical American social dances such as Lindy Hop, Charleston and Swing.