Glen Meynardie
Glen E. Meynardie originally from Bayou la Batre, AL has a diverse background in the field of dance. After training with Kelly’s Dance Academy and Mobile Ballet in Alabama, Glen was a part of the opening day cast at Animal Kingdom in the Jungle Book, performed in Disney MGM’s Indiana Jones Stunt Show and on USA’s series “Mortal Kombat” as a stuntman. He has danced on Celebrity Cruises for Opryland Productions, and was a principal dancer for dance companies in N.Y.C and Washington D.C. As a dancer he had the honor to perform the works of Donald McKayle, Shen Wei, Mark Haim, Toru Shimazaki, Mikey Thomas, Helanius Wilkins, Maida Withers and Ray Schwartz. Glen holds a B.F.A in Dance Performance and Choreography from The University of Southern Mississippi and trained at the American Dance Festival at Duke University and at the Bates Dance Festival at Bates College in Maine. Glen is a member of National Dance Education Organization, California Dance Education Association, was inducted into The USM Dance “Alumni Hall Of Fame” and is YPAD Certified.
After stepping away from the stage as a performer Glen became one of the most sought after teachers and choreographers in the Gulf Coast region. He is the former Artistic Director/ Choreographer of Moving Images Dance Company and was the Director of Dance at John L. Leflore Magnet High School in Mobile, AL. He has also served as a judge and teacher on the convention/competition circuit for over 15 years. Glen has been a Guest Artist at George Washington University, The University of Southern Mississippi, has taught for American College Dance Association and was on faculty for the Mississippi Dance Festival. Over the past 15+ years he has created nearly 1000 pieces for studios, companies and teams across the country. Glen continues to travel and educate the next generation of dancers as a freelance educator-choreographer and is on faculty at Millennium Dance Complex Orange County. His love for dance is the driving force in his life, his passion for educating young dancers is what keeps him happy, humble and hopeful for the future of every dancer he encounters. He believes that dance can change your life, if you let it.
Darian Callias
Darian began her dance journey at 4 years old in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2020 she moved to Los Angeles where she is represented by Bloc Talent Agency. She trained as a Protege with “The Pulse on Tour”, was a member of “Kaos” Cast, and is currently traveling as a Professional Assistant and Staff Member with “Streetz Dance Convention & Competition”. She has her Certification in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. Darian has danced with several artists including Janet Jackson for her “Unbreakable Tour” stop in NOLA, Lil Wayne for the NFL Genesis Halftime Show, and Rita Ora for her “Praising You” music video. Darian can be found on various TV programs and commercials including “Wipeout”, Popeyes, Marvel’s “Cloak and Dagger”, “NCIS New Orleans”, and “Claws” as a principal dancer. In Los Angeles, Darian has trained under Cameron Lee’s Mentorship and is a member of Troupe Dance Company. She brings the fundamental elements of hip hop to a fun, high energy class perfect for beginner dancers or anyone wanting to brush up on their foundations. Darian is excited to be part of the growing dance community and has found such joy and purpose in contributing to our future dance artists’ education and growth.
Shane Norys
Shane Norys is a dancer and choreographer from Orange County, CA. He grew up performing musical theatre and received his training at the Orange County School of the Arts. Directly after graduating high school in 2019, Shane shipped off to perform with Disney Cruise Line, traveling around North and South America, Europe, and soon, Australia. When he is not on contract with DCL, Shane can be found choreographing around Orange County for various dance and theatre companies. Credits include: Yorba Linda Spotlight, Musical Theatre Orange County, and has also Assistant Choreographed for Orange County School of the Arts. Shane’s choreographic style is jazz infused, with contemporary and sass rolled in. He takes inspiration from Bob Fosse, Sonya Tayeh, and Andy Blankenbuehler. Shane is so excited to be teaching at MDCOC until the end of July where he will then leave for another contract with DCL. Follow him along at @shanewnorys.
Natalie Brown
Music and Dance have always been Natalie’s biggest loves! As a little girl she was obsessed with watching music videos (Aaliyah, TLC, Janet Jackson are some of her favorites), copying all the moves and practicing them until she got them down perfectly. Being from a small town in Germany, she didn’t have an opportunity to fulfill her dance dreams as part of a team. But as she grew older she would leave them out by going out with her friends to hit the dance floor and everyone knew what time it was when they’d show up. In her adult years she used dance more as a workout through Dance Fitness! That helped her break out of her shell and become more confident in herself and her self taught dance skills. This was also when she decided to share her passion with the world and become a full-time dance instructor. Having worked and served as a proud and passionate instructor for over a decade in Germany as well as in the States showed her that spreading the love and joy of dance is her calling. You might have seen her on stage at Fitness conventions around the world, as a guest dancer on Shark Tank, Popsugar or on Festival stages as backup dancer. At the moment she is fully committed to teaching GROOV3 classes and training new GROOV3 instructors as a master trainer. She never stops pushing herself, continuously works hard to improve her skills and has certifications by AFAA, Zumba, BollyX and of course GROOV3 under her belt.
Gabriela Mendoza
Xochitl Loco (they/them/theirs), also known as Gabriela Mendoza, is an artist born and raised in Tongva Territory. Xochitl’s choreography is based on training in Hip-Hop, Salsa, Merengue, and West African which they have included in their choreography for Long Beach City College’s dance shows in 2020 and 2022. Xochitl is in the process of earning their Master in Fine Arts for Choreographic Inquiry at UCLA through the department of World Arts and Culture/Dance after earning their B.A. in film and creative writing from UC Berkeley. While living in the Bay Area, Xochitl was fortunate to study West African dance with Mama Naomi Washington and the late, great Papa Zakarya Diouf and trained with Diamona Cora West African Dance Company at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. As a queer Chicanx artist and survivor of sexual assault, Xochitl is passionate about body positivity, and recognizes the need to reconnect body and spirit through movement. Xochitl has performed at venues including Cal State Fresno, USC, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, Long Beach City College and Laney College and is passionate about connecting with people from all areas of life through dance
Kirsten and Cam
Kirsten Vera (she/her) and Cam Costedio (she/her) are two working dance professionals. Together they share many years of dance experience. Training from cities nationwide; New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Canada; training with The Joffrey Ballet School, Peridance Capezio Center, Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Hollywood Experience, and Miami City Ballet. Since their fusion, Kirsten and Cam have done many notable projects, including New York City’s Body Language Showcase, Move For The Movement, Connect New England, New York Fashion Week, and Sybarite Love Is Love. While working with notable and influential professionals, Nikki Gyfto, MaryAnn Chevez, Ximena Salgado, Taylor Bosch, Angelica Stickin, and Diego Funes. Dance Company credits include; Liv3lihood, Nitrogen The Company, Rumbana Latin Dance Company, and The Lume Collective. Kirsten and Cam have had many opportunities to create for students in the competitive dance world. Winning overall high scores and creating some of the highest-scoring routines of a national competition. Kirsten and Cam have been awarded Excellence of Lyrical Dance from Dance Xplosions Nationals. Kirsten and Cam have been featured in 3 Magazines. The Nashville Voyager, Canvas Rebal, and The Voyage LA. To get to know them on a personal level, read about them on their website at KirstenAndCamCreative.com. From their knowledge of camera and dance, Kirsten and Cam have done many projects creating to music that moves them. They incorporate their students to work on these sets from working behind the camera or dancing in front of it! Together they created Kirsten & Cam Creative Duo and Keepsake the Summer Mentorship Program. Kirsten & Cam travel to schools to train and generate choreography as one creative mind. Keepsake is for students needing a push as they grow professionally in the dance world. Each Summer both Kirsten and Cam travel around New England and down the coast to Maryland teaching masterclasses and creating choreography.Walking into Kirsten and Cam’s classes you should expect a fun and free environment. Feeling safe to move and creating freely with confident direction. During class, you can expect a full warm-up and stretch, across-the-floor percussion, improv, and a combo to finish the class. All levels are encouraged to take class. You will find your confidence in your movement, feeling fulfilled and ready to conquer any class
Andrew Playford
Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, I began dancing at CARE Conservatory of Ballet before attending Indiana University under the close personal instruction of Sarah Wroth, Kyra Nichols, Michael Vernon, Carla Korbes, Sasha Janes, and Christian Claessens. While there, I completed Ballet Pedagogy under Sophia Fatouros and had the opportunity to teach various levels of elective ballet classes. I obtained my BSOF in Ballet and Environmental & Sustainability Studies in May 2021. Upon graduation, I joined Ballet RI where I danced for one season before moving to California to pursue professional endeavors in addition to dancing with Ballet Project OC. In my career, I have performed works by choreographers including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Yury Yanowsky, Ally and Emily Helman, and numerous others. During my pre-professional training, I attended summer programs throughout the country at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Washington Ballet, Indy Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Boca Ballet Theatre, and the Chautauqua Institution under Kennedy Center honoree Patricia McBride. Through the philosophy of the Balanchine technique, I provide strong technical training emphasizing physiology and musicality in a supportive, uplifting environment for my classes.
Maria Medelin
Maria started her training at the very spry age of 10 1/2 years old. Training at different studios in Orange County she found her love through many different styles, modern dance being her first love. Though time was of essence, Maria was determined to train as much as she could in order to keep up with her colleagues and peers. Maria has worked with several different choreographers and teachers in Orange County and at the age of 14 she started sporadically taking classes at focus dance center where it’s original location was at the university town center in Irvine,Ca! Competing only one year at the age of 16 she started taking her path with her art to another level and continued training hard until her senior year ended at Focus! Maria has joined multiple dance groups and teams after that time including the Orange Coast College dance team, Irvine Valley College performing dance ensemble with the late Marie De La Palme (may she Rest In Peace), The Elle Vie Dance Company and many more versatile groups in the Orange County and Los Angeles area. As well as contemporary and lyrical/ballet etc., she also has an immense love for the art of hip hop and has been involved in many of her local/outside dance community’s groups and projects whether she has choreographed or been a part of someone’s work! Maria is heavily involved in many different dance communities, Boogiezone Utopia (under the direction of Elm Pizzaro) being one of them, which has given her many amazing industry opportunities in the LA dance industry and the courage to put herself out in the commercial world of dance. Maria prides herself in her versatility in different styles and strives to spread the love of her art to younger generations for years to come in hopes they will deliver a positive message through movement, work ethic, attention to detail and music interpretation. Maria is humbled and honored to have always been around amazing talent and mentored by some of the biggest influences in the dance world and continues to learn and grow as an artist!
Bryan Rone
Bryan got his start dancing at 8 years old and got his start in the entertainment industry right out of school as a production assistant on music videos and commercials in Los Angeles. He learned both the business and creative aspects of the industry under America’s most prolific music video directors and producers such as Erik White, Benny Boom, & Craig & Tom Fanning. That experience fired him up to start his journey as a creative professional working on-set with recording artists Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Mya, Christina Aguilera, Diddy and much more. Today, he uses his expertise in production, movement direction, and dance (credits include: Ricky Martin, The Voice, Eurovision, Halsey, Bobby Valentino, Adam Lambert, Nike, Converse, & Mercedes Benz) to help artists, film, TV, and commercial productions to achieve their goals. He earned his degree from UCLA where he studied dance, cinema, & art history: all of which informs much of his work and style aesthetic. He speaks fluent Italian, conversational German and Slovak teaching camps and workshops. He now lives in Los Angeles where he works as a dance educator, choreographer, and creative director. He is signed to Go2Talent Agency in L.A.
Jessica Doll
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Jessa Doll grew up in the arts attending a fine arts private school. After graduating, Jessa decided to apply for a working visa to pursue her love for dance and the industry in the USA. Jessa has been living out her dreams in LA and Vancouver dancing for artists such as Maluma (world tour), Ariana Grande, Jennifer López, French Montana and more. She has appeared as a dancer in tv series such as; Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Riverdale, DC Legends of Tomorrow, and Lucifer, to name a few. She has also worked with brands like L’Oréal, New Balance, Mountain Dew, Mac Cosmetics and Kohls. Her passion for dance extends to choreography and teaching, where she has taught all over Canada/US and movement coached numerous upcoming artists. Her goal is to provide a space in her classes in which you feel supported, encouraged and pushed! She loves seeing her students and clients leave feeling accomplished, sweaty and excited.
Maddy Beadle
Madeleine Beadle is a dancer and choreographer who hails from Southern California. Well trained in Tap, Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop. She prides herself on being an extremely versatile dancer which has led to multiple performance opportunities such as performing at Carnival Choreographer’s Ball, and dancing on ABC’s The Gong Show. Recently you can catch her dancing in FINNEAS’s music video, The 90s choreographed by Monika Felice-Smith. Her tap choreography can also be seen in one of ASHE’s latest music videos “Not Mad Anymore” Shes currently training with, and head admin for, Lume Dance Training, founded by Maryann Chavez and Monika Felice-Smith. Maddy has been teaching dance for 10 years now and loves the satisfaction of helping students achieve their goals. Whether it be helping them succeed as a professional dancer or just igniting their love of dance, Maddy truly is happiest sharing her knowledge with others. You can catch Maddy on Saturday mornings teaching Jazz technique and Tap
Arthur Yemchyk
I started dancing when I was a kid in middle school. I have tried many different styles of dancing, I did start with ballroom dancing and did that for a couple of years and then being a kid I loved to watch MTV music channel on TV and waiting for Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera music videos that music, those moves, that pop culture was giving me. And me being a teenager I started training HipHop. I trained a lot, traveled and went to the dance conventions in Europe. Also, I got my degree as choreographer & director at European University Industry faculty. As a professional dancer in LA I was working with Toni Braxton, Bad Bunny, at the Grammys with J Balvin, Keke Palmer and many more. Choreographing tour for a famous Vietnamese pop singer Charmy Pham aka. Huong Tram. I do love to perform and when I choreograph I do it as If im choreographing for a tour with an artist or music video. So when students come to my class I want them to feel that they are part of a performance with an artist on the stage and pushing them to be the best version of themselves
Manu Diaz
Manu Diaz is originally from Miami, FL. She started dancing at the age of 12, training in jazz, ballet, and contemporary, and was also the Dance Team Captain at her high school. She later started dancing at Showstopper Studio, one of the biggest dance studios in Miami. There is where she sharpened her skills in Hip-Hop, Jazz Funk, Contemporary, etc. Manu moved to LA at the age of 19 to pursue a career as a professional dancer. There is where she started training with different dance companies to introduce her to many other styles such as House, Heels, Popping, and Wacking. She has performed at “World of Dance” and “World of Dance Live!” all over the country with Ricky Cole and Soul Fresh Dance Company and also guest performed with The Lab. Manu has also been in numerous music videos for international artists and a couple of TV shows and dance films. She has been training as a dancer for over 16 years but has always had a passion for teaching and sharing her knowledge with others. Manu loves choreographing to Reggaeton because she can fuse all of her favorite dance styles together (Hip-Hop, Jazz Funk, Dancehall) while also sharing her Latin culture. She loves sharing the joy dance can bring and always encourages her students to have fun and let the passion they have for dance flow through their bodies. She lives by the motto that it’s never too late to start dancing and everyone can dance
Sharon Ramirez
Sharon is a Filipina-American graduate of Cal State University of Long Beach where she studied to obtain her bachelors of science degree in Kinesiology. Throughout her college career she balanced working as a dancer with her studies and had the privilege of performing in “Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular” as the Magic Carpet, teaching at studios, coaching dance teams, and being a member of the LA Clippers Sprit Dance Team. Throughout her two seasons with the LA Clippers Spirit Dance Team she not only got to perform in the legendary space of Staples Center at exciting Clippers home games, but she also got to perform with several artists at games, such as Montell Jordan, Fergie, Rae Sremuurd, and much more; travel to China to perform at the NBA Global Games; be a part of the supporting cast of “LA Clippers Spirit Dance Squad” on the E! network; and be digitized into a video game character for NBA 2k16 by EA Sports. Sharon is also signed with The Movement Talent agency and has had wonderful opportunities to appear on television shows such as “American Housewife”, “Goliath”, “Carpool Karaoke”, “How I Met Your Father” just to name a few. A few artists that Sharon has had the chance to dance next to whether on stage or in music videos include Jordan Fisher, Steve Aoki, T-Pain, 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, and Wale. Sharon has also had the honor of choreographing for artists such as The Filharmonic, VRO, and Sirena. Currently, when Sharon isn’t making magic over at Universal Studios Hollywood as a Beauxbaton dancer in the Tri-Wizard Spirit Rally show she enjoys spending time with her family, discovering yummy and nutritious foods, and romanticizing the simple things in life!
Giovanni Tisera
Born & Raised in Miami, Fl. Giovanni has always had an immense love for dance, and since day one of training had his eyes set on pursuing his career in LA. Living in LA for 7 years now, Gio has been able to create various opportunities for himself in the dance industry. In the first couple years of LA, Gio was focused more on training & developing his artistic craft with various high level choreographers & high level dance programs. Programs such as AMDA, PhlexTravaganza, Cameron Lee Mentorship & Various teachers/classes around the LA Dance Studios. While focusing on training (classical & commercial) Gio was able to perfect his craft & find his own style within the brackets of commercial dance. His favorite style of dance being Reggaetón, Hip-Hop & JazzFunk. – Reggaetón being what sets him apart from the rest of the LA dance community – Since then, Giovanni has done so much with his dance career. From choreographing various live performances in Hollywood, Working with artists of many different styles (Live Performances/Music Videos), Teaching Various classes around LA & Miami, to even traveling outside of the U.S to share his passion for dance. (Peru & Slovakia) Ontop of his professional dance career, Giovanni also always had major interest in creating videos/content. From his first video back in 2011, to the High Quality videos being posted now, Giovanni has gathered a total of 56,619 followers throughout all his Social Media platforms. One day hoping not only to share entertainment dance videos with his followers but also be able to teach & share his choreographies online to a worldwide audience