About Kids'N Dance, Alameda, Contra Costa, Lafayette, California

So many children have a romantic impression of dance (they want to be a ballerina), but this impression along with their enthusiasm for dance frequently gets lost after a single 'traditional' ballet class. They are confronted with a rigid class structure, demanding strain on their bodies, and a strict belief in uniformity and exactness.

Although many schools have tried to offer creative movement to remedy the need for age appropriateness (ie working with the younger kids), none seem to be created with the sincere intention that Kris Mueller's Kids 'N Dance program offers. More >>

Instructors
		Kris Mueller—owner of Kids ‘'N Dance and Lafayette Dance Center, completed a BA in Dance, BM in Music from SIUE, and a MFA in Dance from Mills College. She has choreographed for The School House Theater, Benicia Old Town Theater, Galatean Players and was nominated for a Shelly Award in 98 & 99. Kris has also danced professionally with The Dance Brigade and Six Thumbs Dance Theater. She has taught children's dance and musical theater for eighteen years, K-6 music for Saklan Valley and was the drummer for the band "Flip Sally".

Click Here to hear a message from me		Katie Van Drake - has enjoyed teaching children dance and gymnastics for the past seventeen years. She received her training in musical theatre and dance at The Boston Conservatory of Performing Arts. Since then, she has had lead roles in various theatre productions. In 2001 she won a Shelly Award for her portrayal as Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls." She has trained in ballet, tap, and jazz. Her most extensive training has been in ballet. Katie has also been a voiceover artist and sang lead in various bands. She enjoys teaching children and watching them learn and grow.

		Megan McGrath - is a teaching artist with 15 years of experience working in the Bay Area with StartingArts, California Shakes, Playful People Productions, CMTSJ, and San Francisco Playhouse. She holds BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in directing from California State University- Fullerton and practices positive discipline theory. Megan is trained in jazz, tap, ballet and has recently choreographed Disney’s Cinderella, Annie Jr., Starmites, Aristocats, Aladdin Jr., and Schoolhouse Rock Live! She has a passion for directing/choreographing youth and delights in the opportunity to give students the chance to discover something that is individual, special, and distinctive about themselves.

click here to hear a message from me		Jenny Thai -Jenny has been teaching, caring for, directing children for most of her adult life. She has been a camp leader, worked as a puppeteer for Fairyland, and with children at the Oakland Zoo. Jenny's love for children and dance comes through in all of her teaching. Jenny is also fluent in Cantonese.

		Reagan Griffith - Reagan is a "bubbly", fun loving dancer, choreographer, actress and vocalist. She started dancing at the age of 7. She went to both Denver Colorado's Middle and High School for the Performing Arts. She was classically trained at Colorado Ballet and City Ballet in San Francisco. Her dance background includes ballet, modern jazz, hip-hop, West African, and flamenco dance. In high school, Reagan was pep squad captain and the choreographer of her own hip-hop dance team. Reagan has years of experience in musical theater and training in mime, drama and acting for the camera. Reagan grew up in a daycare home making her a natural with children. She also has experience working with autistic children and the developmentally challenged. She believes dance is a healing form of expression and wants to share her love of theater & dance with all whom seek it.

		Liz Schneiter– has worked with children in dance and musical theater for many years as a teacher, director, choreographer, and coach. Her recent work includes the Watertown (MA) Children’s Theatre, The Children’s Creative Arts Corner Lexington, MA. And Kids Take the Stage of Alameda. She has performed and choreographed for Built of Stilts Dance Festival of Martha’s Vineyard, and Dancensemble. She has a MFA in Dance performance and choreography from Mills College.

		Ariel Litzsey-is a young and energetic dancer, who started out taking tap at the age of 5. As she grew, so did her love for dance. She began training in various dance styles such as ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, and african. She has taught music and dance at Allen Temple Music, was a cheer coach for Young Champions of America, and is currently a preschool teacher during the week. Ariel's fun-styles of teaching mixed with her love for dance give her the drive to continue working with children of all ages who share the same gift as her...Dance.

		Kehinde Kujichagulia-Seitu -is a vivacious and talented vocalist and dancer, with a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts. An accomplished vocalist, Kehinde has recorded for and performed with the Umoja Jazz Ensemble, the African Roots of Jazz, Ma’at Jazz and Performance Ensemble, the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, and the Prairie View A&M University Concert Choral Ensemble. Beginning as a dancer for the Imhotep Dance Ensemble, Kehinde has performed for such legends as Katherine Dunham, Winnie and Nelson Mandela. Co-founding member and director of Lyric Dance Ensemble, specializing in Hip-Hop, West African, Tap, Stepping, and Liturgical Dance, Kehinde has studied various dance styles under Linda Johnson, Lynn DeFazio, Laura Ellis, Nina Haft, and Eric Kupers. An instructor full of energy, and enthusiasm, Kehinde has taught dance for Stanford University, California State University East Bay, Berkeley City College and numerous elementary, junior high and high schools throughout the greater Bay Area. Currently teaching Dance here and for Opera Piccola, Kehinde is founder and executive director of Stopping Our Silence, an organization for survivors of child abuse, and domestic violence.

See Chelsea teach		Chelsea Bardellini - has been dancing her entire life, training in ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, latin dance and musical theatre. She got her first job teaching dance when she was fourteen and fell in love with it! Since then she has been an instructor/choreographer for the University of Southern California, the Piedmont Ballet Academy, the Borgata Music House, the K.Y.D.S. program with the LA Unified School District, Performing Arts Workshops LA, Happy Feet School of Dance, Art and Soul Music and Dance, and Arthur Murray Walnut Creek and she has directed/choreographed over 25 musicals. She received her BA in Theatre and Dance from USC in 2009 and has performed with the Oakland Ballet, Woodminster Regional Theatre, Rage Films, the Piedmont Dance Ensemble, Act Out Productions, the USC Repertory Dance Company, Brand New Theatre, LIFE Productions, Vallejo Music Theatre, Belasco Theatre Co and several others. She also currently competes worldwide in Professional Ballroom and Latin Dance.

		Marlena E. Zahm - originally from Massachusetts, has twenty-five years of experience as a dancer. She attended a performing arts charter high school and and then went on to grauate with a BFA in dance & theater from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She then came to california and received her M.A./MFT in Expressive Arts Therapy from San Francisco, Ca. Marlena is a member of Glide Memorial Methodist Church Ensemble, has studied lighting design and stage production and knows American Sign Language. Marlena believes that children need creative outlets to express their feelings, hopes, and fears. Through the creative process children can enrich self-understanding and compassion. She finds the Kids 'N Dance progrm to compliment her beliefs about kids and expressive arts.

click here to hear a message from me		Kory "Kato" Watkins- is a member of the Legendary Hip Hop Crew Housin' Authority. They have choreographed & performed for many artists, such as Michael Jackson, Modonna, Usher, & Chris Brown. Kato has taught all over the USA & abroad. Kato loves to perform, but teaching kids is his gift. Breaking down challenging routines for students is his speciality. Kato teaches Popping, Strutting, Waving, Break Dance, & Video Style Hip Hop.

		Emily Steelhammer has been dancing since the age of 3 and has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and improvisation. She has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Irvine where she also studied dance and theater and was a member of several vocal ensembles. Emily’s experience with youth includes Greenleaf Elementary Afterschool Program and Camp Galileo. When not dancing and teaching, she enjoys yoga, reading, baking, and exploratory walks.

		Mary Jane Schroeder is a dancer, acrobat, and performance artist. At a young age she began her journey in movement arts as a gymnast and quickly developed a love for flying through space and using her body as an artistic medium. Teaching and performing since 2009, her main passion is using movement to inspire others by what is possible with the human body. Her involvement in the movement arts continues to grow through aerial silks and rope, contortion, hand balancing, and a diverse range of fire dancing skills including hoop, poi, contact staff and double staff. She is currently based in Santa Cruz, CA where she recently completed her BA in psychology as part of her eventual goal to practice dance therapy.

		Taiwo Kujichagulia-Seitu- is a coloratura soprano, dancer, professor/teacher and entrepreneur. Taiwo currently teaches 1st and 2nd grade at Ile Omode, a private school in Oakland, CA. As a former professor on the music faculty at Berkeley City College, Taiwo taught choir and music history. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance, a Master of Business Administration in marketing, and graduate studies in vocal performance. Taiwo has performed professionally for 20 years, both singing and dancing. Her most recent roles include Teen Fannie and Dorothy in the world premiere opera, Dark River: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story. In addition to singing, Taiwo also arranges African American Spirituals (for performance and study) and lectures on their development, correct historical context and the coding found within. As such, Taiwo was recently honored as a Negro Spirituals Heritage Keeper by the Friends of Negro Spirituals. While singing is a big part of her life, Taiwo's other passion is dance. She is a founding member of two performing arts companies: N’soromma African Drummers and Dancers (Prairie View, Texas) and Lyric Dance and Vocal Ensemble (Oakland, California), known for its dynamic fusion of Gospel and Spirituals with Stepping, Liturgical and/or traditional West African dance. When she is not teaching, lecturing or performing, Taiwo spends time with her beautiful four-year-old daughter, husband and family.

		Natalie Rutiezer- has had a love for dance and theatre all of her life. She began studying Bellydance at the age of 15 and since then has studied Flamenco, West African, Persian, Ballet and Modern. She continues to take classes at Lines Ballet and ODC dance center in San Francisco. She is a member of The Zenotope Collective (Modern and Contemporary Dance), Deshret Dance Company (Middle-Eastern Dance), and the Director of her own dance company, Adhara Dance Company (Contemporary and World Fusion dance styles). She loves teaching classes for both children and adults and can't wait to share her passion and love of dance with her students.


		Jade Rivera - is a remarkable educator known for her extensive training and excellence in non-violent communication methods with children. Children adore her and her calm, comforting ways as she encourages even the most shy children to blossom and be joyful. Jade challenges kids in unique and sometimes quirky ways that engage them in learning and have them asking for more! Jade completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Evergreen College and she is the recipient of the renowned Fulbright Scholarship. Jade's areas of specialty are: enrichment for gifted children, chemistry, and all levels of science.

		Marielle Cammarata -