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".

		Sara Hampton—has been working with children for twelve years. Her teaching experience includes preschool, elementary school and teaching dance, . She has studied theater and dance at North Western University and Hampshire College, The Second City Ballet, and Joel Hall in Chicago. She has several years experience as a working actress, and as a teacher of drama. Sara has an enthusiastic and patient approach to teaching, and loves dancing with kids of all ages.

		Christine Behren- —Has a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from UC Santa Cruz. She is bilingual (Spanish) and has professionally performed major roles in several theater productions. Christine has also been dancing her whole life and has a real love for children.

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.

		Jene' Levine Snipes-has studied dance for nearly 20 years. A majority of her experience is in Jazz, Modern (Dunham, Horton and Limón technique) Haitian and West African. She also has many years of experience in Ballet, and Brazilian forms of dance. Some of her past local instructors include Dawn James, Carolyn Himes, Evelyn Thomas, Linda Johnson, Jacqueline Burgess, Sue Li Jue, and Zak and Naomi Diouf. Jené is a member and partner of the PRISM dance company and has performed and or choreographed for many community sponsored events. She is currently pursuing a degree in Dance and training to become certified in the Katherine Dunham Technique. She has taught and choreographed for young children ages 3-14, as well as college students, and has over 15 years of experience instituting dance activities in programs geared toward Oakland and Berkeley youth. She has nearly ten years of experience directing tutor/mentor programs in the Bay Area. Jené enjoys integrating her life experiences into her dance teaching style and choreography. She is a mother of two children and works fulltime in community development.

		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.

click here to hear a message from me		Kristen Casaretto – is an enthusiastic dancer and teacher with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Education from UC Berkeley. She has been dancing since the age of six and is trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, and contemporary. She was a member of the CAL Dance Team and is currently a 4th grade teacher at Think College Now Elementary in Oakland. She is extremely excited to share her passion for dance with kids and families.

		Molly Perez- began dancing at the age of three. She later progressed to be a principal dancer at the Los Angeles Opera. She specializes in ballet, but she is also trained in jazz, modern, tap and hip hop. Molly has performed as a principal dancer in many productions, including The Nutcracker, Carousel, The King and I, Swan Lake, Don Quixote and Coppelia. She is thrilled to be working with children and spreading her love of dance. She is currently studying at the University of California, Berkeley

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.

click here to hear a message from me		Gina Gargano has a true passion for working with children, which has blossomed over the past ten years through her experiences teaching and learning from them. Recently she has worked as a preschool teacher and a circus fitness instructor for children at Kinetic Arts Center. While finishing up her bachelor’s degree abroad, she discovered aerial dance and has been pursuing aerial arts since 2009. Her background in movement includes yoga, ballet, modern dance, aerial dance including trapeze, tissue and lyra, and fire dancing such as poi and hoop. She believes that a true teacher is one who never stops learning.

		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.