Faculty at San Elijo Dance and Music Academy

Missy (Alexandria) Corosanite

A native of Philadelphia, Missy graduated from the University of the Arts (UArts), with a bachelor of fine arts in dance, majoring in Ballet. Her summers were spent at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School, where she was on scholarship. Upon graduating from UArts, she was honored with the Susan G. award for excellence in ballet. Thereafter she was chosen amongst several hundred, to be one of twenty-five to attend the Miami City Ballet School, where she performed several Balanchine works, while working closely with the company. Having a strong ballet foundation is what allowed her to enter into the professional world, where she went on to perform for cruise ships, casinos, and regional theatre companies alike; having roles such as dance captain and featured dancer as well as working closely with notable choreographers such as, Andy Blankenbuehler and Rob Sapienza. Her career also includes some TV and Film credits as well as Industrials. Her most rewarding accomplishment came when she was chosen to perform as Graziella in the European Tour of West Side Story, under the direction of the Broadway choreographer Joey McNealy. Ms. Corosanite's latest project has taken her into the teaching world. Working with over 350 students a week, as the resident ballet instructor at a performing arts charter school, she has choreographed over 25 pieces, ranging from Ballroom to Folk Dance. She now brings her talent and enthusiasm of the Arts to share with the students at San Elijo Dance & Music Academy.

Cassandra Ream

Cassandra Ream studied Ballet for fourteen years with the San Jose Ballet company out of Cleveland Ohio before she found her love for contemporary, lyrical, and Jazz. Touring by the age of fourteen with Urban Jamm dance convention was just the beginning. She later danced with LADF in Los Angeles on scholarship, which led to a full ride scholarship to The Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles in 2000. Cassandra worked out of LA for 5 years fulfilling her dream as a young professional dancer, working for Debbie Allen's company "Atmosphere" founded and created by Terri Beeman. She also work with Hysterica Dance Company founded by Kitty Mcnamee's. In these companies, Cassandra had the opportunity to work with prestigious choreographers such as Mandy Moore, Mia Michaels, Scott Hislop, Wes Veldink, and Ryan Heffington to name a few. Fulfilled by performing and studying dance Cassandra later starting teaching and becoming a choreographer herself. Cassandra is the Director of SEDMA's Dance Project, their dynamic competitive jazz and lyrical team for ages 6-18. She believes young children are candles waiting to be lit.

Nancy Robinson

Nancy Robinson studied ballet in Los Angeles with Robert Rossellat, a student of Preobrajenska and Espinosa in Paris. At the age of fifteen she received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to San Francisco Ballet School and was accepted into San Francisco Ballet Company the following year. Ms. Robinson danced as a soloist there for seven years, then as Principal dancer with the City Center Joffrey Ballet Company, which made her an internationally acclaimed ballerina. She has toured Vienna, London, and several major United States cities. During her career, she danced in principal roles such as Astarte Pas de Desses (Joffrey), Moves and Interplay (Robbins), Time Cycle (Bolender) several works by Arpino, Nutcracker-Sugar Plum Fairy (Christensen), and other works by Fokine and Ailey. Later she was Ballet Mistress at Pacific Northwest Ballet Company and The Los Angeles Ballet. Ms. Robinson has taught at The Joffrey School (NYC), Cornish School (Seattle), Marcia Dale Weary School (Pennsylvania), Los Angeles Ballet School (Los Angeles), City Ballet (San Francisco), The Ballet Studio (San Francisco), and the California Ballet School (San Diego). Nancy now brings her accomplished talent and expertise to San Elijo Dance and Music Academy.

Linnette Roe

Linnette Roe was raised in San Diego and trained at California Ballet School. She studied for two years at North Carolina School of the Arts and became an apprentice at Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1988. She was promoted to Soloist in 1991 and to Principal Dancer in 1993. Her repertory includes principal roles in Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Serenade, Theme & Variations, and Concerto Barocco. She toured with the company to New York, Washington D.C., London, Scotland and Melbourne and has had the opportunity to work with many renowned choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Donald Byrd, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Kent Stowell. She enjoys teaching and training the next generation of dancers at San Elijo Dance and Music Acadmey.

Grace Wichert

Grace Wichert's teaching background spans the last 25 years and her students range in age from 4 to 75. Her style of tap dance is traditional, sometimes called Broadway Tap. She has studied such master tap instructors as Debbie Dee, Charles Kelley, Lynn Cramer and Al Gilbert. Grace attends workshops given by the Dance Olympus Organization and Dance Educators of America, to stay “in step” with up to date teaching practices and styles. Her mentor, who Grace studied with and taught for was Georgia Copeland. Grace previously taught at Palomar College and is currently teaching at the Golden Door Resort. Grace loves to teach and share her love of tap dancing.

France-Marie Woodard

France-Marie Woodard began her early ballet training in San Diego, and by age 12 was being accepted to many summer intensive programs. Often on merit scholarship she spent summers training with the Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet and Richmond Ballet. In 2003 Ms. Woodard was asked to join the Richmond Ballet training program where she performed various roles with the company. In 2007 Ms. Woodard moved to Princeton, New Jersey to dance with American Repertory Ballet and teach for Princeton Ballet School. Under the guise of School Director Mary Pat Robertson and the seasoned staff of PBS she gained the training and experience for teaching ballet at all levels. In 2009 Ms. Woodard joined the faculty at SEDMA and can still be seen performing in the annual Nutcracker as the flying Sugar Plum Fairy.

Rachel Woods

Choreographing and performing in Hawaii since second grade, Rachel took any dance class offered; Modern, Hip-Hop and Tahitian. Rachel's education and technique expanded to cover Jazz, Lyrical and Ballet but no other style gave her the same joy as Hip-Hop. She went on to dance with Future Shock San Diego under Belle & Rainen Paguio , World Famous Crew & Jabbawokeez, and Keone Madrid Choreo Cookies to name a few. Currently she is finishing her undergraduate degree at UCSD, with a visual arts media major and dance minor. Her original Hip-Hop choreography has been showcased in the La Jolla Playhouse dance and theater productions. Ms. Woods is also a proud director and choreographer of the highly regarded Hip-Hop adult crew- 220: Second to None, and has represented them at Boogiezone workshop classes in Los Angeles. Blessed teaching Hip Hop as a movement style and a craft, Rachel especially is passionate about teaching her students that Hip-Hop is a lifestyle; fostering creativity, acceptance and humilit

Christina Wurz

Christina Wurz began her professional training with The Joffery Ballet School. She earned a B.F.A. in Dance at the University of Hartford, Hartt School in 2001. Ms. Wurz is an accomplished performer, San Diego Dance Theater, Mohegan Sun/Christopher Lee Productions, Dance Connecticut's Touring Ensemble, Full Force Dance Theatre, Bronx Dance Theater, and at the Radio City Music Hall. Ms. Wurz also performed internationally at the Rome Festival in Italy, Burklyn Ballet Theater in Scotland, and in the World Cup Opening Celebration. Ms. Wurz brings years of experience and a wealth of knowledge to her students at San Elijo Dance & Music Academy where she has been teaching since 2005.

Music

Jack Beddows

Jack Beddows is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies with a Bachelor's degree in music composition. Jack concurrently studied classical guitar for several years and is self-taught in a variety of other styles. In addition to teaching for over ten years, including several years as a high school band director, he has extensive recording studio experience. Coupled with his enthusiasm of teaching students of all ages, Jack enjoys playing piano, singing, composing, song writing, and performing.

Katia Palivoda

Katia Palivoda began to play the piano at the age of six. Born and raised in Belarus, a former Soviet Union Republic in Eastern Europe, Ms. Palivoda graduated from Belorussian Boarding School of Arts in Minsk, Belarus with a professional piano education. Ms. Palivoda earned a Master's degree in classic piano from the Belorussian Academy of Music, and began teaching piano at the Belorussian Central Music. After moving to the United States, Katia began imparting her love of music through teaching at San Elijo Dance & Music Academy. Katia values each student as a unique individual and focuses on not only the fundamentals of music, but encourages each student to stretch their imagination, be creative, and to ultimately produce beautiful music.

West Coast Musical Theatre

Becky Cherlin Baird

Becky Cherlin Baird, a native San Diegan, is a graduate of the University of Arizona, Theatre Arts Program. She traveled the country with the Broadway National Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as the casting and choir director for the Dreamcoat Choirs. She is an alumni of Junior Theatre, receiving the Bank of America scholarship in 1989. Becky has directed and choreographed several original musicals for youth written by award winning playwrights from across the country including: Number the Stars (based on the book by Lois Lowry), Hello, Tomorrow and Benjamin and Judah. She is the founding Artistic Director of The J*Company, an award winning children's theatre company, at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla, California. Currently, Becky is the drama teacher at Pacific Rim Elementary and on the Board of Directors for San Diego Jr. Theatre. Her best productions to date are her two kids Noah and Talia. Becky is known as the ‘Pied Piper' of Children's Theatre.

GymKids

Adriana Guerrero

Adriana's coaching career began six years ago when her daughter became interested in gymnastics. With a desire to learn more to help further her daughter's passion for gymnastics, she began training with the USA Gymnastics Association. What began as a way to help her daughter had developed into a love and devotion to the sport. Adriana has coached six years at the YMCA, and was promoted to Preschool Director. Working alongside experienced faculty, Adriana created a curriculum for preschoolers. She now brings her love for preschoolers and enthusiasm for gymnastics to GymKids!

Tabitha Pierce

Tabitha is a graduate of California State University, San Marcos with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. A competitive gymnast herself, Tabitha has won many gymnastics state championships and national championships in competitive cheerleading. Tabitha has years of experience coaching preschool, recreational, and competitive gymnastics teams and redily develops new drills to help enhance her students development. Tabitha is described as a "hands on coach with a great personality” and it has also been said “she is able to help any child succeed.” Tabitha enthusiastically states, “I knows how much strength and determination it takes to win and I want to be able to teach kids these skills so that they can use them in all areas of their life.”