Backstage Staff
Teaching Team
Marty Roberts
I don’t have a favorite. I love dance, children and music, so here I am! But, if I had to choose I would currently say tap is my favorite. I love the interesting rhythms and footwork, and the challenge of making it visually entertaining too.
Age 7, and I quote my mother’s words “so you won’t be klutzy.”
Not a lot of hobbies right now… I’m 100% in this business and loving it! BUT, when I have time, I love to travel, and when I retire/cut back I will take piano lessons, learn French and Italian, and possibly learn how to cook, maybe.
I’ve never met a bad chocolate chip cookie 🙂
I’d be interested in a pet orangutan, if there was a way to do that! (As long as my husband wouldn’t divorce me, but I’m pretty sure he would!)
Kelly Bahr
Contemporary and Jazz.
I started when I was 5, but then I quit for a year and started again when I was 7 because my cousin got really cool costumes the year I didn’t dance.
Anything artsy… painting, drawing, sewing, crocheting, crafting, etc. My degree is in graphic design.
Pizza and Ice Cream!
Monkey.
Lauren Chenoweth
Tap holds a special place in my heart. I love the musicality and the brain power it utilizes.
I started dancing at age 6.
I love to read! My book collection grows a little every day.
It changes by the day. A couple staples would be poke, fried chicken, and pretty much any kind of brunch food.
I go back and forth between owls and cats.
Tomoko Chun
My favorite style of dance is, of course, ballet!
I was 3 when I started ballet.
I like cooking.
My favorite foods are dumplings and ice cream.
My favorite animal is a dog.
Madison Duffy
My favorite style to dance is ballet.
I started dancing when I was three years old.
When I’m not dancing my favorite thing to do is run.
My favorite food is Oreo cookies.
My favorite animal is an orca whale.
Leta Frisch
I grew up dancing ballet, but as a young adult I got involved in Musical Theater and added Jazz to the style of dance I enjoyed dancing.
I started dancing at age 6.
Other hobbies I have are singing, reading, movies, sewing, walking my dog, and spending time with family.
I LOVE food!!! Mexican, Asian, and BBQ are my favorites.
I have more than one favorite…dogs (Boston Terrier = dog for me), horses (we had two while I was growing up), bunnies, and birds.
Rhonda George
Depending on what mood I am in, I would say, I enjoy dancing lyrical/contemporary; however, a sassy jazz is always fun!!
I was 8 years old when I started taking ballet classes.
Being a mom to my two children has been my hobby, but spending time with friends and family, scrap booking, traveling for competitions, and cuddling my dog.
I suppose I should say kale or something green, but honestly, it’s probably mashed potatoes and artichokes.
I find most animals to be majestic, especially in the cat family, lions, cheetahs, panthers, etc. and of course any puppy.
Danielle Golden
My favorite style of dance is ballet, with lyrical as a close second.
I started dancing at the age of three.
I also enjoy taking yoga and Pilates classes.
My favorite food is sushi.
My favorite animal is a panda.
Shandie Hensley
I enjoy camping, swimming, anything outdoors!
Pizza.
My favorite animal is a wolf.
Alyssa Lunardi
My favorite style to dance is Jazz.
I love to read, go to the beach, and spend time with my family!
Italian is my favorite type of food.
Cats are my favorite animal!
Riley Howe
My favorite hobby to do besides dance is to watercolor paint, it’s very therapeutic.
My favorite food is sushi.
My favorite animals are seals.
Chisako Maeda
I love all styles, but I have always loved hip hop.
I started dancing when I was 4 years old.
Outside of dance I like to camp.
My favorite food is any type of pasta!
My favorite animal is a cat or jellyfish!
Faith McMahon
My favorite style to dance is ballet!
I started dancing ballet when I was 5, and added other styles when I was 13.
I enjoy hiking or baking sweet treats!
Mac and cheese, specifically the homemade kind.
Sugar gliders!
Elise Meiners
Ballet has always been my love but my second is Gaga, which is a dance language from Israel.
I started at age 3 — my mom was my teacher!
Music, art, any outdoor activity or sport.
Ice cream
My favorite animal is my texas heeler, Shep. Also, mountain goats.
Maddie Miller
My favorite style is definitely a tie between contemporary and hip hop.
Of course we all started young but I wasn’t serious until I was 14.
I love painting, listening to music, walking my dog, playing the ukulele… I do a bit of everything really! But nothing beats TV, popcorn, and cuddles with my dog.
I love ice cream (mint chocolate chip moose tracks but I love a lot of
flavors).
I love giraffes! They are so tall and awkward but also so graceful. I relate to that a lot!
Tani Ohashi
The style with endless possibilities – MODERN.
I officially started dancing at age six. I tried when I was younger, but was too shy!
There are so many (my Venus is in Gemini)! All forms of design, fashion, arts and crafts, baking, astrology, and most importantly traveling.
Hands down, noodle soup (i.e. ramen, phở, wonton, yen ta fo, naengmyoen, udon).
I adore all animals! Especially cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, seals, otters, and foxes.
Jenae Plaisance
My favorite style of dance is Ballet.
Bailey Roberts
