Dance Connection - About Us

	Stephanie Anderson (children, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical) - Stephanie has over 20 years of dance experience in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop and lyrical. For the past 4 years she has worked as a Dance Instructor and Judge for The United Spirit Association (USA). She was a captain and choreographer for Foothill College's award winning dance Company for the past 4 years and has coached Nationally Ranked High School dance teams through out the Bay Area. In 2003 she was named USA's Norcal Solo Dance Champion. She currently attends San Jose State University where she is double majoring in Dance and Communications. Stephanie is so happy to be part of the Dance Connection family!
	Faith Bonitz (Ballet, Pilates) - Faith began her training in the RAD technique and moved to New York where she trained under a Balanchine protege from the New York City Ballet. She then performed professionally with the Illinois Ballet where she studied the Russian Vaganova technique. Upon returning to New York, she joined her former mentor as an instructor and taught pre ballet through advanced classes and pointe for the past 4 years. Faith is certified through Fitour to teach beginner through advanced Pilates mat classes. The past August, Faith became the proud mother of a darling daughter, Mina.
	Tami Burton (Performing Company Director; Children, Jazz, Tap) – BA in Computer Science from SDSU where she was also a cheerleader and a gymnast. Tami performs extensively with the Foothill College Performance Company where she is the Assistant Dance Director. Under her direction as Performing Company Directory, she leads competitive and non-competitive teams to regional competitions and local events. Tami and her husband, Mark have three super children: Alyssa, Bryan, and Cory. Tami has been teaching at Dance Connection for the 13 years, and is a very popular teacher with all age groups. Her choreography has won many awards at competitions.
	Tina Campos (Jazz) - Tina is a former USA dance camp instructor and camp director. She also works for e2k, an entertainment and event production company as a choreographer and show producer. She has coordinated three Pro Bowls and six American Bowls. She has been teaching dance for several years, and formerly directed her studio’s performing company. Tina will be coordinating the e2k Hawaii Bowl Tour and Halftime Show. Tina has been a popular teacher here at DC for the past four years.
	Eric Carey (Hip Hop, Boys Dance) – Eric began dancing in 1996 taking tap and hip hop, and quickly added theater to his credits, performing in 42nd Street with the Saratoga Drama Group, and A Chorus Line with the Sunnyvale Community Players. Eric has a 4th degree black belt in Karate, and has another profession as a CAD designer. Eric’s classes are always a fun experience.
	Izetta Fang (Musical Theatre, Vocal Training) Izetta has performed regional theatre extensively in New York, as well as the European tour of Evita. She has staged numerous productions, done voice over and television, and holds her B.A. degree in Dance from San Jose State University. Izetta continues to perform with local theatre groups, as well as coach aspiring singers, actors, and dancers. ]
	Jamie Fraser (Break Dance/Hip Hop) Jamie is an amazing break dancer, hip hop artist and choreographer who's professional hip hop company, Monster Shop Bumpin' has toured all over the USA and most recently in Shanghai, China. Jamie has taught and performed hip hop and break dance since 1994 and continues his performance tours during the summer season. His message is to promote Positive influence through Hip Hop, and that compliments the DC attitude! Jamie’s hip hop company recently won the recognition of best hip hop performing group on MTV.
	Jennifer Kulz-Smith (Ballet, Pointe, Variations) - Jennifer received her ballet training in San Francisco with the Academy of Ballet, Dancers' Stage, Lanova Academy, City Ballet School and Boston Ballet School. She has performed with various Bay Area companies including the Peninsula Ballet Theater, San Francisco Dance Theater, and the Santa Clara Ballet. She performed in the San Francisco production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" for 4 1/2 years. Jennifer has two beautiful little girls, Cynthia and Allison, and has been teaching at Dance Connection for the past eight years.
	Bethany LoCascio (Hip hop/ Jazz/ Tap) Bethany graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts and was a scholarship dancer at The Edge Performing Arts Center and Tremaine Dance Center, both in Los Angeles. She has taught in New York at Broadway Dance Center with Frank Hatchett, and has studied under many notable instructors from NY to LA in dance and drama. Bethany performed in the National Tour of “My Fair Lady” and for the cruise line Holland America on the MS Statendam as a lead dancer and assistant choreographer. Bethany lends an amazing talent for both choreography and training to our dancers.
	Anthony LoCascio (Tap) Anthony has worked for over 7 years with the Broadway show Tap Dogs, and most recently was on tour with the new version of Tap Dogs nicely named, Tap Dogs: ReBooted. He has performed all over the world including Monte Carlo at the Sporting Club and has opened shows for Natalie Cole, Earth Wind and Fire, and Stevie Wonder. He has made TV appearances on MTV Live, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, and Macy’s Fourth of July Spectacular plus local programs across the nation. Currently Anthony is on faculty with national dance conventions and guest teaches.
	Heather Miller Dancing for 20 years, Heather is trained in jazz,tap, ballet, lyrical and hip hop and has had the opportunity to take professional classes in Los Angeles and New York from master choreographers. She has participated in many dance competitions, performances and the Miss Dance Pageant. She also danced in many halftime performances for the Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors and Stanford University teams. A graduate of San Jose State University, Heather was a member of the University Dance Theatre. She was a gala performer in the American College Dance Festival and the Tap Festival in Thousand Oaks. She recieved a BA in Dance and performed in many SJSU concerts, in the independent film "Shut Up and Dance," and with the Corie Tyson dance company. Heather will be performing this basketball season with the Sacramento Kings dancers, and bring to her students her passion for dance, her fun choreography, and always a smile!
	Patricia Perez (Ballet, Pointe, Variations) - Patricia began her ballet training in Havana, Cuba where she was a member of Compania de Ballet Classico de la Havana. She has performed as a guest artist with Canton Ballet, Ashland Ballet, and the Jefferson Ballet Theatre of New Orleans.Patricia performed with Ballet San Jose of Silicon Valley under Dennis Nahat since 1998, and has been a principal dancer in Swanilla, Nutcracker, and Coppelia. Patricia is now in her second year performing with San Francisco Ballet. We have been fortunate to have Patricia on our faculty since 2001.
	Sara Shin (Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop)-Sara began dancing in Los Angeles, CA where she trained and competed growing up. Before graduating High school Sara was apart of Sparkids, the dance team for the Los Angeles Sparks . After moving to the bay area, Sara became assistant director for a Hip Hop Company called Mind Over Matter, that performs all over the Bay Area and beyond. Sara graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Business Management/ Economics. She was a Golden State Warrior Girl for 2 years in which she also choreographed routines that were performed at the NBA games and events. She currently works at a corporate office in Finance/ Accounting during the day, and loves that she is able to dance after a day in the office.
	Grant Spencer (Ballet, Variations, Pointe/Pas de Deux) - Grant began his training at Yuma Ballet Academy in Yuma, AZ where he was a founding member of the regional company Ballet Yuma, and helped them gain Honor Status with Regional Dance America/Pacific. Grant also trained at Joffrey San Antonio, BalletMet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet where he received full scholarships. Grant has performed professionally with Sacramento Ballet and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo as a Soloist in much of the Classic Russian Repertoire. His favorite roles include Little Swans in Swan Lake Act II, Lucille Grahn from Pas de Quatre, Cupid Variation in Paquita, Spring Waters, Tarantella, and Stars & Stripes pas de deux. Grant toured extensively with Trockadero to such countries as Japan, Australia, Italy, France, England, Thailand, China, Russia (at the Bolshoi) and the greater United States. Recently, Grant has come off tour and is performing with Company C Contemporary Ballet and Peninsula Ballet Theatre in the San Francisco Bay Area
	Corie Tyson (Lyrical, Jazz) Corie has performed professionally for "Robert Moses 'Kin",industrials, video work for Frank Boehm, and an aceppella/dance production"Our World" and has traveled to both coasts teaching master classes. She has been teaching in the Bay Area for the past 10 years, and has choreographed for soloists and groups of competitive dance teams. Corie has also taught at SJSU and choreographed for the dance film project "Shut Up & Dance."
	Joan Walton (Tap, Theatre, Ballroom) - Joan holds an M.A. in Dance Education, Stanford University, B.S. in Communication, University of Cincinnati’s College of Arts and Sciences. Full-time Professor of Dance at Kentucky University, University of Michigan-School of Music, and San Jose State University, and part-time faculty member at Stanford University, San Jose State, University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and Wright State University. Joan is also an excellent performer and award-wining choreographer and has been teaching here since 1998. Joan has been on the dance faculty at San Jose State, Stanford, and the College of San Mateo.
	Megan Williams (Ballet)- Megan has a lifetime of ballet training, and holds a BFA in Dance from Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts where she studied under Patricia Hon in the Graham technique, Wade Madsen of the Bill Evans Dance Company and Lodi McClellan from the Mark Morris Dance Group. Megan has performed for the Cornish Dance Theatre, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Santa Clara Ballet, Presidio Dance Theatre and was honored to dance in the SF Premiere of David Dorfman’s Underground. Other performance highlights include solo performances at the Herbst Theatre, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Boulder International Fringe Festival. She is currently dancing in her third season as a company member of U Dance Electra and serving as the Assistant Director of the modern dance company.
	Cindy Ginanni (Director; Children, Adults) – Cindy has been teaching dance for over 28 years to all ages and abilities. She has taught pre school and has an educational backgroun in Early Childhood Development. Cindy founded founded Dance Connection in 1987, and it has grown to become one of the most popular dance schools on the Peninsula. Cindy has also performed with the Haley-Hall Jazz Company, and taught for NCA dance camps. She and her husband, Mark have three grown children, Joe, Christie, and John.
Guest Instructors	Bruce Biatta, Ramón Moreno , Erin Olmstead