AMARA GALLOWAY   |  INSTRUCTOR, BALLET DEPARTMENT HEAD

Amara Galloway grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, where she began taking dance classes when she was 3 years old. Her training includes Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Tap, Acrobatics, and Hip Hop. She received her formal ballet training from BalletNova Center for Dance, The Joffrey Ballet, Chicago, and Ballet Arizona and is currently a Company Member with State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara. Amara has performed lead roles professionally as Clara, Chinese, Russian, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, as well as the Spring Fairy in Cinderella, a Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, and The Musical Canary Fairy and Little Red Riding Hood in Sleeping Beauty. She was a three-time semi-finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix Competition and has performed classical repertoire by George Balanchine and Sir Frederick Ashton as well as being featured in contemporary works by Autumn Eckman, Kevin Jenkins, Kassandra Taylor Newberry, Edgar Zendejas, William Soleau, and Jeffrey Cirio. She is excited to share her love of dance with Santa Barbara Dance Arts!

RACHYL PINES | INSTRUCTOR

Rachyl has more than 8 years of experience teaching ballet. She began her ballet training at The Ballet Studio in Temecula, CA. She attended summer intensive programs with American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Walnut Hill School of the Arts to augment her training. Rachyl was a company member at City Ballet of San Diego for 3 seasons when she shifted focus to go to graduate school. Rachyl completed her PhD in Communication at UCSB. Rachyl is now a company member in her fifth season with Selah Dance Collective and Nebula Dance Lab. She is also a professional aerial silks artist! 

LAURA LUEVANOS | INSTRUCTOR

Laura Luevanos is a Santa Barbara native and a Dance Arts company alum. At the age of 4 she started Ballet at the Goleta Valley Community Center. Later, hoping to expand her love of dance, she found Dance Arts at the age of 7. She has grown up surrounded by the loving community at Dance Arts and stayed for 11 years studying Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, and Contemporary. When she was 11 she auditioned for Company, which taught her everything she knows. She went to multiple dance conventions with the performance companies like Jump and Radix and was able to compete when she was part of the Apex dance company. In highschool she became a mentor and assistant for many classes at the studio which sparked her love for teaching dance. From this, Laura began choreographing Quinceañera dances around Santa Barbara which allowed her to gain teaching experience. Currently, she is majoring in Journalism at Santa Barbara City College and has begun teaching classes this season. She is excited to be fully wrapped into the Dance Arts community. She hopes to help all her students thrive and explore their love for dance

Meredith Ventura | jazz department head, instructor

Meredith Ventura is a multi-creative artist based out of southern California. She graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a B.F.A. in Dance with specializations in Choreography and Pedagogy, and received her M.F.A. in dance at Hollins University in collaboration with the Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main, and The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company (formerly the Forsythe Company). She is a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Ph.D. student in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies focusing on early modern dance and its intersections with cabaret and jazz modernism. As the founder and artistic director of Selah Dance Collective, Ms. Ventura has produced full evening-length performances and presented works throughout Europe and the United States, including a recent production presented by Gibney's Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center in New York City. Ms. Ventura is the Director of Education at State Street Ballet, where she developed innovative certificate programs in Choreography and Dance Education for their Professional Track Training Program. In her role at State Street Ballet, she also has choreographed for and collaborated with Opera Santa Barbara, the New West Symphony, and Lights Up! Theater Company. Ms. Ventura volunteers as a board member for Center Stage Theater, the Arts Mentorship Program, and the Public Domain Players.

Meredith is Aerial Arts Certified, with distinction. She has been teaching acro for over 10 years.

Krystal Belluomini | Adult class Instructor

Krystal is our Adult Beginner Cardio Hip Hop instructor. She is passionate about uplifting others and helping them discover joy and confidence through dance. Krystal has a BA in dance, is ACE certified, and has been working in the dance fitness industry over the last 7 years. She creates a positive and judgment free atmosphere where ALL are welcome to RISE! Come join the Cardio Hip Hop party on Wednesday nights from 6-7pm. 

aliyah habib  | instructor

Isabella Bautista | INSTRUCTOR

Isabella Bautista is a student at UCSB majoring in Dance. She was born and raised in San Diego where she began dancing at the age of ten, and has grown to love and appreciate dance and can’t imagine her life without it. She began taking jazz classes, and over the years has added ballet, jazz funk, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, improvisation, and choreography to her training. She competed with Neisha's Dance and Music Academy as well as with her high school dance team, Eastlake Dance Company. At ND&MA she began assisting younger age student classes her 2nd year on the Competition Team and by her 5th year she was teaching her own classes, Mini Jazz and Hip Hop 1. On her high school dance team, she was Event/Socials Coordinator her Senior Year, in which she hosted many bondings and events to fundraise her team throughout the year. Her senior year she began traveling across the country as an ambassador for Guidance Experience Competition and Tremaine Performance Company. As a part of these companies, she assists several convention teachers for a variety of styles. She will continue to travel and assist for Tremaine Performance Company throughout her college career. Isabella is so excited to help dancers learn and grow their love for dancers like her teachers did for her at SBDA! 

SBDA Team Teach means we have more than one teacher on a rotating schedule to teach this class.

Because many of our instructors are professional dancers and/or are working on their Dance BFA and other projects, there may be weeks at a time that teachers may be on tour or working on their professional projects. With this flexibility we are able to offer you professional caliber instructors for our team teach classes. Have questions? E-mail [email protected] 

Hannah Hayward |  educational director, competition team director, instructor

Hannah Hayward is a vibrant artist who is passionate about movement, education, and performance. She graduated with honors from the Ailey School Scholarship Program in NYC and holds certifications from American Ballet Theater National Training Curriculum and the University of Tennessee, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Philosophy and Psychology. 

Hannah has been a teaching assistant to Francisco Gella, a Pre-Professional Trainee with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, a tour assistant for Artists Simply Human, and is on faculty at Rock the House Dance Convention. She has received numerous accolades, including YAGP Regional medals and top awards at The Dance Awards. Her performance credits span notable events like the Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and New York Fashion Week. Hannah is proud to say that some of her dance students have gone on to train at Rambert School, The Ailey School, Kanyok Arts Initiative, Georgia Ballet, and Ballet Idaho. Hannah co-founded Tessera Dance Theater, contributed to Tennessee Theatre’s Marquee Awards, and teaches nationwide, setting choreography across the U.S.

Kiana Klein patton| INSTRUCTOR

emma stenger  | instructor

Emma was raised in San Diego and began dancing when she was 3 years old. In 2017, she furthered her training under the instruction of Jill Gibson with a focus on the ABT National Training Curriculum. Throughout her training, she took on roles as a teacher, choreographer, and rehearsal & production assistant which allowed her to develop versatile skills beyond ballet technique. Emma went on to graduate from Elon University in 2023 with a BS in Dance Science and minors in Dance Performance and Choreography & Exercise Science. She had the opportunity to train formally in modern technique, and worked with incredible guest choreographers including Lee Edwards, Ilya Kozadayev, and Janice Rosario. She also trained in lighting design, stage management, presented her own undergraduate research, and completed her Progressing Ballet Technique certification. Now, Emma is a trainee with State Street Ballet and is thrilled to be teaching at Santa Barbara Dance Arts.

SOPHIA ZANTE |  INSTRUCTOR

Ava markovich  | instructor

Erika Cruz | youth and preschool department head, Instructor

Erika Cruz is a graduate of AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts, where she earned her BFA in Performing Arts: Musical Theatre through studies in both Los Angeles and New York City. She also holds a degree in Ethnic Studies from Santa Barbara City College, which has further strengthened her commitment to diversity and inclusion in the arts. Erika has performed professionally with equity theaters across Los Angeles as well as touring nationally and performing on world cruises. Since 2021, she has been dedicated to arts education, teaching Ballet, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, Jazz, Acro, and Contemporary dance throughout Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. She is certified in Acrobatic Arts Module 1. She has worked with children from 18 months through their teen years, fostering creativity, compassion, and positivity in a safe and supportive environment. Erika is thrilled to be part of the SBDA family and is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and lifelong learning through the art of dance.

brooklyn jones  | instructor

Brooklyn Jones is a current 2nd year UCSB student studying public policy from Eastvale, CA. She began dancing 15 years ago, training at multiple studios including The Brea Space, Project 21, The Lab, Yorba Linda Academy of Ballet, and Dellos Dance Studio. In these places she was taught hip-hop, ballet, jazz, contemporary, ballroom, tumbling, and acro. In high school, Brooklyn was on Chino Hill's dance team, holding a reigning national champion title at USA competitions. Into her first year of college, Brooklyn continued dancing on UCSB’s dance team, competing at UDA. Brooklyn has been a teacher and choreographer for 4 years now, wanting to share her love for dance with younger generations. Having started teaching in high school, Brooklyn has been able to learn among her students and grow continuously with them and strives to continue that process in every class.  

catalina buenaventura  | instructor

Catalina Buenaventura is currently pursuing degrees in Communications and Dance at the University of California, Santa Barbara where she is a proud member of the UCSB Dance Team. She has trained at the prestigious School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, and an apprenticeship at Inland Pacific Ballet. Catalina is well-versed in ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, lyrical, and hiphop.

Her passion for teaching and choreography started young and continued through high school, where she served as captain of her varsity team. Catalina is thrilled to join SBDA and looks forward to inspiring and mentoring the next generation of young dancers!

lyla beck  | student teacher

Lyla has been at Santa Barbara Dancer Arts for eight years and this will be her fifth year in company. Outside of dance, she likes to volunteer in her community, hang out with friends, spend time with her family, and read. She has done student choreography for the past three years in the student showcase! Dance has taught her many lessons such as public speaking, time management, working hard, and confidence. This year, Lyla is very excited to be in the inclusion coalition to try to help make a difference in our dance community, and excited to be teaching after her many years of training in Leadership Academy. She wants to lead by being a good example for younger students and speak out against things she is passionate about. Lyla can’t wait for a great year this year!

SCARLET ATBERG | INSTRUCTOR

I have been dancing since I was two and have been in love with it ever since. I was raised in San Diego, California and had the privilege of training with numerous choreographers and instructors. 

Currently, I am a first-year Economics major at the University of California, Santa Barbara and I am also on the UCSB Dance Team. 

Before attending UCSB, I choreographed routines for my personal performances as well as for my high school dance team, where I served as co-captain. I have competed and placed at numerous competitions such as Radix, Nuvo, 24/7, The Dance Awards, WCE, YAGP, and more! Over the past two years, I have been teaching dance classes to prepare students for competitions such as The Dance Awards and Radix Nationals.

Beyond dance, I enjoy crafts and spending time at the beach. Im super excited to dance with you all!!!

Michelle okeke |  instructor

Michelle Okeke is a passionate dancer and student born in Long Beach, California and raised in Grand Prairie, Texas. She is currently a third-year Biopsychology major at UC Santa Barbara, with plans to attend medical school and specialize in radiology.
Michelle began dancing at age eight alongside her twin sister, starting with hip hop and eventually training in jazz, ballet, contemporary, modern, and tumbling. She honed her skills at Garner Fine Arts Academy and Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, where she took master classes, studied pedagogy, and choreographed for musicals.
She has attended dance conventions and competitions, earning a Judges’ Choice Award at the VIP Dance Competition for her contemporary/modern duet “Sunova.” Michelle has also directed two praise dance teams—P149 and Victory Dancers—and used dance to further her platform in a local Miss America pageant. She is excited to join Santa Barbara Dance Arts and share her love for dance with the next generation.

taylor alfama | instructor

Taylor is an alum of Santa Barbara Dance Arts and Axis Dance Company. She is a recent graduate Carpinteria High school and the Move With Purpose Leadership Acsdemy. Taylor has been dancing for 15+ years. Taylor is excited to start her journey in teaching dance and is looking forward to having her own classes this year. Outside of dance, Taylor loves shopping, traveling and being with people she loves. Dance has always been a big part of her life and she is so excited for this season!