Instructors

Ms. Ashleigh-Dean received her BFA in Dance from the University of California at Irvine. Her teachers and choreographers include Donald McKayle, Danilo Radojevic and Alonzo King. While at UCI, Ms. Ashleigh-Dean was introduced to the Pilates technique and its benefits to the dancer’s body. Ms. Ashleigh-Dean graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCI with a double emphasis in Dance Performance and Dance Education.

After graduation, Ms. Ashleigh-Dean continued her study of ballet and began performing regularly as a freelance artist. She also trained to become a certified teacher of the Pilates method during this time. After twenty-two years dancing on stage, twelve spent dancing principal roles, Ms. Ashleigh-Dean felt called to follow her true passion of teaching and directing young students. She began teaching full time in 1996 at Jensen’s School for Performing Arts and Alyce Porter Dancers (the future location for SBDC). In 1999, Ms. Ashleigh-Dean founded South Bay Dance Center, and in 2004 established the company, South Bay Ballet Arts, named in honor of her teacher Edna Austin, and Modesto Ballet Arts. Ms. Ashleigh-Dean and her husband, Joe, have three young boys, Johnny, age 8, Matthew, age 6 and Joey, age 3. She lives with her family and two dogs, Clara and Charlie, in San Jose.

Peta Barrett
A graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, Peta also trained with the Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet and the Hungarian National Ballet in Budapest. Having taught in Pennsylvania at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet and Point Park University, she is happy to back in the Bay Area teaching ballet, GYROTONIC & GYROKINESIS exercise. Peta has had the pleasure of dancing in San Francisco with various artists such as Amy Seiwert/ im'ij-re, Courage Group and Labayan Dance.

Missy Burnett
Missy Burnett is currently the director of Pure Dance Productions. She has held this position for seven years after the departure of the founding director, Sonya Duffin. Prior to the direction of the company, she was a member of the Pure Dance Performing Company. Ms. Burnett has been an active participant at South Bay Dance Center, studying multiple genres of dance, since its inception in 1999. Ms. Burnett began teaching at South Bay Dance Center in 2000 and continues to enjoy sharing her love of dance with her students. In addition to being regularly featured in performances with Pure Dance Productions, Ms. Burnett was cast regularly in principal roles in SBDC's ballet productions. Roles include Coppelia in Coppelia, Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Odette in Swan Lake. Ms. Burnett graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Nutritional Science in 2007. Her talent as a director and teacher are apparent in the quality of the Spring Repertory Concert put on by Pure Dance Productions in conjunction with South Bay Ballet Arts each year.

Kai Davis
Kai began her training at The Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance in her hometown of Chicago Illinois under the direction of Mr. Larry Long. She also trained at Hubbard Street, Pennsylvania Ballet & The Joffrey Ballet. After graduating from high school, Miss Davis was offered a contract with the Boston Ballet. During her five years with the company she performed in many of the Russian classics, including soloist roles in Don Q, La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. Kai spent a couple years as a soloist with San Jose Ballet before moving to Canada to dance for Ballet British Columbia. There she was honored to take part in the creation process of John Alleyne's Carmina Burana, Scheherazade and Orpheus. She also performed many contemporary pieces including Kylian's Petite Mort, Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs and Bakers Dozen, Taylor's Co. B and many more.

After retiring in 2009, Kai moved back to California where she teaches at The San Francisco Dance Center & Western Ballet. Along with PBT she is also the rehearsal mistress for Liss Fain Dance.

Elizabeth Dickey
Elizabeth Dickey has been studying dance since the age of five, and is approaching her 20th year partaking in this magical art form. After starting her training at Alyce Porter Dancers in 1992, she continued taking lessons at the same location when Kit Ashleigh-Dean founded South Bay Dance Center in 1999. Her studies have included all genres, but especially enjoys tap. Not only has Elizabeth just taken and taught classes at SBDC, she has also taken part in every annual story ballet and Spring Repertory Concert. From dancing, choreographing, graphic design, music editing, stage managing, to assisting in production, Elizabeth has done it all. Another accomplishment of Elizabeth’s is becoming a certified tap instructor through Dance Masters of America, Inc. Elizabeth has won college scholarships and was named “Top Tap Dancer” two years in a row from Dance Masters of California. Elizabeth is also proud of her academic excellence. Being able to balance a full dance schedule and school studies throughout her childhood, she graduated valedictorian of her junior high and high school classes. After spending a year continuing her education at Cal State Fullerton, Elizabeth came back to her hometown to attend San Jose State University. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting Information Systems and recently launched her career with one of the Big 4 accounting firms. Elizabeth loves teaching at South Bay Dance Center and is honored to work with such great students.

Jazon Escultura
Jazon Escultura graduated from San Jose State University in 2006 with a B.A. in dance. At SJSU, Mr. Escultura trained in Modern, Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, and was honored to study Jazz technique with fellow South Bay Dance Center teacher Jill Yager-Rumpf. While at SJSU, Mr. Escultura was a member of the University Dance Theater, a modern dance company directed by Gary Masters in which he he performed a solo from “The Unsung” by Jose Limon. While with UDT, Mr. Escultura traveled to Sacramento and San Francisco to dance premiere works at the American College Dance Festival.

Mr. Escultura has been a member of Visual Rhythm Dance Company, a theatrical jazz company directed by Judy Pearson since 2007. Credits include i-Time, My Darkness, My Gift, and Open The Door. He has also worked with Cabrillo Stage, a professional musical theater company in which he was an ensemble member for Guys and Dolls in 2006 and Kiss Me Kate in 2007, both under the direction of Janie Scott. In 2009, Mr. Escultura was sanctioned to perform a masterpiece by Donald McKayle, Songs of the Disinherited, in which he was part of the trio “I’m on my way” and the group piece “Shaker Life”, which was presented at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at DeAnza College. Working with M Production, under the direction of Michelle Dirck, he has performed her contemporary piece “Everything Must Change” for Dance Effects, Winter Showcase and Dancin’ Downtown, all in 2010.

Mr. Escultura is proud to have also been part of SBDC’s Pure Dance Productions and South Bay Ballet Arts, where he not only choreographed, but also performed. Credits include Spanish Chocolate in Nutcracker 2006 and 2008. His strength is Hip Hop, but he also uses the training he has gained to teach Contemporary at Morgan Hill Dance Center and Castro Valley Performing Arts, and Jazz at Dance Theater International and Ballet San Jose. He is also Zumba certified and has several classes Zumba classes a week at SBDC, Sapphire Studios, Studio Rincon, and the corporate facility, Santa Clara Towers. Mr. Escultura has been a teacher at SBDC since 2005.

Jennifer Evans
Jennifer Evans was a member of University Dance Theatre (UDT) under the direction of Gary Masters from 2003 - 2008 while working towards her degree in dance at San Jose State University. While a member of UDT, Ms. Evans attended the American Dance Festival and was honored to represent the company in the Gala Performance. While attending San Jose State, Ms. Evans was awarded a scholarship for performance excellence and had the opportunities to study with many talented instructors such as: Fred Matthews, Janet Von Swoll and Andre Reyes, among others. As a professional dancer, Ms. Evans has been a featured performer for the Margaret Wingrove Dance Company. For the past 23 years, Ms. Evan's home has been at South Bay Dance Center as performer, choreographer and instructor in all forms of dance. As a performer, some of Ms. Evan's leading roles include Pandora in Pandora, Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Dawn in Coppelia, all under the direction of Kit Ashleigh-Dean. Ms. Evan's choreography has been showcased in dance venues across the Bay Area, and her passion for dance is shared with her students each and every day.

Nhan Ho
Nhan Ho is a 2008 graduate of the Dance Program at SJSU where he was “Outstanding Graduating Senior.” He ventured into the world of dance at the age of sixteen under the guidance of Kellye Dodd, Director of the Dance Program at Independence High in East San José. During that time, he was a member of IndepenDANCE, the school’s performing ensemble and part of the Mentoring Program, under the direction of Gary Masters, where he had the opportunity to perform José Limón’s masterwork, The Unsung, as part of the Around the World Festival at the Mexican Heritage Plaza Theatre in 2002. In 2005 he was honored to have his choreography, Echoes, selected for adjudication at the American College Dance Festival with SJSU's University Dance Theatre. Eager to explore his creativity in new ways and to share his passion for dance, Nhan became a member of the SBDC faculty in 2005 and East West Music and Dance in 2007. Professionally, Nhan has most recently worked with BodyArt Dance Company, Sasha Soreff Dance Thratre, I-Danse, and Faye Driscoll in New York. He had also performed with Facing East Dance & Music of Oakland & Berkeley and performed with the Margaret Wingrove Dance Company of San José, Push Dance Company of San Francisco, sjDANCEco of San José, and KTDavisDance in Modesto.

Helen Nowik
A Seattle area native, Helen has trained extensively in ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary from a very early age. After receiving a solid foundation of technique, while on scholarship, at the Dance Academy of Bellevue Helen went on to train at facilities such as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cornish College of the Arts, and Westlake Dance Center. She is proud to have completed full certification through Dance Masters Of America's Teachers Training School at the University of New York, Buffalo, and continues her training in kinesiology-based work through various intensive workshops and seminars throughout the U.S. Helen has enjoyed being a busy teacher and choreographer in the Pacific Northwest and her work can be seen on companies in Washington and Oregon in both professional and competitive venues. Here in the Bay area she is happy to be continuing her life as a professional dancer, being fortunate to work with, among others, Janice Garrett, Charles Moulton, and most recently Samantha Giron.

Erica Pacheco
Erica Pacheco has studied dance at South Bay Dance Center since its inception in 1999. Performances at SBDC include Pandora, The Nutcracker 2000 and 2002, Swan Lake and annual June Showcases. As a Soloist of South Bay Ballet Arts from 2004 – 2008, she performed regularly. Ballets include The Nutcracker 2004, 2006, 2008, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. Principal roles include Clara, Butterfly, Lilac Fairy and Fairy Godmother. Ms. Pacheco has studied additional genres of dance at South Bay Dance Center such as jazz, tap and modern dance with a variety of teachers including Sonya Duffin and Jill Yager-Rumpf. She has been a member of Pure Dance Productions, a jazz and tap performing company, since 1999.

In 2007, Ms. Pacheco was invited and traveled to Portugal to perform in the show Danca Dos Sentidos Memonas Em Movimento in Terceira, Azores. Seven dancers of Portuguese descent were picked from Canada, the United States and Brazil. The only female candidate chosen from the United States to perform ballet was Ms. Pacheco. In 2010, Ms. Pacheco was asked to return to Azores as the sole American representative to perform.

Ms. Pacheco is currently attending San Jose State University working towards a double major in Dance and Business Management. Performances at SJSU include Senior Portfolio, UDT in the rough, student choreographed shows and Images. She has been a teacher at South Bay Dance Center since 2005.

Anton Pankevich
Anton trained at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg and School of American Ballet in New York City. He has danced with New York City Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, and the Royal Ballet in London and Pacific Northwest Ballet. He is currently a soloist with Ballet San Jose.

Alexandra Venter
Alexandra Venter was one of the founding dance students of South Bay Dance Center in 1999. Ms. Venter became a member of the regional ballet company South Bay Ballet Arts in 2004 and was a Soloist from 2005 - 2009. Ballet credits include The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Principal roles include Clara, Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, Butterfly, Fairy of Grace, Princess Florine, and Cinderella. Ms. Venter has attended summer intensive programs at Contra Costa Ballet, City Ballet in San Diego, Marin Dance Theatre, and received a scholarship to Boston Ballet School’s summer program. She has had the privilege to study with many distinguished teachers including David Howard, Alonzo King, Susan Jaffe, and Andre Reyes. Through her experiences with South Bay Ballet Arts, Ms. Venter has been able to partner with many talented dancers such as Jekyns Pelaez, Eric Bourman, and Charles Torres. In addition to ballet, Ms. Venter also dances jazz, tap, modern and hip hop. She has been a member of Pure Dance Productions, a jazz and tap performing company, for nine years. At age 14, Ms. Venter had her first professional ballet role when she was hired by Brentwood Ballet Theatre to perform the role of Sugar Plum Fairy. Since that time, she has danced professionally for the Chambersburg Ballet in Pennsylvania, Oakland Ballet and Peninsula Ballet Theatre.

Ms. Venter has taught at South Bay Dance Center since 2007.

Jill Yager-Rumpf
Jill Yager-Rumpf is an alumni of San Jose State University with a BS in Kinesiology and a minor in Dance. Ms. Yager-Rumpf has choreographed for SJSU's modern dance company, University Dance Theatre, for the past six years under the direction of Gary Masters and is a guest artist in residence with San Jose State University where she teaches beginning, intermediate and advanced jazz. In 2006, Ms. Yager-Rumpf's piece, Evensong, choreographed for UDT, was selected for adjudication at the American College Dance Festival in Arizona and was chosen out of numerous pieces to be performed at the Gala Concert. Ms. Yager-Rumpf has taught at South Bay Dance Center since 2002 and she continues to inspire and challenge her students daily. Ms. Yager-Rumpf lives in San Jose with her husband, Eric, and their daughter, Grayson.