Aaliyah Flournoy
Aaliyah is a dancer who has 20 years of experience and has trained in a variety of styles such as tap, jazz, ballet, and choreography. Aaliyah currently teaches at studios including Offstage, KPOP Center, and S1L. She is currently training on the team GRooVe, and spends her time leading Hush Crew, a Kpop cover dance crew she founded in 2019. As an instructor, Aaliyah is passionate about creating a safe space for her students to express their love for Kpop and to grow as dancers at the same time.
Al "Adobolock" Ang
Al “Adobolock” Ang is a Bay Area native currently residing in SoCal. He has been learning Locking/Campbellocking for over 6 years and credits his journey to various mentors / teachers including Rattanak “Onie/Funky Bottoms” Neth, Manuel “Loose Caboose” Tristan, Kenneth “Mr. Kleen” Lavis, John “ShyGuy” Magat, and many others. Al co-founded Funktion Point Sessions in 2018 with Onie to provide an open space to learn and train Locking Foundation and History. Today, he is a proud member of JKZ and Soulful Sundays LA. Training to further refine his own craft, Al believes in deepening, broadening, and redefining one’s understanding of the foundations, history, and culture of any art form. Namely in Locking, Al finds wonder in embracing one’s individuality and connection to their community.
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Alex "Swift" Almaraz
Alex ‘Swift’ Almaraz began dancing at 13 and is trained in Hip-Hop, House, Salsa, Chicago Footwork, Modern and more. In 2011, he joined a professional Hip-Hop theatre company that tours around the world and serves the underprivileged community of LA.
Their mentorship has helped him use his dance to steer away from his harsh community and to pursue his education at UCLA, where he would later obtain a degree in Dance. He then became one of the founders of SyntheSoul House crew. Alex has been featured at Highways Performance Space, Redcat, Bootleg Theatre and various prison / juvenile halls to present his piece, A Tattooed Man. He has recently won House Dance Forever in Japan and judges internationally. While he's not teaching regularly at both a local and global scale, Alex is continuing to train and educate himself on various dance forms / cultures and pursuing his career as a digital entrepreneur and DJ. He wishes to give back to his immediate community while training, battling at street battles and events around the world, and performing in House and Hip-Hop through a contemporary lens that is focused on creating change.
Amor Ledesma
Amorita Ledesma is a dancer, instructor and choreographer from San Diego, CA. She began building her dance career by competing in various styles, before joining Choreo Cookies in 2012. Since then, Amorita has lead and choreographed for multiple dance teams and companies around the country. Amor is the Co-Founder and Director of the adult exhibition team GWOWNUPS and currently teaches at studios such as Building Block and Studio FX..
Andre Ducusin
Andre is a dancer / choreographer who has been dancing for 9 years. He trained under choreographers such as Isidro Rafael and Selene Haro on Syde Fx, and was also a part of the Building Blocks Seniors program. He has taught at studios such as Legacy Dance Studios, Studio Fx, Offstage, and Snowglobe Perspective.
Andre has been featured on Steezy Studios, and is currently on the team PBX. He directs his own team alongside his co-director, Daniel An.
Anthony Martinez
Anthony started dancing at the age of 5 when his god mother taught him the basics in popping and locking. In high school he joined Alhambra All Male and trained in ballet, krump, breaking, housing, jazz, and hip-hop. Anthony helped choreograph for Alhambra from 2007-2010, winning multiple group awards and winning three 1st places in the solo hip-hop division. He later founded Griminalz Project with 6 other friends and became known as one of the first project teams. From 2010-2015, he was on UCI's Common Ground Dance Team and was the artistic director for 3 years. Anthony has also danced for Disneyland and Maker Empire. He has been the artistic director for Hall Of Fame Dance Team for the past 4 years. Furthermore, Anthony has taught at multiple studios such as: DanceLova, Believe & Dance Studio, Wave Studio Space, and Snowglobe Perspective. He desires to use dance as a platform to make a positive impact in the community through mental health awareness.
Bianca Vallar
Bianca Vallar grew up dancing in San Diego, CA. She trained within the SD dance community and competed with the well known dance team Choreo Cookies. Looking to expand her artistic creativity she currently resides in Los Angeles pursuing her professional career in the commercial dance industry. She has been fortunate to work and tour with many artists such as Ariana Grande, Rosalia, CL, Jackson Wang, and more. She has also taken the stage with productions like Cirque Du Soleil, Universal Studios, Disney, and 88Rising. Using her combined knowledge of the SoCal dance community and the LA industry she personally thrives in teaching new dancers just beginning their dance journey. She aims to be a translator for people wanting to understand themselves better through movement and a reminder for people to simply love and enjoy dance.
Bryan Solante
Bryan Solante is a dancer and instructor born in Hawaii and raised in the PNW. He began his training and competitive career at various studios such as Element Dance Studio, MVP Dance Elite and Vega Dance Lab. He has had training in Breaking from members of Def Con 5, Moon Patrol, and Ghoulz, and aims to incorporate his background into his classes. Bryan is a founding member of the dance crew Understaff, and a member of dance company GRV. Bryan hopes to continue growing as both a teacher and student, while building new relationships with those that share his passion for dance.
Carlo Darang
Carlo Darang is a dancer and choreographer based out of San Diego. With currently over 12+ years of experience, he currently co-directs the professional team Choreo Cookies and GWOWNUPS. His other credits include Kinjaz and Frenemies. Carlo has taught outside of San Diego, both domestically and internationally: Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. Carlo also has experience assistant choreographing for artists such as BTS, Monsta X, and more. He also has danced for artists such as Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Paula Abdul, and the Chainsmokers. Carlo continues to teach at his local San Diego studios, Building Block and Studio FX. Now currently based in LA/K-Town, Carlo hopes to bring his services to his community where he can share his craft with anyone looking for a groovy time!
Crystal Jackson
Crystal Jackson is a professional Movement Artist from Tampa Fl, residing in LA. She participates in the freestyle community while also working in the commercial dance industry. Crystal has trained in contemporary, jazz, modern, and ballet for over 15 years before discovering her love for freestyle and the battle community. As far as street styles, Crystal has trained in Popping, Hiphop, and Waacking.She uses these styles in collaboration with her classical training to create what she considers experimental movement. Crystal is also represented by Bloc Talent Agency & THECouncil Women.
Diana Schoenfield
From Nashville, Tennessee, Diana Schoenfield is a movement artist currently based in LA. Graduating from UC Irvine, she received her B.F.A. in Dance Choreography and her B.F.A. in Dance Performance. She is currently a member of Entity Contemporary Dance, directed by Marissa Osato and Will Johnston, and she is an alumna of Culture Shock LA. She has performed with Latin pop artist Sofía Reyes, German artist Helene Fischer, and Cirque du Soleil. She has taught workshops internationally, in locations including Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and México, as well as in LA at Edge PAC and Movement Lifestyle. She also has online classes available on Steezy Studio. Diana is dedicated to spreading positivity and empowerment through her work.
Diny Kim
Diny Kim is a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in Los Angeles, California. She began her dance journey in San Diego back in 2010, and is now currently dancing with the world renown dance crew GRV since 2019. Diny enjoys traveling & teaching - she has been invited to share her creative passions both home & abroad - and has taught in New York, Hawaii, & South Korea. Diny has danced for several artists in the Kpop entertainment industry such as JUN, Hong Jinyoung, and Ashley Alisha, & was also a choreographer for several commercials, most notably SONY as well as Chum Churum Soju, Chilsung Cider, & Milkis by Lotte. In partnership with the Lakers and Bibigo, she choreographed the halftime show for the Southbay Lakers Lunar New Year Game in 2024, and has danced for Netflix's Golden AAPI Celebration Red Carpet as well as "The Brothers Sun" opening premiere in 2024. Diny is also the co-owner of Rūts Dance Studio based in Los Angeles, and hopes to create a professional training ground for aspiring artists & dancers in the entertainment industry. Her strong faith in God is where she lays the foundations of her creativity, and hopes to cultivate passion in others to boldly pursue their dreams.
Dnoi
Born in Baguio, Philippines, Dnoi is a popper that has been dancing for 18 years. Dnoi started gaining most of his dance knowledge when he moved to San Diego, from the one and only Jr Boogaloo. He is one of the original members of Soulbotics Krew and has had the privilege of dancing and battling all over the world. He is currently an instructor for Steezy Studio and Offstage by GRV..
Though Dnoi is an Engineer by day, he always kept his passion for dancing. His main goal now is to help spread knowledge and culture of this dance to the next generation.
Eileen Kim
“Eileen Kim is a dancer & choreographer based in Los Angeles, CA. She has danced for artists such as Black Pink, BTS, Rae Sremmurd, Kamillion, & Dawin, & has choreographed for Kpop artists like Kevin Woo, Nayoon, & JUN. She is a choreographer on the world renown organization, GRV, & was previously the co-director of GRV’s exhibition team, GRooVe. Some of her other choreography credits include commercials for brands like SONY Cinemas, Chumchurum Soju / Milkis, as well as for the Netflix series ‘Brother’s Sun’. Elieen is passionate about being able to share her craft specifically through teaching, and has taught both locally at studios such as Movement Lifestyle, Millennium, Rūts, & Offstage, as well as internationally in countries like Belgium, Indonesia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Japan, Mexico, & Korea. She loves giving dancers in-depth feedback in order to help them gain confidence, body awareness, and valuable mentorship.
Eileen is also the co-owner of a dance studio located in Koreatown, LA called Rūts (@rutsdancestudio), whose mission is to provide a safe space for dancers to explore their roots, build confidence in their movement, and find a welcoming community. She has launched her own online dance program (@reallifelovers), through which she desires to guide dancers on how to connect their creative craft to their faith.”
Eri Chikusa
Eri Chikusa is a dancer and choreographer who was born and raised in Japan. While she has training experiences in multiple genres such as Hip Hop, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, she found love in choreography. It led her to move to the states in 2016 for 4 years, and she later joined Choreo Cookies in 2017. Not only has she had teaching experiences in many cities (LA, SD, Irvine, NY, Houston), but she also signed with Go 2 Talent Agency and has worked with artists such as Daddy Yankee and Amber Liu. After she moved back to Japan in 2020, she taught at NOA Dance Academy and En Dance Studio in Tokyo regularly and worked with S**t Kingz and Travis Japan. In 2022, Eri moved back to the states and is excited to continue her journey and expand/cultivate her artistry more. She also hopes to enlighten the community with her knowledge she's gained over 8 years of experience.
Hugh Aparente
Hugh Aparente is a dancer/choreographer born in the Philippines and raised in the US. He has worked with artists such as BLACKPINK, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, JLO, Mark Tuan, Jackson Wang, 2NE1, AESPA, 88Rising, JBALVIN, Ariana Grande, Imagine Dragons, Panic! At The Disco, DPR IAN. He's worked on many different projects for Coachella, Disney, Netflix, STEEZY, Facebook, Google, AMA's, VMA's, RDMA's, NBC WOD, Fortnite, Cirque De Soleil, League of Legends, and Budweiser. Hugh loves sneakers and food, and absolutely lives and breathes dance. He wishes that this passion of his can inspire people and help them grow. As a dancer with a wide range of job experiences, he hasn't had a chance to teach in a while, and is excited to teach his first Beg/Int class in 3 years and to share it with the Rūts community!
Jason Lin
Jason Lin started dancing at the age of 5, training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, and Hip Hop based dance styles. In high school, he was a part of the Diamond Bar High School dance company, as well as competitive hip hop teams Gravy Babies and GRV. In 2019, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor’s degree in Theater Dance and Performance Studies. Since graduating, he has been coaching the Diamond Bar Dance company, and has also been dancing &
choreographing for The Kinjaz.
Some of Jason’s notable experiences include performing at the League of Legends World Finals in 2020, Coachella 2022, and 88rising’s Head in the Clouds 2022.
Jessica Hsu
Jaysu is a multidisciplinary artist based out of Los Angeles, California. She enjoys drawing, painting, and jewelry-making, but specializes in movement and has been teaching choreography classes in the U.S. and Asia for the past six years. Previously also a part of 220 in San Diego, 909 Dance Troupe in Riverside, and MOTUS the Company in Los Angeles, she continues to pursue movement as a vessel for exploration with Outer Class in Fullerton. Jaysu ultimately hopes to bring a welcoming yet challenging learning experience for her students through love, transparency, and lots of creative drive!
Jenna Beltran
Jenna Beltran is a Dancer / Choreographer who currently resides in LA. Born and raised in Modesto, California, Jenna spent most of her time at the studio training in styles such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Contemporary. A few of Jenna’s credits include: Ariana Grande, 88 Rising’s Head in the Clouds Forever at Coachella Festival, Karol G, Helene Fischer, Cirque Du Soleil, assisting for the BillboardMusic Awards, and more! Jenna loves sharing with others and has taught locally for studios such as Offstage, Snowglobe Perspective, and online classes with Steezy Studio and Kinjaz Dojo. Teaching is truly something that fills Jenna’s heart and soul and she cannot wait to do more of that this year.
Jeffrey Caluag
Jeffrey Caluag is a dancer, choreographer, and instructor based in Los Angeles, CA. He started dancing in 2008 with Team Millennia Juniors and eventually joined Team Millennia. He has been teaching since 2010 and has traveled around the world to teach his unique style. Jeffrey has also been a regular instructor at Millennium Dance Complex OC, STEEZY, Snowglobe Perspective, and GRV's Offstage. He loves food/cooking, KPOP, having a good time, and hopes to see you in class!
Jeffrey Liang
Originally from the Bay Area, Jeffrey Liang is a queer, 2nd generation Taiwanese-American choreographer based in Los Angeles. He has danced with and advised for teams such as Team Millennia and NSU Modern, and now works with local artists while teaching classes in LA. Through the styles of heels, jazz funk, and other forms of feminine movement, he strives to explore identities and oppression with the goals of liberation and self-love.
Ria Julian
Ria Julian (she/her) is an aspiring dance teaching artist in Los Angeles, CA with an unconventional dance background. She started her dance journey with Breaking and Salsa, but eventually found her footing with Hip Hop, Choreography, and Freestyling. During her time at UCLA, she found many families through different teams such as, ACA, KASA Dance-Off, KCN Modern, SEOULA, and VMo as well as studying Hip Hop, Modern, and West African dance through the UCLA WAC/D dance major program. She believes that dancing is the most fun when it’s being shared with others. During her time in SEOULA, she reignited her love for K-pop music and choreography and has made many covers and choreography projects for the channel. Currently, she loves to teach K-Pop choreo in hopes to make it more accessible for other K-pop lovers to want to dance.
Sam Nikandrov
Sam Nikandrov is a street style dancer and choreographer who is experienced in theatrical, commercial and other stage performances. He is a member of That’s the Point crew with many notable achievements and is also the winner of many battles around the world as a representative of his crew (Paris, Düsseldorf, Glasgow, Moscow, Los Angeles etc)Sam is a highly-trained professional, passionate teacher, and true funk soldier. Professional achievements and awards: - Hip-Hop International certified judge- Keep on Dancing Locking 4x4 two time champion - UDO world dance championship locking 1x1 silver medalist- Award for the contribution to street dance culture development.
Tyler Singletary
Tyler D. Singletary is a dancer and choreographer who started his dance journey in Saint Petersburg, FL and is now based in Los Angeles, CA. He has been dancing for 10+ years, starting off in the street community, finding himself now in the industry.He spends his time working as a commercial dancer as well as battling/judging at street dance events. Some of his accomplishments including winning World of Dance Orlando and Red Bull DYS LA. He’s danced for artists including The Jacksons, Kirk Franklin, Giveon and more. Tyler’s involvement in both communities gives him a unique perspective on hip-hop dance. He recognizes this dance as not only movement, but a culture and a way of life.
Sherwin Salonga (Beast)
Sherwin Salonga, AKA 'Beast', is a dancer originally From Carson, CA. He is the creator of The Beastcamp. Representing Krump as his main style, he has gained the title of Krumper of the Year 3 times and Krump World Champion 2 times.Some of Beast's credits include:The Ellen Show, Justin Bieber, the AMAs, World of Dance, and RedBull.
Samuel Moore
Samuel Moore is a dancer/choreographer born and raised in Oceanside, California. Some of Samuel’s affiliations include Choreo Cookies, Beyond Babel, and was recently signed by Bloc Talent Agency. While being an instructor for Building Block, He’s also had many opportunities to teach and perform domestically and internationally: in China, Singapore, Japan, Canada, New York, and Chicago. Samuel also has experience working artists/athletes like Billie Eilish, Serena Williams, and Paula Abdul.
Soobin Bae
Soobin was born in New York and has lived in Maryland and Busan, South Korea. She started dancing to K-Pop 11 years ago at home, inspired by groups such as SNSD and Wonder Girls. She moved to LA to go to UCLA and joined competitive and project teams there (ACA, TFTI). In 2017 Soobin co-founded SEOULA, where she is currently directing and advising. She also dances with SHERO, teaches at Offstage, and creates K-Pop content online on YouTube, TikTok, and IG including covers, tutorials, and more. Soobin has a passion for spreading Korean culture and making dance more accessible to as many people as possible and to encourage anyone to just have fun with dance.
Larry Li
Larry Li is a dancer and choreographer originally from the Bay Area. His training mainly roots from the junior team APT and the world renowned dance crew GRV. He has danced for Kpop artists such as BTS on Americas Got Talent. Having been a part of the community for many years, Larry also has performance experience in world-famous competitions such as Vibe Dance Competition, Urban Paradise, and Body Rock.