Ava began dancing at age 2 but hated it. She felt that she was too young, so she quit. At 3 years old, she was finally ready and took tap and ballet classes at the El Cajon Recreation Center . Her teaching debut started at the La Mesa Rcreation Center at 15 years old.

Professionally, Ava performed throughout California . Her desire was to learn various kinds of dance including Mexican Folklorico and Aztec, Hawaiian and Tahitian. She danced with the Lanuza Brothers Ballet Folklorico, became a Luani Hula Dancer and a Sue Hamilton dancer. Incidentally, Ava attended classes at the San Diego Recreation Center (Balboa Park Club) where she became a member of the first San Diego Performing Company. Her credits also include Starlight Opera's production of "Once Upon a Mattress."

After High School, 18 year-old Ava, continued her dance studies at Grossmont College and later returned to San Diego's City dance program, this time as an instructor of tap, jazz and Hawaiian. Ava has taught with the City's program for the past 31 years.

Ava has been married for 28 years and has two children. She is active in the PTA and her classic automobile club called "Heartbeat Classic Chevys."

RACHEL MITCHELL

When Rachel was 5 years old, she proclaimed to her parents that she wanted to tap dance. So she danced with the Civic Dance Arts Program and appeared in several Recital Productions such as Mary Poppins and Pinocchio.

In 1988, Rachel became a member of San Diego Civic Dance Company, and during the seven years as a Company member, she performed with the San Diego Symphony as a "Rockette" and had the opportunity to perform her first student choreography. Also, while still in Company, she taught tap, jazz and hip hop with the dance program.

Rachel went on to study dance and acting at Palomar College and UCSD. She studied under Jean Issacs, Margaret Marshall, Faith Jensen-Ismay, and Buddy Ashbrook. She had the pleasure of choreographing her first major piece under the tutelage of Don and Bonnie Ward. Rachel's choreography has been performed throughoutSouthern California .

Rachel has broadened her scope of work to include stage managing and directing of several productions including Swingin" Cindarelly and The Adventures of Stan Starburst. She will be directing Dance Through the Decades, Collage 2006.

Rachel thanks all her San Diego Civic Dance teachers (especially Kathy), and her mentors: John Mitchell (her dad), Debbie Hardesty for awakening her weirdness, her guinea pig, her living room co-choreographers, and her Backyard Dance Extravaganzas.

KATIE McMAHON

This is Katie's second year teaching with the San Diego Civic Dance program, however, she has been dancing with the program since she was 4 years old. Katie was a member of the Civic Dance Company for four years and appeared in Dance Collage and several Recital Productions including Swingin' Cinderelly, The King and I, and Tom Sawyer.

Many teachers have come out of the Civic Dance Arts program and Katie is no exception with her years of excellent training put to good use. Katie has been teaching tap, jazz and ballet. This year she adds Irish dancing to her teaching roster.

LESLIE HAYSE PADILLA

From interior and graphic design, to dance, theatre and writing, Leslie's lifetime pursuits have been in the arts. While attending New York 's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), in addition to obtaining a degree in interior design, and studying modern jazz dance, Leslie worked as a layout and paste-up artist, and enjoyed the exciting cultural offerings of the Big Apple.

A vacation to sunny San Diego opened this native New Yorker's eyes to new possibilities, and two years later Leslie found herself employed at Anco Home Design Centers,Solana Beach . (Ultimately, this led to her own home-based business, designing and manufacturing roman shades, and providing interior design services.) However, it wasn't long before Leslie needed a dance-fix. Her search turned up an intriguing dance program with the San Diego Park and Recreation Department. A move near Balboa Park allowed Leslie to begin jazz and tap classes at the Casa del Prado studios.

Through Grossmont College , Leslie was able to broaden her dance skills in ballet, modern and jazz, as well as hone her writing skills. She received Showcase Writers' Club awards for poetry and a short story, and continued to perform in many dance venues. Leslie's dance and theatre experiences were a perfect fit at Benchley Weinberger Elementary School, where she became choreographer and production assistant for the annual variety shows.

Fortunately for Leslie, dance became a family affair when her son, Vincent, began pre-tap classes with Miss Dana at Allied Gardens Rec Center. After over two decades with the program, Leslie continues to take classes and is a member of the Adult Dance Ensemble. Vincent is now a senior Company member, and Leslie's husband, Oscar, has danced on stage with his wife and son, but the three have yet to dance together at the same time!

Leslie has been an active member of the San Diego Civic Dance Association Board of Directors for five years, and has enjoyed watching children blossom through participation in the program. Now that she is teaching jazz, tap, and ballet classes for Civic Dance Arts, she has come full circle in her involvement with Civic Dance.

DANA DALY

When Dana began tap, jazz and ballet classes at age 4 at Lincoln Acres Elementary School , the cost was 25 cents per class! Some time later, her parents figured out that she loved to dance and enrolled her in Totten Dance Studio with Kay Walker, where Dana took extended classes in acrobatics and adagio with her brother. At age 14, Dana taught her first tap class at Miller Dance Studio. The next year, the owner of Miller Dance broke her foot and classes after school and on weekends. She continued teaching at Miller's until her first year of college and then got a small business license to teach out of her family's home in National City.consequently Dana took over the entire studio teaching

In the fall of 1967, Dana came on board with San Diego Park and Recreation under Maria Fielding and four years later, Dana opened her own dance studio by the name of Dana Lynn's School of Dance . In 1975, she moved to Arizona to build her family. Dana and her family moved back to San Diego in 1979 when she put her older daughter in dance classes with San Diego Park and Rec. Dana went back to teaching at Park and Rec where she has stayed for 27 years.

Dana believes in the Civic Dance Arts program because where else can you find a dance program with quality teaching that's affordable. In addition to her other duties, Dana works back stage during our productions at the Casa del Prado Theatre.

DOTTIE JONES

Dottie Jones, one of the senior dance instructors with Civic Dance Arts, has truly been a champion for the adult students for years. For many of her students, Dottie's classes are the highlights of their week. She is loved and cherished not only for her professional knowledge, but also for her patience and understanding of the student's special needs.

Dottie began dancing at an early age in San Francisco where she studied ballet, jazz, tap, and interpretive dance. At the age of 18, she travelled throughout the touring with a dance group. Her obvious talents as a choreographer and director led her to form her own dance troupe called the Dorothy Kramer Dance Group. They performed in famous clubs and hotels in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami . Dottie also choreographed in for clubs, hotels, and television.

Dottie's love of dance and love for the people whose lives she has touched has kept her working as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher without interuption throughout her entire life. Dottie appreciates the wonderful cards and letters from her adult students, thanking her for giving them a chance to fulfill their wildest dream of becoming a dancer. Today she one of the beloved teachers for San Diego Civic Dance Arts focussing on tap and jazz.

KATHY LANDRY

A 27-year veteran of the Civic Dance Arts program, Kathy Landry started her career in dance by taking tap classes at the age of 7 with Inge Dickens, former Cultural Arts Manager. Her passion for dance allowed her to overcome any fears she may have had in teaching dance. At 18, she acquired the confidence to discuss her dream with her dance instructor, Janet Groves. The rest is history.

Kathy's dance classes are very large, but she never neglects to educate the children in a fair and encouraging manner. She feels that it is important that the City dance program continue to provide children with quality dance instruction at a reasonable cost. Kathy knows that there are many children with limited positive outlets for their energy, and that dance is a productive way to channel that energy. Civic Dance Arts offers a safe place to develop skills, make friends, and have fun. Kathy remembers how important the dance program was to her when she was a child growing up in a family with limited opportunities for extracurricular activities. She was able to participate in dance because of its affordability and easy access.

Kathy is remarkable in her ability to teach, but her overwhelming enthusiasm is absolutely contagious! She motivates and promotes. Kathy believes very strongly in the success of our productions and always goes the extra mile to fill the theatre for our performances. She is thrilled to have her students participate, and she shares her excitement for dance with them and it shows.

CAMILLIA BRADLEY

Camillia Bradley was born at the kick-off on Superbowl Sunday in 1983. The youngest of 3 children, she started dance just to be like her big sisters but she continued long after her sisters stopped. Camillia has been tap dancing since she was 5 years old, and over the years she has studied with a number of influential teachers including Kirby and Kelly Ward, Donna Flournoy, and Jan Ellis. Presently, Camillia is studying dance at Grossmont College where she plans to continue her dance education. Camillia also educates others in dance at Civic Dance Arts. In 2001 Camillia was honored with the "Star/Pal" Youth Award as outstanding youth volunteer. Her hard work, spirit and commitment were recognized by a 36-member panel of judges. Camillia is not only an inspirition to other volunteers, but also an inspiration to her Civic Dance Arts students.

TINA GRETTENBERGER

Tina has extensive experience in dance, acting, and modeling. Dance has been an important part of Tina's life since she began dance lessons at 4 years old. She danced with Civic Dance Arts, Future Shock, and various dance studios. Tina attended San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts where she continued her training in tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, and modern. Tina has also developed into a capable choreographer who choreographs in a number of different styles.

Tina's dance and acting abilities led to another passion, Musical Theatre. She appeared in well over ten musicals including 42nd Street, Crazy for You, Evita, and Footloose, and starred in Sweet Charity. Modeling and Spokes-modeling comes naturally to Tina. She has done runway and dance shows where she modeled designs from Ximena Valero, Hang-Ten, and Sea Doo. Some industrial films may be added to her resume as well. Since Tina is fluent in Spanish, she did voice overs in Spanish for Children's Hospital. Tina has received numerous awards and accolades. As a performance artist, she has won the Moonlight Young Artists Scholarship and the Jeremy Parrish Performing Arts Memorial Scholarship. In 2003 Tina was voted Miss Clairemont, and Miss Photogenic in the Fairest of the Fair. Tina is a recent graduate from San Diego State University , where she majored in Journalism.  Currently, Tina teaches Technique, Tap, Jazz, and Ballet at Civic Dance Arts. I can't imagine she has time for her hobbies, but she loves snowboarding, hiking, swimming, running and traveling.

RICARDO "RITCHIE VALENZUELA

Ricardo is originally from Texas where he was active in the arts at school and in his community. He was an All State Choir member and performed in various local theater productions including Fiddler on the Roof, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Music Man, and Viva El Paso.After graduating high school, he moved to San Diego where he began taking dance classes from choreographers such as. He has taken Jan Ellis, Alicia Ricon, Debbie Toth and Kristen Archidiacono. In 2001 Ricardo was in several musical productions including Traditions of Christmas, Footloose, and Hello Dolly! After two years there Ricardo wanted to further his education and decided to go to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.While at AMDA, Ricardo had intensive training in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Theater Dance, Singing, and Acting.After graduating in 2005, he decided to move back to San Diego and become a teacher himself because he was very inspired by his instructors at AMDA. He choreographed several numbers for the musical Anything Goes at San Diego City College and was asked continued to choreograph their summer showcase. Ricardo has a great passion for the arts and he is looking forward to continue teaching the dance students of San Diego ’s Park and Recreation program.

TIFFANY GOFF

Tiffany has been dancing since the age of five with San Diego Civic Dance and was a former company member for seven years. She first started taking tap with Miss Sharon at Ocean Beach Rec.Center and has been in several recital productions including “Peter Pan” and “Annie” and was a guest performer in many Collage concerts. Tiffany has studied dance with San Diego Civic Youth Ballet and had the wonderful privilege to study under Tessandra Chavez, founder of Unity Dance Ensemble, for three and a half years. While teaching, Tiffany attendsGrossmont College, where she continues to pursue her love of dance and is majoring in Child Development with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education.This is Tiffany’s second year teaching with Civic Dance and she currently teaches tap, jazz, and ballet.

ELIZABETH MYRICK

JILL McNUTT

ANDREA FEIER

Andrea's love for dance blossomed at an early age—2 years old! At age 5 she  entered ballet class, but like our Recreation Centers located throughout San Diego, it ended up being a small dance studio in Andover, MA that fueled Andrea's lifelong passion for dance. Like she did at other studios over the years, Andrea studied a number of dance disciplines, including tap, ballet and jazz, as well as related activities such as acrobatics and even baton, but it was at Joe Dussault's studio (the one in Andover) that instilled a love of dance that burns just as brightly within her now. The camaraderie of getting together with other dancers and studying all day every Saturday (even in snowstorms), as well as the numerous opportunities to perform in front of a live audience in varied surroundings created an atmosphere that truly brought home to her the joy of dance. It is this atmosphere that Andrea sees within Civic Dance Arts and why she handles her role as Dance Specialist with such passion.

Andrea earned her BFA Degree in dance from the dance program at The Juilliard School, New York City's renowned Performance Arts Institution, after attending the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center under full scholarship. Given her impressive educational background, as well as her career as a professional dancer spanning more than twenty years, Andrea brings a diverse dance vocabulary that includes expertise in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, creative movement, and Musign Dance (a discipline which combines sign language with dance movement).

Andrea's professional dance and choreographic credits are extensive and diverse. While in New York City, she served as Artistic Director of American Dance Theatre of the Deaf, and as a performer helped found several performance arts companies, including Neta Pulvermacher and Dancers, Doug Elkins and Dancers, and Hit and Run Theatre among others. She also danced with the Paul Taylor Dance Company; danced at the renowned Rainbow Room; and danced throughout the region with several other NYC-based Dance Companies. Locally, she has performed at La Jolla Playhouse, the San Diego Ballet, the San Diego Repertory Theatre, and under the direction of Don and Bonnie Ward at Starlight Theatre (where she met her husband). Her diverse talents also include that of artist, where she founded her own successful line of greeting cards called "Feierworks".

Presently, Andrea's capacity of Dance Specialist for San Diego Civic Dance Arts programs, require her to handle a myriad of functions—all of which require planning, coordination, implementation, maintenance, and a constant use of her directorial and teaching skills. It is Andrea's passion for dance that was fostered in her as a young dancer that she hopes to impart on our program's dancers—and it is with her experience, dedication, and love of the arts that the dance program is thriving under her supervision.