Katia was born in Russia and graduated from Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet as Master Teacher. At the same she started her ballerina’s career at the Mikhailovsky Theatre – one of the most prominent ballet companies in Russia, based in Saint Petersburg. For several years Katia toured the world as a soloist of the company, and in 2021 settled in Florida to become a head teacher at a Ballet School, where she already fostered several finalists of YAGP and ADCIBC. in 2023 she joined the Ballet Institute of San Diego and relocated here. Her full CV

Besides inspiring Ballet Institute’s students to embrace the Contemporary Dance, Tanya Lewis is also the Assistant Artistic Director and choreographer of Visionary Dance Theatre and has been dancing with the company for years. Tanya graduated from UCSD with BA in Dance and a minor in Theater in 2012 and received the Stewart Prize in Choreography. She has performed with Eveoke Dance Theatre, Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, KO Dance Co, Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Eric Geiger, and Somebodies Dance Theater to name a few. As an independent artist Past projects and choreographies include Prism, You’re Late, Ebb & , and Between Two Ends which was selected as part of 40 North, an international dance film festival. Her choreography for a short film won the Silver Award for best choreography from International Film Awards.

Ms. Catherine began her ballet training at age five with Yuma Ballet Academy. Subsequently, she joined YBA’s nationally top-rated pre-professional ballet company, Ballet Yuma. Catherine trained as a Ballet Teacher under Kathleen Sinclair, Ballet Yuma’s Co-Artistic Director and Co-Founder. Here, she developed her passion and ability to teach ballet technique with an emphasis on developing young dancers. Ms. Catherine strives to lay a solid technical and artistic foundation for all students. Catherine is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and works at Dancer’s Choice where she assists in management and also professionally fits pointe shoes alongside her mentor, Gg Muir.

Contemporary dancer and choreographer Jeremy Zapanta has professionally performed with Malashock Dance, San Diego Opera, San Diego Dance Theater, Traverse City Dance Project among others. Los Angeles native, he began his ballet training at Burbank School of the, graduated from the UC Irvine with a BFA in Dance Performance where he was a W. J. Gillespie and G. Kaufman scholar. He developed his love for contemporary dance after training at Northwest Dance Project: LAUNCH 8, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Complexions Contemporary Ballet programs. Jeremy is currently a dancer and choreographer with The Rosin Box Project.

Renee Kester knew she wanted to be a professional dancer at age 12 after a gymnastics injury led her to find a more artistic way of athleticism.  Renee was trained first in breakdancing by Hokuto Konishi, Ryan Conferido, and later contemporary with Jessie Riley, and became the youngest member of Entity and Sonya Tayeh’s company, dancing professionally at age 15.  After getting serious about ballet and eventually got scouted at World Ballet Competition to be a trainee with Washington Ballet.  Renee danced and toured with Houston Ballet before coming back to California to explore herself as a choreographer.  Since then, she has danced and choreographed for several music videos, live shows, and commercials including Prius, Nair, Lenovo and Timberland. Renee has also been hailed for her YouTube videos and nominated for several awards, particularly for her and Phillip Chbeeb’s viral sensation video, ‘Slip’. She has been choreographing and teaching at many prominent Ballet Schools worldwide