SOMOS ACADEMIA BILING​ÜE
DIRECTOR | BALLET | POINTE
ADA GRACIELA MARQUEZ
Originally from El Paso, TX, Ada attended the University of Texas at El Paso on full scholarship, graduating Cum Laude with a BFA in Ballet Performance, and a concentration in Creative Writing. She was the recipient of the Theater and Dance Department’s award for "Outstanding Major". She continued her higher education at New York University, receiving the Dean's Opportunity Scholarship. She holds an M.A. in Dance Education with a full certification in American Ballet Theater® Pedagogy. While in NYC, Ada studied with the faculty, accompanists, physical therapist, and choreographer of ABT’s® Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.
Ada has performed at Universita di Roma, the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Italy, Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, AMEBA Acrobatic and Aerial Dance, Elements Contemporary Ballet in Chicago, Firebox Dance Theatre from Scotland, DTM2 Improvisation Ensemble from California, Ballet Nacional de Cd. Juarez, Peoria Ballet, Ballet El Paso, UTEP Ballet, El Paso Opera, El Paso Symphony, and the UTEP Dinner Theater.
Ada is an ABT® Certified Teacher who has taught for for The Washington School of Ballet, Joffrey Ballet Chicago, National Dance Institute NM, Chicago’s Having a Ball Dance Program, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, & NYC’s Building Educated Leaders for Life. She is a former faculty member of UTEP’s Department of Theater and Dance, El Paso Community College’s Continuing Education program, and Peoria Ballet Academy.
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Ada founded DANZA in January of 2016. Recognized as a noteworthy Austinite for her excellent service in the arts field, she was named 'Trailblazer' of 2022, and was featured in Voyage Austin Magazine's 'Hidden Gem' series.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
AIMEE OLSON
Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, Aimee began her ballet instruction at age 4. Her fondest memories are shopping for her first pair of pointe shoes and getting to perform the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy for the local Nutcracker. Although school team sports took over upon her reaching middle school, she still loves to attend ballet performances and support those (including her daughter) that find so much joy in dancing. Professionally, Aimee has worked in several different fields including the service and retail industries, the healthcare industry, on building and construction projects, as an audio engineer and in audio integration design. Her and her husband recently celebrated their 22nd anniversary. Besides working at Danza as admin assistant, her days are filled with homeschooling their 4 children
OPERATIONS MANAGER
MELANIE HEBERT
Melanie began her piano instruction in McKinney, TX with Dr. Mary Humm and continued her education with Dr. Terry Hudson at Baylor University, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance with a secondary emphasis on piano. While at Baylor, she taught voice and piano lessons and performed with Baylor Opera. Currently, she plays piano at Providence Church.
In addition to music, Melanie studied ballet for 10 years in Dallas and McKinney, Texas. A highlight of her dance training was taking classes with live piano, and she has been interested in dance accompaniment ever since.
Melanie celebrates her 9th year of being part of the DANZA team, where she uses her background in bookkeeping and administration in her role as Operations Manager, overseeing the online system as well as operations for both the children and adult program.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR | BALLET | CONTEMPORARY
ANNA BREYFOGLE
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Anna received her training with the Cincinnati Ballet Academy, studying under notable faculty such as Sarah Hairston Berkley. Years later, as Anna turned her role to teaching, she became an assistant for summer programs and other classes at the academy. Additionally, she worked with the nonprofit, Princesses Ballet. While coordinating and choreographing for their yearly productions, as well as teaching weekly technique classes, she learned how to present ballet as an expressive art form with emphasis on accessibility and non-exclusivity.
Anna has explored her love of teaching and passion for dance through her career as a preschool teacher at the Children’s Academy of Mason. Instructing the extra-curricular classes there, she found a way to incorporate dance and creative expression into her daily curriculum.
Since joining the DANZA team in Janurary 23' Anna has further explored her love of choreography through DANZA's spring and fall productions and looks forward to many performances to come!
BALLET
LAUREN HAWKINS
Lauren Hawkins was born in Austin, TX and primarily trained at The Austin City Ballet. There she had the wonderful opportunity to perform in Ballet productions starting at an early age. Some of her favorite Ballets include La Bayadère, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia and the annual Nutcracker. She has been dancing since the age of three and has attended Summer Intensives at The Virginia School of the Arts, Houston Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Ballet Austin. She has trained with the Richmond Ballet in their Trainee program, and performed with their company in their Nutcracker, Stoner Winslett’s Windows, Malcolm Burn’s Romeo and Juliet and George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?.” During her years in college, she danced and taught for Ballet Lubbock and Austin City Ballet. After transferring from Texas Tech, Lauren graduated from Texas State University with a degree in English and Mass Communications. Lauren currently is the Marketing Director and Resident Artist for Metamorphosis Dance.
Lauren has a great love and passion for teaching and has had the pleasure of teaching for several studios in Austin and surrounding areas.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT | BALLET | JAZZ
MIRANDA KITTIE
Miranda, also known as Ms Kittie, was born a dancer with an innate passion to express herself through movement. From a young age she trained in many different styles such as tap, jazz, ballet, and Hawaiian dance. She first started her ballet training in Rodeo, California and later continued in Austin, Texas under Mark Sharon, with Ballet Austin, and ACB with director Carol D’avila and under Terri Lynn Wright and Vlada Sheber. She has performed in productions with ACB such as A Midsummer’s Night Dream, the Nutcracker, and Peter Pan.
Ms Kittie is currently a resident artist in Oro Afro-Latin Dance company and Ballet Afrique Dance academy.
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As a childhood cancer survivor Ms Kittie believes in the healing power of dance and shares that with her youth and adult students teaching in several different studios in the Austin area.
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Ms Kittie is happy to have joined the Danza team in 2024 and is grateful for the familia that she has gained since joining the team!
GUEST TEACHER
LILLIE AMDAHL
Lillie, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, has known no other passion as strong as dance since the age of 2. She began her journey in a movement class located at a church in Austin, Texas taught by Monika Schraeder. She was exposed to more styles, such as tap, jazz, Horton, and a higher level of ballet at Wilmington Conservatory of Fine Arts in North Carolina under the tutelage of Cory Smith. In 2015, Lillie moved back to her home town and studied at The School of Ballet Arizona. She trained under many acclaimed teachers (Fabiola Ambrosio, David Krensing, Lisbet Companioni,Maria Simonetti, and many more) studying ballet six days a week and being introduced to character dance, flamenco, hip-hop, and a wide range of choreography. Lillie was graced with the role of White Cat in the school’s production of Sleeping Beauty (2017). After seven years, Lillie returned to Austin and graduated through Metamorphosis Dance’s Senior Company, under Melanie Kregel, Melissa Glouchkova, and Katrina Kutch. Being graced with the lead role in an excerpt of Raymonda, Pas de Dix (2019) and Alice in their production of Wonderland (2022). Her last semester being credited as a Resident Apprentice and having choreographed multiple pieces for their Ballet Under the Stars productions over the years. Lillie attended b12, a contemporary workshop hub in Berlin the summer of 2024, Ballet Summer Program in Estonia in 2023, and Paris Marais Dance School in 2016.
Now Lillie has found an amazing creative dance community in Austin and transitioned to studying a more contemporary movement style. She is a freelance dancer for many companies in the Austin area (Ventana Ballet, Sea Legs Dance, and Rednightfall) performing in many amazing immersive dance performances such as LEAP!, Moonfall, ALLUVIUS , how people leave, and has choreographed for 5X7 and Dance Carousel.
When she’s not dancing in the studio or on stage, Lillie can be found country two stepping, line dancing, and country swinging with a little bit of contemporary influences.
She is very excited to be a part of the faculty at Danza and can’t wait to connect with her students through movement and dance.
GUEST TEACHER
VICKY HOCHMAN
Vicky Hochman, MS, BC-DMT is a dance/movement therapist, artist, somatic practitioner, and educator dedicated to helping people reconnect with the innate wisdom of the body. She holds a Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy from Pratt Institute and is a Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist.
Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Vicky began her dance training in classical ballet, completing the Royal Academy of Dance Major Examination Series. She continued her studies at Tulane University, where she majored in Dance and Latin American Studies. Moving to the U.S., she discovered modern dance and improvisation, experiencing movement as a powerful way to navigate life’s transitions, build community, and cultivate a sense of belonging. This led her to pursue dance/movement therapy, bringing together her love of dance with a deep interest in the mind–body connection.
Vicky has studied with renowned teachers including Ohad Naharin, Dana Lawton, Kathy Dunn Hamrick, Robin Dekkers, Xiao Liu-Moore, Diogo De Lima, and Michaela Cannon, all of whom have deeply influenced her approach. She has performed with the Newcomb Dance Company and Bay Area Dancers, and has choreographed original work.
Vicky has extensive experience working across clinical, community, and wellness settings. Her work centers on creative expression, nonverbal communication, and the belief that every body has a story to tell. She currently works with immigrant women during the prenatal and postpartum periods, and offers music and movement programs that support attachment and healthy development between caregivers and babies. She also serves as adjunct faculty at Antioch University, New England.
Her facilitation blends technique with exploration, drawing from dance/movement therapy, Authentic Movement, guided improvisation, and her roots in Latin and Mexican folkloric dance. In her classes, Vicky invites students to slow down, listen to their bodies, and move with curiosity and intention—creating space for grounding, creativity, and meaningful connection. She is honored to share her work with the Danza community.
PIANIST
SHANE LAMB
Shane Lamb is a composer and pianist living in Austin, Texas. Shane graduated from the University of Texas in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Composition and a Performance Certificate in Piano. Shane has had works commissioned for the Kimoni Duo, a Butler School of Music Research Week Concert, and several student films. Shane teaches piano lessons, accompanies ballet classes, and also writes music for his band Black Ladder, an instrumental trio that combines elements of classical and rock music.
Flautist
LISA LAMB
Lisa Lamb is an active performer and teacher in the Austin area. Sheearned a Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance and Compositionfrom Penn State University and a Master of Music degree in HarpPerformance from U.T. Austin. She has performed as Principal Harpistwith the Austin Civic Orchestra since 2010 and the Temple Symphony since2023. She also has performed with numerous Austin area ensemblesincluding the Austin Symphony, San Antonio Philharmonic, Austin Opera,Conspirare, Local Opera Local Artists, Central Texas Philharmonic,Mid-Texas Symphony, Valley Symphony, Austin Symphonic Band, and more. For more info, visit her website http://www.silverwingsmusic.com/
GRAPHIC DESIGNER | YOGA
JENNIFER LEE MOULTON
Since joining DANZA 5 years ago, Jennifer has graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with her Bachelors, and an Associate degree in graphic design from Parsons The New School.
In NYC, Jennifer was employed by a boutique design agency and real estate company in their internal design department. Here she worked on their seasonal ads, brochures, and marketing campaigns. She specialized in design for luxury retail, working along the director creating catalogs and ads for products made by brands such as Lancôme. Additionally, while in NYC, she worked on design for a non profit, IBREA Foundation, an umbrella organization under United Nations.
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Upon returning to Austin, Jennifer held an internship with Austin Monthly Magazine in their graphic design department. She's created several logos for a local hair salon, reiki/taro card healer, and physical therapist.
Jennifer most recently completed her 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India. She has also trained and studied another mind body practice of energy movement, ki gong, in Sedona. Her yoga training was the greatest gift of self love to herself after passing her one year post kidney transplant. Her classes have a unique touch, mixing a bit of ki gong with hatha and Tibetan sound healing.
COSTUME DESIGNER
HONG JONES
Hong, a woman of many passions and talents, has embarked on a diverse journey in both her professional and personal life. Graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Management in 1994, she continued her education in 1996 and began her pursuit of a Master's degree in Horticulture; later expanding her horizons by achieving a Master's degree in Computer Science in 2001.
While her primary role is that of a dedicated mother raising three children, her professional life shines as she assumes the role of a Software Development Manager. In her scarce spare moments, Hong reveals her creative side through various artistic endeavors. With a deep connection to the earth and a love for crafting, she immerses herself in pottery, knitting, and gardening.
In 2018, Hong ventured into the world of costume design, accepting the challenge to create costumes for DANZA's production of 'Alice in Wonderland.' This experience ignited her creative spark, leading her down a path of endless inspiration. Her portfolio has since grown to include captivating costumes for 'Carnival of the Animals', 'Peter and the Wolf,' and the recent 'Wizard of Oz,' showcasing her boundless creativity and dedication to the art of costume design.
​DANZA is always looking to collaborate with experienced and talented dance, music, and theater teachers for substitute positions, guest teaching, or for our Summer Camps, Children's Program, and Adult Program. Interested candidates may send a resume to: info@danzacenter.com​
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Now that you've learned about our staff, go to the 'Gallery' to meet our students!
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