LAAC Administration
Lisa Hamor - Owner/Director
Instructor: Combination Ballet/Tap
Ms. Hamor is a Westchester native with 3 children and has been involved with Vergari Dance Center since it opened in 1981.She attended U.C. Santa Barbara and UCLA studying art and business. She owned other businesses and sold real estate in the area before starting her family and assuming the reins of the studio. She teaches our youngest dancers, starting them off on their dancing journey with a loving hand and she is also the producer of our annual, fabulous Spring Showcase-it is more than a recital! Lisa is proud to be a part of the Westchester community and is active with many local organizations and her children's local public schools.
Marissa Moses - Owner/Artistic Director
Instructor: Ballet/Choreography & Improv/Burlesque/Acting
Marissa Moses holds a double Bachelor's of Arts degree in both Drama and Dance from UC Irvine. She has studied under many acting, dance, and voice instructors including: Art Wolf, Robert Cohen, Gary Busby, Donald McKayle, Loretta Livingston, Jodie Gates, and Diane Diefenderfer. She has danced as a company member with Helios Dance Theater, touring the production The Lotus Eaters. She has performed at venues such as The Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, and Symphony Space in New York City. She has acted, danced, and choreographed for many films and theater productions throughout Los Angeles. Most recently she has begun producing theater and is very proud of her latest project 'Midsummer & Macbeth' with .Fugitive Kind Theater Company.
Faye Viviana - Program Director
Instructor: Ballet/Contemporary/Conditioning
Faye Viviana began her dance training with Karen Alwin at age 5. By the time she was 12, she was awarded the Silver Medal at the Youth America Grand Prix International Competition in New York. At 13, she had passed the Cecchetti Advanced professional level (Grade 7) making her the youngest to pass the grade in the nation. At age 15, she moved to New York to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theater on a full scholarship. She was a National Training Scholar at American Ballet Theater for five years. By 16, she was invited to join the American Ballet Theater Studio Company (now ABT II). During her career, Faye danced many principal roles in the Company and was invited to perform as a guest artist with the Nutmeg Conservatory at the Holland Dance Festival in the Hague. After a career ending knee injury in 2007, she has focused her time and attention on recovering, fitness and becoming certified as a teacher in the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet.
Jamie Gregor - Marketing & Events
Jamie Gregor grew up in Stroudsburg, PA, and has been training and performing in dance and musical theater since the age of five. She graduated from New York University with a dual degree in Politics and Journalism and four years of ballet in the Dance Education Program, and moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter.
Since arriving on the West Coast, Jamie has worked at E! News Live, Southpaw Entertainment, Holding Pictures, and at Participant Productions, where she worked with founder and chairman Jeff Skoll, as well as part time with the Social Action Department under the leadership of Meredith Blake. Currently, Jamie serves as both New Business Coordinator for The Third Floor Inc., and a Creative Executive for their production company, Hydra Entertainment.
In addition to her professional work, in 2004 Jamie started Cheshire Moon Productions as a live events banner. The biggest of these productions is DANCESCAPE, an all-night benefit event that gathers the Southern California dance community to raise money for art and music programs in Los Angeles public schools. The event has grown to feature more than 30 acts, from Bollywood to Ballet, from jazz to hip hop, from tap to ballroom, and everything in between. Previous shows have included finalists and choreographers from the Fox TV hit SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, finalists from AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, and numerous professional and pre-professional dancers who have been seen on tours, in music videos, and in film and television. The thirteenth production of DANCESCAPE was held Saturday, November 5, 2011 at Level 3 Nightclub in Hollywood.
Other extra-curricular activities include co-founding and developing GoToGroove.com, teaching dance classes at The Pretenders Studio in Santa Monica, and other live events, including the 2007 concert dance event SLAM!, and 2009’s V Lounge Dance Challenge. She continues to teach, choreograph and perform throughout Los Angeles.
LAAC Instructors
Janelle Junio
Instructor: Combination Classes/Jazz/Adult Ballet
Janelle Junio began her training in classical ballet at the Ballet Theater School of Dance in Moreno Valley, Ca. While studying, she also began teaching creative movement for children and beginning/intermediate jazz. From there, she went on to continue her dance studies at the University of California, Irvine, receiving a BFA in Dance Performance. During her time there, she was a part of the Bare Bones Dance Committee and was a member of Donald McKayle’s Etude Ensemble. Upon graduating in 2008, she was honored with the opportunity to tour North America with Twyla Tharp & Billy Joel’s Tony Award winning musical, “Movin’ Out.” Since then, she has worked for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Disneyland Resort, performed in Reprise Theater Company’s production of “Cabaret,” and is currently signed with MSA Agency based in Hollywood.
Tania Steinbach
Instructor: Pre-Ballet/Ballet
Tatiana is from Montreal, Canada where she started her ballet training at age 8. In 2001 she moved to St.Petersburg, Russia to study ballet at the Cantilena Ballet School of the St.Petersburg Conservatory where she studied under Nikita Dolgushin and Alla Osipienko. That year she was also an apprentice and member of the corps de ballet of the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory Theater of Opera and Ballet. After graduating from the ballet school she joined the St.Petersburg State Theater of Classical Ballet where she performed in the corps de ballet, coryphées, and as demi soloist in performances of Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, and Sleeping Beauty. In 2006 Tatiana returned to North America to share her passion with dance enthusiasts and pre-professionals of all ages. In June 2012 Tatiana became an American Ballet Theater Certified Teacher.
Michelle Loucadoux
Instructor: Musical Theater/Ballet/Tap
Michelle Lookadoo began her acting career at age 3 in Biloxi, Mississippi, as a dancing poodle. She is the only daughter of Kay and Dan Lookadoo of Hickory, North Carolina and now resides mainly in New York with a second residence in Los Angeles. Most recently, she performed the role of Hope Harcourt in the Tony award-winning Broadway revival of Anything Goes and has also performed the role of Ariel in the original Broadway cast of The Little Mermaid as well as lead roles in various other Broadway shows. She is currently starring in the new webseries Twenty Dollar New York and can be seen as Lucy's friend in the Julie Taymor-directed Across the Universe. Michelle has also recently received a Richmond Theatre Critics Circle best actress nomination for her portrayal of Judy Haynes in White Christmas and ran the New York Marathon in 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Andrew Pearson
Instructor: Modern Dance
Andrew Pearson, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, studied and trained at
the University of California, Irvine where he received his BFA’s in dance performance
and choreography. As a performer, Andrew has worked with Headwaters Dance Company in
Montana, and several Los Angeles based companies including Loretta Livingston and Dancers, California Riverside Ballet, BodyTraffic, Lineage Dance Company, Nancy Evans Dance Theater, Nickerson-Rossi Dance, and is currently a member of the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company. Through these companies and throughout his training he has had the privilege of
working with many renowned choreographers such as Loretta Livingston, David Allan, Jodie Gates, Donald McKayle, John Jasperse, Jane Comfort, and Barak Marshall. As a choreographer, Andrew’s work has been seen at The Hayworth Theater, The Pasadena Dance Festival, The AT&T Center Theater, and at various southern California high schools and dance schools. Andrew is also currently on faculty at Orange County High School of the Arts and Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance.
Alexandra Mathews
Instructor: Tap/Yoga/Modern Dance
Alexandra Mathews (Alex) graduated from the UCLA department of World Arts and Cultures with an emphasis in dance and choreography. Her commitment to and love for the arts is rich, full and widespread. A dancer and a poet, one of the ways she is invested in contributing to the arts community is through teaching. Much of her early background is primarily based in rhythm tap and ballet, though she is currently heavily focused and trained in modern, contemporary and improvisational dance. She recently completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training with YogaWorks and works under the mentorship of a contemporary choreographer from the Ivory Coast named Michel Kouakou. She is developing her arts education administrative skill set and she aspires to delve more seriously into creating her own work in the future. She is thrilled to work with Vergari Dance Center Studio and very much looks forward to dancing with her students!
Angelina Meany
Instructor: Ballet
Angelina Meany began her dance training in Boise, Idaho, where she studied and performed with the American Festival Ballet Company (now Ballet Idaho). In Los Angeles, she attended Loyola Marymount University, where she attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. She was a principal dancer for the regional modern dance company Donna Stenberg and Dancers, who she danced with for seven years. She has taught ballet at many L.A. area studios, including Zeal Studios, YNS, and Westside Academy of Ballet, in classes and in coaching private lessons. Angelina taught for several years for UC Irvine’s summer Teachers’ workshop, was on the Dance department faculty for 4 years at Pasadena City College, and served on the faculty at Santa Monica College, where she taught Modern dance and all levels of ballet for 13 years.
Nichole Le Shawn
Instructor: Jazz/Hip Hop/Ballet
Nichole Le is a professional actress, choreographer, dancer & model. Her most recent acting credits include "Jack and Lounge" the Webseries, Mr. Goodnight a short film, "White-T” feature film and commercials for "The General", "Goldmax" & "Liberty mutual".
Some of her modeling credits include runways modeling for Bridal Fashion Shows, print work for national magazines, Cosmetics companies, Costume apparel catalogs and the industries top artist such as Dirty Money/P. Diddy Ft. Usher.
Her present performance credits include choreographing and dancing for LA Ubound, choreographing for the La Femme Film Festival awards ceremony, dancing and having the principle role for a Pop artist, many short films, dancing as a magicians assistant and dancing in theme parks. Her distinctive dance choreography may be seen throughout the United States in events of all types such as upcoming R & B and Pop artists videos, Repertory stage musicals, numerous choreography showcases, fashion shows and regional, national & international dance competitions.
Nichole is a very dedicated and enthusiastic actress, model, dancer, choreographer and dance educator with a wide array of skills to pass on to a variety of generations.
Kimberly Ransom-Lundy
Instructor: Jazz Dance/Musical Theater Choreographer
Kimberly began ballet and tap classes under the supervision of Karen MacDonald and Florence Blackwell at the age of 2. As a youth she broadened her studies to include Afro-Cuban, pointe, jazz, and modern. She began studying at Al Gilbert Studios to include advanced tap and musical theater. Her young adult years were spent at City Dance (formerly Dupree’s), The Edge, and the University of Southern California with Michael Rooney, Phineas Newborn III, Curtis Gregory, Al Desio, and Margo Apostolos. Kimberly has performed and choreographed at USC and locally for a number of years. While at USC, she choreographed the Black Student Union’s winning production of “The Wiz” for the school’s annual Songfest performance at the Greek Theater. She holds a single subject credential in physical education with an emphasis in dance from the state of California; and, has taught elementary dance for Los Angeles Unified School District. Last year, as assistant choreographer for CCLO’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Culver City Middle School was awarded a national third place prize for best musical. Kimberly has been a member of the Vergari/LAAC family for 10 years. She believes…”dance is art in motion.”
Sifu Rob Moses
Instructor: Divine Code Kung Fu
Sifu Rob Moses began training with Sifu Kam Yuen in 1976 when he was 17 years old. He became certified in Northern Shaolin / Tai Chi Praying Mantis in the early 1980s by Sifu Kam Yuen. Sifu Rob Moses founded Tai Shan Mantis after he became certified in Northern Shaolin / Tai Chi Praying Mantis. The Tai Shan Mantis System is independent from the Northern Shaolin / Tai Chi Praying Mantis System. Tai Shan Mantis is a complete martial system, which incorporates both traditional and neo-classical Kung Fu. Its purpose is to illuminate living concepts. One expression of Tai Shan Mantis is the 9 Psalms Praying Mantis Kung Fu system created by Sifu Moses. These 9 concepts promote flexible movement and thinking, expand the Spirit, and offer a genuine artisitic release for all practitioners, resulting in positive health and attitude. It allows one to master oneself, while achieving better health, fitness and self-defense abilities. Its expressions take you on a journey of circles, figure-eights, spirals, straight lines, ellipses, and more. They include all the traditional elements of a martial art: kicks, punches, throws and locks.
The four unique and basic stipulations for the practice are: Seek the truth in your training, help others and do not be selfish, strive to be free-thinking and do not limit your imagination. It’s time to make brighter choices and seek the love consciousness. Tai Shan Mantis offers a joyful approach to work worth doing.
April Bernardi
Instructor: Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT)
April Bernardi has been on a spiritual journey which led her to become a Registered Yoga Teacher for the past 11 years. Her teaching styles include Kundalini, Ashtanga, Pre-Natal and Kids Yoga. She is a dedicated yoga practitioner who has studied with Gurmukh Khalsa, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, David Swenson and more. April is the creator of Transformation thru Kundalini Yoga DVD. The art of Creation Pre-Natal DVD, the author of The Magic in the Mirror Children’s book and a Holistic Counselor.
Jim Senti
Instructor: Acting
Born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, Jim attended Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana and received his Bachelors of Arts Degree in Theatre. After working professionally in the midwest he then moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts and received a Masters Degree in Acting from Harvard University at the American Repertory Theatre and Moscow Art Theatre. In the last two years in Los Angeles, California he has landed five national commercials and works regularly in the theatre.
Jennice Butler
Instructor: Shakespeare/Voice & Speach
A native of Springfield, Missouri, Jennice Butler holds a BS in Theatre from the University of Evansville and an MFA in Acting from UC-Irvine where she also taught Acting. She currently teaches Voice and Speech for actors at AMDA as well as Movement at NYFA in Los Angeles. She also privately coaches Accent Reduction.
Jennice has a great love for the benefits of improvisation for actors and is currently completing her improv training at iO West in Hollywood. She has booked commercial spots with McDonald’s and Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Theater credits include Sybil in Private Lives at International Theatre of Long Beach and Imogen in Cymbeline at Great River Shakespeare Festival. Other Regional work includes Maggie in Lend Me a Tenor and Abigail in The Crucible at SRT in Santa Rose, CA. Check out her website for upcoming productions, press and further information at www.jennicebutler.com
Elaine Hammel
Comedy Improv
Elaine Hammel holds a Bachelor of Science in Arts Management with a concentration in Theatre from Butler University in Indianapolis Indiana. During college, she directed numerous student productions and assistant directed the summer main stage show at The Children’s Theatre Institute in 2003. Using her years of experience as a camp counselor, Elaine ran her own theatre day camp during the summer of 2005 ending with a full length performance with a cast of 2-12 year olds.
Elaine has graduated from The Second City and iO programs in improvisation and sketch comedy and performs in various teams in Chicago and LA. You can currently see her in “The Really Awesome Improv Show” and “Second City This Week” at Second City and with her award winning improv team, “Bootsy Collins”, at various theatres in Los Angeles.