Meet Our Team

Christy Hernandez

Owner and Director

Christy Hernandez is a professional tap dancer, master teacher, choreographer and producer in Southern California, holding a BA in Creative Arts and Dance from SJSU and a teaching credential in Elementary Education from CSUF. At SJSU she studied extensively in Modern, Contemporary, and Jazz under Gary Masters and Fred Matthews of the Limon Company. Christy danced as a principal member and featured soloist with the L.A. based company, Rhapsody In Taps, for eight years and was mentored by Sam Weber, Fred Strickler, and Linda Sohl-Ellison. Christy recently finished 21yrs of teaching at the Academy for the Performing Arts at Huntington Beach High School where she directed the tap dance program, dance tech 1 & 2, and Unified Arts in Dance, an inclusive program for dancers of all abilities. Christy is also the Founder and Executive Director of Dance 4 Joy. Launching DIOC is a new project with the goal of providing Charter School families in OC an opportunity to integrate the academic and arts education of their children with excellent dance education using their Charter School Funds. 

  • DANCE: Tap, Jazz, Creative Movement
    ACADEMICS: All elementary age subjects
    ARTS INTEGRATIONS: N/A

Christy’s Availability:
Upon Request

Our Instructors

Dylan Kinzler

  • Dylan Kinzler (he/him) has been a member of the dance community for over 20 years. He

    expanded upon his knowledge and passion for the arts while attending Las Vegas Academy of the Arts and training with nationally recognized performance groups. Based in Southern California, Dylan works throughout the dance industry as a Dance Educator, Choreographer, and Movement Artist. Dylan works extensively with both Pre-professional and Professional movement artists, he specializes in constructing programming and curriculum curated to support dancers at every stage of their artistic journey. His movement practice is centered in Contemporary, Modern, Improvisation and Composition work - with an emphasis on mind/body work, movement exploration, and sustainable movement practices. His passion is providing support, guidance, and opportunity to fellow artists as they excavate and experience their expansive capacity for individual artistic expressiveness. His artistic motivation is utilizing movement as a tool to create community and connection. Dylan is dedicated to developing sustainable and authentic movement practices for all beings. He has been working as a creative and educator throughout the country for over a decade.

  • DANCE: Contemporary, Modern, Improvisation, Composition
    ACADEMICS: English (Reading/Writing), Anatomy, Math
    ARTS INTEGRATIONS: Music, Art (Drawing/Painting), Theatre

Availability:
Mon: 12pm-5pm | Tue: 12pm-3:30pm
Thur: 12pm-2pm | Fri: 12pm-6pm, as of June 1st Sat and Sun: Fluid availability from week to week

Teaches: Students 10+ years old

Michael Taber

  • Michael Taber is a graduate of San Diego State’s Theater B.A. and BADA’s Shakespeare program. As a working actor, director, writer, 500 RYT yogi, singer/dancer, writer, and teacher, Michael combines his talents to teach an interactive and eclectic approach to writing, movement and telling stories through the ancient practice of theater, poetry, and art. He has had the pleasure of teaching kids and adults for over 15 years and is a Teaching Artist with Segerstrom’s Arts Teach, Laguna Playhouse and AstroTaber’s Arts in Schools. Life is all about being present to the process of discovery and the stories we share along the way. In his Kid’s Quest for Shakespeare program, students will engage in movement, paper art and Shakespeare to create a living story. For more information visit astrotaber.com/education-arts-in-schools. Michael is currently directing and acting in Tea with Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice at the Bembridge House May 2 nd and 9 th in Long Beach, visit thebembridgehouse.org/events. Additionally, he will be teaching an 8-week summer kid’s acting and teen scriptwriting program starting in June at childrenstheatreoflongbeach.org. The greatest gift is inspiring others to recognize they have a voice and story to share! See you on the Quest for Shakespeare soon!

  • DANCE: Jazz Fusion, Creative Movement
    ACADEMICS: History, English, Earth Science, Physical Geography, Math (Elementary)
    ARTS INTEGRATIONS: Theatre, Voice, Storytelling, Shakespeare

Availability:
Wed/Thur: 9:30-11am
Sundays: 9-11am

Teaches: All Ages

Susi Beck-Gifford

  • Susi Beck-Gifford began her dance training at a young age in Southern California, graduating from the Orange County School of the Arts and earning a degree in Dance Performance from Loyola Marymount University. At a young age she performed as an ensemble member with companies including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet. After college, she spent eight years in New York City dancing, teaching and performing professionally before returning to Southern California.

    She currently is the Artistic Director for Dance 4 Joy ministries teaching jazz, modern, ballet and musical theater. Susi is an innovative choreographer whose work has been featured at the American College Dance Festival, in Dance Spirit Magazine, and at Joffrey Ballet summer intensives. A certified GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® instructor, she integrates her training into her teaching to help students build strong, sustainable technique.

  • DANCE: Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Choreography, Tap, Hip Hop
    ACADEMICS: N/A
    ARTS INTEGRATIONS: Theater

Availability:
Mon: 9am-1pm | Tue: 9am-1pm
Wed: 10:30am -12:30pm | Thur: 12:00pm - 2pm

Teaches: All Ages

Carlos Zarati

  • Carlos Zarate is a professional dancer and choreographer based in Orange County. Studied extensively in Modern and Ballet while exploring various styles and techniques. He began his dance path through The Wooden Floor, blending his focus with school and dance. Throughout his time there he trained with mentors like, Rebecca Ramos, Sean Curran, Jennifer Bonnfil, and Jenny Backhaus. Throughout his endeavors , he focused on Modern and Ballet, while venturing into other styles early on. With a constant focus on musical understanding and movement theory, he quickly shifted from specific styles, to movement exploration and transitional dance, focusing on dance as a language and adapting to different styles and techniques. He is a firm believer in focusing on musicality early on, and adapting the dance through rhythm, space and time. He looks forward to passing on his experience, knowledge, and style, to the future dance generations.

  • DANCE: Improvisation, Physical Education, Hip Hop, Ballet, Modern
    ACADEMICS: Math, Chemistry, Physics
    ARTS INTEGRATIONS: Music

Availability:
Tue: 5pm-9pm | Thur: 5pm-9pm
Fri: 5pm-9pm | Sat: 3pm-8pm

Teaches: Students 12-18 years old

Madeleine

Schmidhauser

  • Madeleine has a BS in industrial engineering and a minor in dance from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. Her favorite college memories include dancing with Orchesis Dance Company, choreographing pieces for the dance department, and taking classes such as dance teaching methods and dance composition. Prior to college, Madeleine attended Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) in Integrated Arts, while studying tap, jazz, lyrical, ballet, and hip hop. She began teaching over a decade ago and continues to train in a multitude of styles.

  • DANCE: Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, Banners, Modern, Ballet
    ACADEMICS: Math and Science
    ARTS INTEGRATIONS: N/A

Availability:
Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri: Afternoon
Wed: After 5:30pm

Teaches: All Ages

Mirissa Jones

  • Mirissa Jones is a dance instructor and choreographer with over 20 years of teaching experience. Mirissa danced competitively on a studio team, as a soloist, and as a member of Los Alamitos High School dance team. During high school, she began her teaching journey as a teaching assistant and substitute teacher. As a faculty member at Elevation Studios in Long Beach, CA, Mirissa created a summer dance camp program, providing instruction in dance as well as a variety of theatre and film arts. This also provided Mirissa the opportunity to mentor teen camp counselors at the start of their own teaching journey. Mirissa recently made an onstage appearance in Showtime Dance Academy’s "An Orange County Nutcracker,” performing as the Mouse Queen. She continues to teach a range of ages and abilities throughout LA and Orange County.

    Insta: @miss_mirissa

  • DANCE: Ballet, Tap, Jazz

    ACADEMICS: Math all grades

    ART INTEGRATIONS: Music

Availability:
Mon: 12pm-4pm | Tue: 10am-2pm
Wed: 9am-4pm

Teaches: All Ages

Sophie Sooter

  • Sophie Sooter holds a deep passion for both performance and education in the arts. She is extensively trained in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and pointe, and brings over five years of professional experience in dance.

    Sophie currently performs as a parade dancer at Disneyland and as a tap dancer with the Los Angeles division of the Satin Dollz. In addition to her dance background, she holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Azusa Pacific University. She has also worked as a featured vocalist in multiple productions at SeaWorld and with the Satin Dollz.

    At DIOC, Sophie is passionate about creating a positive and encouraging environment where dancers feel supported, challenged, and inspired. She is committed to helping each student grow not only in their technical abilities, but also in confidence, artistry, and self-expression. Sophie strives to instill a lifelong love of dance and music in every student she teaches.

  • DANCE: Ballet and Tap
    ACADEMICS: Math
    ARTS INTEGRATONS: Voice, Music Theory

Availability:
Mon: 8am-5pm | Tue/Wed: 8am-8pm
Fri: 8am-5pm

Teaches: Students 5-18 years old

Kimberly Leeds

  • An award-winning veteran educator with a lifelong passion for the arts, Kimberly Leeds brings a multifaceted perspective to the students at DIOC. As a dancer, artist, and naturalist interpreter, Kimberly has spent her life exploring the intersection of movement and the natural world. Having studied global music and dance styles through extensive world travel, she views movement as a vital tool for connection—to oneself, to others, and to the environment. Now, she’s bringing that energy to DIOC, where she integrates movement across the curriculum to spark hands-on learning. Usually the first one on the dance floor, Kimberly is on a mission to help students know themselves better through the joy of dance.

    Whirled Beat is the brainchild of Laguna Beach local and dance instructor Kimberly Bixler Leeds. This eclectic class invites participants to "dance to their own beat" within a shared community. As an environmental activist, Kimberly believes that honoring global cultures through dance can inspire a deeper stewardship of the Earth. Each session is a living choreography where the unique energy and style of every dancer shape the experience. From Latin American and West African rhythms to the foundations of Modern, Jazz, and Ballet, Whirled Beat celebrates the "synergy of the dancers." The name itself is a play on words, blending the cross-rhythms of World Beat music with the physical and spiritual movement of the soul.

  • DANCE: Creative Dance
    ACADEMICS: Natural Sciences, Spanish, P.E.
    ARTS INTEGRATIONS: N/A

Availability:
Mon-Fri: 6-9pm

Sam Swartz

Assistant Teacher/Trainee

  • For Sam Swartz, dance is far more than a sequence of steps; it is a catalyst for radical self-expression and personal transformation. Originally from Indiana, Sam moved to the heart of the entertainment industry in 2020 to bridge her academic background with her lifelong passion for the stage. A Purdue University alumna with a degree in English and a minor in Theatre, she is currently expanding her expertise by pursuing specialized certifications in dance, theatre, and education. Sam’s technical foundation began at age three with the classics—Jazz, Tap, and Ballet—later evolving into a four-year tenure as a choreographer for Higher Ground Dance Company at Purdue, where she specialized in Hip Hop, Jazz, and Modern dance. A veteran of the stage, Sam has appeared in over 20 theatre and musical productions. Her versatile performance credits span a variety of genres, with favorite roles including Claire in Rumors, Minnie in Hello Dolly!, and Jasmine in Aladdin. Whether she is leading a rehearsal or performing on stage, Sam fosters an environment where movement sparks a deep internal connection. When she isn’t in the studio, Sam finds her own inspiration in the worlds and magic of Disney and Harry Potter, getting lost in a good book, belting out songs in the car and the simple joy of dancing like no one is watching.

As an Assistant Teacher and Trainee, Sam will be assisting large group classes. 

Our Administrators

Jessie Hernandez

Jessie Hernandez is a dedicated dance educator and performer whose work is rooted in the belief that dance inspires a mind body spirit connection which fosters the pursuit of joy, authenticity, and transformation. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a B.A. in Dance and minors in Philosophy and Education, earning multiple awards including Dance Honors, Program Scholar, and department recognition in Dance Teaching and Service. During her time at LMU, she served as president of the collegiate chapters of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and Movement Exchange. She was also twice honored as an Arnhold Summer Fellow with the 92NY Dance Education Laboratory as a student of dance pedagogy. For more than eight years, Jessie has been a dance educator and performer working with nonprofits and studios including Dance 4 Joy Ministries, LA County Arts Commission, Anointed Feet Dance, and the American Youth Dance Theater. Beyond the studio, she has served as an Administrative Director and Coordinator for Dance 4 Joy Ministries and the Loyola Marymount University Dance Department, as well as an administrative intern with New York Live Arts.

Administrative Coordinator

Stephanie Benson

Stephanie Benson believes in the arts’ power to positively shape young people’s lives to be active members of their community, fostering joy and hope. Originally from Southern California, Stephanie holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Dance and Theatre and a minor in Education from Loyola Marymount University. At Loyola Marymount, she served as the President of Gryphon Circle, a service organization dedicated to promoting equitable and accessible education as a way to work for justice. She has worked as an educator and administrator for several performing arts organizations including Dance 4 Joy Ministries, Joffrey Ballet School, Greenhouse Art Center, Anointed Feet Dance School, Dance Works OC and Creativities Studio. Stephanie is passionate about serving her communities, especially within the intersection of art and education, recognized through numerous esteemed service awards, including the Marian, RSHM Senior Service, Presidential Citation, and Raymunde McKay awards.

Administrative Assistant