JUST DANCE!

Kristen McLaughlin trained at the EDGE as a scholarship recipient, has been a paid commercial dancer, and performed professionally for the Mark Goodman Tap Company. As an accomplished choreographer, Kristen has created work for Stars Theatre, LMU, the 100 Monkeys, Katie Jerzig, The Kissing Club, and The Nutcracker and has competed in the Under the Stars Choreography Festival. As a dancer, Kristen has completed teaching training with CPYB and Lauridsen Ballet Centre and she has taught at The School of Nashville Ballet, Lauridsen Ballet Centre, Tri-Cities Academy, Fresno City College, and California State University, Bakersfield. She is the director of the Kern Arts Academy. @kernartsacademy

St. Louis native Geoff ALexander received his BA in dance performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. While in school he began his professional career dancing with the Trek Dance Collective, now Leverage Dance Theatre, in St. Louis. Soon after graduating Geoff auditioned to become a founding dancer for The Big Muddy Dance Company, a classical based contemporary repertory company currently directed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre alum Kirven Douthit-Boyd. Throughout his professional career Geoff has had the pleasure of working with renowned choreographers, performing in collaboration with the St. Louis Symphony, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra. With over 13 years of teaching experience Geoff has been sought out to teach contemporary and jazz techniques for various companies, universities, studios, and theatre organizations such as the St. Louis Muny. @geoffsalex 

Ashley Choate is a dance instructor with 13 years of experience and over 5 years of experience teaching dance and conditioning classes. She is passionate about helping adults discover their love for dance, whether by regaining old skills or learning new ones. She loves bringing joy and fulfillment to her students. @choatelikegoat 

Elyanna Kim is a professional ballet dancer originally from Bakersfield, California. She has been dancing for 19 years and has danced professionally with Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre, Pasadena Dance Theatre, and Zion Dance Project. While pursuing her dreams of dance, she fell in love with business and accounting and recently opened her business as a bookkeeper. In addition, she is the Director of Operations for a global school ROAR Academy, providing a university program in 12 nations. She has taught for Mallory Academy of Dance and Revolution Dance Academy and continues to guest teach around California. She recently joined the Kern Dance Alliance family with a passion for expanding the art form in her community. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of arts in Dance Education with the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. She resides in Bakersfield and operates Life En Pointe while continuing to dance as a freelance artist. @lifeonpointetv

Veronica Hidalgo was born in Morelia Michoacan Mexico and came to the USA when she was 17 years old. Dance has always been her passion, escape, and therapy. She is the owner of My Dance and Fitness Studio and also the Founder of the Non-Profit Organization Dance Fitness Academy and Healing Arts.

Angelica Seuea Eke has been dancing since she was 8 years old in the arts of Siva Samoa, Hula, and Tahitian. Today, she is the leader of Tatou Uma Pasefika Cultural Arts which has been established since 2016. Tatou Uma are Samoan words that mean “All of Us,” which follow the example of the Plynesian cultures that the whole matters because the individual matters. With this upbringing, she brings this same atmosphere wherever she goes. @tu_celtural

Naomi Rivera has been dancing for 18 years. She specializes in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary and Shway styles. Naomi has appeared on the Nickelodeon show Victorious, the ABC hit-show Modern Family, and commercials for Telemundo and Chukchansi Resort & Casino along with dancing professionally with Six Flags Magic Mountain. @Naomi_dancer

Andrew “DANCE FEVER” Jones, with backgrounds in all styles of dance, specializes in street styles like hip hop, popping and animation. He has traveled all over the world making his mark as the “dancing bodybuilder” with a highly effective and motivating style. He has danced for artists/celebrities such as Chris Brown, Omarion, Vin Diesel and The Les Twins and been in movies and shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and The X Factor.

He began serving the community of Bakersfield in 2004 where he created weekly Krump battles at multiple parks in Bakersfield that offered a safe and competitive space for teens and young adults to dance. Since 2014, he has toured globally (Europe, Asia, Russia, China, Etc.) and domestically dancing in all 50 states. Dance Fever has offered over 200 masterclasses and workshops with The Dance Fever Experience where he has been featured in conventions, on television shows, as well as in studios, gyms, and expos. 

His pumped classes implement unique cutting edge fitness variations and style, all the while burning the maximum amount of calories with all styles. @F3ver_motivator

Loni O’Donley has been clogging for 38 years, and instructing the Black Gold Cloggers for 33 years. She is a retired elementary school teacher who has continued her love of teaching with clogging. Loni is a National Certified clogging instructor and she travels extensively to clogging workshops and conventions every year. She has choreographed many dances throughout the years and taught on stage at many conventions and workshops as well as serving on the boards of organizations to promote clogging. @clogmom1

Pamela and Rueben have created BakerSwing to bring more Lindy Hop to Bakersfield! They have competed in Collegiate Shag and Lindy Hop for over 10 years and have placed in numerous competitions. They were a part of the award winning LA Shag team for 6 years before moving back to Bakersfield. They are passionate about the dancing, the history, and the connection this style of dance represents. @Bakerswing

DAT KREW Academy is a non-profit dance and performing arts organization located in Bakersfield, CA founded in 2014 by owner/instructor Luther Gray and assistant Brushay Taylor. DAT KREW’s mission is to inspire today’s youth through art and expression by providing a healthy, creative, and socal alternative to gang violence, crime, and addiction worldwide. @datkrew661

Andrew Rosales is a dancer and choreographer who has been dancing for over a decade; training in hip hop and breaking. He became inspired to dance by watching movies and television shows such as You Got Served, America’s Best Dance Crew, and So You THink YO Can Dance, and studied numerous tutorials and interviews from other dancers on YouTube to be able to build his own foundational set of skills and improve his understanding of dance through the lens of different perspectives. Andrew is also a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and his ultimate goal is to inspire others through dance as an artistic medium while utilizing his formal educational training to provide healthcare/advice to positively impact the lives of others. @ahhh_drew