SHAWN VITALE
Shawn Vitale may have started dancing later than most professionals, but that hasn’t stopped her yet. She credits Jimmie DeFore Dance Center for her divine training and diversity. Shawn is a certified Gyrotonic® Instructor and loves working one on one with clients. Teaching at numerous dance studios and high schools all over Orange County, for the past 12 years, has given her the opportunity to refine her teaching skills.
Her versatile choreography has won countless awards and has recently been featured on My Dream Quinceanera. Together with Pam Wainer, Shawn is thrilled to bring you Orange County’s newest home for dancers 15 and older, AfterHours.
ARIANNA HYATT
Arianna began dancing very early in life, training almost exclusively in Checchetti Ballet, over the years, her ballet training expanded and she has now studied various styles, including Vaganova, RAD, and Balanchine. She considers her teaching style to be a blend of ballet techniques and believes in the importance of string, technical ballet training for all styles of dance. While attending the Academy for the Performing Arts for high school, Arianna developed skills and training in other areas, such as vocal performance, acting and musical theater. With her passion for musical theater growing she expanded her experience to work alongside many local and regional theater companies performing roles such as Nicki in Sweet Charity, Postiphar's wife in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cha-Cha in Grease, Frenchie in Cabaret, ensemble roles in Cinderella, Singin' in the Rain, Thoroughly Modern Millie and many more.
In 2003, Arianna was chosen to join the scholarship program at Jimmie DeFore Dance Center. The program had her dancing over 20 hours a week training in Ballet, Hip-Hop, Tap, Jazz and Contemporary. After a year on scholarship, she began teaching and working with the DeFore dance competition team, She changed her focus to working with adults only and remained teaching on staff and dancing at Defore until its closure.
Arianna has a master's in Education with her PPS credential in School Counseling. She currently works at Costa Mesa High school helping students explore college and career options. When not at school, she can be seen dancing and teaching throughout Orange County, and working with multiple theaters as a choreographer. Some of her favorite productions she has worked on include Guys and Dolls, Miss Saigon, Cabaret and Annie.
BAILEY ALTSTETTLER
Bailey began her dance training at Houston Dance Studio in Ohio at the age of 3. There, she trained in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical hip hop and gymnastics. At the age of 12. she moved to California where her uncle owned a dance studio. She continued training there and began as an assistant teacher. By age 14, she taught her own classes at Dance Emotion. She also auditioned and was accepted to OCHSA, the Orange County High School of the Arts, where she received extensive training in the Commercial Dance Conservatory. There she branched out into new styles such as modern contemporary. In 2007, Bailey was accepted as a scholarship member on a hip hop team, Mavyn Entertainment, where she developed much of her hip hop style. In 2008, Bailey began performing as backup dancer for several local music artists as well as dancing in many different shows and projects. she also began teaching competitively at Marina High School, is an instructor for 2 local dance studios, and produces an adult dance Showcase that she created in 2014, Loose Cannons. Bailey has an everlasting passion for the art of dance and enjoys passing on her knowledge, inspiring dancers, and creating opportunities for upcoming artists to grow and shine, and thrive in their dance careers.
DANTE CORPUZ
Dante Corpuz began his movement career as a competitive and Junior Olympian gymnast before transitioning into the dance industry. His training derives from competitive dance styles such as: jazz, lyrical, hip hop and contemporary. Dante attended the University of California, Santa Barbara for a BFA in Dance; studying Ballet, Modern and Choreography prior to pursuing his dream as a Professional Commercial Dancer in Los Angeles, CA.
Dante’s current works include dancing for television, film and live stage sets for Olivia Rodrigo (SOUR Prom Concert Film & the MTV VMA’s) and Blue 13 Dance Company (Disney’s Festival of Holidays at Disney’s California Adventure Park), music videos for artists like Sky Katz & Colby Cecca, as well as TV appearances for CBS (The Activist) & Amazon.
Dante is currently represented by Go2Talent Agency and a member of the LUME Dance Performance Collective, working under the co-direction of Maryann Chavez and Monika Felice Smith.
Dante hopes to inspire future dancers to chase their dreams and never give up. Not every path is the same. Trust in yourself and abilities and everything will fall into place.
Instagram: dante_corpuz_
DEANNA GARDINER
Deanna began dancing at the age of two and hasn’t stopped since. Born and raised in southern California, Deanna has been trained in a multitude of styles such as contemporary, tap and lyrical with a focus on ballet and jazz. She has been training in hip hop over the years with our very own Shawn Vitale. Deanna has had the opportunity to work under many teachers and has studied and competed for various studios such as Joan Golden, Hart Academy, Imperial Dance, Dance Incorporated and Jimmie Defore Dance Center. In her younger years, Deanna won numerous awards in dance competitions from solos to group productions throughout the L.A. and Orange County areas. As she continued in her career Deanna attended the University of California, Irvine, where she received her B.A in Dance, from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
Dancing has offered Deanna many opportunities such as performing in the 1994 Pro Bowl halftime activities alongside the famous guitarist, Carlos Santana, traveling to the San Francisco Bay Area to guest teach for various summer workshops, has performed in music videos, was a dancer and choreographer for Chase Models Dance Ensemble, has performed in Jimmie DeFore’s “Pulse” Annual Showcase, as well as multiple appearances in the Loose Cannons Choreography Showcases.
Deanna has been teaching since 1995 at a multitude of schools and studios all through Orange County. In 2007 Deanna started a mobile dance academy that brings dance classes to children in preschools, daycares and elementary schools all throughout L.A., Orange and County, with the goal of teaching the joy of movement, and emphasizing a respectful interaction with children and the art of dance. Deanna had the privilege of being on staff at Jimmie Defore Dance Center in Costa Mesa until July of 2016. Deanna currently dances, teaches and regularly substitutes at Dance Dance Dynamics in RSM and Southland Ballet Academy in Irvine, while also continuing to teaching and grow her mobile dance school. Deanna is overjoyed to be a part of Dance Afterhours where is will continue to share her love and passion for dance.
TREMAINE BEAN
Tremaine grew up in the Pacific Northwest training extensively in a plethora of dance styles. Shortly after graduating high school he relocated to Orange County, CA to further pursue a career in entertainment. He has performed for the NBA Portland Trailblazers, Walt Disney, & Royal Caribbean Productions. He is a trained aerialist and has also performed ensemble in the musical "Hairspray" and "Mamma Mia!".
GENEVIEVE BERGDOF
Genevieve Victoria Bergdorf was born September 30th, 1984, in Orange, California. She is an actress, singer, dancer. She began dancing ballet, jazz and tap at the age of three. Studied music in marching band, jazz band and show choir throughout high school. Then went on to community college to study acting, musical theatre, dance and vocal jazz music. She has performed singing with jazz groups all over Southern California. Later she began her studies at My Acting Studio in Long Beach, California, under the direction of Charles Tientendo where she performs at the Aurora Theatre.
JESICRIS BATO
“Jesicris was Born into a family of dancers. Both of his parents competed in dance competitions growing up in the Philippines. They settled in Southern California and in 1988 Jesicris was born in the city of Fountain Valley. Hip Hop was immediately the style of choice for a young Jesicris who was nicknamed JC. Being self taught to freestyle watching MTV and learning choreography by rewinding VCR footage he brought his talents to school with him where he would meet other dancers and session with them to develop his craft. At Tesoro High School he would co-found the dance club and create his first team Urban Legends which continued on for 4 years after he graduated. He would also compete and win several Freestyle dance competitions. At the Saddleback Dance Collective he won Best Choreography out of 15 performances that year. He would then Co-Found the Dance Crew Boomkaz to compete in adult hip hop competitions through out California. In this time he was also a part of dance teams: Good Project, Reality Check, Kbae and Director of Infuse Dance Crew. Jesicris has been a dance instructor for 11 years working at multiple dance studios in the Orange County region having several first place overall titles under his belt with his hip hop teams and solos. Jesicris plans to use his knowledge of all Hip Hop dance styles to help develop a world where Hip Hop can be appreciated the same as any other style. He also intends to use what he learned from transitioning from freestyle dance to choreography to develop more creative dancers and assist them in perfecting their craft the same as he did growing up. Becoming a Hip Hop dance instructor was always his dream. Jesicris will help blaze a trail for upcoming dancers and choreographers to keep the fire of Hip Hop Dance alive.”