NEISA SHULER

Lyrical, Intensive

Neisa, a Chico native, has been dancing for over a decade! She began her training at Chico Creek Dance Centre in 2005 and soon after joined Full Force Dance Company. She has performed and/or choreographed for countless community events, as well as taught at several studios in the area. While attending Inspire School of Arts & Sciences, she studied dance, theatre arts, choreography, makeup and costume design, and was a teaching assistant for several classes. Upon graduating in 2012, she received both the Dancer of the Year & Choreographer of the Year awards.

In 2014, Neisa moved across the country to Chicago, IL to attend school and continue her dance training. While there she made her dream come true and was asked to join The Kate Jablonski Statement, a professional dance company run by her biggest inspiration Kate Jablonski. However, due to an injury and subsequent illness, Neisa returned home to Northern California the following year. Neisa continues to teach and dance in the area and absolutely loves what she does!

MARIE WELCH

Jazz, Lyrical, Minis, Tiny Tots, Intensive

Marie has been dancing since she was three years old and joined CDC’s competitive team at age ten. She has won many awards, including Miss Teen Dance, California Arts Scholarship, numerous Top 10 Overall Awards, and CDC’s Senior Dancer Award. She has also performed for numerous local teams including Team Rave, Shasta College’s production of The Nutcracker and Chico’s Just Keep Dance Alive. She has taught dance classes and choreography at various dance studios in Southern California, including for Terry Schulke at Just Plain Dancin’.

Her love for dance and performing has been one of the most satisfying pursuits of her life. Marie continues to teach and perform at every opportunity and is happy to be back at CDC!

CHELSEA GILROY

Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Mini, Performance Team, Developpe Ballet Company

Chelsea is a Redding native. She started her dance training at the age of four, studying ballet, tap and jazz.  Chelsea began teaching dance at the age of 16 and hasn’t stopped since! She has taught and choreographed for many different studios and programs in the north state, including Redding Dance Centre, Kid’s Unlimited, RCMTC, The Academy of Personalized Learning, California Dance Company and The Cascade Theatre.

Chelsea continues to learn and renew her passion for dance through various teacher conventions and intensives. For the past decade, Chelsea has been dedicated to expanding and developing California Dance Company’s ballet program. She is so proud of how far the program and dancers have come and loves being a part of the CDC team!

Our Award-Winning Staff and Apprentice Program!

We have over 20 years of bringing the love of dance to all ages by sharing its beauty, power, and vision in fresh and unique way!. We strive to make all of our dancers feel welcome and at home in our studios, whether they are competitive or recreational dancers. Our staff is invested in each dancer’s success, on and off the dance floor! We don’t just teach dance; we teach valuable life lessons too!

Whether you are looking for an hour a week to have some fun and release some energy, or you are looking to train and improve your dance skills and technique, we have something to offer you! We pride ourselves on our varied schedule, with classes geared toward all levels and ages. We continue to look for opportunities to improve our studio, strengthen our dancers, and grow our staff!

SONYA KENNEDY

Studio Owner - Intensive Team, Tech, Tap, Jazz, Tiny Tots

Sonya was born in Montreal, Canada, and started her dance training in Toronto. She has been in many competitions throughout Canada and the United States as a gymnast, figure skater, and dancer. Among her achievements, she was crowned California’s 1999 Entertainer of the Year in Fresno.

At age 18 Sonya moved to Northern California. She opened her one room studio in 1996 with just a handful of students; now, over 20 years later, CDC is thriving with hundreds of students at 2 locations. Sonya takes beginning dancers and teaches them the determination, discipline, team building, poise, and self-confidence that one needs to become a professional dancer. Some of her students have become dancers for sports teams such as the Sacramento Kings, LA Lakers, Arizona Cardinals, and the San Fransisco 49ers. She has five dancers signed to top talent agencies in Hollywood. She has taken dancers to the World Dance Championships in Germany four times to represent the U.S.A, and in 2011 her dancer received the Gold medal in the Junior Solo division. This marked the first time the U.S. had ever had a World Champion in that division.

Sonya has been the recipient of numerous scholarship, performance, and choreography awards at countless different events! At the 2015 Spotlight Competition in Sacramento, CDC won the Distinguished Studio Award for impeccable technique, outstanding performance, and the diversity her dancers display in all genres of dance. In 2017, she received Choreographer of the Year from Energy National Dance Competition.

Sonya is proud of the relationships she establishes with her students. They eventually grow up and leave to begin new chapters in their lives, but they still feel as if CDC is their second home and love to check in often. It is because of these lasting relationships that Sonya believes she and the CDC staff are not just teaching dance, but creating experiences and gifting life lessons that help shape their dancers into responsible, well-adjusted, life-loving adults. Sonya considers herself not just a dance teacher, but also a coach, counselor, and mentor. There is nothing more satisfying to her than watching her students open their wings and fly away to experience new adventures and to conquer new challenges. Sonya feels California Dance Company prepares them for both, with an open mind and much enthusiasm!

JAMIE CLELAND

Hip Hop, Intensive

Jamie Cleland, is an 18-year-old college freshman who has been involved in all genres of dance, including ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, and lyrical for the past 11 years and has been competing for 10. She started her dance career at J & J Performing Arts in Susanville and six years later moved to California Dance Company in Anderson. Shortly after, she began teaching dance, all while continuing to compete herself. She became captain of her high school dance team and held that position for 3 years, as well as a teacher at California Dance Company for 2 years! Her favorite genre of dance is hip hop. She loves the fact that she can find her own groove and just be herself. She plans to continue to thrive through her passion ford ance and someday own her own studio in Idaho.

MEGAN BEESON

Jazz, Lyrical, Minis, Tiny Tots, Intensive

Megan has been dancing since she was seven years old. She started recreationally and, within a year, competitively. She has competed in numerous dance competitions, placing overall in her dances as well as winning many Judges' Choice Awards. She was one of the dancers to place on the US Dance Team and compete in Riesa, Germany. Megan taught at CDC during her Junior and Senior years of high school, and upon graduating further her dance career professionally by dancing for the Sacramento Kings Dance Team. After five years with the Kings, Megan is back and eager to share her love for dance by once again teaching and inspiring students at CDC!

SHAYNA ACOSTA

Contemporary, Jazz Funk, Tumbling

Shayna Acosta is from Tulsa, Oklahoma and is currently The Co-Owner of The Legacy Project, Creative Director of Legacy Creative, Inc. and Owner of The Impossible Movement Workshop. Shayna trained under Dallas Power House, Planet Funk, and Tulsa Ballet. She has a back ground in Gymnastics, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz, Jazz Funk, and Break Dancing. As a Gymnastic Coach she trained under Geza Pozsar the Olympic Floor Routine Choreographer, and currently is hired to create Optional Level Gymnastic Floor & Beam Routines. As a Dancer, You can see Shayna dancing along side “Hanson” in their award winning VHI/MTV music videos, “Thinking about Something” and “Give a Little”. Performing with Hanson on stage as well as dancing in their “Thinking about Something Tutorial”. She also shared the stage with 4 Time Grammy Winner Israel Houghton, along with being the Movement Director and Choreographer for several national TV com- mercials, and choreographer for several Music Videos including Weston Horn and The Hush’s “Just Can’t Stop”. Shayna has worked as an adjunct professor at Oral Roberts University and Tulsa University within their dance programs. Shayna is married to Adam Acosta. Together they have created several hip hop dance crews that have been show cased and won national awards at venues such as World of Dance and Hip Hop Internationals. She is currently working as a Professional Choreographer, Master Class Instructor, and is on staff with Talent on Parade as a Competition Judge and Convention Master Class Teacher.

JENNIFER DEACON

Aerial Silks

Jennifer began ballet at the age of two, and quickly added tumbling and cheer. In high school, she choreographed cheer and drama dance routines. She later found yoga, and has taken numerous workshops and classes in many different schools of yoga. Through yoga, Jennifer discovered aerial silks and circus arts. She currently climbs silks and takes workshops and private lessons with many different teachers including Cirque de Soliel artists, US aerial champions, Chinese handbalancing coaches, and as many aerialists as she can find!

Jennifer has performed aerial and contortion with the Redding City Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Redding Fire Festival, Celtic festivals, private parties events, roller derbies, Humboldt Juggling Festival, and Taste of Willow Creek. She has taught yoga for 14 years, as well as dance, tumbling, adult aerial silks, and contortion workshops. Jennifer is very excited to share her skills with California Dance Company!

AMANDA MCCARLEY

Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Leaps & Turns, Hip Hop, Minis, Tiny Tots, Intensive

Amanda McCarley was born and raised in Redding and started dancing ballet, tap, and jazz at the age of 6. She joined the CDC Intensive Team in 2013 and discovered her love for any other styles of dance such as Lyrical, Contemporary, Aerial Silks, and Hip Hop. Dance has been Amanda's passion all her life. She will now be starting her journey as a teacher and can't wait to share her knowledge and love of dance with her students!

KIM GRAY

Tiny Tot Gymnastics, Beginner Gymnastics

Coach Kim has been coaching gymnastics for sixteen years and loves every second of it! The eyes of a child shines so bright when they start to believe that they can achieve more than they've ever imagines. It is amazing! Outside of gymnastics, Kim is passionate about playing with her grandchildren, skateboarding and snowboarding, and being in her favorite place - in Santa Cruz, on the beach!

RAELYN STIRTON

Contemporary, Tiny Tots

RaeLyn was born in Redding and grew up in the small town of Cottonwood. She started dancing at age 2, and competing at age 4. She had the privilege of auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance Juniors when she was 11 years old, and got to explore Chicago with dance instructor Sonya Kennedy. Once she graduates high school in the year 2021 she will attend a four year and pursue her desire to teach children. RaeLyn loves teaching kids because there is something special about children minds’. They are go getters, and willing to try anything as long as you fuel them with confidence. She allows them to express themselves in any way possible, and that creates true art.

PAUL JASPER

Conditioning

Paul’s overall passion is to positively impact those he connects with through his love of fitness and dance. With over 7 years of experience in the fitness industry Paul as a ISSA and ONNIT certificated trainer he has worked with, and improved a variety of clients skill-sets from multiple backgrounds including professional athletes, professional dancers, youth soccer teams, youth basketball teams and more. Though Paul teaches a wide range of clients his true passion lies in the youth, because he understands the depth of how his message could positively impact our world for generations. Paul learned to transform his “pain” like childhood obesity, poverty, extreme self doubt and lack of confidence into purpose, which has taught him invaluable lessons that he now shares through his teachings.

ADAM ACOSTA

Hip Hop, Intensive

Adam Acosta started his dance journey as a Popper and Bboy where he quickly became a member of the highly recognized Soul Style Krew. With SSK Adam opened shows for Coolio, Sir Mix a lot, and Jurassic 5.  He then joined Triqueta Creative group where at the age of 18 he toured with an original Hip Hop musical called "Roofless". Adam has been a dance professor at Oral Roberts University, and Tulsa University. He has choreographed for MTV music videos, and shared the stage with 4 time Grammy award winner "Israel Houghton". Some of his most significant and impactful work though has been as the co-founder of The Legacy Project along with his wife Shayna Acosta, and as the Executive Director of Legacy Creative. Together they have directed and choreographed 4 original stage productions, and won national choreography awards. Their heart for teaching and desire to impact the next generation has been seen and felt all over the country.

BRANDON MOLINA

Aerial Silks

Brandon was born in Redding, California. His dance journey started recently, when he decided to join the Aerial Silks 1 class at the age of 15. It only took him one year to advance into the Advanced Aerial Silks class. Now at the age of 18, Brandon only just started taking a Contemporary dance class as well. Though he hasn’t been around for long, and has little experience in the dance world, he is confident in his skills. He knows exactly how he is going to teach all types of Aerial Silk students. He will teach his students that the only way to develop Aerial skills, flexibility, and strength comes from hard work and dedication.

MATT THEONE

Tumbling

Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Matthew started breakdancing in 1998 at the age of 16. He has traveled the Midwest competing and performing for the last 20 years. Through breakdancing he acquired the skills and knowledge to begin tumbling. Outside of dancing he was also a practioner of parkour and free running for 3 years. Matt is a student and artist of all 3 original dance styles of Hip-Hop (breakdancing, popping, and locking). He has taught solo artist and groups not only in the basics and fundamentals of movement for breakdancing but also in strength and conditioning, and movement in general. He is now beginning to incorporate personal and group training, as well as nutrition, into his training to help dancers reach new levels in their discipline and practice. Through dance and tumbling, Matt was able to achieve the freedom and expression of his soul and heart, which helped to shape and mold his identity. He hopes to have a training gym of his own one day and to help not only students, but everyone achieve their identity and greatness in life.