Teachers
OWNER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BALLET, CONDITIONING
DIANE COLLINS
Originally from Boston, Diane brings over 40 years of experience in dance education, including more than 10 years of teaching in Boston, Massachusetts, and over 31 years as the owner and director of DC Dance LA. She trained for over 20 years at the Donna Miceli Dance Center of Boston, performing and traveling internationally. Her training includes classical ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance, along with advanced study at both the Boston Ballet and the Donna Miceli Dance Center.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Diane founded DC Dance LA in Santa Monica as a performance-driven and competitive dance studio for children ages 3–18. Ballet is the foundation of DC’s curriculum at every level, and all company dancers are required to enroll in ballet. Her annual Nutcracker production showcases dancers’ classical technique while also featuring contemporary, jazz, and modern works.
Throughout her career, Diane has guided countless students toward success—many have gone on to premier college dance programs, professional dance careers, and meaningful paths as dance educators themselves. In 2021, she relocated DC Dance LA to a 4,000-square-foot facility in Culver City, creating expanded opportunities for her dancers to perform, train, and explore the world of dance in a dynamic and inspiring environment.
ELEVATE DIRECTOR
TESS HEWLETT
Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz Technique
Artistic Director of the DCLA Elevate Program
Tess is originally from Midway, Utah, where she began dancing at age 3. After training at home and around the country the next fifteen years, she was offered a scholarship to the Edge Performing Arts Center. At 18, she moved to Los Angeles to begin her professional dance career. Since completing the Edge program in 2009, Over Tess’ career she has taught and performed all over the world with LA Contemporary Dance Company, Entity Contemporary Dance, Heidi Duckler Dance, and LOBOS art collective. A few of her commercial credits as a performer include Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, The Voice, Dear White People, Transparent, The OA, Apple, and as a movement director for the HBO show Perry Mason.
Company affiliations include: L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (Kate Hutter), Axiom (Denna Thomsen & Zak Schlegal), Boogiezone's ENTITY Dance Company (Marissa Osato and Will Johnston), collidEdance (Erica Sobol), and SoleVita Dance Company (Joelle Martinec). Ms. Tess is a member of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company and looks forward to nurturing future dance careers at the DC Dance LA.
Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Yoga, Conditioning
KIM DAVIGIAN
Kimberly Davagian is a dance artist, educator, and choreographer originally from Massachusetts, where she trained at Boston Ballet before earning a BFA from Fordham University/Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, with a minor in philosophy Based in New York City after graduation, she performed with several modern dance companies, including Heidi Latsky Dance, and toured nationally and internationally with companies based in New York, LA, and Colorado.After relocating to Colorado, Kimberly served as an adjunct professor of dance fundamentals at the University of Colorado at CS and ballet technique at Pikes Peak State College. She was also a yoga instructor at CorePower Yoga and an active performer, choreographer, instructor, and board member with Ormao Dance Company. During this time, she collaborated with figure skating coaches and elite athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, providing artistic direction and choreographic development for competitive short and long programs executed by aspiring Olympic figure skaters.
In 2019, Kim earned an MFA in choreography from Jacksonville University following a guest artist teaching residency and thesis performance in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Upon returning to California, she held faculty appointments as Visiting Professor at the University of California, Irvine, and at Idyllwild Arts Academy, where she taught modern technique, composition, and improvisation. During the 2022–23 academic year, Kim served as Chair of the Dance Department at the Oakland School for the Arts. She continues to travel nationally and internationally, teaching and sharing her expertise of the Horton technique with dancers of diverse training backgrounds, and setting original choreography at educational institutions and on professional companies across the country.
Kim is thrilled to lead the modern dance program at DC Dance LA and remains dedicated to creating original work and teaching ballet, pointe, improv/composition and modern technique classes to beginning to pre-professional movement artists. She will also return as a faculty member at Orange County School of the Arts for the 2025–26 school year as well as serve on the Admissions Committee selecting incoming dance majors for the Department of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA for the 2026-27 academic year. Kim continues to grow the yoga / meditation program at Safe Place for Youth Venice where she facilitates weekly classes to educate and empower unhoused and at-risk youth in her community. Kim greatly looks forward to performing with the modern dance company String Theory in April 2026.
Competition Team Director, Children's Ballet, Musical Theater, Tap, Jazz, & Contemporary
CIERRA CROWLEY
Cierra Crowley is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher originally from Los
Angeles, California. Her professional career in dance began in 2015 after she
graduated from the University of California, Irvine as a double major, with a BFA in
Dance Performance and a BFA in Dance Choreography. Since moving to LA, she has
been featured in numerous music videos for artists including Miguel, Lenny Kravitz,
PANIC! at the Disco, BANKS, Carly Rae Jepsen, Le Sserafim, Johnny Hallyday, Prince
Royce, and Wisin y Yandel. She has appeared in commercials and danced for
companies including Billie Eilish’s Beat Saber through Oculus, MAC Cosmetics, Mattel,
and DJI Drone. She has also had the opportunity to tour internationally, performing with
the artist BANKS throughout Australia. Some of her other live performance credits
include performing in LA Fashion Week, TEDx Orange Coast, and the Kornél Fekete-
Civics and Modern Art Orchestra. Her choreography and dancing has been featured for
the company Roblox and on the big screen for the Elton John in his “Farewell Yellow
Brick Road” tour in Los Angeles. She has taught internationally, in Ireland, and Spain,
and for Steezy Studios as one of their first contemporary teachers. As a teacher, her
movement is rooted in expression, with an extreme focus on textures and movement
qualities in relation to musicality.
Ballet, Lyrical, Pointe, Children's Ballet & Tap, Conditioning, GYROTONIC® METHOD
EMILY KRENIK
Emily grew up dancing at DC Dance and is now dancing professionally with FLOCK, a contemporary dance company. She has performed with them around the world, including Germany, Italy, and the US. She is also a certified Gyrotonic ® trainer at Goodwin Studios. She loves teaching at DC and sharing her love for dance with the students.
Competition Team Director, Children's Ballet/Tap, Musical Theater, Jazz, & Contemporary
REESE TAYLOR
Reese Taylor was raised at DC Dance LA, where she developed her love for dance and now proudly gives back as a choreographer and teacher, creating work for dancers ages 3–18.
Reese is currently a company member with Royal Flux Dance under the direction of Jaclyn Royal. She has danced all over the states as well as internationally in Spain, Ireland, and Canada. Some of her on-screen credits include commercials for Just Dance and So You Think You Can Dance, as well as Missionary, a short film by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Beyond performing, Reese loves assisting at Dance One events, including Nuvo and Radix.
Contemporary, Jazz Funk
SHIORI KAMIJO
Shiori, orginally from Japan, is an LA-based dancer and choreographer. After working with iconic Japanese artists and teaching at many esteemed dance studios in Tokyo, she moved to Los Angeles and became a company member of Entity Contemporary Dance in 2017. As a choreographer, Shiori won the Capezio A.C.E. Awards Grand Prize in 2020 and has presented original work at the McCallum Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, CA and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2022. She has taught and performed internationally in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. Her primary dance style is contemporary fusion that blends the technique of contemporary and grooves of hip hop with delicate musicality.
Jazz, Progressions & Technique, Musical Theater, On Camera
RILEY ROBERTS
RILEY ROBERTS (She/ Her) is originally from Southern CA. She received her BFA in Dance Performance, a minor in Integral Educational Studies from Chapman University. Upon receiving her degree she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a professional dance and choreography career. Riley has since worked with Olivia Rodrigo, Panic at the Disco, One Republic, FIOR, Jai Wolf, and Caleb Hearn. Riley has movement coached for OCULUS and has assisted Monika Felice Smith with commercials for Skinny Pop and SPLASH.
Riley has worked as a cinematographer for LUME Dance Company and has filmed for multiple choreographer’s within Los Angeles. Riley was a DP Justin Vidal’s Music Video “When I’m with You, Girl”. She has now launched her own company called the The Ardor Effect. With this company she hopes to create a new dance and film company focused on bringing multifaceted artists together to work as a collective to deliver visual products for DJs, Brands, Influencers, Music Artists, and more!
Hip Hop
TRAVIS LIM
Travis, orginally from Vancouver, Canada, started his career on the competitive stage making a name for himself at various international competitions winning a Silver and Gold medal at HHI’s World Hip-Hop Championships, 3 Golds at the IDO World Championships, becoming certified to be a HHI Judge, and travelling on the World of Dance tour as the first WOnDerkid. Travis was featured in World of Dance Season 2 along with his crew Freshh, hosted his own television show HipHop with Travis Lim on the Shaw network (Canada), and other various television series. Not only is he an international figure, Travis continues to have a strong presence in the Vancouver community donating his time to further develop Vancouver’s dance scene while teaching and performing internationally. Travis is a recent graduate of the UCLA dance program. He is a dedicated and passionate dancer on and off the stage, encouraging people to follow their dreams.
Acro, Contemporary, Jazz, Leaps & Turns
RYLEY POLAK
Ryley Polak is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer who resides in Los Angeles, California, where he received his BFA in commercial dance. (Hussian College In Studio Los Angeles). While studying in college, Ryley was signed by the Movement Talent Agency, which now represents him as both a Dancer and Educator. Throughout his professional career, he has worked on sets of commercials, movies, music videos, and TV shows such as A24’s “Dick’s: The Musical”
“VROOM” SuperBowl commercial, and Anna Margo’s “Bad Friend” music video. Ryley has performed internationally and danced with company’s like Royal Flux and Volta Collective in places like Italy, Canada, London, Cyprus, and more. Some choreographers Ryley has worked with include Mike Tyus, Jaclyn Royal, Mandy Moore, and many others. Ryley was also the Joe Tremaine choreography Scholarship winner in his freshman class which was awarded to him for his choreography. Ryley takes pride in his work as a dancer and choreographer and provides a professional, educational, and inspiring environment that is a combination of fun, athletic, and challenging movement. He specializes in Contemporary, Acrobatics, Jazz, modern, Technique, and Stretching.
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Jazz, Hip Hop, and Contemporary
BRIA TAYLOR
Bria Nicole is a Los Angeles native who received her earliest dance training at The Dance
Connection Dance Academy. She continued her dance studies and training at the University
of the Arts where she received a BFA in Dance. While studying at Uarts, Bria worked with
Gary Jeter from Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ronen Koresh, Martha Chamberlain and
Tara Keating from the Pennsylvania Ballet and many more. As a professional, some of her
credits include MTV Music Video Awards, national commercials, music videos, the Clippers
NBA dance team, The ClippersSpirit and brands such as Old Navy, Anthropologie and
Adidas. Bria has worked with various renowned choreographers and directors, such as
Brian Friedman, HiHat, Kenny Ortega, Dave Meyers,Tony Testa and more. She has also
performed alongside music artists such as Beyonce, BeBe Rexha and Roddy Ricch. Bria has
also had the privilege to become a principal dancer in the New York City contemporary
ballet company, Ballet Inc. Currently, she is the Director of the dance program at Notre
Dame Academy. As a dance educator and choreographer, Bria has become an advocate for
dancer’s health and well-being. She plans to create a brave and productive space for
dancers by constructing injury prevention and rehabilitation programs, which will educate
dancers about proper care for their bodies for a long-lasting career. Bria continues to
nurture her creativity and maintain a fruitful career as a concert and commercial artist. She
continues to teach and set choreography in the Los Angeles area.