OUR FACULTY
JEKYNS PELÁEZ
Associate Artistic Director
Jekyns Pelaéz
Associal Artistic Director
A dancer, actor, educator and filmmaker. Jekyns began his studies in Drama and Dance at Bellas Artes in his native Colombia. Later, he graduated in Dance at the Instituto Colombiano de Ballet, and subsequently joined the Ballet de Cali. Also, he has danced with Ballet Arizona, Ohio Ballet, Chautauqua Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, MFDP/SF, Histrion Theatre of Art, Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, American Conservatory Theatre, Oakland Ballet, Diablo Ballet, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, among other appearances as guest artist.
His principal dance repertoire includes Balanchine’s Apollo and Serenade, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Esplanade, Carmen. In theatre, The Man of the Suitcase, The Tosca Project and No Exit, as well as appearances in films like Love Hurts, Blue Jasmine and HBO’s Perry Mason. In opera, in addition to the principal roles in Marta Domingo’s La Traviata, Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci and Zambello’s Aida at San Francisco Opera, he has performed in Barber of Seville, Cyrano de Bergerac, Turandot, Nixon in China, Madame Butterfly, Moby Dick, Show Boat, Sweeney Todd, among others. At the Los Angeles Opera in Simon Boccanegra, Barber of Seville and Carmen.
Along with extensive national and international touring and guesting, Jekyns has appeared in international dance festivals in Thailand, Cuba and Colombia, as well as in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated with honors both with a B.A in Performing Arts from the LEAP Program at St. Mary’s College as well as with a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Performance in Film, Theatre and Television from California State University. He is also a proud member of the SAG-AFTRA and AGMA performers’ unions.
In addition to receiving the Colombian State Department Honor in Excellence, other careers highlights include being a recipient of the Sono Osato award scholarship from The Actor’s Fund, a Hollywood Foreign Press Association Fellowship, a Dance Pedagogy Certificate from The National Ballet of Cuba, and a featured article in Pointe Magazine.
Lastly, Jekyns enjoys being invited to teach at several dance schools nationwide, and has been faculty California State University, Orange Coast Community College and California School of the Arts.
LAURA ALEXICH
Associate Artistic Director
Laura Alexich
Associal Artistic Director
Laura has been a professional in the ballet industry for over 15 years. A California native, she began her training in Santa Barbara at GVSB. When her family moved to the Inland Empire Laura began studying at Inland Pacific Ballet. Along with the faculty at IPB, she was privileged to work with well-known choreographers and teachers such as, Stanley Holden, Janek Schergan, Glenn Edgerton, Lawrence Blake, Arturo Fernandez, Charlotte Richards, and Maria Vegh. Laura spent her summers at intensive training programs under a scholarship program at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. She performed classic contemporary works by Jiri Kylian as well as world premieres created by Robert Moses. She studied the summer of 2006 at Maple Conservatory with former ABT soloist Charles Maple, at the helm.
Beginning at a young age, Laura performed such works as Serenade, Theme and Variations, Stars and Stripes, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Giselle, Swan Lake, as well as many new works designed and created specifically for Inland Pacific Ballet. These included, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella and Dracula.
After 5 years spent with Inland Pacific Ballet, Laura decided to embark on the next chapter of her career as a freelance artist. Much of her dancing has been on stage in live works such as Loving the Silent Tears, The Glory of Christmas, The Glory of Easter, Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Phantom, Pizzicati, Dance in the USA, Appalachian Spring, Romeo and Juliet to name a few. She has been featured in music videos with artists such as Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off, Daft Punk’s Lose Yourself to Dance and the hit TV series Lucifer. In 2014 Laura joined the San Francisco Opera as a corps member of the opera’s resident dance company.
For 4 years she worked with great choreographers such as Lynne Page in Les Troyens, Colm Seary in Des Meistersinger and again as a principal in Andrea Chenier. She was honored to be chosen to be part of the world premiere of Girls of the Golden West, directed by Peter Sellars and composed by John Adams. In the Fall of 2018 Laura joined the LA Opera in their production of Hansel and Gretel, performing alongside Grammy award winner Susan Graham.
In addition to her extensive stage time and dance career, Laura began to teach at the age of 19, finding a new passion in the coaching and mentoring of young dancers. In 2014 she met former Maggie Black trained dancer Mario Nugara. At this point in her career, she felt the need of a new perspective to help her retain strength for a long career with fewer injuries. It was also her desire to grow as a teacher and mentor. Along with this technique and teaching method Laura developed her own successful syllabus for her students and SoCal Arts.
Many of her current students have been accepted and offered scholarships to some of the most acclaimed schools in the country such as, The Rock School of Dance, American Ballet Theater and the School of American Ballet. For the past 5 years, Laura has coached her students to participate in Youth American Grand Prix. Laura has had multiple students awarded top 12 and 24 in the Southern California Senior divisions and invited to perform at the Spotlight Awards at the Music Center in DTLA.
As a young dance student, Laura took Pilates classes on a regular basis, and it became an integral part of the strength training necessary for a career in dance. In the Fall of 2019 Laura was awarded the Career Transitions for Dancers grant, upon being awarded the grant she was trained in the full Pilates Mat program from some of the most accomplished Basi faculty in the US. She is eager to incorporate this incredible cross training into her pre professional program, and to bring Pilates mat to the Monrovia Community.
Along with her husband, Laura is delighted to bring her talents to Monrovia and share her love of dance, art, and the mentorship of aspiring young students.
Our mission is to inspire and nurture a passion for dance in children of all ages…
With decades of experience in the performing arts, not only as performers but also as teachers, founders Jekyns and Laura are excited to bring their passion for dance to the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
With our well-rounded staff, students and the community have the opportunity to experience classical ballet technique, acting, contemporary dance, pilates mat and private coaching.
Join us at SoCal Arts, where you will be able to take advantage of the program at the stunning, fully-equipped, and recently renovated studio with injury-reducing floor. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced student, SCA will help you thrive as a future professional performer.
Our Teachers & Staff
ARIEL PARKER
Office Manager
Ariel Parker
I am a dancer and choreographer originally from Virginia. In 2021, I graduated with my BA in dance from CSUF and afterward, I started training in LA under Cameron Lee, Jonathan Sison, and many other established choreographers in the industry. I have performed for Club Jete, Carnival Choreographer’s Ball, Loose Cannons, World of Dance, and more. I currently teach adult Heels classes at various studios in the SoCal area, as well as, ballet and hip hop classes to kids ages 4-15, and I assist with artistic direction for Vixens Dance Company.
ALEX ABRIEL
Instructor
Alex Abriel
Alexandra Abriel is a contemporary dancer, born and raised in Los Angeles. Alex studied dance at California State University, Fullerton earning a Bachelor of Arts. Having a deep passion fully encapsulated movement and dance, she focuses on contemporary styles and choreography. Alexandra hopes to bring out the best in every student to help them find passion behind movement and a freedom of expression through dance. She currently dances with Geometry Dance Company and teaches contemporary dance. She has taught for over 5 years recreationally and competitively. Her choreography has won multiple competitions including KAR and Move Dance Competition. Alexandra has choreographed for singer/songwriter KEANA on multiple music video. Also working with Mackenzie Martin for projects on Geometry Dance Company, including music videos for Netflix’s Bridgerton from artist DUOMO.
JEAN MICHELLE SAYEG
Instructor
Jean Michelle Sayeg
Jean began performing on Star Search, international commercials
and film from age nine. She trained at Le Studio & San Francisco Ballet. Sayeg
became a principle dancer with State Street Ballet and Smuin Ballet dancing title roles
in Carmen, B.A.N.D., Medea, Giselle, Petit Mort and originated Trey McIntyre’s Oh
Inverted World!
Her multifaceted career includes performing internationally in Taiwan with State Street
Ballet & throughout the US in Broadway’s National Tours of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Cats (Victoria) and Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot (Lady Sybil). She has been featured in
Marie de la Palme’s award-winning aerial silk ballet Le Couer Illumine, as well as
productions at Lincoln Center (My Fair Lady, Cinderella), Hollywood Bowl (Sound Of
Music, Camelot) and LA Opera (Aida, Merry Widow, Ghost Of Versailles, Macbeth)
Choreography includes: Tie Up & Cover (Smuin Ballet), And As the World Goes Round
(Interplayer’s Theatre), Picnic (Antaeus Theatre Company), Dancing Lessons, Emma
(Ensemble Theatre Company) as well as original works in South Africa (CAPA) and the
townships in Philippi and Gugulethu.
Sayeg is a graduate of St. Mary’s College of California and Pilates Certified (BASI).
She is on faculty at the Colburn School and Curtis Studio of dance. For the last seven
years she has taught master classes in a variety of dance styles at Arcadia High School
where she choreographs all mainstage productions.
Awards include the Music Center Spotlight Award, Lester Horton Award, Palm Desert
Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival and winner of the Jerry Herman Award
Best Choreography for Thoroughly Modern Millie. She enjoys teaching various styles to
all ages and levels of dance. Sayeg is a proud member of Actors Equity, SAG-AFTRA
& AGMA.
MAKI ASAHI
Instructor
Maki Asahi
Maki began ballet at the age of three in Hokkaido, Japan.
She was an assistant teacher at a ballet school in Sapporo, Japan.
She was also a member of the Japan Ballet Association where she performs several times a year in their regular performances, including “Dream of Dancers”.
She also participates in we love ballet’s performances of “The Nutcracker”.
Since coming to CA, she has been teaching ballet at a Japanese community church.
She is honored to be involved with so many children at SoCal Arts and to be able to help them with their ballet.
SHELBY WHALLON
Instructor
Shelby Whallon
Shelby Whallon is from Upland, CA and started her dance training at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy at age 5. She continued to progress her technique in Southern California, while attending summer programs at School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. She was invited to attend Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division program in the fall of 2014, where she trained under the direction of Peter Boal in Seattle, WA. Shelby joined the corps de ballet of Los Angeles Ballet in the summer of 2016 and has remained at LAB for six years. Shelby is also a faculty member of Los Angeles Ballet School, and is the founder of The Encore Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to helping transition professional dancers from their performing careers into higher education opportunities.
TANI WALKER
Instructor
Gitana Walker
Gitana “Tani” Walker is a Certified Pilates Instructor trained with the DK Body Balance method at UNLV in 2014. She then became an apprentice at Core Arts Pilates in Anaheim Hills, Ca where she extended her education and became Certified in the classical method of Pilates known as “Contrology”. Gitana worked her way up from instructor to Pilates Teacher Trainer for the Equinox Pilates Certification Program to then Pilates Manager at Equinox Pasadena. Since 2020 she has built her own home studio with the original Gratz equipment used by Joseph Pilates so she can continue to share Pilates via online or in person. Pilates (Contrology) is a complete Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced repertoire that teaches you how to move from what’s called the “Powerhouse”, or our “Core”. It is a full body workout each and every time with exercises that stretch while strengthening the muscles working balance and alignment and articulation of the spine. It is good for every age and fitness level and can be modified for every injury or hinderance you may have. Pilates is known to help most issues from flexibility to mobility and is used for injury prevention and body conditioning. Having been a professional dancer, dance teacher and choreographer for over 25 yrs, studying classical Ballet, Jazz and Tap… along with her Holistic Health Coach Certification from IIN, Tani knows the body very well. After many years of searching for the best workout for herself as she progressed in life along with continuing being able to teach and share all levels and ages something that makes you feel great every time, Tani believes Pilates is the most efficient workout program there is for every single person and is passionate to share Pilates with as many people as possible.
$10 Intro to
Dance Class With Evaluation + Get a SoCal Arts Keychain for free!
Dance Class With Evaluation + Get a SoCal Arts Keychain for free!
Our mission is to inspire and nurture a passion for dance in children of all ages. Begin your dance journey today by filling out the form below and we will promptly reach out to you.