Staff

Aliyah Hassan – Associate / Production Director, Teacher

Ms. Hassan received much of her dance training in San Diego. At the age of 6 she began working with Ms. Pas Soriano (RAD Syllabus, French & Cuban technique) and later worked with Teresa Wells, Tracy Van Baalen, and other local teachers.

She has received recognition for her talents with offers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York and the Deeply Rooted Dance Company in Chicago. Ms. Hassan has performed as both principal dancer and soloist with Mirabile Ballet, C. Anthony Cole Repertory Dance Company, Selah Dance Company, and LaDiego Dance Theater.

She is currently a principle dancer and the rehearsal director for La Diego Dance Theater, and is the Associate Director of Productions here at The Dance Conservatory.

Bobby Chambers - Teacher

Bobby J. Chambers began his Theater career in 1983 at Mount Miguel High School, where he was in the drama program until he graduated from High School. He also began taking formal dance classes in 1987 at San Diego City College. He then went on to study at The Ballet Conservatory, The San Diego Parks Recreation Department, Stage 7 Dance Studio, North County Performing Arts Center, and various dance studios in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Mr. Chambers has always had a natural gift at choreography and teaching. He knew he wanted to be a teacher/choreographer when he landed his first job at a small dance studio in La Mesa California. He taught there for three years. He then went on to teach and choreograph for various studios in the San Diego area. He then was offered a position teaching dance and the San Diego Park and Recreation Department located in BAL Boa Park, in the city of San Diego. He taught Hip-Hop and jazz there for many years. Many of his students went on to dance and choreograph professionally. Mr. Chambers has always instilled in his students to maximize their potentials and never let any obstacle get in the way of achieving their goals and dreams.
He then teamed up with a lifelong friend and they formed their own dance company called M&B Dance Productions. The company was a Hip-hop and Jazz based company that performed for various functions and singing artist. He still continued to teach at dance studios and local schools, making a name for himself as a choreographer. He was also hired by various recording artist and companies such as Nike, Wells Fargo, Giorgio Perfume Company, La Jolla Casting Agency, to name a few.
In 2001, Mr. Chambers was hired at the School Of Creative and Performing Arts, in the city of Chula Vista. This is where he was able to reconnect with his theatrical roots. He taught Creative Movement and incorporated theater in his teaching curriculum as well. The students had the incredible opportunity to learn theater fundamentals as well as dance. Mr. Chambers was the first teacher at SCPA, to start a Hip-Hop Team and to implement a Creative Movement Annual Concert, which was an unquestionable success. The Hip-Hop team still performs to date.
After leaving the SCPA, Mr. Chambers returned back to college to finish a lifelong dream of obtaining his degree. He went to Grossmont Community College and Cuyamaca College simultaneously. He was the first student to graduate from both colleges one day apart from each other. He received a AA degree from Grossmont College in Theater and an AA degree in University transfer studies from Cuyamaca. During his time at both schools he was in various productions and was on the speech and debate team. He also ended up becoming a teacher at Cuyamaca College through the Community Learning Department teaching dance, theater, cardio fitness classes. He also was the first teacher produce a show called “A Night of Cultural and Performing Arts” at Cuyamaca College. The performance consisted of dance, theater, music, and visual art. It was a huge success. He then transferred to San Diego State University, and received his BA degree in Theater with a minor in communications. He is now currently persuing his Master’s Degree in Communications/Theater. Mr. Chambers has over twenty years of teaching experience and continues to evolve. His long term goal is to pursue a professional acting/directing career, and form a Theater Company, while still promoting education through the power of Theater and Dance.

Chantalle Herrera - Teacher

Chantalle Herrera began her dancing career with Dance Express, which is now known as The Dance Conservatory. She is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary and pointe.

Chantalle has performed in many productions and has had principal roles in The Nutcracker and Redemption of the Dark Heart.

Chantalle is going on her second year of teaching and is learning more every day. Before teaching, she had been assisting for 6 years with a variety of teachers and styles. She has accumulated all these different teaching techniques and has added her own style to her curriculum. Chantalle is continuing her education in dance by going to college and becoming a Dance Major.

Chantalle's ultimate goal is to teach her students something new during every class in a fun and enjoyable environment.

Chie Kudo - Teacher

Chie Kudo received her training in Japan, under the direction of Shizuko Tachibana. In 1997 she joined the New National Theater in Tokyo, and performed under the direction of Asami Maki. Her repertoire includes Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Paquita, Roland Petit's La Chauve - Souris, Balachine's Theme and Variations, Symphony in C, and Manon.
She has won numerous competitions in Japan including 1st place in the 60th Tokyo-Newspaper all Japan Ballet Competition, and also won 1st place in the Yokohama Ballet Competition. She has also won prizes in Japan including the Mainichi-Newspaper Prize, the Yomiuri-Newspaper Prize, and the Tokyo-Newspaper prize, which were all held in the Saitama Ballet Competition.
Ms. Kudo joined California Ballet Company in 2006 as a soloist, dancing the featured roles of Dewdrop and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and the Bird in Beauty and the Beast. Being promoted to Principal in 2008, Ms Kudo performed the roles of the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Mina in Dracula, Peasant Pas in Giselle and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides Pas. She danced Coppelia Pas De Deux in the XIV International Ballet Festival of Miami 2009.

Definique Juniel - Teacher

Definique began dancing and tumbling at the age of three. At the age of eleven she entered the San Diego Junior Theatre program where she did several plays and musicals. Later that year she met Don and Bonnie Ward, who, at the time, were the Artistic Directors of Starlight Theatre in San Diego. It is there she did her first professional show, "The King and I". She went to work at that theatre for more than twelve seasons and do more than 40 musicals. Some of her favorite roles include; RONETTE in "Little Shop of Horrors", LAURA in "Chorus Line", LORRAINE FLEMING in "42ND ST", VIBRATA IN "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" as well as roles in "Oklahoma", "Paint Your Wagon", "Dreamgirls", "The Boyfriend", "No No Nanette", Ragtime", Hello Dolly", "A My Name is Alice", "Ruby's Bucket of Blood", "Music Man", "Chess", "Singing in the Rain", "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and the list goes on. After completion of high school she entered The United States International University, a private conservatory in San Diego with four campuses around the world, under the direction of the multi-talented Jack Tygett. In 1992 she earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Dancing/Singing/Acting.
As well as Musical Theatre, she is well versed in tap, jazz, ballet and lyrical. She began tap dancing at the age of five, ballet at age 8 and jazz and lyrical by age 11.

Definique has worked with some of the finest teachers and choreographers all over the world including; Debbie Allen, Gregory Hines, Eddie Brown, Sandman Sims, Javier Velasco, Kenny Ortega, Kenneth Green, Jean Issacs, Frank Hatchett, Pam Thompson as well as notable actors such as Gavin Mc Cleoud, Kaye Ballard, Jamie Foxx, Alan Young, Nanette Fabray and the list goes on. Her teaching experience includes several dance studios in San Diego as well as Orange County and Arizona. She was the Curriculum Expert in Theatre and Dance at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Eastlake for 680 students. She also believes in continuing education and is enrolled in Child Developement courses to become a Pre-School teacher. She has choreographed "Footloose" and "Babe the Sheep Pig" for San Diego Junior Theatre as well as many other projects and musicals in San Diego.

Kris Babao - Teacher

Kris Babao is a native San Diegan who has been dancing for the past 20 years.

This Culture Shock San Diego alumni and current director of his own dance company Definition of Creativity has been seen in music videos, The Super Bowl, Fitness DVDs and Two National Broadway Tours to name a few. He has worked with music artist such as Michelle Branch, Trina Bao Tran, Shari D, Santana, Vina Truong and Beyonce.

Kris is still very active as a professional dance artist and in the last year, became a professional salsa dancer as well. His salsa dance partner Susie Nguyen is ranked 15th in the world.

Peter Kalivas - Teacher

Peter Kalivas is the Founder and Artistic Director of The PGK Project, a critically acclaimed contemporary dance company whose award winning work has been presented and commissioned worldwide.
Trained at The University of the Arts, The Pennsylvania and Joffrey Ballet Schools he was selected by Mr. Ailey personally to receive a scholarship at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater school where he was later invited to join Ailey II. A former of member of The Jamison Project (Artistic Direction by Judith Jamison), he has appeared in projects with Donald Byrd/The Group (choreographer of "The Color Purple" on Broadway), was a soloist with Peal Lang of the Martha Graham Dance Company critically acclaimed Dance Theater Company and was an original member of Sean Curran Company touring nationally and internationally and originating roles in important seasons in New York at The Joyce Theater, The Duke, The New Victory on Broadway and the famous St. Mark's Church as well as participating in multiple residencies and commissions at Jacob's Pillow. During this time Mr. Kalivas was also the appointed understudy to Mr. Curran's acclaimed "Bessie" award winning solo works which he performed often.While living in Europe Peter was a soloist with both The Bavarian State Opera Ballet and The Iwanson Dance company in Munich, Germany.
Upon returning to New York City he co-choreographed "Kilt" starring Tovah Felshuh off-Broadway, appeared as Mr. Mistofelles in "Cats" on Broadway in addition to several national tours of other theater productions.
Locally, he was a member of Malashock Dance & Company and The San Diego Ballet. Currently, he directs "Dance/Theatre" at the Diversionary Theatre, "San Diego Dances" - a roving biannual dance festival, "4 x 4 x Floor" at Bluefoot Bar & Lounge, "Dance Moves" at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater and Lectures for The La Jolla Music Society in addition to creating work for his company, The PGK Project and other ballet and contemporary companies nationally and internationally.

Rebecca Seiley - Teacher

Rebecca Seiley grew up and trained in San Diego and has been teaching dance for 20+ years. She is experienced in all levels of ballet from tiny tots to pre-professional as well as musical theater voice and dance. Ms. Seiley was the artistic director of the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet from 1990 to 1998.

She received her early training at the San Diego Ballet School under Jackie Hepner (NY City Ballet), Lynn Hodgkinson (Royal Academy of Dance) and Erling Sunde (Royal Ballet). She graduated from the School of Creative and Performing Arts in San Diego and then went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at the University of California at Irvine (UCI).

She has performed in many different venues from ballet to jazz to musical theater. Locally, Ms. Seiley danced with the California Ballet and San Diego Ballet Companies as well as with Starlight Civic Light opera and local jazz companies. She was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Festival and has appeared in regional musical theater companies in New York and Utah. Ms. Seiley was in the Dance Corps for the 1984 Olympic Ceremonies and also performed at Disneyland as a Parade Dancer while she was in college.

Xavier Hicks - Teacher

Xavier Hicks has toured and danced all over the world with the Cleo Parker Robinson Ensemble of Denver, Co., shortly after leaving the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre of NY, working with many legendary artists.

He has also been the featured artist in Donald McKayle's reconstruction of Nocturne. Other credits include: Eddie Tousaintt's Pas de Deux A Simple Moment which is a Gold medal winner, George Balanchine's lead male dancers Rubies; and with San Francisco Ballet; California Ballet; San Diego Ballet; Colorado Ballet; and Another Dance Co. in Mannheim, Germany.

"I give all credit first to my savior Jesus Christ and my loving supportive mom, Mrs. Rosa Hicks"