A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Queala studied dance at The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Civic Light Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Dance Alloy as a scholarship recipient. She is a graduate of Wright State University holding a B.F.A. in Liberal Arts and has performed with X-pressions Dance Company, Donn Arden’s Jubilee, and The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC), which allowed her to travel to Hawaii, Poland and Russia.

Queala has been seen in commercials, taught master classes and choreographed all over. As a dance and aerobics instructor she’s taught for DCDC I & II, Wright State University, The Ohio Dance Festival, South Dayton Dance Theater, Stivers High School for the Arts, Gary Geis School of Dance, Omega Baptist Church and The Rock Center for Dance to name a few. Queala was also co-director for Jeraldyne’s School of the Dance Youth Ensemble. A few of her awards include the 2004 recipient of the MCACD Individual Artist Fellowship, 2005 OAC Choreography Fellowship, 2007 Josie Award and the 2010 NAC Individual Artist Fellowship. Currently, Queala teaches and performs with The Lula Washington Dance Theatre.

Mimi Keith Stabile started her formal ballet training at age seven, when her mother married the now legendary Stanley Holden. Surrounded by luminaries of the ballet world who frequented the Stanley Holden Dance Center from this young age, Mimi trained with her father and other Royal Ballet alumni, including Margaret Hills and later ABT’s Lupe Serrano while apprenticing with Pennsylvania Ballet. After Mimi completed her R.A.D. exams she danced with Pennsylvania Ballet for six years, under the direction of Barbara Weisberger and Benjamin Harkarvy, adding to her already diverse influences. She moved on to Michael Smuin’s San Francisco Ballet, performing principal roles in many classic ballets, as well as Balanchine’s Prodigal Son and Michael Smuin’s Medea. Known for her comic and dramatic skills as well as her exuberant dancing, Mimi had the pleasure of working with notable choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, Choo San Goh, Peter Anastos and Val Caniparoli, as well as in works by Hans van Manen.

A serious back injury prematurely ended her performing career, but Mimi now expresses her lifelong passion for dance as a teacher and mentor. We are very pleased to welcome Ms. Stabile to the CDA family.

A graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Radio-Television-Film, Sarah Hernandez Kruger came to LA to pursue a career as a director, writer, actor and choreographer. As a dancer, she trained at Bellas Artes Academy of Dance in South Texas under the direction of Juan Jose Burgos and Mrs Sheila McKay, alumnus of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Canada. Sarah was a ballet soloist several times over, trained in tap, jazz, modern and lyrical, and was a member of the Folkloric & Flamenco company.

Sarah has danced in the Macy's Day Parade in New York City, has taken intensive workshops from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet school, and currently teaches dance to both children and adults in Los Angeles. This will be her 5th year as an instructor and choreographer.

Laurie LeBlanc began her dance career with the Pennsylvania Ballet at the age of 16, performing corps de ballet and soloist roles over her 7 year affiliation, and working with such notable choreographers as Benjamin Harkarvy, Merce Cunningham, John Butler, Peter Martins, Choo San Goh, and Lynn Taylor-Corbett. Simultaneously, she choreographed several ballets for Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, received two scholarships to attend National Association of Regional Ballet choreographic workshops, a choreographic fellowship grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a choreographic residency for the Carlisle Project, as well as guest taught and performed in the area.

Upon joining Pacific Ballet Theatre (later Oregon Ballet Theatre), Laurie performed soloist and principal roles in addition to holding the positions of Acting Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer. She was also a member of the teaching staff at Portland State University.

Following employment with Ballet Arizona in Phoenix, Ms. LeBlanc moved to New York City where she was cast in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera, with which she toured the U.S. and performed on Broadway, and later performing in Papermill Playhouse’s production of Brigadoon and Nicholas Hytner’s National Tour of Carousel. Ms. LeBlanc taught extensively RZBC for the past decade before joining the CDA family.

Ksenia Starikova Litomisky was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. After graduating from her ballet school in Volgograd, Russia, she danced with the Volgograd Musical Theatre from 1997 to 1999, where she developed her love for ballet as well as the Russian folk dance. Since moving to Los Angeles six years ago,
Ksenia has toured the country with the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival.

Ksenia began teaching at California Dance Academy in the fall of 2008, and currently teaches beginning ballet A, B and C. Ksenia still performs and attends various ballet and contemporary dance classes, where she is inspired to pass along her passion for dance to all of her young students.

A former member of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in NYC, Lori danced in the annual Christmas Spectacular and appeared on the David Letterman Show, Good Morning America, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She performed in many musical theater productions including the Broadway National Tours of Cabaret with Joel Grey and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Mickey Rooney. Lori also enjoyed a variety of work in industrials and served as a dance competition judge.

Lori trained at Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA and in NYC with such notable instructors as Lynn Simonson, Michael Shawn, Ann Reinking, and Lee Theodore of the American Dance Machine. Today, Lori is also an ACE Personal Trainer and enjoys teaching yoga and fitness to adults as well.

Lori was with RZBC since 2006 and looks forward to passing on her passion for dance and theatre to the next generation of California Dance Academy students.

Meagen Mendoza began her ballet training at Rozann-Zimmerman Ballet Center under the direction of Patrick Frantz and began performing at the young age of 12. Highly trained in many styles of dance such as jazz, modern, hip hop, folklore and Latin ballroom, Meagen has been featured in "DANCE BEAT" Magazine several times for her success in the Dancesport Competitions. Ms. Mendoza has performed in many prestigious venues such as the Japan American Theatre, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and has toured North America with the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival. She continues to dance for many international artists and also has been featured in Will Smith’s Party Starter music video. Meagen has embraced teaching as another outlet in which to share her love of dance and the performing experience.

Tania is a Southern California native and UC Berkeley graduate that has had the privilege of pursuing a career as a performer, teacher, and choreographer. Specializing in jazz, tap, musical theatre, and hip hop, she received notable training under the direction of Dennon and Sayhber Rawles, Lisa Locke, and Bradley Rapier of the Groovaloos. Her performance and choreography credits include Cabaret, Beauty and the Beast, Forum, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, and West Side Story. She is currently a company member and advisor for The Musical Theatre of Los Angeles theatre company, and also belongs to Belly Twins dance company, with which she has toured North America and the Middle East performing Bollywood, belly dance, and several other ethnic dances.

In addition, Tania began her own production company in 2008 called Dance Fusion Los Angeles (DFLA), which launched its run with multiple sold out shows. She’s finishing her third year with the CDA family, and absolutely loves it here!

Karen’s love of dance and passion for teaching began at the age of four, when she started studying at the Rozann-Zimmerman Ballet Center. Trained primarily in the Balanchine style, under the direction of Sheila Rozann, Karen also has an extensive background in Cecchetti, under the direction of Don Hewitt, L.A.’s “Ambassador of Dance.” During her career, she danced with many of the finest instructors in the country, as well as having performed in numerous productions.

Over the years, Karen has taught at several dance studios throughout Simi Valley, San Fernando Valley, The Learning Tree and at Moorpark College. Her students span all ages. “It’s great to get them when they are young and it’s extraordinary to have the privilege to be with them when they get their first pair of point shoes,” she says. Recently, Karen decided to buy herself a new pair of point shoes (again!), and is rediscovering the joys of dancing as an adult. Karen’s adult classes are always well attended. “Adults love to dance as much as children; they just like to do a lot more stretching in between!”

Brett Weidlich graduated from the the conservatoire of Rimsky-Korsakov in
St. Petersburg, Russia with a masters degree in choreography and a Ballet
Master diploma. He has danced in and choreographed many productions in both
Europe and the North American continent. Throughout his career Brett has
worked with many talented performers and choreographers such as Jiri Kylian
and Alvin Ailey. He joined the faculty of California Dance Academy in the
spring of 2008.