Sarah-Jane Measor – Ballet Director/Owner

Sarah-Jane was born in England and realized her love for dance at an early age. She was trained in the Royal Academy of Dance and Imperial Society (ISTD) Ballet techniques. In addition, her wide knowledge of dance also encompasses Tap, Jazz and European Folk dance. Sarah-Jane taught and performed professionally in Hong Kong before coming to the United States and joining the faculty of Menlo Park Academy of Dance 15 years ago. She holds the Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Certificate with Distinction, always nurturing her students to achieve their very best. Sarah-Jane serves on the Board of Directors of Dancers Repertory Theatre and is also a member of Dance Masters of America. She is artistic in choreography and has won many accolades and awards of honor with her Ballet Performance Groups. Most of all, Sarah-Jane loves coming to the Studio each day to share her knowledge and love for dance and to watch the students thrive and blossom into beautiful dancers.

Sylvia Duncan – Business Manager/Owner

Sylvia has been a part of the Studio for 40 years. First as a parent of three daughters who danced with MPAOD, one of whom danced professionally and two who became dance teachers. For 12 years she assisted the Dancers Repertory Theatre Company in their productions including ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and served then and now on their Board of Directors. For the last 20 years she has managed the business end of the Studio and is know as the lady who lives in the office.

Leyla Boissonnade

Leyla is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a major in Psychology and a minor in dance and education. She has grown up at the Studio and has passed her RAD major examinations. Leyla is a member of Dance Masters of America and has taught Ballet, Lyrical, Tap and Jazz classes at the Studio for over 8 years. Her choreographic work has received several awards and her students have won numerous titles including Mini Miss Dance of California 2005 and Petite Miss Dance of California 2006. Leyla encourages her students to explore all aspects of dance and performance.

Joyce Aranda

Joyce has taught our Adult Ballet classes for 20 years. She has trained extensively in Ballet and Character dancing. She taught and performed professionally in Chicago.

Dottie Lester-White

Dottie danced professionally on Broadway for 10 years. She grew up in the Studio and is now an independent choreographer and director for both stage and musicals. Dottie’s morning and evening Tap classes are fun and challenging.

Isabelle Sjahsam

Isabelle is a performer, director, teacher and creator in works ranging from traditional ballets to interdisciplinary public performance installations. She received her early dance training with Bay Area Royal Academy of Dance teacher, Connie Vaughan, and later studied with RAD examiner Susan Robinson in England.  Contemporary dance became Isabelle's passion after seeing the Mark Morris Dance Group, prompting her to attend the Taylor School in New York and complete a BA in Dance at Mills College.  Sjahsam has performed with several Bay Area companies including Em Space Dance, Jenny McAllister/13th Floor Dance Theater and Anna Halprin and Dancers.  She appeared in the works of Michael Lowe while working with Moving Arts Dance and Black Diamond Ballet Theatre, and has toured internationally with Leyya Tawil's Dance Elixir.  Currently Isabelle co-directs ArtFace Performance Group, an Oakland based dance-theater troupe with Malinda Trimble.

Julie Lowe

Julie has danced and taught professionally for over 20 years. As a principal ballerina with the Oakland Ballet Company, she toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe performing many of the companies leading roles and working alongside luminaries of the dance world. Upon retiring from her performing career, Julie discovered the enchanting world of Ballroom dance. She is a master teacher for the Ballroom Dance Teacher's College. Julie enjoys teaching students of all levels from beginners to professionals. Her teaching philosophy is to create a safe, fun and nurturing environment where students can expand and achieve their dance goals.

Grant Spencer

Grant began his training at the Yuma Ballet. He also studied with the Joffrey, San Antonio Ballet, Ballet Met and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Grant has performed professionally with the Sacramento Ballet and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Currently Grant is performing with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

Janice Miller Fager

Janice grew up dancing at the Studio and has taught Tumbling and Tap for Menlo Park Academy of Dance in the past. Janice is an accomplished acrobatic instructor. MPAOD welcomes her back as a teacher with many talents.

Nicole Banta

Nicole has studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Theater while growing up in the Bay Area. MPAOD is excited to add her to the faculty teaching morning children's classes. (Nicole has two boys of her own). Her fun and innovated classes for children will be very welcome at the studio.

Michael Lowe

Michael danced with Oakland Ballet from 1972 to 2001. He toured extensively throughout the US and Europe, and worked with legendary choreographers such as Agnes de Mille, Leonide Massine and Eugene Loring. In 2003, Mr. Lowe won the Isadora Duncan Award for Best Choreography for his ballet "Bamboo". His works have been seen all over the US, Belarusse, Poland and in Paris. Mr. Lowe directed Peninsula Ballet Theatre from 2004-2008, Oakland Ballet in 2009 and is currently directing Black Diamond Ballet Theatre and the newly formed Menlowe Ballet.. Mr. Lowe is a company teacher for Smuin Ballet and has also served as resident choreographer for Moving Arts Dance.

Lauren Mindel

Lauren trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern and Contemporary in the Bay Area. She attended intensive programs with ABT and Lines Ballet in 2005 and 2007. Lauren performed with PBT in 2005 and 2008 and Black Diamond Ballet Theatre in 2010, both under the Artistic Direction of Michael Lowe. She also trained with UCLA's dance program staff, and with LA'S Hip-Hop and Jazz Funk choreographer Saleemah E. Knight. Lauren us currently dancing with Menlowe Ballet and is thrilled to join the MPAOD faculty.

Lee Pazmino

Lee trained extensively in ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary dance styles.  He made his professional debut at the age of 9.  He studied Hip Hop at the Millenium Dance Complex and caught the eye of top choreographers, performing with various artists such as Justin Timberlake on MTV’s 2002 award show, and touring on Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera’s Justified/Stripped tour.  Lee continues to work closely with new artists, from providing private lessons and workshops to choreographing music videos and live performances.  Lee hopes his passion for dance and choreography inspires his students to explore different styles and keep their love of dance.”

Lisa Le Lievre

Lisa was trained and taught classical ballet at the Edouard Borovansky Memorial Ballet Academy in Sydney Australia.  She is also a certified Pilate's instructor with a Graduate Certificate in the Pilate's Method from the University of Technology, Sydney.  Lisa has performed as a freelance dancer in Australia, Europe and the USA, and is now active as a Dance and Documentary filmmaker.

Andressa Thorne

Andressa was trained and taught classical ballet in Brazil through the Royal Academy of Dance. Andressa brings a broad range of dance experience ranging from modern and contemporary ballets, jazz, tap as well as traditional Brazilian and Irish Dance. After coming to the United States in 1992, Andressa studied with San Francisco Ballet, and City Ballet School of San Francisco, under the direction of Damara Bennett and Henry Berg. Andressa has a BA in Physical Education with an emphasis in child psychology, dance education and kinesiology.

Kristin Geiser

Kristin was trained and taught classical ballet in Southern California, performing with Ballet Montmartre and Ballet Pacifica (now Festival Ballet Theater). She began teaching young children and adult ballet classes when she was 14 years old. Her love of teaching endured throughout her studies at UCLA, where she earned a BA in Theatre, Film and Television and a PhD in Education. Kristin currently teaches at Stanford University's School of Education and is a mother of three young children (2 of whom are studying dance at MPAOD). She is delighted to be a part of MPAOD's faculty and to return to her first love-teaching ballet.

Faith Bonitz

Faith recently moved from New York where she taught the Balanchine Ballet technique. She danced professionally with the Illinois Ballet. She was trained at an RAD school and completed her major RAD examinations. Faith is also a certified Pilate's instructor.

Gracielle (Grace) Anne Magos

Grace began her dance training at Montessori De Bambini in the Philippines. After her family relocated to California, Grace attended Westlake School for the Performing Arts in Daly City and South San Francisco Community Center's Ballet program. Grace attended San Francisco State University where she studied modern dance, ballet, Afro-Haitian, Duhnam Technique, hip hop and jazz. She was part of San Francisco State University's “University Dance Theater Performing Dance Company” and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Dance. Since receiving her B.A. in Dance at SFSU, Grace has continued teaching, dancing and choreographing. Grace is happy to be able to share her love of dance to her students.

Marilyn Trounson

Marilyn Trounson was born and raised in San Francisco.  She danced with Royal Ballet, London for 9 years.  Two years in the school and seven years in the Company.  Roles were created for her by Sir Kenneth MacMillan and Sir Frederick Ashton.