FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR EMERITUS

Carole danced with the Joffrey Ballet from 1976-1991, eight of those years as principal dancer, after which she was dance captain/ballet swing with the 2nd National Tour of Phantom of the Opera. Carole was Director of Education and Outreach for the Luckman Fine Arts Complex at California State University, Los Angeles. She previously worked with the Music Center Education Division as a teaching artist and writer of their arts study guides, Artsource.

DIRECTOR

Susan began her ballet training at five years old and studied at the prestigious School of American Ballet. She danced professionally with the  Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle where she performed many world premieres choreographed by some of the greatest dance makers of the 20th Century. Susan was dance captain/ballet swing in both the national touring and Broadway casts of The Phantom of the Opera. She joined the CDI team in 2005 and hasn't looked back.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Susanna has taught in the joyful CDI style for twelve years, previously with the Chicago Dance Institute. She also teaches Latin, social, and creative dance, often in Spanish. Susanna holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Dance from Macalester College, and has trained with the Creative Dance Center in Seattle, the National Dance Institute and Lincoln Center Education in New York, and Youth Home Dance Center in Ghana, West Africa. She is an avid hustle, salsa, and West Coast Swing dancer.

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
ACCOMPANIST

Kevin has a Bachelor of Arts in music from Princeton University, a Masters in piano performance from the University of Michigan, teaches private lessons, and has accompanied dance classes throughout the Southland. Kevin develops, edits, arranges, and distributes music for all CDI programs.

TEACHING ARTIST

Although her degree is in fine art from Colorado State University, Colleen is a life-long lover of dance. She has been teaching nationwide with Associates of the National Dance Institute since 2008. Colleen runs her own program in Nayarit, Mexico and has taken that program to many places around the world. She joined the team at California Dance Institute in 2018. Colleen is from southwest Louisiana.

ASSISTANT TEACHING ARTIST

Kashana is a professional dancer, choreographer ,and teacher,  trained in Jazz, Ballet, Broadway jazz, Samba, Hip Hop and Stepping. Her credits include The Masked Dancer, Mary J. Blige, Jidenna, Daddy Yankee BET Awards, NBC World of Dance, and So You Think You Dance. She is a member of two LA-based dance companies, Stroll Groove and LA Samba Dancers.

ASSISTANT TEACHING ARTIST

Cecilia Slongo is an interdisciplinary artist with a main focus in dance practices. She obtained her dance degree at University of California Riverside. She holds a dance teaching certificate from Santa Monica College. She's been teaching for different dance organizations since 2016. She's been part of CDI since 2021. Cecilia obtained a Fulbright Scholarships in 2023 where she conducted an open research project in Benin, investigating the intersection of dance and film. 

ASSISTANT TEACHING ARTIST
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Gabriela (b. 1989, Havana, Cuba) is a Los Angeles-based dancer, choreographer, and educator. She holds a BA in Contemporary Dance from the University of the Arts of Cuba and is a former member of the Cuban National company, Danza Contemporánea de Cuba. Through her research-based collaborations and culturally relevant teaching practices, she cultivates a sense of belonging and empowerment, offering students unique insights into Latinx and Caribbean cultures and experiences.

ACCOMPANIST
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Michael is a stylistically diverse multi instrumentalist. He earned a BFA in jazz trumpet in 1997. His long list of recording credits includes Jewel, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ry Cooder, and Jimmy Cliff. He can be heard performing trumpet, valve trombone, sousaphone and jazz organ in a wide variety of Los Angeles ensembles, and live in CDI classrooms.

ACCOMPANIST

Like so many wonderful musicians, Robert started playing in his family church. He was at different intervals the pianist, organist and choir director. Along with this he received his technical training from Los Angeles City College and Sacramento California State University. Robert is the pianist on the new National Geographic movie "Red Tails", and performs regularly to packed houses with the Robert Turner Trio.

ACCOMPANIST

Henry is a versatile pianist, percussionist, producer, and composer with a passion for rhythm, especially Latin music. A Berklee College of Music graduate with a degree in Music Production, Sound Engineering, and Contemporary Arranging, he also holds a Master’s in Music Industry Administration. Based in Los Angeles, Henry collaborates with various bands and organizations, bringing energy and expertise to every performance and production.

ACCOMPANIST

Eve is a ragtime and jazz piano player who can be found performing all over the Los Angeles area. Her background is in classical music but she enjoys playing many other styles including gospel, Bossa Nova, and Balkan folk music. She appears at ragtime festivals around the country and was 2022 winner of the Old Time Piano contest. This is Eve's first year with CDI.

EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT INTERN

Grace holds a degree in dance from the California Institute of the Arts, where she was fortunate enough to learn a variety of contemporary, ballet, and hip hop techniques from renowned faculty. As a Dallas native, she attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She began her dance training at XD2 Dance Studio in Texas and has now been teaching their students for five years. Grace is pursuing her career as a professional dancer.