Faculty

 

Berle Davis (Founder, Co-Owner & Director Emeritus) Over the years Berle has trained many Broadway and National Touring company performers. He has been nominated numerous times for Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Awards for outstanding choreography, and he has won the Award on eight different occasions. As a performer, Berle has performed the choreography of Gower Champion, Jerome Robbins, Onna White, and Carol Haney. Berle has also been honored by the San Mateo County Arts Council as Outstanding Individual Artist; he has received the Hillbarn Bravo! Award for Outstanding Contributions to Performing Arts in the Bay Area and the Barbara Bladen Porter Award for Achievement in Theatre by the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Berle served many years as resident choreographer for Broadway by the Bay.

Jayne Zaban (Co-Owner, Director) Jayne danced professionally with the Atlanta Ballet Company and has instructed many students who now have professional careers in theatre and dance. Jayne has choreographed productions throughout the Bay Area, including Broadway by the Bay,  42nd St. Moon, Bus Barn, Lamplighters, The Aurora Theatre, Diablo Light Opera Company, Hillbarn, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, Peninsula Center Stage, and Morris Bobrow Productions. She received two nominations for the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, has been honored with the Garland Award and received the Dean Goodman Award for "Out Of This World", received the Hillbarn Subscriber Award for "Oklahoma" and "Chicago", and a Shellie Award for "Anything Goes" for CCMT.

Jan Chandler (Jazz) Jan has been dancing since the age of 3 and she has taught at Dance Arts Center for more than 20 years. Jan has a strong background in tap, jazz, lyrical and ballet and performed professionally throughout California & abroad. Jan was a member of The Jazz Set under the direction of Berle Davis and she also was a member of the California Dance Team for AVIA/American Sporting Goods (TV, Stage and Conventions). Jan is the resident dance instructor/choreographer for Menlo School in Atherton, California. She is 1st. year Franklin trained and certifed in Pilates (Mat and standing).

Clarissa Chun (Jazz/Tap) Clarissa began dancing at DAC when she was 10 years old. She received the DAC dance scholarship as a high school student and continued her dance training at Chapman University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in dance and a minor in Japanese. She has taught tap, jazz, and musical theatre in the Bay Area and Orange County since she was 17. After spending two years in Japan as an English teacher Clarissa is excited to be back home and teaching at DAC.

Debbie Dahlberg (Tap) Debbie received her training in Tap, Jazz, & Ballet originally from Stanley and Pat Kahn, (Mason-Kahn Studios), and later continued with Berle Davis. As a former member of Youth of America on Stage, she performed with numerous headliners and traveled extensively. Her latest performances include Singin' in the Rain, Funny Girl, My Fair Lady, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, all with BBBay. Debbie experienced behind the scenes as Choreographer's Assistant for BBBay's Beauty & The Beast. Tap, being Debbie's passion, has given her the opportunity to teach in studios around the Bay Area, her favorite of course, Dance Arts Center!
 

 Hilary McQuaide (Tap) Hilary has been dancing at DAC for over 20 years, studying tap, jazz and ballet, and is pleased to be able to teach tap now using the strong training provided by Berle Davis. She has performed extensively with companies such as Broadway By the Bay, Diablo Theatre Company, Contra Costa Musical Theater and Woodminster Theatre. While at Yale University she choreographed for and performed with the dancing group TAPS besides teaching several weekly tap classes. More recently, she has choreographed for schools including Aragon High School, Menlo School, Borel Middle School and OLA.

Haileigh McConnell (Comtemporary/ Flex & Core Training) Haileigh grew up in Southern California. She began her dance journey at a studio called Just Plain Dancing in Riverside, CA. She trained under coach and Choreographer Terri Shulke. She danced in benefit shows for such causes as Breast Cancer Awareness. She also studied at the Edge and at Foothill College with Bubba Gong. In addition, she is now studying Sociology at San Francisco State. She has been choreographing and teaching throughout her career.

Virginia Musante (Special Needs) has been directing children,teens and adults throughout the bay area for over thirty years. She is probably most well known as the Drama teacher at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City,where she directs large school musicals annually. Some of her more recent and noteworthy projects include the Hillbarn Theatre's summer program for kids with "special needs" and a Reader's Theatre project by and for adolescent girls dealing with the topic of bullying. Virginia also teaches Childrens Theatre at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. She is an avid improvisational actor and has spent many years doing improv in San Francisco.

Paige Cook (Ballet/Jazz/) Paige feels very blessed to be part of the DAC family. She has been teaching for over 20 years and specializes in teaching children, holding a degree in Early Childhood Education. Paige is a member of Actor's Equity Association and was awarded a Bay Area Theatre Critics award for her portrayal of Lina Lamont (Singin' in the Rain). She is most proud of her role as Mom to Gabriella.

Suzanne Springs (Jazz/Modern/Steppin Out!) Suzanne is delighted to be reunited with her dance family at DAC, where she grew up studying ballet and jazz with Jayne and Berle, and performing with their teen dance group, "Steppin' Out". While earning her Physical Therapy and Dance degrees in college, she performed as a principal dancer in a professional modern jazz company based in Sacramento. Since then, Suzanne has performed as guest artist and choreographed for companies throughout Northern California. Most recently, she danced with the Lamplighter's Opera in Merry Widow and last March she choreographed the half time show for the Golden State Warriors. She has shared her love of dance, teaching to a variety of ages and abilities for the past eleven years, including individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. It is her honor to be teaching Jazz and Performance classes at DAC.

Win Marcinak (Boys Ballet) Win is a professional songwriter, vocalist and dancer from San Francisco. He has been a member of the Pacific Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, Pittsburg Ballet Theatre and the SF Opera Ballet Company. He was awarded scholarships from the American Ballet Theatre and the Joffery Ballet. He now adds DAC to his teaching resume which includes SF Ballet, Sonoma Ballet Conservatory. It is his honor to be teaching at DAC.


Special Needs Arts Program (S.N.A.P.!)

Virginia Musante, Jayne Zaban, Lauren Mayer, Carol Nicholas

Office Staff

Lisa Hammond  Office Manager   

Kevin Low

Leslie McQuaide

Vicki Lum