Founder of the Classical Ballet School
1923-2011
Classical Ballet, Contemporary, Pilates Warm-Up, & Summer Dance 2012.
Eryka Clayton
Eryka Clayton grew up in New York, where her mother had started her in her footsteps with dance classes at the age of two. By the age of eight she was accepted into the prestigious Fedicheva Ballet under the direction of Kaleria Fedicheva, former Kirov Ballerina and partner to Rudolf Nureyev. It was there that she first danced her favorite role, Giselle.
Ms. Fedicheva passed away in 1994, but Ms. Clayton continued to train in the Vaganova method. However, she simultaneously expanded her training to include R.A.D. and Cecchetti methods. Ms. Clayton attended the Cultural Arts Center in N.Y. for high school getting the opportunity work with many of the worlds most esteemed choreographers. At the age of fifteen the door opened for her to dance with Alvin Ailey’s Junior Repertory.
After attending New World School of the Arts and with extensive performance experience Ms. Clayton moved to Los Angeles for new opportunities and started being asked to give master classes and choreograph. Since then, Ms. Clayton has been training ballet students in the Los Angeles area and guiding them to professional careers. Ms. Clayton has also served as the Dance Director at Ography Performing Arts Academy in Hollywood.
Ms. Clayton is also a Certified Pilates instructor. She currently resides in West Hollywood.
Ballroom, Burlesque, & Salsa Dance.
Ani Hovhannisyan
Ani Hovhannisyan, “Dance has and always will be a significant part of my life.”
Ani graduated California State University of Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and Dance. Ani has been trained in different styles of dances in school and outside of school. She has been trained for years and has reached a lot of her goals with her hard work and dedication. For example, she has been trained in ballet, jazz, modern, hip-hop, and salsa. She has been in a couple of Salsa Dance Companies, where she has worked and trained with some of the best and professional salsa dancers, who have given her various opportunities to go to different places to perform. She has also done different video clips for different singers and has performed at different Theaters. Ani has worked with kids and adults for years and taught dance at various places throughout Los Angeles. Still remaining in a Salsa and Modern Dance Companies she performs and experiences a great journey that life has offered her. Being a dance instructor/performer, a swim instructor/Lifeguard, and being busy with her Dance Companies, she still manages to participate in different shows that come along the way.
Belly Dance
Mésmera
Mésmera a grew up in San Diego, CA, where her childhood was all about movement: swimming, gymnastics, baton twirling, water ballet, hiking and cookouts, all under the initiative of her father, Coach Rose. Whenever the men were not around and the desire hit, her aunt, grandmother and mother would put on music and dance. Discovering Modern Dance in High School fanned the spark in Mésmera, yet it was not until 10 years later, when she saw her first belly dancer, that her passion for the dance became her passion for life.
Spinning her veils through 25 years of classes, performances, seminars, videos, festivals, film and TV credits, celebrity parties and directing Troupe Mésmerasha has shaped her into a dancer with depth and intent. Her articulate clarity of movement carries through to her teaching ability, making the learning experience most satisfying.
Mésmera encourages and empowers freedom of movement in dance as a creative paradigm for life. She draws from many sources: archetypes, geometry, anatomy, kinesiology, colors, Deities, animals and Nature. She integrates knowledge, awareness and Spirit and actively generates the embodiment of these elements with her students. The grace with which she blends heart and consciousness is inspiring, joyful and vital, bringing her entertainment art to a moving experience for her audience as well as her students. There is definitely more than a shimmy happening here, and that is why her name is Mésmera.
Irish Dance (non-competitive)
Monica Sorce
Monica has been dancing since the age of six. Starting in a local NJ studio, she later studied in New York with some of the best in the field including Luigi, Phil Black, Peter Germero, and Ballet Arts , Cargenie Hall. Founder and director of the Master Art Dance Co. she performed in the NJ, NY Metropolitan area. She also co-owned "The Dancer's Workshop, a dance studio in West NY NJ.
Monica moved to Los Angeles in 1993, and taught for Maureen Kennedy at Art of the Dance Academy, for 13 yrs.
When Irish dance re-surfaced, she decided to refresh some of her childhood techniques. She studied with The Morissey School of Irish Dance, and competed in Competions (Feis) throughout California.
She earned first place in soft as well as hard shoe work. An avid dance lover, she teaches tap, jazz, ballet, and Irish , dedicating herself to teaching children as well as adults the beautiful art of dance and sharing her knowledge with all ages.
Classical Ballet, Hip hop, Jazz-HOP, & Jazz Dance.
Hana Bible
Hana Bible was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She began taking ballet classes at The Westlake School for the Performing Arts at age 6 and eventually worked her way up to principal dancer. At age 14 she began training in jazz, modern, contemporary and hip hop as well. By age 18, Hana performed as a lead or solo dancer in ballets including La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Paquita, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.
When Hana was 17, she won 2nd place in the contemporary solo category at the Youth American Grand Prix ballet competition in Huntington Beach, and was placed in the top 14 for the ballet solo division. That same year Hana was accepted to attend the American Ballet Theater’s summer intensive program in Costa Mesa, CA.
At 19, Hana moved to Los Angeles where she continued to dance while attending college at Cal State LA, where she graduated in December 2010 with a B.A. in Child Development. Currently, Hana is signed with DDO talent agency, and performs with a hip hop company based in Fullerton, and continues her training by taking classes throughout LA.
Vocal Instruction
Classes & Private Lessons Via Skype from Long Island,NY.
Florence Hechtel
Artistic Director, Admissions Officer, and Curator of the Francesca Method
Stella G. Croxon
Stella is the daughter of the Founder, Miss Francesca, and was teacher in her London, England school for many years. She is now managing the scheduling and enrollment in the school and is available for all class and billing related questions.
Stella is a soprano. She received her voice training with Florence Hechtel-Graziose in New York, and Elizabeth Howard in Los Angeles. She is also an actress, comedian, and voice over artist.
Her other full-time job is as a mortgage/credit professional for her company Stellar Loans .
Receptionist
Gabrielle Hanela
Many of you have already met Miss Gabrielle and know what a wonderful lady she is. You will either find her in the ballet studio or in the reception room. She has lived in Paris, France and is fluent in French, which is perfect for a ballet school - where all exercises are in French!
She is also CPR Certified and is a Licensed Vocational Nurse Graduate. She is always available to welcome you to the school and to answer your questions. She is your liaison between the teachers and Miss Stella. We are glad that she has joined our school.
"Dedicated to producing dancers of the finest technique & quality."
Copyright © 2001 The Classical Ballet School. All rights reserved.
Revised: 02/15/12.
