Faculty (A-M)

Anjuuli Born has been dancing for fifteen years training with Marguerite Phares. She joined the Phares Theatre Ballet Company at ten years of age. Since then, she has performed most of the roles in the Nutcracker, from a tiny mouse to the Sugar Plum Fairy. Other full Ballets in which she has danced a major role are Coppelia, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Anjuli traveled to Iowa for a summer workshop with Ballet Iowa. Marg Phares trained her for four years to become a teacher. Currently, Anjuli is attending American River College, majoring in sign language. Her goal is to become a Ballet teacher for the deaf and hearing.
Anthony Lewis (Ajax) was born and raised in Sacramento, California. Ajax has been teaching for ten years at various dance studios and schools in the Northern California area. Including California Family Fitness and master classes at CSUS. Ajax has performed for the National Basketball Association with the Golden State Warriors and is going into his fourth season with the Sacramento Kings Breakers. He has competed and judged in break dance competitions all over the United States and in Canada, France, Korea, and Denmark. Ajax was chosen to represent for Team USA and compete at IBE an international break dance competition in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Ajax is a passionate dancer with a creative teaching style that helps enlighten his students in a positive way on break dancing and the hip hop culture. (Photo coming soon).

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Tessa Buys grew up in Utah where she trained extensively in jazz, hip hop, ballet, contemporary, acting, tap and ballroom with teachers including Derryl Yeager, Rick Robinson, and Garth Peay. As a student she toured the US performing and competing, and spent time during her summers training at prestigious Los Angeles studios. After locating to the Sacramento Area, Tessa began teaching jazz, hip hop, contemporary and children’s classes and was a member of the Ruth Rosenberg Dance Ensemble. When not dancing or teaching, Tessa is a mother to three little boys and an artist in the scrapbooking industry. Tessa feels blessed to have been teaching and directing competition troupes at the Hawkins School of Performing Arts since 2001.
Christopher Carlson earned his B.A. in Theatre from Sacramento State University after over a dozen years of performance in musical theatre and dance. Working closely with Master Puppeteer Richard Bay, Christopher has operated and designed puppets for school tours, symphonic events and mainstage shows. Christopher began at age 8 in a Sacramento Music Circus production of Joseph… and performed the role of Gavroche with the Les Miserables Third National Tour in 2000. He performs and directs regularly since, with the experience of over 40 productions. Christopher is thrilled to be teaching here with the Hawkins School of Performing Arts and enjoys working in this high-energy, positive learning environment.
Monique Chilcutt graduated from CSUS with a BS in Health Science and a minor in dance. She has an extensive dance experience background including: Danced with a professional modern jazz company in Sacramento, “Jazzworks”, a student company at Sac. State, “Jazzie”, danced and choreographed for Sacramento Kings NBA Dance Team, “Fastbreak”, danced and assistant directed for Sacramento jazz company, “Pulse”, danced and choreographed for modern dance company, “Full Circle”, taught for USA Jazz Dance Camps, directed and choreographed for Sac. State Dance Team, “Xtreme Dance Team”, taught jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, and hip-hop to all ages 4 to adult in various cities in US and Canada.
Anne David grew up and trained in dance in the Sacramento area, performed with the Sacramento Ballet and was an apprentice in her early teens. At age fourteen she earned a scholarship to dance at the Marin Dance Theatre where she received extensive training in ballet, modern, and jazz. At the Marin Dance Theatre she had the opportunity to work with Alonzo King, Christopher Stowell, and many other talented choreographers. Anne has danced professionally and worked with a variety of artists across the Nation. Her professional musical theatre experience includes roles in Pokeman Live! Las Vegas; Mississippi Love, Branson Missouri; and “Rosie” in Cabaret. Anne earned her Bachelors degree in Education at Humboldt State University. Currently, Anne is Assistant Artistic Director and dancer in CORE Dance Collective where she is delighted to work with her dear friend and the director of the company, Kelli Leighton. Currently, Anne is on faculty at the Performing and Fine Arts Academy of Natomas Charter School, Step 1 Dance and Fitness, and Hawkin’s School of Performing Arts.

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Rebecca Henning is a native of Sacramento, California who has received dance training as well as performance and teaching experience from local studios. Since the age of three, she has undertaken a disciplinary training in the art of ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical which has enabled her to perform at national and international venues such as Disneyland, Las Vegas, and even Rome, Italy. She has also had the opportunity to perform with the Russian Ballet Company in their production of The Nutcracker, guest perform with the Folsom Lake Civic Ballet in the productions of Coppelia and Cinderella as well as lead master workshops for California Dance and Movement Workshop for Educators. She is a graduate of Sacramento State University with Master’s degrees in Theatre and English and currently teaches at American River College as a Dance Professor.
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Elaine Hunter began her dance training at the age of four. She studied ballet under Marguerite Phares, Stuart Carrol, and Sharon Newton and danced with both the Theater Ballet Company and Capitol Ballet Company. as well as the Sacramento Academy of Dance. Elaine has studied several other dance styles including tap with Joanna Summerhays and Krei Mathews, hip hop, lyrical, and jazz. Elaine has competed at the national level with her high school dance team; and has taught several dance clinics and tap classes. Elaine is a supportive and devoted teacher whose love of dance is shared with all of her students.
Kelli Leighton started her dancing career at a young age in Utah. She won top honors at numerous competitions, including a feature on the Today Show, and was awarded numerous dance training scholarships for schools all over the US including the prestigious Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. At Utah State University, Kelli was a member of the Sunburst Performing Company and had the opportunity to choreograph in addition to performing. She later moved to Los Angeles and became a member of the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA working in Film, Television and Industrials. Kelli dedicates her summers to continue training and has studied under such greats as Doug Varone, Abby Fiat (University of Utah), Jan Erkert (University of Illinois), Mia Michaels, Dwana Smallwood (Alvin Ailey), Ana Marie Forsythe, Ronald K. Brown, Carla Maxwell (Jose Limon) and many more.

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In addition to being the founder and full-time artistic director of CORE Dance Collective, Sacramento’s professional contemporary dance company, Kelli choreographs for soloists, drill and dance teams, as well as dance companies throughout Utah, California, and Idaho. Her choreography has garnered awards at multiple competitions and national conventions. She teaches master classes for various high schools, private studios and universities including CSUS and USU. She is currently on faculty at Step I Dance and Fitness in Sacramento, where she heads the jazz competition teams.

Kelli finds inspiration in the human experience and in the bonds that people form through movement. Her vision is to promote a healthy professional environment where dancers of all experiences come together to inspire each other and enrich their surrounding community. Her unique athletic contemporary style along with a contagious passion and energy for dance has made her one of the most sought after master teachers and choreographers.
Geno Lobato began dancing at the age of six. His teaching career was established in 1990 with Show Biz Kid Productions in Sacramento and continued with Get Fit Dance and Fitness Productions. Geno’s performing experience is extensive, having had a professional position with the Christian Industry as being the back-up dancer for rapper T-Bone on nationwide tours through 1997. He was the opening act for such hip-hop groups as The Roots, NAS and DED Prez and toured with Soul Sonic Force and Afrika Bambaataa. With the assistance of Sacramento School Districts, Geno developed after school programs for elementary and high schools in dance, health and fitness, and volunteered his time mentoring troubled teens while performing with dance groups to encourage area youth to become involved in community endeavors. Geno offers informational and motivational speeches in diet, health and fitness while sharing his passion for dance.
Alyson Meador started dancing when she was seven years old. Born with dance in her blood – her mother was a former Rockette and her father was a part-time Arthur Murray ballroom dance instructor – Alyson has long been driven by a passion to teach dance. She started as an assistant teacher in her family’s studio and served two years as area representative and instructor at the H&H Dance Troupe convention before owning her own Bay-area dance studio, A Step Ahead. She is currently a tap instructor at the Hawkins School of Performing Arts. Her students have gone on to become dance majors in college, Rockettes, Broadway performers, Forty-Niner Gold Rush Girls, and dance instructors. Her choreography has appeared on local San Francisco television programs, has been performed at the University of San Francisco, and received numerous competitive awards. In 2001, she received the Dance Teacher Award at the Shows topper competition. Among her non-teaching credits, Alyson has worked for Warner Brothers television and performed on tour in Mexico. Consistent with her passion for teaching, Alyson sees her most important role as being a mother to her four children and a mentor to her students. She is excited to see her classes grow and become a place for her students to learn teamwork, commitment, and dedication and develop a love for the art of tap dancing.

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Sherry Melchers studied dance for 17 years at The Viola La Verne Aronson’s Imperial School of the Dance in Folsom, CA. In her pre-teen and teen years she represented the studio as part of the advanced performing group (ballet, pointe, jazz and tap). She was a featured soloists in various dance forms most notably toe tap (pointe shoes with taps). Sherry started as a dance assistant to Mrs. Aronson and began teaching in the mid 1970′s. In 1976 she spent a year at Tiata College New Zealand and continued dancing at the Upper Wellington Dance Studio. In 1977 she moved to LA to further her dance education. She trained extensively with renowned choreographer Jackie Sleight (owner/operator LA Dance Magic competitions and conventions), Carol Conners (LA Dance Force Tour Director) and living legend Joe Tremaine (Tremaine Conventions and Competition), until a serious back injury prevented her from dancing for many years. Healed, and stronger than ever, Sherry began teaching at the Hawkins School of Performing Arts in 1997. At Hawkins, Sherry has found her niche working with the younger dancers; she loves their energy and they love her fun spirit and positive attitude.

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Jacob Montoya grew up in the Sacramento area, training in jazz, ballet, tap, contemporary and hip hop, receiving numerous scholarships at regional conventions. Jacob’s love of dance led him to study at the University of Nevada’s Dance Department where he received extensive training in the Lester Horton technique and become certified in the style of Erick Hawkins, two great pioneers in modern dance. While in Nevada, Jacob worked for the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theatre and Missy Cochran Entertainment where he performed for many elaborate Las Vegas hotel events.  He performed for the University of Arizona’s dance showcase (Richard Havey), was the lead dancer in a piece choreographed by the directors of the Korea National Sport University in Seoul, and another piece by Margot Colbert (Juilliard School).  Jacob grew up performing locally in various musical theatre productions and has been the recipient of Elly Awards for his performances. Jacob is currently completing his Bachelor’s degree at Sacramento State University in history and is the Resident Choreographer for Woodcreek High School.   Jacob shares his teaching and choreographic talent with several local studios, receiving recognition and awards at regional dance competitions.  He recently was an an artist-in-residence at the Kathy Blake Dance Studio in New Hampshire. In addition to his full teaching schedule, Jacob is a company dancer with the highly acclaimed CORE Dance Collective based in Sacramento and guest performs with E:motion dance ensemble.