Faculty

Yaya Zhang is an interdisciplinary young artist with twenty years of experience in stage performance, dance choreography, and contemporary art creation. She is a graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy. Ten years of professional training at the Beijing Dance Academy has made her incredibly proficient in dance elements such as Chinese classical dance, Chinese Folk dance, and choreography. Yaya Zhang not only has rich experience in choreography and movement creation, but she is also an interdisciplinary artist. In 2004, she joined Japan’s Shiki Theatre Company as a foreign actress and acted as one of the featured roles “Rumpleteazer” in the classical musical “Cats”. In 2005, she participated in the choreographic creation of the children’s film “Qian Lan Shen Lan”. In 2006, she served as the main director for the opening ceremony of the Jiangxi Provincial Games with over nine thousand participants in the evening ceremony. Since 2006, she has collaborated numerous times with China Children’s Art Theater for musical productions and choreography. Her works include: “Shangri-La”, “Xiao Tu Kuai Pao”, and “Little Match Girl”. Among them, the creation “Xiao Tu Kuai Pao” received the “Wenhua Award”, the highest art award in China. At the end of 2007, she chose to follow her husband and stay in the US where she continues to work as a teacher and choreographer in major dance companies in Los Angeles. In 2013, she continued to study in the US and obtained an MFA in Musical Theatre from the New York Film Academy. In 2014, Ms. Zhang founded the “YAYA Dance Academy”. YAYA Dance Academy is the “base” for dance artist Yaya Zhang to promote Chinese dance. In just a few years, her students have participated in major American and international dance competitions, winning many awards and honors. In 2014, her students performed her new work “Gu Wu Xin Yun” at China’s CCTV show “Dance World” where they received the “All-star” award. In 2015, as an independent artist, Ms. Zhang launched her contemporary dance work, “Yun Being” and performed at the LATC Art Festival where it was well-received. In 2016, Ms. Zhang cooperated with the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine as a guest artist. From 2016-2020, she served as the director for Pacific Symphony’s Spring Festival Concert, “Love Banquet”, for six consecutive years when she collaborated with the renowned conductor Mr. Carl St. Clair. The “Love Banquet” Spring Gala launched at the Segerstrom Concert Hall, becoming Pacific Symphony’s best banquet concert of the year, and students of YAYA Dance Academy were published in the Los Angeles Times. In 2020, YAYA Dance Academy ranked first overall at the mainstream dance competition, KAR, in the US and also received the “Best Studio of 2020” award. In 2020 YAYA Dance Academy was invited to perform at the halftime show on the court of the American NBA basketball game.

Mr. Rad is an all-rounded, multi-disciplinary artist, choreographer and facilitator in dance based in California. He holds an MFA in Dance from UC Irvine where he was offered a full scholarship for the two-year program. Mr. Rad’s choreography is often thought-provoking, and usually revolves around the theme of life and culture. His works have premiered internationally in Malaysia, China, Canada, and the US. He has danced with the Kolben Dance Company and Vertigo Dance Company in Israel, Lar Lubovitch, and worked closely with SiZheng Wang, choreographer from National Ballet of China. Mr. Rad had also performed in All That Jazz and A Chorus Line in college. He was lucky to have choreographed with Yaya Zhang for Pacific Symphony’s Lunar New Year event, Love Feast, since 2018. Their choreography Happy Valley was also invited to perform at YAGP’s final in Tampa, Florida in 2021. Mr. Rad currently teaches beginner ballet, intermediate/advanced jazz, intermediate/advanced contemporary and facilitates the Elite Competition Team at YDA, YDA Irvine, and YDA Torrance. 

Ms. Xie graduated from the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Art as a dance major. She danced as a soloist and lead dancer in various performances, including the CCTV New Year’s Gala. She received numerous awards from a variety of dance competitions, including top honor from the Taoli Cup of China. After moving to the US, she continued to express her love and passion for dance and began teaching young children Chinese folk dance and flexibility training at Yaya Dance Academy. In addition, she also choreographs routines for various dance competitions. She is a wonderful teacher and choreographer who understands and loves the art of dance. Ms. Xie currently teaches beginner/intermediate/advanced folk dance and facilitates the Junior Competition Team at YDA. 

Ms. Grace has nearly 20 years specializing in Chinese dance. Trained in dance from a young age. Graduated from Shenyang Conservatory of Music Dance Conservatory and Yanbian School University College of Arts. Received training from Professor Qiu Youren, former President of Beijing Dance Academy, and Professor Zhong Runliang, a first-level dancer from the Central Ballet.

Sadie Black is a freelance Ballerina, Choreographer and Teacher from and based in Los Angeles. She has performed with Los Angeles Ballet, Barak Ballet, Luminario Ballet, Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet, The Realm Company. Sadie has also produced projects for Freaks With Lines and created new works for LA Grooves. Her training was with Riverside Ballet Arts, Ballet Pacifica, Houston Ballet Academy, and the School of American Ballet. Before her freelance career, Sadie was a company dancer with Texas Ballet Theater, Columbia City Ballet and Los Angeles Ballet. Running parallel to her performing career, is her passion for teaching ballet & yoga. She is on the faculty at Westside School of Ballet the The SIX Compound. Sadie has also coached and choreographed for students competing at Youth America Grand Prix and several other dance competitions. Her ballets "Ra" and "Swing Time" were both invited to perform at the YAGP Finals in NYC.

Mr. Bill, an NYC transplant, originally from NH, is a professional actor, musician, teacher of voice/acting/piano, and a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association. He studied musical theatre at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Mr. Bill has toured nationally as Gus/Growltiger/Bustopher Jones in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, and internationally with Disney Cruise Lines, where he originated the role of Hades in Disney’s first all villains musical, Villains Tonight! His regional theatre credits include Musical Theatre West, CA, the Walnut St. Theatre, PA, Theatre Under the Stars, TX, TheatreZone, FL, Ogunquit Playhouse, ME, Westchester Theatre, NY, Fulton Theatre, PA, Palace Theatre, NH, and more. Some of his favorite credits include Mr. Bumble in Oliver! (nomination best supporting actor in a musical, Broadway World, LA) Max Bialystock in The Producers, Chef Louis in Disney's The Little Mermaid, Valjean in Les Misérables, Gomez in The Addams Family, and Cogsworth in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Currently, Mr. Bill is teaching Musical Theatre Vocals at YDA and YDAI.

Ms. Guo is an all-around champion of the Chinese national gymnastics team. The Guo family has trained many national gymnasts for China, won honors for Chinese gymnastics in the world, and has made unmatched contributions to the Chinese gymnastics world. Ms. Guo is the only girl among four siblings of the second generation of the Guo family. In addition to being influenced by her parents to practice gymnastics when she was young, she also received other training such as dance and figure skating, but her love for gymnastics guided her to go on the road to gymnastics. At a young age, she followed her two elder brothers to train seriously every day, and was soon selected by the Bayi team to enter professional team training. Ms. Guo won 7 gold medals for China (in 1982) in the two international invitational tournaments she participated in, 2 of which were all-around champions. After achieving such excellent results, Ms. Guo made up her mind to shed her aura after retiring, and came to the United States to open up a new world and experience another kind of life.

Ms. Marin started her dance training when she was 6 years old in Japan, training primarily in classical ballet. Born with a love for performing, this talented artist has made a career out of her passion for dance. This drive propels her forward and she hasn’t looked back. She came to the United States at the age of 17 and enrolled in the Dance Department of California State University Fullerton where she completed her BA in Dance Performance. Over the years, she had the opportunity to work on a number of incredible productions as a guest artist and collaborative projects such as the Nutcracker Ballet and Sleeping Beauty Ballet with several outstanding professional choreographers, such as Erin Landry, Stephanie Powell, Bernard Gaddis, Martha Psmintuan, Paula Vreulink and Jeff Hendrix. She has also performed jazz, modern, contemporary, African American dance, hip-hop and improvisation on the stage. In addition, Marin has performed with Walt Disney parks and resort, Knotts Berry Farm and Universal Studios. Thriving on creative challenges and building long-term relationships with audiences along the way, Marin Asano is always leaving an impactful impression behind. As a dance artist, she loves being a part of human evolution through her dance expression. Ms. Marin currently teaches Mini Ballet, Jazz, and Creative Movement at YDAT.

Michael "Misha" is a distinguished ballet artist and educator whose training and career reflect exceptional dedication, versatility, and artistry. Beginning his professional path at just fifteen, Misha trained intensively at several of North America's leading institutions, including Next Generation Ballet, Orlando Ballet School, Canada's National Ballet School, and Ballet West Academy's Professional Training Division. Under celebrated masters such as Bruce Marks, Dinna Bjørn, and Alonzo King, he developed a deep technical foundation and a refined understanding of both classical and contemporary ballet. Misha's performance career spans a wide range of companies and repertoires. He has danced in numerous productions with Ballet West, and served as a Soloist and Principal with Ballet West II, roles that showcased his strong technique, expressive quality, and commanding stage presence. Beyond Ballet West, his professional credits include prominent work with Luminario Ballet, Kenneth Walker Dance Project, Jose Costas Contempo Ballet, San Pedro City Ballet, Ballet California, Ballet Repertory Theater of New Mexico, Queen City Ballet, New West Ballet, Fever's Ballet of Lights, and the SoCal Ballet Scene Festival. His continued activity as a performing artist brings invaluable current industry insight to his students. As an educator, Misha blends classical methods - Balanchine, Vaganova, Bournonville, and Lauridsen techniques - with yoga and Pilates - based conditioning. His classes emphasize clean lines, musicality, alignment, and expressive artistry. At Yaya Dance Academy, Misha is not only a highly qualified instructor but also a mentor and role model. His commitment to both technical excellence and artistic growth inspires young dancers to push their limits, train with focus, and develop a genuine love for the art of ballet.

Ms. Yelena began her training in ballet and character dance in Ukraine at the age of 5. She continued her ballet studies in Los Angeles, CA, before being accepted into the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she earned a BFA in Ballet. Throughout her career, Ms. Yelena has performed professionally with renowned companies such as the New Jersey Ballet, Staten Island Ballet, Pasadena Dance Theatre, Riverside Ballet, and LA Chamber Ballet/Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet. Her repertoire includes solo roles from classic ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, Firebird, Paquita, Raymonda, La Bayadere, and The Nutcracker. For the past six years, Ms. Yelena has expanded her career internationally, collaborating with prestigious companies including the Russian National Ballet Theater, Russian Moscow Ballet, Classical Ballet Theater, and the State Ballet Theater of Russia. During this time, she has performed solo roles in beloved productions such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Cinderella. Ms. Yelena speaks fluent Russian, has six years of classical piano training, and has a unique passion for parrots—she admires their love for dancing, which matches her own.

Ms. Kristin received her formative training in Michigan with Cornelia Sampson, along with studies at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School. She began her professional career at the age of sixteen with the Nashville Ballet, where she held many leading roles. Most recently, Ms. Kristin was a principal dancer with Ballet West, where she performed the title roles in numerous ballets as well as a full range of contemporary, classical, and neoclassical works. She has performed internationally in China and Europe, including appearances in the 2004 Edinburgh International Festival. She appeared as “Sugar Plum Fairy” in a nationally televised broadcast on PBS and performed in the Winter Olympics with Ballet West in 2002. Kristin is also a certified yoga teacher, a practice she finds particularly complementary to the demands of ballet training. She has taught for institutions such as Ballet West and Ballet West Academy, University of California-Irvine, and Michigan Ballet Theatre, in addition to teaching international master classes. Most recently, she taught at the world renowned Beijing Dance Academy, where she has been invited to return as a Guest Professor in 2016. From 2005-2007, she served as an adjunct professor at Wright State University and was a faculty member of Pontecorvo Ballet School. From 2008-2011, she served on the faculty of the Indianapolis School of Ballet and the Central Indiana Academy of Dance. Currently, Ms. Kristin is a faculty member at the Maple Conservatory of Dance in Irvine, California.

Ms. Julia is a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer with artistic roots in the Bay area of California. Julia graduated from Santa Clara University, where she trained and performed extensively with the Santa Clara Department of Theater and Dance. As part of her honors thesis, she choreographed/produced a series of dance films, which received national recognition from the American Dance Festival. Julia continues to train and perform as a company artist with Twopoint4 Dance Theater. Ms. Julia is also the competition director and lead choreographer of the award-winning Chinese American dance studio Lisa’s Performing Arts. Julia’s passion for teaching has allowed her to travel across the country as a masterclass teacher and freelance choreographer for various competitive studios and professional companies. You can see her most recent collaboration ‘Pedestal’ with Leandro Damsco, on tour with Waterstreet Dance Company. She is a founding member of the INK co-op and looks forward to contributing to their second season.

Mr. Adrian was born in Rexburg, Idaho and started dancing at age 10. He has been dancing international ballroom and Latin for more than 25 years, and competed internationally for 17 years in both amateur and professional categories. Adrian has won multiple championships in local and international competitions, including runner-up at the United States Dancesport Championships. Mr. Adrian currently teaches Adult Latin Dance at YDA.

Jonah Boswell is an arts administrator, live event and production professional, educator, and business development leader whose work bridges the creative and business sides of the performing arts. His experience spans national touring events, arts administration, dance education, theatrical production, client and studio relations, fundraising, and organizational strategy, with a focus on building creative experiences that are artistically meaningful, operationally strong, and sustainable. Boswell earned dual degrees from Chapman University in Orange, California, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management. A Chancellor’s Scholar, he has shaped an approach to leadership through his interdisciplinary education that combines artistic understanding with business strategy, organizational management, and operational execution. Boswell works within the national dance competition and convention industry with Amplified Productions, supporting Adrenaline Dance, Revive Dance Convention, and Monsters of Hip Hop. As a Convention Manager working across event operations and competition administration, he helps execute large-scale, multi-day touring events in approximately 18–20 cities throughout the United States each season. His responsibilities include studio and client relations, convention operations, registration, competition administration, scoring and adjudication processes, awards, scheduling, guest services, and real-time event troubleshooting. Working directly with studio owners, educators, dancers, families, and industry professionals has strengthened his interest in creating exceptional client experiences through strong operational systems. Previously, Boswell spent three years at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), serving as Conservatory Manager and faculty member for the Commercial Dance Conservatory. He helped administer a department with approximately 130 students and 19 faculty members, overseeing communications, scheduling, admissions, contracts, payroll, guest artist coordination, fundraising, and departmental operations. He supported an admissions process involving more than 230 applicants and helped raise more than $20,000 for student programming, performances, and educational opportunities. As a faculty member, he also taught and mentored developing artists in technique, performance, audition preparation, and professional development. Boswell’s production and creative experience includes multiple collaborations with the Irvine Barclay Theatre, where he served in assistant-directing and assistant-creative-directing capacities on large-scale dance productions. His interdisciplinary projects have also included executive producing a dance-and-robotics collaboration, movement direction and choreography incorporating professional cinematic lighting technology, and co-choreographing an original musical at Chapman University. His academic and professional interests extend to the organizational structures shaping the performing arts. His research at Chapman examined corporate leadership within the dance competition and convention industry, including organizational culture, consolidation, ethics, compensation, dancer welfare, and sustainable leadership. He is particularly interested in leadership models that combine genuine artistic understanding with strong business practices and organizational accountability. Across his work, Boswell is drawn to the infrastructure behind exceptional artistic experiences—the people, strategy, systems, relationships, and execution that allow creativity to flourish. His professional interests include arts administration, organizational leadership, producing, programming, creative direction, business development, and large-scale live event management, with the long-term goal of helping lead organizations that expand opportunities for artists and strengthen the institutions that support them.