About Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to instill an appreciation and dedication to the arts in the lives of young people, by providing quality instruction in a positive and nurturing environment.
We strive to develop not only a strong technical foundation in each of our students but take great care to nurture and develop each students' own individual creativity, imagination, character, and integrity in order to produce true artists, with a rich inner world, capable of expressing themsleves through dance.
Director
Lauren Richter ~
Lauren Richter began her ballet training in 1996 in Orange County. In 2006, she moved to New York City to continue her training at ABT's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and worked privately with Prima Ballerina Assouluta Eva Evdokimova. During this time, Lauren was awarded a scholarship through Youth American Grand Prix to continue her studies in Monte-Carlo at the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance under the direction of Marika Besobrasova. After spending two years there, Lauren received her first professional contract with the Prague State Opera Ballet in the Czech Republic and then went on to dance with the Bucharest National Ballet in Romania.
Lauren has competed in several competitions both nationally and internationally including LA Music Center’s Spotlight Awards, Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Stars of Tomorrow, Youth American Grand Prix, and Prague International Ballet Competition. During her professional career, Lauren’s repertoire included roles in such classics as Giselle, La Bayadere, La Corsaire, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and George Balanchine’s Serenade.
Lauren is certified in levels 1-8 through the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Teacher Training Program. She is also a member of the International Dance Council CID at UNESCO, the official world-wide organization for dance. In addition to ballet, Lauren is a certified Pilates instructor with a dance specialization through BASI Pilates. Lauren has taught in several schools throughout Orange County as well as in some of the orphanages in Romania. Dance is truly her passion and she loves to be able to share that passion with others.
Faculty
Kellie Richter ~
Kellie began her formal ballet training with the late Evelyn LeMone founder of LaMone Ballet Center and Pasadena Dance Theater. At the age of 15 her family moved from the Pasadena area down to Mission Viejo, Ca. where she continued her ballet training with Judith Aaen of The Judith Aaen Academy of Dance. Kellie called upon her ballet training and talent when she entered and won The Miss Saddleback Valley Pageant in 1984 a pre-liminary competition for The Miss America Pageant. She went on to work with then Pageant Director, Ms. Linda Trauffer and Judith Aaen to choreograph for the organization and Mentor young women. Her love for dance and young children fused together when she attended Saddleback College and participated in their Dance and Early Childhood Education certification programs.
Kellie has taught in the primary division for the past two years at Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy.
To continue her pursuit of education, she traveled last summer to New York to participate in the Bolshoi Ballet Theater's teacher training program where she was awarded a completion certificate for level A. She will be attending again this summer (August 2015) to complete their level B certification.
At The Richter Academy of Classical Dance and Pilates, Kellie will teach in the primary division programs. She looks forward to inspiring young students to combine musicality, coordination, and a love for movement and artistic expression.
Gina Cerato ~
Born in Laguna Beach, California, Gina began her dance training with Lila Zali, Paul Maure, and Kathy Kahn at Ballet Pacifica. She studied on scholarship with the Joffery Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. She has extensively trained with Alaine Haubert, Molly Lynch, Janek Schergen, Jeremy Blanton, Diane Diefenderfer, James Jones and David Allan. Gina danced with Ballet Pacifica doing major roles in ballets as a young dancer and joined Ballet Pacifica as a company member in 1994. While dancing professionally, she had created roles in ballets by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, John Selya, Peter Pucci, David Allan, Ann-Marie DeAngelo, Robert Sund and Molly Lynch, as well as over 25 more nationally known choreographers. Gina has performed for 6 years as Principle Dancer in the Glory of Christmas. She has also been a Featured performer for 5 years in the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. She has been teaching Ballet for over 10 years at several serious ballet/dance conservatories throughout Orange County. Gina is also a certified Pilates instructor, by the industries biggest company Balanced Body as well as training through a local teacher, Diane Diefenderfer at Studio du Corps.
Jennie Dayley ~
Jennie Dayley began coaching and teaching dance in her youth. She initiated her study of dance with clogging, a form of American folk dance. She performed, toured and consistently placed in competitions. While continuing her study of dance at a collegiate level, Jennie choreographed for, taught for and danced with an International Folk Dance team that performed in the United States, Italy, Sicily, Australia and New Zealand. She completed a degree in dance while continuing her love, of teaching others to dance. Jennie loves the joyful nature of folk and historical dances and the way theyexpand appreciation for the diversity and history of world cultures.
Linda-Joy “LJ” Tashiro Nafarrete ~
Linda-Joy “LJ” Tashiro Nafarrete, a founding member of the OC renowned Backhausdance Company, established in 2003, received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance while on scholarship at Chapman University. During her tenure at Chapman, she specialized in Dance performance and received several awards, including, Freshmen of the Year, Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Performance. Prior to Chapman University, Ms. Tashiro Nafarrete, attended the Orange County High School of Arts and graduated from their Commercial Dance Department. Additionally, she studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York City on scholarship. She has extensive training in Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Ballet, Hip Hop and Dunham (Afro-Caribbean) dance techniques and holds a certification in Pilates from Body Arts and Science International. In addition to concert performances, she has danced in a variety of modern media, including music and fitness videos and live television. Ms. LJ has taught in various seminars and master classes and continues to teach and Choreograph through out Southern California. As an award winning choreographer, she has a gift of creating moving pieces that are authentically molded for each dancer and group. Ms. LJ finds great fulfillment in sharing her love of dance with her students. Her classes focus on experimenting with center of gravity, individual expression and creativity. In addition, she stresses the importance of use of space as well as inner awareness and confidence. She is extremely detailed in her approach of guiding her students in attaining proper alignment and technique. Her passionate goal is to uniquely challenge each student so they can achieve far beyond their personal expectations.