Faculty

Dance West / Metropolitan Ballet Co. * E-mail: dancewestinfo@gmail.com


	Monique Delhaye, Artistic Director - Monique Delhaye co-founded Dance West and the Metropolitan Ballet Company. She has successfully presided over twenty years of artistic growth. The company's success is due in large part to Monique's reputation. She has received international recognition in the areas of dance education and choreography. Monique Delhaye brings to the Southern California area over thirty years of experience as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. She started her impressive career as a principle guest artist with a wide assortment of dance companies and made the transition to Artistic Director, in 1991. As an educator, she has touched the lives of thousands of dancers. As a choreographer she has received international awards and recognition. As an administrator she presides over an prospering arts organization, and was honored with a “Life Time Achievement Award” from the Dance Grand Prix organization. Video choreographic Samples: "What May Never Be"
	Mike Melton, Academy Director – The MBC Academy is an exclusive pre-professional training program. The program is designed for students who have expressed a desire to participate in a rigorous training program, with highly motivated dancers. The Academy is an elite group and is the primary resource that company level choreographers use for their performances. After Graduating from CSULB with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing, Mike Melton co-founded Dance West and the Metropolitan Ballet Company. The company has operated debt-free with balanced budgets, for more than twenty years, and continues to be an American arts success story. In addition to being an administrator, Mike has received international awards for his choreography and is a valued consultant to local school districts in the areas of program development and arts education. Video choreographic Samples: "Slackers", "Sugar Plum Variation"
	Tiffany Billings, Special Guest Faculty - Performer/singer/dancer/choreographer/director/professor, and creator of her own clothing line TIF WEAR—has received her MFA in choreography at the University of California, Irvine. Tiffany is an incredibly gifted all around entertainer, having performed with the San Francisco Ballet Company, Sacramento Ballet, trained with the School of American Ballet in New York, and has received a San Diego Tommy Award for "Best Jazz Dancer". She has also won a Gold medal in Japan in an international singing competition, was a NFL San Diego Charger Dancer, and also served as the voice of "Lucy" on the animated Peanuts cartoon series. As well as being an accomplished singer, dancer, performer and choreographer, Tiffany also directs short films, Fallen Star, which screened in Irvine and Hollywood, CA, received rave reviews. Fallen Star is currently being distributed in Japan and the United States, where it continues to change perceptions of what a ‘dance film’ is, while also leaving audiences with a lasting emotional impact. She has also instructed and mentored performers who have gone on to appear in major motion pictures, MTV and network television, Julliard and star in international stage shows and Broadway. Tiffany serves as an instructor and judge for national Dance Masters of America conventions, while also acting as a guest artist, setting and premiering dance pieces at highly renowned universities. She is also a judge for the American Choreography Awards. Tiffany has instructed at the Edge in Hollywood, CSU Long Beach, UC Irvine, LBCC and was a Full time Professor at Chapman University, where her choreography was selected to be performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC for ACDFA. She serves as an honored performer and instructor in various cities across the country for the past 17 years. www.tifwear.com
	Nikole Smith, Special Guest Faculty – Nikki brings an extensive understanding of the art and business of dancing professionally, to Dance West. Her Credits include, Film: Did you hear about the Morgans, Zombie prom, Spread, Thieves. Television: Americas Got Talent, Glee ( pilot), Scrubs (a musical), Just Jordan, "Six feet under" dancing for me, comedy central "Last laugh 04", Buffy the vampire slayer, So Little Time, Even Stevens, Lizzy McGuire. Event: Pre-Oscar Party 2006, Britney Spears tour 2000/Aaron Carter, NBA All-Star Weekend/Arron Carter, Winter tour 2001/Aaron Carter, Rock n Rio 2001/Aaron Carter, House of blues/Arron Carter, Aaron Carter Tour 1999-2000, All that and more tour/Aaron Carter For information regarding Nikki's dance technique program, e-mail: nikki83c@gmail.com
	Jessica Jimenez brings strength and a knowledgeable of competition technique to Dance West. Jessica established the liberal arts program at Fairmont Preparatory Academy, serves as a National Judge at “Jamz cheer and dance competition”, and is a certified Pilates instructor for LA Fitness and Equinox. Jessica teaches contemporary jazz, classical jazz, and Pilates at Dance West. Jessica has been a faculty staff member and has choreographed for Dance West performances for six years. She has performed with and has toured with the Metropolitan Ballet Company, in Las Vegas and Italy. More recently, Jessica had the opportunity to performed in and co-choreograph “The Passion” - an opera starring tenor Oscar Zang of China, a breast cancer fund raiser performed at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center and the Kodak Theater, in association with the Metropolitan Ballet Company. Jessica Jimenez was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and was raised in New York City, in the early 1980’s, where her mother danced as a New York City’s Rockette and her father danced in productions featuring Madonna, Run DMC, Michael Chambers “Boogaloo Shrimp”, and Bruno Falcon “Pop N Taco”. Jimenez continued the family tradition, by having performed with pop artist’s, such as: Will Smith, Ricky Martin and Backstreet Boys. Video choreographic Samples: "Peace"
	Heidi DeBrincat brings an extensive understanding of core strength training to Dance West. Since 1995, Heidi has earned numerous Pilates certifications and is officially certified by Stott. Heidi specializes in working with dancers. Having taught ballet since 1989, she has invested many years in the study of bodies in motion, and how to apply Pilates principles to dance of all kinds. Her most recent training was with Karen Clippenger MSPE Professor, CSULB Dance department, specializing in Pilates applied to dancers for strength, flexibility and injury prevention. Heidi teaches ballet, pre-point, and Pilates at Dance West. Heidi has been a faculty staff member and has choreographed for Dance West performances for seven years. She has performed with and has toured with the Metropolitan Ballet Company, in Las Vegas and Italy. In both 2005 and 2007, Heidi choreographed pieces that earned 1st place awards for classical ballet and choreography. Performed by Metropolitan Ballet Company at the Grand Prix Italia in Cessena, Italy. More recently, Heidi had the opportunity to performed in and co-choreograph “The Passion” - an opera starring tenor Oscar Zang of China, a breast cancer fund raiser performed at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center and the Kodak Theater, in association with the Metropolitan Ballet Company.
	Christina Beck brings a wealth of international culture to Dance West. She is a UCI graduate in International Studies, has traveled extensively though out Europe and has lived in France. Christina specializes in movement and musicality for young dancers. By specializing in “teaching technique through play” Christina is able to give all her students a strong foundation, in a class that is fun and exciting. Christina has been a faculty staff member and has choreographed for Dance West performances for three years. She has performed with and has toured with the Metropolitan Ballet Company, in Italy.
	Stephanie Deere brings a knowledgeable of competition technique to Dance West. Stephanie teaches jazz, featuring a strong foundation in competition technique. Stephanie has been a faculty staff member and has choreographed for Dance West performances. Stephanie is a dance major at UCI and has established the “Electric” dance team, at Dance West. Her teams are known to be highly motivated, with a strong commitment towards developing social skills, professionalism, and high self esteem. Try outs are held in June!