Courtney Wadman
Nevada Union High School Dance Director
Courtney has been teaching at Nevada Union High School since 2010. She started her ballet training at the age of three, and over the years expanded her movement training to include jazz, modern, tap, hip hop, pointe, and Pilates. In 2006, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Chapman University in Orange, California with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and a B.A. in Teaching English. At Chapman, she performed and choreographed in numerous faculty and student productions, and she earned various awards including “Outstanding Student Choreographer” and the “Fannie Kalis Award for Outstanding Contribution in Dance.” Her choreography was selected for the Gala performance at the American College Dance Festival. Courtney has danced professionally in venues for choreographers Sean Greene (Director of the Gallimaufry & Greene Dance Company), Tiffany Billings (Director of Club Jete), and Jennifer Backhaus (Director of Backhausdance Contemporary Dance Company). Courtney’s teaching experience includes numerous private dance studios as well as public schools. She taught classes at Expressions School of Dance and worked as an assistant dance instructor at Santa Ana High School. She directed two jazz performance teams and taught multiple dance classes at Backhaus Contemporary Dance Center in Orange County. Courtney also taught ballet and jazz at The California Conservatory of Dance in Mission Viejo. In 2009, Courtney completed her graduate studies at Chapman University, where she received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English. Courtney has taught English at Santa Ana College and Chapman University. Upon her relocation to Northern California, Courtney taught English at Sierra College and joined the faculty at the Northern California Dance Conservatory to teach, choreograph, and run a program of community dance classes for the City of Roseville. She also worked alongside her mentor, Yelena Holt, to choreograph and stage manage for Mrs. Holt’s final production of An Evening of Dance. Upon Mrs. Holt’s retirement, Courtney was honored to take over the dance program at her high school alma mater. The Nevada Union Theatrical Dance program has expanded under Courtney’s direction to include several new enrichment classes, productions, field trips, and fundraiser events. Courtney received her Gateway Mat 1 Pilates Certification in 2015, and she attends conferences and workshops for California Dance Educators annually.
Toria Talbott
Assistant Director
Toria Talbott, a Northern California native, grew up training in multiple styles of dance including Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern and Tap at various dance studios all over Nevada County from the age of 4. In high school she trained with Sierra Dance Institute and spent four years in the Advanced Dance Program through Nevada Union. Toria then went on to receive her B.F.A. in Dance from California State University, Long Beach and graduated summa cum laude. While in school Toria worked with professional choreographers, performing and choreographing numerous pieces that were produced through the CSULB Department of Dance. She was awarded the Ameda J. and Julia M. Bergeron, and Dramatic Allied Arts Guild Scholarships for her academic achievements and served as a student ambassador for the Dance Department. Toria also received her Master’s in Education and Single Subject Teaching Credential in Physical Education and Dance from National University. Toria had the opportunity to perform Rebecca Bryant’s piece “Manufactured” in the Wave Rising Series in association with the 92Y Harkness Dance Center in New York City and continues to perform professionally. For the last 6 years she has been teaching at various schools in Nevada County including Forest Charter where she teaches movement based classes for grades K-12, and Nevada Union High School where she is the Assistant Director of Dance. In her position she works with beginning, intermediate and advanced level dancers and choreographs multiple dances for the annual Fall and Spring productions. As a mover, experimenter, and artist, she deeply values the internal connection between the self and movement and its relationship to creative choice. Through a collaborative process her work investigates these personalized choices and draws upon the individual experience to capture a sense of realism that is relatable to any viewer.
DANCE TEAM
Daisy Hang
Varsity Dance Team Coach
Kayci Most
JV Dance Team Coach
Kayci grew up in Nevada County and was involved in the Nevada Union Theatrical Dance program during all four years of high school. After high school, she received her Pilates certification through Polestar Pilates and currently instructs Pilates full time. Kayci maintains regular professional development as a dancer and teacher through her training at Sac Dance Lab, where she was a member of their Unity team, reginting her desire to train, grow, and learn in a variety of dance styles. Kayci is the Junior Varsity Dance Team coach, training the team and choreographing multiple routines for halftime and stage performances. Furthermore, Kayci works as a guest choreographer for all levels of the NU dance program, where she enjoys being an inspiring, positive role model for the dancers.
GUEST TEACHERS
Annie Aguilar
Yoga Teacher
Annie M. Aguilar, D.C. Intern is grateful to practice holistic healthcare as a chiropractor and craniosacral therapist in her home community. With a lifelong background in dance and somatics, Annie weaves together her movement training with the foundational principles of chiropractic medicine to offer a comprehensive, embodied approach to health and vitality.
Annie’s treatment method emphasizes nervous system regulation, musculoskeletal alignment, and functional mobility/strength alongside nutritional support. Her practice is informed by the understanding that befriending our bodies—with their unique experiences and needs—requires compassionate and individualized support. She works with patients to alleviate pain, optimize function, and uplift the body’s healing potential while deepening mind-body awareness.
Annie enjoys leading yoga, dance, and strength-training classes. Over the last 10 years of teaching, she has come to believe in community movement as an entry point into healing, building resilience, and joy.
Outside of the clinic, find Annie hiking in the Sierra with her partner Max or spending time with her big Nevada County family!
Jesse Church Beck
Ballet/Jazz Instructor & Choreographer 
Jesse began training in Grass Valley, California at Nevada City School of the Arts. He went on to study with Nevada Union Theatrical Dance before attending college at Chapman University as a dance major. After two years at Chapman, Jesse transferred to Tisch School of Dance at New York University, he obtained his BFA in Dance as well as completed a double major in Politics. He is the recipient of the Edward Weisik Scholarship as well as the Bill Cosby Memorial Scholarship. He has performed in works by Gus Solomons Jr., Sean Greene, Tiffany Billings and Brook Notery. His choreography has been presented in California and New York. He has performed in works by Gus Solomons Jr., Sean Green, Tiffany Billings, James Martin Dance, Brook Notery, Lane & Co. Dance, and Dances Patrelle—a dynamic, professional ballet company in its 30th season. For nearly 20 years, Beck, on a yearly basis, has returned to Nevada Union to teach master classes and set various choreographic works on the dancers. His works have consisted of ballet, jazz and contemporary, as well as theatrical ensembles.
Roxanna Cohen
Pilates Instructor & Stage Manager
Roxanna has been a physical therapist since 1990. She is a Fellow of Movement System Impairments through Washington University in ST. Louis and a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS). Her physical therapy practice has been movement science based since 2001, when she was originally certified as a Rehab Specialist thru Polestar Pilates. Roxanna is a PMA-CPT (Pilates Method Alliance-Certified Pilates Teacher), a Senior Educator (Teacher Trainer) and Examiner for Polestar Pilates, and Oov level one Educator. Roxanna’s movement background began with dance at the age of 5 and yoga at the age of 15, both of which she still practices. She parlayed her love of movement into a career teaching group and individual fitness for over 10 years before becoming a PT. Roxanna is the owner of The Pilates Place in Grass Valley, and she teaches Pilates classes to all levels for the Nevada Union Theatrical Dance program.
Grechen Colón
Caribbean Dance Fusion Instructor & Choreographer
Grechen Colón was born in Puerto Rico, a land that has given life to rhythms and dances such as the Bomba, the Plena, Boogaloo, Salsa, and Reguetón – amongst others. As she explains, “Music and dance is the daily bread of the people of the enchanted island of Puerto Rico.” In addition to dancing all types of Caribbean folkloric dances, she also was formally trained for more than a decade in classical ballet, modern dance, and Spanish dance. Grechen studied theatrical arts at the University of Puerto Rico, where in 2002 she received a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities with an emphasis in Theater. Part of the dance company “Teatro Rodante de Puerto Rico,” she extended her performances to international festivals in the United States, Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Spain, Germany, and South Korea. She is passionate about cultural diversity, education, Ayurvedic wisdom, and all areas of arts. Her path is one on which she interconnects all of the above disciplines of study within a community-based environment. Grechen now resides in Grass Valley and is the mother of two beautiful children.
Nicole Starbuck (Tsal’gyur Priya Dorje)
Ballet Instructor
GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS
Karen Attix
Guest Choreographer
Karen, a native of Oakland, CA., danced professionally with the New York based modern dance companies of Merce Cunningham and Kathyrn Posin. She also collaborated with New York choreographers Jane Comfort and Matthew Diamond. Returning to the Bay Area in the mid-1970, she quickly became part of the new contemporary dance scene working with Margaret Jenkins and Brenda Way (founder of ODC) and studying with Alonzo King, artistic director of LINES. She received two choreography fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts and set her choreography on dance companies in Fairbanks, Alaska as well as Sao Paulo, Brazil and Limas sol, Cyprus. As a solo performer and Affiliate Artist, she toured extensively throughout the states of Idaho, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. She co-founded MATTIX DANCE with fellow Margaret Jenkins’ dancer Virginia Matthews and together they performed in New York, Turkey and Israel and throughout the Bay Area. Karen Attix has taught contemporary Cunningham based technique at Mills College, UC Berkeley, Reed College and San Francisco Ballet. Moving to Nevada County in 2005, she has continued her teaching and choreography with Center Stage Dance Studio. She is the Founder of the Nevada City Dance Festival, and she guest choreographs annually for the Nevada Union Theatrical Dance program.
Gaby Baldock
Guest Choreographer
Originally from Northern California, Gaby Blaney grew up a Nevada County native. At a young age she started competing as an elite gymnast, which in return led to the start of her dance career. Gaby attended college at the University of California, Irvine where she earned a full ride scholarship along with a degree in dance and education. She then moved to New York City where she danced professionally for six years. Gaby was a member of SynthesisDANCE under the Artistic direction of Tracie Stanfield. Gaby has performed at numerous venues including BAM, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, High Line Ballroom, Ailey City Group Theater, the Brooklyn Museum and The Salvatore Capezio Theatre. She has taught at Broadway Dance Center’s Children and Teen Program, AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts in NYC and surrounding studios in the tristate area. She is the Assistant Director of Theatrical Dance at Nevada Union High School as well as the Director of the Advanced Dance Team, Lines in Motion. Gaby teaches contemporary to all levels of the NU dance program, and she teaches a creative movement enrichment class for children. In 2019, Gaby was hired to be the new Director of Dance at Bear River High School.
Alison Clancy
Guest Choreographer
Alison is a versatile performing artist and creative director. She hails from Nevada City where she trained at NUHS and Sierra Dance Institute. She earned a BFA in Dance from New York University and currently lives and works in New York City. She dances professionally at The Metropolitan Opera and tours internationally as dancer with various companies. She is the lead singer and songwriter for the bands HUFF THIS and Loving You, and choreographs and models for fashion and fine art projects. She is currently on the faculty of the dance department at NYU.
Jordan Isadore
Guest Choreographer
Jordan received his B.F.A. in Dance from California State University Long Beach in 2009. Upon relocating to New York, Jordan danced for Shen Wei Dance Arts and has performed at the David H. Koch Theater, Mariinsky Theater, throughout China, South America, and Europe. Additionally, he’s worked with Christopher Williams, Andrea Miller, and Sydney Skybetter. His own work has been presented at The Museum of Arts & Design, 92nd Street Y, Joe’s Pub, Madame Tussauds, and The American Dance Festival. Jordan has taught locally at Sierra Dance Institute, Nevada City School of the Arts, and his high school alma mater, Nevada Union.
Chris Jacobsen
Guest Choreographer 
Stepping into his first dance class, Chris Jacobsen felt himself come alive. A connection with the art was created that has guided him through life since that moment. His journey of creative discovery continued while attending The San Francisco School of the Arts, where he studied Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Afro-Haitian. Armed with a deeper understanding of dance, he then began to experiment with the art of choreography. In 1999, Chris established The Dance Company of San Francisco. As the Artistic Director, he created an alternative environment for passionate dancers to explore the art of dance with less focus on commercial standards and more on personal growth. Continuing through to today, the desire to share his passion consistently challenges his dancers to exceed their perceived capabilities. Chris has been traveling nationally with the highly acclaimed dance convention Adrenaline Dance Inc since its inception. He continues to create choreographic works for companies and schools across North America. He has been an Artist in Residence at Ruth Asawa (San Francisco) School of the Arts since 2016. As co-director and founding member of The Dance Sessions, Chris is driven to educate dancers in a loving and safe environment, so his students can enlighten and inspire each other with their own passion. He welcomes all to his class and invites us all to be present and let go of expectations.
Jackson Knappen
Guest Choreographer
Jackson Knappen is a performer, artist, and teacher based in Seattle, Washington. Originally from Grass Valley, California, he was exposed to the performing arts at a young age and began dance training with Nevada Union Theatrical Dance. Post graduation, Jackson moved to Los Angeles and began studying modern and contemporary dance with faculty at Santa Monica College, as well as ballet at Yuri Girgoriev School of Ballet. During this time he had the chance to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix and was invited to perform at their finals in New York. After relocating to Seattle, Jackson began training with local professionals and deepening his research on contemporary dance forms and floorwork. Jackson has had the chance to perform with Seattle-based choreographers Daniel Costa and Bennyroyce Royon, local art initiatives FAUNIX and Dance Undercurrent, and is a teacher for Dance Church, an all-inclusive movement practice founded in Seattle. Jackson has also taught dance at VAM Studios in Seattle, and is honored to return to Grass Valley as often as he can to work with the students at Nevada Union. Jackson’s work as a dancer is informed by compassion, equity, and a curiosity for liberation through self-expression and embodiment.
Chanthou Lam
Guest Choreographer
Chanthou Lam is the owner and artistic director of con· nect· tion DANCE | PROJECT in Grass Valley, CA. Chanthou offers community dance and fitness classes in the Nevada County area. Chanthou has taught for Nevada City School of the Arts, a K-8 public charter school in Nevada County. Her dance focus stems from the African diaspora specializing in Afro-Caribbean and Afro Cuban as well as the Dunham technique. Chanthou received her MS in Kinesiology (Movement Studies) and BA in Dance and Theatre from California State University, Sacramento. Chanthou makes concerted attempts in working with the community to make connections, to build a deeper understanding of dance history and education, including anatomy and proper technique to develop strength and flexibility. Chanthou believes above all else that dance and fitness should be accessible and practiced by everyone. Chanthou’s dance training also included dancing with the Ruth Rosenberg Dance Ensemble, Dr. Linda Goodrich, Lorelei Bayne, Paul Besaw, Lisa Carmen Ross, Nolan T’Sani, James Wheatley, and Beatriz Godiñez Muniz. She fine tuned dance styles in Hip Hop, Modern, Afro Cuban/ Afro Caribbean, Funk, Jazz, and Modern/Contemporary. In addition, she joined dance companies from 2002-2017 with Sacramento/Black Art of Dance directed by Dr. Linda Goodrich and Ebo Okokan led by Beatriz Godinez Muniz and Harold Muniz. Both focused on Afro-Caribbean and Afro Cuban Folklorico diaspora. She is a forever student and continues to travel to New York and the Bay area for intensives and classes. She was recently awarded a month-long artist in residence in upstate New York to establish a community based project. Chanthou has served on the board of Color Me Human, a nonprofit organization in Nevada County that seeks to celebrate, elevate, educate, and advocate to create a safe, equitable world for Black, Indigenous, People of Culture and LGBTQ+ folks.
Azriel LaMarca
Guest Choreographer
Azriel LaMarca is a dancer, performer, and teacher. She has a degree in dance and theatre from UC Santa Cruz and has taught modern dance and creative movement locally for over twenty years, including for the Nevada Union Theatrical Dance Program, The Movement Alliance, and The Center for the Arts. Azriel has performed professionally with the Zen Monkey Project and The Linda Bair Dance Company and co-created the experimental dance theater company, The Glass Bead Players. Azriel enjoys collaborating with her dance partner Shari Brookler and performing with the improvisational group Shadow Cabinet. In 2024, she co-produced the Dance Because Festival in Nevada City where she teaches a weekly Modern Dance class. Azriel is also a student of the Halprin Life/Art Process® at the Tamalpa Institute, where she is pursuing certification in the field of movement-based, expressive arts education and therapy.
Jadell Lee
Guest Choreographer
Professional dance educator, published author and TEDx speaker Jadell Lee brings a fresh perspective of life to audiences across the country. Lee has served as adjunct professor of dance for Seton Hill University, (2x) guest lecturer at Southern Utah University, guest master instructor for Abby Lee Dance Company, Assistant Director of CRU Dance Competition and touring faculty with Thrive Dance Experience, Symposium Talent Contest, United States Tournament of Dance and Headliners Dance Competition. Lee has worked with American Idol Season 15 finalist; LaPorsha Renae, Jussie Smollett and Dance Mom’s Season 8’s; Sarah Georgiana. Lee has also been featured in Yahoo, Thrive Global & more, as well as SiriusXM for his mental health advocacy. Jadell Lee is the CEO of Elevate Convention and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of California, Riverside; remaining dedicated to professionally mentoring and developing both students and dance educators.
Erin Reynolds
Guest Choreographer
Reynolds grew up dancing in a small town in rural California. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from California State University, Long Beach, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and an AA degree in Dance and AS degree in Chemistry from Cabrillo College. She is a recipient of the Grand Canyon National Park Artist Residency, the Tandy Beal Award, the 2020 CSULB Graduate Dean’s List and Distinguished Achievement in Creative Activity Awards, KAZU’s Emerging Choreographer, and Insight’s Artstreet: Artist to Watch. Reynolds is currently the co-artistic director of the collaborative dance performance groups E&C and Bare Outlines, the artistic director of Erin Reynolds Performances, and an ongoing collaborator with Heather Barker and the Immersive Design Research Lab. Highlighted works have been shown in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, Istanbul, and Vienna. She is currently a lecturer for the Department of Theatre and Dance at California State University, Sacramento, a lecturer for the Department of Kinesiology at the California State University, Chico, and researches the intersections between performance, new media, and public space. https://www.
Sienna Riley
Guest Choreographer
Sienna began dancing at the age of three in studios in Nevada County as well as spending all four years as amember of the Nevada Union dance department. She then went on the earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from California State University, Long Beach. She has danced professionally and taught dance in Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Nevada County. Sienna is certified to teach Yoga and Pilates as well as earning her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Regis University. She practices physical therapy locally at Body Logic Physical Therapy.
Gaia Weiss
Guest Choreographer
Gaia grew up dancing in Grass Valley. Her elementary, middle, and high school years were spent dancing at a local studio as well as being a part of the dance program at Nevada Union High School all 4 years. After graduating, Gaia continued to work with the dance program while attending junior college until her passion led her to CSU Long Beach where she received her BA in dance. On returning, she jumped back in to teaching modern dance at both local high schools as well as teaching modern and hip hop throughout the county. From 2010-2017 she had the honor to work as the Assistant Director of Dance at Nevada Union. Currently, now a mom of two boys, Gaia is grateful for the ability to continue taking class as well as teach in the community she loves.