Faculty
MARIO VELEZ, JR.
Director/Hip-Hop Instructor
Mario Velez Jr. is a professional hip-hop choreographer, dancer & performer from the Phoenix area. Mario has toured and worked with artists such as Taio Cruz, Omarion, TLC, Brandy, Boyz II Men, Doug E. Fresh, Paula Abdul, Nu-Flava, Sista Sledge & many others. He has also toured with the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters! He is currently performing and choreographing for Jasmine Hormez a national recording artist. He is also choreographing for the NBA and WNBA. These teams include the Phoenix Suns Dance Team, Seattle Supersonics, Golden State Warriors, the Phoenix Mercury hip-hop squad and the Storm Kids. You can also find him teaching for dance competitions/conventions Dance Olympus, 3D Network, Coast 2 Coast Workshop, Hype, Takin’ it 2 the Streets hip-hop workshop and others. Mario has set numbers and choreographed shows that include Splash and Bottoms UP in Las Vegas, and Jubilation in Reno. He is very excited and passionate about his new venture as studio owner/director of Diverse Elements Dance Studio. The one phrase that Mario lives by is, “Hip-hop is not just rap and music, it’s a culture… a way of life!”
MELISSA VALENTINE-VELEZ
Director/Combo/Jazz Instructor
Melissaa began dancing at the age of 5. She has been studio trained in all areas of dance. Her passion for dance has affected not only herself but those all around her. She danced professionally for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury for 6 years. Before that, she danced in Las Vegas for a year. She coached a State winning and Nationally ranked High School Pom team. She has been teaching dance for the past 9 years. Melissa, along with her husband Mario, have finally fulfilled their dream of becoming studio owners with the opening of Diverse Elements Dance Studio.
KELSEY METZ
Technique/Contemporary/Jazz Instructor
Kelsey is 19 years old and has been training since the age of 2. She began her training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Hip Hop at Dance Connection and began competing with that studio at the age of 6. Later, Kelsey went to train at Master Ballet Academy where she competed in a company titled Initial Existence and continued her training in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary. Her education in those various styles was then furthered at Royal Dance Works. Meanwhile, through sixth to ninth grade, Kelsey attended Arizona School for the Arts in which she attended weekly Ballet, Pointe, and Modern classes. Throughout her career, Kelsey has performed at Radio City Music Hall, The Ford Amphitheatre, The El Mirage, and a few other locations; she has also trained with various teachers and choreographers including Mandy Moore, Dee Casapary, Nick Lazzarini, Dana Metz, Jaci Royal, Ray Leeper, Peter Chu, and Slawomir Wozniak.
FRANCOISE JOUBERT
Ballet Instructor
Francoise began her dance studies in Bordeaux, France at 6 years old under Mr. Ary Arelly, premiere dancer in the company of Marquis de Cuevas. She also studied in Cannes, France under Rosella Hightower, Andrew Glegosky, Solange Golovine and Olga Stens in character. She started her career at The Opera of Bordeaux, Grand Theatre France under Maitre Skoutratoff. She danced in Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee, and Sleeping Beauty. She interpreted her last role of the Queen in Sleeping Beauty in Palos Verde, CA. She began her teaching career in France and continued to in the US at the Ballet Conservatory of Palos Verde, CA. for four years. The staff included Fay Gilette Director, and Meredith Baylis, former head of Joffrey School in New York. She continues spreading her knowledge in Phoenix as a Ballet/Pointe instructor and choreographer as well as a Pilates instructor.
STEPHEN “SUNDANCE” EVANS
Breakin’ Instructor
Stephan Evans AKA Bboy Sundance has been dancing for 12 years, focusing mainly in the art of breaking. He began his training in California & moved to Arizona in 2000. He is a proud member of one of Arizona’s top b-boy crews, Mellow Drama Crew, as well as a member of Automatic Response Perfornance Company in Phoenix, AZ. Sundance is a passionate & dedicated teacher & competitor.
BEAU CAMPBELL
Ballet Instructor
Beaubegan her training with JoAnna Jarvis at Ballet by the Sea at age nine. She spent three summers studying on scholarship at The School of American Ballet in New York City. She continued training with JoAnna Jarvis for nine years, and in 2005 was awarded the Solo Seal by the Royal Academy of Dance in London. Beau received extensive training from Zippora Karz, Amanda McKerrow, and John Gardner. She performed with Malibu Civic Ballet for six years, dancing leading roles. With Ballet Pacifica she performed the roles of Doll, Snow Soloist, and Spanish Woman in The Nutcracker directed by Ethan Stiefel. Beau joined Ballet Arizona in 2006, and has since performed solosit roles in Ib Andersen’s The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. She has also performed in Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Bournonville’sKonservatoriet and Napoli, and Fokine’s Les Sylphides. Beau’s Balanchine repertoire includes “Rubies” (from Jewels), Theme and Variations, The Four Temperaments, Allegro Brillante, Divertimento No. 15, La Sonnambula, La Valse, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto; and Ib Andersen’s Coppelia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Play, and 1052. Beau danced in the première of Ib Andersen’s Diversions at the Kennedy Center in June 2010. Beau also is a guest artist with Robert Dekker’s Post:Ballet..
ANDREA COFFEY
Tap/Jazz Instructor
Andrea Coffey started dancing at an after school program at the age of 3. She began taking class at Miller’s Dance Studio at the age of 5, in Aurora, Colorado, and joined the competitive dance company, Tour de Force, at 9 until she graduated from Smoky Hill High School. She participated and placed in the top ten in local and national competitions such as: KAR, Spotlight, Starlight, Odyssey, Showbiz, Talent On Parade, Dance Champs, Starpower, LA Dance Magic, Westcoast Dance Explosion, Co. Dance, received a tap scholarship from New York City Dance Alliance in 2007, and Debbie Renyolds Scholarship from Monster’s of Hip Hop in 2008. Andrea has taken class and performed for, legend in the making, Jason Samuel-Smith, at the age of 13, and taken master classes from Chloe Arnold, Ayodele Casel, Corey Finn, Danny Wallace, Lisa Hopkins, and many more. Andrea is currently attending Arizona State University, majoring in Communications. She participated on Hip Hop Coalition as dance assistant and co-captain. She is as an aspiring dancer/teacher/choreographer, and plans to move to Los Angelas to pursue her career after finishing college. She loves blending styles of dance such as tap and hip hop within the same number, showing her unique style of choreography.
KAITLYN CONLEY
Technique/Jazz/Lyrical/MT Instructor
Bio coming soon
BRITTANY HANNISH
Technique/Jazz Instructor
Brittany Hanish started dancing at the age of 7. She is trained in ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern, tap, musical theater, jazz funk, and contemporary. Over the years Brittany has won many local scholarships and national awards. In high school, Brittany was president of Hamilton Dance Company where one of their main duties was choreography. Brittany’s choreography won first in state in 2009. Her senior year, Brittany was voted best dancer by her peers and graduated in the National Honors Society of Dance. She was chosen to perform in the Dance Teacher’s Summit inNew York City in 2009 and in Carnival a Choreographers Ball in Los Angeles in 2010.Brittany is currently a full time student at Arizona State University, captain of Hip Hop Coalition at ASU, and dances with national recording artist Jasmine Hormez. Brittany’s main goal is to share her passion for dance to anyone who is willing to learn.
Diverse Elements Dance Studio 