Rebecca Cervantes – MYT Director/Instructor
Hip Hop & World Dance
CLASS DESCRIPTION
This class focuses on creating community and inspiring self-expression through dance games. Students are encouraged to freestyle, improvise, choreograph, and find their own way of moving in their space through fun, creative exercises. We also learn and perform dances from all over the world, including Hip Hop, Salsa, and Merengue.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Rebecca Cervantes has been teaching dance to kids and adults all over San Francisco since 1994. She started teaching Hip Hop at the Mission YWCA, worked with adults at Rhythm & Motion and now teaches all over SFUSD and at The Marsh. She loves bringing kids the joy of dance and creating opportunities for them to perform in community events all over San Francisco.
Maica Folch – Instructor
Creative Dramatics & Bailando con Trapecios
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Maica Folch was born and educated in Catalonia, Maica Folch has been an energetic presence in the San Francisco art education community for over twenty years. Maica draws on her circus, theater, dance background to teach theater, dance and trapeze at the Marsh Youth Theater, the San Francisco Youth Theater, and in the San Francisco public elementary schools.
Mariella Morales – Instructor
Dances of the African Diaspora
CLASS DESCRIPTION
Students are encouraged to discover movement within their own individual bodies through the vehicle of dance. These classes explore dances of the African Diaspora. She creates a safe space for ALL students using dance as art and discipline.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Mariella Morales, a San Francisco native was introduced to dance at the age of 7 when she would accompany her mother to her dance classes. Her love for dances of the African Diaspora was due to her attendance at SF School of the Arts (SOTA), where she was introduced to Dunham Technique and African Haitian. Ms. Morales’ academic credentials are: received an A.A in Dance from City College of San Francisco (CCSF) in 2004; completed a B.A. in Dance from San Francisco State University (SFSU) in 2007; and earned a M.S. in Kinesiology at SFSU in 2012.
Juan de Dios Soto – Instructor
Latin Rhythms Dance and Percussion
CLASS DESCRIPTION
This class offers movement and rhythms from the Latin and African diaspora. Students are introduced to Afro-Peruvian percussion basics on the Cajon drums. We explore the rhythms through movement, dance, choreography and percussion.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Juan de Dios Soto came to San Francisco, CA from Lima, Peru in 1990. From childhood he was exposed to Afro-Peruvian music and dance, and began practicing the Cajon drum as part of his family’s Afro-Peruvian inheritance and traditions. He co-found the Tradition Peruana Cultural Center (TPCC) in 1995 and teaches dance and percussion throughout the SF Bay Area.
Carolé Flamenco – Instructor
Movement, Rhythm & Theater Games
CLASS DESCRIPTION
Students learn Dance and Creative movement, from Hip Hop to Flamenco to Musical Theater. This class integrates vocal warmups, and teaches rhythm through body percussion. Students also play Theater games, improvise together, and create skits, as age appropriate.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
CarOlé Flamenco (CarOlé Tachíria Acuña Flamenco) is the fifth generation flamenco & Spanish dancer in her Gitano family legacy, a Meisner trained actor, stand-up comedian, singer, choreographer, author, a Masters of Fine Arts candidate, flamencologist, and is the director of FLAMENCO SPANISH DANCE THEATRE of AMÉRICA (founded by Carolina Lugo in 1995). She performs in large theatres, with symphonies, operas, in film, television, commercials, web-series, comedy clubs and special story telling shows. She has done voice over and percussion recordings for Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, was named the “Top Flamenco Dancer in America” by the So You Think You Can Dance judges, was hand picked by Jennifer Lopez to be on “¡Qué Viva! The Chosen”. A few things Ms. Flamenco is currently working on is the company’s next home season, a one person show (with help from Don Reed & David Ford), and various site specific works. Website: caroleflamenco.com
Nicole Jost – Instructor
Write for the Stage!
CLASS DESCRIPTION
This class is for kids with something to say! Write for the Stage introduces students to the tools of the playwright to help them create and share their own original stories. Students will imagine new characters, places, and conversations; learn how to capture those ideas in written form (or by speaking them aloud for younger grades); and share what’s important to them by performing with their peers. The class will also include theater games to help students get inspired and build creative community.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Nicole Jost (she/her) is a playwright, theater producer, and educator with thirteen years of experience teaching young people to write plays of their own. She is a co-founder of Queer Cat Productions, a San Francisco theater company that created consent-forward, accessible, and immersive experiences from 2017-2023. With Queer Cat, Nicole is the co-writer of four interactive plays, including THE GAY DIVORCE PLAY (Potrero Stage, 2019) and FELIX B. LOVE IS NOT ALONE! (virtual, April 2020). She is currently writing the book for her second musical, a collaboration with composer and lyricist Maggie Grabmeier of local indie band Maggie Gently. As an educator, Nicole has worked with students in a wide variety of settings: from in-school English, History, and IEP classrooms, to after-school drama clubs, to college courses. She began her teaching career in her hometown of Washington, DC, teaching for a theater program where she had once been a student. Nicole holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting and an M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. She lives in San Francisco with her wife, two cats, and a crested gecko named Breadstick.
Lydia Soto – Instructor
Ritmo Fusion
Amber Dyson – Instructor
Educational Theatre for Young Hearts & Minds
Lauren Smith-Instructor
Storytelling with Movement & Puppets
This class will explore acting out stories through movement and puppetmaking. We will use traditional tales and learn how to create our own narratives. Students will design and make their own puppets, and work in groups and partners to bring their stories to life.
Lauren Smith is a dynamic creative professional with a diverse background in film production, dance, printmaking, puppetry and education. She developed a strong foundation in the arts early on, blending her passions for visual storytelling, movement, and artistic expression all wrapped in her love for nature while growing up in the Texas Hill Country. After moving to Madrid, Spain in 2016, she taught English as a Second Language (ESL) for eight years. During this time, she developed a unique teaching style that integrates creative methods and cross-cultural communication. She has also been a dance teacher on and off since 2005 and spent one year on a pre-professional dance company in Austin, TX. She has been living in SF since 2024 with her husband, their cat and dog.
Aliyah Graham, Instructor
Performance: a World of Play
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Aliyah René is an Actor and Educator, passionate in the Performing Arts! She has an Interdisciplinary Arts BFA with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations from Ohio University. Aliyah has worked with Columbus Children’s Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, and most recently ZSpace Theatre, for their Word for Word Summer camp, guiding youths of all ages in a variety of performance techniques and styles!
CLASS DESCRIPTION
This class will introduce students to the world of performance through acting, singing, improvisation, and theater games. We will work together to create a safe and fun environment and uplifting students’ confidence. Students will learn how to make a cohesive ensemble through creative expression and developing a sense of play with one another.