Dance Image is one of the leading dance studios in the Whittier, LA County Area. At our studio, we aim to encourage a widespread love of dance, and create an inclusive, welcoming environment for all.
About
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All inclusive, all the time
About Dance Image
In business for over 27 years, Dance Image is one of the most established and respected dance studios in Whittier and has become a second home to many children. When you enroll in classes with Dance Image, you become a member of our family. We are very proud of our incredible staff, many of whom began their careers at Dance Image. Instructors are chosen based on the right combination of training, personality, teaching skills and personal values. We are proud to be members of Cecchetti USA, CLI Studios, RWID and YPAD. Dance Image offers classes for the recreational dancer as well as for the serious dancer, at affordable rates. Our Cecchetti Ballet Academy classes are available to students ages 7 and up, and though training can be challenging and time consuming, these students always come away from their exams with a sense of pride and accomplishment. At Dance Image, we also offer classes for children and adults of all ages and abilities, who we call our Dancing Stars. Our Dancing Stars classes are carefully constructed based off of Rhythm Works Integrative Dance, a ground-breaking rhythm and dance program designed for those with learning differences and special needs. We have watched our Dancing Stars thrive and flourish. All of our dancers and Dancing Stars have brought a new light and love to our dance studio through their compassion and the bonds they have built. Our faculty sees ourselves as so lucky to work with so many amazing children every day. We welcome new families and are so grateful to the families that remain loyal to us year after year.
We are looking forward to meeting you and your child and adding you to our Dance Family!
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Our Vision
Dance Image’s vision is to create a dance studio setting while cultivating each dancer’s love for the art of dance, reverence for the instructors experience and knowledge, and a deep respect for themselves and those around them.
We want to encourage our dancers to aspire to be the best that they can be and instill that drive and desire into their hearts and minds, no matter what profession they choose.
We strive on our daily journey to encourage our dancers to achieve their personal best through discipline, perseverance and dedication.
As a diverse and all inclusive dance studio, we are constantly working to instill faith, strength and value in each students’ abilities and what they have to offer as individuals.
Our Mission
DANCE IMAGE is a studio where creativity, individuality and self-expression is encouraged and a community of teachers, students and families who are passionate about the performing arts.
Our goal is to create a positive and happy experience for all of our students. We strive to nurture and develop talent, celebrate the achievements of all students and inspire a love and appreciation of all styles of dance and the arts.
We are committed to providing a safe and positive environment in which all students can feel empowered, comfortable and free to express themselves. Here at Dance Image, we are all inclusive, all the time.
Our Values
At Dance Image we believe in:
- Inclusion – To have a dance studio with students of all abilities, without prejudice for any child, that allows us to learn from each other and creates an environment of wonderful diversity.
- Family – To welcome and embrace each new student as if they were our own, and to offer them love and support throughout their time with us at Dance Image.
- Customer Commitment – To develop relationships that will make a positive difference in the lives of the parents and their children.
- Teamwork – To work collectively as dance educators with dancers to create an environment where every person has value and is encouraged to contribute and share their dance form with their industry and the community.
- Integrity – Dance Image nurtures our dance student’s physical and emotional health with our highly specialized dance curriculum that includes carefully selected age appropriate music and choreography. We celebrate our dance students’ unique differences and strive to be known as an inclusive dance studio setting that values safe boundaries and healthy artistry above all accolades.
Debbi D. Miller
Owner, Artistic Director
YPAD Certified
RWID Certified
CPR Certified
Debbi D. Miller is the Owner/Director of Dance Image and has been teaching dance for over 36 years. She began dancing at the age of 4. Over her career she has studied numerous styles of dance from various studios and teachers. Of her professional dance career, her favorite performance credits…
Elysse Mendoza
Senior Instructor, Assistant Director, Competition Director
YPAD Certified
CPR Certified
Elysse Mendoza, AKA Miss Elysse, has been dancing since the age of 3 years old. She began her dance education with ballet and tap at Dance Image and over years received extensive training in additional styles such as jazz, hip hop, lyrical, musical theater, stretch and conditioning. Miss Elysse has…
Nichole Bergaidis
Senior Instructor
Nichole began her dance training at the young age of 3, under the direction of Debbi Miller, at Dance Image. For over 20 years, Nichole has taught ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip hop for all ages and levels at Dance Image and Parks and Recreation Departments. She loves to…
Kathryn Bravo
Senior Instructor
YPAD Certified
CPR Certified
Kathryn Bravo is a versatile professional dancer and artist from Whittier, CA. She is trained in the Cecchetti Ballet Method and is diverse in other dance styles. During her senior year of high school, Kathryn worked at Dance Image as a student/dance instructor and taught ballet, tap and jazz. She…
Vita D'Anna-Silva
Customer Service Representative
Vita first became a part of Dance Image in 2018 when she signed her daughter up for dance classes, and the rest is history! She has an extensive background in education teaching preschool and has worked in the fashion industry. She is excited to be joining the Dance Image Team!
Randy Garner
Instructor
Randy Garner has been dancing for 15+ years and trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern, and Tap. He currently attends Mt. San Antonio College as a dance major and is apart of the Mt. SAC competitive dance team and Repertory company under the instruction of Michelle Shear, Amy Nakamura,…
Vincent Urban
Hip Hop Instructor
Vincent Urban is a 21 year old from Chicago IL, who moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2020. Once a member of Xtreme Dance Force, an elite competitive dance team for over 10 years, Vincent competed on America’s Got Talent, Season 15. Vincent is currently assisting professional choreographer Hamilton Evans,…
Jalyn Kasper
Instructor
Jalyn is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. She began dancing at the age of three and started competing around the age of twelve, winning numerous titles and judge’s awards. After dancing competitively, she was the co-captain of the Thunderbolt Dance Team at Cloud County Community College. She began working at…
Kayla Lynn
Instructor
Kayla Lynn was born and raised in Minnesota, where her mom owned a dance studio. This is where she discovered her true passion for loving the art of dance. She was a competition dancer who learned the value of versatility at a young age. Since the age of 14, Kayla…
Cassandra Mendoza
Office Manager
Cassie was born and raised at Dance Image. She trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, and pointe. She started teaching when she was 13 years old and attributes those early days at the studio to a life long love of children. After graduating high school in 2009, Cassie…
Katie Winans
Instructor
Katie was born and raised in Whittier, California where she began dancing at the age of 4 at Claylee’s Dance Academy and instantly fell in love with dance. There she trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, and modern. She studied the classical Cecchetti ballet method, completing her ballet exams all through Grade 9. Throughout her time…
Jessica Lujan
Instructor
Jessica has been with Dance Image since she was eight years old. She started with ballet and tap classes, and quickly added in lyrical, jazz, hip hop, acrobatics, pointe, and musical theater. Jessica is currently a student at Rio Hondo College where she is studying Child Development and continues her…
Arianna Carson
Instructor
Arianna Carson is a proud Dance Image alumni where she danced from 2009 to 2020. During her time at Dance Image she studied Cecchetti ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, acrobatics, lyrical, contemporary, and much more! Arianna is also a 2020 graduate of Los Angeles County High School of the Arts.…
Hannah Mercado
Instructor
Hannah Mercado began dancing at the age of three at Onstage Dance Center where she studied ballet, contemporary, dance conditioning, tap, jazz, lyrical, and musical theatre. While at Onstage Dance Center, Hannah won numerous scholarships to attend and compete at regional & national dance competitions/conventions. Additionally, Hannah gained choreography experience…