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.
Discover Dance Image
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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Join Our Wonderful Dance Family
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.
Our Dance Image Team
The Dance Image team of accredited and friendly dance instructors are chosen based on the right combination of training, personality, teaching skills and personal values. Instructors are constantly taking class and working in the business to provide the most current
styles and techniques to our students.
Debbi D. Miller
Owner, Artistic Director
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.
Elysse Mendoza
Senior Instructor, Assistant Director, Competition Director, Director of First Impressions
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.
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.
Kathryn Bravo
Senior Instructor
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
Jeanette Flores O’Brien
Senior Instructor
Jeanette began her dance training as a young girl under the direction of Debbi Miller, at Dance Image.
Jerry Hernandez
Instructor
Jerry began taking part in theater and dance during his high school’s production of The Wiz where he would eventually meet and work with Miss Debbie.
Camila Carsolio
Instructor
Camila, now accounting over 12 years of dance experience, at the age of 12, was accepted as one of the youngest girls to the Summer Program at the National School of Cirque in Montreal where she perfected techniques in aerial dance.
Carina Matz
Instructor
Carina Matz began her love of dance at 6 years old with one ballet/tap combo class. She began to add new styles each year, including lyrical, jazz, Polynesian, hip hop, contemporary, modern, pointe, musical theater, acro jazz, afro modern, and Cecchetti.
Ryan Thomas
Instructor
Ryan began his dance journey when he was 8 years old. He has done most of his dance training at Dance Image with Hip-Hop, Tap, Jazz & Ballet. Ryan has taken his Cecchetti Exams and received Honors with 2 of his exams. He has also received training from IDA Hollywood, Dance Precision’s, Millennium Las Vegas, & Dance Connection.
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.
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!
Becky Robinson-Leviton
Instructor
Becky Robinson-Leviton is an Izzie-nominated (2017) contemporary dance artist, professional choreographer, teacher, and arts administrator.
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.
Terry Brockington
Instructor
Terry began dancing at the age of 17. He trained at To The Pointe Dance Studio in Salisbury NC. There, he trained in many styles of dance including Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Acro/Tumbling.
Vanessa Villa
Office Manager
Vanessa Villa began her journey with Dance Image back in 2003 when her mom signed her up for her very first dance class, Ballet & Tap Combo. Vanessa continued to take all styles of dance, attending classes 4-5 days a week for the next 14 years, actively participating in all performance, recitals, parades and more. In addition to her own classes, Vanessa was a Teaching Assistant and would then move on to teach her own classes!