NVDC Staff

Jacqi was born and raised in Napa, Ca. She began her dance career at the age of three. She studied dance at Academy of Danse for fifteen years. She also taught numerous classes there and private lessons. She was a member of the competition team and helped choreograph numerous pieces. Jacqi trained in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, and Tap with Academy of Danse.

After graduating high school, Jacqi moved to Orange County to attend the University of California, Irvine where she studied English Literature. UC Irvine has a very strong dance program, and Jacqi instantly became involved in it. She took numerous dance classes, and auditioned and performed in many performances with the dance department. At UC Irvine, she trained in Ballet, Pointe, Modern, and Contemporary. While in Orange County she also took several classes at local studios and taught at a few as well. She trained in Hip Hop, Lyrical and Contemporary at these studios. During this time Jacqi was also working for the UCI University Club, a non- profit catering business on the UC Irvine campus.

Once Jacqi finished her Bachelor’s degree, she continued living in Orange County and began her Master’s degree program at Chapman University. As Jacqi was working on her Master’s degree, she was promoted to General Manager of the non-profit she worked for. She ran the business for two years. After completion of her Master’s degree she moved back to Napa to be closer to family and began teaching dance again.

She soon realized that teaching dance wasn’t enough and she wanted to open her own dance school more than anything. Since this can be extremely costly, Jacqi began working as a full-time 911 Dispatcher for the Napa Police Department. She worked for the Police Department for 13 years before finally resigning in 2023 to accomplish her ultimate goal of directing a dance school full time.

Jacqi loves being able to serve her community, which is what kept her in the Dispatch center for so long. She now can serve her community in other ways with NV Dance Company. She is married and has two sons, Mack (9) and Hank (7).

Kristina brings an incredible background in gymnastics, athletic development, and movement education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from CSU Sacramento and is USA Gymnastics certified in safety, risk management, preschool fundamentals, team coaching, and SafeSport. She is also certified in Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED through the American Red Cross.

With years of experience coaching both recreational and competitive XCEL gymnasts, Kristina is passionate about helping every student build strength, confidence, flexibility, and proper technique in a positive and encouraging environment. Her experience in physical therapy also gives her a unique understanding of safe movement and body awareness—an incredible asset for our dancers.

As a bilingual coach (English & Spanish), Kristina is committed to creating an inclusive, supportive space where every child feels challenged, celebrated, and inspired to grow.

Miss Cameron has been dancing since she was just 2 years old and began her competitive dance journey at age 7. She spent 11 years as a member of HeartBeat Dance Academy’s competitive team, training and competing in a wide variety of styles including jazz, lyrical, hip hop, ballet, contemporary, and tap. Jazz has always been her greatest passion and strongest style, making it the foundation of her energetic, technical, and inspiring teaching style.

In addition to her competitive training, Cameron served as Captain of the Carlmont High School Varsity Dance Team, further developing her leadership skills and love for mentoring young dancers.

She currently teaches ballet, jazz, and hip hop, while also substituting in all styles, giving her experience working with dancers of all ages and abilities. Cameron especially loves teaching both teens and our youngest dancers, helping each student build confidence, strong technique, and a genuine love for dance.

Along with her extensive dance background, Cameron earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development, giving her an even deeper understanding of how children learn and grow.

At NV Dance Company, we believe great teachers do more than teach dance—they inspire confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.

Charlotte has been dancing for 18 years. She currently attends the University of South Carolina and is majoring in Dance Education. Charlotte previously danced at NV Dance Company where she trained in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical/Contemporary and Tap. She loves to share her devotion and love for dance with her students and classmates.

Charlotte was on the NVDC Competitive TEAM for three years. In 2022 she self-choreographed a Lyrical solo and placed 1st overall at Headliners Dance Competition and received a special judges award for her performance. She also won a Platinum award at Celebrity Dance Competition for the same piece.

Charlotte taught numerous classes at NVDC and will continue to be a guest teacher and choreographer as time permits with her academic studies.

Daniel brings with him an incredible wealth of knowledge, artistry, and experience from an extraordinary professional career. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Daniel trained at some of Brazil’s leading ballet schools before joining San Francisco Ballet in 2005, where he was promoted to Soloist in 2011. Throughout his career with SF Ballet, he performed countless featured roles in both classical and contemporary repertoire, working with some of the most respected choreographers and artists in the dance world.

Many of our dancers have already had the privilege of learning from Daniel through the master classes he has taught at NVDC, and we have seen firsthand the impact of his passion, expertise, and ability to inspire young dancers.

We are incredibly honored to have Daniel now working with our dancers on a weekly basis — sharing not only his technical knowledge, but also the discipline, artistry, and love for dance that comes from a lifetime dedicated to this craft.

This is an incredible opportunity for our dancers to learn from one of the Bay Area’s most accomplished ballet artists, and we cannot wait to see them grow under his guidance.

Rachel Letts Zion, M.A., CCC-SLP has been working with children and families in Napa for the past 18 years as a speech-language pathologist, specializing in early development. Through her work, Rachel has developed a deep passion for helping children build communication, confidence, independence and meaningful connections with others.

Dance has also been a lifelong passion for Rachel. She began dancing as a child and has continued dancing throughout her life, including performing in The Nutcracker in San Bernardino, Lake Arrowhead and Napa. She also enjoys swing dancing with her husband.

Rachel created this special needs dance class because she believes every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of dance. Her goal is to provide a fun, supportive and inclusive environment where children can work on movement, coordination, following directions, social skills, body awareness, and confidence. Most importantly, giving your child a sense of accomplishment while having fun in a safe environment.

With her background in speech-language pathology and her love of dance, Rachel is excited to blend these two passions together and create a class where every child can shine.

Maite was born in Mexico and raised in California. She is the youngest of 3. Since she was little she has always had a passion for gymnastics and dance. She started off with gymnastics for five years as a gymnast and switched over to dance for eight years (Jazz and Pointe were always her favorite). While dancing she coached gymnastics for six years. She taught kids from ages 1 to 16. She has always loved to share and teach others what she knows and watch them learn to love it as well. Maite teaches Acro at NVDC.

Tiffanie started dancing at Pepperettes when she was three years old and immediately fell in love with it. Tap quickly became her favorite. She started student teaching at 13 years old. She continued to take dance classes with Pepperettes until she left for college. While she was getting her college degree from Chico State University, she joined the Chico State Dance Department and tapped with them. Since moving back to Napa, she has been able to teach dance classes here and there. She is very excited to have the opportunity to share her love for tap with the students at NV Dance Company. Tiffanie is a mother of 4 and is also a teacher for NVUSD. She currently teaches TK at Northwood Elementary. Tiffanie teaches Tap at NVDC.

Taylor grew up in Napa and started dancing at the age of three at Academy of Danse. She continued until High School when she joined the Vintage High School Color Guard Team. Taylor was a member of the VHS Color Guard Team for 4 years. After graduating, she continued teaching color guard for eight years at Vintage, Napa and American Canyon High School. She also performed in the InMotion Performance Ensemble for color guard in 2018. Taylor has been an assistant coach for the NVDC Competitive Team for the past four years and will continue to assist and choreograph for the 26/27 season. Taylor is currently teaching Lyrical/Contemporary at NVDC.

Lavender has been dancing at NVDC for the past seven years. Prior to finding her love for dance, Lavender was a competitive gymnast. Lavender started gymnastics when she was two and went on to compete for the Gymnastics Zone Gold Team for two years. She competed at eleven competitions and went to state. Lavender has also been a member of the NVDC Competitive Team for five years. Lavender has choreographed her own solo two years in a row and received top awards from all of the competitions attended, including a judges award for her amazing performance. She placed 7th overall at Fluid Nationals. She is currently a choreographer for the NVDC Competitive Team and subs for regular classes as needed.

Kacie Young is a well rounded dancer in Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acro, Modern, and Breakdancing. Kacie’s love for dance started by the age of 18 months, at 5 years old she wanted to be a professional dancer. Kacie danced competitively from the age of 5 to 19 years old with solo’s, duo’s, and group dances in all genres. Kacie is currently attending college at DVC College as a dance major. Kacie teaches Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, and is an assistant coach for the NVDC competitive team.

Cassandra is a Napa native with over 25 years of dance experience and nearly as many years working with and teaching dancers of all ages. Her training began right here in Napa, where she studied Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Pointe, Modern, and Hip Hop, while also performing throughout the community.

After graduating from Napa High School, Cassandra attended Arizona State University, where she continued her dance training while earning a B.A. in Communication with a Minor in Dance. Her college dance studies included Modern, African Dance, Classical Ballroom, Latin, and coursework focused on incorporating movement and music into early childhood education.

Cassandra’s passion for teaching extends far beyond dance. She has continued her education at the graduate level and is currently working toward her Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential and Master’s degree. For Cassandra, teaching is truly about making a difference in a child’s life, building connections with families, and helping students experience the confidence and joy that comes from learning something new.

We love bringing instructors onto our team who share NVDC’s commitment to teaching, encouraging, and inspiring our dancers, and we can’t wait for our students and families to get to know Ms. Cassandra!

Gracie Tar began her dance journey at the age of 14 through the Vintage High School Dance Department, where she also performed as a member of the Colorguard team. Her love for dance quickly grew, and during her junior year of high school, she began training at NV Dance Company.

Gracie went on to become a member of the NVDC Competitive Team, where she trained and competed in a variety of dance styles. After graduating from high school, she continued pursuing her passion for dance at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in Dance and expanding her training through a wide range of college-level dance courses.

Gracie later transferred to Pacific Union College to begin her nursing program, but dance has remained an important part of her life. She has returned to NVDC as an instructor, bringing her experience, patience, and love of dance into the classroom.

Gracie has a special ability to connect with both our tiniest dancers and older students who may be stepping into a dance class for the very first time. She creates a welcoming and encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, learn new skills, and discover their own love for dance.

Gracie’s journey is a wonderful reminder that it is never too late to start dancing. We are so lucky to have a former NVDC competitive dancer now sharing her passion and knowledge with the next generation of NVDC students!

Mia Lynn began dancing at just 2 years old at Pepperette’s Dance and Baton Club before joining NV Dance Company at age 12. She quickly became part of the NVDC Competitive Team in 2021, training extensively in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Acro, and later adding Hip Hop to her repertoire.

Over the past five years, Mia has earned numerous awards as a competitive dancer and has also found success as a choreographer, creating award-winning pieces for the NVDC Competitive Team.

Mia has been teaching at NVDC for the past two years and will be a senior at Vintage High School this year. She has a special connection with our younger dancers—our tiny dancers absolutely adore her, while our elementary-aged students look up to her and aspire to dance like her.

Mia brings her talent, experience, and love of dance into every class, and we are so lucky to have her as part of the NVDC teaching team!

Anabel’s love for dance began at a young age when she started taking Hip Hop at Expressions Dance in Napa, while also participating in cheer. When she entered high school, she immediately joined the Vintage High School Dance Department, where she continued to train and perform throughout all four years.

During her senior year, Anabel joined NV Dance Company and expanded her dance training to include Lyrical and Jazz. Her passion for dance has continued beyond high school, and she currently trains with IKONIC, a Hip Hop group based out of Vallejo, while also taking college-level dance courses to continue growing her knowledge and technique.

Anabel’s journey is a wonderful example of how dancers can continue to learn, grow, and explore new styles throughout their training. She brings a fun and encouraging energy to her classes, and we love having Miss Anabel as part of the NVDC teaching staff. We are excited for our dancers to continue learning and growing with her!