Core Dance Collective

Alexis (Lexi) began her dance training at Duane Dance Academy in Hayward, CA studying tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. During her training she advanced to become a part of the senior tap group and performed at venues such as the Miss California Pageant and the prestigious Olympic Club, which was her first paying job as a dancer. She also taught tap and hip-hop at Duane Dance Academy for two years. At Castro Valley High School, Lexi was a part of the Varsity Dance Team. With the dance team, she performed at football, basketball, and other community events, as well as participated in halftime performances for the Golden State Warriors NBA basketball team. The Varsity Dance Team took first place at the USA Dance/Drill nationals 3 out of the 4 years that Lexi was a member. She currently attends Sacramento State University and is studying to become a physical therapist. For her first two years at Sac State, Lexi was a member and then captain of the Sac State Dance Team, which performed at many athletic and community events. Lexi currently teaches tap at Step I Dance and Fitness. She is honored to be dancing with such talented dancers in CORE and is grateful for the opportunity to progess in such a passionate dance atmosphere.

Assistant Artistic Director

Anne is delighted to be performing with CORE and sharing the love of movement with fellow company members. Growing up and learning to dance in the Sacramento area, Anne went on to dance with Sacramento Ballet Company as an apprentice in her early teens. She then earned a scholarship to dance at the Marin Dance Theatre where she received extensive dance training in ballet, modern and jazz. She went on to earn her degree at Humboldt State University in education and continued dancing through college. While studying and dancing, she had the opportunity to attend ACDFA with Humboldt State Dance department. Since then, she’s been blessed to have the opportunity to dance professionally and work with a variety of talented choreographers. Her professional musical theatre experience includes roles in Pokemon Live! Las Vegas, Mississippi Love, Branson Missouri, and ‘Rosie’ in Cabaret. In addition to performing, she also shares a love for teaching dance in the local community.

Cat was born and raised in Elk Grove, California. From 3-11 years old, Cat was a gymnast at Byers Gymnastics Center. Although gymnastics was a huge part of her life, she quit because she was inspired by dance, and studied jazz at J. Rene Academy of Dance. She danced with her high school dance company, Rhythmical Madness, and was able to study a wide range of dance styles - jazz, hip hop, lyrical, character, modern, and ballet. Cat danced with Rhythmical Madness throughout high school and was a student director for three of the years. During high school, she also trained at Step I Dance and Fitness in Sacramento, starting on the studio’s hip-hop competition team and expanding to taking jazz, ballet and contemporary. She attended CSU Sacramento where she was a member of the Hornet Girls dance team, and performed in various dance concerts including the SSDA dance concert, the faculty dance concert, and the senior showcase.

Currently, Cat is in her third year at CSUS, studying Physical Education. She is a dance instructor at Step I Dance and Fitness, and is the co-director of Pleasant Grove High School’s dance company, Soul Purpose. Cat joined CORE Dance Collective in 2008. She is amazed every day by the dancers around her and feels very fortunate to be a part of a company so inspiring.

Christina is thrilled to be back in Sacramento and dancing with CORE! Growing up in Folsom, CA she danced under the direction of Deirdre Hawkins from the age of six on. After Graduation she ventured off to Boston, MA to go to school at The Boston Conservatory as a Musical Theatre major. A proud member of Actors Equity her credits include The National Tour of 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' and 'Annie', 'Sound of Music', 'Evita', and the 'Wizard of Oz' at Sacramento Music Circus. She feels very blessed to be surrounded by such a beautiful and passionate group of dancers!

As a young girl, Tina studied ballet at Rose Marie Floyd Studio of Dance in Royal Oak, Michigan. During the course of her training there, she completed six levels of the Cecchetti Method of Ballet by 16 years of age. During this time, due to her talent, she was awarded several scholarships by the Cecchetti Council of America.

While studying at Rose Marie Floyd Studio of Dance and performing with the Contemporary Civic Ballet, Tina was awarded scholarships to The Joffrey School of Ballet in New York City every summer term between the ages of 14-17.

In 1970, Tina joined The Joffrey Ballet Co. and then danced with Elliot Feld’s American Ballet Co. After retiring from professional ballet at age 24, she married and went on to raise a family. She raised and home-schooled five children in rural Hawaii.

Seventeen years ago, she returned to dance in California, both taking classes, as well as teaching them. As a dance educator, Tina teaches at several local dance studios and has choreographed numerous dance performances. She is currently 57 years of age and a member of CORE Dance Collective.

Andrew has spent his whole life in Sacramento, and started dancing three years ago at the Broadway Academy of Dance in Sacramento. Soon after, he began training in ballet under Anne David at Natomas Charter School's Performing and Fine Arts Academy, where he was a member of their company "Blackrock Dance”. After a short stint at the Capital Ballet Academy in Carmichael, Andrew attended a free workshop hosted by CORE Dance Collective and fell in love! Before dance became a part of his life, Andrew studied vocal music and musical theater around the Sacramento area since the age of 6. Some of his favorite shows have been “CATS!”, “Into the Woods", and "A Fiddler on the Roof".

Currently, Andrew is a sophomore in the Dance Department at CSU Sacramento. Andrew is thrilled to be working with CORE, and looks forward to growing with the support of the directors and other company members, and would like them to know how much they inspire him every day.

Assistant Artistic Director

Blair is originally from Colorado and received her early dance education from Robin's Danceworks in Colorado Springs. Her first fifteen years of dance included performances and dance tours all over the United States, working with numerous choreographers and dancers of all genres. Throughout high school she taught dance and volunteered at a Veterinary Hospital in her remaining free time.

When she moved to California to receive her B.S. in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis, she became a member of the hip-hop dance company, NewStyle Motherlode, based out of the Oakland/San Francisco area. In college, she was a member of the nationally ranked UC Davis Dance Team for three years, which included a national championship debut on ESPN in 2003. She was a dancer/performer in the UC Davis Annual Spring Dance Concert for four years which included modern, jazz, and ballet choreography. She also volunteered her time to help coach the Davis High School Dance Team.

Since graduating from UC Davis, Blair works full-time as a Veterinary Technician at a local Veterinary Hospital. Ms. Kendall’s previous affiliations include three-years dancing with Pulse Dance Ensemble. In February of 2007 she helped found CORE Dance Collective and is currently on the Board of Trustees; Ms. Kendall serves as one of the Assistant Artistic Directors under Kelli Leighton. She continues to work full-time as a Veterinary Technician, teaches Contemporary Jazz at Step 1 Dance and Fitness and dances for CORE.

Maggie was born and raised in Southern California. In her early years she received training in gymnastics, and was a baton twirler until she was 17. She did not truly start dancing until she attended college at Boston University. She was a member of Boston University Dance Theatre Group, a modern dance company, and after graduation, continued dancing at the Jeanette Neal Dance Studio in Boston. She was a member of Pulse Dance Ensemble from 2002-2007, and has been with CORE Dance Collective since its inception in 2007. When she is not dancing, Maggie is teaching and training veterinary students on the Neurology/Neurosurgery Service at UC Davis.

She is very fortunate to have the creative and supportive environment of CORE to balance her life.

Has trained in jazz, ballet, tap, contemporary and hip hop. He also grew up training at conventions and received scholarships to further his training. Jacob Montoya has been an avid performer in the Sacramento area for the past eight years with performances in musical theater and dance where he received Ellys for his performances.

Jake continued his dance training at the University of Nevada Las Vegas Dance Department where he was certified in the style of Erick Hawkins modern dance technique. Jake has had extensive training in Lester Horton Technique. He performed for Richard Havey for the University of Arizona dance showcase. He was also given the opportunity to perform in a piece done by Margot Colbert (Juilliard School), and was lead in a piece done by the directors of the Korea National Sport University in Seoul. Jake worked for the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theatre for a season and worked for Missy Cochran Entertainment while living in Las Vegas.

Jake is currently at Sacramento State University working toward finishing his Bachelors, with the ultimate goal of teaching. Teaching for the Sacramento Ballet, Hawkins School of Performing Arts, Northern California Dance Conservatory, Dance 10, Ovations, and working with Woodcreek and Granite Bay High Schools in various styles from Jazz/Musical Theatre to contemporary, he is excited to be a part of all of them. Jake also guest choreographs for musical theatre programs like Kids Unlimited, and woks with E:motion Dance Ensemble from time to time.

This is Jake's second season with CORE and he is loving every minute of it- truly blessed to be working with such amazing people that inspire him to be better day after day. Many thanks to the family and friends for the love and support.

Ashley was born and raised in beautiful Truckee, Ca where she began her training at the age of three with ballet, tap, and jazz. She was one of the founding members of InnerRhythms Dance Theater in Truckee, where she expanded her training to modern, hip hop, pointe, partnering, and break dancing. Ashley graduated early from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in dance in 2009. While in Los Angeles she had the opportunity to work with Kate Hutter of LA Contemporary Dance Company, Holly Johnston of Ledges and Bones, Chad Michael Hall of Diavolo, Mike Esperanza of BARE Dance Co, Justin Giles of SoulEscape, Sonya Tayeh of Tayeh Dance and “So You Think You Can Dance?” as well as Jason Myhre, who often choreographs for the recording artist Rihanna.

Ashley recently moved to Sacramento and is very excited to be in her first season with CORE Dance Collective! She’s been blessed with many opportunities to choreograph and teach over the years, which are still often presented to her. She is very thankful for the education she has received, as well as all the opportunities being a LMU graduate has to offer. In the little free time she has, Ashley also enjoys snowboarding, traveling, learning languages, Salsa dancing, and spending time with her loving family and boyfriend.