Emily began dancing at the age of 5, where she discovered her lifelong passion for dance. She attended classes in the greater Sacramento area throughout her childhood, and joined the Granite Bay Dance Team in High School. In high school, she shifted her focus to train in Jazz, Tap, and Hip Hop. She was a member of the Granite Bay High School Dance Team for four years, where she performed in several Jazz, Pom, Hip Hop and Drill routines, and choreographed pieces for their spring season. Emily soon realized she also shared a strong passion for Theatre Arts. While completing the Dramatic Arts pathway at Granite Bay, she acted in four plays, three musicals, and competed three times at the Lenaea Theatre Festival! The passion she holds for Theatre is fantastic addition to her love for dance, and she discovered that the two disciplines play equal roles in a strong performance. Emily’s love and dedication for dance blossomed when she moved to Long Beach, CA, where she attended weekly masterclasses at the famed Playground LA studio. Here, she learned numerous combinations from dance stars like Dexter Carr, Kenny Wormald, and even Faceoff! 

Emily is ecstatic to be back in the studio again, and can’t wait to help all of the ATTP dancers continue to learn and grow!

Ashley’s love for dance began at the young age of 3. She started out in tap and ballet, and quickly realized ballet was her true passion. She continued her ballet training at local studios in the Bay Area, performing in more than a decade of Nutcracker shows and other student recitals. Ashley kept up her training in the summers, dancing in many notable intensives nationwide and globally. In the last two years of her high school career, she attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she focused primarily on ballet along with exposure to contemporary and modern styles. From there, she trained with the esteemed Alonzo King Lines Ballet with many well known artists and mentors. Ashley discovered her passion for contemporary and contemporary ballet while in this training program. 

She has recently graduated from Santa Clara University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Dance and Communication. During her time there, Ashley trained in ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, hip hop, and musical theater. She choreographed many of her own works as well as performing works created by faculty, guest faculty, and other students. 

Since graduating, Ashley has joined TwoPoint4 Dance Theatre in Sacramento, where she is enjoying her time exploring new facets of contemporary and vertical dance. She is thrilled to be teaching at ATTP this year and sharing her passion for dance with the next generation of creative movers.

April Mason, a former president of the Sacramento Area Dance Alliance, has been teaching children and adults since 1996. A graduate of Cedar Crest College with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Dance, Miss April has been an instructor at several studios both in the Sacramento and Bay areas including KM Dance Arts (formerly Krei Matthews School of Dance) and Fantastic Feet School of Dance. She owned and directed her own studio, the successful Premiere Dance in Rancho Cordova, for eight years. She has an extensive background in competition choreography and has coached several winning dance studio teams including her own students at Premiere Dance. She teaches tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, musical theater, and lyrical. Miss April has directed several productions such as Guys and Dolls, Annie, The Music Man, and Into the Woods. She has acted in many shows including Steel Magnolias, Carousel, Mack and Mabel, Julius Caesar, and Charlotte’s Web among others. Miss April also has over 30 years’ experience in the pageant industry as a director, contestant, judge, and titleholder. She is excited to share her passion for the arts with the dancers at Aria’s To The Pointe.

Emily began her dance training at the age of 4, where she discovered her true love for classical ballet. She dedicated many years to the refinement of her ballet technique while also competing group, pas de deux, and solo pieces at regional and national dance competitions. She was awarded numerous scholarships, titles and monetary prizes as a young competitive dancer. She also performed in several Placer Theatre Ballet productions including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Alice in Wonderland.

Emily continued her training in Rocklin High School’s dance program where she participated in the advanced dance classes as a student director. As student director, she choreographed over 15 pieces in a variety of styles including Drill, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Pom and Ballet. Emily was a carefully selected member of the highly acclaimed Rocklin Dance Team for all four years of high school, and a Team Captain for two years. Emily’s high school experience culminated with three choreography awards, and she was voted the prestigious “Most Inspirational Dancer” award. 

Post graduation Emily has taught a variety of classes at Rocklin High School and Aria’s To The Pointe, and has taught beginning dance at a local gym. Emily currently attends Sierra College where she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and plans to transfer to a University to further her education.  With nearly six years of dance leadership experience, Emily is excited to return to ATTP, as an Alumni, Instructor, and ATTP Company choreographer, to share her passion for the arts, and create a supportive and enthusiastic environment for the next generation of dancers. 

Izzie found her passion for dance at the young age of three when she took a Ballet and Tap class. After dancing in recreational classes for a few years, she moved to a prominent dance school to train in Ballet, Tap, and Modern dance. In her pre-teen years, she joined a pre-professional division and began Pointe work. In high school, Izzie was selected to to join the Rocklin High School Dance Team. She grew to be more interested in broadening her dance styles and joined Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, and Hip Hop teams. In high school, Izzie was given the opportunity to choreograph for both her dance team as well as the recreational classes in various productions. She was elected Dance Team Captain both her Sophomore and Senior years of high school, and greatly enjoyed leading her team. Izzie was also given the role of Student Director her Junior and Senior years of high school where she continued to share her love of dance with the students in Rocklin High School’s dance classes.

Currently, Izzie is a VAPA performing arts assistant at Oakmont High School where she choreographs pieces for productions and helps dancers further their technical knowledge and artistry in dance classes. She is also the head coach of Oakmont’s Dance Team and manages all the behind the scenes business of a dance team. She currently attends Sierra College in Rocklin as a Communications studies major and plans to transfer to a four year university. Izzie is thrilled for the opportunity to teach at Aria’s To The Pointe and share her passion for dance with the next generation of students!

Jay began dancing at the young age of three and has been involved as a dance teacher since 2007. Jay attended Sacramento State University and received a bachelor’s degree in Dance. While attending college Jay participated in numerous performances and choreographed a senior piece for her graduating class. Another production that Jay was proud to participate in during college, was “A Salute to the Arts” starring Carol Channing. Excerpts from this performance included “West Side Story” and “A Chorus Line.”

 Jay has been a valued guest teacher at both Sierra College and Del Oro High School. She has also been involved in local productions of “The Nutcracker” as a performer and as a dance director. As a choreographer she has worked on a local theater company’s production of “Happy Valley High,” “Jungle Book” and “Fame.” Jay’s academic and professional background have allowed her to participate and bring to fruition multiple start up dance companies.

 Although she has experience teaching all ages, Jay’s strength and passion is solidly with teaching and helping children, and treasures being a part of their growing experiences. Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Lyrical are just a few of the styles in Jay’s repertoire of teaching knowledge.

Jay also has extensive experience working with special needs children, particularly those with autism.  She has worked with autistic children in an academic environment and in her dance classes. She is excited to join the ATTP Team, and help guide the next generation of aspiring young dancers!”

Lauren fell in love with the arts at a very young age and has enjoyed training in Ballet, Jazz, Character, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre for most of her life. She began her dance career at the Royal Academy of Dance in Page, Arizona where she was awarded multiple scholarships for Ballet, and has carried her knowledge into teaching. She graduated High School from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy, and has pursued dancing and singing throughout her adult life. Through her training in the arts, she has grown physically and emotionally, and has developed the discipline to progress in many other areas of her life. Lauren’s understanding of expression and passion for dance is a valued gift that she can’t wait to share with her students in her classes at Aria’s To The Pointe!

Shelley took her first ballet class at the age of seven, not knowing it would be the beginning of a lifetime filled with dance. By the time she was fourteen she had already started her professional career as a soloist with Santa Clara Ballet Company. Classically trained, in both Vaganova and Royal Academy styles of ballet, she was an apprentice for San Francisco Ballet, and later became a member of Pacific Dance Theatre and Peninsula Ballet all before graduating from high school. After graduation, she attended UCLA as a Dance major, and continued her dance career, in Southern California as an industry dancer. Years later she decided to return to the Bay Area to continue her education at San Jose State University in the Theater Arts Department.

Shelley started teaching dance while attending SJSU, and later moved to the Sacramento area where she founded Roseville School of Dance in the 90s. She was the director and choreographer for Valley Dance Repertoire, a pro/am performance and competition company. Shelley has had the honor of judging for many national dance competitions, including KAR and Starbound, and has taught master classes throughout Northern California. She has taught classical ballet, commercial & musical theater jazz, lyrical, and contemporary for many studios in the Sacramento Valley.

Currently, Shelley is an instructor and choreographer for Christian Youth Theater, and is excited to be on the staff of Aria’s to the Pointe. She is also the proud mother of three amazing adults, and feels so blessed for all the opportunities she has had to share her dance expertise and experiences.