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Teachers & Staff
Debe Nidiffer -- Debbie has been teaching Combo Classes for Dawn’s Dance
Studio since it opened in August 2004. Her formal dance training began in
February 1999 under the tutelage of K. Dawn Atherton at Dancer’s Workshop.
She has continued her training through dance conventions such as West Coast
Dance Explosion and Tremaine, and is currently a Zumba certified instructor.
Debbie’s prior dance experience was informal as a certified aerobics instructor for
Aerobic Bodyworks by Joy, North End Body Shop and Aerobic Image. Debbie has
taken several years of country western dancing, and was a member of the
Diamondback Dancers performing team
Studio since it opened in August 2004. Her formal dance training began in
February 1999 under the tutelage of K. Dawn Atherton at Dancer’s Workshop.
She has continued her training through dance conventions such as West Coast
Dance Explosion and Tremaine, and is currently a Zumba certified instructor.
Debbie’s prior dance experience was informal as a certified aerobics instructor for
Aerobic Bodyworks by Joy, North End Body Shop and Aerobic Image. Debbie has
taken several years of country western dancing, and was a member of the
Diamondback Dancers performing team
age of 4. For the past 25 years, she has been a teacher and
choreographer, and a studio owner in San Diego. Her competition
teams have won numerous regional and national overall awards.
choreographer, and a studio owner in San Diego. Her competition
She received the “Endless Top Choreography” and “ Most teams
have won numerous regional and national overall awards. Michelle
Parker's - Entertaining” awards. She continues her experience
and training LA Dance Magic Convention, and Tremaine. In her first
year with Dawn's Dance Studio, Michelle's choreography has won
numerous awards for her tap routines, 5-8 year old category dances,
and Ashley Atherton's tap routine which won the title of Dance Yuma
Dance. She has also helped to expand the curriculum and
opportunities at Dawn's Dance Studio by starting tumbling classes,
Boys Tap Class, Boys Performing/Competition Group, and
Competition Teams for all levels of JOY.
choreographer, and a studio owner in San Diego. Her competition
teams have won numerous regional and national overall awards.
choreographer, and a studio owner in San Diego. Her competition
She received the “Endless Top Choreography” and “ Most teams
have won numerous regional and national overall awards. Michelle
Parker's - Entertaining” awards. She continues her experience
and training LA Dance Magic Convention, and Tremaine. In her first
year with Dawn's Dance Studio, Michelle's choreography has won
numerous awards for her tap routines, 5-8 year old category dances,
and Ashley Atherton's tap routine which won the title of Dance Yuma
Dance. She has also helped to expand the curriculum and
opportunities at Dawn's Dance Studio by starting tumbling classes,
Boys Tap Class, Boys Performing/Competition Group, and
Competition Teams for all levels of JOY.
| Socorro Marquez Wardrobe Director |
| Kerri Dornstadter Wardrobe Assistant |
Ari-Shay Herrera and she is our jazz, hip hop, tap, combo instructor.
Ari-Shay L. Herrera was born and raised in Yuma, Arizona. She has been dancing for
the past 19 years and has been teaching for five years. She is formally trained in
Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. Ms. Herrera has taught numerous
styles of dance throughout the Yuma community, most recently local high schools,
quinceañeras, and choreographing for the local music group Larenita y Sus
Estrellitas. She attended Cibola High School and danced in both the performing
program and the dance team and was named captain her senior year. Two of her
greatest achievements were being selected out of 250 young women in the U.S. to
perform in the Universal Dance Association Paris Parade in Paris, France when she
was 16 years old and also being chosen to perform in the Jazz Dance World Congress
held by Gus Giordano in Buffalo, New York. She has won numerous awards for her
choreography including “Coolest Dance” and “Best Choreography” Award at
Thunderstruck Dance Productions. She is currently teaching combo, tap and hip hop
classes.
Ari-Shay L. Herrera was born and raised in Yuma, Arizona. She has been dancing for
the past 19 years and has been teaching for five years. She is formally trained in
Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. Ms. Herrera has taught numerous
styles of dance throughout the Yuma community, most recently local high schools,
quinceañeras, and choreographing for the local music group Larenita y Sus
Estrellitas. She attended Cibola High School and danced in both the performing
program and the dance team and was named captain her senior year. Two of her
greatest achievements were being selected out of 250 young women in the U.S. to
perform in the Universal Dance Association Paris Parade in Paris, France when she
was 16 years old and also being chosen to perform in the Jazz Dance World Congress
held by Gus Giordano in Buffalo, New York. She has won numerous awards for her
choreography including “Coolest Dance” and “Best Choreography” Award at
Thunderstruck Dance Productions. She is currently teaching combo, tap and hip hop
classes.
K. Dawn Atherton, is a Yuma native, graduating from Kofa High School, and then received a
Bachelor Of Fine Arts in Dance and Certification in Secondary Education from Arizona State
University. She did her last year of student teaching at Yuma High School Class ’90, where she was
also the Choralair choreographer. After graduating from college she performed in Hollywood, CA.,
doing Broadway Musicals such as A Chorus Line, and West Side Story. After performing and
teaching for 3 years in Los Angeles she came back home to teach Dance and Drama at Yuma High
School. Dawn also taught at Dancer’s Workshop and choreographed for Yuma Ballet Theatre. After
teaching at Yuma High School she went to Cibola High School, and was the Dance, Aerobic , Cheer
and Wrestlerette Teacher/Sponsor. She then married Junior Atherton and moved to Georgia where
she taught dance at a local dance studio, a private academy, and a Charter Health Club. She was the
Junior and Dawn moved back to Yuma to start a family and she taught Dance at Kofa High School and
was the jazz and tap director at Dancer’s Workshop. After that year she decided to go full time at the
studio and start a Jazz Dance Company, entitled Jazz Of Yuma (JOY). She opened her own studio,
Dawn’s Dance Studio in 2004 and received the non-profit status for Jazz OF Yuma, Inc. She is
certified in Zumba®, and has had a brand new state of the art building built for a 3 dance room studio.
Bachelor Of Fine Arts in Dance and Certification in Secondary Education from Arizona State
University. She did her last year of student teaching at Yuma High School Class ’90, where she was
also the Choralair choreographer. After graduating from college she performed in Hollywood, CA.,
doing Broadway Musicals such as A Chorus Line, and West Side Story. After performing and
teaching for 3 years in Los Angeles she came back home to teach Dance and Drama at Yuma High
School. Dawn also taught at Dancer’s Workshop and choreographed for Yuma Ballet Theatre. After
teaching at Yuma High School she went to Cibola High School, and was the Dance, Aerobic , Cheer
and Wrestlerette Teacher/Sponsor. She then married Junior Atherton and moved to Georgia where
she taught dance at a local dance studio, a private academy, and a Charter Health Club. She was the
Junior and Dawn moved back to Yuma to start a family and she taught Dance at Kofa High School and
was the jazz and tap director at Dancer’s Workshop. After that year she decided to go full time at the
studio and start a Jazz Dance Company, entitled Jazz Of Yuma (JOY). She opened her own studio,
Dawn’s Dance Studio in 2004 and received the non-profit status for Jazz OF Yuma, Inc. She is
certified in Zumba®, and has had a brand new state of the art building built for a 3 dance room studio.
| Michelle Parker |
| Debe Nidiffer |
| Ari-Shay Herrera |
Rome Mendoza our Hip Hop Instructor
| Rome Mendoza |
| Debbie N is BACK TEACHING CLASSES! |
| Owner/Artistic Director/Instructor |
| Maria Office Manager |
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