Meet Our Founder/Director
MARIA JOSE BELTRAN
Before she founded Alive Ballet Academy in 2008, Maria Jose Beltran started teaching ballet in 1985 while she was still dancing professionally. She has danced with the National Ballet of Peru, Ballet Municipal de Chile , Statishe Buhne Hagen (Germany) and Ballet Hawaii. After retiring in 1995 she became a full time teacher and has dedicated herself to sharing her love and knowledge of ballet with the younger generations. In 2008 she officially opened Alive Ballet Academy and has been its Director ever since.
Before she founded Alive Ballet Academy in 2008, Maria Jose Beltran started teaching ballet in 1985 while she was still dancing professionally. She has danced with the National Ballet of Peru, Ballet Municipal de Chile , Statishe Buhne Hagen (Germany) and Ballet Hawaii. After retiring in 1995 she became a full time teacher and has dedicated herself to sharing her love and knowledge of ballet with the younger generations. In 2008 she officially opened Alive Ballet Academy and has been its Director ever since.
Meet Our Administrative Coordinator
TRACI YAMAMURA
Traci Yamamura started her formal ballet training in the Cecchetti method at the Matsuo Akemi School of Ballet in Tokyo, Japan. She continued her training in Los Angeles with Germaine Ballou, Dance Center West, and Stanley Holden Dance Studio, before moving on to dance at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in Hong Kong. Traci performed as a soloist in Nobuko Ishizuka’s ballet Storms of Africa in Hong Kong. Since moving to Honolulu in 1998, Traci has taught ballet at various schools on the island, including Alive Ballet Academy for the last 9 years. Traci looks forward to her new role as Administrative Coordinator at Alive, now that her 3 daughters are grown up. She speaks fluent Japanese and loves cats.
Traci Yamamura started her formal ballet training in the Cecchetti method at the Matsuo Akemi School of Ballet in Tokyo, Japan. She continued her training in Los Angeles with Germaine Ballou, Dance Center West, and Stanley Holden Dance Studio, before moving on to dance at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in Hong Kong. Traci performed as a soloist in Nobuko Ishizuka’s ballet Storms of Africa in Hong Kong. Since moving to Honolulu in 1998, Traci has taught ballet at various schools on the island, including Alive Ballet Academy for the last 9 years. Traci looks forward to her new role as Administrative Coordinator at Alive, now that her 3 daughters are grown up. She speaks fluent Japanese and loves cats.
Meet Our Assistant Director/Head Teacher
DAYNA CHUN
Dayna Chun began dancing ballet at Hawaii State Ballet when she was 6 years old and studied under Gina Surles and John Landovsky for 12 years. Dayna attended Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts in 2007 and began her six-year certificate student in dance as well as earning her International Baccalaureate credits in researching and choreographing. During her high school years, she has starred as a soloist and had her choreography featured in performances at Hawaii State Ballet and Mid-Pacific Institute. Dayna graduated high school with the "Outstanding Dance Award." She then went to study at the University of New York at Purchase, where she performed in the Purchase Dance Company. Dayna also had the opportunity to study in Europe at the London Contemporary Dance School. During her college years, she has done research on dance and film and her work was published within Manoa Horizons. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor's in Business and Dance.
Dayna began her teaching career in 2014 at Alive Ballet Academy and Hawaii State Ballet, where she started her own contemporary dance class. She has recently been promoted at Alive Ballet Academy as Assistant Director and is excited to nourish growth amongst the studio.
Meet Our Teachers
KALEIGH JONES
Kaleigh Jones is a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer hailing from New Hampshire. She started her training at New England School of Dance where she studied Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D), a ballet syllabus. She continued on to train at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she received a B.F.A., majoring in Jazz Dance and Dance Education. While in Philadelphia she also worked with local dance companies. She performed with Danco II (Philadanco’s second company), Project Moshen Dance Company (a Jazz Dance Company), performed and choreographed for PINK HAIR AFFAIR (a Modern Dance Collective) and also trained with Koresh Dance Company. Kaleigh then traveled as an entertainer with Disney Cruise Line for three years and is currently on Disney’s Northeast special events team. Her teaching and choreography has adapted a mixture of styles from traveling in places such as NYC, London, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Toronto; ranging from contemporary, modern, hip hop, musical theater, jazz with a strong foundation of ballet.
Kaleigh Jones is a freelance dancer, teacher and choreographer hailing from New Hampshire. She started her training at New England School of Dance where she studied Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D), a ballet syllabus. She continued on to train at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she received a B.F.A., majoring in Jazz Dance and Dance Education. While in Philadelphia she also worked with local dance companies. She performed with Danco II (Philadanco’s second company), Project Moshen Dance Company (a Jazz Dance Company), performed and choreographed for PINK HAIR AFFAIR (a Modern Dance Collective) and also trained with Koresh Dance Company. Kaleigh then traveled as an entertainer with Disney Cruise Line for three years and is currently on Disney’s Northeast special events team. Her teaching and choreography has adapted a mixture of styles from traveling in places such as NYC, London, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Toronto; ranging from contemporary, modern, hip hop, musical theater, jazz with a strong foundation of ballet.
OTOMI TOCHIKA
Otomi started dancing at Alive Ballet Academy when she was 6 years old. She is a natural leader and a charismatic teacher whom her young students love and appreciate. Otomi has also participated in numerous ballet productions on stage, dancing in corps, as a soloist or leading her young ballerina students. Her experience is crucial in helping develop the self confidence in her young students when going on stage.
Otomi started dancing at Alive Ballet Academy when she was 6 years old. She is a natural leader and a charismatic teacher whom her young students love and appreciate. Otomi has also participated in numerous ballet productions on stage, dancing in corps, as a soloist or leading her young ballerina students. Her experience is crucial in helping develop the self confidence in her young students when going on stage.