A Michelle DeAngelis Dance School
About Us
Michelle's Dance Academy was founded by Michelle DeAngelis, professional ballerina and teacher, with the intention of creating and nurturing a community of people that all share a common love of movement and dance.
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Our mission at Michelle's Dance Academy is to provide students with a safe environment to express themselves through artistry and creative movement. We strive to inspire a lasting love and appreciation for dance for the younger generation.
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While our main focus is ballet, we offer a variety of dance classes ranging from ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, tumbling, and adult classes. Classes are offered to students 16 months and older. Each and every one of our teachers has a professional dance background, and is eager to share their love of dance with the next generation!
Teachers
Michelle DeAngelis
Founder, Director and Teacher
Michelle is originally from Warren, New Jersey. She has been teaching ballet to students professionally for over eight years in various places throughout the United States. She received her early ballet and teacher training with the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, Princeton Ballet School, and Ballet Central New Jersey. Michelle started her professional dancing career with the Montgomery Ballet and Virginia National Ballet, and then moved to Los Angeles to join the American Contemporary Ballet as a soloist. She is now dancing professionally with Ballet Project Orange County, and is the founder & director of Michelle's Dance Academy.
Kristin Steckman
Teacher
Kristin is originally from Hollidaysburg, PA. Kristin began her pre professional ballet training at Allegheny Ballet Company and The HARID Conservatory. She began her professional ballet career with the Richmond Ballet in Virginia, and then moved on to be a soloist with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles, where she has had the opportunity to dance in various repertoires. She has previously taught dance with the Richmond Ballet's Children's Division in the Invitation to Dance, Pre-Primary Ballet, and Primary Ballet programs before moving to Los Angeles. Kristin teaches Saturday morning Tumbling at Michelle's Dance Academy.
Lydia McDonald
Teacher
Lydia Marie McDonald is originally from Longwood Florida. She began her dance training at the age of 12 and has trained in styles such as modern, ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, improvisation, and more. Lydia received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of North Texas in 2018 and spent two seasons dancing as a company member of imPULSE Dance Project during college. Immediately after graduating college, she became member of Ad Deum Dance 2nd company for 2 seasons. Now in L.A., Lydia is a company member of Benita Bike’s Dance Art and Geometry 2. Lydia teaches Monday afternoons at Michelle's Dance Academy.
Marion Maclou
Studio Manager/Teacher
Marion Maclou began her dance journey at the age of five in Conflans Sainte Honorine, France, where she first trained in ballet at a local conservatory. Her passion for dance quickly grew, leading her to the USC Dance Academy, where she spent over 13 years mastering Jazz, Modern Jazz, Hip Hop, and Contemporary. Throughout her time at USC Dance Academy, Marion had the opportunity to perform extensively, further refining her craft. She later pursued a Bachelor's degree in Arts to deepen her understanding of the discipline. In 2019, Marion made the significant move to Los Angeles to advance her professional dance career. She is now a valued member of the dance company VASHT, where she continues to bring her diverse dance background to life on stage. In addition to her work with VASHT, Marion also collaborates on various projects, including commercials, shows, and music videos, showcasing her versatility as a dancer.
Annabel Macdonald
Teacher
Annabel is originally from Washington DC. Annabel started dancing at 3 years old and completed her professional training at the Washington School of Ballet as well as around the country at Miami City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the Rock School. She recently graduated from USC with degrees in Business and Communication. Now a professional freelance ballet dancer based in Los Angeles, Annabel has performed in a variety of creative projects as well as with esteemed companies such as The Washington Ballet, American Contemporary Ballet, and City Ballet of San Diego. She loves sharing her love for ballet with her students and aims to create a positive environment in all of her classes. Annabel is excited to bring her passion for ballet and extensive experience to Michelle’s Dance Academy!
Claire Bednarek
Teacher
Originally from Denver, CO, Claire began dancing at 4 years old under the training of Jennifer Jones Micek and Staci Kinkead-Fox at the Dance Conservatory of Denver. Here she trained in a variety of dance styles, performed principal and soloist roles, and placed an additional emphasis on choreography, setting numerous solos and group pieces for studio productions. In 2019 Claire graduated cum laude from Butler University with a BA in Dance Pedagogy, fulfilling ballet performance aspirations, and a long time goal of learning the most constructive ways to be an encouraging and inspiring instructor for dancers of all ages. Claire is now a professional ballet dancer with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles.
Carina Brunstein
Teacher
Carina Brunstein was born and raised in Los Angeles County. She began dancing at the age of 3 at the School of Dance and Music and has been teaching and choreographing dance for children and young adults since the age of 17. Carina performed at several halftime shows for the L.A. Clippers, and danced for various theme parks across Southern California. She attended The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2025 with her B.F.A. in Commercial Dance. Carina has also gone on to pursue her passions for dance education and administration by working for Embody Dance Conference as a master class assistant on their Emphasis tour from 2023-2024, and for The Joffrey Ballet School as a part of their Administrative team in the Summer of 2024. She now teaches and choreographs for several studios across Los Angeles County and works for Imagine Dance Challenge.
Contact Us
Michelle's Dance Academy
8985 Venice Blvd
Suite H
Culver City, CA 90034
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Inquiries Here!
(We typically get back within 24 hours of website submission.)
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