Our Instructors
Mariah MacFarlan
Mariah MacFarlan (She/Her) founded West LA Academy of Dance in January of 2022 and teaches Ballet 2 - Diamond Level Ballet and Advanced Tap.
She began her teaching career with Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet in Richland, Washington at the age of 15, where she studied the art of teaching under Mid-Columbia Ballet’s Artistic Director, Debra Pearse Rogo. She continued her teaching career at the UofSC Conservatory of Dance in Columbia, South Carolina, where she studied Ballet Pedagogy under former NYCB Soloist and current Ballet Academy East Artistic Advisor, Stacey Calvert. After moving to California in 2017, Mariah was the Studio Director and Lead Instructor of Creation Station Dance in Orange County, CA until her move to Los Angeles in 2019. Mariah continued her teaching career at various dance schools throughout Los Angeles before founding West LA Academy of Dance in 2021.
Mariah began her dance training at age 3 and studied Classical Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, and Jazz. She performed with the Pre-Professional company, Mid-Columbia Ballet, and traveled with Regional Dance America each year. Mariah spent her summers training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and San Fransisco Conservatory of Dance.
Mariah furthered her education at the University of South Carolina and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography, and a dual minor in Business and Nutrition. During her time dancing with the UofSC Dance Company, she had the privilege of performing numerous Balanchine ballets as well as many original contemporary works by world-renowned choreographers. Mariah has studied the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Curriculum while attending the 2026 CPYB Teacher’s Training and holds an instructor certification from PBT - Progressing Ballet Technique.
Ande Godwin
Ande Godwin is originally from Dallas, Texas, where she began dancing at two years old. She attended Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in the dance conservatory. To further her education, she attended Chapman University as a Dance BFA major and nutrition minor.
Ande has worked with notable choreographers such as Kaili Bright, Gheremi Clay, Megan Doheny, Matthew Fata, Will Johnston, Dwight Rhoden, Ido Tadmor, and Azuki Umeda. Building on these collaborative experiences, Ande has brought her versatility and artistry to a wide range of performances including World of Dance, ACE Awards, International Women’s Day by Mash-up Dance, Choreographer's Cup, and is currently a company member of Authenticity Dance Company and Clay Collective.
In addition to performing, Ande has presented her own choreography at events such as the Joffrey Ballet School Summer Intensive, Laguna Dance Festival AAPI Art Walk, & when the heart opens, Reconstruct Dance Exhibition, Journey Dance Awards, and Intrigue Dance Intensive. She recently shared work at Cre8Dance where she received $4,000 in winnings.
Ande looks forward to continuing to share her passion for dance on and off the stage as a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator. Ande is joining the WLAD Staff as the Mini - Advanced and Adult Contemporary Instructor for the 2026 - 2027 Season!
Cooper Blankenburg
Cooper Blankenburg is a professional ballet dancer, currently with American Contemporary Ballet.
From 2023 to 2025, she danced professionally with The Sarasota Ballet, performing in classical and neoclassical works including Serenade, Theme and Variations, Rubies, Emeralds, Who Cares?, and Giselle.
During her time at Sarasota Ballet, she worked with notable choreographers and répétiteurs such as Johan Kobborg, Shelley Washington, Sandra Jennings, Sir David Bintley, and Gemma Bond. Cooper has also performed professionally with the McNicol Ballet Collective in England, directed by Andrew McNicol.
At Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, under Susan Jaffe and Adam McKinney, she appeared in productions of The Sleeping Beauty, Dracula, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. In the PBT School Graduate Program, she performed in Napoli, Raymonda, La Bayadère, and as Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, earning full and partial scholarships for her achievements.
Cooper began her training at the Rochester School of Dance under Cornelia Sampson and Jennifer Ristoski, followed by advanced studies at The Rock School for Dance Education, with additional summer programs at Houston Ballet Academy, The Washington School of Ballet, and The Rock School.
Cooper began teaching ballet at her local home studio Rochester School of Dance. She continued teaching during her time at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2022 and again in Melbourne while freelance dancing in 2025. Cooper has most recently taught Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Contemporary, and Conditioning at The Rochester School of Dance summer intensive program. Cooper loves working closely with students on variations and preparing them for performances.
When Cooper is out of the studio, she can be found with her orange tabby Charlie!
Cooper is joining the WLAD Staff as the Saturday Jewels Ballet, Ballet 1, and Teen Ballet Foundations Instructor for the 2026 - 2027 Season!
Madison Schumm
Madison Schumm (she/her) grew up in Seattle, WA, and began her dance journey at the age of 4, starting with ballet. Her professional training began at 14 at Spectrum Dance Theater in their Pre-Professional Academy under the artistic direction of Donald Byrd, where she trained in Modern, Donald Byrd Modern Technique, Jazz, Contemporary, West African, and world dance styles.
Madison continued her dance education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and also spent a year at the Alvin Ailey School of Dance. At Alvin Ailey she trained intensively in Horton, Graham, Ballet, Pointe, improvisation and choreography. She graduated in 2022 from UCLA specializing in Ballet and Modern with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, where her time at UCLA exposed her to the commercial dance scene. Since graduating, she has joined Troupe Dance Co, and HILA Dance Co, training in hip hop, Afro, Dancehall, House, and more with Antoine Troupe, and Alexander Chung. She has worked in music videos, campaigns, TV shows and live shows with many artists, brands and choreographers such as BOSE, “Clipped” on Hulu, Feid, BetterMe, Any Gabriely, Kyle Abraham, and more.
Madison has a diverse teaching background and has worked with dancers of all ages and levels, from young beginners to advanced teens and adults. Her teaching experience includes roles as a TA for intermediate/advanced ballet at UCLA, as well as teaching in LA public schools and various dance studios in both Los Angeles and Seattle offering instruction in Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Dance Conditioning, and Contemporary dance.
Madison believes that dance is more than just an art form—it’s a transformative journey that nurtures creativity, discipline, confidence, and self-expression. Her goal is to cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment where students feel empowered to explore their full potential, both as dancers and individuals. Madison's classes are designed to be both fun and challenging, encouraging students to push their limits while enjoying the process. She brings energy, creativity, and a deep love for dance to every session, offering engaging and dynamic classes that blend technique, choreography, and freestyle exploration. Whether you're new to dance or refining your skills, Madison's classes provide a welcoming space for all.
Madison will be teaching Mini - Advanced Hip Hop, Jewels Level PBT, Mini Contemporary/Jazz, and Teen Foundations Contemporary/Jazz as well as choreographing Competition Pieces for our 2026 2027 WLADance Season!
Jacob Ray
Jacob Ray is is a professional ballet dancer and actor. His journey into teaching began at Dmitri Kulev’s Classical Ballet Academy, teaching ballet and acrobatics to students of all ages. Using his background as a Russian trained ballet dancer, gymnastics, and theater Jacob adds a dynamic flair to his teaching style, putting a strong emphasis on jumps, pirouettes, and artistry.
As a professional ballet dancer, Jacob has performed various principal roles choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, Hans Van Manen, and George Balanchine. He’s danced with various companies, including the Los Angeles Ballet, under the direction of former New York City ballet dancer, Melissa Barak. His on screen credits include the Amazon Prime series, “Etoile” choreographed by Marguerite Derricks.
When you step into the studio with Jacob, prepare to work hard, learn a lot, and most importantly, have fun. His commitment to professionalism and enthusiasm ensures that each student will grow and have fun while doing so. With Jacob as your teacher, not only will you master eight pirouettes, but also cultivate a love of dance.professional ballet dancer.
Jacob will be teaching Primary - Advanced Acrobatics as well as Ballet Levels 4 - 6 and Adult Beginning Ballet for our 2026 2027 WLADance Season!
Daniel Diaz
Daniel Díaz (He/Him) has been dancing since a young age but started formally training the age of 17. He started his dance education at Southwestern College in San Diego, and then continued his education at San Diego State University and Academy of Performing Arts.
He has booked Dance jobs at the Disneyland Resort and Knotts’ Berry Farm, Touring for the 2014/2015 National Tour of Sesame Street Live, Dancing for the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade, as well as dancing in various music videos and stage performances. Lately, Daniel has been focused on teaching and cultivating young talent all around LA.
Daniel will be teaching Junior - Advanced Jazz as well as choreographing Contemporary and Jazz Competition Pieces for our 2026 2027 WLADance Season!
Andrea Camacho
Andrea Camacho began dancing at a young age and went on to pursue professional ballet training through the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City.
She earned her BFA in Dance, Music, and Theater from New Jersey City University and has experience teaching dancers of different ages and levels, from young children to adults, in Ballet, Lyrical, Creative Movement, Pre-Pointe, and Pointe.
Andrea loves creating a supportive and inclusive environment where students can feel confident, explore their creativity, and build strong technical foundations. She is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and Pilates-based movement instruction, with a focus on body awareness, alignment, and safe dance practices.
Andrea is passionate about helping dancers of all ages discover the joy of movement, grow in their confidence, and develop a lifelong love of dance.
Andrea is joining the WLAD Staff as the Monday Jewels Ballet, Teen Ballet Foundations, and Intermediate Adult Ballet Instructor for the 2026 - 2027 Season!
Savannah Heineken
Savannah Heineken began dancing at the age of two, first training as an Irish dancer before studying ballet and contemporary dance while living in Belgium as a teenager. It was there that she also began teaching dance.
She earned her BFA in Dance from Florida State University and was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader for four seasons, returning for an additional season as an All-Star Cheerleader.
While pursuing her master’s degree in psychology, Savannah continues to perform, combining her love of acting and dance through a variety of film, television, and commercial projects.
Savannah will be teaching our Saturday morning Young Children’s classes for our 2026 2027 WLADance Season!
Genay Tucker
Genay Tucker (She/Her) is a performer, choreographer, and dance educator. Genay began dancing at the age of 3 in a small town outside of Portland, OR and has since performed with the Disney Company, the Vancouver Symphony, Carnival Cruise Lines, and many others.
When she’s not sharing her love of dance with her students, Genay can be found performing in parades at Disneyland or spoiling Felix (her dog).
Ms. Genay will be teaching our Sunday morning Young Children’s classes at WLAD for the 2026 - 2027 Season!
Kistina Pressler
Kistina Pressler (She/Her) has toured across America, danced on national broadcast television, and performed with numerous dance companies. Some performance highlights include Disney California Adventure's Festival of Holidays with Blue13 Dance Company, NBC’s The Tonight Show, and her performance as Lily in the award-winning film Allegro Scratch.
Kistina has choreographed for Los Angeles dance festivals, musicals, curated art projects, web series, and concert dance shows. She has taught dance throughout the greater Los Angeles area for curriculum arts education in schools, after-school programs, and dance studios. Kistina graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Saint Mary’s College of California in 2021.
Kistina will be teaching the Adult Beginning Tap, Adult Intermediate Tap, and Adult Beginning Jazz for the WLAD 2026 - 2027 Season!
Riley Rice
Riley grew up in Marietta, Georgia and danced for about ten years at her local dance studio. She competed and trained in styles of tap, jazz, hip hop, ballet, and contemporary.
Riley began assisting classes her junior year and became a teacher her senior year of highschool! She has taught dancers from preschool age up through teens and loved every age.
Riley is currently in her second year at UCLA and is so excited to continue teaching at West LA Academy of Dance!
She will be teaching our Mini Jazz/Tap, Junior - Intermediate Tap, Ballet 1, and Adult Intermediate Jazz classes at WLAD for the 2026 - 2027 Season!
Cassidy Kittredge
Cassidy Kittredge was raised in San Francisco, California. She trained in the Vaganova style of ballet at City Ballet School.
Cassidy attended University of California, Santa Cruz where she studied General Psychology and Dance and graduated with honors Cum Laude. In those 4 years, she trained and performed in multiple styles with the UC Santa Cruz Dance Team and led as Co-Captain then Captain in her junior and senior years. In her senior year, Cassidy’s choreography was featured in Random With a Purpose XXXI, which won the Steck Award for finest undergraduate research project.
Now currently based in Los Angeles, Cassidy freelances and works in dance studios across Los Angeles. Most notably, she has performed in local dance festivals and showcases including The Inland Empire Dance Festival, The San Pedro Festival of the Arts, and Pasadena Art Night. One of her duets, choreographed by Marissa Mahoney for the contemporary collective, RISSTHEMOVEMENT, won the grand prize at a choreography contest hosted by Brockus Project Studios.
This is Cassidy’s second year with West LA Academy of Dance and she looks forward to continue contributing to the studio culture and community as one of our Front Desk Administrators!
Talia Sokolove
Talia Sokolove has been dancing since she was two years old, and dance has been a huge part of her life ever since. She has trained in a variety of styles with an emphasis on Ballet, Jazz, and Contemporary, and loves every aspect, from learning new choreography to performing on stage.
Talia began her teacher training as a Teacher’s Assistant at West LA Academy of Dance in 2023 and officially joined the staff in 2025. Talia loves working with younger dancers and helping them feel confident, excited, and comfortable in the studio. One of her favorite parts of teaching is watching her students learn new skills, come out of their shells, and discover how much fun dance can be. It makes her heart so happy to watch their love for dance grow and to help create the same kind of joy and excitement that dance has brought to her throughout her life.
Ms. Talia will be teaching our Wednesday Pre-Ballet/ Tap and Primary Jazz/ Hip Hop classes at WLAD for the 2026 - 2027 Season!