Ballet Academy & Movement | Our Team - BALLET ACADEMY & MOVEMENT

Amanda Cobb, Founding Director

Amanda Cobb brings many skills to her role as Director of Ballet Academy & Movement. From gymnast to American Ballet Theatre ballerina to teacher and Pilates teacher to choreographer to director, all of her 20 years of professional experience have culminated in Ballet Academy & Movement.

Her diverse training and extremely rare background of gymnastics, jazz, modern, and ballet allow her to give her students exposure to the same diversity and high level of training, with only the very best teachers. Her goal is to support her students to become diverse, strong, passionate, and determined people, and know that whatever they put their minds to they can create, whether in dance or in life.
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The word 'academy' is defined as "a place of study or training in a special field." THIS is what we do here!

We challenge you to explore your artistry, range of movement, and technique
to be the very best artist
and athlete you can be!

Are you ready for the challenge?
We are ready for you!
~ Amanda Cobb

The Team

We have the best teachers anywhere! Come join us!

Cara Hansvick

Assistant Director

Ballet, Pilates/Gyrotonic
Ms. Cara Hansvick danced with Charlotte Ballet, was a Principal with the American Contemporary Ballet, and is a company dancer, teacher, and choreographer with Ballet Project Orange County. She attended Chautauqua Institution on full scholarship two summers in a row and upon graduation was chosen by Jean–Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride to join Charlotte Ballet, where she danced for two seasons.

After that, she moved to Los Angeles where she was a principal dancer with the American Contemporary Ballet for 5 years. She started dancing with Ballet Project Orange County during the pandemic, and recently joined full time as a company dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Some of her performance highlights include principal roles in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Who Cares, Élégie, Raymonda Variations, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker, and Merce Cunningham’s Duets, Dwight Rhoden’s The Groove, and Antony Tudor's Dark Élégie. She is also a certified Classical Pilates and Gyrotonic Instructor. Read more about Ms. Hansvick here.

Melissa Chyba

Ballet
Ms. Melissa Chyba teaches ballet, pre-pointe, and variations. She is certified in American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum through level 5, is a certified Pilates Instructor, and holds the highest certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. Her ballet training background is a combination of Cecchetti, RAD, and Vaganova, and she studied under master teachers such as Stanley Holden, Don Hewitt, Gregory King, Sallie Whalen, Reid Olson, Charles Maple, and the amazing staff at Alonzo Lines Ballet.

She has danced ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz for over 40 years; has worked as a professional dancer for shows produced by Disney, Six Flags, Redken, and The Los Angeles Choreographer's Showcase; and was a soloist and member of the modern dance company Frank Guevara's Dance Theatre. Additionally, she has served as coach and choreographer for high school dance teams and choreographed for award-winning studio competition teams.

Melissa has held various leadership and executive roles in the corporate world while continuing her dance training mainly focused on ballet, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and a Masters Degree in Psychology.

Aleah Doone

Jazz, Hip Hop, Cheer, Ballet
A versatile performer, choreographer, and dancer based in Orange County, California, Ms. Aleah Doone has extensive experience performing, teaching, and choreographing for ballet, jazz, hip hop, and cheer.

Aleah began training at age 5 in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and lyrical dance, and won numerous competitions and participating in many conventions. Venturing into the hip hop dance community, she took 1st place in the United States at Hip Hop International, then mastered Competitive Cheer, winning numerous CIF championships and medals at UCA Nationals.

Currently pursuing a degree in business marketing, Aleah is expanding her academic knowledge and still showcasing her passion for dance as a member of Team Shaka at Chapman University. Aleah continues her career as a dancer professionally alongside American Events, further growing as a performer.

With her extensive experience in the dance industry, Aleah hopes to nurture and guide the new generation of dancers with us at Ballet Academy & Movement.

Paola Gonzales

Paola is a professional dancer who has been dancing for the last 20 years. She began at the age of three and fell in love. She began with ballet and tap and later transitioned into competitive dancing training in genres like contemporary, jazz, hip hop, etc.

While in high school she danced on a Varsity Song team while training at Xtreme Allstars dance studio in their senior program. She then danced at Orange Coast College winning many national titles at UDA nationals.

She later became a Los Angeles Rams Cheerleader in 2019 and performed at Super Bowl 56 and traveled all over the world from London, Japan, Hawaii, and Mexico representing as an ambassador for the NFL and Rams. She graduated in May 2023 from California State University, Long Beach with a BA in Communication Studies.

Now Paola is coaching San Juan Hills High School’s JV Song team and teaching barre on the side.

Deborah Fauerbach

Musical Theater, Ballet
Ms. Deborah Fauerbach has choreographed and performed professionally in numerous musical theater productions, including at Playhouse Merced, SeaWorld San Diego, Moonlight Amphitheater, Candlelight Pavilion, San Diego Musical Theatre, Musical Theater West, Pacific Conservatory Theatre, Performance Riverside, and more.

She has double majors in BA Drama and BA Dance from University of California, Irvine.

Madelynn Hampton

Ballet
Ms. Madelynn Hampton, a New Orleans native, started her training at Jefferson Ballet Theatre, and attended summer programs such as American Ballet Theatre, Orlando Ballet, Ballet Austin, Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Daria Klimentová’s master classes in Prague.

Madelynn’s professional career started with Colorado Ballet, where she placed first with the company in regionals for Youth American Grand Prix and performed in the finals at Lincoln Center.

She joined Alabama Ballet in 2019, where she danced in numerous Balanchine works, then joined Ballet Pensacola as a soloist in 2020, performing many lead roles such as Arabian and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Evil Queen in Snow White, Vampire Bride in Dracula, and Glinda in The Wizard of Oz. She has also been a leading guest artist at Jefferson Ballet Theatre, performing Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée and Dewdrop in Nutcracker. Madelynn recently finished a season with Tallahassee Ballet, where she performed four swans and lead roles for different choreographers.

She is also a certified Pilates instructor and enjoys bringing that knowledge into teaching dance.

Ally Helman

Ally Helman was born and raised in Southern California where she began dancing at a young age. Her professional training lead her to The School of American Ballet in New York City. Ally danced professionally with New York City Ballet and performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet. In addition to this, Helman has selected choreographed on both SAB and PNB students.
Ally founded Ballet Project OC in 2019. Since its inception, Ally has taken on artistic leadership as well as choreographer and dancer roles. Ms. Helman has created over twenty new works for Ballet Project OC and continues to lead the company towards a successful future.

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