Faculty
Aggie Eidson: Director
Aggie opened Studio A with the dream of inspiring students to develop creativity, artistry and a love for dance. She is a credentialed teacher and has been teaching dance for over thirty years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education/Dance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from California State University at Hayward. Aggie was also the dance instructor at Carondelet High School for 16 years. As a dancer, Aggie was a featured performer in numerous dance revues and as a member of the Olympic Dance Corps, she performed in the Opening Ceremonies for the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles. She has choreographed local theatrical productions including They're Playing Our Song, Bye Bye Birdie, Mame and The Sound of Music. Whether choreographing a flash mob for the City of Pleasant Hill or a routine for the "Shoe Guys," at the Wine, Women and Shoes event , Aggie loves contributing to the local community. In addition to teaching dance, Aggie choreographs posing routines for professional body builders. Her clients include Miss Olympia, and her work with body builders has been featured in Flex Magazine. Aggie works with athletes on increasing their flexibility and agility, and for over twenty five years she has been the stretch and agility coach for De La Salle High School's nationally ranked football program. Her expertise in stetching / flexibility has been highlighted in Biomechanics Magazine. Aggie has been awarded numerous accolades for her competitive dance choreography, including being selected to perform in the Choreography Festival in Palm Springs. Aggie's students have been acknowledged for their outstanding technique, performance, teamwork, spirit, and sportsmanship. Many of her students have gone on to study dance at the collegiate level, attending prestigious colleges such as Boston Conservatory, Loyola Marymount, Cal Arts, and Point Park University, prior to pursuing professional careers in dance.
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Andrea Brosnan: Ballet
Andrea studied at Berkeley Ballet Theater and quickly excelled under the direction of Sally Streets. At the tender age of 15, Andrea became an apprentice and joined the company shortly thereafter. She has performed with Santa Clara Ballet, Patricia Banchik's Kineses, Danny Nguyen Dancers and Musicians, Aileen Kim, and is currently working with ChingchiYu. She was recruited and hired as Artistic Director of the Balletschule Gassmann Dance Academy in Germany, where she choreographed for the resident company, taught in the school, and traveled with the company. Upon returning to the States, she graduated with honors from the LEAP (Liberal Education for Arts Professionals) program at St. Mary's College, earning a BA in Performing Arts/ Dance. She has been teaching ballet in the Bay Area for over 22 years and absolutely loves sharing her passion for dance with aspiring artists.
Mackenzie Canton: Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Children's Combo
Mackenzie’s passion for dance started when she was two years old. She trained under the direction of Aggie Eidson at Studio A and spent 13 years as a competitive dancer with their award-winning team, where she won multiple awards and placed in the top 10 at numerous regional competitions. Mackenzie spent the 2017-2018 dance season as a teaching assistant at Studio A for jazz, ballet, and children's combination classes. She has trained in many different dance styles including tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, and pointe; and has a passion for working with young children and special needs students. Mackenzie is thrilled to be part of the Studio A faculty this year and to share her love of dance with her students.
Kamryn Chadwick: Hip Hop
Kamryn Chadwick has trained in Hip Hop for 13 years. She danced with Chapkis Dance for 12 years and during that time she competed at competitions in the Bay Area and LA. She was on America's Got Talent Season 10 and World of Dance Season 1. Kamryn has taught around the Bay Area, and is currently training with The Pack Dance. We are so excited to welcome Kamryn to our teaching staff!
Jordyn Johnson: Hip Hop
Jordyn began dancing at Studio A in 2017 and is a part of our nationally ranked Company. She won our Company Teammate of the Year award in both 2022 and 2023. Jordyn spent the past year as a teacher's assistant and substitute teacher here at the studio, and we are so excited to have her join our teaching staff! Jordyn is a part of student leadership at College Park High School, and runs her own styling business in her free time!
Ineke Madsen: Ballet, Conditioning
Ineke received her ballet training at the school of the Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. She is a graduate of Professional Children’s School in New York City. She joined the company of the Dance Theatre of Harlem (NY, NY) after graduating high school and went on to dance with Cleveland San Jose Ballet (Cleveland, OH and San Jose, CA), Ballethnic Dance Company ( Atlanta, GA), and Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre ( Cleveland, OH) as well. She has taught ballet at the School of Cleveland San Jose Ballet (Cleveland, OH and San Jose, CA), Ballethnic Academy of Dance (Atlanta, GA), and various dance studios around the Bay Area. She has judged dance competitions for “Sheer Talent” including an episode of “Dance Moms”. Ineke is also a certified Pilates instructor and the owner and director of Mindful Movement Collective, LLC, a Pilates studio with locations in Newark and Pleasant Hill. She is currently on faculty at Ohlone College in Fremont, teaching ballet, Pilates, and Yoga. When she isn’t working with bodies in motion, Ineke enjoys spending time and enjoying life with her husband, 3 daughters, and 2 dogs in Martinez.
Ava Palermo: Tap, Ballet, Jazz
Ava has been dancing since she was two years old and is on her 14th year training here at Studio A. She has been on the award winning competition team for 8 years and has travelled all throughout California and Texas for intensives with several well-known choreographers. Ava is heavily involved with her community and holds a position on the ASB board at College Park High School. She has recently co-founded a non-profit, For Her Fund, dedicated to raising money for women in need. Ava is thrilled to extend her role at Studio A this year and spread her passion for dance.
April Taylor: Children's Combination, Jazz, Contemporary
April began dancing at the tender age of 5. She received her dance training under the direction of Aggie Eidson, Karyn Lee Connell, Holly Morrow, Susan Stone, and Kimberly Valmore. She was a member of the Studio A competitive team, which has won numerous 1st place awards as well as special recognition for outstanding performance. Early on, Aggie recognized April’s gift of working with children and encouraged her to hone her skills by working as a teaching assistant. Upon graduation from high school, April was hired as a teacher and has become a valuable member of the Studio A faculty. From 2005-2012, April danced for the contemporary modern ballet company, Coterie Dance in Oakland. April has been teaching dance to children since 1999. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal and Civic Studies, Minor in Performing Arts Dance, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Single Subject Dance Credential and a Master of Arts in Teaching, all from Saint Mary's College of California. When she's not at the dance studio April is teaching fourth grade at a local elementary school.
Roberta Vassallo: Ballet
Born in Italy, Roberta began her dance education at the Ballet School Capiferri in Genoa, under the direction of Maria Luisa Capiferri. She continued her training Balletschule Steib Elsbeth in Bochum, Germany, before travelling to the United States and joining the Saint Louis Ballet Company under the direction of New York City Ballet former principal dancer Gen Horiuchi, where she performed roles in the Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, Valse Fantaisie, as well as original works by choreographer Francis Patrelle. She also studied at Steps On Broadway, training with such notable master teachers as David Howard, Alexnder Filipov, Emilietta Ettlin and Fabrice Herrault. In addition to spending the past ten years teaching dance throught the country , Roberta is a practicing lawyer. She is delighted to be teaching at Studio A and sharing her love for ballet with the students.
Mary Vines: Children's Combination
Mary Vines started dancing at the age of 10 under the direction of Aggie Eidson, Stacy Sheffield and Karen Kovac. She was a competitive dancer until the age of 18, as well as performed in many different productions. Mary was also a performer with the Tom Lois Singers. She began teaching at Studio A when we opened in 1998 and quickly found her niche teaching our youngest dancers.
Maddie Wright: Children's Combination
Maddie began dancing at Studio A in 2012 and was a member of the award winning Studio A Company from 2014-2019. She was awarded our Company Teammate of the Year award 3 years in a row. Maddie graduated from San Diego State in December 2022 with a BA in Psychology and is now working as a Behavior Technician with special needs children. She is very excited to work with our youngest dancers this year and we are so happy to have her back at Studio A!