Shannon graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.A. in Dance and now resides in Los Angeles where she recently completed her third season as a Los Angeles Laker Girl. She began teaching at the young age of 14 and has studied many aspects of dance with instructors from the Joffery Ballet, Alvin Ailey School, and Donald Byrd's "The Group." She is the director of Endeavor School of the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA as well as the director of Pacific Dance Project. Shannon has choreographed for many studios and teams throughout the country including the University of Kansas, University of Arizona, University of California Long Beach, the University of South Florida, and the Los Angeles Laker Girls. Her choreography has won numerous awards at both regional and national competitions. Her television credits include the feature films A Cinderella Story and The Trouble with Ross as well as national commercials for Subway, Coors Light, AmeriQuest, Burger King, Holiday Inn, and Coca Cola. She has also appeared with Beyonce in the NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show, NBC's American Dreams, Entourage, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Best Damn Sports Show. In addition, Shannon teaches at Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood as well as at numerous studios throughout the nation. She also dances with the Commonality Dance Company and the Seamless Dance Theatre. Shannon is anxious to share her love and passion for dance with dancers from around the country.
Lachlan, a native of Sydney, Australia, moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2003 to train at the Edge Performing Arts Center under their scholarship program. His work credits span both the Australian and Los Angeles entertainment industries including the Warner Bros. animated film, Happy Feet, Baz Luhrmann's Midsummer's Night Dream at the Sydney Opera House, as well as numerous Australian Awards Shows. In addition, Lachlan has performed in industrials for Mercedes Benz and Samsung. He is also a current member of Adam Parson's Commonality Dance Company and was an original cast member of the LA smash hit musical Rock of Ages. Most recently, Lachlan performed with Hugh Jackman and Beyonce in the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Lachlan is proud to back for another season with Pacific Dance Project and is looking forward to bringing an international energy to studios around the country.
Erin, the director and choreographer of Starstruck Performing Arts Center in Lenexa, Kansas, has been choreographing since she was nine years old, started teaching at 14, and opened her own studio at 18. She then went on to start Midwest Dance Connection, a Loval convention, in 2000. Erin recently graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a B.F.A in Dance. She studied various aspects of performing arts including jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, Horton and Graham modern techniques, hip hop, salsa, Pilates, dance history, anatomy and physiology, injury prevention, and dance production. She has studied with some of the top instructors in the nation from the Alvin Ailey School to the Milwaukee Ballet. She has performed with the Williams Henry Dance Theatre, on Hooray for Kids television show, as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. She is known throughout the country for her unique choreography and has won numerous national awards for her work. In addition, she recently founded the Seamless Dance Theater, a modern dance company geared toward creating a fusion between dancer, audience, and music.
Born and raised in Orange County, California, Shelby received her training from Keith Clifton. She then continued her training at the Edge Performing Arts Center on a scholarship program in 2001. Shelby is a member of Adam Parson's Commonality Dance Company. She is a recent graduate from UCLA with a World Arts and Cultures degree with an emphasis in dance. Shelby is very involved in various organizations working with underprivileged youth around Los Angeles promoting social and political arts activism through her passion of dance. She has danced for the Los Angeles Lakers for the past three seasons and has done numerous commercials and print jobs for Fresca, Sony, Apple iPod, Nike, TAG body spray, and Toyota. She has appeared as a guest star on The Bold and the Beautiful as well as Grounded for Life. In addition, you can see her dancing in the upcoming feature film, Spring Breakdown, which is set to be released this spring. Shelby is excited to back for her fifth season with Pacific Dance Project and is looking forward to meeting young dancers from around the nation.
received his BFA in dance from The University of The Arts in Philadelphia. He is also a graduate of The Edge Performing Arts Scholarship Program. Marvin's dance credits include performances for Disney, Nickelodeon, Vh1, Coca-Cola, and Red Bull. He's danced on shows MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, ABC's Dance Machine, and Lifetime's How to Look Good Naked. Marvin has performed for recording artist such as The Cheetah Girls National Tour, Britney Spears, Jesse McCartney, and Nick Cannon. Currently, Marvin is touring with Justin Bieber, a 15-yrd old pop star who is rising fast. He's had the priviledge of dancing for Justin Bieber on shows such as The Ellen Show, The Today Show, The Opening for Taylor Swift's World Tour, and Madison Square Garden. Other than performing, Marvin is on full-time faculty at The Edge Performing Arts Center where he teaches hip-hop.
Derrick was born in the small town of Sioux Falls, SD and later moved with his family to Minneapolis. His first inspiration for dance was watching his cousins annual recital. Hearing the crowd cheer over "coffee grinders", Derrick thought... "I can do that!" The cheering helped him realize that dance is what he wanted to do. So at age 9, he began taking tap classes, and by age 11 he had expanded his dance training to include ballet, jazz and lyrical. At age 15, he started traveling around the country to take classes from the best of the best dance educators. Derrick says the only way he was able to make it through the drama of high school was by taking part in a work study program, where he could earn school credits by teaching dance 5 days per week. After graduating high school, he continued to develop his style of choreography. Teaching and directing 5 studios, he soon became one of the most sought after choreographers in Minnesota. At the peak of Derrick’s popularity as a choreographer, and being a firm believer that a persons dance education is never complete, he decided to pack up his car and move to Los Angeles to expand his career. Since the move, he has appeared on ABC Family's "Switched!," the motion picture "The Gift," and the stage show for Disney's animated feature "Bolt." Other credits include: Tappin in the Twin Cities with Gregory Hines and Savion Glover, Burnin’ The Floor and Blur featuring Carmen Electra, as well as performing with the Seamless Dance Theatre, Out On A Limb Ballet Company, and In Formation and Keep It Jumpin’. He has worked with artists such as Kenny Ortega, Lindsey Lohan, The Crystal Method and most recently, in EARTH by Steven Speilburg, Derrick has received many honors over the years including more than 300 top choreography awards and more than 100 concept and storytelling choreography awards. Watching his student Kourtni Lind dance his solo piece on "So You Think You Can Dance" was an affirmation for him and his work. Derrick currently teaches with Tremaine Dance Convention. Derrick’s teaching methods are based upon embracing your limitations and developing the facility you are given. He believes we are humans first, dancers second, and asks his students to be true with themselves and honest with the art. It’s not quantity, but quality.
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Merissa has trained, competed, and choreographed all over the United States winning numerous awards and gaining recognition. At the age of 14 she began touring with a national convention circuit assisting Dee Caspary for 3 consecutive years. Having since moved to Los Angeles to pursue a dance career, Merissa is now represented by DDO dance agency and continues her training at the EDGE PAC and the Millennium. She has been a dancer in Dee Caspary's IV dance company for 5 years and has performed in "A Time No More", "The Glass Case", "The Best of the Broadway Dance Center" and the Elan Awards in NYC. Merissa has most recently shot a commercial for "Champion" stores that will air in France this coming year. She perfromed with the group "The Eddies" at The Edison Downtown in downtown Los Angeles. She toured as a faculty member of Starsystems "SHOCK" convention in 2005-2006, in which she taught in over 15 cities. Merissa loves motivating, inspiring, and connecting with her students and feels her unique style and energy sets her apart from all the other up and coming talent!
Michael was born and raised in Los Angeles,CA where he studied dance and gymnastics. He begin work as a professional at age 18 and at 21 began a two year world tour with Sir Paul McCartney. Since then, he has toured Europe with the singer Anastacia, and the U.S. with Panic! at the Disco. He has also performed with Rihanna, Mike Myers, Vanessa Williams, And Lionel Richie as well in many MTV Awards in US and Europe. In 2009, he choreographed and danced on television in "The Office," "True Blood," "Weeds," "Mad Men," the new film "Avatar" directed by James Cameron, and he just finished choreographing and dancing alongside Kristen Chenoweth, Sigourney Weaver, and Jamie Lee Curtis in an upcoming film for Disney.
Chris is originally from Chandler, Arizona but is currently in living in Los Angeles. For the past six years he has been living out his dreams dancing, teaching, and traveling throughout the world. He started out his career with a year long scholarship at the EDGE Performing Arts Center back in 2000, and since then has moved on to touring with artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Chayanne, Aaron Carter, and Lalaine. He has performed in many music videos from My Chemical Romance's "Helena" to Jessica Simpson's "Boots." Chris also dances for the Adam Parson's Commonality Dance Company. Chris is thrilled to be back teaching with Pacific Dance Project and is looking forward to what the future has in store for him.
Mecca Vazie Andrews’ credits include American Apparel, Bedtime Stories, RENT (Feature Film), MTV Movie Awards, Hysterica Dance Company, VH1's Showgirl Bootcamp, America’s Best Dance Crew, City Opera, LA Contemporary Dance Company and Sony Industrials. She is also a frequent muse of director/ photographer David LaChapelle. Dance Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone Magazine and Papermag.com are some of the publications that have featured Mecca and her work. Some of her most recent artistic partnerships have involved Basement Jaxx, The Slits, Marco Antonio Solis, Chic, Kool and The Gang, La Philharmonic, and Santa Monica Museum of Art. In 2008 she completed an extensive residency at Phillis Stein Art Gallery. Her company mecca v.a and the MOVEMENT movements newest installation piece Creature Comforts is currently on exhibit in Jane Glassman's, In Bed Together at Royal T Gallery. Mecca Vazie Andrews is a Los Angeles-based choreographer, dancer, performance artist and instructor. She currently teaches at Edge Performing Arts Center and Loyola Marymount University.
1555 Mesa Verde Dr. E Suite 58E Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | 714.486.3319 | info@pacificdanceproject.com