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Ashley Barnett -
Becca Sweitzer -
Bobby Amamizu -
Christine Ivy -
Garrett Minniti -
Eddie Garcia -
Joelle Martinec -
Kelsey Landers
Ashley Barnett
Ashley Barnett is an award winning choreographer and an in-demand master class teacher. She has an extensive technical and performance background in dance and is also a certified Pilates instructor. A native of Southern California, with a degree from UCLA, Ashley’s work in the entertainment industry includes commercials, television shows, music videos and live performances. She has worked for prominent companies such as Disney, Kodak, NBC and MTV to name a few. Currently she devotes her time to teaching and choreographing for numerous dance studios across the country. Ashley has a true passion for dance and wants to share this love with performers everywhere.
Becca Sweitzer
Since moving to Los Angeles from Saline, Michigan, Becca Sweitzer has enjoyed working with the best talent in the business. Her versatility has enabled her to act, dance and choreograph for stage, television, music videos and film. Her choreography credits include commercials for Uggs, Chrysler and Sensa, the hit Disney show “Jessie”, the CW’s “Hart of Dixie”, America’s Got Talent and the feature film, Barry Munday, where she worked with the Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winning actress, Chloe Sevigny. She has choreographed music videos for Scissor Sisters, Passenger, Hinder, Raphael Saadiq and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Becca was recently nominated for a 2015 World Choreography Award for her work on last year’s Ugg commercial.
As a performer, Becca has appeared with Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Lenny Kravitz, Jay-Z, No Doubt, Christina Aguilera, LeAnn Rimes, Tom Jones, Barenaked Ladies, Katharine McPhee and Laura Bell Bundy. Her most notable film and television highlights include Hairspray, the 81st & 82nd Academy Awards, Glee, Dancing with the Stars, Tropic Thunder, Austin Powers 3, HBO’s Behind the Candelabra, Smash, Cold Case, That 70’s Show, MTV Music Video Awards, America’s Got Talent, Southland Tales and From Justin to Kelly. She has done commercial and industrial work with Nike, Puma, AT&T Wireless, Apple, Kmart and Fruit of the Loom.
Much of Becca’s success in this business is due to her proficiency in a variety of styles including jazz, tap, ballet, musical theater, lyrical, contemporary, video jazz and hip hop. Becca also enjoys sharing her love for dance by traveling around the country teaching young, aspiring dancers.
Bobby Amamizu
Bobby Amamizu is a graduate from Orange County High School of the Arts and holds a BFA in Dance Performance from UC Irvine. Currently he is represented by Movement Talent Agency in Los Angeles as a professional dancer. Stage credits: Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis (original cast), Freelusion, Industry Dance Awards, Tokyo the Company, Unity LA, Loving The Silent Tears (original musical), International Ballet Festival of Miami, Laguna Dance Festival, National Choreographers Initiative. Film: Fame, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, Dear Dumb Diary. Television/Commercials: Home Joy, Dancing with the Stars, Miss Universe, Strictly Come Dancing, Fiona Apple music video “Paper Bag,” Jerry Lewis Telethon. Industrials: L’Oreal, Mattel, and Morinda. He has also judged and taught at conventions/companies/Studios including: Cirque du Soleil, Edge Performing Arts Center, The Houston Met, OCSA, Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre, Tremaine Dance Conventions, LA Elite/Elite Dance Conventions, and West Coast dance Explosions. He also served as a rehearsal assistant to Jodie Gates to set an original ballet for Kansas City Ballet.
Christine Ivy
Christine holds an extensive and diverse background in Stage Direction/Production, Choreography, Talent/Event Management, Teaching, Dance Performance, and Pilates Education. She is a current Lead Producer/Director for commercial powerhouse Zen Arts, is the Owner/Founder of Ivy House Productions, and is Owner/Founder of Balance & Grace Pilates Studio. Formerly a long time Producer, Choreographer, and Core Member of global cirque troupe Lucent Dossier Experience, stage credits include numerous national and international performances at notable venues such as Coachella, Lightening in a Bottle, Electric Picnic (Ireland), and Boom (Portugal), along with multiple performances at the historic Palace Theatre (Los Angeles) and Liberty Theatre (NYC). She can be seen in music videos for Avicii (“Super Love”), Of Monsters and Men (“Mountain Sounds”) and is featured in Pharrel Williams’ single, “Come Get it Bae”, featuring Miley Cyrus. Commercial credits include Big Lots and Reliant Energy. Musical theatre roles include the Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife) and The Robber Bridegroom (Salome). Whilst being Lead BASI Pilates Instructor at Balance & Grace Pilates, her commercial fitness credits also include two dance fitness videos from fitness icon Tracey Mallet, DanceFuse CardioBurn and DanceFuse CardioLean, in which she is both featured and for which she was a contributing choreographer. And as a current student under the mentorship of Lolita San Miguel, who is one of only two Pilates Master Teachers ever to be certified by Joseph Pilates, Christine will become a 2nd Generation Master Pilates Teacher in 2018. Her B.A. in Dance/Dance Science (CSULB) further equips her to give back to the community through her current work with the dancers at Santa Ana High School ( Assistant Dance Director) and with non-profit performance academy Top Billing Entertainment. She and choreography partner, Eddie Garcia, are represented by Go To Talent Agency. You can learn more about Christine at http://www.wix.com/mamasladybug/christineivy, or by visiting her Pilates studio home at www.balanceandgracepilates.com. She is a firm believer that life is journey best taken together and her mission statement is, “Take no prisoners. Leave no regrets. Bring everyone along for the ride”. She appreciates this opportunity to pay it forward by joining the talented staff of ACT 1 and is excited to share her passion for authentic living and dancing.
Garrett Minniti
Garrett “Spaghetti” Minniti found his happy feet on stage at the age of 8 singing and dancing with the West Coast Musical Theatre Co mand by age 10 he was performing all over southern California. By the age of 14 it was clear that dance would be his destiny. His ever present smile, charm, and passion were methodically trained while performing with numerous song and dance troupes, competitive dance teams, and main-stage musicals at Orange County High School of the Arts and West Coast School of the Arts. After less than a year at UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film & Television, Garrett hit the road when he was cast in international tap dance sensation Caution: Men at Work Tap, and quickly jumped to tours of Broadways SWING! and 42nd Street. Other credits include Mike (A Chorus Line), Danny (Grease), Cosmo (Singing in the Rain), The Great American Songbook, Starring Ed Ames and Carol Lawrence (Branson, MO), and the world premier production of GIDGET, A New Musical written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Garrett is the co-Artistic Director and co-Founder of New York based In It For Life Productions. In It For Life has produced 11 showcases and original productions Off- Broadway and 17 dance workshops across the country since it’s inception in 2007 which have featured some of the industries most sought after choreographers, educators, and dancers. In 2013 Garrett and business partner Ahkai debuted The Breakthrough Outreach & Peformance Co; an international dance company, school, management company, and outreach program, and perhaps more importantly, a movement. Check out www.iaminitforlife.com for more info and find us on social media!
Currently Garrett is supervising a NEW atmosphere show Tap Worx, which he created for Universal Studios Hollywood, teaching for the EDGE Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, Ca and adjudicates and teaches annually through Western Canada with Showtime Dance Promotions. He has taught for STEPS on Broadway (when in New York), as well as numerous other events, schools, conventions, festivals and studios nationally and internationally. Garrett is also the co-founder of MPower Dance Workshops (www.mpowerance.com), which focuses on helping students connect the disciplines learned in the dance studio to finding success in any aspect of life. Currently MPower Dance and In It For Life are working together to create Flash Mob performances nation wide to promote STOMP Out Bullying, the nations largest anti-bullying campaign.
Garrett constantly strives to provide quality, energetic, and memorable dance educational experiences to students of all ages and levels, and to pass along the exceptional training and inspiration that he has received from his mentors. “Decide what type of dancer and performer you want to be, take charge of your training, and never miss and opportunity to get better!”
When not in the dance studio, in front of the computer, or on a plane, this proud Italian American enjoys cooking, taking “triple D” road trips with his beautiful wife, running, playing Wii, and watching Anime. He is very grateful for and thanks God for all of his blessings and accomplishments.
“Sometimes in life when nobody opens the door, you just have to knock down a ywall!” -Garrett Minniti and Ahkai Franklin
Eddie Garcia
Eddie Garcia is an accomplished director, choreographer dancer and multi-faceted entertainer with a solid reputation for choreography built upon decades of performing internationally alongside many of today’s most celebrated stars.
At just 16 years old, Eddie’s incredible dancing style and technique delivered him to the world stage via many projects with Janet Jackson. He danced in some of her most iconic videos and performances of all time, including “Nasty”,”What Have You Done For Me Lately”, “When I Think of You” and the classic “Control” on the American Music Awards.
By the time Eddie turned 17, “The King of Pop” himself, Michael Jackson, hand picked Eddie to join him. This began with “Smooth Criminal”, still considered one of the greatest videos of all time, and continued with other well known videos like the “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Speed Demon”. Eddie spent the next five years dancing with Jackson on the record-breaking and internationally acclaimed “Bad” and “Dangerous” Tours.
It was during those invaluable years of touring and working on countless sets where Eddie fine-tuned his innate ability to direct, produce and choreograph. He has since lent his talent to collaborations with well known artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Paula Abdul, Queen Latifah, Jane’s Addiction and many others.
Eddie Garcia’s artistic fingerprint has made him one of the most sought after names within the world of dance and choreography. He continues to enjoy engaging in new creative adventures and collaborations with the artists of today and tomorrow.
Joelle Martinec
Joelle Martinec is the Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer of Los Angeles based SoleVita Dance Company. Since it’s inception in 2011, SoleVita Dance Company, has boldly forged a path in the Los Angeles dance scene by participating in Celebrate Dance 2013, 2014 and 2015, performing for The LA Philharmonic 10th Anniversary Gala, taken part in events for Ignite Dance Workshops, Pasadena Dance Festival, Nancy Evans Dance Theatre, Commonality Dance Company and LA Fashion Week as well as two time finalists in the McCallum Theatre Dance Under The Stars Choreography festival. “MoveMeant”, SoleVita’s annual repertoire show is known as an event not to be missed. SoleVita dancers and Joelle Martinec’s choreography are featured in music videos for Adjoa Skinner’s “The Sun” and “Recession Song”, Ashley Chambliss’s “My Universe”, Brad Stanley and the Foxflies’ “Tik Tok Nation”, TJ Stafford Music’s “Get Up” . and Erin Muir’s “Too Much” featuring SYTYCD season 8 contestant Marko Germar. Joelle and SoleVita have as well released three independent short dance based films produced by Ginger Sole Productions.
As a dancer, Joelle was featured as “The Business Woman” on GLEE’s episode titled “Feud” and can be seen in feature films; “The Big Lebowski”, “A Time For Dancing” and in Bjork’s award winning music video “It’s Ohh So Quiet”. Ms. Martinec has taught all over the world and was known as “the teacher’s teacher” during her many years traveling with Tremaine Dance Conventions. Lewis Segal of the Los Angeles Times called Ms. Martinec’s solo performance for Liz Imperio’s Instincts Live Media Dance Company “feisty”.
Kelsey Landers
